CLOCKWORK ANGELS

This album has so many reviews already (as do most Rush albums), but a long-time fan has to have his say and add to the accolades that have already been made by the many reviews already written. All three of the regular members of the band are still present and still in top form. The production is excellent, the music great, and the songs are still new and original, not rehashed and there are no attempts to copy past successes by regurgitating old material. Everything is in place for an excellent album. Does it work? The answer is a big yes! One of the most influential bands are still doing what they do best in the best way possible. If you are looking for a full-fledged return to pre-Moving Picture albums, you won't find it here. But you get one of the best albums since then. It's better than "Fly By Night" and "Roll the Bones" by a long shot. It's on par with "Hemispheres" and "Presto" (yes I'm a "Presto" fan and not a "Fly By Night" fan), but not quite as good as "A Farewell to Kings" or "2112" or "Moving Pictures", so I'm stuck on giving it an almost essential rating of 4.5 stars. But since that is impossible to do here, and since I tend to lean towards masterpiece status on this album, I will round that up to 5 stars. Overall a great album. A lot of great highlights throughout the album and even a few excellent slower songs. Some great strings intermixed in a few tracks, heavy reliance on bass which is never a bad thing, a lot less irritating keyboards and what is there is quite tasteful and up to date, and very guitar driven here. I'm still missing those epic guitar solos of yesteryear, but this is still amazing and up there with some of their best, and there are still a lot more instrumental breaks than there tended to be on some of the 80s albums. Geddy's vocals are a little more shaky at times and in a lower register, but he still shines and they grow on you, but they always did have to grow on you, didn't they? Anyway, other reviewers have already told you the highlights of the album. It is consistently good throughout in my opinion. Everyone will always have their favorites anyway. So if you are still hesitating even now that most of the hoopla over a new album is over, then it's time for you to take the plunge. Statistics show that you will love this one!