Rush - Power Windows
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Free Music Notes for Power Windows
Free Music Review: Lost & found
Hit: 5 Stars
College for me was interesting. It was the peak of the "alternative" era, mid-90s, and I was listening to some of the new heavy stuff coming out (Alice In Chains, Soundgarden) as well as alt-rock from a few years back (They Might Be Giants for example, more truly "alternative" than a lot of the newer stuff being billed that way). But I also was looking backwards to the "classic rock" era as well, the roots of a lot of the newer stuff that was coming out at the time. One band I had been into from my high school days was Rush, and when I saw the Power Windows cassette on sale at the UCSD bookstore I shelled out the few dollars for it.
This is back when I was young, I'd buy albums just because I liked the band rather than having some notion of what the album itself sounded like. This is a fun way to discover music but can also lead to some frustrating purchases if you overdo it. This one, I actually liked right away. It's surprising to me now that I liked it so much, given that it has a heavy 80s-synth sound very unlike all the grunge rock pummelling my eardrums at the time. But I did - largely due to the precision of the musicianship and the depth of the lyrics. Then years passed and I lost track of the cassette, never replacing it on CD until a few weeks ago.
I bought the album on a whim, used, just because I was curious whether I'd still connect with it the way I do with Moving Pictures and Permanent Waves, two of my favorites of all time. Also I bought some Rush concert tickets and that served as incentive enough to complete the catalog. This time I had the perspective of the reviews that abound online and at this site, some people pointing out that synths sound dated and archaic. Yes, true. But beneath that is a fantastic set of songs, and if anything the lyrics have grown more relevant over time. It's frightening how little things have changed since the mid-80s in fact. Big Money still has a lot of say, Middletown is still dull and frustrating, and Territories still lead to a lot of squabbling.
This era of Rush's recorded output seems to pick up the most critical flak and fan frustration, and I am not sure why. I urge anyone to give this album another spin with an open mind. I think you'll find it to be a rewarding experience.
Free Music Review: Rush's Most Ambitious Effort to Date
Hit: 5 Stars
POWER WINDOWS is the most ambitious and experimental record in the Rush canon. Released in 1985, this album came smack in the middle of the trio's highly debated "synthesizer era" (1982-1987). Many die-hard Rush fans lost faith in them because of the heavy keyboard influences layered throughout SIGNALS (1982) and GRACE UNDER PRESSURE (1984). Although those albums are respectable efforts, it was with POWER WINDOWS that Rush finally got the marriage of synths and instruments just right, the only band in the '80s to actually achieve this.The album kicks into full force with the high-energy opening track "The Big Money," which is probably the best song ever to start an album. Filled with shredding guitar riffs, powerful drums, and rapid-fire keyboards, it still remains a concert favorite and is one of Rush's greatest songs. The band continues to rock their hearts out with the catchy power-pop of "Grand Designs," while "Manhattan Project" tells the story of how the A-Bomb was being developed. Truly great lyrics by Neil Peart on this one, as the ethereal keyboards and dramatic orchestration set a perfect atmosphere.
If you're looking for pure emotion, look no further than "Marathon" and "Emotion Detector," which are two of the most inspiring and heartfelt tracks the band has ever recorded. "Territories," the most experimental track on the record, features Geddy Lee's bass and synths meshing perfectly together as Neil Peart's almost Latin-like rhythms make way for Alex Lifeson's blues-based guitar work. "Middletown Dreams" is almost like watching a movie that mirrors real life, and the final track "Mystic Rhythms" succeeds in being both scary and beautiful at the same time.
I would go as far as to call POWER WINDOWS Rush's third masterpiece (after PERMANENT WAVES and MOVING PICTURES). It's that good. Sure, it's easily more accessible than their previous albums, but the band still maintained their prog-rock intentions and their ability to move forward, not jump backward. The lyrics are as superb as ever, but it's the music that steals the show this time. If you had to buy only one album from Rush's keyboard era, let it be POWER WINDOWS.
Free Music Review: By far Neil Peart's most concise,underrated lyrics
Hit: 5 Stars
I have been a rush fan since 1982,a between the moving pictures and signals time period.When signals came out,I was dissapointed that rush "changed"their sound.Likewise,Grace under pressure was also a big dissapointmen and i along with other rush fans yearned for the glory days of hemispheres.I felt the same "letdown" in 1985 with the release of power windows.however,almost 14 yrs later,i can appreciate the sound of Rush's "new stuff".This album is arguably neil pearts most spiritual album lyrically.For example,marathon deals with the fact that life is difficult,and you "got to pick up the pace if you want to stay in the race".He uses a great metaphor of long arduous marathon race in relation to the difficulties of life ("the heartbreak climb uphill).Emotion Detector deals with our vulnerabilities and shortcomings we face as human beings especially whe our ego's get in the way.Middletown dreams deals with the importance of having hope amidst the dullness in life that we all feel sometimes.And how important it is to accept our lot in life but always to hope for the best.Territories deals with the fact that humanity is really one brotherhood of man despite the fact the people create teritories(countries,social groups)that divide us and cause strife.In reality it is just one world.Grand designs deals with how crucial it is not to be fooled by flashy appearances and we must look beyond the superficial "grand designs" to get to the substance not just the style.Big money is obviously a response to the Reagan era fascination with materialism and how in reality "big money got no soul".And of course,Mystic rythms deals with the fact that there must be some "HIGHER POWER",that can help explain the thingswecannot control. guess peart was feling mystical when he penned this album the lyrics are brlliant and to the point>With the fine blend of synth,keyboards and drums ,a very excellent album by a very excellent band>Free Music Review: Synth Rock Rush At It's Best!
Hit: 5 Stars
Although I am a big fan of all of Rush's 80s material, I have come to the conclusion that Power Windows is ultimately the finest of this era (keep your shorts on fellow fans-I'm not including Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures in this category!). One comment I keep reading (from various sources) is that this album "requires repeated listening to appreciate." This album had instant appeal to me, although if you think that "Tom Sawyer" and "Limelight" are the be all/end all of Rush, then I can somewhat understand.
This album has it all: superb production (yes, a bit over the top at times), consistently good songs and excellent musicianship (as with all Rush albums). And while songs like "The Big Money" and "Mystic Rhythms" are the most commonly cited, ALL of the tracks are great. "Grand Designs," for instance, is one of the most underrated Rush songs I know of, as is "Territories."
There are some extremely powerful moments on this album, both lyrically and instrumentally (yet still not lacking in humor, for example, "Territories:'Better people, better food...better beer.'). This was a time when the synthesizers really began to dominate, although that is not necessarily a bad thing. The synth programming of Geddy Lee and his assistants is nothing short of being fantastic. Alex Lifeson, on the other hand, is often cited during this period as "Missing in Action." I disagree. In the 70s, Alex showed the world that he could shred with the best of them. Beginning in the 80s, he began a more relaxed yet also more mature approach that worked for the song and not so much in competition w/ the other instruments. There are plenty of great moments for him, such as the memorable solo on "Big Money" and the cool backward guitar effects on "Mystic Rhythms."
If you're a fan of 80s Rush, then you must own this album if you don't already. If you are a Rush fan that is still trying to get into this period, I would advise that if there is any album you should try, it's Power Windows.
Free Music Review: The most intuitive of all bands
Hit: 5 Stars
They may have once been a band in sync with countless others who were part of a wave of emerging groups that defined the 70's progressive rock sound, but by 1985 most of those bands were long gone as the video era dominated the how and the way music was heard. Among many popular artists of the mid-80's video age like Wang Chung, Duran Duran, INXS, and even Madonna, Rush trended themselves with the times and managed to still find a place in music, proving once again how endurance was always one of their unique qualities. But Rush didn't just have the endurance-they also had the talent, and 1985's Power Windows is a fine example of how they could still play music as hard and heavy as they did a decade earlier. The synthesizers are not quite as overdone as on 1984's Grace Under Pressure, and the lyrics aren't nearly as abstract. The lead song, "Big Money," is now a timeless classic, and a song that once defined how money is used as a source of power and a form of energy. The lyrics hold true to this day, which is another great strength about this release in that all the songs seem to fit the way American society and the world functions today. Just read every song as you listen to Rush jam. In "Grand Designs," they sing,"Like a teardrop in the ocean, a diamond in the waste, some world-views are spacious-and some are merely spaced," or "Manhattan Project,"("the hopeful depend on a world without end whatever the hopeless may say")and "Mystic Rhythms" seems even more relevant today than some 20 years ago as Geddy Lee sings, "The more we think we know about, the greater the unknown. We suspend our disbelief and we are not alone." In short, Rush has written the story of the world, the human spirit, and the meanings of life within these eight songs. Life is like a marathon, and as they sing in the song of the same name, "You can do a lot in a lifetime if you don't burn out too fast. You can make the most of the distance. First you need endurance, first you've got to last."