Rush - Behind The Cover: Permanent Waves 

That they picked Jacob's Ladder and Entre Nous as the open/close music is wonderful...

I bought this album when I was a kid and just stared at it. "What does that mean" and "why is there some lady walking in a war zone?". I asked this while listening to the entire album. These questions made me even more inquisitive about the band and their music. Still to this day I look at the cover and remember buying it at Sound Warehouse (Houston, TX) thinking about that day just standing in the aisle wondering "whatever this is... I need to buy it!" Best choice I ever made. Rush has, and still is, my favorite band of all time.

Permanent waves is one of the albums that changed my understanding of music. Natural Science is an underrated masterpiece 🤟😍

"Time will tell and I think they have endured the test of time." I agree, Rush has. Rush is timeless, classic.

Man. I couldn't imagine Rush without Hugh Syme. I can remember listening to The Necromancer through the headphones while lying on my bed, staring at all the faces and bodies hidden in the tree and river on the back of the Caress of Steel album cover... Now I'm not saying that I might have been a little bit high while doing this, I'm just saying that, uhh... But anyway, every time I got a new album, my friends and I would look at every little detail just to see if there was anything strange going on. And there usually was. It was expected. Hugh Syme is a badass. But his art painted him in a different light. He's a regular looking dude. I expected to see someone that looked like Yousuf Karsh or Leonado da Vinci or something.

The rock community still misses RUSH. Thank you for all you gave the world 🤘🤘

I honestly like Permanent Waves more than Moving Pictures.

One of my favorite album covers for one of my favorite albums ever! 🤘🏼🤘🏼

This another reason why vinyl was great. Anice 12" square cover and the gatefold, etc. The art was part of the album and helped make the music more memorable.

One of my all-time Rush albums. Musically, these guys were so ahead of their time.

I didn’t even see the tidal wave. I thought she was posing in front of a mushroom cloud. Awesome

Album covers of this era were true works of art just as the music they contained and this one is exceptional! RUSH is and always will be the best group in the galaxy!

Photoshop didn't exist, so people strapped themselves to telephone poles. lol Nice.

well im gunna come clean ... my eyes never noticed anything about this album cover except THE BABE .... miss u professor 😞 it’s still sinking in that we lost you

As a lifelong RUSH fan, Permanent Waves is one of my favorite albums. I was blessed with seeing them live 20 times, & they're without a doubt in my mind, THE GREATEST BAND EVER!!! 👏🏼😎

I went to conservatory in 1982 with a soprano that looked like the Permanent Waves girl. Never got past the friend zone

Here I am, 52 years old and 39 years after buying my first Rush album... and I’m still learning new things about my favourite band. ❤️

I wish my car would last as long as this classic album !!! My marriage has. My beloved has stopped asking “are you playing Rush and your bass again?” “I sure am cause I love you !!! “ She knows it’s my feel great music. Like getting a visit from your three best friends !!! Except I’m the one with a cold beer in my hand !!!

I worked in print production from the late '70s until 2012, and have been a Rush fan for longer than that. This is one of my favorite albums - this video is like home. So much love for Rush, Hugh Syme, and Fantoons for this one!

So he was Moving Pictures when he created the cover.

Wow, hearing him talk about splicing video the old fashioned way makes me grateful of the tech we have at our fingertips!

THIS! More of this, please, I love hearing about how album art is made.

RUSH will always be timeless.....like The Beatles...hard core fan for life ...RIP NEIL PEART ...still feels like a punch to the gut...

More of this! Bravo x

I hope more of these are on the way. I could quite happily hear the story of every Rush cover from Hugh.

Yes we all sat around with our buds getting stoned and tripping out on RUSH album covers while the turn-table spun.

I heard Ged say Hugh's last name was pronounced, "see-me." Now I'm starting to wonder if Ann Uhmahelmahay's name was pronounced correctly. The world wonders.

First Rush album I owned, a special memory for the band of many to come

I'm a Rush fan since 1975 and I have all Ruh records !!! You have a impressive colection !!! Congratultion !!!

Thank you! Permanent Waves is my RUSH Trifecta: Favorite Album, Favorite Album Cover and Favorite Song: Jacob's Ladder. Well done, RUSH!!!

This guy did all the Rush album covers art. Complete genius here talking...

Hugh's body of work is impressive... I would like to hear more from him regarding his time with the band.

My first Rush album and what a great intro to how they would change my life forever. No other album has that special place, walking to school with my Walkman playing Entre Nous… ah the memories…

I would like to say that rush has been a large part of my life since I was 14 and I'm 57. First turn table in 76 and first album fly by night. Been listening ever since! Got 30 thousand in stereo in my living room and still enjoy! Wish I still had my albums and a Stanton needle. I know that's old school but whatever. Alex, Geddy sorry for your loss he was one a kind!

When time has removed us all. Another time will arrive in which the works of this band will be looked at by new eyes with even greater reverence than we feel now. Their songs will be held in higher esteem than we can ever imagine. The margins they exist in now will fade away to reveal an even truer appreciation in eyes and ears that will know nothing but wonder and amazement upon the discovery of this iconic musical group called Rush. Think Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and Tchaikovsky. Think Beatles. Think timeless.

Excelente, es uno de mis álbumes favoritos y definitivamente la portada es espectacular. Gracias Rush 🤘

My #1 go to album is hemispheres. I Love every single song and that album. I do love permanent waves, it’s a great album as well.

First album I ever bought.

Iconic!

Always wanted to get behind that album cover! 🥰

Yeahhhhhh.. imma need all of the album covers stories

Have always loved this cover and the album is one of Rush's best ever. I just don't understand why the original covers are not used for the 40th anniversary sets, the are part of the identity of the music - why change it?

Best band ever

Permanent Waves was my 1st Rush album 1980 I still remember the day, it's forever burned in my mind.

Absolutely amazing.

Thank you this was interesting 🙂💕

The location is 23rd and Seawall Blvd. Galveston, my home town.

Very interesting video, and still one of the best album covers today

Love this album! ✌️👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

First Rush album I bought aged 8, this video is just glorious.

Jacobs ladder is my 3rd favorite Rush song, while farewell and caress are my favorite albums, (yes I said caress of steel was my second fave Rush album fight me) my fave songs are 1. Xanadu 2. La villa 3. Jacobs ladder, permanent waves has some of the best ever

A+ #1 people in my book, all the Rush gang and company. Enriches our lives.

Always loved that guitar in Entre Nous. The sound was so charged along with Neil's tight playing!

One of my favorite records EVER

I pony'd up for the deluxe limited edition of The Art of Rush. Each hand signed by the band and Hugh. I finally just opened it with my daughter 2 days ago and just stared at Neil signature flooded with emotion. The book is AMAZING. Get this book!

I am a devoted Rush follower, but at 1st I resisted Permanent Waves. I thought they sold out, but I was wrong! I was born in 1965, in MN. In 1975, my parents moved us to Wadena, MN. I found Rush, and I was hooked... But I didn't realize that the nonstop touring was taking a toll on them. I love Permanent Waves now Le Studio WAS a respite, R.i.P Neil Peart. I will always hold Geddy and Alex in the highest regard!:) Semper Fidelis

I play around with composite photos sometimes in the darkroom by using dodging and burning techniques on multiple enlarger machines, but I can't imagine cutting the negatives with a razor blade like that and piecing them together, that's crazy! It also destroys the negative, so one bad slice with that razor and you're starting over from scratch.

One Of My Favourite Cover and Other Kind of Arts... Great Ever !!! Hugh Syme.. Keep On Makin' Art as You Can Imagine !!! Rush 3 Ever !!! Salud y Vida Pa'lante !!! Cheers and Life On !!!

Might possibly be the coolest album cover of all time.

wow! this really strikes home, I've been studying Rush since I was 9, I'm 51 now and I really think they had a hand in advancing my mind to a higher level, I am a biproduct of Rush and many other great Rock Bands from AC/DC to Jethro Tull. RIP Neal, blended with Dubstep and Skrillex samples

My first Rush album and still one of my favorites.

The cover is as legendary as the album! The spirit of radio and Natual science are my favourites on Permanent waves

The first Rush record i purchased new upon release. A masterpiece.

I love Rush so much 😇🥰

Covers were so, SO important to us back then (60s, 70s, 80s). Sometimes we would just stare at a Rush, Kiss, Queen, Cheap Trick album cover while listening to the whole first side. So grateful for Hugh Syme, T "Broon"... Hugh left out the hassles they dealt with legally. Soda company had their logo removed (didn't appreciate her underwear/crotch thingy) and Dewey Defeats Truman was still an embarrassment to the paper so the Tribune threatened to sue.

more interviews with syme please !

I love these kinds of "behind the scenes" stories.

In high-school I had my mom make me a plain white t-shirt with this album cover in it (2003-2007) an iron on from the computer printer. There was only a couple people who really seemed to notice the shirt. But the people who knew , knew.

Awesome cover. Thanks Hugh!

I love the style and direction of these videos, much like the one they did for the spirit of radio. So Rush.

This is one of my favorite covers from Rush.

This is one of my all-time favorite album covers. It's eye candy. I love the extra tall bold letters. And the minimal colors.

Incredible to see this band strive on after so many years. Love you guys so much and hope to see you guys still succeed as life goes on ❤️❤️❤️

I actually had a nice conversation with Hugh via email when I contacted him to express how much I loved his concepts for Rush and Dream Theater. I also found out that Hugh is a musician and had come up with the opening "whoosh..." Keyboard part to Overture / The temples of Syrinx.

Such a great video! Keep 'em coming!

Certainly my fav album and album art. Bravo!!

Super cool video....waving bye

All Rush cover arts are special in their own way, but PW has got something I can't really pin down that makes it so aesthetic. I can only imagine the amount of work it must have taken to create the whole thing back in those days!

Rush, rules !! 🤘😎🤘

My first Rush lp and favorite!!

I can’t wait for next year I wonder what they’ll do for moving pictures

Awesome video, really love this channel I have been a RUSH fan since day one. I still remember hearing their first release on the radio. The album covers were always awesome, most bands with 4 or 5 people aren't near as tight as RUSH and them with 3. , glad I was around for the experience and pleasure of hearing and watching them the last 45 years

Brilliant video about a brilliant album from a brilliant band!😎 Cheers!😎

Absolutely love these Fantoons clips!

When I was 10 years old or so, my cousin was a music critic for a major publication and had a MASSIVE record collection. During a visit to his home, he told me that I could go down to his basement where this vast collection was and I could pick any one album I wanted to keep. I figured I'd be down there for days, but about 12 minutes in, I ran into Permanent Waves. I stared at this cover, no idea who Rush was. I only knew of the existence of Kiss and Led Zep at this point. I struggled. I mean, Rush? Who is Rush? I couldn't possibly spend my one shot on a complete unknown, right? But this cover. It had me. I cannot properly describe how or why it had me, but it was as if this imagery had been put together specifically to catch my young attention and create a life-long ultra-fan of this incredible band. I have always and will always credit the Permanent Waves album cover for how I met Rush. And I have always and will always credit the music on that album for turning me on to a whole new and wonderful world. Thank you so much, Hugh. You changed my life is such a good way!

A theatrical experience with phenomenal music.. and poetic lyrics.. and its a 3 piece band... woooooowWow.. I have a permanent waves t.. its cool.. Love rush

I grew up with that album, yet I’m embarrassed to say I apparently missed a lot in that artwork!

I used to play Jacob's Ladder on the piano as a finale in my concerts. Not easy to do. I miss the band! RIP, Dr Peart.

That was very groovy indeed, thanx for sharing that. There was a time when i nearly bought a matching Gibson SG doubleneck that some well off nearby guitar player had in his collection after hearing him mentioning that he was going to sell it. So then i worked double shifts and showed up at his door with the money he was asking for it, then he said he changed his mind! Ahhhhh!!!... Then i remember later on when i lived a few miles from Dr Alex Lifeson on a farm north of where i previously lived, and that made where i was located feel more special just knowing that as i jammed along with their recordings, pretending to be the 4th band member. Then there was the time i walked into the studio not too far away from there where they recorded at, and was like, wow, i was standing in a room that they previously did too, while noticing all that fancy studio gear. I nearly bought a giant flight case i saw they previously used for their touring around with, i should've really. A friend back in scarborough used to have house parties, and he told me that Alex and Geddy showed up out of the blue, and they basically sat around on the staircase inside and seemed really involved in some discussion they were having creatively, and my friends were like, don't disturb them, just let em be as are, as my friends were no doubt in awe of their party inspiring presence. I think they mentioned that there was some weed involved, lol. That studio should be preserved being declared as a historical site really, maybe even with robotic versions of themselves just rocking out large riffs, for helping creating permanent waves in the arts and sciences. #LongLiveRockingAndRolling

This is a wonderful cover Love the album, and the sleeve was an integral part of the release

At the end of this video we hear Entre Nous playing. Notice how "crisp" geddys vocal was on this album compared to their previous efforts. So good!!

Genios!!!!! Larga vida a rushhhhh. Argentina presente.

So great. Love this kind of stuff.

Love the guitar solo towards the end of “Different Strings”

Permanent Waves is an album that has no bad songs, no mediocre songs.

Wonderful!

Astonishing

Love rush 🤘🤘🤘💕🎶

I maintain that this is the best album cover of all time. Not even talking about the content of the album itself, just the cover. It is perfection. Absolute perfection.

Love these interviews with the animation!