MOVING PICTURES

I love a good pun, and this album delivers one with that cover art. With such a laugh-out-loud pun for cover art, you know this album is going to be a masterpiece. [But why do I get the feeling that 6/7 of this record was given less thought than the cover art? That's not even possible and I still get the feeling!]

Rush sure know how to create [the illusion of] a masterpiece. Take a look at "Tom Sawyer." It's got a catchy lead, a reference to a familiar story character that we all love, and heck, and it's topped off with a synth riff in 7/8. Brilliant! And look at Neil Peart's drumming. I can see why he's often cited as one of the greatest drummers of all time. No one keeps a 4/4 beat like this guy. And his 7/8 beats! How cleanly he stresses each beat! And check out that fill 43 seconds into "Red Barchetta"! Wow! Amazing! And I just can't get over the man's deft use of high-pitched drums. Mike Portnoy should just throw away his octobans because he can't play like Neil. Oh yea, and only Neil justifies using a drum kit that surrounds him. Go back to a standard 5-6 piece kit Portnoy! Next we have [the only really good track on the record] "YYZ," which spells out those letters with morse code! That is definitely a fun one! I would go as far as to say that it's Rush's best song ever [I really think so]. Ah yes, "Limelight," the original rock hit about being a rock star [I'm not doing any research; that statement stands]. It's my favorite song about fame other than Good Charlotte's "Lifestyles of the Rich an Famous" with it's quick-witted paradoxical bashing of their own fortune. Hey! They made a reference to "The Camera Eye" in the last song! Brilliant! What an exciting 11-minute song [consisting basically of the same themes over and over!]. Rush surprise us all with the last two tracks; they are quite different from typical Rush songs. First, "Witch Hunt," is a very eerie song [the lyric "faces are twisted and grotesque" perfectly describes my reaction to this song (I grow a second face to show my disgust)]. And they finish [poorly] with a reggae-tinged "Vital Signs" [there is an easy joke to make here]. Quite different [bad move].

Buy this album! [it's a better idea to just get yourself a high-quality mp3 of "YYZ;" the first 5 tracks really aren't bad, and are generally even good, but not great by any stretch].