THROUGH THE CAMERA EYE

This is one of the lesser known Rush video's, released in 1984, a year later put on a laser-disc but we still have to wait on a DVD release. It's the era that Rush looked like dressmen on the catwalk, especially the handsome Alex. The music turned into more swinging and the trio blended styles like ska, reggae and new wave into their early Eighties 'powerprog', obviously influenced by The Police.

This video contains six tracks from the studio albums Signals and Grace Under Pressure that were released in those days and Vital Signs and the 'stage favorite' Tom Sawyer (a live-version from the Exit Stage Left video) from Moving Pictures, my favorite Rush album. Most of the tracks are recorded as video clips like Distant Early Warning with a small boy who travels around the world on a rocket (based upon the famous scene of Slim Pickens riding an atomic bomb in Stanley Kubrick his classic movie Dr. Strangelove), the catchy Subdivisions (Geddy Lee on the huge Oberheim synthesizer) featuring a kind of nerd from the Toronto suburbs, Afterimage with Victorian-like images and an inspired Neil Peart and the exciting Countdown including NASA footage of the first space shuttle launch, this epitomizes the connection between Rush and spacecraft concerning the element technical skills and an adventurous mind. One of the highlights is the final part of the swinging composition Vital Signs, very compelling with a soaring synthesizer sound, propulsive guitar riffs on a white Fender Stratocaster and dynamic drumming, a very captivating and distinctive Rush sound in the mid-Eighties!

Not their best video but recommended to all Rush fans. My rating 3,5 stars.

Mine is a laser disc version which was released in 1985, a year after the VHS version. I was actually not too keen to purchase this video. But when I looked at songs that rarely featured in any compilation of Rush like Vital Signs and Enemy Within, I finally purchased it from a friend of mine. As the name implies, it's basically a video clip with some footage of their concert, displayed as a video, not as a concert. Distant Early Warning from Grace Under Pressure album is really nice as a composition as well as the video clip here. Vital Signs strength is on its beautiful melody and inventive keyboard / synthesizer work even though not that sophisticated. This underrated song is one of my favorite from Moving Pictures album. None of those who claim themselves as Rush fans really like this song. Subdivisions is also another good clip which showcases the [&*!#] of Rush music into a synthesizer-driven style. The other favorite of mine in this video is of course the other underrated song Enemy Within from Grace Under Pressure album.

It's a good compilation of Rush videos in the 80s.

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW