PERMANENT WAVES

Rush comes up with one of their most creative efforts ever, in Permanent waves. Spirit of the Radio, and Freewill have become radio and concert staples, and are some of Rush's most famous works. The latter is an excellent example of a prog song being condensed to radio format: not usually this is a good idea, but Rush has managed to pull this effort off flawlessly. Jacob's Ladder is a purely progressive jam, utilizing synthesizers quite effectively in the middle section. Entre Nous and Different strings appear at first to be throwaways, but are an excellent listen. Natural Science, the epic progressive closer, is one of the greatest songs of all time. One cannot be a prog fan unless one has heard this definitive song. With astounding lyrics, courtesy of peart, the song breaks philosophic ground relating to natural selection, divine ordinance, and social pressures. Equally astounding is the musicianship put forth by all three members, here, and on the entire album. What is ironic is that, even though these guys are all over 50, they can still play better than 90 percent of the content of MTV