Hold Your Fire Anniversery!!!!

[Captain Avatar]

Hold Your Fire is an incredible album. As far as I'm concerned, It's got a lot going for it: Neil's best lyrics, Geddy's best singing, and the most melodic songs they've ever written. If it weren't for Tai Shan and High Water, it may very well be my favorite Rush album. As it is, it's my third favorite, behind Moving Pictures and Clockwork Angels.

[tx_rush]

Prime Mover- one of the most underrated Rush songs

great album!

[greg2112]

This album has aged well for me. Didnt care for it much when it came out, but think its a very solid Rush album. In fact, with the exception of counterparts, I think its better top to bottom than anything they've done since power windows.

[bathory]

good album

[LedRush]

Like others here, this was a creeper for me. It still ranks as one of their worst albums for me, but I thoroughly enjoy most songs on it now, and I consider it to be a very good album.

 

Also, it pushed the band to strip away the synths, so thank you for that, HYF!

[Cygnus Xanadu-1]

It was a product of the times.

Between 1985 and 1987, almost every band with progressive roots released a poppy, and, for the most part, a synth-heavy album. Genesis had "Invisible Touch", Yes released "Big Generator", King Crimson in 1984 released "Three of a Perfect Pair" and Peter Gabriel released "So". The times were calling for shorter, poppier and more radio-friendly songs and Rush tried their hand at it. The results didn't give us another "2112", "Hemispheres" or "Moving Pictures" but, let's be honest, how could it of? This was, in many ways, their last hurrah for the synthesiser, which, from then on, played a far more diminished role for the band. Lifeson finally got to take centre-stage again, Neil's drumming began to change and Geddy went back to focusing on his bass, rather than sprawling synthesiser soundscapes. But for what it is, I'd say that it's a pretty good album, and definitely one of Neil's strongest, from a lyrical perspective.

[metaldad]

I love Hold Your Fire! :rush:

I Hate it

Nice to meet you

[rushgoober]

Also, it pushed the band to strip away the synths, so thank you for that, HYF!

 

That was actually quite a shame. I've seriously missed the synths ever since, especially since they only made one great album in their next five after HYF, and even THEN while I enjoyed the hard rock sound of Counterparts, I still missed the synths. Thankfully their last two albums have been great. Would I still love to have the synths back to the level they were in Signals to HYF - F*CK yes! At least they've made a couple great albums, however, so I can't really complain too much about that one. I freakin' LOVED the synth period.

[greg2112]

Also, it pushed the band to strip away the synths, so thank you for that, HYF!

 

That was actually quite a shame. I've seriously missed the synths ever since, especially since they only made one great album in their next five after HYF, and even THEN while I enjoyed the hard rock sound of Counterparts, I still missed the synths. Thankfully their last two albums have been great. Would I still love to have the synths back to the level they were in Signals to HYF - F*CK yes! At least they've made a couple great albums, however, so I can't really complain too much about that one. I freakin' LOVED the synth period.

 

Definitely loved the Synth period from Signals - Grace. Perfect mix of keys AND guitar. Two top 10 album easy for this fan.

[greyfriar]

Not one of my favourite albums but still great. A lot of stellar songs on it and a good blend of synth and guitars. What I like most on this album are the fantastic lyrics. NEP did a great job on this one.

[nappy2112]

Low point in Rush history.

[rushgoober]

Low point in Rush history.

 

http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/mooning/rude-santa-claus.gif

[ZivotSon]

Low point in Rush history.

 

For me it's one of the biggest hit and miss records in their catalog. Force Ten, Time Stand Still, Second Nature and Mission are great. The rest are forgettable or worse. This one sent me into the wilderness for over a decade as I stopped buying their records until VT and only heard Roll the Bones as it was given to me as a gift. I've come to appreciate most of the albums during this period as I rediscovered the band (Counterparts is particularly good), but I never listen to this one (or Presto or RTB) from start to finish.

[losingit2k]

Low point in Rush history.

 

For me its another peak of the mountain range that's their illustrious Career.

[Body Electric]

as a fan i liked it growing up, but to me grace was the (and still is, MP notwithstanding) the best album released in the 80s. however as a musician HYF has some very juicy lovliness on it that i thoroughly enjoy , such as force 10, open secrets, mission, prime mover lock and key and high water. the rest of the album is decent enough but musically, those 6 tracks really grab me, especially the bass

[CygnusGal]

To all the haters - a hearty from me to you.

 

 

I guess that's me, with your butt in my face :P

 

HYF was the album that made me stop listening to Rush (for several years), 26 years ago :(

I'm with you. I was in the same boat and nearly abandoned Rush when this album came out. I used to sit at their shows when any HYF material was played (couldn't stand Time Stand Still).

 

Many years later, I learned to appreciate the album, but it is still dead last in my album ranking and I think it always will be. Power Windows is still my favourite album from the synth era.

 

I do appreciate you shaving your butt for us though, goob. Thank you. Do us VT lovers have to show you our asses now? I'd rather not...

[jnoble]

To all the haters - a hearty from me to you.

 

 

I guess that's me, with your butt in my face :P

 

HYF was the album that made me stop listening to Rush (for several years), 26 years ago :(

I'm with you. I was in the same boat and nearly abandoned Rush when this album came out. I used to sit at their shows when any HYF material was played (couldn't stand Time Stand Still).

 

Many years later, I learned to appreciate the album, but it is still dead last in my album ranking and I think it always will be. Power Windows is still my favourite album from the synth era.

 

I do appreciate you shaving your butt for us though, goob. Thank you. Do us VT lovers have to show you our asses now? I'd rather not...

 

That's too bad you feel that way. While it's not the heaviest thing they've ever recorded, Time Stand Still is a very good piece of songwriting in terms of lyrics, music, arrangment, vocal melody, etc. I've personally contended that it's one of the best songs they've ever recorded right up there with Spirit of Radio.

[Bluefunk]

 

That's too bad you feel that way. While it's not the heaviest thing they've ever recorded, Time Stand Still is a very good piece of songwriting in terms of lyrics, music, arrangment, vocal melody, etc. I've personally contended that it's one of the best songs they've ever recorded right up there with Spirit of Radio.

Shame about the video, though! But I'm a definite HYF fan.

[CygnusGal]

To all the haters - a hearty from me to you.

 

 

I guess that's me, with your butt in my face :P

 

HYF was the album that made me stop listening to Rush (for several years), 26 years ago :(

I'm with you. I was in the same boat and nearly abandoned Rush when this album came out. I used to sit at their shows when any HYF material was played (couldn't stand Time Stand Still).

 

Many years later, I learned to appreciate the album, but it is still dead last in my album ranking and I think it always will be. Power Windows is still my favourite album from the synth era.

 

I do appreciate you shaving your butt for us though, goob. Thank you. Do us VT lovers have to show you our asses now? I'd rather not...

 

That's too bad you feel that way. While it's not the heaviest thing they've ever recorded, Time Stand Still is a very good piece of songwriting in terms of lyrics, music, arrangment, vocal melody, etc. I've personally contended that it's one of the best songs they've ever recorded right up there with Spirit of Radio.

Time Stand Still is their highest charting song, so your argument comparing it to TSOR is certainly credible. I agree with you now, but I was very put off with it at the time. HYF lyrics are it's strong suit (imo) and they've aged well. The album has some great song writing on it, but to me it is a stylistic extreme of their synth sound (Rush as easy adult alternative - move over Bon Jovi!).

 

Hey, somebody has to be in last place and, for me, HYF fills that void.

[rushgoober]

To all the haters - a hearty from me to you.

 

 

I guess that's me, with your butt in my face :P

 

HYF was the album that made me stop listening to Rush (for several years), 26 years ago :(

I'm with you. I was in the same boat and nearly abandoned Rush when this album came out. I used to sit at their shows when any HYF material was played (couldn't stand Time Stand Still).

 

Many years later, I learned to appreciate the album, but it is still dead last in my album ranking and I think it always will be. Power Windows is still my favourite album from the synth era.

 

I do appreciate you shaving your butt for us though, goob. Thank you. Do us VT lovers have to show you our asses now? I'd rather not...

 

That's too bad you feel that way. While it's not the heaviest thing they've ever recorded, Time Stand Still is a very good piece of songwriting in terms of lyrics, music, arrangment, vocal melody, etc. I've personally contended that it's one of the best songs they've ever recorded right up there with Spirit of Radio.

Time Stand Still is their highest charting song, so your argument comparing it to TSOR is certainly credible. I agree with you now, but I was very put off with it at the time. HYF lyrics are it's strong suit (imo) and they've aged well. The album has some great song writing on it, but to me it is a stylistic extreme of their synth sound (Rush as easy adult alternative - move over Bon Jovi!).

 

Hey, somebody has to be in last place and, for me, HYF fills that void.

 

You did mention Rush's worst album in your previous post, but it certainly isn't HYF.

[Tony R]

Hold Your Fire the start of Rush's unlucky 7 terrible albums.

 

It's a total crock of shit.

[Freeze-Frame]

Hold Your Fire the start of Rush's unlucky 7 terrible albums.

 

It's a total crock of shit.

 

You hate 7 Rush albums. How the hell can you call yourself a Rush fan if you hate 1/3 of all their work.

 

It seems like almost everybody on this thread hates HYF. Think about it, it has to be one of Rush's top 5 albums.

Edited September 15, 2013 by Freeze-Frame

[Tony R]

Hold Your Fire the start of Rush's unlucky 7 terrible albums.

 

It's a total crock of shit.

 

You hate 7 Rush albums. How the hell can you call yourself a Rush fan if you hate 1/3 of all their work.

 

It seems like almost everybody on this thread hates HYF. Think about it, it has to be one of Rush's top 5 albums.

 

I may hate 7 Rush albums but I'd been listening to Rush for 21 years when you were born. I was calling myself a Rush fan in 1976.

I don't even consider Rush fans born after 1981 to be true fans. Real fans would have made sure they were born earlier.

 

 

[Rick N. Backer]

Like everyone else here, I'm a Rush fan. That means I can find something I enjoy about all of their albums. But I find it hard to believe that, even if this was the first Rush album to which you were exposed, it would remain your favorite album by them once you've heard all the others. If you're a prog fan, it's better than AFTK or Hemispheres? If you're a straightforward rock fan, it's better than PeW or MP? Jeez, if you're a synth era fan, it's better than Signals or PeW?

[tas7]

Hold your Fire, Presto and Roll the Bones frustrate the life out of me as a Rush fan. Some songs have good verses but naff choruses and vice versa. Some have incredible middle eights; Time Stand Still, Neurotica, some have amazing outros where Alex cuts loose like Mission and Bet Your Life, but the most annoying thing is the stop start nature of the songs.

Force Ten - awesome, best song on the album.

Time Stand Still- OK, too many verses, chorus a bit naff, awesome middle bit.

Open Secrets - Hit and miss, another iffy chorus, strange guitar solo.

Second Nature - All over the place. There's a bit where you think it's going to cut loose then goes back to a naff chorus. Like the keyboard break. Nice outro though.

Prime Mover - This one rocks, nice jangly guitar sort of loses its way with strange keyboard bits and AOR harmonies, strange Russian yo heave ho bit but rocks out at the end.

Lock and Key - Awful beginning, iffy chorus too poppy, second verse-classic Rush, strange middle bit sounds like Alex trying to say I hate keyboards. Strange last sort of verse. Messy outro.

Mission - awesome, should have been heavier. One of my favourite Rush 'middle bits' Only down bit is the sound of the keyboard in the chorus.

Turn the Page - awesome, again should have been a heavier song. Again, some naff keyboard sounds spoil it. Outro rocks.

Tai Shan - Rush always had an odd song on some albums, sort of experimental. The guitar is beautiful especially the outro but all those keyboard bits and electronic percussion, just a bit too much. Still I prefer this to Second Nature.

High Water - All over the place, again a crazy keyboard first verse without guitar, poor Alex. Second verse starts to rock then back to naff chorus. Directionless middle eight then awful key change, sounds like Geddy is being strangled.