UAWIL #174: Rush - Grace Under Pressure
We examine an overlooked gem in the Rush catalog from 1984 which featured big guitar riffs against new age synthesizers, extraordinary texture from the drums & bass and heavy lyrics about life, death, nuclear war, freedom & fear - maybe it's not a shock it didn't run up the charts but it may be one of their best
Rush can be a very polarizing band. Even for those who "get it" there are eras that some fans disown or are slow to warm to. The 80s for Rush may be the most divisive period as everyone's favorite remaining power trio had seemed to turn in their heavy metal and progressive roots for synthesizers and shorter, more radio friendly tunes. After swaying perhaps too far into the techno-lands with 1982's Signals, Rush came back to self-produce (with a little help) 1984's Grace Under Pressure in order to establish a more evenly distributed sound. And without any big singles on the record, it still managed to go platinum in the US and their home country of Canada.
You'll hear the hallmarks of Rush throughout the album - the soaring vocals and furious bass work of Geddy Lee, the big riffs and blistering solos of Alex Lifeson and baterista brilliance from The Professor Neil Peart. But it's Peart's lyrics which go way beyond standard pop or rock storytelling as he wades into topics like nuclear war, life & death, freedom & fear, all set against the backdrop of The Cold War. Incorporating synths may take some of the heavy out of the sound but the lyrics deliver in an outsized way and offer more proggy accents than even their 1970s heyday. And The Wolf even gets a little emotional talking about the final track, Between The Wheels, as one of his favorites from the time he first heard it live almost 30 years ago. If you like Rush and don't know this one or dismissed it long ago, we hope you'll listen with fresh ears because the music is inspired and the lyrics are as relevant today as ever.
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