My theme: Transition
Rush: SIGNALS
The band:
Geddy Lee: Vocals, Bass, synthesizers
Alex Lifeson: Guitars
Neil Peart: Drums
Lala link
Rush started out as a Led Zeppelin-type rock band in the early 70s. By the mid-70s, they had morphed into a progressive metal band with a very loyal following. They decided that they had taken that format as far as they could go with HEMISPHERES (1978), so they embraced a more radio friendly format that reached its zenith with MOVING PICTURES (1981), their most commercially successful album. Once again, they realized that they had taken that particular format as far as it could go, so they tried something new on their next album.
SIGNALS (1982) sees the band moving the synthesizer from the background into the lead. Indeed, many of the songs on the album (especially ‘Subdivisions’, ‘Losing It’, and ‘Countdown’) are almost entirely synth driven with Alex’s guitar relegated to the background. The band also ventures into new territory rhythmically: ‘Digital Man’, ‘Chemistry’, and ‘The Weapon’ sound downright funky! There are very few guitar solos on the album, and those that are there are much more subdued than before. Neil also dials back a bit of the flash to focus more on the rhythm, delivering some of his absolute best (and most restrained) percussion work.
Track Listing:
‘Subdivisions’
‘The Analog Kid’
‘Chemistry’
‘Digital Man’
‘The Weapon’
‘New World Man’ (the band’s highest charting US single)
‘Losing It’ (featuring an electric violin)
‘Countdown’
Many of the songs still feature heavily in Rush’s live show (‘Subdivisions’, ‘the Analog Kid’, and ‘New World Man’ are almost always played).
This is an album of transition. The prior album, MOVING PICTURES, is all about the 70s. The next album, GRACE UNDER PRESSURE, fully embraces the keyboard era of the 80s. This is a great entry point for any new fans of the band. I absolutely love this album, front to back.
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OSI: OFFICE OF STRATEGIC INFLUENCE
The Band (on this album):
Jim Matheos: Guitars
Kevin Moore: Keyboards and Vocals
Mike Portnoy: Drums
Sean Malone: Bass and Chapman Stick
Steven Wilson: Guest vocals on ‘shutDOWN’
Lala link
Jim Matheos, guitarist for the band Fates Warning, enlisted Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) to assist him with a solo project. Jim wanted to create something different from the prog metal format that Fates Warning was bound to…something focusing more on rhythm and composition rather than wankery solos. They put together a 17 minute instrumental track that explored many different ideas in an effort to solidify the sound that they were going for. They successfully recruited Kevin Moore (ex-Dream Theater) for keyboards and Sean Malone (Gordian Knot) for bass and chapman stick duties. Together, all four took the ideas from that 17 minute song and crafted the 10 songs that eventually made up the main album for the band. Kevin Moore laid down vocals that were supposed to be temporary but, after being satisfied with the results, ended up being used in the final mix. At one point, Jim tried to recruit Steve Wilson (from the prog rock band Porcupine Tree) to sing on the project, but Wilson found that the style didn’t suit him (he did contribute vocals to one song, though).
The result, OFFICE OF STRATEGIC INFLUENCE (2003), is one of my favorite albums of all time. It’s a bridge between prog rock and synth rock that focuses on groove and melody. It also uses quite a few samples throughout (look for Dan Rather in the first track), reflecting Kevin Moore’s current style of composition. The riff-driven guitar work is restrained throughout; in fact, the entire album features only one true solo on it (on ‘Dirt From a Holy Place). Mike Portnoy dials back his very flashy style to deliver what is regarded to be some of his best percussion work. Sean Malone’s bass/chapman stick playing is very satisfying; his ability to lay down an interesting groove with Portnoy is really impressive. It’s a very accessible prog rock album for anyone scared of the genre.
The only complaint that many fans have is with the vocals. Kevin Moore is a very flat singer with a limited range. In any other band (especially a prog metal band), his vocal style would not work…it’s entirely too laid back. Here, I find that it really, REALLY works. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it actually blends nicely with the soundscape that is created by the other musicians.
Track Listing:
‘The New Math (What He Said)’
‘OSI’
‘When You’re Ready’
‘Horseshoes and B-52s’
‘Head’
‘Hello, Helicopter’
‘shutDOWN’
‘Dirt From a Holy Place’
‘Memory Lapses Daydream’
‘Standby (Looks Like Rain)’
Bonus CD Track Listing:
‘Set Your Controls for the Heart of the Sun’ (Pink Floyd cover)
‘New Mama’ (Neil Young cover)
‘The Thing that Never Was’
If possible, listen to the Bonus CD. ‘The Thing that Never Was’ is the original 17 minute instrumental that started off the project, and it’s fascinating to see how it was morphed into the original songs on the album. The Pink Floyd cover is excellent as well.
For me, ‘shutDOWN’ is the highlight of the album. It’s a 10 minute song that totally shifts gears in the middle…it turns from a slow dirge into a screaming metal song halfway through with one of the tastiest odd-time signature riffs that I’ve ever heard. Fates Warning has incorporated this song into its regular setlist, and I’d love to see it live sometime.
As I said, this is an album of transition: Various disparate prog metal musicians attempting something new, focusing on restraint and groove vs technical prowess. It’s also a transition of sorts in that Kevin Moore and Jim Matheos have put almost all of their musical focus into this band, releasing 2 more albums (and an E.P.) since this debut album was released. Portnoy and Malone have not stuck with the project, unfortunately.
I hope that you enjoy both of these albums.
Rush: SIGNALS
The band:
Geddy Lee: Vocals, Bass, synthesizers
Alex Lifeson: Guitars
Neil Peart: Drums
Lala link
Rush started out as a Led Zeppelin-type rock band in the early 70s. By the mid-70s, they had morphed into a progressive metal band with a very loyal following. They decided that they had taken that format as far as they could go with HEMISPHERES (1978), so they embraced a more radio friendly format that reached its zenith with MOVING PICTURES (1981), their most commercially successful album. Once again, they realized that they had taken that particular format as far as it could go, so they tried something new on their next album.
SIGNALS (1982) sees the band moving the synthesizer from the background into the lead. Indeed, many of the songs on the album (especially ‘Subdivisions’, ‘Losing It’, and ‘Countdown’) are almost entirely synth driven with Alex’s guitar relegated to the background. The band also ventures into new territory rhythmically: ‘Digital Man’, ‘Chemistry’, and ‘The Weapon’ sound downright funky! There are very few guitar solos on the album, and those that are there are much more subdued than before. Neil also dials back a bit of the flash to focus more on the rhythm, delivering some of his absolute best (and most restrained) percussion work.
Track Listing:
‘Subdivisions’
‘The Analog Kid’
‘Chemistry’
‘Digital Man’
‘The Weapon’
‘New World Man’ (the band’s highest charting US single)
‘Losing It’ (featuring an electric violin)
‘Countdown’
Many of the songs still feature heavily in Rush’s live show (‘Subdivisions’, ‘the Analog Kid’, and ‘New World Man’ are almost always played).
This is an album of transition. The prior album, MOVING PICTURES, is all about the 70s. The next album, GRACE UNDER PRESSURE, fully embraces the keyboard era of the 80s. This is a great entry point for any new fans of the band. I absolutely love this album, front to back.
------
OSI: OFFICE OF STRATEGIC INFLUENCE
The Band (on this album):
Jim Matheos: Guitars
Kevin Moore: Keyboards and Vocals
Mike Portnoy: Drums
Sean Malone: Bass and Chapman Stick
Steven Wilson: Guest vocals on ‘shutDOWN’
Lala link
Jim Matheos, guitarist for the band Fates Warning, enlisted Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) to assist him with a solo project. Jim wanted to create something different from the prog metal format that Fates Warning was bound to…something focusing more on rhythm and composition rather than wankery solos. They put together a 17 minute instrumental track that explored many different ideas in an effort to solidify the sound that they were going for. They successfully recruited Kevin Moore (ex-Dream Theater) for keyboards and Sean Malone (Gordian Knot) for bass and chapman stick duties. Together, all four took the ideas from that 17 minute song and crafted the 10 songs that eventually made up the main album for the band. Kevin Moore laid down vocals that were supposed to be temporary but, after being satisfied with the results, ended up being used in the final mix. At one point, Jim tried to recruit Steve Wilson (from the prog rock band Porcupine Tree) to sing on the project, but Wilson found that the style didn’t suit him (he did contribute vocals to one song, though).
The result, OFFICE OF STRATEGIC INFLUENCE (2003), is one of my favorite albums of all time. It’s a bridge between prog rock and synth rock that focuses on groove and melody. It also uses quite a few samples throughout (look for Dan Rather in the first track), reflecting Kevin Moore’s current style of composition. The riff-driven guitar work is restrained throughout; in fact, the entire album features only one true solo on it (on ‘Dirt From a Holy Place). Mike Portnoy dials back his very flashy style to deliver what is regarded to be some of his best percussion work. Sean Malone’s bass/chapman stick playing is very satisfying; his ability to lay down an interesting groove with Portnoy is really impressive. It’s a very accessible prog rock album for anyone scared of the genre.
The only complaint that many fans have is with the vocals. Kevin Moore is a very flat singer with a limited range. In any other band (especially a prog metal band), his vocal style would not work…it’s entirely too laid back. Here, I find that it really, REALLY works. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it actually blends nicely with the soundscape that is created by the other musicians.
Track Listing:
‘The New Math (What He Said)’
‘OSI’
‘When You’re Ready’
‘Horseshoes and B-52s’
‘Head’
‘Hello, Helicopter’
‘shutDOWN’
‘Dirt From a Holy Place’
‘Memory Lapses Daydream’
‘Standby (Looks Like Rain)’
Bonus CD Track Listing:
‘Set Your Controls for the Heart of the Sun’ (Pink Floyd cover)
‘New Mama’ (Neil Young cover)
‘The Thing that Never Was’
If possible, listen to the Bonus CD. ‘The Thing that Never Was’ is the original 17 minute instrumental that started off the project, and it’s fascinating to see how it was morphed into the original songs on the album. The Pink Floyd cover is excellent as well.
For me, ‘shutDOWN’ is the highlight of the album. It’s a 10 minute song that totally shifts gears in the middle…it turns from a slow dirge into a screaming metal song halfway through with one of the tastiest odd-time signature riffs that I’ve ever heard. Fates Warning has incorporated this song into its regular setlist, and I’d love to see it live sometime.
As I said, this is an album of transition: Various disparate prog metal musicians attempting something new, focusing on restraint and groove vs technical prowess. It’s also a transition of sorts in that Kevin Moore and Jim Matheos have put almost all of their musical focus into this band, releasing 2 more albums (and an E.P.) since this debut album was released. Portnoy and Malone have not stuck with the project, unfortunately.
I hope that you enjoy both of these albums.
