Revisiting Every Rush Album In Order: Hold Your Fire (1987)

[Segue Myles]

 

The eighties is definitely a patchy decade for Rush. But for the most part, it was A great era for them. But Power Windows was an enigma. An album with a lot of fine moments, but little impact. Hold Your Fire on the other hand is an album I have loved unquestionably since the day I first bought it (coincidentally, it was also the last studio album I bought).

 

So how highly do I rate this album?

 

Find out!

[Segue Myles]

1. Force Ten

 

Look in —

look the storm in the eye

Look out —

to the sea and the sky

Look around —

at the sight and the sound

Look in look out look around —

 

Seriously stunned by this song. It ebbs and flows, with both a force that matches it's title and a more serene, thoughtful contrast at others. A beautiful and powerful album opener. After the disappointing The Big Money, this song brings back the depth and the musical power of the Rush I love, but at the same time shows them improving all the ideas that weighed the former album down a little.

 

A great song.

 

9/10

[Segue Myles]

2. Time Stand Still

 

PERFECT SINGLE MATERIAL RIGHT HERE!

 

I remember when I first bought Hold Your Fire. I found it in a second hand shop, and it was only £1.00. On vinyl. I had not read or heard anything positive about it, and thought I would buy it just to complete my collection.

 

Now Force Ten was fine. I suspected the worst was yet to come. But it didn't with the second song. Time Stand Still is Rush perfection. They made their name with huge, epic sounding songs like 2112 or Tom Sawyer, but Time Stand Still is Rush for the more introverted and thoughtful. I love it. It carries so much weight emotionally and musically, it sounds so much more simple than it actually is. Aimee Mann is a singer I know nothing about, but her small contribution to this song suits the song perfectly. It's just...glorious...

 

One of the worst music videos I have ever seen though. But the song is just wonderful. In my opinion, one of the greatest Rush singles.

 

Here are some of the best lyrics Neil has ever written:

 

I let my past go too fast

No time to pause —

If I could slow it all down

Like some captain,

Whose ship runs aground —

I can wait until the tide

Comes around

 

Make each impression

A little bit stronger

Freeze this motion

A little bit longer

The innocence slips away…

 

Summer’s going fast–

Nights growing colder

Children growing up —

old friends growing older

Experience slips away…

 

10/10

[Segue Myles]

3. Open Secrets

 

This is easily one of my other many favourite Rush songs. Open Secrets is overflowing with sadness and beauty. Beauty is a word I will use a lot in describing this album.

 

I lie awake with my secrets

Spinning around my head

Something that somehow

Escaped me —

Something you shouldn’t have said

I was looking out the window

I should have looked

At your face instead…

 

I have felt these words myself. We all have regrets, pain and memories of missed opportunities. This song...it's cathartic for me. Also three songs in, I find the synths and the core elements of the trio work perfectly in harmony. This sounds like a band, and Neil in particular is on fine form. Their is a heavier side to this album than people give it credit for.

 

10/10

[Segue Myles]

4. Second Nature

 

I have said before that for a long time this album was my number one. Four songs in, it may still be my favourite Rush album.

 

Powerful, beautiful songwriting. The synths sound so glorious here and it is just...well...it hits me hard emotionally. I find this album very therapeutic.

 

You could apply these words here to the world at large, or as I do, to how life is for each of us as individuals. We all want to see things in life change. But we can't always, but we can still try.

 

Today is different,

And tomorrow the same

It’s hard to take the world

The way that it came

Too many rapids

Keep us sweeping along

Too many captains

Keep on steering us wrong

It’s hard to take the heat —

It’s hard to lay blame

To fight the fire —

While we’re

Feeding the flames

 

9/10

[Segue Myles]

5. Prime Mover

 

This song is another really great song. It carries all the flavour of what came before, but once again I have to note the greatness of Peart's contribution to this song, because his drumming really helps ground this song. All the atmospheric elements involving keys and effects are kept in check by the fantastic groove. Here you can tell that all three band members are working as a tight unit. After Power Windows took the keys to insane levels, Hold Your Fire really finds that perfect balance, with the keys complementing the ideas, both lyrically and musically, in such a perfect way that it doesn't sound overwhelming.

 

Prime Mover is a great song. As a side closer, it works perfectly.

 

9/10

[Segue Myles]

6. Lock And Key

 

The albums most infectious and catchy moment. Seriously the chorus here is unbelievably hooky!

 

Don’t want to silence

A desperate voice

For the sake of security

No one wants to make

A terrible choice

On the price of being free

I don’t want to face

The killer instinct —

Face it in you or me

So we keep it under lock and key…

 

Amazing lyrics and yet you can sing along to this and forget it has a deeper message. I could imagine in an alternate universe this song being a big hit. One of the best sounding songs on the while album, Alex is an absolute beast on this track!

 

Beautiful and for the synth era, quite heavy.

 

And six songs in I need to just say that Geddy sounds absolutely wonderful vocally. I love his eighties voice. More restrained and so rich!

 

10/10

[Segue Myles]

7. Mission

 

It's getting to that point where I feel almost bored of writing my thoughts because all I have is super high praise.

 

I love Mission.

 

If their lives were

Exotic and strange

They would likely have

Gladly exchanged them

For something a little more plain

Maybe something a little more sane

 

We each pay a fabulous price

For our visions of paradise

But a spirit with a vision

Is a dream with a mission…

 

How the bloody hell can anyone hate an album that carries so much depth lyrically, back it up with beautiful music...I mean this album honestly BLOWS MY MIND.

 

It's almost a religious experience.

 

9/10

[Segue Myles]

8. Turn The Page

 

Many people think that Hold Your Fire really should have ended after eight songs. Considering the eight track format worked really well for them in the past, it is hard to argue against this.

 

And Turn The Page would have made for a great album closing! But it isn't. What does this change? Nothing. A great song is a great song.

 

I hear a little bit of Power Windows in this song. It would have really benefited that album had it been on it. I think its a really catchy song with a boisterous energy that helps keep the album flowing perfectly. Is it one of my favourite Rush songs? It's well up there, along with the rest of the album.

 

You here me?

 

The rest.

 

9/10

[Segue Myles]

9. Tai Shan

 

So many hate this song.

 

I mean...ok...sure...hate my Tai Shan but it gives me late eighties epic movie drama soundtrack vibes, and the lyrics bring to mind that feeling you get before going on holiday and your imagination gets fired up in anticipation.

 

It's cheesy as hell. Its pure fantasy.

 

I love it.

 

7/10

Edited December 11, 2018 by Segue Myles

[Segue Myles]

10. High Water

 

So...I get why one might hate Tai Shan (but probably still listens to absolute shit music by other bands that are ridiculously bland and by numbers but, whatever, Tai Shan must truly be worse than the worst worst ever). But High Water? Nooooooooooooooo!

 

It's such a great song! I do feel like Tai Shan and High Water end the album together in a manner completely at odds with the first eight tracks. They each add a slight eclectic nature that puts me more in mind of the following album (Presto), but perhaps if we look at them like Vital Signs off of Moving Pictures, we can see them with a little more value.

 

But High Water is a great song. I love the chorus! But I still feel personally that as much as I do love this song, Turn The Page would have veen a more fitting closer.

 

8/10

Edited December 11, 2018 by Segue Myles

[Segue Myles]

I struggle to know how to review Hold Your Fire. It fills me with a lot of joy when I here it, because as a deep overthinker, I get a lot from the lyrics. I swear I really connect with the more introverted, personal side of Rush than I do their more epic and OTT side. This is a beautiful pop album, with great arrangements, melodies and in all honesty it is to my ears one of the bands greatest achievements. But I do struggle to review it.

 

An album full of highlights, and to my ears major career highlights.

 

But it does take a slight detour in the last two tracks. For this reason, I feel it works ever so slightly less well as a complete album than other, even more eclectic albums (Moving Pictures comes to mind). For this reason, I shall give it two ratings:

 

Personal rating: 10/10

Objective rating: 8/10

 

Final rating: 9/10

 

Best tracks: Time Stand Still, Open Secrets, Lock And Key

Worst: Tai Shan, High Water

Edited December 11, 2018 by Segue Myles

[Segue Myles]

. Edited December 11, 2018 by Segue Myles

[Permanent-Rush]

I love HYF too!

[J2112YYZ]

I used to like Tai Shan at one time but it's worn off as the years have gone by. High Water I think gets unfair hate due to the fact it follows a song so highly disliked by many fans. The drumming on High Water is great and really makes the song for me.

 

The first eight songs are fantastic. I have nothing but the highest praise for them.

[MalformedEarthborn]

It can't be denied that out of Signals, GUP, PoW, and HYf, the keyboard sit the most comfortably on this album.

[MalformedEarthborn]

I still wish they used the juggler for the cover though

[tks95747]

My favorite album between p/g and CP

[tks95747]

I still wish they used the juggler for the cover though

Makes so much more sense

[tks95747]

I struggle to know how to review Hold Your Fire. It fills me with a lot of joy when I here it, because as a deep overthinker, I get a lot from the lyrics. I swear I really connect with the more introverted, personal side of Rush than I do their more epic and OTT side. This is a beautiful pop album, with great arrangements, melodies and in all honesty it is to my ears one of the bands greatest achievements. But I do struggle to review it.

 

An album full of highlights, and to my ears major career highlights.

 

But it does take a slight detour in the last two tracks. For this reason, I feel it works ever so slightly less well as a complete album than other, even more eclectic albums (Moving Pictures comes to mind). For this reason, I shall give it two ratings:

 

Personal rating: 10/10

Objective rating: 8/10

 

Final rating: 9/10

 

Best tracks: Time Stand Still, Open Secrets, Lock And Key

Worst: Tai Shan, High Water

Sounds so weird to associate the word "pop" with the band. I will have to, at least, defend Force Ten as staying this side of the line demarcating rock from pop. Everything else ... I will admit resides on the far side of that line...

[jnoble]

I enjoy HYF for what it is and really like most of the songs...the lyrics, the melodies, the arrangements

 

**HOWEVER**

 

When I start realizing while listening to it that this is the same band that recorded songs such as What You're Doing, Anthem, By Tor, Bastille Day, 2112, Cygnus X-1, La Villa etc etc etc then I start to get miffed

 

 

[jnoble]

...and don't get me started on light FM soft pop puffery like Second Nature and Tai Shan which are right up there with REO Speedwagon in the "Wuss Rock" category

[Digital Dad]

Aside from Prime Mover and Tai Shan I really like the album.

 

It was the first CD I ever bought and still own the disc. I rarely listen to it.

Edited December 11, 2018 by Digital Dad

[tangy]

I stood at the top of the mountain

And your vagina sang to me...

 

Tai shan ain't no working man!

[tks95747]

I stood at the top of the mountain

And your vagina sang to me...

 

Tai shan ain't no working man!

Well now, that was edgy~