As documented in the Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage (2010) documentary, the band have stubbornly gone their own way now for nearly 40 years. This was shown by recording what was thought to be commercial suicide with a side-long suite on their do-or-die fourth album, 2112 - or by including a reggae break (of all things) in their otherwise radio-friendly track "The Spirit Of Radio." As they explain in the film, the various paths they have chosen over the years always had to do with the music they liked, not what would sell.
This tendency was made crystal clear with their 1982 album Signals, the follow-up to their all-time bestseller, Moving Pictures. The general consensus was that Rush had gone New Wave. Don't get me wrong, with songs like "Subdivisions," Signals was a classic. But the new emphasis on keyboards was pretty different. For some of us, the eighties were a tough time to be a Rush fan. By the time of their 1987 hit "Time Stands Still" I had lost interest. From "Working Man" to Aimee Mann in 13 years was a little hard to swallow.
With their 1991 Roll The Bones release, the band seemed to realize this. While the album did contain some keyboards, their use had been dramatically curtailed. The result was a record that many saw as a return to form, and has taken its rightful place as one of their finest efforts. As if to signify this, Roll The Bones has been selected as the latest 24K + Gold Edition CD from the Audio Fidelity label. The process behind these releases is a meticulous one, and quite intriguing for those of us who appreciate the ultimate in sound quality.
The first step is the remastering phase, which is done from the original tapes. Once this task is complete, the digital master is etched onto the glass disc surface in real time by laser. From this, the CD is made out of real gold, rather than the standard and often imperfect aluminum. The end result is a remarkably clean and “warm” sounding product, with the original analog depth intact, as well as the convenience and precision of digital technology.
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Article comments
1 - El Bicho
"The fact that the guy has never really been credited as a master of the instrument is beyond me."
Quoted for Truth. Might be because of all the praise that Geddy and Neil deservedly get that sucks up all the attention, but makes no sense to me as the evidence is there for all to hear.
"Ghost of a Chance" is one of my favorite songs by them and such a thoughtful love song. Neil's lyrics are outstanding.
2 - Greg Barbrick
I agree that Alex may be slighted because of all the attention Peart and Geddy receive, but it is too bad.
They should have been inducted into the RR Hall of Fame years ago. I wonder if it will ever happen.
3 - El Bicho
They should have but at this point I hope not. Leaving out bands of undeniable impact on the art form like Rush or The Cure is a poor reflection on the Hall and not the musicians.
4 - Paul Roy
"From "Working Man" to Aimee Mann in 13 years was a little hard to swallow."
That is some funny shit Greg. I agree that the 80's period Rush was a little difficult to swallow for some fans, especially when it followed the one-two punch of Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures. Over the last couple of decades I have really come to appreciate their 80's output a lot more and consider Signals, Grace Under Pressure, and Power Windows as three of my favorites. Hold Your Fire may need some more time. It's weird how Rush went from too much keyboards in the 80's to zero keyboards after that. I'd love to see them get back to the perfect combination they had on Moving Pictures. Thanks