GRACE UNDER PRESSURE

Although not a perfect album by any means, it is a bold step forward for a band that at the time was agressively looking for new directions in 1983, after releasing their masterpiece album Signals. They were not happy to rest on their laurels and repeat the same thing again. This is where this album is successful - it retains the classic Rush sound, and at the same is very forward-looking - Rush have successfully integrated some of the trademark New Wave sounds, like electronic percussion, super-crisp guitar chords and metallic picking, and digital keyboards providing eerie, disquieting atmosferics. The sound is much colder overall, but that is what's intended, and no apologies are needed. From the songwriting point of view, there are some innovations as well. There is an overall move to streamline the songs and inject them with a sense of urgency, however the band retains their musical and lyrical sophistication. Some of their best songs can be found on this album: Distant Early Warning, Kid Gloves, After Image and Between The Wheels - all Rush classics. There is not a single bad track here, and the level of inspiration is pretty high. The only drawback is that the album has an 80's sound, and therefore does not date as well as other Rush albums. But it is the last Rush classic - they have "lost it" after this.