Rush
Power Windows
Review by Greg Olma
I have always coupled Power Windows together with Hold Your Fire as the two records that defined the Rush ‘80s sound. Sure, Signals and Grace Under Pressure both started to migrate away from the prog leanings of their yesteryears, but they still somehow maintained a sliver of the organic rock sound of their ‘70s material. Here is where they really went into keyboard hyper-drive and fashioned an album of catchier songs, not pieces of music. At the time, I was already getting into different types of harder rock (or heavy metal) so this one fell by the wayside and I never really gave it a fair shake. I can appreciate this CD now because it is a little clearer as to where Alex, Geddy, and Neil were coming from. Bands like Yes and The Police were able to create music that appealed to mass audiences yet still managed to keep their musical credibility. If a comparison is needed, Power Windows is to Rush what 90125 was to Yes. Both were looking to re-invent themselves and what came out was a very bright sounding album. After the dark and somewhat depressing (even the cover was bleak) of Grace Under Pressure, Power Windows was like a ray of sunshine. It ushered Rush into a new sound, if only for a couple of records, but it was an experiment that worked. I have never completely ignored a Rush release but in 1985, I didn’t give this much “air” time. Fast forward to 2009, and I pull out this CD on a regular basis. This is one of their older releases that I would highly recommend you go and rediscover.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2009 Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.
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