TEST FOR ECHO

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Give this album another halfstar!!!!

For a long time , I thought Rush had folded up with this very unremarkable effort , that only real, confirmed , convinced , die-hard , avid fans should get an ear onto this before eventually before eventually investing in it.

This album is really tough on my ears , with endless power riffs , relatively common songwriting and all songs sounding alive. Surely Rush had decided to go back to their harder rock days , probably encouraged by Dream Theater's successes , but to me it sounds very uninspired , uninventive.

Good artwork sleeve , though , somehow reminding me of the Hemispheres days!

Disappointing after Counterparts. Still some good songs on here though. Test For Echo, Half The World, Virtuality and the instrumental Limbo are all up to standard. But the rest are slightly tuneless and inferior to most stuff the band has written. it seems aimless. Maybe the band should not record an album until they have enough decent material available. With their history and fan base, surely the record company will wait until the band are ready!

I confess giving Rush a miss after Power Wndows from 1985 and then a couple of years back I got a copy of Test For Echo. This was desperate times in the hope of getting convinced that to rekindle my investemnt in Rush from 1985 onwards let's see what they had to offer. Test For Echo was initially for me a nightmare, I am surprised that this release has slowly but surely grown on me though. An album that I once labelled as poor has actually turned out to be not that atrocious. Quite pleasant to the ear and in fact pretty darn good. Maybe it is because there is a dearth of classic bands left, maybe just because my mind was closed to modern day Rush. Thankfully I have had time to see the error in judgement.

This is BARELY 3 stars material, almost a collection item. Rush went back from a 3 year vacation where they should thought harder to make a better comeback. Because you don't get charm new fans with that kind of job. Why Rush lowered their scyscraper standards at this point? CounterParts had a much rougher and dirtier edge, which was the basic trademark of the album. But for Test for Echo, even the concerts were lacking sparks and energy. Maybe they didn't believe in their product at that time.

But on the bright side, Hugh Syme did an immaculate job on the cover art. Rush became at Roll the Bones somesort of a "cool inside booklet" band. The theme was the Great North with lots of cool Inuit references. Winter theme is a nice way to describe the album despite the lack of creativity of the songs. The song Driven fits pretty well and so is the Test for Echo song. The wrapping of the record is far superior and creative than what's inside. Guys, the cool booklet and art work is giving me hope that someday, I won't look down so much on the album. Man, "Rush art" is certainly a nice voyage in extravagant and imaginative art...like the Floyd use to do. Cheers to Hugh Syme and the Boys for such exquisite and humorous job.

Anyway some songs are totally worth the try. Test for Echo for instance, is a nice post- prog exercise with cool toms rolls and bass subtilities. Driven, is for me, one of the best songs ever written by Rush. Driven is a great ride with tension and excellent guitar/ bass/drum interaction. Worthy of a definitive attention. It's catchy, heavy and satisfying. Check out also Time and Motion, it's a weird song and it's a heavy one also. My favorite would be Driven and Carve Away the Stone. Don't know why, that last song has all my sympathy an respect. It won't go through ages, but it will please your ears, I hope.

Anyway, do not start here for the 1990 and up period...you might regret an album with only 4 or 5 ncie songs....because Rush is more than capable of an album of total killer and no filler.

I recall that this album managed to reach the Finnish top-10 charts as it was released! Maybe this kind of popularity and accessibility is one reason that why it is so hated in the (elitist?) prog community. I liked it! There are many different styles used in the songs, but the album sounds as a compact piece, and at least I enjoyed most of the compositions. If you liked "Counterparts" and "Vapor Trails", I recommend you to try listening this one!

After the heavy Counterparts, Rush entered the studio again and created an album in the same vein. The only problem is that there seemed to be no true inspiration on this album. The music tends to be tedious and goes on, save a few good tracks. The lyrics blend mediocrity and are somewhat uninspired. The musicianship, however, is still top tier. Lifeson plays grungy and heavy parts combining with solos, Lee plays sophisticated bass lines and tasteful keyboards while singing at what seems to be his designated voice nowadays. Peart keeps the pace up with rough and agressive drumming, but writes seldom though provoking lyrics on this one.

The only tracks that are worth mentioning are Test For Echo, Driven, and Resist. Test For Echo opens the album, and has some genuinely heavy sections and some good lyrics (arguably the best on the album along with Resist). A great riff during the verses by Lifeson also keeps the originality level at a high. Driven adds a heavier twist to the action by combining a rising scale with some brutal 4th chords. Tasteful vocals by Lee and some precision drumming by Peart are highlights of the song. Resist is easily one of the most emotional pieces Rush has ever crafted. With some weeping guitar lines, and some melancholic vocals from Lee, and Peart's best lyrical contribution to the album, as well, the song has now become a live acoustic favorite.

Overall, there are some likable qualities to the album, but overall, it is marred by bland and mediocre lyrics, and uninspired riffs and song structures. 2.5/5.

The last Rush album for 5 years, "Test for Echo" was a disappointment (to put it mildly) to the majority of the band's fans, seen as it came out after one of their strongest efforts, the nearly perfect "Counterparts". I give it 3 stars on account of the few good tracks it contains, which are indeed worthy of mention even if they cannot completely rescue an album featuring the utterly awful "Dog Years", easily the worst Rush track ever - of which the less said, the better.

A real pity, as the album opens in style with the haunting, intense title-track: great lyrics and Geddy's priceless bass lines make it one of the best-ever openers for the band. "Driven" gives free rein to Alex's furious riffing, while Geddy sings splendidly. Unfortunately, things start going downhill from there, reaching a nadir with "Dog Years" . With this notable exception, though, many of the songs are not so much bad as nondescript. "Totem" has intriguing lyrics and a good closing section, "Time and Motion" is a heavier than usual effort (which I quite like), and the instrumental "Limbo", while obviously not on a par with masterpieces like "La Villa Strangiato" or "YYZ", features interesting basswork courtesy of Mr Lee. This leaves one of the album's standout tracks, the moving "Resist", whose lyrics pay homage to the sharp wit of the great Oscar Wilde ("I can learn to resist /Anything but temptation"), and which the band have taken to performing acoustically on stage (very beautifully, too). A final mention for the stylish, Eskimo-inspired sleeve with its cool blue tones and evocative stone figure.

After the release of this album (and of the subsequent triple live "Different Stages"), hard times were waiting for the band, especially for drummer Neil Peart. This not-quite- successful album risked being their last, which would have been a pity. Non-essential - though far from utterly disposable - is probably the best definition for "Test for Echo".

This one comes as a sort of a let down after the return to form with the fantastic and nearly flawless Counterparts. However, this one is still filled with enough good material for even casual Rush fans to enjoy. Excluding the abysmal "Dog Years", even the albums low points aren't all the low, suffering the problem of being mediocre rather than bad. You'll find yourself forgetting which track was which but will not walk away holding any grudges.

Overall the album has a much harder sound the previous releases and is played at a bit faster tempo. The use of synths are all but gone which will be a relief to those weary of their synth drenched 70's work. Lyrics here range from very good on "Driven" and "Resist" to pretty uninspired "Color Of Right" but as a whole they're impressive.

The album starts out strong with the frantic rocker "Test For Echo" showing us that Lifeson is still the riff master that he always was coming in the loudest we've heard him on recent albums. The album doesn't let up yet bringing us the best Rush song from the 90s, "Driven." We're then met with some mediocre tracks which I personally get a kick out of but casual fans will probably only give these the occasional listen. Then the album closes out nicely with an impressive instrumental in "Limbo" and the moving "Resist" which features some very emotional drumming on by the hands of Peart.

A very nice album that is somewhat underrated here. This is not the train wreck it's made out to be, but it's also not an essential listen.

I am a die-hard Rush fan, close to being an unconditional fan... where it not for two of their albums : Roll the Bones and this one, Test for Echo. Apart from Counterparts, the 90's have to be Rush's least interesting period, and this album is the least interesting from that period. Only 3 songs I enjoy on this one : Test For Echo, Driven, and Time and Motion. Resist is way better acoustic, as played on Rush in Rio. This is also the case for TfE and Driven : both are excellent live numbers, as heard on Different Stages. The rest of the album, well, falls flat. Rush sounded like a band that were on automatic pilot with this album, slowly but surely drifting towards the end of their career (and God knows it came close, knowing the events in Neil's life). Even lyrically, the ever-smart and witty Neil Peart wrote righteous and cheesy stuff here (Virtuality and The Color of Right, and the awful Totem).

Fans will sure want to complete their collection buying this album, and others should stick with the live versions of the songs I mentionned earlier, as I think the rest of the album is far from necessary in anyone's collection.

Even though "Test for Echo" is not considered as the band's best album but I still consider this is a good album to have. With the inclusion of more synthesizer sounds since "Signal" album, "Test for Echo" tries to combine the band's old sound with modern sound, with a bit influence of Alternative music or AOR. Take the opening track "Test for Echo" (5:55) for example. It takes the ambient music with synthesizer and guitar work in continuous stream of music which is then followed with bass and drums in electronic sounds. It flows naturally with low to mid register notes of Geddy Lee vocal. Bass guitar is still being played as old style of Rush - which in a way has characterized the music of Rush. This opening track is an excellent in its tight compositions. If you love old style Rush you would hardly deny this.

"Driven" (4:26) has been played in many Rush live album versions and it becomes an important part of the show, obviously. The strong point of this track is in its rhythm section and soft guitar riffs combined with bass lines. Again, you can find interesting bass lines combined with all good drumming and synthesizer works. "Half the World" (3:42) tries to bring the music in its mild level with its guitar-based rhythm section in floating style. "The Color of Right" (4:48) sounds like a continuation of previous track especially on the way rhythm section is built and - of course the low to mid register notes on vocal line. (What a great strategy I can notice here - with the vocalist getting older, the band tries to avoid high register notes in its composition!).

"Time and Motion" (5:01) takes the music into more uplifting mode with the blast of music that combines guitar riffs and melodic synthesizer shot. "Totem" (4:57) continues the previous track style. "Dog Years" (4:54) is a rocker with faster tempo and higher register notes on vocal and nice guitar riffs. "Virtuality" (5:43) is another rocker with firmer guitar riffs than previous track. "Resist" (4:23) brings the music into a kind of ballad with nice guitar fills and rhythm section. "Limbo" (5:28) reminds me to the music style of "signal" album. "Carve Away the Stone" (4:05) concludes the album with medium tempo music.

Overall, this is a good album from Rush. Even though there is no distinctive difference between one track to another - all sound alike, I would say, but Rush manages the album in relatively stable manner. Forget about the old style of Rush music with subtle high and low differentiation, this album sounds much more modern in approach and style. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Rush's worst album to date. Period. Even the synth-driven pop of the 80s was more inventive than this. The band really drops the ball here after the excellent Counterparts. However, just as Rush has never made a full masterpiece, so too have they not made a complete failure.

The title track is intense with some fabulous lyrics and great singing. Driven has some great riffing, though the live versions complete with a stunning bass solo is so much better. Limbo is an instrumental with some neat bass from Geddy, though it is vastly inferior to YYZ and La Villa Strangiato

Dog Years is awful, it is certainly the worst song here and one of the worst Rush tunes ever. Pretty much everything in between Driven and Limbo fails to excite, which the exception of the lyrically superb Resist.

This album would be the start of hard times for the band, particularly Neil Peart, who received a double tragedy that nearly ended Rush. Thankfully, this is not their swan song. Things would improve dramtically on Vapor Trails, though its production is awful.

Grade: D

Keeping up with the rock, but slipping a little in quality, "Test for Echo" is a somewhat mixed bag of serious keepers with a few that'll leave you scratching your head. The lyrics are smart (as always) but the band's playing shows little inventiveness, making the album somewhat bland for periods.

The title track rocks hard, with Geddy's self-described "flamenco bass" sounding very strong, and while most of the songs have all three members on their game, they just don't catch one as much as with "Counterparts". "Resist" is rightfully one of the better songs on the album, with poignant lyrics and vocals; while I enjoy the superficially silly "Dog Years" and "Totem" as well.

As a whole, another one for the fans, but far from the group's weakest.

Songwriting: 3 Instrumental Performances: 3 Lyrics/Vocals: 3 Style/Emotion/Replay: 3

This was the first RUSH album since the "Signals" record, that i actually bought soon after it's release.I had heard some songs off of the "Counterparts" album, and was very pleased to hear they had gone back to the guitar driven music that i loved so much.In some ways i like this one better then the "Counterparts" album,mainly because i listened to it so much.I liked it so much i am probably one of the few who actually has,and still wears a "Test For Echo" t-shirt.The picture in the liner notes where the song "Test For Echo" lyrics are, of the wolf howling and the moon in the background,that is what is on the front of my RUSH shirt,with the concert venues and dates on the back.I wear it with pride.All the pictures in the liner notes are so well done by Hugh Syme,including the front cover.To quote Lifeson "I feel like we arrived with this record.There's a particular feel that i don't think we had before-a nice groove and a lot of really good RUSH songs." "Test For Echo" is a great tune!I like the way Alex breaks off into that uptempo melody (with Neil and Geddy) on and off throughout this song.This melody contrasted with the mellow chorus works well."Driven" continues the contrast of the heavy passages with the acoustic mellow ones.Alex grinds away,and also gives us some screaming guitar solos.There is really a sonic assault to end the song."Half The World" has this powerful undercurrent throughout of great bass.Alex plays mandola on this one."The Color of Right" is an uplifting song for me,with a tasteful guitar solo."Time and Motion" has some scorching guitar as heavy drums follow.The drumming is a highlight on this powerful tune."Totem" is a song where Neil goes to great lengths to say he only believes in what he can hear and see."Dog Years" has such a good intro of thundering bass and drums.The lyrics are silly but the instrumental parts are great!"Virtuality" is another amazing,heavy song.I love the bass and drum melody.Again a good contrast of heavy and light passages."Resist" is so uplifting! Neil was inspired to write this when he visited Scotland,and it's all about the people of Scotland,so check out the lyrics.Geddy's vocals are so well done."Limbo" has some fantastic bass in it.The vocal melodies in the background are a nice touch."Carve Away the Stone" has some powerful instrumental work on it,including a raw solo from Alex. Favourite songs for me are the instrumental "Limbo" and "Time and Motion".For me this is easily a 4 star record,much better than the keyboard driven records that came after "Signals".Highly recommended.

In the interest of full disclosure I've not been really rocked by a Rush album since Grace Under Pressure. I haven't owned every one of them since but in general much of what I have heard, while not bad, doesn't excite me.

While obviously well played and of high Rush standards, Test For Echo is like many of their albums of the last twenty years: not bad, but perhaps getting a little tired, a little formulaic, and a far cry from anything remotely resembling Moving Pics. I'm not saying they have to copy past glories but honestly...Dog Years? C'mon guys. "Limbo" is a pretty impressive track and my probably my favorite of this set, they seem to break out of it and let their hair down a bit. Not enough of course, but it does rock.

I think there are a few good songs here but I'd say most of the album is for big Rush fans only. I'd have a hard time recommending that a wide prog audience spend their hard-earned money on this album with so much great stuff out there.

The booklet is very nice with great graphics, lyrics, and charming photos of the boys in their youth. The cover art is also quite good.

Rush ends the 90s with a mixed effort.

Here is a good album, but not so much as good as Rush can do. Each song holds it's own, but therein lies the problem, as Rush has always really been an album band. Even on an album with plentiful singles (Moving pictures, for exapmle), the album still sounds like an album with a revolving theme and powerful songs. This album, however, just sounds like a bunch of songs without any real direction. Some of the tracks are fairly exceptional, TIME AND MOTION is a great track, as is HALF THE WORLD, the rest are good, but really without any direction.

Without much more to add, this album is mostly for Rush fans and those who want to hear some interesting experimentation. 2.5 stars.

What's the matter with this album, guys?

I really love this record... I have almost the entire Rush's discography, and I consider this is a worthy disc, full of energic songs, where the band sounded really alive and full of new ideas, adapting themselves to 90's sound... And this is not Dream Theater! The music is really far... Maybe some instrumental passages... But Dream Theater has always sounded a little Rush to me, the canadians are an obvious influence to these american's guys... So is not strange the tin relation between both bands. I find this discussión about Rush copying Dream Theater really silly!

Another great fact of Test for Echo is the production... Sensational. Every instrument sounds clear and perfect. Geddy's singing is also great, offering us the typical choirs of the later Rush's albums. The Lifeson's playing is more riff oriented, but still full of details, and this fact makes possible the strong Neil Peart's drums that we can hear throughout the album.

Best songs: Test for Echo (a presentation of the diffent direction abd style of the album...), Half the World (a song that givea us a glimpse of what Rush would do in future releases...), The Colour of Right (typical happy Rush's song...), Dog Years (great rock song), Resist (I love the mellow Geddy's singing here...)

Conclusion: an underrated album... Catchy, funny and different are some adjectives I could give. I really don't understand why a lot of people call this music rubbish... In my opinion Test for Echo is better than Fly By Night, Caress of Steel, Rush, Power Windows... And in terms of quality, is almost on the same level than the 11 years later Snakes and Arrows. A really worthy rock album, in conclusion...

My rating: ***1/2

Just like the band's third era and "Hold Your Fire", I find that Rush's fourth era finds a great closure in the fourth and last item from that particular time, in this case, the "Test for Echo" album. The band had never given up on their art-rock basic intentionality, but definitely they were apart from the progressive rock structures that had become abundantly essential in their 77-81 albums and had been gradually decreasing in their 82-87 efforts. From the days of "Presto", it seemed like Rush had just become another hard rock band with a slightly superior level of musical complexity than others (the early grunge bands, the remaining hair-metal and AOR bands), yet losing some of the muscle and nerve that had become a sort of Rush-trademark. But alas, their 1993 release "Counterparts" found the band recovering themselves into harder and more complex terrains in the realm of rock. The same goes for "Test for Echo", an art-rock effort with noticeable (if not dominant) prog leanings and yet sounding very contemporary. All in all, "Test for Echo" manages to introduce a higher dose of complexity and a more interesting series of musical ideas. Getting started with a powerful opener such as the title track, one can tell that the entry is effective: catchy riffs, intricate rhythmic development, full exploding dynamics and that special magic that can only come from a perfectly amalgamated power trio like this. 'Driven' follows, bearing what is arguably the album's highlight in terms of writing and arrangements: the succession of 15/8, 14/8 and 6/8 patterns is both compact and fluid for a song that remains a bit commercial while being, mostly, cleverly complex. 'Half the World' and 'The Color of Right' are less impressive, but properly retain the stamina installed by the first two tracks. 'Time and Motion' stands on a heavy psychedelic ground, rocking steadily through its constant alternations between 5/4 and 6/8 tempos. There is a sense of constraint in the guitar arrangements, which allows the synth ornaments stay clearly audible in the mix. 'Totem' and 'Dog Years' rock really hard, but only the former feels really appealing to me; the other one is just a pretext to keep on listening with relative pleasure. None of them I find great, bit I do find 'Virtuality' great: its drive is on the commercial note not unlike tracks 3 & 4, but there is more to it, an effective exercise on pop-rock with a heavy guitar- laden twist and Peart's clever management of the otherwise ordinary rhythmic pattern. The Rush fan can't have enough of those syncopations, rolls and intruding cowbells, all of them Peart-style, pure and simple. In terms of commercially oriented rock, the band really nailed it on this one. 'Resist' is an acoustic ballad that partially hints at the softer moments of the band's late 70s era: the use of dulcimer and mandola among the acoustic guitar and synth layers feels adequate for the sort of quiet solemnity that the lyrics provide about the idea of dealing with the negative side of life with grace and character. and love. The instrumental 'Limbo', just like the one in "Counterparts", is mostly a pretext to do some jamming and state a simplistic, expanded architecture around it. These rushing guys have always been good at it and this track is no exception. The album is closed down by 'Carve Away the Stone', a sort of epitome that combines the moods of tracks 2, 3 and 6: it is powerful enough, includes some tempo variations, and also some catchy riffs. "Test for Echo" is a very good prelude to what perhaps is the best Rush live effort ever - "Different Stages". 3 ¾ stars for this one!

An often-maligned album from Rush's 90s period... this isn't close to being one of their best, but it's still a pretty good solid hard rock effort that is more than your average rock album.

For some reason, I don't feel like a track by track analysis is appropriate here, and I'll just go over the highlights. My favorite is "Totem", with its brilliant lyrics and blend of acoustic parts and the more rocky tendencies that tend to be prevalent on this album. Great song! Another song that often gets way too much crap, even from Rush fans, is "Dog Years". There is plenty of solid instrumentation from the group here, with typical tight melodies and well-written, well-structured songs with insightful lyrics. "Resist" is a wonderful anthem, while the title track is a very effective opening. "Limbo" is another great instrumental similar to "YYZ".

This is a highly enjoyable release from the trio once again. It's very hard to rate and almost feels like a 3.5 or someone in between both of those ratings for me. However, it is a "good, but not essential" album because it's one of their least progressive outings.

If you're looking for straight-up prog, look elsewhere. If you're looking for awesome hard rock songs with some interesting instrumentation, however, it's hard to get much better than this.

My first Rush album (really!), and I've never tired of it. Each song is spectacular and colorful, even if almost all of them border on simplicity. The lyrics are some of the best of any Rush album. That's not to discount the impeccably good playing from this Canadian trio. The sound is crisp, rugged, and begs to be heard and reheard.

"Test for Echo" Loaded with Alex Lifeson's clean, chorused guitar and Geddy Lee's mellow vocals, the album gets underway. But it's scarcely thirty seconds before the Lee's bass and Lifeson's distorted sound come in and bring the music to heavy maturity. Lifeson's solo is well-crafted, but I believe he could have chosen a different sound. Also, I think Neil Peart's drumming is really muddy in parts.

"Driven" With a heavy guitar riff and funky bass riff, the most popular track from the album is in full swing. Acoustic guitar and synthesizer back up the lead-in to the chorus before the heavy guitars and drums return. Lee delivers a phenomenal bass solo.

"Half the World" A folksier rock song than the others, this has a catchy melody (and even catchier lyrics). It's clever, even if the music is pretty plain. The acoustic instrumentation adds variety, if only briefly.

"The Color of Right" Another more run-of-the-mill rock song, this keeps my interest far longer than what the typical rock band doles out. I've never not enjoyed it, so there's that; the harmonies are good, the musicianship is good, the lyrics are good- I suppose it's the composition itself that just doesn't stand out. I also feel that the arrangement toward the end is rather sloppy.

"Time and Motion" I have always held mixed feelings about this one. I feel the guitar work (especially on the solo) is rather sloppy and that the overall sound is far too noisy. On the other hand, the refrain is one of the best vocal melodies ever written in heavy progressive rock, and the bridge is so intriguing. It's honestly difficult to judge.

"Totem" Quasi-religious lyrics and a fantastic rhythm make this an outstanding track. Peart uses those toms to impart a slightly tribal feel, but Lee's vocals are at once boastful and mysterious. Lifeson delivers a proper solo for the chord progression, even if it is brief, giving way to the darkest part of the song.

"Dog Years" One of the heavier tracks, this one has some terrific, thought-provoking lyrics. The bridge is much softer, but builds exceptionally, especially with Lee's bass growling in the background.

"Virtuality" Rush keeps it heavy with yet another great song full of relevant lyrics, this time about the strange nature of technology and the interconnectedness of the informational highway.

"Resist" The electric guitars are toned down a bit to allow the piano sound and acoustic guitar room to breathe. The vocals are lovely, with inspirational lyrics that build into an impressive and encouraging conclusion.

"Limbo" The instrumental of the album has a ripping bass line to kick it off. Lee's vocals soar in the backdrop, filling out one of the band's more complex works in terms of arrangement. It's a sprawling piece of music, one that takes several listens to fully enjoy.

"Carve Away the Stone" The final song is another encouraging one. It features a simple blast of heavily distorted guitar chords with Lee singing, before an intriguing instrumental pre-chorus engages the hearer. While the lyrics promote self-sufficiency in overcoming obstacles, the instrumental jam in the middle just grooves on all fronts.

What the heck happened here? When I first listened Test for Echo, I could not believe what I was hearing. I was literally speechless. Was this Rush? Or was it a really bad solo project? I looked at over the insert and all three names were present. Yes, this was Rush... But what the heck happened to them??

What we have here is a group trying to regain their former hard rock days (before Rush turned progressive) and absolutely failing at it. Probably the worst thing about it is Geddy Lee is still singing in the style he perfected in the 1980s up through the Counterparts album. That just doesn't work with this album at all. The guitar is on overload, and even though I admire Lifeson's abilities, I think he just lost it here. From time to time it is muffled and often sloppy.

One could only guess what Rush was trying to accomplish with this album. Even though their die-hard fans enjoyed their endlessly formulaic approach which started with Signals (and I too admired much of what they have done since Signals), maybe Rush was tiring of this approach. The song structures were still short, but the musical composition skills seemed to have been thrown out the window. I'm shocked. Maybe that's the effect they were aiming for? It worked on me, but in a negative way.

This one should definitely be avoided. For collectors and die-hard fans only. Two stars. Even Hold Your Fire is better than this. It's only saving grace is the neat album cover featuring an inukshuk.