01	The Spirit Of Radio						04:59
	02	Freewill						05:24
	03	Jacob's Ladder						07:28
	04	Entre Nous						04:37
	05	Different Strings						03:50
	06	Natural Science			1. Tide Pools 2. Hyperspace 3. Permanent Waves			09:17

First album released in the 80's, hitting the shelves on January 1, 1980.

Geddy Lee - Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
Neil Peart - Percussion/Drums, Lyricist
Alex Lifeson - Guitarist

Алекс Вольпертс: В новое десятилетие группа вступила с новой музыкой. Без всяких сомнений, Permanent Waves стоит довольно далеко от насупленности Hemispheres. Альбом получился светлым, жизнеутверждающим и … просто замечательным ! Веселая The Spirit Of Radio с маленьким кусочком стилизации под регги открывает диск на светлой ноте. Freewill поддерживает это настроение и постепенно подводит слушателя к Jacob's Ladder - задумчивой, сложной и красивейшей композиции. Ради интереса можете посчитать, сколько раз за время этой песни меняется ритм. Entre Nous опять исполнена веры в человека и надежды. Different Strings - печальная акустическая песня, но это печаль светлая. Завершает диск шедевр - Natural Science. Композиция, сочетающая в себе казалось бы противоположные вещи: страстность и отстраненность наблюдателя, безысходность и уверенность в будущем. Что тут говорить - может быть лучшая песня Rush вообще.

Оценка: 10 из 10



Rush - Permanent Waves

Release Date: 1980

Track Listing
1) Spirit Of Radio
2) Freewill
3) Jacob's Ladder
4) Entre Nous
5) Different Strings
6) Natural Science

Member: Thekouderwunz

I feel as of times I am repeating myself, in starting off reviews of great bands.

The Canadian act that we know as Rush, consisting of bassist, keyboardist and lead vocalist Geddy Lee and guitar virtuoso Alex Lifeson started their professional careers in the late Sixties, performing cover tunes of hard rock acts like Cream, Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix, which would eventually influence the band's first album eponymously named Rush. Tired of touring, the band's original drummer, John Rustley, called it quits to concentrate on family life, but yet his leaving was a blessing in disguise, as for the band would hire drummer/percussionist/lyricist extraordinaire, Neil Peart, and it is from this personnel move that the band's fortunes and sound would change forever.

Neil Peart, influenced by the likes of Ayn Rand, brought lyricism that depicted science fiction like nihilism, that would come to fruition on the band's opus fourth album, 2112. Asides for his science fiction/mystical lyrical imagery, his love for the burdening English art-rock movement, help shaped the sound by shifting them from Led Zeppelin wannabes to a group that rivaled Genesis, Pink Floyd and Yes at their progressive peak.

Many albums would pass since Neil joined Rush, and with each one the band's sound (a cross between the ambience of Dark Side of the Moon era Pink Floyd, musical interplay of Selling England period Genesis and the power of Who's Next era Who with experimentation of poly-rythyms of mid-period King Crimson) each getting better and better until they come full face with this album.

Permanent Waves, Rush's seventh studio album, is a culmination of the band's influences and hard work to strive for perfection. Unbelievable from the first listen, Permanent Waves is like listening to Yes (sans the overt-keyboarding) on speed. Unlike their English peers, the band's love of the blues, is still a part of the sound and that would show up on a few songs on this album.

The band had released singles from their prior albums, but asides for anthem "Closer To The Heart", they have never had a true hit single. Things did not change as far as charting on the US side, but the album's first track and one of three radio anthems on the album, "The Spirit Of Radio", is a great track that band's highest charting single in UK, peaking at #13 in February of 1980 (but stalling at #51 on the US side).

The second track, and maybe the band's greatest anthem of the time, "Freewill". Most metal fans find this song to their liking with its relentless furious pace that thrusted Geddy, Alex and Neil into an unworldly stratosphere on each perspective instruments.

Third track, and the albums longest, "Jacob's Ladder", is another prog work out, in which the band's love for Pink Floyd rears its head, and creeps up innocently lead to the song's climatic ending.

"Entre Nous", the second single off the album (and last radio anthem), barely missed charting on the US radio charts, is a lovely song that sometimes gets lost amongst the heavyweights on album. It is also on this song, where most passionate drumming fans feel that Neil's heavy-handed drumming ruins the mood of certain songs.

The fifth track, and a song that belies everything else on the album, the heavy blues workout, "Different Strings" slowly builds up momentum, until it fades out abruptly, ruining the whole song.

The last track and the reason Rush is so often revered by many as a great band and it individual members are amongst every prog fans top ten is because of songs like "Natural Science". All the years of the band tensions (creative, not amongst themselves) is all accumulated on this one song. Geddy Lee, singing like a Banshee, his 12 string, then his bass work leads the foundation to some lightning quick fret work by Alex, in which is bottomed out by one of Neil's greatest (if not the best ever) drumming he ever committed to tape.

Permanent Waves is the fourth of six studio albums that most Rush fans would consider their "great" period. Most prefer their next album as Rush's Magnum Opus, but its hard not to see that Permanent Waves might be a better all around album.

Charles

Album Rating: Five Stars