TOM SAWYER

Moving Pictures is easily one of the greatest rock albums of the 80s. The entire album is a hit factory, with each of the six tracks being extremely well composed, executed, and received, which is a marvel for any type of music. The band's music had been loved before, and that album was truly the apex of their career. This single, the opener and easily most popular track off the album, was an easy hit for the band, reaching #25 in the UK and #44 in the US, a miracle for a punk, new wave, and pop dominated music scene. Of course when the album came out it was a far bigger hit, peaking at #3 in North America. Surely this song, and it's B- Side Witch Hunt, had a huge impact on the album's success.

The song is probably most well known for its distinguishable riff and unique synth line. Musically the song is compositionally tight as a song can be, with each part defined in black in white, to be executed with striking perfection, and the three guys certainly do that. The solos, verses, chorus, and various parts are executed with ease and precision, giving the song and its lyrical theme and even more eerie feel. Overall, the song is a fantastic masterpiece of both progressive rock and hard rock, and is a spectacular augment to the band's discography. The B-Side, Witch Hunt, is another slightly eerie bordering creepy song, with a dark theme and dark instrumentation, and although it was not as big a hit, it still is a very strong track. Overall, the single is a good representation of Rush's success, and although it is not on par with the full album, it is a great single release. 3+ stars.

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