Permanent Waves (1980)
As I mentioned in the last review, Rush fully exercised their epic song demons and with “Permanent Waves” decided to work on traditionally structured songs. This worked out extremely well for them since this and their next album “Moving Pictures” are considered their two best. They certainly contain the songs that are played the most on the radio. This doesn't mean that Rush is any less progressive, however. They still have odd time signature changes, incredibly virtuosic playing, and weird sci fi sociopolitical subject matter. In fact, this is another reason Rush can be proud of their musical output. They are one of the few bands to write the majority of their songs under 10 minutes while still being able to remain progressive.
Up until this point, Rush has been consistently evolving. Though they dropped their hard rock blues inspired vibe after “2112”, there were still hints of it all the way to “Hemispheres”. This is the album where that style has been almost completely dropped. Their style has become much more fluid, marked by the addition of a more liberal use of synthesizers and the fact that Lifeson began to use single coil guitars rather than his go to humbuckers. You may have noticed the growing use of said synthesizers in their last couple of albums. Well, they are only going to become more and more important to Rush's sound all throughout the 80's. “Permanent Waves” and “Moving Pictures” are the two albums where the band manages to strike the perfect balance of synthesizer and guitar. If Rush were a less creative and inspired band, they could have kept with this style for the rest of their career and they would have been completely successful for it.
This is one of two albums (as I said, the other being “Moving Pictures”) that practically define what Rush is all about. If you have enjoyed any of the preceding albums at all, this album is sure to blow your mind. It is amazing the way Rush was able to come together and write such amazingly catchy and entertaining music while staying true to their intense level of musicianship. The album begins with two of the best openers ever conceived, “The Spirit of Radio” and “Freewill”. The latter is the song that originally got me into Rush, as I'm sure it did for many others. They are two of their most well known songs. The lyrics for “Freewill” are also very thought provoking. This album contains some of Neil Peart's best lyrical work. There are two longish songs on this album (“Jacob's Ladder” and “Natural Science”), but the way they are structured it seems as if they are long naturally and not for the sake of being prog rock. “Jacob's Ladder” just flows in such a way that it ends up being a little longer than your typical pop song. “Natural Science” almost hits 10 minutes, but it really just seems they wanted a great album closer. They completely nailed it, as well. “Natural Science”, along with the two openers, is one of the highlights of the album. It's another number where the lyrics are just amazing. “Time after time we lose sight of the way – our causes can't see their effects,” is such a great line. “Permanent Waves” is packed with those.
This album doesn't have a single weak moment on it. If I had to choose a low point it would be “Entre Nous”, but even that song is good. This is an absolute must hear for everyone. I can't say I really have a favorite Rush album, but if I had to pick, “Permanent Waves” would be a good candidate. From beginning to end, I am completely satisfied with everything my ears are hearing. That's why this album gets a perfect
10/10. I wish I was able to write music like this.