Tag: Rush

Rush – Sectors – Fly By Night
Artist: Rush | Album: Sectors – Fly By Night | Style: Progressive, Hard Rock | Year: 2011 [1975 original] | Quality: DVD-Audio (MLP 5.1 96kHz/24Bit, MLP 2.0 96Khz/24Bit, Dolby AC3 5.1 48kHz/16Bit, Dolby AC3 2.0 48kHz/16Bit) | Bitrate: lossless | Tracks: 8 | Size: ~3.59 Gb | Recovery: 5% | Covers: in archive | Release: Anthem Entertainmenta | The Island Def Jam Music Group (B0015888-00 JK02) | Note: Not Watermarked

Prior to one of Rush’s first U.S. tours, original drummer John Rutsey split from the band, since he wasn’t prepared to commit to the band’s rigorous touring schedule. And it proved to be a blessing in disguise, since his replacement was to become one of the most respected rock drummers of all time, Neil Peart, who would also steer the band towards success with more challenging material — starting with Fly by Night. While the title track and the album-closing ballad, “In the End,” still had Zeppelin roots, the album isn’t as straightforward as the debut. Rush’s first bona-fide classic, “Anthem,” is included, while the over eight-minute “By-Tor and the Snow Dog” helped pave the way for the group’s future epics (“2112,” “Cygnus X-1,” etc.), and introduced the fans to Peart’s imaginative lyric writing, often tinged with science-fiction themes. The reflective and melodic “Making Memories” is an underrated early composition, while “Beneath, Between, & Behind” is a furious heavy rocker. Fly by Night may not be one of Rush’s finest albums, but it is one of their most important — it showed that the young band was leaving their Zep-isms behind in favor of a more challenging and original direction.

Rush – Sectors – A Farewell to Kings
Artist: Rush | Album: Sectors – A Farewell to Kings | Style: Progressive, Hard Rock | Year: 2011 [1977 original] | Quality: DVD-Audio (MLP 5.1 96kHz/24Bit, MLP 2.0 96Khz/24Bit, Dolby AC3 5.1 48kHz/16Bit, Dolby AC3 2.0 48kHz/16Bit) | Bitrate: lossless | Tracks: 6 | Size: ~3.59 Gb | Recovery: 5% | Covers: in archive | Release: Anthem Entertainmenta | The Island Def Jam Music Group (B0015889-00 JK01), 2011 | Note: Not Watermarked

On 1977’s A Farewell to Kings it quickly becomes apparent that Rush had improved their songwriting and strengthened their focus and musical approach. Synthesizers also mark their first prominent appearance on a Rush album, a direction the band would continue to pursue on future releases. With the popular hit single “Closer to the Heart,” the trio showed that they could compose concise and traditionally structured songs, while the 11-minute “Xanadu” remains an outstanding accomplishment all these years later (superb musicianship merged with vivid lyrics help create one of Rush’s best all-time tracks). The album-opening title track begins with a tasty classical guitar/synth passage, before erupting into a powerful rocker. The underrated “Madrigal” proves to be a delicately beautiful composition, while “Cinderella Man” is one of Rush’s few songs to include lyrics penned entirely by Geddy Lee. The ten-minute tale of a dangerous black hole, “Cygnus X-1,” closes the album on an unpredictable note, slightly comparable to the two extended songs on 1975’s Caress of Steel. A Farewell to Kings successfully built on the promise of their breakthrough 2112, and helped broaden Rush’s audience on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

Rush – Sectors – Signals
Artist: Rush | Album: Sectors – Signals | Style: Progressive, Hard Rock | Year: 2011 [1982 original] | Quality: DVD-Audio (MLP 5.1 96kHz/24Bit, MLP 2.0 96Khz/24Bit, Dolby AC3 5.1 48kHz/16Bit, Dolby AC3 2.0 48kHz/16Bit) | Bitrate: lossless | Tracks: 8 | Size: ~4.11 Gb | Recovery: 3% | Covers: in archive | Release: Anthem Entertainmenta | The Island Def Jam Music Group (B0015890-00 JK01) | Note: Not Watermarked

Instead of playing it safe and writing Moving Pictures, Pt. II, Rush replaced their heavy rock of yesteryear with even more modern sounds for 1982’s Signals. Synthesizers were now an integral part of the band’s sound, and replaced electric guitars as the driving force for almost all the tracks. And more current and easier-to-grasp topics (teen peer pressure, repression, etc.) replaced their trusty old sci-fi-inspired lyrics. While other rock bands suddenly added keyboards to their sound to widen their appeal, Rush gradually merged electronics into their music over the years, so such tracks as the popular MTV video “Subdivisions” did not come as a shock to longtime fans. And Rush didn’t forget how to rock out — “The Analog Kid” and “Digital Man” were some of their most up-tempo compositions in years. The surprise hit, “New World Man,” and “Chemistry” combined reggae and rock (begun on 1980’s Permanent Waves), “The Weapon” bordered on new wave, the placid “Losing It” featured Ben Mink on electric violin, while the epic closer “Countdown” painted a vivid picture of a space shuttle launch. Signals proved that Rush were successfully adapting to the musical climate of the early ’80s.