Reviews (page 11 of 16)
Some of the best rock tunes of the 80s, plus it's got Tom Sawyer and Limelight, so it's an easy 5 for me.
Yeah, I’m at another 5. I honestly think that was a more complete top to bottom album than 2112, which is crazy for me to even consider, but I liked it that much. I think the synth work here is off the charts. I think the instrumentation that underlines all of that synth work has a ridiculously infectious energy to it. Lyrically, there’s some great stuff here – Limelight and Witch Hunt, in particular, have aged remarkably well. Even in terms of the vocals, which do feel a little high pitched and out of place at times… I think there’s a super strong performance here all-around. The percussion deserves its own spotlight; Neil Peart deserves more flowers than there are stars in the solar system. I’ve got not a singular complaint; that was 40 minutes of rock music that hits on every single one of my musical sensibilities – I think it’s catchy as hell, it’s fun to listen to, and if you can’t enjoy hearing people shred on a guitar while percussion goes at 100 miles per hour, then you just don’t know how to have a good time with music. Very easy 5. Spectacular album.
Yeh 3/5
I don't like prog Rock, but this was great. High musicality, loved the complicated time signatures.
I had an older cousin who was deep into Rush and I didn't understand the appeal. I was just emerging as a new wave, goth kid at the time and I hadn't even really discovered punk yet. This is a long, long time before buying Moving Pictures used from a dingy record store in New York. I bought it on vinyl so that I, too, could drop the needle on the record and hear the opening notes of Tom Sawyer on the loudest sound machine in the house. Of course, truly cranking it to epic volumes would need to wait for a move from an apartment to a house. With album highlights like Tom Sawyer, YYZ, and Limelight, with solid tracks like Red Barchetta and Vital Signs this is among my favorite Rush albums to revisit.
A bit too old sounding, not as good as led zep
Second Rush album of the project for me. Enjoyed this one significantly more. Can't tell if that's because I am more familiar with these songs, or if I am more familiar with them because they are more enjoyable. Felt less heady and nice and tight. Red Barchetta is a new to me banger.
Love the music, but unfortunately not the voice.
B side is not great but the A side is epic
Such great musicianship
good music. Hate his voice tho.
Was fun. Apart from how much i love this web app and site, you should be able to give your albums half stars...
These guys fucking rip - I don’t think they get enough recognition. Good listen.
No notes. Rush being Rush.
It was fine enough
Great playing and some solid melodies, but I cannot stand those vocals. I also find the lyrics overwrought. Not for me, sorry :P
It's impossible to deny the incredible musicianship on display here. It's also impossible to deny Geddy Lee sings like a man who has barbed wire wrapped around his balls and is trying to start them like a chainsaw. Still, it works for me. Good album.
Mids
Nerds
This is one of the first albums where I was caught listening to the drums specifically because they were doing such amazing things. I know Niel Peart was at the top of the class and it shows here, as it's creative and confident. Overall the music is pretty great here, even if I don't love the songs Tom Sawyer or Limelight. YYZ is awesome, and I liked Red Barchetta a lot as a more traditional song.
Excellent classic prog rock. Tom Sawyer fantastic and some just fantastic musicianship throughout.
OK album. I’ll never be a huge Rush fan and don’t really connect with them. This album is still fun and interesting. “Limelight” is the standout song for me. ***
Huzzah.
onda david bowie me gusto, mucha instrumental
Not for me thanks
This album made no lasting impression on me unfortunately, forgot I had listened to it when I was about to write this review. I think they have a cool sound, but the songs are not really sticking somehow. Maybe need to listen to it more, not sure.
The second Rush album on this list and this one was way better than "2112". Both "Tom Sawyer" and "Limelight" stand out as really good tracks. The rest is ok but the endless solos are really not my jam. Still an ok listen but not really for me.
One of Rush's beat
This is a great album.
a gallery of evocative and immense prog rock from the early 1980s, beefy guitars and even beefier synthesizers create a sound that almost feels... i dunno, it's a very great sound. it's not flamboyant... i guess it's just dramatic. really really dramatic. i pictured a mighty wizard shredding a guitar on a cliff as lightning strikes in the background. it's a very creative feat for the genre, a different taste compared to previous dives.
A little commercialism goes along way in taming prog excesses. This is a tighter, more focused, and way less annoying version of Rush. Just write some rock songs, not a suite of pseudo classical nonsense with an overture ffs! The flanger and drums and then the riff to kick off Tom Sawyer is so damn good. YYZ sounds like a corny Joe Satriani track where there's an alien-style complicated backing track for some virtuoso guitar histrionics. The instrumental is a nice break from the piercing vocals though, yikes. Some great bass playing throughout, the guitar tones are all pretty cool and the drums patterns are intricate as you'd expect from a guy with 700 piece kit...
todas las canciones iguales que bodrio
5/5
wasn’t offensive but won’t listen again
Interesting - only got through the first couple tracks
Talented band with dedicated fans just not my thing. I liked the instrumental and Limelight though
One of my top 5 albums. Not a bad song on the release.
Solid dad rock
SLAPPIN’ DA BASS, MAN!! Limelight is an all-time classic and this album as a whole is prog rock I can enthusiastically get behind.
Not a devoted Rush fan, But I applaud those loyal faithful to the band. They are devoted. I really like Red Barracudachetta. Kneel Pert was a great drummer and a rock god.
Quintessential Rush. I never noticed how similar the songs sound on this album. Tom Sawyer was a GenX staple and Limelight is in constant rotation on classic radio. Listening to Moving Pictures made me connect the dots of Rush’s influence on bands that followed. By the third track I was hearing Queensryche. Probably the best album by Rush.
Started off the album with a BANGER and proceeded to just capture my attention all the way. Great production, good vocals, awesome drumming, and absolutely no duds whatsoever. I will say the first side does carry but there no bad songs on this at worst I'd say a very few on side b are good but anything worse than that you are trippin. Great listen, would recommend. Best - Tom Sawyer, YYZ, and Witch Hunt No bad songs
Very enjoyable, didn't know what to expect. A decent length too
A classic album that I have heard a bunch of times. I still like it after so many years. The beginning of Tom Sawyer is still so mind blowing even after so many listens.
5/5 that was great
tom fuckin sawyer 4.5
i know Rush is a great phenomenal band but i do not like this album at all, neither the singing nor the instrument
I couldn't listen to the album in one go, unfortunately, so I went back this morning to spin it again. I like it, Geddy Lee sings in a unique shrill voice, but it works with the rest of the sounds from the band. This kind of 80's rock has a special charm to it, it feels like it brings me back in time even though I wasn't even alive back then! Some of the songs on the album were definitely better than others though - 'The Camera Eye' song sounds familiar, for some reason I connect the opening guitar riff with Pokémon? The album cover picture and with its title is funny!
Couldn’t even finish it
first song, Tom Sawyer: electronic feel, futuristic vibe with the synth and other weird things, guitar aint bad, drums cool. Second song Red barchett: starts with a feeling like night time, but jumps into a bit more of a jump to it. definetly 80s vibes (breakfast club and the like). third song, YYz: Completly different to the previous stuff, reminds me of iron maiden how quick they glide along the notes feels like a different band. definetly heard this before on a bass thing or something because of how difficult it is. I have its the guy that was rejected by metallica! It might not be actually. An interesting note about this song is its arrangment is around the YYZ in morse code, some notes quick others faster. This can be seen in the offical video. Amazing piece honestly. Fourth song Limelight: Still completely different then the first two songs, continuing on with the jump feel that they created in YYZ. It does seem to be slowing down fifth song, the camera eye : interesting synth to begin with reminds me of ducks. A lot of hints towards tech. -------- overal: very interesting vibe, interesting people that are connected to this band. the band was marginalized, there song YYZ for best instrumental lost to the police! 1982. quite different and creative, intricate and artistic 6/10 (first day need a comparison idk)
Neil Pert is a god. Otherwise there some good stuff but I never was really ever sold on rush.
Surprisingly good, more jam-band than I thought
Rush's last great album. Easy 5 stars.
Oooh, that was good! I was familiar with several Rush songs, but I had never listened to a full album. I liked this very much. 4.5 stars.
You can't go wrong with some classic Rush. One of my favourite albums of there, with many of my favourite songs. Was great to see them on the list.
I know Rush and some of their songs, but this was the first time I really sat down to Experience Rush. Now I’m hooked.
I've always loved Rush. They went a bit popbonnthus one and its a lot of peopes favourite. Strong.
Incredibly skilled musicians with fervent fans. That being said I have never cared much for their music. Most of the tunes sound remarkably similar to me. I did like the instrumental track and Limelight
I love getting Rush-ified!!!
Rush's discography is overwhelming and I didn't know where to start, but they've been on my list a long time. So I don't have any other Rush albums to compare this to, but I thought it was great. I like prog rock - odd time signatures tickle my brain - but the genre doesn't usually hold my attention for much longer than 40 minutes at a time. So the length of this was perfect. Would listen with my morning coffee again.
An all time favorite!
Awesome, still not my relistenable band
“Moving Pictures” is an album I grew up listening to, so I’ve heard it a million times. Moving forward to the stage of life I’m in at the moment, I’m really going through a phase of appreciating prog rock, and Rush is a band I’ve found new respect and appreciation for. This particular album is the perfect blend of hard rock and synth rock. I really enjoy the way Rush uses synthesizers. They had a very clean, polished approach that gave it a futuristic sound for its time. Although I’ve already heard this album more than enough times, it’s one I’ll always go back to in the future.
I mean… I wish I were cool enough (aka knew anything about the technical side of music) to understand how amazing this is. I liked it just fine, but from what I understand it’s incredible if you actually understand music. Lucky nerds! xo
Tom Sawyer: I think one of the great things about Neil Peart is that he does SO MUCH work, but it never sounds like too much Red Barchetta: This just sounds like a generic Rush song. Good, but this is not a track I'd specifically seek out to listen to YYZ: So, this is supposed to be some sort of drum masterpiece, I think. I like this song, but specifically listening to the drum part, this just sounds like everything else Neil does. That's not to say Neil's not special (because I think he really is), but more to say I don't see why this stands out as something different to other people. Maybe id understand if I was a drummer? Limelight: such a slick opening riff. I have always like the strategic paises in songs, and I think this song is a great example. I appreciate Geddy telling a story about life in the public eye from the perspective of both gratitude and annoyance. Fun imaging on the drums at the end of the track. Kudos to the engineer there The Camera Eye: pretty meh. Overly long Witch Hunt: Not bad. Also meh Vital Signs: really fun opening synth riff. I quite liked this song. Very fun. I had never heard this before. It's one I'd go back and listen to just like Tom Sawyer. I liked this album.
Tom Sawyer --> classic banger. YYZ has a lot of funk influence, while other tracks are much more metal leaning. Tom Sawyer, YYZ standouts, the rest is okay.
Prettty cook
Tom Sawyer will always be an epic needle drop. The rest of this - meh.
Nice drums! Pretty good album, but when spotify switched to a new artist and I didn't notice then I had to deduct one star!
Another absolute monster of a prog rock album. I loved it. Weird and over the top in all the best ways.
Such a good album! Rush is a good sort of progressive rock.
Fine guitar masturbation. Gets a little boring but it does have some nice melodies
listened to this once and forgot to rate it. I did very much not enjoy listening to it a second time
For the longest time I thought I hated Heart. Eventually I figured out those were actually Rush songs I had heard, so that’s when I learned I hated Rush.
It's fine. I like Tom Sawyer but it's still prog rock and gets a bit self-indulged at times. It's fine though 3.5/5
An almost perfect album in my opinion but in the scheme of my rating scale on this list definitely deserves a perfect score. Prog rock masters.
I <3 Rush
A favourite album by a favourite band.
Tom Sawyer - 5 Red Barchetta - 4 YYZ - 4 Limelight - 4 The Camera Eye - 4 Witch Hunt - 3 Vital Signs - 3 A breath of fresh air
06/17/24 S Tier—————————5 Tom Sawyer Limelight A Tier—————————4 Red Barchetta YYZ B Tier—————————3 Vital Signs The Camera Eye C Tier—————————2 D Tier—————————1
Moving Pictures by Rush Monday 6/17/24 10:55 S Tier————————— Tom Sawyer YYZ A Tier————————— Limelight Red Barchetta The Camera Eye B Tier————————— Vital Signs C Tier————————— Witch Hunt
Blends into the background
Was shocked to learn this was their eighth album, and best selling. Didn't love it.
Here we have a band that's clearly excited to get their hands on some fancy synths. But unusually, they have the musical genius to make it sound interesting and the audience awareness to make it sound darn good. All seven tracks here are near flawless. One could make the argument that The Camera Eye's instrumental sections drag on too long (I agree) or that Vital Signs is a bit incongruous and hard to latch onto (I agree). But as for everything else, well... there's so much to love. Peart's drumming is killer here, particularly in the instrumental YYZ, the enormous single Tom Sawyer, and the soaring rocker Red Barchetta. The mixing is very clean and makes way for the percussion at all times, giving Peart plenty of space to spew out lightning-fast triplets and fills. And yet Peart is completely in sync with the rest of the band. Lee's bass playing is often a little further back in the mix, but it has a vibrant, synthy tone that really distinguishes the Rush sound. And, like the drums, the bass is extremely volatile, often playing its own melody alongside the guitar and vocals. Speaking of which: Lee's vocal is fun, confident, and (for lack of a better descriptor) nerdy. (Much like his fans.) Add Lifeson's on-point, precise, energetic, melodic guitar playing, and you have a near-unbeatable trio. And then there's the synth experimentation in every track, giving the album a kind of cinematic feel. For 1981, this would've been pretty groundbreaking stuff. Then there are the individual tracks. Tom Sawyer, a sassy, catchy pop track with some intense harmonic play. Red Barchetta, with its indecisive, memorable melody and adventurous feel. YYZ, the ultimate condensed rock instrumental. The Camera Eye, with its cinematic juxtaposition of two completely different atmospheres. Witch Hunt, a dark, foreboding track that is surely underrated. And Vital Signs, which has a retro video game sound that's hard to place but I seriously love. If you're still not convinced, listen to YYZ Live in Rio. That audience is freakin' convinced. 5/5 Key tracks: Tom Sawyer, Red Barchetta, YYZ, Limelight, The Camera Eye, Witch Hunt, Vital Signs
It drags in a few places and the lyrics aren’t really at their best here, but this thing fuckin’ ROOCKS.
Prima album, kende Tom Sawyer van South Park volgens mij. Verder greep het me niet zo maar prima
May 26, 2024 HL: “Tom Sawyer”, “YYZ”, “Limelight”, “The Camera Eye” Roll out the red/white carpet, we got some more CanCon today 🇨🇦 While I’d hate to rate it highly just because of an allegiance to some cloth 🇨🇦, it’s both my favourite and most consistent Rush album I’ve heard (so far), so I think it deserves its flowers. Unlike some other proggers on this list, I prefer this band’s 80s AOR era.
First time listening. Top three tracks: 1. YYZ 2. Limelight 3. Tom Sawyer
Starts very strong!
she rush on my tom til i sawyer
The past 6 years of my life have been dedicated to learning the first side of this album on each instrument....and I dunno why Tom Sawyer isn't the Canadian National Anthem yet.
Good, not a huge fan of the vocals on some sings.
One of the absolute GOATS!!!
So good! 5/5
As someone who loves artists with unique voices - I hate Geddy Lee. Also not a big fan of Prog Rock. So those together is not a great combo.
Disco de prog que no me gusta, tanto cosa rara
I Like
Canadian essential album. Has a lot of highlights throughout the album. Not necessarily my favourite from Rush but they have a lot stuff I like. Will I listen to again: 100%
Awesome
it's so fine. like it's such a fine and uninteresting album. i see that there are things to like about it, but idk i'd rather listen to something else.
This was almost a perfect album. The last two songs don’t fit the rest. It throws off the flow of the album. It would have made for a very short album, but if you cut Witch Hunt and Vital Signs it would be flawless. I feel like they were tacked on to fill out the album.
This shit BANGS from start to finish!! I should listen to this on my run & I’ll run a damn marathon 😤
Muzikaal best okay, maar de zang vind ik niets.
great album, great vocals, drums and gutar, best songs are Tom Sawyer and limelight
Rush is a great band. Such a full sound for three dudes. I enjoy the complexity of their tunes, though I'm not necessarily a prog guy. Limelight is one of my favorite tunes regardless of artist. Secretly hoping I would like this album more, but it was still very good!
YYZ is great, but the rest just feels like fairly bland prog rock.
A decent mixed bag. At its best, it has some great proggy goodness; at its worst, it's just generic 80's dad rock. Best Song: YYZ Worst Song: Limelight Rush's Favorite Time Signature: 7/4 Album Score: 6/10
This album is moving 1970’s prog/rock into the 80s. Not bad, but not exceptional.
Moving Pictures by Rush represents a significant departure from their previous work, notably 2112. One notable critique is the tendency for songs to drag on, with extended instrumental sections that felt a bit unnecessary. Furthermore, Geddy Lee's vocals, often criticised for their high-pitched delivery, continue to divide opinions, echoing Stephen Malkmus's infamous quip about Lee's voice. Despite its shortcomings, Moving Pictures still boasts standout tracks like Red Barchetta and Limelight, showcasing Rush's technical prowess and knack for thought-provoking lyrics. However, these highlights are overshadowed by moments where the album feels bloated and indulgent. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 0 STAND OUT TRACK - None
Fantastic album despite that most of the songs are played out for me. One of my first ever concerts. Their best work along with permanent waves.
I once read a review that said Geddy Lee’s voice was a cross between Robert Plant and Donald Duck. I don’t think it was a compliment. The instrumental was, however, equally bad.
Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background After being introduced to Rush on the local hard rock station in the early 90s and liking it (Especially Dreamline) I bought this album next...it blew my mind at the time. Always loved the interplay between everyone in the trio. So many great songs on this album. Tom Sawyer is quintessential Rush to me, and YYZ is perfection.
Fanatiek prog rock hater hier. Maar ook een hele eerlijke, want ik moet toegeven dat deze plaat niet zo weerzinwekkend is als hoe ik het genre vaak afschilder. Trek al die gebraficeerde, gelikte, en weinig gepassioneerde ritmes niet zo goed, en de nummers willen altijd echt te veel. Word altijd een beetje zenuwachtig van deze muziek. En dan is die stem van Geddy Lee wel echt de bedorven kers op de taart. Als die je geen complete zenuwinzinking geeft.. Maar toch zijn er ook wel echt fases die wel lekker jammen, en even iets minder dicht bij het vooraf uit het hoofd geleerde akkoordenschema blijft. De reggae-beat in 'Vital Signs', en de funky baslijn in 'YYZ', zijn daar voorbeelden van. Maar waar bepaalde segmenten wel werken, lukt het bij prog rock zelden om me voor een heel nummer te winnen. Daardoor blijft het luisteren van een geheel album toch meer een kwelling dan een traktatie. 6/10 Highlights: YYZ Vital Signs
It all started with Rush. Tenminste dit 1001albums avontuur. Ergens de komende maanden/jaren komt er een dag dat ik mijn vlijmscherpe eerste review over een zeer matig Rush-album opnieuw moet schrijven. De keerzijde van het starten van deze group-review... Nu ben ik niet zo'n prog-rock-versteher. Toch heb ik altijd het idee dat Rush een beetje mosterd naar de hele prog-rock maaltijd is. Phil Collins (Face Value is uit 1981) en Genesis waren al helemaal bekeerd tot popartiesten en Pink Floyd's beste jaren lagen al verder achter zich op het moment dat Rush Moving Pictures uitbrengt. De enorme populariteit op Spotify verbaast me dan ook. Er zijn natuurlijk veel vaders op onze aardkloot, want dit is natuurlijk dadrock pur sang. Los daarvan? Wat vind ik er zelf van? Het bekoord met echt totaal niet. De muziek vind ik niet boeiend en de stem van Geddy Lee is gewoon irritant te noemen. Snel door en hopen dat dat ene Rush album nog lang op zich laat wachten. 4/10
been meaning to start listening to them and they're really good
mal wieder was vernünftiges
A prog rock staple, and Rush at full form. It's accessible but feels rewarding on multiple listens. I especially appreciated the bass on this listen.
My only prior knowledge of Rush came from I Love You Man. I’m not sure if it’s changed my opinion on the film knowing that Rush sound this bad. Shhlappa da bass man
I get the hype. No skips on this one.
The vocals are pretty terrible, but the instrumentals are awesome.
Rush are another band that I feel like I hear mentioned a lot but I’ve never actually listened to them… until now. The vocals don’t bother me as much as some of the reviews I skimmed through, and I actually quite like their sound! Maybe it’s just this one off album but I enjoyed having this on. But I’ll wait for further Rush albums to emerge before making the call on actually actively listening to them
Great! It's Rush, nothing more needs to be said.
I wish I could be half as smart as Geddy Lee thinks he is. So much of this album is sung with a self importance that reaches levels of secondhand embarrassment for me. That aside, it's otherwise pretty great. I don't mind Geddy Lee's voice even if his lyrics are cringe worthy. YYZ is the best track by a mile anyway which might be related. The band is tight here too. The Camera Eye was my favorite surprise on this album. It's a great song. The tighter ideas on this album are more digestable than Rush's earlier work like 2112, but they also lose some of the cohesion they had on those earlier albums, too. I understand the hate for this band, but they are a talented crew.
Great record! Love the tight production. It's perhaps a tad cheesy in places, but that's prog rock for you. I still unashamedly love it. Favourite tracks: Tom Sawyer, YYZ, The Camera Eye, Vital Signs.
I liked it but nothing stood out that much. I support Canadians though. Favourites: yyz (Toronto mentioned 🗣️) also I like instrumentals (when men keep their mouths shut), limelight, the camera eye. High 3/5
Okkkkk some Canadian representation. I liked YYZ (Toronto mention), Limelight, and The Camera Eye but I wasn't like super wowed by the album or anything. Overall, pretty average and there were some enjoyable tunes throughout. 3, I just didn't feel like anything really spoke to me or stood out and caught my attention
Every song a banger. The best is "YYZ" (pronounced "why why zed", of course).
Everybody got to evelate from the norm.
Sicuro importante, sicuro c'ha senso, rock tranqui, ma a me non fa impazzire, timbro nemmeno, virtuosismo artistico per suoni sì (ovviamente nulla di che rock tranqui più tecnico), però forse in seguito lo rivaluterò. Per ora noioso. Tra 2 e 3
Ok, but relatively plain metal, Europe like
Just no. 1/5
It sounded okay, didn’t really mind any of it but didn’t connect with any of it.
Never was much of a rush fan so first time listening to a whole album. Don’t really like the vocal style. The drummer is impressive but it’s not for me.
It's Rush. Not sure what else to say. 80's band through and through. Nostalgia for some but not likely to find its way into my playlist.
Exactly as I would imagine a Rush album to sound. I'm not impressed 2.3/5
I love Tom Sawyer and didn’t know much about other Rush songs. It was great to hear some, but I could not listen to the whole album!
Love this album
Great album. I loved how consistent it was. Loved the instrumental song. Loved the other genres blending in every now and then.
Is this an LP or just an EP, too short, gimme more Rush!
Don't have a ton to say here.I was never the biggest rush fan.Due to the fact that I don't like gettylee's vocals.However, the prog here is really top-notch.And I feel like they also have better records as well
I just learned that Geddy Lee's instagram handle is @GeddyImages This was somehow both more and less cheesy than I was expecting based on only knowing Tom Sawyer/limited other Rush knowledge. YYZ made me want to play Mario Kart.
Iconic rock album. Definitely had some familiar ones.
An all time album for me. I 'borrowed' this lp from a friend in '83 or '84 and never gave it back. I still have it. Side 1 is perfect. Side 2 is just as great. Great album cover. Just a classic for me.
5 stars in high school, but did not hold up over time
I have never turned the volume down on Limelight. I still skip the weirder ones, but I like the rest of it too much go below 5.
Great musically, but just for the life of me can't get over Geddy's voice...
prog chavoruco
I can imagine this album being exciting at the time, particularly as Tom Sawyer kicks off with some impactful power chords and exciting drumming fills. However, the instrumentation is incredibly dated and the singer’s voice reminds me of the guy from Zebra, but not in a good way. Overall, very hard to listen to for someone who wasn’t a 13-15yo North American when it was released.
Too heavy on the synth, gaddy has one of the worst voices to ever ruin a microphone
Excellent album. It starts out with Tom Sawyer and holds that level for the next several songs. It flags a slight bit in the last couple songs which, because the songs are ten minutes long, is a substantial bit of the album! They're not bad songs, they're just not to the level of the first few. But saying a song doesn't hold up to Tom Sawyer is nothing to be ashamed of. I find Rush, overall, to be uneven. Some of their songs are all time bangers, and some are just kind of there. I listen to a ton of metalcore and progressive rock, and Rush are the godfathers of those genres. But, overall, it's like I *want* to like Rush more than I actually do. Happily, this album lives up to the hype. Still slightly uneven at the back end, but an overall 4 star record.
All the world's indeed a stage And we are merely players Performers and portrayers Each another's audience Outside the gilded cage 3.5
this sucks lol
Never listened to a full Rush album before, but it's about what I expected. There's a lot to like, but also I dislike the vocals generally. Still, good stuff.
I just do not like Rush.
Rush gets made fun of a lot but this album rips. Their strength as a power-trio made up of 3 virtuosic musicians allow them to hone in on a certain idea and maximize it's sonic potential. The result is straight-ahead bangers that are still packed with intelligent ideas, but reduced to their most potent elements. Nicely done, you weird Canadian boundary-pushers.
I am not a big Rush fan, but the album has power! Classic album 3.5/5
Blew my mind. The musical equivilent of subverting expectations, they just so happen to sound amazing as well. Very rare to find a band that are all amazingly talented, and gel super well together.
I can’t think of a stronger hard rock opener than the classic mega-hit “Tom Sawyer”, and 80s Rush is all right sometimes, but you know what, for me nothing touches the duo of A Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres. I guess I’m bringing this up because whenever you mention Rush, someone immediately mentions “Tom Sawyer”. Yeah, ok. That’s a great song. But if when I say Rush you don’t immediately think “Cygnus”, you and I are hearing different things.
pretty good
What I’m sure was a standout for its time now just sounds pretty dated. There wasn’t much I enjoyed beyond “Tom Sawyer.”
I was at a rock n roll themed bbq restaurant for lunch and ate under a huge mural of Rush performing. I said I can’t believe we have not seen a Rush album on the list and that very same night we got Rush! When you grow up in the 80s/90s there is always a few kids the word their Rush tshirts to school everyday, wonder where they are. Anyway, I’ve always enjoyed this album, and turn up the radio when the singles come on, but just never went as far as to buy any T-shirts.
rock 'n' roll rollercoaster built by mad scientists with a sense of humor, leaving you screaming for more while pondering the meaning of life
Not a big rush guy but this has all the rush songs I like on it.
5/5. I am biased, Rush is my favorite band. Surprised they don't have more than 2 albums on here but it's not surprising considering every critic review of Rush. Side one of this album is a classic, hard to argue that each song offers a little something for everybody. And side two has their unique and proggy sound that is oh so sweet and the other two songs are great in their right. RIP Neil, this is a wonderful album and this supergroup will always need to be recognized. Best Song: Limelight, YYZ, Witch Hunt
Any album that makes you involuntarily air guitar and air drum should have five stars. End of conversation.
Really expected going in this was going to be an easy 5. Tom Sawyer, Red Barchetta and Limelight are amazing. Vital Signs is even really strong. However, the virtuoso prog rock stylings of the other tracks, including 11 minutes of The Camera Eye are just a bit too much to completely overlook. Really enjoyable but it is better skipping almost half the album (in elapsed time).
Easily Rush's best album. I don't even like Rush that much but this album is fantastic.
Classic and totally recognizable in one note type of rock - Limelight, Tom Sawyer
If I could give this more than 5 stars I would.
Incredible soundscapes created and Prog rock intensified. Drumming on fire. Really enjoyed the full album experience
Prog rock is a genre I find rather void of feeling, but sometimes a great record can just transcend the faults of the genre and this one certainly does that. Super fun and entertaining and catchy.
Prog rock as I like it. Not my favorite band, but I like most of Rush's recordings.
Amaaaazing
Solid rock album
Very iconic 80s sound with theatrical chords and progressions. The vocals are tinny and vibrant, naturally melancholic sounding. Decent listen.
Ugh. Prog. This one’s gonna be hard. Pretty much everything I knew about Rush was from tv and movies. Everyone knows the hits, Tom Sawyer especially, but I never listened to this start to finish. It’s pretty much what you’d expect with cool drum fills, unusual time signatures and guitar solos, some synthy flourishes and gloopy bass. YYZ is a bitchin riff fest. I don’t hate Geddy Lee’s voice but it’s not my preference (as a Placebo and Smashing Pumpkins fan, I get it.) People go HARD for this band which I also never really understood. In my mind it’s fairly par for the course for 80’s music. The production is kinda meh, it feels very treble heavy, but I suppose that’s the intended effect. I can say this probably sounds fucking awesome on some good ass headphones and a J but it didn’t strike me particularly well. Also a fun soundtrack if you invite the boys over for some D&D and chill haha.
Yeah, I'm a nerd that likes Rush. Gimme math equations to listen to.
I’m not even going to dignify this with a response. C’mon!
Each component of this band is technically great, but I struggle to find any magic in the final product. Most songs sound the same and didn't really stick with me at all
I wish I could give it a 2 1/2. Do I like the songs individually? Yes. Do I want to listen to an entire Rush album? No. It was too much Rush. Which is weird, because they are not a particularly hard sound or super unpleasant sound. On a side note the album sort of reminded me of every theme song from an 80's action cartoon.
Tom Sawyer & Limelight are the hits. YYZ was a fun instrumental discovery. Didn't care for the rest of the album but it was okayish.
I just cannot get into Rush. I respect Prog and what it’s trying to achieve but this is just not for me. Pass.
This was fine, some good classics on it. Not a lover or hater of Rush, and the same goes for this album.
Finally an actually very good album again. We had another Rush album some 600 albums ago on which I criticized song length and pretentiousness (but still ended up rounding up to 5 stars). This one improved on those issues with much tighter song structures. The fantastic musicianship stayed the same. The blemish on this album is the final track, Vital Signs, which somehow blends reggae into their signature power prog rock. I absolutely loathe reggae and am strongly tempted to take a star off for that track alone. But even so, this is the best album we got in a long time.
cool album cover
I love the cover art of this album but that's all really. Favourite: "YYZ" skips: "tom sawyer" "witch hunt"
Classic. One of the best prog rock albums out there.
Was better than I thought it would be but I still don’t like the singers voice
not great
not a huge rush fan but tom sawyer is a classic and there werw a few other solid songs on this one
I didn’t appreciate Rush until in my 40’s, I wish I had started listening to them 30 years ago. This album is a favorite and while it’s all great, Neil’s drumming is inspiring.
I mean obviously it’s got its hits, Tom Sawyer, limelight and those both great, without a doubt. I think what worked for them though is it’s loud, sounds like he’s yelling almost very enthusiastic. Other songs are much quieter Favorite: Tom Sawyer, Limelight Least favorite: YYZ 4.2/5
My Canadian shame is that I don’t like Rush.
Overall really good, the A sides were great, B sides were more of the same but also still good
1.5
Eh, eh?
It's giving Duran Duran (derogatory) They really like their guitar solos huh?
Странный, много намешано, где-то почти всю песню играют инструменталы, будто музыка для режиссёров, чтоб они вставляли её в свои фильмы. Чем-то похоже на прогрессивный рок.
Un par de temazos, pero no me entusiasman tanto como otros de este estilo.
When I say that Rush was the soundtrack to my high school years I mean it literally. Because back in the day the boys in my high school would carry big boomboxes through the hallways and Rush was what they played. Didn’t like them then, turns out I still don’t like them. Apart from the unpleasant vocals, they tend to repeat each riff just long enough to annoy me before moving on. I am very aware that this band is well-loved and this will be a controversial review but I call em like I hear em.
Moving Pictures Things I know about Rush: - They’re Canadian - The song Tom Sawyer as it features so much in I Love You man - People cream themselves about Neil Peart’s drumming Things I know after listening to Moving Pictures - they’re Canadian - Tom Sawyer is an enjoyably fun prog rock pop song - Neil Peart clearly is a very good drummer, but he is very very busy I did like lots of bits if this but not sure I’m totally convinced by a whole album if it. Some of the guitar lines and synth parts were good. Limelight and Tom Sawyer are very good songs and stand out, while overall the rest does get up it’s own musical virtuosity bumhole a bit too much and his voice is quite annoying, which also makes the vocal melodies a bit tough to hang on to. It’s kind of fun though if you don’t take it too seriously. I think that’s why I don’t mind a lot of these prog records - I find the musicians seriousness quite amusing and subsequently I enjoy the music more. However I’m not sure that’s a basis for actually liking it. Not sure where to rate, I think I enjoyed more than Yes, but not sure if I would investigate much further. Maybe as I didn’t listen to it as much as I would have liked I’ll plump for a 3? ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Great album!
Surprisingly better than I expected. I still hate Tom Sawyer, but that is classic rock radio's fault more than Rush's.
An earnest fun record - not generally my cup of tea but this is in a way an ideal record for Spinal Tap-like fans. Less of the tiresome machismo, more of the light political, sci-fi and fantasy lyrics - and oh the drums. Was not at any point boring.
not bad, but they did better
Tom Sawyer and YYZ are enough for five stars.
It's rush, its fantastic, it's 5
Rush's Moving Pictures is the band's most commercially successful album. It contains some of their most successful songs, like "Limelight" and "Tom Sawyer." The three-piece band makes guitar driven hard rock driven by Alex Lifeson's technical guitar solos. Rush's sound is completed with Geddy Lee's distinct falsetto, and Neil Peart's intricate drum work. Moving Pictures is full of shorter, more accessible tracks than the band's earlier work, which may have contributed to the album's commercial success.
Listened to it running, and that is exactly the right place for it. It's about the right level of prog for me, but still a bit pretentious at times. All in all, pretty good, but I'm unlikely to go back to it.
Oh now we're talking. One of the best side As ever put together. Personally I love it all but those first four tracks are rock music at its very best
Am I going to be a Rush fan? Probably not, but I'm going to go through their catalog for sure. The one issue I can never get past is that I don't like Geddy Lee's voice. I have the same problem with Led Zeppelin, but I was today years old when I found out Peart wrote their lyrics too! That creates another knock on Geddy--although the bass lines are next level. In fact all of the music is off the charts good. Still a:
Never listened to this album fully through, but I'm familiar with many of the tracks. \"Tom Sawyer\" and \"Limelight\" were everywhere in the '80s. I've nevber been a big Rush fan, but I understand why people love them - they were innovative and creative and their music is very distinctive. I'm between 3 and 4 stars - I could give it 4, because I think it's impressive, but for me personally, I won't choose to listen to it, so it gets a 3.
I'm very familiar with the starting banger here but I'm looking forward to see what else is on this unfamiliar album. Really good album from start to finish! Not my favorite (taste) but I could certainly queue it up and be happy to have consistently good rock going in the background.
Wow, what an album. I was familiar with the opening track from the strong songs podcast, but I still wasnt quite sure what to expect from this one. The voice is fantastic, the feel is fantastic, all the quirky time signatures are fantastic. Loved it top to bottom!
Basura
Now that’s prog ! I’m not a fan of Geddy Lee’s voice but the musicianship of the three together is mesmerizing. Listen to that drum ! 5 stars
I understand the musical talent involved in this but when the songwriting isn’t very catchy and there’s no clear messages to latch onto, it removes you from the technically impressiveness of it all
NOT for me
I think you have to be a certain type of person to relate to Rush’s vocals… musically it cops all of the 4.
I'm more familiar with modern prog and I'm not a huge fan of the genre... I kind of feel that the style is musically adventurous but doesn't really have an ear for rhythm, engaging stylistic moments etc. This to me sounds like the grandaddy of that whole genre so kind of encapsulates all those good and bad bits I'm familiar with. Was a nice listen but I wouldn't return to it
More of a 2112 guy, as I think this album doesn't really go anywhere after "Limelight". "The Camera Eye" is a particularly long waste of everyone's time. I don't have any bad words to say about Side A though - "Tom Sawyer" and "YYZ" are gigantic bangers, and the other two songs on there are great as well. Still a 4/5, but like I said, not my favorite Rush album.
Best rock trio? Neil Peart best drummer.
There is some great stereo usage going on here. I feel like a dweeb for liking this and I wonder if the mix of prog and Canadian is just too much for me to not feel a bit embarrassed about. This is a pretty wild album if you give it a chance. The drumming alone makes it world class.
Canada! Great mixing. Unique, yet interesting vocals. Amazing bass playing. Is there anyone else like Rush? Neil Pert killing it. Vital Signs is a great closing track. After my first listen I was leaning towards a 4, but on second listen I'm going 5. Canada
This album fucks. bro was shreddingggggg on YYZ and Geddy Lee's vocals don't bother me like they might some people
Not for me this
Besser als befürchtet. Z.T. eingängige Riffs, aber nicht meins.
i live on an island in a continent
Haha the pictures are being moved by removal men and the lady looking at them is being moved get it??
Literally can’t remember it and it was only yesterday. I remember liking it at the time but other than that, nothing.
Do I like prog now?
Great musicians playing great music that I just cannot connect with.
Really fun prog with a strong driving rhythm. Even though they're famous for the crazy bass and drum lines in wild time signatures, I ended up prefering their more radio friendly moments lmao. I feel I wanted the structure to be a little tighter even if that conflicts with the freedom of the sound. Grew on me a lot after another listen.
I am pretty familiar with Rush’s big hits. Very impressed with this album. Their style is just different enough to keep them off most of my playlists, but definitely great tunes. The driving drums and amazing guitar riffs put them in the same vain as Van Halen. High 4
3/5
Incredible album. I thought at first it would only be on here for “Tom Sawyer,” as so many other albums seem to have made this list for just one hit song (looking at you, Ah-ha’s “Hunting High and Low” album). But this is genuinely a work of art produced by three immensely talented musicians. Yes, “Tom Sawyer” is amazing and deserves all the praise it gets. And you might worry that the album peaks with its first track. I’d argue it doesn’t. “YYZ,” “Limelight,” “The Camera Eye,” “Vital Signs” all shine on their own. Rush is an incredible band. I’ve always known this. But to witness such refined talent put on display in one album was an absolute treat and I’m thrilled this popped up for me. 5 stars. Standout tracks: Tom Sawyer, YYZ, Limelight, Vital Signs
It’s a classic for a reason!
Ganz OK. Aber nicht zum nebenbei hören.
Another album and band that had eluded me before. So, without any preconception: I should like this and will probably give it another listen later today, but... hm. So far, the first minute of YYZ sums up my whole experience with this album. As in: I didn't know 1981 could sound like Animals As Leaders (who came to mind), wtf, this is awesome until HAHA, tricked ya, we play white dudes' Hard Rock. This is pretty great, when it's great. Sometimes it's not. The main issue for me is that 43 years later (oof), I can draw on a WHOLE lot of other music to scratch that itch more precisely. Or, all of the itches. However, this was interesting, glad I listened to it.
I generally like a bit of prog rock, but this does nothing for me. Don't hate it but equally don't really like it either.
Add a star for YYZ
Good rock
Pretty good
Solid album. Great listen
One of those rare perfect albums. Every song is strong with original ideas and excellent musicianship. A true classic. 5.0/5.0: Iconic
easy 5 stars. Neil Peart stands alone
The album that kicked off my Rush fandom. The end of side 2 gets dark and it's fantastic.
Great album!
Two stars plus 1 for Tom Sawyer. Rush is so over the top
Really hits the spot for the prog geek in me: spiralling psychedelic bars, curious synths, great drumming, pushing away from tender melodies towards metal. Vocals slightly too Tenacious D, but hey, it adds to the esoteric charme. Kinda wanna buy a T-shirt.
This is a classic. So many great songs even beyond the hits.
Their earlier stuff is better. I prefer their instrumentals.
What an interesting album..never really knew much about Rush but they are very cool. I especially enjoyed their videos on some of the songs. Very creative indeed.
Awesome classic and progressive rock album. Very hard rock influence, with an ode to progressive nature. Love them or hate them rush were at the top of their game in 1981. This remains my favorite non-concept album by Rush. Notable favorite Red Barchetta is always a fabulous song to listen to.
Довольно занимательный прог рок, аранжировки и структура композиций чистый кайф. Лучше всего красота альбома раскрывается в темное время суток, возможно позже ознакомлюсь с текстами более углубленно подозреваю что там еще что то интересное запрятано.
Holy balls, the musicianship on this album. Out of this world. I'm far from a prog head. I find it to be overly dramatic and pointless complicated more often than not. But not THIS album. THIS album is unbridled talent and feverish energy from needle drop to stop. Out of control good.
I really enjoyed this.
i didn’t hate this, i actually quite liked a lot of it, especially limelight, it was cool at times and interesting but i honestly think it was mostly forgettable…
Hey, it's got "Tom Sawyer" and "YYZ", it's great!
Elevated from the norm - 7/10
I liked this album a lot, as well as the album cover. It was pretty short and had fewer songs, which made it easier to review. There are definitely some longer songs, but the instrumentals on those grew on me.
Another car listen . This was a bit boring to me, some songs were fine but tbh didn’t fully get the essence bc I was absorbing the Texas.
YYZ is iconic I guess. I don’t like the style that much but they do it so well I gotta appreciate it. 8/10
4/10 - None of the songs were great but none were bad. Some were too long. Nothing surprised me.
It was fine, just didn’t inspire me 6/10
I can definitely see the appeal here. This is one of the albums that’s really tough to rate for me, because I think it’s objectively good music, but isn’t something I’m super into. 6/10
Meh. I know they’re super talented but not my bag.
Long songs that all kind of sound the same
I don't think I'd ever listened to this album all the way through, though I have heard many of the songs from it. It was pretty good. It started out strong and continued to have a feeling throughout most of the album and then kind of lost me at the end. The denouement started too early.
Just a classic incredible album
Man within the first 2 seconds you get transformed into Rush world. Probably the most iconic Canadian rock band of all time, with their most successful album. They definitely come out blasting with the early half of the album, but even some of the later tracks I didnt know were very good. They almost didnt play out great listening to them back to back. But yeah easy 5 stars. Absolutely iconic.
Couple classics, but as an album pretty rough. Some of the technical work in the "other" songs is good and very much foundational prog, but it's uneven.
Tuttua, tuttua. Lyhyt laaturykäsy.
kyllä musiikkilahjakkuutta on virtuoseja he ovat mutta ei kynävelhoja. ei vaan kiinnosta pätkän vertaan mitä geddy kimeä-ääni veikko inisee kun hyttynen korvalla.. rummut aina nappiin siitä pitää peart huolen. siis hyvä albumi silti mutta pitää perustella miksi ei 5 muuten tulee roskaväki kolkuttaa ovelle että mikäs meininki.. NO SEMMONEN ETTEI KIINNOSTA... MITÄ HUUTELETTE... witch hunt
Joyfully fun and nerdy rock
Never heard before. Can't say this did much for me. Some interesting musical directions, bad singing. can see why some might enjoy, but I can't see myself going back to it.
Struggled to get through this. I appreciated some of the guitar playing and keyboards, but I find Geddy Lee’s voice really annoying, and I couldn’t really follow the melodies.
I will fully admit I mostly ignored Rush, and progressive rock in general, until the movie I Love You Man where the two characters are obsessed, and then I gave the genre a try. If youre gonna pick a Rush album this has gotta be the one. Tom Sawyer and Limelight are absolutely killer, in fact the first 4 together are rock solid. The rest of this album is fairly accessible for prog rock though the other tracks dont ever stick in my head as much.
Not a big fan of Rush but I’m not gonna sit here and pretend Limelight isn’t a great song. Overall though this isn’t for me and I don’t have much to say about it. High 3.
A lot of classic songs in here. Great writing and fantastic playing. I think the only thing that keeps me from giving it a 5 is that it sounds really dated
Quite possibly the loudest concert I ever attended as Rush at the Palladium in NYC in 1978. Sitting in the balcony, you could feel the entire structure shake. This is a good demonstration of the band's unique blend of hard rock and progressive rock. While I don't love either Tom Sawyer or Limelight, they were certainly a mainstream breakthrough that got Rush major radio play. Even if you don't like their music that much, can't deny the quality of the musicianship here. Probably a 3.5, but I'll round up.
This reminded me a lot of the Yes album in that while it's quite technically impressive, it just did not really connect with me. These are some seriously talented musicans with a pretty grandiose vision but Tom Sawyer was really the only song I felt had any "catchy" parts (although I might be biased since I knew this one already). I feel like I'm going to say the same thing about the rest of the prog-rock albums we will hear on this journey but I will keep an open mind.
Amazing!!!
Rush lives from the unmistakable voice of Geddy Lee. If you're not put off by that then this is a good album.
Ég geng mjög reglulega um í peysu merktri 2112 sem er tribute í concept plötu Rush þannig að það ætti ekki að koma neinum á óvart sem þekkir til að þetta er gott stöff. Ég var samt ekkert mjög mikill Rush gaur þótt ég hafi alltaf fíla Tom Sawyer en þetta er bara svo gott stöff að það er ekki hægt annað en að elska þetta.
Like most albums of the time, not thematic but good rock music.
I thought it would be a fun listen with the classics, one of the best drummers who ever lived and a reputation for technical nerd music. But I was bored nearly the entire time. Maybe bc it's played out. The b sides while occasionally interesting were mostly anodyne and repetitive. I'm worried a lot of classic music will strike me this way bc even though they are beloved top tier musicians I still don't really like it.
Day60 - idk if i would listen to any of them except tom sawyer or limelight on purpose again but i enjoyed the album
Didn't leave much of an impression. Not bad, but definitely nothing outstanding to me. Boring.
Great great album, loses a point for having a weaker second half
It really strikes me what a beautiful voice the vocalist, Geddy Lee, has. I think it's an underrated thing with 80's rock bands in general. Rush, The Who, Journey - the vocals sound so similar, and the vocalists are so distinct that it cuts through in a noticeable (good) way.
Good prog-rock album. Not my cup of tea but definitely not bad.
Enjoyed the last half
I am admittedly a little biased here as Rush is easily in my top 10 bands of all time, but it didn’t start out that way. I was first introduced to this album at a friends birthday party in 8th grade. I liked some of it, but whether it was the complexity of the music or Getty Lee’s vocals I didn’t get the hype at the time. I obviously liked Tom Sawyer and Limelight as they made up some of the sound track of my high school years. It was only when I revisited Rush in depth 30 years later that I truly appreciated this band. The way these three are able to create such a full sound is quite amazing. The first four tracks is arguably one of the strongest side one’s of any rock album. The short, but iconic drum solo in Tom Sawyer packs a powerful punch. Then on to Red Barchetta. I love songs that take you on an epic journey musically, lyrically, or both; and this track certainly delivers that along with a drum track that is unique in its own right. I love YYZ, again speaking to how 3 dudes can fill the space and intermingle with each other perfectly. Limelight is just another beautiful track that speaks for itself. Side two I have not listened to as much but is still strong and consistent with the rest of the album. 4.5/5
Good I think, should give it another listen when I’m not sick.
If you downpitch the music so that Geddy Lee's voice sounds "normal", Rush sounds a whole lot like so many other rock bands from the 70s/80s. I don't like many of those bands. I kind of like Rush. I wouldn't say I like Geddy Lee's voice, but for some reason it's the key to me liking this band at all.
Prog at its best! The drumming is of extra note!
The opening one-two punch of "Tom Sawyer" and "Red Barchetta" is as strong as anything in classic rock. Those are Rush at their tightest, most focused, and accessible. Both have their eye rolling moments (a better, mannish time?) Of Geddy Lee excess, but both weave such enchanting atmospheres that all sins are easily forgivable. "Red Barchetta" in particular paints such a rich, water colored picture of youthful passion that even I'm drooling over muscle cars. "Tom Sawyer" is another song that resists going stale despite endless replays and mainstream exposure. It's still a sublime piece of Prog. "Limelight" is really the only other song that hits its mark. It's another didactic call to arms for artists, demanding purity, dignity and Valor. It's still a great song, and a better example of Geddy's writing. "YYZ" has not aged well and is a pretty wane instrumental piece. "Witch Hunt" is boiler plate Big Brother stuff, and "Vital Signs" is pleasant but forgettable. Perhaps "The Camera Eye" deserves closer inspection of its lyrics, but I don't feel like wading through its 10 minute runtime. Something about the cameras role in history or something. I dunno. Good album with 2 or 3 of Rush's best songs makes this an easy 3.
Tim Sawyer and Limelight are iconic songs and I dig them. The rest of the album…..meh. I respect and appreciate that Rush are incredible and talented musicians and are amazing at what they do. I just don’t dig what they do. It’s not for me. I’m struggling over whether or not my respect for their talent is worthy to upgrade them to a 3rd star. I don’t think it’s bad music.
I won't be rushing to play this again, and it certainly wasn't moving in a good way. Bailed after the first track. Pompous nonsense.