SIGNALS

I'm proud of my Canadian homies in Rush...they're one of the few acts from the Seventies still making respectable albums. But man, do they divide the fans. Some like Big Riff Alex and Helium Geddy from the Seventies, some like New Wave Mullet Geddy and Delay Unit Alex from the Eighties, and never the twain shall meet. I personally enjoy both eras, but to me, Signals represents the pinnacle of Rush's career. Unpopular view, but true. After this album, the emphasis on synths took over the band and they lost their way a little for a while, but on Signals, the guitars are still upfront, if more subtle, and keys are used judiciously. Geddy's vocals are classy in his new lower register, but still full of passion. And Peart's lyrics have never sharper. I'm really not fond of Ayn Rand, so some of his early lyrics were a turn-off, but by this point he was making his points on individuality more subtly, as on Subdivisions, my fave Rush song, which PERFECTLY describes the suburban environment that I grew up in outside Toronto. And the guitar solo! The Analog Kid features a killer riff followed by an amazing, spacious bridge that I could listen to all day long on its own. Digital Man and New World Man are tuneful science rock at its best, and you'd have to have a heart of stone not to be moved by the ballad Losing It, a compassionate song emphasized by Ben Mink's soulful violin. There's not a bad track on this album. I feel that the previous two much- lauded records were merely warm-ups for Signals, which is unquestionably one of the best albums of the Eighties, and is the album where Rush's vision became complete.