October 29, 1985 - Power Windows
Two months after my last release and a year and a half since "Grace Under Pressure", Rush released their eleventh studio album "Power Windows" on October 29, 1985. This latest album continues Rush's new 80s style with lots of synthesizers but it also has more prominent guitar than their last two albums after Alex Lifeson made it known he thought he was being moved to the background too much. I definitely agree and although they are still in this new non-progressive style I am happy to hear that Lifeson will have a larger role again. Let's listen to some new Rush!
Side two opens up with "Territories" and Geddy plays some slow and epic synths while Peart lays down a catchy drum beat and Lifeson plays some cool guitar as well. It all sounds good and makes for a catchy main riff and they seamlessly shift into a new second half of the verse that has Geddy on bass now and Alex leading the way with some cool guitar. The synths take over lead in the chorus but I really like Peart's drum beat as he mixes in his percussion very nicely. I like the line "don't feed the people but we feed the machines" and Geddy delivers the whole chorus nicely as usual. After the chorus Geddy copies the earlier guitar riff and plays it on synthesizer and this drives the second verse. I'm a guitar man myself but both versions of this riff sound pretty good. After another verse and chorus they move to a cool new bridge part that has Geddy playing some more great bass and singing a new verse. After some nice drum fills by Peart they bring things back to the chorus. After the chorus Lifeson goes off for a brief but nice guitar solo and they end the song with the catchy bridge riff as Geddy plays us out with his awesome bass playing. Track 6 is called "Middletown Dreams" and some quiet synths and interesting drumbeat by Peart lead the way as the guitar and bass are in the background still adding some nice stuff. Geddy begins a decent verse overtop this quiet and calm main riff and it leads right into a similarly calm chorus. The synths take center stage as Geddy sings a simple but decent chorus and this song sounds alright but it's also pretty tame by Rush's lofty standards. The second verse starts off with some more involved guitar that sounds good but it quickly shifts into a new, fast-paced keyboard riff. Geddy continues to sing the same verse and it fits perfectly overtop this faster riff as Geddy is playing some cool stuff. After another chorus Lifeson takes off for a guitar solo but it's cut way too short for me and only lasts a few bars. They instead shift into a light, synth-led riff as Geddy sings a new bridge verse. It's not bad by any means but I hate that they would rather cut the solo short and switch to a very mellow and simple part. I still yearn for the awesome Rush of old! Peart ends this lighter part with a nice drum fill and this brings things back to the chorus. After the chorus the guitar and bass become much more prominent as they play out the rest of the song with a solid final riff as Geddy yells "they dream in Middletown!" Up next is "Emotion Detector" and the synths dominate this song, starting with an epic slow opening. Peart plays some epic drums to match and Lifeson is playing guitar, but it's very quiet for the most part, buried in the mix by the overpowering synths. Geddy plays some catchy and decent stuff, but it continues to irk me that such an excellent bassist is neglecting that instrument for the way more 80s-sounding keyboards. Once Geddy begins the verse he switches to bass and things sound undeniably better in my opinion. The synths are still present, but having not just bass, but Geddy's wicked bass makes things way groovier and cooler. It drops out again for the chorus and the music just becomes instantly less interesting. Geddy saves the chorus with some great singing thankfully and the bass resumes as they return to the verse. After another verse and chorus it's solo time and while this is technically a guitar solo, Geddy's bass is absolutely phenomenal! He's playing some incredibly fast stuff that just sounds amazing and makes you wonder why he's wanna do anything else! Lifeson's guitar is solid as well and once Geddy sadly switches to synths again, that's when Alex really shines. He too plays a pretty awesome solo with lots of great fast guitar and this is more what I'm talking about! They return to the chorus to finish things off as they nicely jam out the chorus a couple times. The final song on the album is "Mystic Rhythms" and it has a really epic beat to it as Peart plays some great drums throughout the whole song. Geddy adds some synths and Lifeson plays bits of cool guitar but Peart's epic drums lead the way. After about a minute opening Geddy starts up the verse and while I like the guitar and drums I find the synths very overpowering. Lifeson plays a catchy guitar riff in the chorus but whenever the synths are being played they are so loud and dominating and I really don't like that. In the next verse we get glimpses of solid regular Rush with cool bass, guitar and drums, but the synths always come back and steal the spotlight away. After another chorus there's no solo, they just continue into an instrumental part where everyone seems to be just slowly jamming along. It's decent but nothing amazing and afterwards it's right back to another chorus before they continue to jam out the chorus riff as the song and album very slowly fade to an end.
That is the end of "Power Windows" and I thought it was another solid, but not spectacular effort from Rush. Like the last two albums before it, I still think it comes nowhere close to the awesomeness of any of their first 8 albums. This new keyboard-dominated theme is definitely not my favourite, but that seems to be the way most bands sound at this point and Rush do at least still play some good music. "The Big Money" and "Territories" were my favourites and despite all my harping that it's not as good as the old stuff, it is still a good album for sure. I thought it was better than "Signals" and it comes close, but falls just short of their last album "Grace Under Pressure". 10th out of 11 seems bad, but all Rush's music is still better than most people's music. This is also my final release of the year and so begins the year-end wrap-up! With only 3 full albums this year, 1985 is my lowest year since 1968! It seems a lot of staples took this year off and I'm sure we'll be back to a regular 80s number for next year.
Favourite song of the year: Just about every song on Slayer's "Hell Awaits" could be nominated this year and it's tough to pick just one of them. "Kill Again" and "Praise Of Death" are both amazing but I think I'm going with the longer "At Dawn They Sleep". Any of them would be fine choices!
Top 3 Albums of the Year
1. Hell Awaits by Slayer
2. Power Windows by Rush
3. Freaky Styley by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Everyone makes the list this year! Hopefully there will be some tougher decisions to make next year. See you in '86!
The album kicks off with "The Big Money" and Neil Peart plays some pretty sweet drums and Lifeson plays some decent guitar while Geddy Lee plays the very loud synthesizers. They're not bad but they are overpowering and I'm thankful that Geddy is playing bass for the most part. Once he starts singing the first verse the guitar takes the lead but Geddy's bass is awesome in the background. I like that the keyboards remain an accent or an addition to the riff instead of driving it and it's great to hear some classic Geddy, Alex and Neil in this pretty cool and catchy song. After a couple verses and choruses they shift nicely into a new space-y section with Lifeson playing some slow, cool guitar and Peart playing a ton of great drums and percussion. His kit with all the wood blocks and chimes and other percussion is so awesome and Neil knows how to use it to it's full potential, keeping things interesting the whole time with lots of cool little fills. This leads into a "guitar solo" but it's another great throwback as all three guys are playing some solo-worthy stuff! These three are masters of guitar, bass and drums and it's wonderful to see them get back to it! The solo connects nicely back into the main riff and after a final verse and chorus they jam out the chorus riff until it fades to an end while Peart gets in some final epic drum rolls. Track 2 is "Grand Designs" and Lifeson leads the way with a nice guitar riff as Geddy and Neil back him with an excellent as usual rhythm section. The guitar slows down as Geddy begins the first verse and they settle into a light but solid main riff. The faster opening turns out to be the chorus riff as they nicely shift back and forth between the faster, higher-sung chorus and the slower verse. The second time they hit the chorus instead of guitar, Geddy takes over on synths and while in general I do not like that decision, these synths are pretty sweet! Geddy plays some really fast stuff that is up and down and all over the keyboard and it sounds really cool! It seems like they might return to the verse, but Lifeson takes off on a solo. It's a good but not great solo and Geddy starts up the chorus again before he's even done! Room for improvement. Lifeson continues the catchy chorus guitar riff and Geddy plays some more cool synths overtop, but they are ultimately jamming out the chorus for over a minute to end the song and Geddy just "oh oh oh"'s along. The repeated oh's get a little boring but the music is pretty solid still, I think they drew this song out just a little too long. Up next is "Manhattan Project" and Peart researched this subject extensively before writing the lyrics about the famous group of scientists who created the first atomic bomb. Neil plays some slow, epic drums to start things off and this song's mood doesn't really fit the subject matter I find as the synth-led main riff sounds very upbeat and mainstream. Geddy sings nicely overtop though, telling the story of the project very nicely in musical form. After a couple verses Lifeson takes over on guitar finally and he drives the chorus with a catchy riff as Geddy sings quickly along in a nice high voice. The synths take over once again as they return to the verse and after another chorus they play another short verse that has both guitar and synths. It's pretty much the same but they segue nicely into a new part where we hear a strings section! Out of the ordinary for Rush but it sounds pretty good and quite epic. They go right back into the chorus and after playing it through a couple times they finish off the song with a short but sweet guitar solo by Lifeson and let things epicly fade to a finish. Side one wraps up with "Marathon" and it has a slow, epic opening before they settle into the main riff. The guitar, drums and synths are all very slow but Geddy plays some crazy fast bass that sounds fantastic! He is basically soloing throughout the whole riff, while also singing a solid verse and playing the synths! He's a one of a kind talent and he does a great job driving this riff! Once they reach the chorus the synths take over with some fairly lame and boring stuff but Geddy's voice continues to sound great and he's back to his wicked bass playing for another verse. After another verse and chorus Geddy takes his awesome bass in a new direction and sets the stage nicely for a cool instrumental section. Lifeson plays some nice guitar while Geddy adds some epic synths to the background and Alex eventually takes over for a solo. It's a pretty long one and while there's no insane shredding he meshes well with the mood of the song and still plays some solid stuff. After the solo the guitar falls away completely and Geddy sings a new bridge overtop a heavy synth part. This connects smoothly back into the chorus, which they jam out for a good while to end the song, but they keep things interesting with Geddy hitting some really high notes on vocals and Peart throwing in some nice drum fills as things eventually fade to a close.
Side two opens up with "Territories" and Geddy plays some slow and epic synths while Peart lays down a catchy drum beat and Lifeson plays some cool guitar as well. It all sounds good and makes for a catchy main riff and they seamlessly shift into a new second half of the verse that has Geddy on bass now and Alex leading the way with some cool guitar. The synths take over lead in the chorus but I really like Peart's drum beat as he mixes in his percussion very nicely. I like the line "don't feed the people but we feed the machines" and Geddy delivers the whole chorus nicely as usual. After the chorus Geddy copies the earlier guitar riff and plays it on synthesizer and this drives the second verse. I'm a guitar man myself but both versions of this riff sound pretty good. After another verse and chorus they move to a cool new bridge part that has Geddy playing some more great bass and singing a new verse. After some nice drum fills by Peart they bring things back to the chorus. After the chorus Lifeson goes off for a brief but nice guitar solo and they end the song with the catchy bridge riff as Geddy plays us out with his awesome bass playing. Track 6 is called "Middletown Dreams" and some quiet synths and interesting drumbeat by Peart lead the way as the guitar and bass are in the background still adding some nice stuff. Geddy begins a decent verse overtop this quiet and calm main riff and it leads right into a similarly calm chorus. The synths take center stage as Geddy sings a simple but decent chorus and this song sounds alright but it's also pretty tame by Rush's lofty standards. The second verse starts off with some more involved guitar that sounds good but it quickly shifts into a new, fast-paced keyboard riff. Geddy continues to sing the same verse and it fits perfectly overtop this faster riff as Geddy is playing some cool stuff. After another chorus Lifeson takes off for a guitar solo but it's cut way too short for me and only lasts a few bars. They instead shift into a light, synth-led riff as Geddy sings a new bridge verse. It's not bad by any means but I hate that they would rather cut the solo short and switch to a very mellow and simple part. I still yearn for the awesome Rush of old! Peart ends this lighter part with a nice drum fill and this brings things back to the chorus. After the chorus the guitar and bass become much more prominent as they play out the rest of the song with a solid final riff as Geddy yells "they dream in Middletown!" Up next is "Emotion Detector" and the synths dominate this song, starting with an epic slow opening. Peart plays some epic drums to match and Lifeson is playing guitar, but it's very quiet for the most part, buried in the mix by the overpowering synths. Geddy plays some catchy and decent stuff, but it continues to irk me that such an excellent bassist is neglecting that instrument for the way more 80s-sounding keyboards. Once Geddy begins the verse he switches to bass and things sound undeniably better in my opinion. The synths are still present, but having not just bass, but Geddy's wicked bass makes things way groovier and cooler. It drops out again for the chorus and the music just becomes instantly less interesting. Geddy saves the chorus with some great singing thankfully and the bass resumes as they return to the verse. After another verse and chorus it's solo time and while this is technically a guitar solo, Geddy's bass is absolutely phenomenal! He's playing some incredibly fast stuff that just sounds amazing and makes you wonder why he's wanna do anything else! Lifeson's guitar is solid as well and once Geddy sadly switches to synths again, that's when Alex really shines. He too plays a pretty awesome solo with lots of great fast guitar and this is more what I'm talking about! They return to the chorus to finish things off as they nicely jam out the chorus a couple times. The final song on the album is "Mystic Rhythms" and it has a really epic beat to it as Peart plays some great drums throughout the whole song. Geddy adds some synths and Lifeson plays bits of cool guitar but Peart's epic drums lead the way. After about a minute opening Geddy starts up the verse and while I like the guitar and drums I find the synths very overpowering. Lifeson plays a catchy guitar riff in the chorus but whenever the synths are being played they are so loud and dominating and I really don't like that. In the next verse we get glimpses of solid regular Rush with cool bass, guitar and drums, but the synths always come back and steal the spotlight away. After another chorus there's no solo, they just continue into an instrumental part where everyone seems to be just slowly jamming along. It's decent but nothing amazing and afterwards it's right back to another chorus before they continue to jam out the chorus riff as the song and album very slowly fade to an end.
That is the end of "Power Windows" and I thought it was another solid, but not spectacular effort from Rush. Like the last two albums before it, I still think it comes nowhere close to the awesomeness of any of their first 8 albums. This new keyboard-dominated theme is definitely not my favourite, but that seems to be the way most bands sound at this point and Rush do at least still play some good music. "The Big Money" and "Territories" were my favourites and despite all my harping that it's not as good as the old stuff, it is still a good album for sure. I thought it was better than "Signals" and it comes close, but falls just short of their last album "Grace Under Pressure". 10th out of 11 seems bad, but all Rush's music is still better than most people's music. This is also my final release of the year and so begins the year-end wrap-up! With only 3 full albums this year, 1985 is my lowest year since 1968! It seems a lot of staples took this year off and I'm sure we'll be back to a regular 80s number for next year.
Favourite song of the year: Just about every song on Slayer's "Hell Awaits" could be nominated this year and it's tough to pick just one of them. "Kill Again" and "Praise Of Death" are both amazing but I think I'm going with the longer "At Dawn They Sleep". Any of them would be fine choices!
Top 3 Albums of the Year
1. Hell Awaits by Slayer
2. Power Windows by Rush
3. Freaky Styley by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Everyone makes the list this year! Hopefully there will be some tougher decisions to make next year. See you in '86!
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