HOLD YOUR FIRE

Ah...the 80s. A decade often derided for its silly fashions and cheesy music. When listening to music that came out of this period, you typically have to be in an "80s kind of mood" to be able to stomach the music. With Hold Your Fire, Rush actually was able to make some nice music that doesn't altogether scream "EIGHTIES". Songs such as "Force Ten", "Time Stand Still" and "Tai Shan" are nicely conceived tracks which in my opinion, have stood up nicely over the years. These three songs are the obvious highlights for me. While the other tracks do sound a bit dated, they certainly are performed nicely as you would expect from this talented trio.

"Open Secrets" is a Geddy Lee highlight reel as his bass really steals the show. This song could have just as easily been on Grace Under Pressure or even Counterparts, as the melody with the atmospheric keyboards has a similar feel that shows up on those albums.

"Second Nature" starts off as a ballad but then turns up the heat on the chorus. Nice percussion effects here along with some bass fills as the song transitions from verse to chorus.

"Prime Mover", "Lock and Key", "Mission" and "Turn the Page" are fairly standard Rush songs. Nothing exceptionally good or bad in these songs. However, I don't care for the closing track ("High Water") at all. It leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth for the album as a whole. While I do think most of the album is solid, three stars is the most that I can give it. It's a good album, but definitely not essential.