Permanent Waves

For Permanent Waves, Rush was back in Canada with producer Terry Brown. They assembled at Le Studio in Quebec where the band would continue to record for the next 15 years. The album was written and recorded over the summer of 1979, and the band was back on the road before the album was even released. The record contains six tracks, marking a return to shorter, less epic pieces. "The Spirit of the Radio" opens with a killer guitar riff; and somewhat controversially, drops into a reggae beat for a few bars before Alex Lifeson's guitar solo kicks in. Released as a single, it reached No. 13 in the UK—Rush's highest placement to date. Featuring another of Lifeson's blistering solos, "Freewill" earned substantial radio airplay. Neil Peart's lyrics are perhaps the key to the band's new success: Gone are didacts, constellations, etc. and present instead are Peart's deep expositions on life. It's a significant change, as important to Rush's radio-friendliness as the shortened length of their songs: Fans could relate to Peart's words. As "Jacob's Ladder" ticks away, there's a little nod to the Rush of the previous two albums; it's a multi-part suite, with Geddy Lee's keyboards prominently featured. The second side opens with the rocking "Entre Nous." Lifeson's rhythm guitar during the verses portents a slight change in his style that would be explored on later albums in the 1980s. "Different Strings" is an acoustic number, with a piano part from artist Hugh Syme, who also was responsible for much of Rush's album art. It's an evocative number, and one that ends too quickly. The three-part "Natural Science" closes the album; it's another nod to the epic that traffics in your typical Rush-isms, including some fantastic drum rolls from Peart. Again, Rush defy all odds by combining expert musicianship, with complex and progressive writing and egg-headed lyrics into music that is somehow accessible and commercial. Their everyman approach to work through constant touring also earned them an absolutely loyal fan base who, in turn, rewarded the band with well-deserved success. Released on January 1st, 1980, the album reached No. 3 in the UK and No. 4 in the US.