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The Criticism of Grace Under Pressure to Hold Your Fire...


agubrizbassman
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I do see a lot of people not liking these three albums, now Grace Under Pressure not as much, but i do see more people criticizing Power Windows and even more Hold Your Fire, I just want to know why some don't like them. I quite enjoy them myself, I just bought Power Windows not long ago and I really like, Hold Your Fire is a good one too, i just want to see reasons, i think it would be interesting...
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I don't want to speak for everyone here but a general consensus would be that this is when the band went synth heavy and deviated from their very guitar driven rock roots. The songs became shorter and sounded very different from alot of the previous stuff. Personally I think Power Windows is brilliant and have fav songs on Hold Your Fire. People talk about the different eras of Rush (cock rock of the 70's, fantasy epics of the late 70's, PW/MP/Signals era, Synth eras..) but I absolutely love all of them and find incredible songs in each 'era' if you will.
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Yeah at the time it seemed a major deviation, possibly too big and fast a divergence in many fans' opinions, including myself im sorry to say. So much so i actually took a lengthy break from the band's contemporary stuff for a couple years i think.

 

But on revisiting power windows and hyf those years later i was blown away by how advanced and just how cool those albums were and didnt listen to much else for ages.

 

It was if the band had taken a quantum leap that was too big for me to catch up, but when i finally got in line with the seizmic shift it was brilliant.

 

By the way ive always totally loved geds keyboards they been simple and beautiful throughout all the band's work, the latest examples in bu2b in particular are exquisite.

Edited by lifeson90
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I love Grace Under Pressure and Power Windows, don't particularly care for Hold Your Fire apart from a couple of songs (Prime Mover, Lock and Key, Force Ten when live, and Mission). The problem with Hold Your Fire with me is that they sounded like a sterile pop-rock group just shy of being Tears For Fears *gag*. Go listen to Second Nature and you'll agree. Grace Under Pressure and Power Windows still show the fire the boys have. On those two albums the signature sound of the band is still there, but on Hold Your Fire they diluted it with too much breezy synth to the point where it didn't sound like Rush anymore apart from Ged's voice.

 

/rantover

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It toom me ages to adjust to GUP, but when it clicked I fell I love, same goes for Signals.

 

as for Power Windows, I only got into it recently, because I thought it was an awful album. Now I think its one of the bands very best!

 

As for HYF, I only recieved it on CD yesterday, having found the vinyl second hand and played it once. Its good stuff, but I don't love it at all.

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I don't want to speak for everyone here but a general consensus would be that this is when the band went synth heavy and deviated from their very guitar driven rock roots. The songs became shorter and sounded very different from alot of the previous stuff. People talk about the different eras of Rush (cock rock of the 70's, fantasy epics of the late 70's, PW/MP/Signals era, Synth eras..)

 

Yeah at the time it seemed a major deviation, possibly too big and fast a divergence in many fans' opinions

 

The problem with Hold Your Fire with me is that they sounded like a sterile pop-rock group just shy of being Tears For Fears *gag*. Go listen to Second Nature and you'll agree. Grace Under Pressure and Power Windows still show the fire the boys have. On those two albums the signature sound of the band is still there, but on Hold Your Fire they diluted it with too much breezy synth to the point where it didn't sound like Rush anymore apart from Ged's voice.

 

/rantover

 

I agree with all of this, BUT when each of these albums came out I was still in prime RUSH fanboy mode so at the time of their releases I loved them.

 

I still love P/G, I think it's great PARTICULARLY Red Lenses (which I have on my phone) which was such a deviation from RUSH type songs, but still sounded RUSH (kinda like Vital Signs).

 

As for the other two when you listen to them now they drip of overly saturated, everything done on keyboards 80's smaltz, particularly HYF. The productions were amazing although way too thin and watered down sounding but as for their complexity, they were something else. There is A LOT going in there and to reproduce it live was incredible.

 

I still only own HYF on cassette and vinyl (never got around to getting the CD) and of the three, that's the biggest loser. Sure it has some incredible playing on it, Geddy in particular and the keyboard arrangements are amazing but it's just so thin and sterile sounding and not to mention a huge departure from what RUSH originally was. It was contemporary, that's for sure, listen to just about anything from that time period and that's all you heard was keyboard with an occasional guitar solo (except for the hair bands). Even movie soundtracks were done on synths. Take Driving Miss Daisy for example (c'mon you all know it's a good flick) that soundtrack is almost all synth.

 

So when you compare those albums to the cluttered, fully engorged bombast of todays productions, they sound really dated to a time when music was thin and wimpy, and fake to an extent. It was RUSH staying contemporary to a time when music...well...sorta sucked.

Edited by OGr8imL84AD8inF8sBlackSedan
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I think my sole criticism for that period can be summed up in two words: Second Nature. I never really cared for that song. A big pile of sappy goo. At least, that's what I feel. Now I lay me down in dream land; guys please nix it from the reel.

 

Anyway, yeah, I like even Tai Shan better, as well as some of the other songs that seem to get a lot of hate, like High Water. One of my favorites from that album actually.

 

The strings and choir at the end of Marathon are a little much I think, but I otherwise love that song.

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I absolutely love Power Windows. It's my 2nd favorite Rush album. Every song to me hits it just right. HYF was the most rewarding album to me over time. Not Joking. Used to hate it with a passion. Now I think that album has some of their best melodies. Time Stands Still, Prime Mover, Second Nature, Mission. All beautiful Stuff on there. GUP........meh. Weakest 80's album. Too Police like to me.

 

 

Mick

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I loved p/g when it came out (and still do) and saw it as an extension of Signals, which I also like. Then Power Windows was released. I didn't care for it at the time, and have only come to like some of the songs after seeing them performed live this last tour. I bought Hold Your Fire when it came out, hoping the band had reverted back to a previous musical style, but that was not the case. I didn't like HYF back then, and I still do not like it now.

 

For me, HYF had the band progressing into a different style of music from the things they had done in the past. They had lost their power, their intensity; basically, the music had no balls. (Was this the album that had them first venturing into jazz and funk rhythms? I *hate* jazz and funk.) I also dislike female singers for the most part, and now all of a sudden my (former) favourite band was using a female guest singer! What a blow that was. The end result was that HYF was the last Rush album I bought or listened to for over ten years, until they again drastically changed their style.

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I personally have never really seen the hate. Power Windows, Hold Your Fire, and Grace Under Pressure each would be among my top Rush albums (Power Windows probably being my #1 Rush album), and I get the same enjoyment out of them as I do Hemispheres, Moving Pictures, etc. Edited by BanksPDaniels
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I loved p/g when it came out (and still do) and saw it as an extension of Signals, which I also like. Then Power Windows was released. I didn't care for it at the time, and have only come to like some of the songs after seeing them performed live this last tour. I bought Hold Your Fire when it came out, hoping the band had reverted back to a previous musical style, but that was not the case. I didn't like HYF back then, and I still do not like it now.

 

For me, HYF had the band progressing into a different style of music from the things they had done in the past. They had lost their power, their intensity; basically, the music had no balls. (Was this the album that had them first venturing into jazz and funk rhythms? I *hate* jazz and funk.) I also dislike female singers for the most part, and now all of a sudden my (former) favourite band was using a female guest singer! What a blow that was. The end result was that HYF was the last Rush album I bought or listened to for over ten years, until they again drastically changed their style.

I knew there was another reason (besides life) that I stopped buying after Power Windows...... :)
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This thread's reminded me of something, does anybody find that "ooooohhhh" bit towards the end of Grand Designs really cringeworthy? I don't but I would imagine a lot of people do.

 

Doesn't bother me. I rather like singing to it, lol

 

Mick

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I loved all these albums . But at the time of the release of PoW I remember not liking it too much. Since I was learning to play guitar I was confused with what Alex was playing . I remember at the time liking SRV and George Lynch more . I listened to their cd's at the time . Later on I bought all these albums and really liked them . It is true they got a little away from themselves on Hold Your Fire but it wasnt a awful album . It just wasn't 100% Rush smack you in the head rock n roll.
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This thread's reminded me of something, does anybody find that "ooooohhhh" bit towards the end of Grand Designs really cringeworthy? I don't but I would imagine a lot of people do.

 

:LOL: That's the only part of the song I like!

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Don't know what you are talking about, these days it's popular to bash the 90s material. These are all fantastic albums, and I believe that Power Windows is their greatest achievement as technical and innovative musicians.
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I loved p/g when it came out (and still do) and saw it as an extension of Signals, which I also like. Then Power Windows was released. I didn't care for it at the time, and have only come to like some of the songs after seeing them performed live this last tour. I bought Hold Your Fire when it came out, hoping the band had reverted back to a previous musical style, but that was not the case. I didn't like HYF back then, and I still do not like it now.

 

For me, HYF had the band progressing into a different style of music from the things they had done in the past. They had lost their power, their intensity; basically, the music had no balls. (Was this the album that had them first venturing into jazz and funk rhythms? I *hate* jazz and funk.) I also dislike female singers for the most part, and now all of a sudden my (former) favourite band was using a female guest singer! What a blow that was. The end result was that HYF was the last Rush album I bought or listened to for over ten years, until they again drastically changed their style.

I agree with all of this except the part about female singers. Since then, my son discovering Rush and seeing them twice on the CA tour has boosted my appreciation of PoW and HYF, though not nearly to the level of the era from 2112 to MP.

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Loved Grace immediately, except, funnily enough, for Between the Wheels (which is now my favourite). I remember buying Power Windows the day of its release and being disappointed at first. By the end of the day and repeated listens, I got it. Yes, it sounds a little dated now, but there are some great songs on there - I defy anyone to listen to Middletown Dreams and not get chills. Hold your fire disappointed me right from the off, and though I got to find some things in it that I liked, I rarely listened to it after the first week or so. For me, that was the beginning of the end of the magic period. Something just went missing, and I think it took until Clockwork Angels for that to return, minus a good song here and there. From Permanent Waves to Power Windows is still my favourite era of Rush.
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Don't know what you are talking about, these days it's popular to bash the 90s material. These are all fantastic albums, and I believe that Power Windows is their greatest achievement as technical and innovative musicians.

 

im leaning towards your viewpoint, but for me AFTK to PoW is all about the same when it comes to overall greatness. They are all classics in my book! As is 2112...

 

And on the subject of the 90's, for me they were still good, but it wasn't on the same level as what had come before. HYF through to Test For Echo had a lot of great moments, but only to albums that I could call great if push came to shove...

 

The real weak period for me lasted two albums: VT through to SA. Feedback is enjoyable, but I am judging original Rush material here. I enjoyed the experimental atmosphere of both albums. But overall, I would take Test For Echo over both. For me, CA is the true return to form, the bands best since 1986.

 

So overall, I am not ojefof those fans who think p/g through to HYF is a weak period. As a new fan of the band, I admire these albums, and as far as I am concerned, nothing else sounds like Rush so nothing ever sounds truly dated!

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