Permanent Waves
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Permanent Waves is the seventh studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released January 1, 1980 (see 1980 in music). The album was recorded at Le Studio, Morin Heights, Quebec, and was mixed at Trident Studios in London, UK.
Permanent Waves marks a distinct transition into more accessible, radio-friendly numbers and consequently, a significant expansion in the band's record sales with perennial favorites such as "Spirit of Radio" and "Freewill" seeing quite a fair bit of radio airplay.
Other notable tracks on Permanent Waves include "Jacob's Ladder", a song style reminiscent of their earlier, art rock period. Exploring odd time signatures, the song possesses a dark, ominous feel. The song's lyrics are based on a simple concept; a vision of sunlight breaking through storm clouds. The title is a reference to the natural phenomenon of the sun breaking through the clouds in visible rays, which in turn is named after the biblical ladder to heaven on which Jacob is supposed to have seen angels ascending and descending in a vision. "Entre Nous" is similar in style to "Freewill," yet it did not receive heavy radio airplay. The ballad "Different Strings" would polarize many Rush fans and critics; some radio stations would feature the song, while others never played it.
While the band did step back somewhat from the epic song format, "Natural Science" does clock in at over nine minutes and is composed of three distinct movements. The song's title refers to the concept of natural science, and the song's overall lyrical concept of the piece examines human nature, art and the patterns of time and human civilization through the lens of the natural science concept. It would mark the band's second to last "epic" selection
Permanent Waves became Rush's first US Top 5 album hitting #4 and was the band's fifth Gold(eventually Platinum) selling album.
Track listing
- The Spirit of Radio - 4:56
- Freewill - 5:21
- Jacob's Ladder - 7:26
- Entre Nous - 4:36
- Different Strings - 3:48
- Natural Science - 9:17
- * I Tide Pools (2:21)
- * II Hyperspace (2:47)
- * III Permanent Waves (4:08)
Trivia
There is also a Rush tribute band called Permanent Waves based in Ottawa, Ontario. [link]The newspaper that appears on the album cover is the Chicago Daily Tribune edition from 1948 that incorrectly reported the result of the US Presidential Election as 'Dewey Defeats Truman'. The Tribune refused permission to use the edition, so the headline on the cover is usually erased, through it is visble on a few pressings by Rush's native Canadian label Anthem Records and the original sheet music.
Also on the cover, Peart, Lee and Lifeson are names on the signs in the distance. Look for houses to the right of the girl.
"The Spirit Of Radio" was sampled by UK Indie-rockers Saint Etienne on the track "Conchita Martinez" their 1993 album "So Tough"
Personnel
- Geddy Lee - Bass guitars, Oberheim polyphonic; OB-1; Minimoog; and Taurus pedal synthesizers, vocals
- Alex Lifeson - Six and twelve string electric and acoustic guitars, Taurus pedals
- Neil Peart - Drums, tympani, timbales, orchestra bells, tubular bells, wind chimes, bell tree, triangle crotales, cover concept
- Erwig Chuapchuaduah - steel drums
- Hugh Syme - piano on "Different Strings", art direction, design, cover concept
- Deborah Samuel - photography
- Fin Costello - photography
- Flip Schulke - photography
- Terry Brown - arranger, producer, mixing
- Paul Northfield - engineer
- Robbie Whelan - assistant engineer
- Craig Milliner - mixing assistant
- Adam Moseley - mixing assistant
- Cover girl couturière: Ou la la
- Paula Turnbull - cover girl
- Ray Staff - mastering on original album
- Bob Ludwig - remastering
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Billboard's Pop Albums | 4 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Spirit of Radio | Billboard Pop Singles | 51 |
Remaster Details
A remaster was issued in 1997.- The tray has a picture of star with man painting with THE RUSH REMASTERS printed in all caps just to the left. All remasters from Rush through to Permanent Waves are like this. This is just like the cover art of Retrospective I.
- Also includes the original back cover of the album which was missing from the original CD of the band in the recording studio in addition to the inner-sleeve pictures, credits and lyrics which appeared on the original album.
| Rush |
| Geddy Lee | Alex Lifeson | Neil Peart |
| John Rutsey |
| Discography |
|---|
| Albums: Rush | Fly by Night | Caress of Steel | 2112 | A Farewell to Kings | Hemispheres | Permanent Waves | Moving Pictures | Signals | Grace Under Pressure | Power Windows | Hold Your Fire | Presto | Roll the Bones | Counterparts | Test for Echo | Vapor Trails |
| Live albums: All the World's a Stage | Exit...Stage Left | A Show of Hands | Different Stages | Rush in Rio | | Rush Replay X 3 |
| Compilations: Archives | Chronicles | Retrospective I | Retrospective II | | Gold |
| Other records: Not Fade Away (Single) | Feedback (Cover album) |
| Related articles |
| ' | ' | Victor | My Favorite Headache | A Work In Progress | Anatomy of A Drum Solo |
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