PERMANENT WAVES

"The Spirit Of Radio" opens the album and it's the perfect fusion of prog rock integrity and radio-friendly stadium rock that would so elude Genesis and to some extent Yes.The bristling guitar opening,the hammering drums that lead into that incredible arpeggiated riff,the glorious chorus,the reggae finale and inspired outro combine to make this a most singular piece of modern prog. The pace rarely lets up,"Freewill" with the monster bass and guitar solo is another radio-friendly piece that again manages to retain the band's integrity leads into the portentous and beautiful "Jacob's Ladder". Almost an instrumental this track is the depiction of a rural landscape during a stormy day and the music is flawless in its delivery. Very much a timeless Rush classic. "Entre Nous" is a nice track interesting enough to be more than just filler and the slow-burning "Different Strings" features a killer fade-out guitar solo.The final track is the incredible "Natural Science" a song that features many shifts of pace and moods from the atmospheric tidal pool opening through sci fi wheels-within- wheels to the strident punk-like ending.This musical tour-de-force was actually created with bits from an unused piece which was to be called "Sir Gawain and The Green Knight" a potential epic Peart was working on but felt was out of place with the other tracks.

I would have no hesitation in saying that this album is the perfect Rush primer and am absolutely confident in its five star status.Buy it and treasure it!

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