Rush – Permanent Waves

Rush_-_Permanent_Waves

Emerging from a hard rock background, Rush made increasingly ambitious attempts at being on par with the European progressive acts of the early 1970s. Although dubbed a progressive rock band, Rush’s music would be best described as a “poor-man’s” progressive rock. A naive and straightforward attempt at emulating the workings of the music of more refined bands like Yes or King Crimson. As such it has been one of the most easily comprehensible progressive bands to the general public.

Released in 1980, Permanent Waves is the Rush album that most closely approaches the ideals of the by-then defunct progressive rock movement. Being the highlight of the band’s technical competence, here we find Rush at its most bombastic and dynamic. As a preamble to later so-called progressive rock and metal (henceforth referred to as pseudo prog), this album features songs which make use of elements of contrasting musical styles (the listener will even find a reggae-styled section) to break the spell of a mood. In doing so it aligns itself with music appropriate for listeners who prefer a casual but engaging distraction.

Despite this stylistic digressions ,Permanent Waves manages to be generally constant in its artistic voice. Rush’s expert and moderate use of synths, the ease of transitions, and the satisfactory clarity of the goals in their structure-building-oriented songs make this release the peak of Rush’s works.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV6k1JRMgN8

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3 thoughts on “Rush – Permanent Waves

  1. BROWN ASSHOLE SHOOTING LOGS says:

    70s bands that are worth noting from prog-rock, hard-prog and jazz-rock:

    These bands were an influence on proto metal.

    AMON DÜÜL II
    ANDROMEDA
    LED ZEPPELIN
    FRANK ZAPPA
    HIGH TIDE
    KING CRIMSON
    AMBOY DUKES
    VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR
    DEEP PURPLE
    SIR LORD BALTIMORE
    CLEAR BLUE SKY
    WISHBONE ASH
    ATOMIC ROOSTER
    WARPIG
    IRON CLAW
    GENTLE GIANT
    T2
    LUCIFER´S FRIEND
    WARHORSE
    GENESIS
    BUDGIE
    CARAVAN
    BIRTH CONTROL
    BLUES CREATION
    HAIRY CHAPTER
    EMERSON LAKE & PALMER
    URIAH HEEP
    FUZZY DUCK
    TOAD
    SILBERBART
    ASH RA TEMPEL
    MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA
    JETHRO TULL
    YES
    UFO
    NEKTAR
    JADE WARRIOR
    NIGHT SUN
    JERUSALEM
    CAPTAIN BEYOND
    GOODTHUNDER
    NEU!
    ODIN
    TWENTY SIXTY SIX AND THEN
    CARGO
    BLUE ÖYSTER CULT
    HAWKWIND
    MAGMA
    CAMEL
    FRUUPP
    GRANICUS
    BILLY COBHAM
    BEDEMON
    SCORPIONS
    GONG
    RUSH
    KANSAS
    HØST
    JEFF BECK
    HATFIELD AND THE NORTH
    ARMAGEDDON
    RETURN TO FOREVER
    RAINBOW
    BRAND X
    AUTOMATIC FINE TUNING
    AL DI MEOLA
    JEAN-LUC PONTY
    THIN LIZZY
    WEIDORJE
    ELOY
    ESKATON
    EIDER STELLAIRE

    1. who? says:

      Trimmed down list:

      LED ZEPPELIN
      KING CRIMSON
      WISHBONE ASH (Argus)
      GENTLE GIANT
      JETHRO TULL
      YES
      UFO (Schenker’s solos)
      CAMEL
      AL DI MEOLA
      THIN LIZZY

      As for Rush, if I’m going to listen to them nowadays, I usually play something from the three albums that followed this one. They sound simplified for the better.

  2. blackmetalkid says:

    That’ll require some time to dig through. Thanks.

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