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Power Windows is the Hemispheres of the 80s


Entre_Perpetuo
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Listening to PoW right now. Always have loved this one. I'm on Middletown Dreams, and it's truly a perfect 80s Rush song. In fact every song on the album is. It's super consistent even for a Rush album. That consistency and hyper technical arranging and ultra precise playing (especially on Neil's part), it just strikes me as the Hems of the 80s for Rush.

 

That's just an opinion. Feel free to hatefully disagree, or applaud in agreement. Neil really outdid himself here though. I don't think that's debatable.

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Emotion Detector. In the running for the most underrated Rush song ever, along with cuts like Something For Nothing and Entre Nous.
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I've always liked Power Windows. By October 1985 I'd got over my Rush-synth-era phobia, but it's nothing like Hemispheres, it's almost like two different bands. Everything is different, the song structures, the guitars, the drums, the bass, the synths, even the vocals are different even though it's obviously Geddy.
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I won’t hatefully disagree; it’s a strong album, great songwriting, great execution.

 

But Hold Your Fire is the Hemispheres of the synth era. ;)

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I won’t hatefully disagree; it’s a strong album, great songwriting, great execution.

 

But Hold Your Fire is the Hemispheres of the synth era. ;)

 

That's the only other one I could agree with. If it weren't for Tai Shan and High Water, HYF might have PoW beat.

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I'm going to respectfully disagree. Grace Under Pressure is on the Mount RushMore of Albums for me. Pure excellence. The lyrics on Power Windows are strong but I still put GUP before it.

 

HyF has its moments but is way down on my list of favorites. Still good but Open Secrets, Lock & Key, Mission & Second Nature are not on my heavy rotation of Rush tunes. Winners from that CD for me are: Time Stand Still, Prime Mover, Tai Shan, Turn The Page & High Water.

 

(1976) 2112, AFTK, Hemispheres, Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, Signals, Grace Under Pressure, Power Windows (1985) These 8 albums in 9 years were peak Rush for me and I love just about every song. From HYF on to Clockwork Angels, I began singling out favorite tunes & could easily skip through songs on a CD.

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I won’t hatefully disagree; it’s a strong album, great songwriting, great execution.

 

But Hold Your Fire is the Hemispheres of the synth era. ;)

 

That's the only other one I could agree with. If it weren't for Tai Shan and High Water, HYF might have PoW beat.

 

Lol, those are two of my favorites from HYF.

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I'm going to respectfully disagree. Grace Under Pressure is on the Mount RushMore of Albums for me. Pure excellence. The lyrics on Power Windows are strong but I still put GUP before it.

 

HyF has its moments but is way down on my list of favorites. Still good but Open Secrets, Lock & Key, Mission & Second Nature are not on my heavy rotation of Rush tunes. Winners from that CD for me are: Time Stand Still, Prime Mover, Tai Shan, Turn The Page & High Water.

 

(1976) 2112, AFTK, Hemispheres, Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, Signals, Grace Under Pressure, Power Windows (1985) These 8 albums in 9 years were peak Rush for me and I love just about every song. From HYF on to Clockwork Angels, I began singling out favorite tunes & could easily skip through songs on a CD.

I would toss Power Windows and slide ATWAS in there for good measure. The best Rush years by far. It's interesting looking back on those years and Grace Under Pressure was the last Rush album I bought. They were losing me as many bands lost me in the 80's...
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PoW was the best, most even, synth era album. But that's like saying you're the best player on a mediocre team. Good songs, but no epics. The synth layer was spread way too thick by including every cheesy 80s era synth burp and squawk. I liked when they did alot of PoW on the recent tour where they could strip away alot of the synth. But not a close comparison to Hemi. Edited by HemiBeers
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I won’t hatefully disagree; it’s a strong album, great songwriting, great execution.

 

But Hold Your Fire is the Hemispheres of the synth era. ;)

 

That's the only other one I could agree with. If it weren't for Tai Shan and High Water, HYF might have PoW beat.

 

Lol, those are two of my favorites from HYF.

 

Said nobody ever lol.

 

Tai Shan is a real momentum killer. It's not as bad as a lot of fans make it out to be but those eight songs before just flow so well and take you on this great ride. Then Tai Shan comes on and just kills it. Just like Speed Of Love. Counterparts is going along tremendously until that song halts things for a few minutes. I do think because of the dislike many have for Tai Shan that High Water gets an unfair amount of hate because it has to try and save the album and end it on a good note. I feel the song does that. I'm not sure how Rush fans could listen to what Neil is doing on High Water and not like it in some way? He's really getting down with drum groove on it.

Edited by J2112YYZ
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Other than being two great albums, I don’t see the connection. One (the brain/bum one) is a top 3 Rush album, and the other’s certainly top 10.

 

The 80s had Peart’s best lyrics though. And PoW is smack dab in the middle of all of that lyrical brilliance.

 

Yep.

 

Manhattan Project, Marathon, Territories and Mystic Rhythms are some of my favorite lyrics from Neil.

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Listening to PoW right now. Always have loved this one. I'm on Middletown Dreams, and it's truly a perfect 80s Rush song. In fact every song on the album is. It's super consistent even for a Rush album. That consistency and hyper technical arranging and ultra precise playing (especially on Neil's part), it just strikes me as the Hems of the 80s for Rush.

 

That's just an opinion. Feel free to hatefully disagree, or applaud in agreement. Neil really outdid himself here though. I don't think that's debatable.

 

Okay :codger:

 

I hatefully disagree. :)

 

Power Windows is one of my least favorite Rush albums.

 

I've often wondered what forms our musical taste and why a song one person loves is horrid to the ears of another. But that is what makes life interesting.

 

I guess. :unsure:

 

Look here http://www.therushfo...an/page__st__20, three people think Tai Shan is better than Xanadu. :huh:

Edited by Lorraine
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I won’t hatefully disagree; it’s a strong album, great songwriting, great execution.

 

But Hold Your Fire is the Hemispheres of the synth era. ;)

 

That's the only other one I could agree with. If it weren't for Tai Shan and High Water, HYF might have PoW beat.

 

Lol, those are two of my favorites from HYF.

 

Said nobody ever lol.

 

I realize I'm in the minority but I'll take Tai Shan over Second Nature, Lock & Key, Open Secrets & Mission any day. I like Mission's lyrics but I'm not keen on the music. Tai Shan has a completely different feel to it and is filled with great imagery. I'm aware Alex & Geddy aren't fond of it but that has more to do with them not relating to the lyrics. To me, the instruments they used all work to fit that particular tune and don't sound out of place. IMO, most of the musical direction on HyF was off. Alex's Canadian made Signature guitar sounded neutered and Geddy's Wal Bass sounded way too plucky and poppy. Of course, that's all my opinion but its the biggest reason HyF is my least favorite Rush album.

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Listening to PoW right now. Always have loved this one. I'm on Middletown Dreams, and it's truly a perfect 80s Rush song. In fact every song on the album is. It's super consistent even for a Rush album. That consistency and hyper technical arranging and ultra precise playing (especially on Neil's part), it just strikes me as the Hems of the 80s for Rush.

 

That's just an opinion. Feel free to hatefully disagree, or applaud in agreement. Neil really outdid himself here though. I don't think that's debatable.

 

Okay :codger:

 

I hatefully disagree. :)

 

Power Windows is one of my least favorite Rush albums.

 

I've often wondered what forms our musical taste and why a song one person loves is horrid to the ears of another. But that is what makes life interesting.

 

I guess. :unsure:

 

Look here http://www.therushfo...an/page__st__20, three people think Tai Shan is better than Xanadu. :huh:

 

Two people are taking the piss and don’t actually think Tai Shan is better. The third probably misread the question or has some personal vendetta against Xanadu due to some past trauma associated with the tune :LOL:

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I won’t hatefully disagree; it’s a strong album, great songwriting, great execution.

 

But Hold Your Fire is the Hemispheres of the synth era. ;)

 

In every sense of the word, HYF is the stronger, more intricate album.

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I'll respectfully disagree - musically comparing what I will refer to as Phase II of Rush (AFTK-MP) to Phase III (Signals-HYF) is difficult. The sound and song structure are nothing alike. As far as each album's role in the musical progression of each era - Power Windows is AFTK to HYF's Hemispheres.

 

Up to T4E, Rush had sister albums CoS/2112, AFTK/Hem, PeW/MP, Signals/GUP, Presto/RTB, CP/T4E and PoW matches up with HYF

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I'll respectfully disagree - musically comparing what I will refer to as Phase II of Rush (AFTK-MP) to Phase III (Signals-HYF) is difficult. The sound and song structure are nothing alike. As far as each album's role in the musical progression of each era - Power Windows is AFTK to HYF's Hemispheres.

 

Up to T4E, Rush had sister albums CoS/2112, AFTK/Hem, PeW/MP, Signals/GUP, Presto/RTB, CP/T4E and PoW matches up with HYF

 

Except that would make Presto/RTB the equivalent of PeW/MP, which just falls apart in my mind.

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I've always liked Power Windows. By October 1985 I'd got over my Rush-synth-era phobia, but it's nothing like Hemispheres, it's almost like two different bands. Everything is different, the song structures, the guitars, the drums, the bass, the synths, even the vocals are different even though it's obviously Geddy.

That's getting right to the heart of the matter now isn't it?
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