The Signals New World Tour was my first ever arena concert. I was 13 and saw them with my best friends at Long Beach Arena in So Cal. Tix were under $11. Golden Earring opened. This album definitely resonated with me and still does to this day. Rush was a positive and powerful influence on me as a kid and still is to this day. I’m grateful to have stumbled upon them. Saw several Rush shows after but will always regret not seeing their last show in LA. RIP, Professor. Thank you Rush.
Thankfully I saw the r40 tour in Buffalo ny. I feel fortunate because at the time we had no idea what would happen 5 years later. I so so miss rush an unspeakable amount.
This Rush album in particular is very dear to my heart. Being 15 and having moved from my hometown being a new student in a new school system in a new town. Being insecure and feeling alienated the song subdivisions really spoke to me. Needless to say things turned out all right. I never got to see rush until the following year when Grace under pressure came out, but I did have a friend of mine who was cool enough to grab me a signals t-shirt. 🙂
I first heard Rush in '81 on MTV. My best friend and I listened to the debut of New World Man in early '82 on Philly's WMMR, host Pierre Robert. Watching the MTV Subdivisions video epitomized my freshman year of high school experience in the fall of '82. Such a poignant song musically and lyrically.
I wish i was around when these albums released. I was born in 88 and when i was 12 i borrowed the chronicles album from my dad and was in love. I then asked for rush albums for christmas, birthdays etc. Then i found exit stage left. Incredible. Signals is an album i listen to now, and theres just something about the mashup of synth and rock that sells every song. New world man is incredible. I love the strange reggae part, unfortunately the song is too short. I have to hear it 3 times. Great vid thanks for this.
This was my first Rush tour. I have to say it wasn't until Grace Under Pressure that I was aware of releases. The only thing I had from Rush was moving pictures and Exit Stage Left. I used to listed to side one and two of exit stage left obsessively. I know Rory Gallagher opened but I couldn't tell you any song he did. I took a bus from freeport to chicago and had the worst headache when Rush took the stage. The thing that got me was Broons Bane and The Trees. By the end of the show my headache was gone and I was a changed person. I went home and discovered side 3 of Exit Stage Left and it took me back to the concert. I think I played side 3 for 6 months straight! Ever since that night I had to have the complete Rush collection and I only missed 2 tours since then. Hold your Fire tour and Time Machine Tour. Thanks for the review it really brought back memories.
Signals is one of my favorite Rush albums! I bought on vinyl when it came out, but it was also the very first CD I ever bought, when those became available! To this day I will never forget it: when the album was first being released, my local Washington D.C. Rock radio station, DC101, was having an "Album Release" party at The Bijou, a great Rock club in Georgetown. I didn't have a car then, so I rode my bike from Cabin John all the way to the club (8 miles away), and it was a rainy day. But I got there, and I was very excited to hear the new Rush album! The place was pretty packed, and the vibe was great. The sound system was cranked and the album sounded awesome over the speakers! Songs like "Subdivisions", "Analog Kid" and "Chemistry" were very well received, although I could hear some discussion about Chemistry because of the "New Wave" aspects which are mixed in. But when "Digital Man" played that was when the audience "crossed the Rubicon" with Rush and realized we were all, as Rush fans, entering a new era. That is to say, Digital Man was the perfect mix between what Rush was very well established for -- totally awesome, huge, jamming Hard & Prog Rock -- and what they were becoming in the 1980s, an excellent Prog-New Wave-Rock/Pop-cross over band. The heavy guitar, the crushing bass, and the wicked drums were all there but so was the quasi-Police/Ska changes and synth-Pop breakdowns. Plus, the lyrics were practically "New Romantic", in their exotic nature. So that song made a big impression, and everyone was abuzz with interest and appreciation. After side 1, the DC101 DJ had a break to so some promotional stuff, some giveaways, some trivia games and whatnot. So, there was about a 10-15-minute break in the middle. OK...check this out...the DJ has some people down on the floor, in front of the stage, as they were just involved with some of the crowd-participation games/giveaways that the DJ was just doing. But he had announced that he was continuing with Side 2 of Signals and had started it, as he was still talking. As you know, the song "The Weapon" comes at the beginning of Side 2 and it comes in out of silence...quiet at first...and then you notice it: Neil Peart is playing a Dance rhythm on the bass drum -- a DISCO BEAT -- to start that song! OMG! Everyone stopped and looked down at the floor-level...a girl was DANCING to a Rush song!!! She just started dancing, as if it were the most natural thing in the world as the song got louder and louder, and you could see people pointing and hear them commenting and reacting all over the room! Then, her boyfriend quickly got her "corralled" (I'm pretty sure she realized that she had become the center of attention and was probably embarrassed) and they walked off the...gulp...dancefloor, and the music continued on, with the room buzzing. Believe me everyone was going, "What the hell was THAT?" Talk about a paradigm-shift! Of course, the song becomes an amazing Prog-Rock/Proto-Techno, epic masterpiece and everyone loved it by the end but that beginning had us all trying to catch up with the new breed! I was in love with the album from the start and I loved all the new sounds and moves the album was making. I was a big Police fan by then and I was getting into New Wave like INXS, Thomas Dolby, Simple Minds, and U2, to name a few. That was a fun time and a great way to experience the new music for the first time!
Yes, I saw the Signals tour. I had seen Rush for the first time as a kid, in December 1977, on the Farewell to Kings tour, and I was hooked! So, I had seen Rush about 6 times by the time of the Signals tour. I lived in Maryland, so we saw them at the Capital Centre in Largo, on November 29th, 1982. I remember we didn't have great seats (upper section on stage-right side), and Rush was using a different sound system then, that was supposed to give a 360-degrees experience, from what I remember. Like, the sound would shift around, spatially, around the arena, so the sound seemed to drop off from time to time and then come back. I remember not being overly happy with that and was confused by it, but I had a great time all the same. One thing that was great about the Signals tour was the set list -- this time, it mostly new stuff, all the "hits" that Rush had on the radio, all lined up one after another! What was great is they started with "Spirit of the Radio" and then seguewayed right into "Tom Sawyer", like a mini medley. When you hear that live it's such a perfect transition. In fact, I looked up the show in Google, just to try to find some details on the show that I had forgotten, and I saw that there is a BOOTLEG recording on UA-cam of that show! So, for the first time, I am relistening to that show, right now! OMG, the guys are rocking it so well and the crowd, which I was a part of, is going nuts! Woo! Awesome! Now, if I could only find a Bootleg recording to the December 3, 1977 show I saw at The Warner Theater, in D.C., on the Farewell to Kings tour! That would be awesome! I have found some recordings of shows around that time, on that tour, but not from that show specifically. Oh well, it's all good! Such memories!
I first saw Rush live on their Hemispheres Tour. I also caught them (twice) during the Permanent Waves Tour. I completely missed the Moving Pictures Tour, but I definitely was determined to see Rush's Signals Tour. The show began with brilliance. The stage was covered by a massive red velvet drape. The drape parted and there it was, Neil Peart's red Tama drum kit. That kit was stunningly beautiful, and it still had all the percussive toys that were used during the Moving Pictures Tour. The show begins with The Spirit of Radio. Alex was wearing a dark red blazer and a skinny tie. And his hair was cut and styled like he was in a New Wave band. Geddy was wearing a suit jacket with the sleeves rolled up, sporting the Miami Vice look before there was Miami Vice. It was a different band. Rush had joined the 80s and was making music like their inspirations, the Police, the Talking Heads, Ultravox... This was definitely not the band that I saw on the Hemispheres Tour...this was something completely different.
Amazing that a band after their most successful release at the very peak of their popularity, would decide to take a very different approach on the follow-up.. and wildly succeed. Signals was nothing like anything they had done previously. I was a bit shocked at first, being a huge fan of the classic 70s Rush, but it grew on me very quickly and it still stands head to head with their greatest albums. People wbo complain about keyboards have far too many preconceptions about rock. Geddy's keyboard work on Signals created an amazing, full, chordal pallet of sound and still using much of tbe analog synths played jn real time. It was a much warmer, more human sound than we were hearing from them in tbe mid-late 80s. Signals was living proof that real musicians can cross over from genre to genre, can explore completely new territory without missing a step or commiting professional suicide.
@@markjohnson4217 The keyboards, at some point, maybe around Power Windows, did get to be too much. Geddy, by his own admission, is not a keyboard player. He's no Rick Wakeman, that's for sure. It was Rupert Hine that told them to go back to being a power trio, because they lost something crucial in all the keyboards. Even Alex was getting mad with all the synths taking up his space. Fortunately, they gave their collective heads a shake and went back to the sounds that made them great.
As for first Rush song I ever heard, I know I saw the Tom Sawyer, Limelight and Vital Signs videos on MTV in late '82 but Signals was already out so know I saw the Subdivisions and Countdown videos in late '82 and early '83 too. We got MTV in August 1982 in Atlanta and I watched it every single day for at least a year or 18 months. My core friends and I were addicted as 13-14 yr olds. Great video! Webb in ATL
I was 15 years old and a school band drummer when this album dropped in my very first concert was this tour. My life changed that night. I was lucky enough to see them another 14 times through the years.
First ever concert in my life was Rush on the Signals tour. I was 15 years old. The Jon Butcher Axis band opened for them. That was back in March 1983. Seeing Neil's huge red Tama drum set up close was incredible.
Attended the majority of the uk dates on the Signals tour,maybe only missing one.Those were the days when you sent off for tickets in the post,and amazingly I got front row seats for a couple of gigs.That tour was most memorable for me when my friends and I were able to get autographs on two successive nights from all three members after Wembley arena concerts.After waiting outside behind the fence after the gigs,ten or twenty of us were escorted backstage and looked in amazement when Rush came walking out ,sitting behind a table while we streamed by.I’m not too starstuck in general,but those guys are the exception. I’ll never forget that time.
My formative years. I turned 13 right after Signals released. I heard Tom Sawyer first in 6th grade. I didn't have MTV at home but they did a concert on MTV while I was at my grandparents late fall 1981. I couldn't stay up to watch but it was simulcast on FM radio so I taped it and that's where I heard Freewill, Red Barchetta and so on. Bought Exit Stage Left vinyl that weekend, Moving Pictures cassette next and that next summer of 1982 I used lawn mowing earnings to buy most of the back catalog. Signals came out when I entered 8th grade. I liked it but didn't like it as much then. Many years later I sometimes consider it to be the best. Didn't see them live until Power Windows tour age 16 at which point it wasn't cool but yet it was terrific to experience with another Rush fan. I never got into any other hard rock or metal. This set the bar high for quality of music I prefer. And now my adult son has similar tastes and appreciation.
I was at this show, my first Rush concert! I was 16. I will never forget seeing Neil in person, a transformative moment in my life. I would go on to see them once or twice each tour through R40. RIP Neil, your mark on my life was significant. Rush has always been the music of my life…thank Alex, Geddy and Neil!
wow sounds like we caught the bug at that same time! I had seats pretty close to the stage but was on the right side so I could see geddy and neil really good. When neal did that interlude in the trees (I had never heard the song before then) I was in another world. It is still in my top 10 concerts I've ever been to.
Nice live effect during Countdown was, during the liftoff on the video screen, plumes of smoke shooting out of the screen on both sides. Great song, highly underrated.
I was 17 in 1982 and had just started going to concerts. My first was in the spring of 1982 and it was the Foreigner Four Tour in OKC, Bryan Adams was the warm-up. In 1982 Queen was touring “Hot Space” ( what would become their last North American tour with Freddy Mercury) at the same time Rush was touring “Signals”. I saw Queen w/Billy Squire on Aug. 30th 1982 and Rush w/Rory Gallagher on Sept. 17 1982. Both in Denver at McNichols Sports Arena. Both shows were absolutely amazing and it was definitely the most memorable 18 day period of my life.
Wow! Queen on that last tour with Freddie, how cool! I saw Billy Squier headline at McNichols probably about a year after that, believe it or not Def Leppard was opening.
@@audiomover I absolutely loved Billy Squire! He was far and away the best opening act I have ever seen, Queen was probably the only band he could have opened for because he most likely would have upstaged anyone else.
So much respect for this band for putting out Signals following Moving Pictures, not just doing the safe thing, riding the wave and putting out Moving Pictures 2.0. They never stopped growing, learning, experimenting and never compromised artistic freedom. Doing the safe, marketable thing is what kills most bands. That being said, I wish they'd've re-recorded Signals decades later and put the GUITARS back up front where they belong! Alex is dark, heavy and haunting on Subdivisions but you can hardly hear it. And replace the melodic lines on Countdown with guitars on a single-coil Strat instead of keys and it would sound better.
I remember buying this cassette. I started listening to it on my Walkman, lol, and I was a little disappointed at first. However, I then loved it. Subdivisions is a great song. They played that song when I saw them here in Jacksonville, FL in 2008. I'm 58. I'm old, lol!
if you asked me which rush album i listen to most, it is signals.. i remember the day it came out.. yes, 2112 and moving pictures are more heavy, but something about subdivisions and losing it . i hear songs off moving pictures almost every day on radio, it kind of burns me out what amazing songs .on signals. i can relate to the words..i was such a nerd. now i found A FRIEND
I saw Rush several times in the early 1980s. They were young and on fire - and for me, at the peak of their powers. Signals remains one of my very favourite albums.
My first tour. Saw them about 50 times after this. I have the Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs Original Master Recording 24k Gold disc, and it's just incredible to listen to. It has a different version of Digital Man on it. I think an extra verse if i recall correctly. My favorite recorded drum sound overall.
I believe I saw this tour in Radio City Music Hall in New York City. I can't remember the opening band. I was going through a lot of life changes at the time. I was about 22, had come out and moved out to live with my new partner, and everything was such a blur. I loved the album at the time, though it has moved down my list over the years. I rate it in the upper half of their albums. The five albums preceding it (2112 through Moving Pictures) had each sounding new and different. Each one had its own unique style or sound to it, but each one still sounded like they had been doing that style all along. It was a streak of brilliance. Signals sounded a bit experimental though. It sounded like they wanted to try some new things and wanted to see where they could go. Before, it felt like they knew what they wanted. Here it felt like they were wondering what they could do. It sounds like even Terry Brown wasn't quite sure what they were going for. I still like the album very much. I just don't think it hit the highs that the previous five hit.
Radio City was the Grace Under Pressure warm up tour. This was in September of 1983 with Marillion opening. They played at Madison Square Garden with Rory Gallagher about 9 months earlier. December 2nd & 3rd 1982. I was at both shows.
The first time I ever saw RUSH was during the earlly days of HBO when movies had start times. In between films there were various music videos and film shorts. It had to be around 1978. I was waiting for a movie to start. But right before the film. This mysterious three piece band with alot of gear onstage started playing. It was the video for The Trees. I didn't know if I liked or not. I was 10 and still a huge KISS fan. Never saw that video again until here on UA-cam. And yes I did see the Signals tour. Once again at The Boston Gardens. The opening act was a Canada band Wrabit. Maybe spelt with two B's. A bad name. I don't recall how good they were and own their album. I couldn't tell you if it was good. It's probably on Spotify. I saw RUSH every year up until Hold Your Fire. I only went because a buddy had a extra ticket. I was kinda done with them. It was extra special the HYF tour for Boston fans. It was that very album and only album that had another vocalist singing on one of their albums. Boston's very own Aimee Man from Til' Tuesday. She didn't appear in person. When her part came in she appeared on the big video behind the band. The crowd went nuts. The last time I saw Rush was Snakes and Arrows tour. I was already a big fan again.
Top 5 in the Rush studio releases for me. Pissed that the 40th anniversary release still isn’t available on streaming services iTunes or Spotify.🎹🎸🥁🎤First tour I got to see was 1984’s GUP and they only played Subdivisions, New World Man and The Weapon🤘🖖✌️but later tours they revisited The Analog Kid, Digital Man and finally Losing It on the R40 tour of 2015😳🤯😢
I LOVE Rush. Understatement of the century. Cygnus X-1 was the first Rush song I ever heard. This is why/how I became a drummer, professionally since I was 18. I loved Signals when it came out, but since they 'retired' it's really been born again for me. That and Grace Under Pressure both really speak to me these current days. Rush has always been 'perfection' to me - a constant evolvement since its inception.
It was my 2nd Rush show (1st was M.P.), could only get seats at the extreme back, dead center, of the then Providence Civic Center. I just remember when they played Countdown, the entire building shook from floor to rafters when the footage of the actual liftoff was on the screen. IT WAS AWESOME. I also remember not being bothered one bit by the progression of sound from M.P. to Signals when it came out. Is it a bit dated sounding now? Maybe..but still top 5 in their catalogue.
This was the tour I wanted a live album from, and the biggest disappointment by far of the 40th anniversary version of the Signals CD was the lack of a concert recording, unlike many of the prior albums of the 40th anniversary series. Allegedly there is no complete concert recording of acceptable quality, but I think even a composite recording would have been far preferable to what we got.
Saw them on this tour in New York City. They came around with Rory Gallagher. I only knew he was a guitarist at the time and not much more but glad I got to see him. As for Rush…I loved Signals,even though they were more keyboard friendly the songs were fantastic. Subdivisions,Digital Man and Analog Kid were fantastic. I remember it being such a great show. It was one of many Rush shows I would attend. Just about 10 months later I’d catch them again,this time at Radio City with Marillion (who were booed !!!!) but I quite enjoyed. This was the Grace Under Pressure warm up tour.
I know in the US they opened the show with Spirit of the Radio, Tom Sawyer, Freewill in that order. Unbelievable start. I also remember them coming on stage with the “3 blind mice” song playing. Funny.
Still have this beauty on vinyl, man, the lyrics,..'Subdivisions' alone is a spectacular observation of social engineering and behavior, and then the wonderful 'Analog Kid'. to the 'Digital Man',...the modern synth sound... RUSH just knew how to make the transition into the '80's so naturally without losing their power and essence ,.the song structures , The vocal range and melody's Geddy used, more of Neil's brilliant lyrics ,and Alex's sound was so fleshy and atmospheric yet controlled , organised , gutsy and bighting , his solo's /breaks are just perfect for every song, flowing perfectly from the first song to the last, ..and when it came to 'Losing it',..yep, I had indeed lost it on this record ,...mind blown.
I saw the Signals show in Charleston W.V. With John Butcher Axis as the opening act. I remember the Screen with the cover of the Moving Pictures album coming to life. With the movers carrying the pictures up the steps. This blew me away,as I assumed that it was just a backdrop. Video screens were not as common at this time. I remember it was an awesome experience though my memory is a bit fuzzy. It being so many years ago. I remember Geddy having the small keyboard setup with the rest of his rig. I didn’t feel that it was overused.But mostly played during the intro to the new material. Very happy to have been able to see them at what I feel was the peak of their success.
Subdivisions was what got me into Rush. I loved the melodic sound of the synths on this song. Like you said Signals was released Sep 9, 1982 but I didn't notice Subdivisions playing on the radio until right around Thanksgiving of '82. The synth sound and the drums (especially that ride cymbal) is what really caught my interest. I thought "Who are these guys?" Oh, the same band who brought you Tom Sawyer! Cool! I was in 10th grade when all this happened and a buddy of mine educated me on album releases and upcoming tours. You mean we can see these guys play live! We must go! March 23, 1983 at The Omni in Atlanta, GA was my very first concert and it was Rush on the Signals tour, still have the ticket stub. I'm pretty sure Jon Butcher was the opening act. Rush fan for life after that. Was fortunate to see them 12 times after that.
Holy crap DNR...I was at that show too in the Omni as a 13yr old. Was completely blown away. Had just become a Rush fan in early 82 after seeing the 3 videos from MP on MTV occasionally. Had my first real drum kit in early '83 and was learning how to play a lotta songs on the radio. Neil became my instant inspiration and hero. Have been a Rush fanatic ever since and saw every tour to the end in 2015...14X total. Rock on! Webb in ATL
Hi Robert! Thanks for posting this video - the Signals album is near and dear to me because this was the first Rush tour that I saw. I became a fan around the time of Hemispheres but after Signals I became a Rush fanatic, and have been (more or less!) to this date. Most Rush fans wanted Alex to be in his usual place in front of the mix, but the band wanted to turn everything on its head, having achieved everything they wanted as a three piece power prog trio on Moving Pictures. Signals does sound a bit duller with the drums and guitar further in the mix but the band were exploring new textures and Neil's lyrics were rarely as emotional and straight-forward as on this album. Subdivisions, Losing It, and Analog Kid are extremely affecting, while Chemistry, Digital Man, and New World Man are playful and clever. The entire band plays well, but they were trying to showcase the songs rather than the musicianship. I remember reading a review from a DJ at the local radio station, K-97, who simply wrote that "Rush borrows a chapter from Genesis and makes a whole album from it." Nobody else made that comparison and more accurate than most - this is not the synth-pop album like many people claim. The show was stupendous. In Western Canada where I saw them, I believe a Canadian band, Wrabbit, opened and I don't remember anything from their set after Rush hit the stage. They played every song from Signals, except Losing It, and the video screen was massive. The Countdown and Subdivisions video footage that displayed on the massive screen behind the band can be seen on the music videos for those songs. I was very disappointed when the 40th Anniversary box set omitted any live material from that tour, but I guess the band didn't have access to any great sounding recordings from that tour. Such a shame! I suppose video footage would have really been too much to wish for.
My one and only Rush concert, so sad, was the Signals tour stop in Lakeland FL. Stood among the smashed standing only bodies about 5-6 people from the stage. Legs were in bad shape afterwards, but the experience was so worth it.
Remember the reggae influence drove the Vital Signs verses on Moving Pictures...last song on album was sign of things to come on Signals! VS is in my top 10 Rush songs btw. Webb in ATL
I was at the Toronto show also in November 1982. It was my first time seeing them in concert. Although I do like the whole album, in my opinion it does indeed signal the end of an Era for Rush. They stopped working with their producer, Terry Brown after Signals and somehow the magic was gone after that.
I believe you can find UA-cam video of Alex talking about Rory. I think they opened for Rory early in their career. I saw them twice on this tour, and Rory opened for them both times. RIP to a great Irish blues rocker.
I bought Signals as soon as it came out, but it was with some trepidation. That stemmed from me not caring much for Vital Signs. It's a good song, but it seemed like the poppiest thing they had ever done up to then, and I heard they were pretty enamored with it. Sure enough, Signals had more of a pop feel, but it also had some great stuff on it. I loved Subdivisions, Analog Kid, Losing It, and Countdown. I really liked Digital Man. I still do not like Chemistry. Over the years, the album grew on me, but I definitely saw Signals as a turning point. I am one of many people who find the 80's Rush as their weakest material. I was so happy when I heard Counterparts, as that heralded the end of the synth era.
As for New World Man, that's what made me turn the radio on again. Where I lived, they never got ANY airplay until NWM. I still found the radio to be unbearable crap, but I could tolerate it when Rush was actually in the rotation. I listened on a clock radio in the "sleep mode" because if something too terrible came on, I could turn it off with one hand (whereas the on/off switch required two since sliding that switch would just move the radio across the nightstand). I was a sophomore in college when it came out, and was listening in the dorm on my clock radio with a broken chair leg in my hand (don't ask) when something awful came on. I reached over and slapped the radio with the chair leg, and that took out all the LEDs in the 10's of minutes column except for the two that were needed to light up a one. That sure made it harder to tell time.
I believe you are correct. I remember hearing that several years back in an interview with either Alex or Geddy. I was young when I saw signals tour but I remember at the time asking “who is Rory Gallagher”
This was my 2nd Rush concert on Halloween Night in Evansville IN. 1st being the Moving Pictures, I missed Permanent Waves which is my fav, Signals was a great show with screen behind them play the video you see for the single releases, the album grew on us and I believe it was Gallagher opening I think he opened on MP tour too, after this album is where I fell out of the Rush camp sadly,
@Diesel65-tl3zv The first concert I ever went to I was Rush on the Moving Pictures tour in Evansville. The second was Signals, but I think I saw that one in Nashville.
That’s awesome I saw so many great shows at the Old Roberts stadium and Mesker Amphitheater at the Mesker Zoo growing up in that area in my youth, And maybe that’s a good topic for a video on this channel great concerts in venues that are long gone.
I heard Tom Sawyer at church camp In 1980, I was 12 , not cool yet, the older kids were playing it in our cabin, and they had a suitcase full of drugs and whiskey! I also heard back in Black and other cool stuff but wasn't hip yet, I got hip to killer music in 82! btw, those older kids got busted because they had a secret party up in someone's house up from the camp, and a drunk girl fell and broke her leg really bad, they got sent home , lucky they didn't call the cops on them! Ha ha
Im a massive rush fan but i never really loved signals. I love subdivisions, analog kid, weapon is ok but aside from that it doesnt do a lot for me. Im a bassist so digital man is the best bass song on this album but theres a few songs that feel like filler to me. The band sounds maybe a little less inspired when they wrote this than prior albums. Its not bad it just doesnt move me like other albums do. Power windows as far as synth era is far better imo. I became a fan young but im 48 now so the first new rush album i remember coming out was i think hold your fire, but presto was really the first rush album i remember actually looking forward to when i was 13 or so. I went to the power windows tour when i was 10 lol
They didn’t get it. Rush’s run in the ‘80s, esp “Moving Pictures” thru “Power Windows”, was superb! Then you go back to their ‘70s catalog and it was just mo betta!
@scottydub5785 Many people throughout the years looked at "Moving Pictures" as the final chapter of their heavy period. I was very eager to find out just how far Rush were going after the "Signals" period. I followed that band's music right to the very end.
not only the kids, but the music industry and pop culture didn’t get Rush at that time - Rush in some strange way were the anti-thesis of the 80’s. You’d be lucky to see ten girls at Rush concert back then - the song Subdivisions sums up the Rush fanbase from that period - it wasn’t until the 90’s that Rush really started to make inroads into the pop culture scene.
This album marks the decline of Rush. They became too new wavish, the vocals were gone, and the electronic drum kit just ended it. Each subsequent album got worse and recorded sales reflect that. I just think money made them too comfortable and uninspired. They basically mailed it in.
Absolutely hated it. an 8/10 for Moving Pictures to a 1/10 for his one. Only Subdivisions is memorable and still retains some of the Rush that we knew up to that point. The following 3 albums plumbed the depths even further
August 1976 ,1st album in its entirety . Of course 'Working Man' was the tune . Best concert was December 31,1978 Maple Leaf Gardens . Amazing playlist
The Signals New World Tour was my first ever arena concert. I was 13 and saw them with my best friends at Long Beach Arena in So Cal. Tix were under $11. Golden Earring opened. This album definitely resonated with me and still does to this day. Rush was a positive and powerful influence on me as a kid and still is to this day. I’m grateful to have stumbled upon them. Saw several Rush shows after but will always regret not seeing their last show in LA. RIP, Professor. Thank you Rush.
Thankfully I saw the r40 tour in Buffalo ny. I feel fortunate because at the time we had no idea what would happen 5 years later. I so so miss rush an unspeakable amount.
This Rush album in particular is very dear to my heart. Being 15 and having moved from my hometown being a new student in a new school system in a new town. Being insecure and feeling alienated the song subdivisions really spoke to me. Needless to say things turned out all right. I never got to see rush until the following year when Grace under pressure came out, but I did have a friend of mine who was cool enough to grab me a signals t-shirt. 🙂
I first heard Rush in '81 on MTV. My best friend and I listened to the debut of New World Man in early '82 on Philly's WMMR, host Pierre Robert. Watching the MTV Subdivisions video epitomized my freshman year of high school experience in the fall of '82. Such a poignant song musically and lyrically.
The guitar solos on this album are fantastic.
Definitely , Lifeson is awesome 👌
Supposedly, this is Lifeson's least favorite album, I thought it was off the chain.
Subdivisions has an incredible solo. It has a "mood" if you will.
Dec 6, 1982 Signals show was my first concert ever. Six rows from Geddy Lee. Fantastic experience at the Boston Garden.
There's a bootleg of that show out there... Geddy Lee was complaining about people throwing things in the audience...
@@paulluongo2756 I don't remember that, but it was a long time ago.
I wish i was around when these albums released. I was born in 88 and when i was 12 i borrowed the chronicles album from my dad and was in love. I then asked for rush albums for christmas, birthdays etc. Then i found exit stage left. Incredible. Signals is an album i listen to now, and theres just something about the mashup of synth and rock that sells every song. New world man is incredible. I love the strange reggae part, unfortunately the song is too short. I have to hear it 3 times. Great vid thanks for this.
The greatest band of all time!!!
This was my first Rush tour. I have to say it wasn't until Grace Under Pressure that I was aware of releases. The only thing I had from Rush was moving pictures and Exit Stage Left. I used to listed to side one and two of exit stage left obsessively. I know Rory Gallagher opened but I couldn't tell you any song he did. I took a bus from freeport to chicago and had the worst headache when Rush took the stage. The thing that got me was Broons Bane and The Trees. By the end of the show my headache was gone and I was a changed person. I went home and discovered side 3 of Exit Stage Left and it took me back to the concert. I think I played side 3 for 6 months straight! Ever since that night I had to have the complete Rush collection and I only missed 2 tours since then. Hold your Fire tour and Time Machine Tour. Thanks for the review it really brought back memories.
Signals is one of my favorite Rush albums! I bought on vinyl when it came out, but it was also the very first CD I ever bought, when those became available! To this day I will never forget it: when the album was first being released, my local Washington D.C. Rock radio station, DC101, was having an "Album Release" party at The Bijou, a great Rock club in Georgetown. I didn't have a car then, so I rode my bike from Cabin John all the way to the club (8 miles away), and it was a rainy day. But I got there, and I was very excited to hear the new Rush album! The place was pretty packed, and the vibe was great. The sound system was cranked and the album sounded awesome over the speakers! Songs like "Subdivisions", "Analog Kid" and "Chemistry" were very well received, although I could hear some discussion about Chemistry because of the "New Wave" aspects which are mixed in. But when "Digital Man" played that was when the audience "crossed the Rubicon" with Rush and realized we were all, as Rush fans, entering a new era. That is to say, Digital Man was the perfect mix between what Rush was very well established for -- totally awesome, huge, jamming Hard & Prog Rock -- and what they were becoming in the 1980s, an excellent Prog-New Wave-Rock/Pop-cross over band. The heavy guitar, the crushing bass, and the wicked drums were all there but so was the quasi-Police/Ska changes and synth-Pop breakdowns. Plus, the lyrics were practically "New Romantic", in their exotic nature. So that song made a big impression, and everyone was abuzz with interest and appreciation. After side 1, the DC101 DJ had a break to so some promotional stuff, some giveaways, some trivia games and whatnot. So, there was about a 10-15-minute break in the middle. OK...check this out...the DJ has some people down on the floor, in front of the stage, as they were just involved with some of the crowd-participation games/giveaways that the DJ was just doing. But he had announced that he was continuing with Side 2 of Signals and had started it, as he was still talking. As you know, the song "The Weapon" comes at the beginning of Side 2 and it comes in out of silence...quiet at first...and then you notice it: Neil Peart is playing a Dance rhythm on the bass drum -- a DISCO BEAT -- to start that song! OMG! Everyone stopped and looked down at the floor-level...a girl was DANCING to a Rush song!!! She just started dancing, as if it were the most natural thing in the world as the song got louder and louder, and you could see people pointing and hear them commenting and reacting all over the room! Then, her boyfriend quickly got her "corralled" (I'm pretty sure she realized that she had become the center of attention and was probably embarrassed) and they walked off the...gulp...dancefloor, and the music continued on, with the room buzzing. Believe me everyone was going, "What the hell was THAT?" Talk about a paradigm-shift! Of course, the song becomes an amazing Prog-Rock/Proto-Techno, epic masterpiece and everyone loved it by the end but that beginning had us all trying to catch up with the new breed! I was in love with the album from the start and I loved all the new sounds and moves the album was making. I was a big Police fan by then and I was getting into New Wave like INXS, Thomas Dolby, Simple Minds, and U2, to name a few. That was a fun time and a great way to experience the new music for the first time!
Yes, I saw the Signals tour. I had seen Rush for the first time as a kid, in December 1977, on the Farewell to Kings tour, and I was hooked! So, I had seen Rush about 6 times by the time of the Signals tour. I lived in Maryland, so we saw them at the Capital Centre in Largo, on November 29th, 1982. I remember we didn't have great seats (upper section on stage-right side), and Rush was using a different sound system then, that was supposed to give a 360-degrees experience, from what I remember. Like, the sound would shift around, spatially, around the arena, so the sound seemed to drop off from time to time and then come back. I remember not being overly happy with that and was confused by it, but I had a great time all the same. One thing that was great about the Signals tour was the set list -- this time, it mostly new stuff, all the "hits" that Rush had on the radio, all lined up one after another! What was great is they started with "Spirit of the Radio" and then seguewayed right into "Tom Sawyer", like a mini medley. When you hear that live it's such a perfect transition. In fact, I looked up the show in Google, just to try to find some details on the show that I had forgotten, and I saw that there is a BOOTLEG recording on UA-cam of that show! So, for the first time, I am relistening to that show, right now! OMG, the guys are rocking it so well and the crowd, which I was a part of, is going nuts! Woo! Awesome! Now, if I could only find a Bootleg recording to the December 3, 1977 show I saw at The Warner Theater, in D.C., on the Farewell to Kings tour! That would be awesome! I have found some recordings of shows around that time, on that tour, but not from that show specifically. Oh well, it's all good! Such memories!
I first saw Rush live on their Hemispheres Tour. I also caught them (twice) during the Permanent Waves Tour. I completely missed the Moving Pictures Tour, but I definitely was determined to see Rush's Signals Tour. The show began with brilliance. The stage was covered by a massive red velvet drape. The drape parted and there it was, Neil Peart's red Tama drum kit. That kit was stunningly beautiful, and it still had all the percussive toys that were used during the Moving Pictures Tour. The show begins with The Spirit of Radio. Alex was wearing a dark red blazer and a skinny tie. And his hair was cut and styled like he was in a New Wave band. Geddy was wearing a suit jacket with the sleeves rolled up, sporting the Miami Vice look before there was Miami Vice. It was a different band. Rush had joined the 80s and was making music like their inspirations, the Police, the Talking Heads, Ultravox... This was definitely not the band that I saw on the Hemispheres Tour...this was something completely different.
Amazing that a band after their most successful release at the very peak of their popularity, would decide to take a very different approach on the follow-up.. and wildly succeed. Signals was nothing like anything they had done previously. I was a bit shocked at first, being a huge fan of the classic 70s Rush, but it grew on me very quickly and it still stands head to head with their greatest albums. People wbo complain about keyboards have far too many preconceptions about rock. Geddy's keyboard work on Signals created an amazing, full, chordal pallet of sound and still using much of tbe analog synths played jn real time. It was a much warmer, more human sound than we were hearing from them in tbe mid-late 80s. Signals was living proof that real musicians can cross over from genre to genre, can explore completely new territory without missing a step or commiting professional suicide.
@@markjohnson4217 The keyboards, at some point, maybe around Power Windows, did get to be too much. Geddy, by his own admission, is not a keyboard player. He's no Rick Wakeman, that's for sure. It was Rupert Hine that told them to go back to being a power trio, because they lost something crucial in all the keyboards. Even Alex was getting mad with all the synths taking up his space. Fortunately, they gave their collective heads a shake and went back to the sounds that made them great.
As for first Rush song I ever heard, I know I saw the Tom Sawyer, Limelight and Vital Signs videos on MTV in late '82 but Signals was already out so know I saw the Subdivisions and Countdown videos in late '82 and early '83 too. We got MTV in August 1982 in Atlanta and I watched it every single day for at least a year or 18 months. My core friends and I were addicted as 13-14 yr olds.
Great video!
Webb in ATL
I was 15 years old and a school band drummer when this album dropped in my very first concert was this tour. My life changed that night. I was lucky enough to see them another 14 times through the years.
First ever concert in my life was Rush on the Signals tour. I was 15 years old. The Jon Butcher Axis band opened for them. That was back in March 1983. Seeing Neil's huge red Tama drum set up close was incredible.
Attended the majority of the uk dates on the Signals tour,maybe only missing one.Those were the days when you sent off for tickets in the post,and amazingly I got front row seats for a couple of gigs.That tour was most memorable for me when my friends and I were able to get autographs on two successive nights from all three members after Wembley arena concerts.After waiting outside behind the fence after the gigs,ten or twenty of us were escorted backstage and looked in amazement when Rush came walking out ,sitting behind a table while we streamed by.I’m not too starstuck in general,but those guys are the exception.
I’ll never forget that time.
Saw this tour at the Richfield Colosseum outside of Cleveland in November of 1982 and Rory Gallagher was the opening act. And he rocked.
My favorite rush album . So great 👍 👌. I was a fan since permanent waves but signals really sparked my love for rush .
My formative years. I turned 13 right after Signals released. I heard Tom Sawyer first in 6th grade. I didn't have MTV at home but they did a concert on MTV while I was at my grandparents late fall 1981. I couldn't stay up to watch but it was simulcast on FM radio so I taped it and that's where I heard Freewill, Red Barchetta and so on. Bought Exit Stage Left vinyl that weekend, Moving Pictures cassette next and that next summer of 1982 I used lawn mowing earnings to buy most of the back catalog. Signals came out when I entered 8th grade. I liked it but didn't like it as much then. Many years later I sometimes consider it to be the best. Didn't see them live until Power Windows tour age 16 at which point it wasn't cool but yet it was terrific to experience with another Rush fan. I never got into any other hard rock or metal. This set the bar high for quality of music I prefer. And now my adult son has similar tastes and appreciation.
I was at this show, my first Rush concert! I was 16. I will never forget seeing Neil in person, a transformative moment in my life. I would go on to see them once or twice each tour through R40. RIP Neil, your mark on my life was significant. Rush has always been the music of my life…thank Alex, Geddy and Neil!
wow sounds like we caught the bug at that same time! I had seats pretty close to the stage but was on the right side so I could see geddy and neil really good. When neal did that interlude in the trees (I had never heard the song before then) I was in another world. It is still in my top 10 concerts I've ever been to.
Love.signals and the.following three my fav arey
"Analog Kid" was my jam.
I saw rush on the Signals tour.. first song i remember hearing was Working man... Really enjoy your video's
Nice live effect during Countdown was, during the liftoff on the video screen, plumes of smoke shooting out of the screen on both sides. Great song, highly underrated.
I was 17 in 1982 and had just started going to concerts. My first was in the spring of 1982 and it was the Foreigner Four Tour in OKC, Bryan Adams was the warm-up.
In 1982 Queen was touring “Hot Space” ( what would become their last North American tour with Freddy Mercury) at the same time Rush was touring “Signals”.
I saw Queen w/Billy Squire on Aug. 30th 1982 and
Rush w/Rory Gallagher
on Sept. 17 1982.
Both in Denver at McNichols Sports Arena.
Both shows were absolutely amazing and it was definitely the most memorable 18 day period of my life.
Wow! Queen on that last tour with Freddie, how cool!
I saw Billy Squier headline at McNichols probably about a year after that, believe it or not Def Leppard was opening.
@@audiomover I absolutely loved Billy Squire! He was far and away the best opening act I have ever seen, Queen was probably the only band he could have opened for because he most likely would have upstaged anyone else.
So much respect for this band for putting out Signals following Moving Pictures, not just doing the safe thing, riding the wave and putting out Moving Pictures 2.0. They never stopped growing, learning, experimenting and never compromised artistic freedom. Doing the safe, marketable thing is what kills most bands.
That being said, I wish they'd've re-recorded Signals decades later and put the GUITARS back up front where they belong! Alex is dark, heavy and haunting on Subdivisions but you can hardly hear it. And replace the melodic lines on Countdown with guitars on a single-coil Strat instead of keys and it would sound better.
I remember buying this cassette. I started listening to it on my Walkman, lol, and I was a little disappointed at first. However, I then loved it. Subdivisions is a great song. They played that song when I saw them here in Jacksonville, FL in 2008. I'm 58. I'm old, lol!
if you asked me which rush album i listen to most, it is signals.. i remember the day it came out..
yes, 2112 and moving pictures are more heavy, but something about subdivisions and losing it .
i hear songs off moving pictures almost every day on radio, it kind of burns me out
what amazing songs .on signals. i can relate to the words..i was such a nerd. now i found A FRIEND
I saw Rush several times in the early 1980s. They were young and on fire - and for me, at the peak of their powers. Signals remains one of my very favourite albums.
My first tour. Saw them about 50 times after this. I have the Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs Original Master Recording 24k Gold disc, and it's just incredible to listen to. It has a different version of Digital Man on it. I think an extra verse if i recall correctly. My favorite recorded drum sound overall.
I believe I saw this tour in Radio City Music Hall in New York City. I can't remember the opening band. I was going through a lot of life changes at the time. I was about 22, had come out and moved out to live with my new partner, and everything was such a blur. I loved the album at the time, though it has moved down my list over the years. I rate it in the upper half of their albums. The five albums preceding it (2112 through Moving Pictures) had each sounding new and different. Each one had its own unique style or sound to it, but each one still sounded like they had been doing that style all along. It was a streak of brilliance. Signals sounded a bit experimental though. It sounded like they wanted to try some new things and wanted to see where they could go. Before, it felt like they knew what they wanted. Here it felt like they were wondering what they could do. It sounds like even Terry Brown wasn't quite sure what they were going for. I still like the album very much. I just don't think it hit the highs that the previous five hit.
Radio City was the Grace Under Pressure warm up tour. This was in September of 1983 with Marillion opening. They played at Madison Square Garden with Rory Gallagher about 9 months earlier. December 2nd & 3rd 1982. I was at both shows.
My 3rd favorite by them behind Kings and Pictures.
The first time I ever saw RUSH was during the earlly days of HBO when movies had start times. In between films there were various music videos and film shorts. It had to be around 1978. I was waiting for a movie to start. But right before the film. This mysterious three piece band with alot of gear onstage started playing. It was the video for The Trees. I didn't know if I liked or not. I was 10 and still a huge KISS fan. Never saw that video again until here on UA-cam. And yes I did see the Signals tour. Once again at The Boston Gardens. The opening act was a Canada band Wrabit. Maybe spelt with two B's. A bad name. I don't recall how good they were and own their album. I couldn't tell you if it was good. It's probably on Spotify. I saw RUSH every year up until Hold Your Fire. I only went because a buddy had a extra ticket. I was kinda done with them. It was extra special the HYF tour for Boston fans. It was that very album and only album that had another vocalist singing on one of their albums. Boston's very own Aimee Man from Til' Tuesday. She didn't appear in person. When her part came in she appeared on the big video behind the band. The crowd went nuts. The last time I saw Rush was Snakes and Arrows tour. I was already a big fan again.
I got farewell to kings as a birthday present from an uncle shorty after it was released . Part of the reason why I’m so cool .
Top 5 in the Rush studio releases for me. Pissed that the 40th anniversary release still isn’t available on streaming services iTunes or Spotify.🎹🎸🥁🎤First tour I got to see was 1984’s GUP and they only played Subdivisions, New World Man and The Weapon🤘🖖✌️but later tours they revisited The Analog Kid, Digital Man and finally Losing It on the R40 tour of 2015😳🤯😢
I LOVE Rush. Understatement of the century. Cygnus X-1 was the first Rush song I ever heard. This is why/how I became a drummer, professionally since I was 18. I loved Signals when it came out, but since they 'retired' it's really been born again for me. That and Grace Under Pressure both really speak to me these current days. Rush has always been 'perfection' to me - a constant evolvement since its inception.
It was my 2nd Rush show (1st was M.P.), could only get seats at the extreme back, dead center, of the then Providence Civic Center. I just remember when they played Countdown, the entire building shook from floor to rafters when the footage of the actual liftoff was on the screen. IT WAS AWESOME. I also remember not being bothered one bit by the progression of sound from M.P. to Signals when it came out. Is it a bit dated sounding now? Maybe..but still top 5 in their catalogue.
This was the tour I wanted a live album from, and the biggest disappointment by far of the 40th anniversary version of the Signals CD was the lack of a concert recording, unlike many of the prior albums of the 40th anniversary series. Allegedly there is no complete concert recording of acceptable quality, but I think even a composite recording would have been far preferable to what we got.
Saw them on this tour in New York City. They came around with Rory Gallagher. I only knew he was a guitarist at the time and not much more but glad I got to see him. As for Rush…I loved Signals,even though they were more keyboard friendly the songs were fantastic. Subdivisions,Digital Man and Analog Kid were fantastic. I remember it being such a great show. It was one of many Rush shows I would attend. Just about 10 months later I’d catch them again,this time at Radio City with Marillion (who were booed !!!!) but I quite enjoyed. This was the Grace Under Pressure warm up tour.
Love this album! I'm a huge fan of their early 80's new wave-ish music. This one and Grace Under Pressure may be my favorite albums of theirs.
I know in the US they opened the show with Spirit of the Radio, Tom Sawyer, Freewill in that order. Unbelievable start. I also remember them coming on stage with the “3 blind mice” song playing. Funny.
Still have this beauty on vinyl, man, the lyrics,..'Subdivisions' alone is a spectacular observation of social engineering and behavior, and then the wonderful 'Analog Kid'. to the 'Digital Man',...the modern synth sound... RUSH just knew how to make the transition into the '80's so naturally without losing their power and essence ,.the song structures , The vocal range and melody's Geddy used, more of Neil's brilliant lyrics ,and Alex's sound was so fleshy and atmospheric yet controlled , organised , gutsy and bighting , his solo's /breaks are just perfect for every song, flowing perfectly from the first song to the last, ..and when it came to 'Losing it',..yep, I had indeed lost it on this record ,...mind blown.
I saw the Signals show in Charleston W.V. With John Butcher Axis as the opening act. I remember the Screen with the cover of the Moving Pictures album coming to life. With the movers carrying the pictures up the steps. This blew me away,as I assumed that it was just a backdrop. Video screens were not as common at this time. I remember it was an awesome experience though my memory is a bit fuzzy. It being so many years ago. I remember Geddy having the small keyboard setup with the rest of his rig. I didn’t feel that it was overused.But mostly played during the intro to the new material. Very happy to have been able to see them at what I feel was the peak of their success.
Subdivisions was what got me into Rush. I loved the melodic sound of the synths on this song. Like you said Signals was released Sep 9, 1982 but I didn't notice Subdivisions playing on the radio until right around Thanksgiving of '82. The synth sound and the drums (especially that ride cymbal) is what really caught my interest. I thought "Who are these guys?" Oh, the same band who brought you Tom Sawyer! Cool! I was in 10th grade when all this happened and a buddy of mine educated me on album releases and upcoming tours. You mean we can see these guys play live! We must go! March 23, 1983 at The Omni in Atlanta, GA was my very first concert and it was Rush on the Signals tour, still have the ticket stub. I'm pretty sure Jon Butcher was the opening act. Rush fan for life after that. Was fortunate to see them 12 times after that.
Holy crap DNR...I was at that show too in the Omni as a 13yr old. Was completely blown away. Had just become a Rush fan in early 82 after seeing the 3 videos from MP on MTV occasionally. Had my first real drum kit in early '83 and was learning how to play a lotta songs on the radio. Neil became my instant inspiration and hero. Have been a Rush fanatic ever since and saw every tour to the end in 2015...14X total. Rock on!
Webb in ATL
Hi Robert! Thanks for posting this video - the Signals album is near and dear to me because this was the first Rush tour that I saw. I became a fan around the time of Hemispheres but after Signals I became a Rush fanatic, and have been (more or less!) to this date. Most Rush fans wanted Alex to be in his usual place in front of the mix, but the band wanted to turn everything on its head, having achieved everything they wanted as a three piece power prog trio on Moving Pictures.
Signals does sound a bit duller with the drums and guitar further in the mix but the band were exploring new textures and Neil's lyrics were rarely as emotional and straight-forward as on this album. Subdivisions, Losing It, and Analog Kid are extremely affecting, while Chemistry, Digital Man, and New World Man are playful and clever. The entire band plays well, but they were trying to showcase the songs rather than the musicianship. I remember reading a review from a DJ at the local radio station, K-97, who simply wrote that "Rush borrows a chapter from Genesis and makes a whole album from it." Nobody else made that comparison and more accurate than most - this is not the synth-pop album like many people claim.
The show was stupendous. In Western Canada where I saw them, I believe a Canadian band, Wrabbit, opened and I don't remember anything from their set after Rush hit the stage. They played every song from Signals, except Losing It, and the video screen was massive. The Countdown and Subdivisions video footage that displayed on the massive screen behind the band can be seen on the music videos for those songs.
I was very disappointed when the 40th Anniversary box set omitted any live material from that tour, but I guess the band didn't have access to any great sounding recordings from that tour. Such a shame! I suppose video footage would have really been too much to wish for.
My one and only Rush concert, so sad, was the Signals tour stop in Lakeland FL. Stood among the smashed standing only bodies about 5-6 people from the stage. Legs were in bad shape afterwards, but the experience was so worth it.
I was there on the March 21st night. Still have my ticket stub showing $11.50. Neil's drums looked awesome.
Remember the reggae influence drove the Vital Signs verses on Moving Pictures...last song on album was sign of things to come on Signals! VS is in my top 10 Rush songs btw.
Webb in ATL
I was at the Toronto show also in November 1982. It was my first time seeing them in concert. Although I do like the whole album, in my opinion it does indeed signal the end of an Era for Rush. They stopped working with their producer, Terry Brown after Signals and somehow the magic was gone after that.
I believe you can find UA-cam video of Alex talking about Rory. I think they opened for Rory early in their career. I saw them twice on this tour, and Rory opened for them both times. RIP to a great Irish blues rocker.
I bought Signals as soon as it came out, but it was with some trepidation. That stemmed from me not caring much for Vital Signs. It's a good song, but it seemed like the poppiest thing they had ever done up to then, and I heard they were pretty enamored with it. Sure enough, Signals had more of a pop feel, but it also had some great stuff on it. I loved Subdivisions, Analog Kid, Losing It, and Countdown. I really liked Digital Man. I still do not like Chemistry. Over the years, the album grew on me, but I definitely saw Signals as a turning point. I am one of many people who find the 80's Rush as their weakest material. I was so happy when I heard Counterparts, as that heralded the end of the synth era.
As for New World Man, that's what made me turn the radio on again. Where I lived, they never got ANY airplay until NWM. I still found the radio to be unbearable crap, but I could tolerate it when Rush was actually in the rotation. I listened on a clock radio in the "sleep mode" because if something too terrible came on, I could turn it off with one hand (whereas the on/off switch required two since sliding that switch would just move the radio across the nightstand). I was a sophomore in college when it came out, and was listening in the dorm on my clock radio with a broken chair leg in my hand (don't ask) when something awful came on. I reached over and slapped the radio with the chair leg, and that took out all the LEDs in the 10's of minutes column except for the two that were needed to light up a one. That sure made it harder to tell time.
Well said.
i have the vinyl - and i loved this album
We saw Rush in L. A. on the Signals album. I think Golden Earring what are the opening band.
Still have it. Bought it as soon as I got paid after it came out.
YYZ was epic on that live album
Rory Gallagher... what a strange opener for Signals-era Rush.
Yes I remember as well. My first concert Signals tour December 1982 MSG. I was hooked after that.
I believe they opened for Rory early in their career. Alex was a fan and friend of Rory.
I believe you are correct. I remember hearing that several years back in an interview with either Alex or Geddy. I was young when I saw signals tour but I remember at the time asking “who is Rory Gallagher”
This was my 2nd Rush concert on Halloween Night in Evansville IN. 1st being the Moving Pictures, I missed Permanent Waves which is my fav, Signals was a great show with screen behind them play the video you see for the single releases, the album grew on us and I believe it was Gallagher opening I think he opened on MP tour too, after this album is where I fell out of the Rush camp sadly,
@Diesel65-tl3zv The first concert I ever went to I was Rush on the Moving Pictures tour in Evansville. The second was Signals, but I think I saw that one in Nashville.
That’s awesome I saw so many great shows at the Old Roberts stadium and Mesker Amphitheater at the Mesker Zoo growing up in that area in my youth, And maybe that’s a good topic for a video on this channel great concerts in venues that are long gone.
This tour cost was a $12.50 ticket in Chicago
I heard Tom Sawyer at church camp In 1980, I was 12 , not cool yet, the older kids were playing it in our cabin, and they had a suitcase full of drugs and whiskey! I also heard back in Black and other cool stuff but wasn't hip yet, I got hip to killer music in 82! btw, those older kids got busted because they had a secret party up in someone's house up from the camp, and a drunk girl fell and broke her leg really bad, they got sent home , lucky they didn't call the cops on them! Ha ha
I would say Signals was their last great album.... Once they dropped Terry Brown as their producer they were really never the same.......
Im a massive rush fan but i never really loved signals. I love subdivisions, analog kid, weapon is ok but aside from that it doesnt do a lot for me. Im a bassist so digital man is the best bass song on this album but theres a few songs that feel like filler to me. The band sounds maybe a little less inspired when they wrote this than prior albums. Its not bad it just doesnt move me like other albums do. Power windows as far as synth era is far better imo.
I became a fan young but im 48 now so the first new rush album i remember coming out was i think hold your fire, but presto was really the first rush album i remember actually looking forward to when i was 13 or so. I went to the power windows tour when i was 10 lol
The thing I remember the most about this period were the kids who began saying, "Rush sucks!". It's like they didn't get it.
They didn’t get it. Rush’s run in the ‘80s, esp “Moving Pictures” thru “Power Windows”, was superb!
Then you go back to their ‘70s catalog and it was just mo betta!
@scottydub5785 Many people throughout the years looked at "Moving Pictures" as the final chapter of their heavy period. I was very eager to find out just how far Rush were going after the "Signals" period. I followed that band's music right to the very end.
@ hear hear, my man…I personally think of “Exit Stage Left” as the close of their first chapter and beginning of a great second act in the ‘80s
@scottydub5785 I enjoyed every phase of Rush's discography. Not once was I ever disappointed.
not only the kids, but the music industry and pop culture didn’t get Rush at that time - Rush in some strange way were the anti-thesis of the 80’s. You’d be lucky to see ten girls at Rush concert back then - the song Subdivisions sums up the Rush fanbase from that period - it wasn’t until the 90’s that Rush really started to make inroads into the pop culture scene.
I **HATED** (and I cant emphasize that enough) the synthy Rush sound. That said I have learned to appreciate it more recent years.
This album marks the decline of Rush. They became too new wavish, the vocals were gone, and the electronic drum kit just ended it. Each subsequent album got worse and recorded sales reflect that. I just think money made them too comfortable and uninspired. They basically mailed it in.
Absolutely hated it. an 8/10 for Moving Pictures to a 1/10 for his one. Only Subdivisions is memorable and still retains some of the Rush that we knew up to that point. The following 3 albums plumbed the depths even further
August 1976 ,1st album in its entirety . Of course 'Working Man' was the tune . Best concert was December 31,1978 Maple Leaf Gardens . Amazing playlist
Seen the tour with Golden earring opener