1981's
Moving Pictures is widely regarded as
Rush's best album, and lauded as one of the greatest prog/hard rock outings ever. The trio honed the new wave-meets-hard rock approach from 1980's
Permanent Waves to perfection. Of its seven tracks, four remain in regular rotation on classic rock radio. While other legacy acts of the era experimented with various styles in vain attempts to remain relevant,
Moving Pictures peaked at number three on both the U.S. and U.K. album charts. Their most renowned song, "Tom Sawyer," was co-written by the band with
Max Webster lyricist
Pye Dubois. It's followed by the futurist auto racing rebellion allegory "Red Barchetta," inspired by a short story written by
Richard Foster and published in a 1973 edition of Road & Track magazine. It gives way to the sprawling prog instrumental "YYZ." "Limelight" borrows its intro from "Fly by Night," while the verse structure echoes "Free Will" in examining the hazards of fame. The 11-minute "The Camera Eye" begins with a layered synth-driven segment before transforming itself into a labyrinthian prog epic, marking the band's last recorded over-ten-minute studio song. "Witch Hunt" and "Vital Signs" remain two of the trio's more underrated rock compositions. The former is a moody collage of shouted voices, blasting guitar riffs, and dynamic crunch with sinister vocals, while the latter offers syncopated synths, skillfully melding new wave and polished reggae with prog.
Moving Pictures proved
Rush still had vast, uncharted musical territory to explore.
(The 40th anniversary edition appeared in six different packages. The Super Deluxe Edition included three CDs, a Blu-ray Audio disc, and five high-quality 180-gram black vinyl LPs. The CDs contain the 2015 Abbey Road remaster for the first time in that format, as well as
YYZ, a previously unissued 1981 Maple Leaf Gardens concert. The Blu-ray contains the newly mixed album in Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 5.1, and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound by
Richard Chycki. It includes a 44-page hardcover book with unreleased photos, new song-by-song artwork by original album illustrator/designer
Hugh Syme, and new liner notes by
Kim Thayil,
Les Claypool,
Taylor Hawkins,
Bill Kelliher and
Neil Sanderson. A mounted Red Barchetta model car, two
Neil Peart drumsticks, two metal-embossed guitar picks engraved with
Geddy Lee's and
Alex Lifeson's signatures, and more come in a lift-top box, with newly reimagined cover art by
Syme. The three-CD Deluxe Edition contains the studio and concert albums packaged with a 24-page booklet containing rare pics and the liner notes. The Deluxe Digital Edition features the original album and bonus live performances from Toronto. A Dolby Atmos Digital Edition includes
Chycki's Atmos mix of
Moving Pictures. The LP Deluxe Edition offers five Direct-to-Metal Mastering (DMM), 180-gram discs, and a booklet with
Syme's artwork and complete notes. A single-LP eCommerce Edition contains the first half-speed DMM vinyl pressing of
Moving Pictures wrapped in a tip-on gatefold jacket. Each pressing comes with one of six randomly selected lyrics sheets hand drawn by
Peart.] ~ Greg Prato
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