Snakes & Arrows
Rush
Producer: Rush, Nick Rashulinecz
Anthem (USA), 2007
1 CD
Catalogue #: 7567899904
EAN: 0075678999048
UPC: 075678999048
You save: 25%
Rush: Geddy Lee (vocals, bass guitar); Alex Lifeson (guitar); Neil Peart (drums).
Recording information: 2006.
In the five years since their last full studio album, a covers EP (2004's FEEDBACK) and two live releases (2003's RUSH IN RIO and 2005's R30) hardly sated the throngs of Rush fans hungry for new music. SNAKES & ARROWS is all they could have possibly hoped for and dreamed about. The brash, contemporary vibe of 2002's VAPOR TRAILS has been shed as the trio returns to the polished production and complex arrangements of their most beloved works.
Woven into the later-era Rush song stylings are no less than three instrumentals: "The Main Monkey Business" (a hard rocking full-band workout), "Hope" (a solo acoustic guitar piece written and performed by Alex Lifeson), and the humorously titled "Malignant Narcissism" (featuring Geddy Lee's riffy, fretless electric bass and Neil Peart's tasty drum breaks). Keyboards are few and far between on SNAKES & ARROWS, with erstwhile Geddy Lee collaborator Ben Mink contributing strings. Peart's lyrics remain cerebral and poetic--challenging conventional spirituality ("Faithless" and "Armour & Sword"), examining the often troubled nature of mankind ("The Way The Wind Blows" and "The Larger Bowl") and the frailties of communication ("Spindrift" and "Good News First"). All the elements of classic Rush are here, making perhaps the band's finest late-career statement.
Tracklist
Rush
Initially inspired by the heavy rock of Led Zeppelin and Cream, Rush relied on Geddy Lee's high, Robert Plant-like vocals, Neil Peart's Carl Palmer-on-steroids drumming, and Alex Lifeson's guitar heroics for their explosive power-trio sound. As the 1970s wore on, the group approach expanded to include synthesizers and the flash of progressive rock. In the '80s and '90s, Rush managed to keep current, with shorter songs and a more updated sound, without losing its immense fanbase.
