Day 0494 - Moving Pictures

Rush "Moving Pictures" (1981)

 
I love that all of the articles or reviews I've read about this album go out of their way to mention its cheesy play-on-words title/album cover combo... which in some ways short-changes the quality music inside.

I've never been hugely fussed on Rush one way or the other, but this is a great album.  It combines the musicality of their prog background with an adoption of the poppier new-wave sound that was rising in popularity, with the last track "vital signs" even having a vaguely Police-esque sound to it.

Even something like the radio-friendly "Tom Sawyer" mixes groovy keyboards, catchy melody with tricky drum fills and odd time signatures.  I listened to the album about 4 times in a row and would happily listen to it again.

Day 0357 - 2112

Rush "2112" (1976)

"We can't stop here; this is PROG country!"

Rush's 4th album (their first on this list) was an important one for the band. They had been languishing somewhat, with the record-buying public and the critics dismissing them and numbers declining at their shows. Their record company considered dropping them but decided to give them one more chance...

The album opens with an audacious 20+ minute musical odyssey, informed by both rock and classical compositional styles that takes up an entire side of the record. The other side consist of 5 songs ranging from virtuosic proggy rock, to balladry and some almost pop moments. The album was a success... by Rush's modest standards up to that point, and so the band played on.

Day 0274 - Larks' Tongues in Aspic

King Crimson "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" (1973)

What the hell did I just listen to? ...so much musical excess!

The opening (title) track is a journey from tinkling finger cymbals through various musical movements including some fantastic bass work.  Bass seems to be a featured instrument in many of the prog-rock albums I've listened to so far on the list.

This first track gives way to more mellow songs.  There's the delicate and beautiful "Book of Saturday", with it's graceful violin and backwards guitar duet; the proggy ballad of 'Exiles'; the rock riffs of 'Easy Money'; and again the proggy excesses of 'The Talking Drum' and the second part of the title track.

Brilliant album.