Snakes and Arrows

(Mary, you need not read any further!) :)

I still remember the day when I was 15 I think, when my friend Tom tells me to come over to his house. He picked up an album by this band that I had to hear. When I got there he plays the first song on side one. It was this band called Rush and the album was 2112. Admittedly the first few seconds weren't impressive with all the synth stuff in the beginning. Then the band kicked in and I was hooked!

The other day I just got the new album by them, Snakes and Arrows. Usually I have to listen a few times before I formulate an opinion. I did and this one is definitely a winner! HUGE improvement over the last one (Vapor Trails) and more in line with Test for Echo (one of my favorites). The production quality is much better. The best in a long time. Lyrically, it seems that Neil Peart has finally moved on from the tragedies in his life (losing a wife and daughter in separate incidents). It is definitely a more in depth view on how he sees the world today.

Musically what can one say? They are always great. I think Alex shines much more than he has in a while. He even moves on to some other styles that we don't normally hear from him. He does this acoustic guitar instrumental, Hope, that could almost fit on a soundtrack similar to "O Brother Where Art Thou"! However, the piece transistions nicely between the songs before and after. The one before, The Way the Wind Blows, is one of my favorites. The last song, We Hold On, is the best track on the CD - at least to me. They have 3 instrumenals! That is new for them even. Besides 'Hope' (awesome!), there is The Main Monkey Business (ok) and Malignant Narcissism (great! but say that title 10 times fast!). I think that the stronger tracks are in the middle and end of the CD. Far Cry is their first single and the first song on the CD- I think that one is starting to grow on me - I wasn't wowed the first couple times I heard it. Many of the tracks even venture towards a more bluesy sound. Haven't heard much of that in a while. I think that the only negative I have to say is that Geddy needs to get a little more creative with the vocal melodies. It isn't true on all the tracks, but many of them have predictable vocal lines that resemble many songs from the past few CDs.

However, over all, a very good CD. They do make many moves toward some kind of new direction and this one doesn't disappoint. One great thing about Rush is that they are never influenced to go in any direction. They take it where they feel it needs to go. I am very happy with it. Maybe not quite up there with some of the best (Moving Pictures, Hemispheres, 2112) but definitely up there on the list!