Writer and journalist Greg Quill noticed a "cyclical framework" in Signals, specifically the album opening in suburbia followed by contemplating escape in "The Analog Kid". Then, "universal human imponderables" are explored through humanity, sex, religion, and ageing, which ends in an actual escape in "Countdown". Quill spoke to Peart about this theory, to which the drummer replied: "You noticed that. We were hoping no one would. It's so unfashionable these days to construct grand concepts. We're being closed mouthed about it"
Thank you for this! I’ve listened to this album dozens of times and did not connect these dots as well as the points Doug mentions on side 1 and 2, Particularly Digital Man
Such a moving song, and knowing it was nearing the end of their careers it was very poignant, all the more in hindsight. I was extremely lucky to be at the Toronto show where Ben Mink made the guest appearance for that song. All the other shows featured Johnny Dinklage (yes the brother of Peter Dinklage of GOT fame)
The verses are in 11/8. One measure of 6 and a measure of 5 on Losing It. Ben Mink came from the Canadian Prog band FM. Ben joined on the second album,Surveillance in 1979. And it’s D major in New World Man no D minor chords anywhere. Alex plays the D scale ascending and it’s clearly an F# on the way up. Btw, don’t mean to burst your bubble but picture discs were never meant to be played just admired. The method of placing the picture in the middle of the vinyl absolutely kills the fidelity because you’re only hearing half the actual vinyl. 180gm sounds the exact opposite because it’s thick and heavier so there’s more resonance. I stopped buying pic discs around 1978.
In the early 80's, just after the release of the Signals album, I visited the London Planatarium in England where the entire album was played to a laser show. It was incredible to watch and listen.
Rush had no fear of changing their sound. After Moving Pictures, they decided to explore synths and keyboards, and their next four albums strongly manifested that change in direction. The fanbase was affected very much. Many fans loved the change and many hated it. Some fans left, while new fans arrived. Most importantly, the band wasn’t phased by the changing fan base. They did what they wanted whatever the consequences!
Hold Your Fire was my first purchased Rush album. I got hooked by a copied cassette of Exit...Stage Left. I honestly enjoy everything they have ever done. They aren't afraid to experiment.
Grace Under Pressure is a mixed bag for me, but Power Windows and Hold Your Fire are in my opinion even better than Moving Pictures, and Signals is not far behind.
Best Rush album Losing it is so beautiful! "Some are born to move the world To live their fantasies But most of us just dream about The things we'd like to be" Brilliant lyrics by Neil. As always And Countdown is fantastic. My favorite Rush song
I saw their "Signals" tour in 1983. "Countdown" was the closing song, and it was a multimedia extravaganza. The footage of the launch playing behind them, the pyro when the shuttle launches, and the live performance left such of impression on me, It's when I became a true fan of their music.
I purchased this album on vinyl the day it was released. I was a 17 year old Rush fan and i loved the record. I'm 58 now and i still love it. With songs like Losing It, Subdivisions, New World Man and Countdown i think it's a masterpiece. Nice job Doug!
I bought it the week it came out in Our Price in Chichester. I was down there for my interview for the music course and would spend the next three years there. The band really influenced my early playing.
Ditto, except I was 15 and it was a cassette. I did buy it on vinyl too, but I wanted something I could play in my Walkman and didn't have a good cassette deck to tape the LP with. Wore that cassette out.
This album is definitely the demarcation point for a lot of Rush fans. There were many who decided to end their journey with band while others embraced the evolution. It’s astounding to me the progression of their sound from 1976 with 2112 to Power Windows 1985. I know the focus is the heavy use of the keyboards, but Alex Lifeson really took leaps with his sound as well.
I hope you get to Hold Your Fire, it's criminally underrated and has some of their most mature songwriting and and great mix of the synth and guitar sounds
Hold Your Fire is my 2nd favorite album in all music history. Criminally underrated is an understatement for the finest music ever written or recorded since Tales From Topographic Oceans.
Hold Your Fire was the first Rush album I bought...the first CD I ever bought, in fact. I started my Rush experience with a copied cassette of Exit...Stage Left. I love how experimental Rush was throughout their career, but Hold Your Fire is my favorite, for sentimental reasons and because it is so emotional, so personal.
I'm am basing this on memory, but I have the Countdown EP that has a rare interview with them. Rush was on tour during the very first launch of any Space Shuttle. That mission was scrubbed and rescheduled. Rush had to go on to the next city on their tour, but they were able to go back and actually witness, in person, the first launch of any Space Shuttle in history. They were there...
I think many people tend to miss just how often and how smoothly the time signatures change in Losing It. Limelight is deceptive that way, too. Love your love of Rush, Doug!
We should be aware that this background Dialogs in Countdown where original messages between columbia an Ground Control. I love the "what a view what a view - glad you are enjoying it" part.
Doug, Your content is so fresh and experiencing your postings quite rewarding! Great insight (as usual) - love that trained musician insight. In addition to being entertained, I often learn something from your work. THANK YOU!!! Keep em coming y'all. (PS - You can never go wrong with RUSH.)
100% in Losing It, I saw Rush 3 times on R40 Live cried then and still do now. The lyrics and instrumentation are incredible. This song needs the violin and it really sets the tone for it. I personally love this album and sound, the blend of guitar, bass, keys, drums and violin really integrate very well. It’s such a compliment to the music on this album. I also have the 40th Anniversary picture disk and play it frequently.
"Power Windows" also expresses social concerns both past and present. A solid collection of songs. Plus, it is an overall great sounding album with a lot of bottom end bass, foot pedals, and synths. It has been my go-to RUSH album in recent years.
The dancer slows her frantic pace In pain and desperation, Her aching limbs and downcast face Aglow with perspiration Stiff as wire, her lungs on fire, With just the briefest pause - The flooding through her memory, The echoes of old applause. She limps across the floor And closes her bedroom door… The writer stares with glassy eyes - Defies the empty page, His beard is white, his face is lined And streaked with tears of rage. Thirty years ago, how the words would flow With passion and precision, But now his mind is dark and dulled By sickness and indecision And he stares out the kitchen door Where the sun will rise no more… Some are born to move the world - To live their fantasies But most of us just dream about The things we’d like to be Sadder still to watch it die Than never to have known it For you - the blind who once could see - The bell tolls for thee…
Please listen to more of their albums. I've been a fan since 79 and I have listen to more of their music in the past 2 years here on RU-vid while watching others reaction videos. I really enjoyed this one (both sides) as it was my first concert tour. Good job.
The Grace Under Pressure tour video featured this song. Neil was flipping his drumstick in rhythm on this song. Absolutely killer. Count Floyd introduced this song. Must watch!
When I was getting into Rush when I was around 16 years old I didn't like the post-1981 version of Rush at all. Like you said, the synths were a bit too intrusive. But about 15 years later on a ten hour drive I gave Signals a listen and I came to the realization that it is a banging album, man. Some of Geddy's best bass playing for sure. After that I pulled over, downloaded Power Windows, and gave it a listen, which I had never done before. Afterwards I thought, "You know what? Power Windows might be my favorite Rush album." Absolutely fantastic.
I am Canadian. I have a funny story. My oldest brother had a weekend job as manager of our college's cafeteria Friday and Saturday night setting up the bands and bar etc. An unknown band from Toronto was the band for Friday night. The band Rush showed up early and setup and wanted to do a sound check they said to which my brother agreed. They played a song and were so loud my brother came to them and said you can do a sound check only because classes are still on.They played another song and were louder so my brother went and cleared out a closet then shut off their power. He told them this is your dressing room (the closet) and also said to them you guys will not go anywhere. A few years later my brother moved to Vancouver and coming from the airport sees on the stadium's billboard RUSH lol
This was a very cool job Doug, Congratulations! I've been a big fan of Rush since 1981. And I remember it like it was yesterday when I heard it for the first time. We were six boys, six young Brazilian fans aged 15 and 16, dying to hear the new album. We had a total immersion, with some drinks and other things... It was a fabulous trip, in every song! Some of the kids most connected to the hard rock phase complained about too many keyboards. Not me, I loved it! I loved the electric violin in Losing It and my mind was blown by the power of the sound and rockets in Countdown. It took me a while to decide, but Signals is even better than the masterpieces Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures. 
He’s a rebel and a runner He’s a signal turning green He’s a restless young romantic Wants to run the big machine He’s got a problem with his poisons But you know he’ll find a cure He’s cleaning up his systems To keep his nature pure Learning to match the beat of the Old World man Learning to catch the heat of the Third World man He’s got to make his own mistakes And learn to mend the mess he makes He’s old enough to know what’s right But young enough not to choose it He’s noble enough to win the world But weak enough to lose it - He’s a New World man… He’s a radio receiver Tuned to factories and farms He’s a writer and arranger And a young boy bearing arms He’s got a problem with his power With weapons on patrol He’s got to walk a fine line And keep his self-control Trying to save the day for the Old World man Trying to pave the way for the Third World man He’s not concerned with yesterday He knows constant change is here today He’s noble enough to know what’s right But weak enough not to choose it He’s wise enough to win the world But fool enough to lose it - He’s a New World man…
New World Man is a commentary on early Reagan era USA: Old World Thatcherite Europe; Third World, well the 3rd world; and New World is the Maples and the Oaks (Canada and the US). Looking back, it is a cautionary tale on what Neo-Liberalism could be. Sadly, the negatives in the song is the path we chose.
I dipped into this one as I vaguely recall Rush being mentioned in relation to Wishbone Ash. Doug should really check out "Argus". As he is an organist perhaps Colosseum's Valentyne Suite would be up his street.
Just reading your bio, reminded me of a saying I used to hear a lot, growing up on Long Island. "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" "Practice, practice, practice." I imagine you would agree
@@mogsy2112 unfortunately, when dad retired it was almost law to move to Florida, so only there to the age of 13. 20 some years in Florida and now 21 years in Canada.
New World Man was a last minute add-on whose original purpose was to even out the length of the album sides so the cassette issue wouldn’t have 3 and a half minutes of blank tape at the end.
SIGNALS has the unique distinction of being the first new Rush album I eagerly anticipated after having gotten into them first by seeing them live in '81 and then backtracking through ESL and MP. I do still love it; it really seems like it was made at a specific juncture in the band's life. I love keyboards as well as guitar, bass, and drums so I'm totally cool with Rush's "synth era" as long as the songs are happening (and they weren't always as that era moved along). That whole vibe peaked with HOLD YOUR FIRE and then they rolled it back bigtime - there was really nowhere else to go with it.
Great reaction and analysis 👏. I don't know if you've already heard Grace Under Pressure, but it deserves a full album reaction!! From beginning to end, it displays awesome, progressive musicianship, with thought provoking lyrics. Check it out, see what you think.
The R40 setlist had all the fan favorites in mind from most recent to earliest, but the band was also open-minded enough to add "Losing It" to a handful of shows. It was one of those songs that, while not a hit for the band, really left a mark on the fanbase and the guys in the band became aware of that, and decided to add it to select shows. They may have found it a bit of a strange or unorthodox choice, but I think in retrospect they enjoyed performing it, and bringing Ben Mink as well as Jonathan Dinklage to the stage to play the violin. It was a definite treat to be at one of the few shows where this song was performed. I was fortunate to see it that last show in LA and I am honored to have seen 4 shows on that last tour. ☺👍
Doug, thank you for giving so much thought and attention to this album. I had a very different introduction to this album than most. Firstly I already loved Rush and am/was a geek. I got to hear the first two tracks over the CB radio. A CB radio friend got an early copy as somebody that worked in a music gear store that had helped the band. He was kind enough to play over the CB tracks that the radio stations didn't have access to yet! This was so against the FCC rules! So cool! LOVE THIS SO MUCH!
I really feel like you’d love Grace Under Pressure, that album has some really amazing songs. You’ve heard The Enemy Within from the fear series but I’m sure you’d love the rest of that album.
The last lines of the "writer" portion is And he stares out the kitchen door Where the sun will rise no more Which alludes to Hemingway's "The Sun also Rises"
The basic concept of the Signals album cover is that ALL animals send signals to other animals, even if it's as simple as pissing on a fire hydrant. Humans are much the same. Animals mark "their ground" for others to read. You all know it's a metaphor... You get it. The fire hydrant exemplifies the "establishment" and the dog could be any one of us. The album cover alone is quite deep in symboligy.
The back cover of the album took me and my friends a while to figure out back when this came out. We all had a great laugh when we finally saw that the yellow line shows the dog's path around the neighborhood peeing on hydrants.
In Rush fandom there's always arguments about what's the best song, what's the best album, what's the best era. I think that most Rush fans have a song they think is the best song and they also have a song that is their favorite. They aren't always the same song. My favorite Rush song is Countdown. I remember watching the first shuttle launch (and subsequent landing) in grade school, about 5 years before I'd heard of Rush. It was the most incredible thing I'd ever seen. Years later when I discovered Rush did a song about it, and used the actual NASA recordings in the song, my mind was blown. Neil Peart is the greatest poet of the 20th Century.
Thus album's always in my top 5 Rush album list. I wore the cassette out in my Walkman i listened to it so much when it came out. I bought it again on vinyl and CD.
As a long time Rush fan, I put Signals in the "new era" of Rush. The synthesizers aren't just in the background anymore. That's a big shift from their previous sound. I wasn't a huge fan of it then but it's grown a bit on me since. Analog Kid is to me the best song on the album by far. Agree on vocals. I think Moving Pictures through Grace Under Pressure were Geddy's peak.
An anti-static soft dust cleaner brush is a must with any good turntable. A little atomizer spray on the brush, then hold the brush steady while spinning the record. /2c
I'd like to hear you do a breakdown of the studio version of the greatest Rush song ever created, Xanadu. I think to see you pick that song apart frame by frame would be very interesting.
Doug-this album took die-hard fans from the late 70s a little while to grow on. You can't really define Rush and it took some fans a while to figure that out.
Fantastic album. They kinda overdid it on the keyboards after this for a while. I still love this album, but agree that the keyboards were a bit overpowering here. When I lived in Orlando, I got to drive out to see several shuttle launches. Nothing like actually experiencing that up close.
Grace Under Pressure for me is Alex taking New wave-style guitar playing about as far as you can go. His dynamic playing on this record for me is the pinnacle of taking all the early 80’s styles and mashing them up in one ferocious guitar master class.
Next time you do a Rush album, you have to try one of their beers! Rush has a line of beers now as well Grace under pressure is next in line chronologically, might be a good next choice for you 😊
I think you should give Power Windows a listen. It’s heavy in the synths but man there are some great songs on there. Marathon, Middletown Dreams & Grand Designs!
"Signals" was where I went off Rush, for the very reason stated by Doug. The synths sound was too much for me. I took me about 30 years to listen to it again, and it is now one of my favourite Rush albums.
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Signals might be the most "digestable" of all of Rush's album, to me. I fricking love every single one, but some of them need a certain "mind setup" to properly be appreciated. Not Signals though, I can listen to this every single day in any context and enjoy It every time.
I loved their integration of keys into the '80's. Some people can't get past a certain era and that is not fair to the band or to the listener. If you continue to play the same thing over and over again, you end up like Dream Theater or other bands that get caught in their own ruts. Rush never stood still. And the pallet of different eras and flavors really justified and confirmed their instincts.
Hey Doug, dunno if you've ever heard this one, but if you're into Rush's storytelling epics, The Necromancer from thier 'Caress of Steel' album would be worth a listen. Would love to see your reaction to that one! 👍🏼
As much as I love Subdivisions, Countdown is my favorite song. The music is so expressive. Makes you feel like you're there. Mission Control overdubs are brilliant.
I was at the Montréal Forum in '83 when they did the Signals tour and was very close to the stage. The song Countdown with the rocket launch on the screen man; i will always remember that moment! Epic!
This entire album is fantastic, but Countdown has to be the most underrated and undervalued song on the album. It just evokes that feeling of awe and wonder and excitement of a rocket launch so well, and with such hope and optimism, especially after the powerful and heart rending Losing It. So great.
I remember hearing Losing it as a teen and feeling sad for the characters. Now here I am mid 50's and well, dang it Neil...how did you capture that so perfectly when you were still a young man yourself. Amazing stuff.
Yes! I'm a 67 year old illustrator, now having trouble seeing and struggling with essential tremor. I try hard but I think my most productive years are behind me. This song hits hard.
I couldn't have said it any better. I'll be 55 in five days. I very much appreciated this song when I was a young man, but growing older just seemed so far off.
Neil observed and studied people to understand them, and was a deep thinker. He read a lot and even though shy about the fandom thing, would often strike up conversations with random strangers. He could hear what was being said and what wasn't. The guy had empathy. Many of the more brief conversations were from the road between gigs on tour at least in North America - and it was a different road than the others took. Whenever possible, he a usually a buddy would ride their motorcycles through the back roads, stopping for fuel, snacks and a bit of talk at rural stores etc. He wrote books about those experiences. The world is a brighter place for Neil Peart having lived in it.
