Moving Pictures

I bought this when it came out in vinyl as my first album. This is classic; I can't believe my taste was that good back then. Not a bad song on here. Even the instrumental YYZ is well worth a listen. If you haven't listened to Rush, then I have to warn you there is often something to get you thinking in the lyrics. I personally think this is their best album overall, but I have probably listened to The Trees off Hemispheres more than any other single Rush song.

This item came just as described. Sleeve is in great condition. Record has minor scratching, and caused it to skip a little, but description mentioned that, so all is satisfactory. Keep up the good work!!

"Moving Pictures" marks the equilibrium synthesis of the proggy late-70s era of Rush and the 80s analog-synth heaven that is the 80s era of Rush. This combination makes for one of the best Rush albums ever, and a must-have for all lovers of progressive music, 80s-synth rock, and of any type of rock music in general.

1. Tom Sawyer 10/10 - Proof positive that a catchy radio hit can also be proggy as hell. Delicious smorgasbord of catchy radio rock, prog-rock, and 80s synths. Awesome

2. Red Barchetta 9/10 - Sort of a mini-epic with a science fiction bent, with a beautifully haunting intro of guitar harmonics and synths. Excellent songwriting here.

3. YYZ 10/10 - Easily the most legendary Rush instrumental ever, and with good reason. It opens with some heavy dark riffage and builds into a chord and lead progression with Lifeson at the helm before bursting into a gorgeous 80s synth passage that evokes a skyward view of a big city circa 1981, at least for me. Just a classic.

4. Limelight 10/10 - Like 'Tom Sawyer', this is another deliciously catchy yet proggy classic. Peart's lyrics here reflect on the ups and downs of a life in limbo as a famous musician on a stage so to speak. Another classic.

5. The Camera Eye 10/10 - Easily one of the greatest Rush extended epics ever. This 10-minute monster opens with the sounds of a bustling city in the morning alongside the most delicious retro-80s-synth intro ever recorded in music history. Amazing riffs, motifs, progressions abound in this piece. Easily the best track on 'Moving Pictures'.

6. Witch Hunt 10/10 - A short and sweet masterpiece that feels more like an interlude than an actual song, but it builds up into a simple yet stunningly beautiful chorus that begins with the echo-ey chords of Lifeson ringing into the distant skyline (the "quick to judge, quick to answer" section) before building into a more powerful reprise replete with more delicious retro-80-synths. So beautiful it feels romantic!

7. Vital Signs 9.5/10 Reggae-influenced rocker closes the album. Another classic track, but not as good as the rest, yet still awesome and highly recommended!

On this record Rush solidified its status as one of arena rock's biggest and best bands. What I like most about this album is that it's loaded with hooks, but it doesn't actually become a pop album. And there still aren't any traditional pop songs on here. (Well, maybe "Vital Signs" comes close.) I am sure that you don't need to read again that "Tom Sawyer" and "Limelight" are great tracks (they are). There are so many other highlights here:

>Just sit and listen to Neil Peart banging away on "Red Barchetta." Not to take anything away from his band mates, but he owns the track. It's one of those 6-minute songs that feel more like a 3-minute song.
>"YYZ" is arguably Rush's best instrumental (it's right up there with "La Villa Strangiata" and "The Main Monkey Business" in my book). I especially love the middle eastern section in the middle. It's a little cheesy, yet still works.
>"The Camera Eye" to me is slightly reminiscent of "Hemispheres," but is a little more succinct and catchier. I used to think this was kind of boring, but I have recently started to dig it.
>"Vital Signs" provides a pretty good glimpse of what Rush would sound like on the next couple of albums (and continues to show the influence that new wave was having on their sound).
>"Witch Hunt" has just the right level of foreboding. Again, it helps point the way toward SIGNALS and GRACE UNDER PRESSURE.

It all adds up to the best album Rush put out during their heyday. I'm still pretty partial to SNAKES AND ARROWS, but this is the record I would tell anyone to buy first, if they wanted to give Rush a try.

This is my favorite cd of Rush. I bought this as my first Rush album. The songs of side 2 of album are on this cd. after that, I became a Rush fan after buying all their albums from there on. Enjoy.