Rush...Signals.

[steve-soar]

How good is this album?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z41I3yX_cVI

[paul_5]

Very. Very Good. All kinds of good. The production sounds a little dated now, but the songwriting and playing is superb.

[Ziphoblat]

Digital Man and The Weapon are both awesome songs with awesome playing (and bass playing), but I agree on the production values and would extend that sentiment to the general feel of the album. Still a great listen.

[wateroftyne]

I think it's awesome - one of my favourites.

The production is dated, but when you compare it to something current - Clockwork Angels, for example - you have to wonder if producers are born with cloth in their ears these days.

Yes Signals has a bit too much reverb, and it's a bit low on guitars, but it's punchy, fat and rich, with loads of open space.

[Thunderbird]

I have just started to get into Rush not listened to that album yet but will do soon I am listening to Rush spirit of radio greatest hits and am loving it

[RhysP]

Signals is a superb album & "Chemistry" features what is probably my favourite guitar solo of all time too.

Having said that I think "Countdown" is a an absolute dog of a song.

Edited September 8, 2013 by RhysP

[pst62]

IMO it was their last great album, with the exception of Presto it all went downhill after Signals!

[Bilbo]

That was where they started to lose me. Move from progness to song orientation. Like Genesis and Yes around this time, ended up a little less exciting for me.

[steve-bbb]

likewise - i thought this and the preceding few albums were so good that the following albums after signals didnt really cut it for me and post signals was when i slowly started to drift away from having them up there in my top favourites

[geilerbass]

Oh yes... i've been really into this album recently. Always been a fan of Subdivisions, but some of the other songs like Digital Man and Losing It have started to really click. I think they played Subdivisions each of the four times i've seen them live. No bad thing...

[visog]

I liked the album a lot at the time but looking back, it was the point when the keyboards went from effective atmospheric background within a guitar-led trio to effectively a quartet with the keyboards taking up a lot of the sonic space. Plus they were those really fat (phat?) analogue synths of the day which ate up bandwidth.

The space and economy of Moving Pictures and Permanent Waves gone. And it got worse... Power Windows anyone?

Edited September 8, 2013 by visog

[Wilco]

Awesome album. It sounds 'of it's time' but none the worse for that. It's one of Rush's best albums IMHO.

[Guest bassman7755]

[quote name='pst62' timestamp='1378625739' post='2202433']
IMO it was their last great album, with the exception of Presto it all went downhill after Signals!
[/quote]

IMO power windows and hold your fire are both great albums.

[Guest bassman7755]

[quote name='Thunderbird' timestamp='1378622415' post='2202407']
I am listening to Rush spirit of radio greatest hits and am loving it
[/quote]

Rush have probably produced 6-8 albums that would individually match the creative quality of most bands "best of".

[White Cloud]

I remember when this came out well...loved it.

Pretty much agree - after signals it all started to go progressively wrong for me concerning Rush....cannot get anything out of their recent material at all and HATE the bass sound Geddy adopted.

[arthurhenry]

Generally thought of as the album on which they should have moved on from Terry Brown as producer. Great album, though the lyrics to Countdown read like the account of a primary school child.

[Josh]

When I got into Rush recently, I thought Signals would be on of the albums I wouldn't warm too but after a few listens it really did grow on me. I even like Geddy's tone from his Rick, it sits in the mix just right.

The Analogue Kid, Digital Man and Losing It stand out for me, I find Chemistry a bit cringeworthy though and I seem to be in the minority that enjoys Countdown.

It's a shame I can't get on with the latter 80's albums :/

Edited September 8, 2013 by Josh

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1378626866' post='2202438']
That was where they started to lose me. Move from progness to song orientation. Like Genesis and Yes around this time, ended up a little less exciting for me.
[/quote]

They did ease back on the prog, but the quality of the songs was still there.

Recently they've gone back to prog, but without the songs. IMO.

[Woodinblack]

Love the album (bought it the day it came out). Also power windows, which I also like.
For me I lost track from hold your fire onwards, just never really liked the album or the stuff I heard afterwards (although it was a good tour).

And I like countdown, yes, it is like the account of a child, and I think that is what makes it very good. I went to nasa - I turned into a kid when I got there

[Cosmo Valdemar]

My favourite Rush album, and IMHO Geddy's best bass sound - in studio at least. The Rick just blows my mind every time I listen.
It's also a good example of the differences in tone between his Rick and Jazz, they are clearly distinguishable on here.

[Conan]

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1378671703' post='2203146']
My favourite Rush album, and IMHO Geddy's best bass sound - in studio at least. The Rick just blows my mind every time I listen.
It's also a good example of the differences in tone between his Rick and Jazz, they are clearly distinguishable on here.
[/quote]

Didn't he use the Steinberger too on Signals? I lose track of his choices in the eighties!

[jonsmith]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1378722396' post='2203570']
Didn't he use the Steinberger too on Signals? I lose track of his choices in the eighties!
[/quote]

Mainly Rickenbacker on the album (two tracks with the Jazz). I thought he used the Steinberger on the tour though, but the tourbook says not.

[Leen2112]

I love this album and I was really hoping that with the string section on the lastest tour they might play 'losing it' but no. I got into Rush when this was the 'new' album so maybe its why I love it so much.

[Conan]

[quote name='Leen2112' timestamp='1378730992' post='2203788']
I love this album and I was really hoping that with the string section on the lastest tour they might play 'losing it' but no.[/quote]

One of my all-time favourite Rush tracks!

[RhysP]

[quote name='jonsmith' timestamp='1378730787' post='2203782']
Mainly Rickenbacker on the album (two tracks with the Jazz). I thought he used the Steinberger on the tour though, but the tourbook says not.
[/quote]

I'm pretty sure he played the Rick all night when I saw them at Wembley on the Signals tour.