Album flashback

Rush - Moving Pictures [1981]

“The album that almost wasn’t” with the massive hit song that too almost wasn’t. So is the story of Moving Pictures by Rush.

This piece will feature some insights from Geddy Lee and his autobiography My Effin’ Life - which, BTW you should read. It’s amazing.

“Moving Pictures was the album that almost wasn’t. We were scheduled to do a live album after Permanent Waves, but Cliff Burnstein sat us down in New York and suggested we rethink the plan, arguing that with Permanent Waves, from both a writing and playing perspective, we were really getting into gear.”

Burnstein had signed the band to their US record deal, so had some pull. In fact, the live album would follow later in 1981 - Exit...Stage Left - but not before in Ged’s words “We spoke to Broon [aka producer Terry Brown] and booked ourselves back into Le Studio for late fall.”

I’m linking to past posts on Terry Brown and Le Studio here if you’re keen to dig deeper.

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Moving Pictures genuinely has no skips, but I’ve always preferred Side One - so here it is in album order.

Tom Sawyer - peaked #24 in 1981

What’s your favourite Side One, Track One? I can tell you this one’s on my list.

Famously co-written with Max Webster’s [and later Kim Mitchell’s] key songwriter Pye Dubois, Geddy says:

“Pye sent Neil a poem of his called Louie The Warrior, which he’d refined for our musical purposes while retaining much of its structure and imagery.”

Geddy also details how first the bass part and then the guitar solo caused the band grief in the studio. So much so that he was considering shelving the track.

“I became so negative about it that at one point I asked myself if we should leave it off the record entirely. Can you imagine? Rush’s all-time favourite song in the can? Doh!”

No I can’t imagine.

Red Barchetta - did not chart

Likely my favourite Rush song, but ask me again later.

I love the musicality, of course - particularly the changes that illustrate the events in the story. Alex Lifeson’s guitar sounding like a hot V8 engine.

The blend of dystopia, nostalgia, and Peart’s genuine love of cars combine to create a brilliant sci-fi tale that is six minutes long.

A masterpiece.

YYZ - did not chart

We have a nifty obsession in some Canadian cities with our airport codes. As a former ATC trainee, I know more of these codes than many. In fact here in Calgary we often refer to ourselves as YYC - a shorthand for what is not the longest city name in the world.

You probably know that YYZ [that’s zed, hoser] is the shorthand for Toronto’s Pearson airport and the the opening theme is the three letters played in Morse code.

The background here is that Alex was away from the session for a bit, so Neil and Geddy jammed on the riff and had most of the structure down. Lifeson added his guitar parts after.

BTW - stay to the end of the video!

Limelight - peaked #18 in 2018

Surprised that Limelight outcharted Tom Sawyer? I know I was.

Lyrically this is Peart rubbing up against the pressures of fame and the growing expectations from everyone in the group’s circle - fans, media, industry people.

Living in a fisheye lens
Caught in the camera eye
I have no heart to lie
I can't pretend a stranger is a long-awaited friend

The music features a monster guitar riff and solo, but the highlight for me is what I hear as an almost cathartic drum performance from Peart - like he’s taking his discomfort out on his kit.

Learn more about the legendary records created at Le Studio here!

Moving Pictures was also a massive commercial success selling five million in the US alone. This no doubt helped to smooth Rush’s gradual transformation from prog players to more mainstream purveyors of virtuoso arena rockers.

Many of these Side One tracks are part of the new Rush tour. If you get the chance, do not hesitate!