Written by Fumo Verde
As an avid surfer, I always have a tune in my head to keep me in rhythm, and Rush’s Snakes & Arrows has a collection of songs that will keep me charging all the way through summer. The album drops in like a heavy wave at the Wedge with power not only in the music but in the lyrics as well, tapping into the Rush of old by combining the storytelling of the past with the ideas and passions of the present. Charging guitar solos, ripping bass lines, and the hard working drive of one of the world’s greatest drummers creates the fetch for the new swell of Rush rock while questions about the very ideals we believe we should stand are examined.
Whisking one away to the past or opening one’s eyes to world events are ideas that fill this album. "Far Cry" and "Armor and Sword" differ in their musical aspect; the latter has the tone of elder songs such as "Red Sector A" or "Witch Hunt," but both question our humanism and ask us to look in the mirror carefully. In the song "Armor and Sword" the lyrics are "Sometimes the damage is too great/ Or the will is too weak/ What should have been our armor/ Becomes a sharp and burning sword./ A refuge for the coming night./ A future of eternal light./ No one gets to their heaven without a fight." These words ask us the reasons we as humans are so quick to get into a conflict with each other. Similar ideas are expressed in "Far Cry," the opening track that bursts in like Vikings on a rampage. The trio crash down like a pipeline in late December and hold that beat throughout the song as the lyrics remind you, "It’s a far cry from the world we thought we’d inherit./ It's a far cry from the way we thought we'd share it."
Complex lyrics blended with the intricate and ever-changing instrumental structures have always been the mark of a good Rush album, and S&A has them. "The Larger Bowl" is a pantoum, a rare form of poetry where the second and fourth lines of each stanza are repeated as the first and third lines of the next and the first line of the poem is the last. Again, Neil Peart shows us his intellect as Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson show theirs by fitting chords and beats, making this song one of my favorites on this CD. With few words Rush can open such big doors where giant questions lay. "The golden one or scarred from birth/ some things can never be changed/ such a lot of pain on this earth / it's somehow so badly arranged." Yet not all the songs on this CD are socially energized. Tracks such as "Spindrift" and "Workin' Them Angels" open a window into the life of wordsmith Peart. One can hear his pain and his joy as he puts it all out there with no regrets, and for those reasons alone I admire this man.
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Article comments
1 - Tom Johnson
Argh! Beat me to a review! Well, mine will be coming eventually, but I just need a little more time. A great album, nonetheless, and a great review. I've got a lot to say, too, but I'm taking some time to sort it all out. It's all jumbled up in this messy brain o' mine.
As for Vapor Trails, you really, REALLY owe it to yourself to devote some more time to that one. It is easily the most powerful, emotionally driven work they've ever done. I used to have a tough time deciding between that and Presto, but there's a special something extra in VT that puts it over the top - a combination of the times for everyone (shortly after 9/11) and events in Neil's life (loss of his wife and daughter certainly inform much of the lyrical narrative, even if not directly). Were it not for the unfortunate mix/mastering problems, it would be the perfect Rush album. As such, I accept it for its minor issues, like the rugs the Navajo Indians weave that have an intentional flaw - because if it were perfect, what else would they have to strive for in the future?
2 - Chris
After living with this disc for a few weeks, I must still admit to being disappointed in it. Too many mid-tempo songs with awkward vocal phrasing and melodies. And Neil is practically non-existent on this album. Vapor Trails was so much better in many ways.