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Permanent Waves Cover

Rhyta

By Rhyta
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Rhyta

Rhyta

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Since I am a relatively newer fan of Rush, I have wondered if there is something I am missing about the Permanent Waves cover? Does it have some hidden meaning? I just look at it and think :blink: I see that the gal on it shows up later on Exit Stage Left. Was this a Hugh Syme creation?

 

Give me your take on it...thanks

Rhyta

Rhyta

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Thanks. It is intriguing and I found this even more curious "The woman on the cover is really a symbol of us. If you think that's sexist in a negative way - well, it's really looking at ourselves so I don't think it can be. The idea is her perfect imperturbability in the face of all this chaos. In that she represents us. In the basic sense, all that cover picture means is forging on regardless, being completely uninvolved with all the chaos and ridiculous nonsense that's going on around us. Plus she represents the spirit of music and the spirit of radio, a symbol of perfect integrity and truth and beauty." - Neil Peart, Sounds, April 5, 1980.

http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/main/Wallpaper.htm

 

Mystery solved...yea :rush:

tommyali

tommyali

Posted
Posted

Thanks. It is intriguing and I found this even more curious "The woman on the cover is really a symbol of us. If you think that's sexist in a negative way - well, it's really looking at ourselves so I don't think it can be. The idea is her perfect imperturbability in the face of all this chaos. In that she represents us. In the basic sense, all that cover picture means is forging on regardless, being completely uninvolved with all the chaos and ridiculous nonsense that's going on around us. Plus she represents the spirit of music and the spirit of radio, a symbol of perfect integrity and truth and beauty." - Neil Peart, Sounds, April 5, 1980.

http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/main/Wallpaper.htm

 

Mystery solved...yea :rush:

 

And let's not forget that the woman on the cover has "permanent waves" in her hair as well. Thanks Hugh Syme!

  • Like 1
circumstantial tree

circumstantial tree

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Posted
And because it's a photo, the guy in the background is "permanently waving" his hand to the girl (or whoever).
  • Like 1
JARG

JARG

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Posted
And let's not forget the big wave behind the guy...
  • Like 1
theanalogmiddleagedman

theanalogmiddleagedman

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Posted
I'm glad this thread prompted me to read the album cover page on PoW. I always thought these were just cool covers. I never realized all the thought that went into them...
  • Like 3
ytserush

ytserush

Posted
Posted

And because it's a photo, the guy in the background is "permanently waving" his hand to the girl (or whoever).

And because it's a photo, the guy in the background is "permanently waving" his hand to the girl (or whoever).

 

If i'm not mistaken, that guy is Hugh Syme.

 

I can't recall if it was Neil, Hugh Syme himself or both who have confirmed that.

Rhyta

Rhyta

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

I'm glad this thread prompted me to read the album cover page on PoW. I always thought these were just cool covers. I never realized all the thought that went into them...

And because it's a photo, the guy in the background is "permanently waving" his hand to the girl (or whoever).

And because it's a photo, the guy in the background is "permanently waving" his hand to the girl (or whoever).

 

If i'm not mistaken, that guy is Hugh Syme.

 

I can't recall if it was Neil, Hugh Syme himself or both who have confirmed that.

 

That's what I loved to do when I first got an album was study the cover and read the liner notes. Since I haven't got any Rush on vinyl, I haven't done much research on this stuff except Clockwork Angels and GUP. I wouldn't be surprised if that is Hugh in the background waving, sounds like something an artist would love to do. I just recently noticed a book I read had a Hugh Syme creation on it ..he's really talented.

Edited by Rhyta
JARG

JARG

Posted
Posted
Unfazed by charges that they're holding the old line while the new wave rolls over rock, the band found a suitable irony in the album title Permanent Waves. "As far as I can see," offers Lee, "new wave, old wave, yellow wave - it's all the same. The water doesn't come and go. The waves do."
  • Like 1
ytserush

ytserush

Posted
Posted

I'm glad this thread prompted me to read the album cover page on PoW. I always thought these were just cool covers. I never realized all the thought that went into them...

And because it's a photo, the guy in the background is "permanently waving" his hand to the girl (or whoever).

And because it's a photo, the guy in the background is "permanently waving" his hand to the girl (or whoever).

 

If i'm not mistaken, that guy is Hugh Syme.

 

I can't recall if it was Neil, Hugh Syme himself or both who have confirmed that.

 

That's what I loved to do when I first got an album was study the cover and read the liner notes. Since I haven't got any Rush on vinyl, I haven't done much research on this stuff except Clockwork Angels and GUP. I wouldn't be surprised if that is Hugh in the background waving, sounds like something an artist would love to do. I just recently noticed a book I read had a Hugh Syme creation on it ..he's really talented.

 

 

He's done some work with a bunch of bands after Rush, including Dream Theater.

 

More often than not, I like his analog work rather than digital, but his work on Clockwork Angels is stunning.

  • Like 1
trenken

trenken

Posted
Posted
The thing I always loved about this cover is how abstract it is. It doesnt really mean anything. Its a collage of different things, and could mean whatever you want it to. Even reading the description from Hugh, he never explains it. He just talks about how the idea came about, the idea of a woman in front of a mess of things happening, but never talks about what that means, and that certainly is no description of what it is, so its basically just very random, which was good because explaining it kind of ruins the fun mystery of it. And maybe there is no real explanation of the actual meaning of it. It means whatever, or nothing. It doesnt matter.
  • Like 1
ytserush

ytserush

Posted
Posted

The thing I always loved about this cover is how abstract it is. It doesnt really mean anything. Its a collage of different things, and could mean whatever you want it to. Even reading the description from Hugh, he never explains it. He just talks about how the idea came about, the idea of a woman in front of a mess of things happening, but never talks about what that means, and that certainly is no description of what it is, so its basically just very random, which was good because explaining it kind of ruins the fun mystery of it. And maybe there is no real explanation of the actual meaning of it. It means whatever, or nothing. It doesnt matter.

 

i also like how there seems to be an order and calmness to the chaos.

Spindrift82

Spindrift82

Posted
Posted
I've always wondered about this cover, and it's interesting to hear the analysis behind it. I've never noticed how many things are "waves" in that cover.
trenken

trenken

Posted
Posted (edited)

The thing I always loved about this cover is how abstract it is. It doesnt really mean anything. Its a collage of different things, and could mean whatever you want it to. Even reading the description from Hugh, he never explains it. He just talks about how the idea came about, the idea of a woman in front of a mess of things happening, but never talks about what that means, and that certainly is no description of what it is, so its basically just very random, which was good because explaining it kind of ruins the fun mystery of it. And maybe there is no real explanation of the actual meaning of it. It means whatever, or nothing. It doesnt matter.

 

i also like how there seems to be an order and calmness to the chaos.

 

Yeah, Neil's explanation is obviously the best, but its also one of those covers that could mean other things to different people that never see his explanation to it.

 

There are certain lyrics on the album that could tie in with that image in different ways than what he described. Chorus lyrics from Entre Nous. Then you see a man and a woman, space between them, he is waving, shes ignoring him. Flooded road between them keeping them apart, but she doesnt seem to care at all. could be reflective of a one-way relationship.

Edited by trenken
  • Like 1
coventry

coventry

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Posted
It's kind of like the inside photo collage for HYF - all the different metaphors and images of holding one's fire - whatever fire that may be.
JARG

JARG

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Posted

It's kind of like the inside photo collage for HYF - all the different metaphors and images of holding one's fire - whatever fire that may be.

 

Yes, several Rush album covers are very much about visual puns.

Rhyta

Rhyta

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And you could say her dress is permanently waving in the wind...

:laughing guy: That one is hard to miss :LOL:

goose

goose

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Posted

I honestly just realized that the band's names are on the billboards/signs in the background.

:LOL: :cheers:

Meaninglessphoto

Meaninglessphoto

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Posted
Just noticed that myself haha. I always thought that it was a nuke torn town. No clue it was a wave of water. I thought a nuclear wave. Hmm. Guess I need to pay a bit more attention.
Rhyta

Rhyta

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Clue me in where their names are? I don't have an album cover to check this out :)

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