MOVING PICTURES

The teenage science fantasies of "2112" came full circle on "Moving Pictures". "Tom Sawyer", "Red Barchetta", "Limelight" and "Vital Signs" resonated with the band's core audience (young people listening on headphones and elevating from the norm) even more than the philosophical "Permanent Waves". Both albums contain great music, both vie for the upper hand in any discussion of the band's best work, and both are must-owns for progressive rock fans. GEDDY LEE was slowly introducing synthesizers into the mix, usually to ease listeners into the song and underscore spacier passages, but "Moving Pictures" is still analog RUSH: the superlative rhythms and fiery guitar work are in full force. A sign of things to come appears on the closing "Vital Signs", where ALEX LIFESON's guitar favors ANDY SUMMERS-like textures (in fact, THE POLICE's "Synchronicity" and "Tom Sawyer" are more than a little similar) and the concept of "signals" is introduced. But more typical of the album is the instrumental "YYZ", a three-man workout so full of chops that it sounds like FRANK ZAPPA (without FZ's wandering noodle of an eye, of course). Like "Permanent Waves", "Moving Pictures" puts its best features up front; as good as the first side of music is (with "Limelight" providing the knockout punch this time), the second side falters slightly. "The Camera Eye" never seizes on a compelling melody but just sort of plugs along, "Witch Hunt" starts out promising and then seems to hold something back.

They're not rough patches, only average songs on an inspired album. And when the band is at the height of their inspiration, as they are here, their music is a wonderful thing to behold. "Tom Sawyer" and "Limelight" were so powerful, they permeated the collective consciousness of teenagers around the world. Not bad for a little piece of plastic.