POWER WINDOWS

This album should be called 'Peter Collins and Rush in Power Windows'. Alex Lifeson once said he had to rearrange most of his parts cos Peter decided to fill lot of space with keyboard sound. Peter Collins was pop produducer at the time and he just finished working with Nik Kershaw. This is the first Rush album done completely in digital and the change in sound is gross. I remember first time I heard this record I was mesmerized. Not because the sound is so spacy. Just because it's so energetic and optimistic yet still rock music. The Big Money is smashing hit and I really dig mid 80's image of Rush music. Not image of them cos they looked pretty bizarre dressed like 80's pop stars. Grand Designs is even more vital than previous one. It's so damn energetic and your blood starts to run faster. Lifeson still plays good solos even though his rhtythm parts are reduced to single chords appearing here and there bewtween massive keyboard parts. Manhattan Project is a bit slower and moody. Maybe the best song on this release. The sections of music are done in typically progressive way just the sound is newer. Marathon is majestical and pretty bombastic. Another great solo. It reminds me a bit Adrian Smith solos on Somewhere In Time and this album was released year after Power Windows. Interesting. Territories is the weakest song on this album in my opinion. Lack of good melody, I don't know, I'm not getting it. But I simply love Middletown Dreams. It's great touching song with great emotional vocals and amazing chords. Awesome solo? Of course and I can listen to that over and over again. Emotion Detector still good song just a bit lighter. I like the chorus because same as in previous one it's very emotional (so here goes the title). Mystic Rhythms ..I'm not sure. This song became popular due to expensive video that promoted the single but it's very too much pop. I know it was 1985 but rest of the album is still rock music. I think that direction was taken on next album, fortunatelly songs on Hold Your Fire are still rock somehow. I really like this release. I don't call it masterpiece but in my personal rating I'd give 5 stars. Objectively giving 4.