Revisiting Every Rush Album In Order: Signals (1982)

[Mithrandir]

Subdivisions 10

Analog Kid 10

Chemistry 9.25

Digital Man 9.75

Weapon 10

New World Man 9.75

Losing It 9.5

Countdown 9.25

77.5

9.6875 out of 10

 

My 4th-5th favorite Rush album

Edited December 4, 2018 by Mithrandir

[Wil1972]

I think I speak for everyone when I say that we missed these threads!

 

Yes! Was beginning to wonder what happened.

For me Signals was a grower. So much synthesizer! But overtime it has become a top shelf record for me.

[Wil1972]

3. Chemistry

 

I normally hate this song. Yes. Hate.

 

Well...paying close attention...wow...that intro! The lyrics are quite cool. The way the song is structured is surprisingly progressive, this is a pop song written by a band that knows how to handle complexity. A little Police influence, but this is great!

 

Lifeson adds so much texture here, he is a master! Listening closely to this album I find myself drawn to details I have never noticed before.

 

Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow.

 

It feels good to revisit this album properly.

 

7/10

 

Always felt like a cross between Vital Signs and Spirit of Radio to me ... It comes off as sorta generic but generally pleasing. I listen to it more now than I used to in the past.

[Wil1972]

5. The Weapon

 

Now normally I'd bail after Digital Man, which I feel I just overscored.

 

The Weapon saves the album for me. This is a masterpiece of songwriting, with a strange disco ball shiny intro and terrific melodies. Again, not massively into the mixing of the vocals. But I don't hate it at all. The very opposite in fact! Best song yet. I have always loved this song, even if it still isn't quite up their with my very favourites.

 

Are their any killer live versions?

 

9/10

 

My favorite track on the album.

[Segue Myles]

I think I speak for everyone when I say that we missed these threads!

 

Yes! Was beginning to wonder what happened.

For me Signals was a grower. So much synthesizer! But overtime it has become a top shelf record for me.

 

Well I decided to break up my Rush marathon because the more I listen the more tired and critical I get. I want to encourage talk about these albums so want as fresh a mindset and focus as possible! Also, once you get passed Moving Pictures, I find I never quite get as much from the majority of their albums. It was so easy to spin the seventies records endlessly.

 

But yeah, the albums I least listen too are:

 

Signals

Power Windows

Counterparts

Test For Echo

Feedback

 

So I may actually spin these a few times before starting a thread, so that I can get more of an opinion on the songs. I barely know Power Windows.

[Segue Myles]

5. The Weapon

 

Now normally I'd bail after Digital Man, which I feel I just overscored.

 

The Weapon saves the album for me. This is a masterpiece of songwriting, with a strange disco ball shiny intro and terrific melodies. Again, not massively into the mixing of the vocals. But I don't hate it at all. The very opposite in fact! Best song yet. I have always loved this song, even if it still isn't quite up their with my very favourites.

 

Are their any killer live versions?

 

9/10

 

My favorite track on the album.

 

I am not sure why I held back a perfect score, but truth be told it's not a song I've ever ranked as high as others. Losing It? Used to play it on its own all the time

[tas7]

Am lucky to have witnessed Signals live, have a feeling of what was trying to be achieved sound wise on the record. IMO, it's the sister record to Moving Pictures. You could have made a double album. New World Man is a fun song to play and a good warm up finger exercise, the chorus to The Analog Kid is beautiful and the solo in The Weapon is amazing, was like having a heavenly vision live.

I disagree with the OP who obviously prefers Grace Under Pressure to Signals.

[Mithrandir]

It would take me too long to post all of the reasons I love this album. But it's been a huge part of my listening life for 36 years now!

[JARG]

This was the first album that I didn’t love at first listen, nor any subsequent listens.

 

ETA: Prior to that, I didn't love PeW at first listen, but got over my funk soon enough.

 

So, after MP, Rush released no subsequent albums that I love, and a few I really don't like at all.

Edited December 4, 2018 by JARG

[Segue Myles]

It would take me too long to post all of the reasons I love this album. But it's been a huge part of my listening life for 36 years now!

 

I'd love to hear some reasons!

[Mithrandir]

It would take me too long to post all of the reasons I love this album. But it's been a huge part of my listening life for 36 years now!

 

I'd love to hear some reasons!

Overall the albums music and lyrics really related to where I was in my life at the time it was released.

 

Subdivisions - I was 17 when Signals came out and lived in a small town, sort of the suburbs, and the lyrics just related to me so very much. And the video with the kid playing the same video games I was playing in the local arcades.

 

Analog Kid - I was that kid who just liked to dream about a bigger and better life. The imagery in the song continues to move me .....

 

The Weapon - One of my all time favorite Rush songs.

 

Losing It - the idea of aging and losing "it"..whatever "it" was, has always been in my thoughts.

[tks95747]

It would take me too long to post all of the reasons I love this album. But it's been a huge part of my listening life for 36 years now!

 

I'd love to hear some reasons!

Overall the albums music and lyrics really related to where I was in my life at the time it was released.

 

Subdivisions - I was 17 when Signals came out and lived in a small town, sort of the suburbs, and the lyrics just related to me so very much. And the video with the kid playing the same video games I was playing in the local arcades.

 

Analog Kid - I was that kid who just liked to dream about a bigger and better life. The imagery in the song continues to move me .....

 

The Weapon - One of my all time favorite Rush songs.

 

Losing It - the idea of aging and losing "it"..whatever "it" was, has always been in my thoughts.

I was 20 when Signals was released and I was already losing it... ;) :P

[tks95747]

This was the first album that I didn’t love at first listen, nor any subsequent listens.

 

ETA: Prior to that, I didn't love PeW at first listen, but got over my funk soon enough.

 

So, after MP, Rush released no subsequent albums that I love, and a few I really don't like at all.

I agree with you, however, my "love" for their albums began to wane after p/g... Every album after CP (except for CA) falls into my category of "Don't like at all"...

[Wil1972]

I think I speak for everyone when I say that we missed these threads!

 

Yes! Was beginning to wonder what happened.

For me Signals was a grower. So much synthesizer! But overtime it has become a top shelf record for me.

 

Well I decided to break up my Rush marathon because the more I listen the more tired and critical I get. I want to encourage talk about these albums so want as fresh a mindset and focus as possible! Also, once you get passed Moving Pictures, I find I never quite get as much from the majority of their albums. It was so easy to spin the seventies records endlessly.

 

But yeah, the albums I least listen too are:

 

Signals

Power Windows

Counterparts

Test For Echo

Feedback

 

So I may actually spin these a few times before starting a thread, so that I can get more of an opinion on the songs. I barely know Power Windows.

 

I get it. A fresh perspective helps.

[Wil1972]

5. The Weapon

 

Now normally I'd bail after Digital Man, which I feel I just overscored.

 

The Weapon saves the album for me. This is a masterpiece of songwriting, with a strange disco ball shiny intro and terrific melodies. Again, not massively into the mixing of the vocals. But I don't hate it at all. The very opposite in fact! Best song yet. I have always loved this song, even if it still isn't quite up their with my very favourites.

 

Are their any killer live versions?

 

9/10

 

My favorite track on the album.

 

I am not sure why I held back a perfect score, but truth be told it's not a song I've ever ranked as high as others. Losing It? Used to play it on its own all the time

 

Losing It is great.

[Wil1972]

Am lucky to have witnessed Signals live, have a feeling of what was trying to be achieved sound wise on the record. IMO, it's the sister record to Moving Pictures. You could have made a double album. New World Man is a fun song to play and a good warm up finger exercise, the chorus to The Analog Kid is beautiful and the solo in The Weapon is amazing, was like having a heavenly vision live.

I disagree with the OP who obviously prefers Grace Under Pressure to Signals.

 

Signals > GuP

[Wil1972]

It would take me too long to post all of the reasons I love this album. But it's been a huge part of my listening life for 36 years now!

 

I'd love to hear some reasons!

Overall the albums music and lyrics really related to where I was in my life at the time it was released.

 

Subdivisions - I was 17 when Signals came out and lived in a small town, sort of the suburbs, and the lyrics just related to me so very much. And the video with the kid playing the same video games I was playing in the local arcades.

 

Analog Kid - I was that kid who just liked to dream about a bigger and better life. The imagery in the song continues to move me .....

 

The Weapon - One of my all time favorite Rush songs.

 

Losing It - the idea of aging and losing "it"..whatever "it" was, has always been in my thoughts.

I was 20 when Signals was released and I was already losing it... ;) :P

 

I was around 10.

[Rick N. Backer]

This was the first album that I didn’t love at first listen, nor any subsequent listens.

 

ETA: Prior to that, I didn't love PeW at first listen, but got over my funk soon enough.

 

So, after MP, Rush released no subsequent albums that I love, and a few I really don't like at all.

 

You described my feelings, albeit one album too soon, almost perfectly.

[New World Kid]

So I'm curious: fans who have a certain album they can point to, like Jarg and Rick N. Backer... what album was it, and how old were you when that album came out?

[laughedatbytime]

So I'm curious: fans who have a certain album they can point to, like Jarg and Rick N. Backer... what album was it, and how old were you when that album came out?

Power Windows was the album I can point to when my interest really waned (though Signals was a major disappointment, I hung on through p/g, which was an improvement).

 

I was 23 when PoW came out. Only when I (re)discovered some of the live footage in the late 00s did I ever really play them on even a semiregular basis again.

[JARG]

So I'm curious: fans who have a certain album they can point to, like Jarg and Rick N. Backer... what album was it, and how old were you when that album came out?

 

For me the honeymoon ended with Signals (I was 17 in '82). To riff on RNB's analogy, the relationship continued, of course, but, there was distance between us that hadn't been there before. At times, particularly toward the end, things were quite strained and we were more like acquaintances than lovers. I saw aspects of her that I really found distasteful and it was to honor the memory of what we once had that I continued to see her. But man, what we had in those first few years was amazing.

[JARG]

And as I said earlier, I was taken aback when Pew came out. She started wearing her hair different and it took me a little time to adjust to it, but I grew to love that look as well.

[tks95747]

5. The Weapon

 

Now normally I'd bail after Digital Man, which I feel I just overscored.

 

The Weapon saves the album for me. This is a masterpiece of songwriting, with a strange disco ball shiny intro and terrific melodies. Again, not massively into the mixing of the vocals. But I don't hate it at all. The very opposite in fact! Best song yet. I have always loved this song, even if it still isn't quite up their with my very favourites.

 

Are their any killer live versions?

 

9/10

 

My favorite track on the album.

 

I am not sure why I held back a perfect score, but truth be told it's not a song I've ever ranked as high as others. Losing It? Used to play it on its own all the time

 

Losing It is great.

Agreed on Losing It.. I was so blown away by the violin solo . . .

[MalformedEarthborn]

And as I said earlier, I was taken aback when Pew came out. She started wearing her hair different and it took me a little time to adjust to it, but I grew to love that look as well.

 

Did she get a mullet? :D

[tks95747]

And as I said earlier, I was taken aback when Pew came out. She started wearing her hair different and it took me a little time to adjust to it, but I grew to love that look as well.

For me it was after CP...She just stopped showering...I told her to get the hell out... Years later she looked me up and apologized for her abhorrent behavior... I frankly forgave her and was finally able to remember all of the good times we had together... Edited December 5, 2018 by tks95747