I've just bought 40th anniversary of moving pictures, again. I decided to listen to Rush albums, PW, Presto, RTB and HYF. Still love these albums, I can listen to all without skipping a track, even tai shan. Fantastic albums. I saw rush for the 1st time on HYF tour, still got the tour program, they were amazing
As a RUSH fan, never had a problem with "Hold Your Fire". It was a sign of the times. Fun to try to drum along to. I do like "Prime Mover", very underrated song.
I honestly just love hearing people talk about albums like this despite their opinion about said album. This one in particular as I am a big fan of this album along with Power Windows and even Show Of Hands. I play the CDs on repeat often overnight and have for 20+ years or so now. Perfect mood music when indeed you are in said mood. Edit: I also don't have a problem with Tai Shan, fits with the album's vibe perfectly for me.
Didn't think much of it when it was new (I was into the 70s stuff then), but it's one that I'd reach for before most of those these days. It's aged well.
I've just begun watching this. I'm five minutes in. First, I want to say that I love this album! Is there a meh track or two. Sure, but it's a strong album overall. Second, about Time Stand Still specifically (Warning: You cannot undo this connection once you read it), I've always jokingly thought of it as a jingle for a Big Red commercial. It's a great song. I love it. It's lyrics like, "Freeze this moment a little bit longer. Make each sensation a little bit stronger." that really drive the Big Red connection home. Being a fan of new wave music, I quite enjoy the synth drenched albums unlike many Rush fans. I'd personally give this album about an 8 out of 10. Not quite as good as Grace Under Pressure, but still pretty darn good.
I look at Hold Your Fire and Power Windows as their self-help albums. Good tunes with Geddy steering them in unique directions. I love them and enjoy the fact that Rush didn't just do the same thing over and over again.
Great episode with great guests with great opinions ! Rush is my favorite band of all time ! I bought Hold Your Fire at age 18 the first day of its release. It took me 15 years too really appreciate that album ! At 52 years old now , I give it a 7.5 out of 10 ! I really like Open Secrets , Lock and Key , Mission and Turn the Page. I skip Time Stand Still (not Tai Shan) because I heard it too much on the radio....but great lyrics !
Back in the day, Hold Your Fire was the soundtrack to my hacker life. I didn’t know who Brian Eno was at that point, but later I would completely appreciate is notion of ambient music not needing to change moods from song to song. Hold Your Fire was this amazing album that retained a mood/tone that you could just code to. I know it’s down on the list for most Rush fans, but I rank it higher given the context that I played it most often. Oh, the days of The Wall BBS on my C64.
Hold Your Fire is a decent album. Rush adapted and faired pretty well throughout the 80s. They started the first half of the decade on fire with Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, Exit... Stage Left, Signals, and Grace Under Pressure. Those are all good to great albums imo. The second half of the decade wasn't as strong but still good.
Always enjoyed Hold Your Fire from the moment it came out. Force Ten and Turn the Page have loads of energy, Mission has a great lyrical vision, there's a lot to enjoy on this one. Solid Rush album.
I totally agree.....these were the really strong offerings on the album. Not a bad album at all! For me, Mission is one of their very best songs. It is one of Geddy's favorites as well.
I had heard of but never heard or seen Rush for years. My first exposure was the video for Time Stand Still and I thought "This is that band? Pretty mild." Now they're my favorite band and I love the album.
Have always liked Hold Your Fire. It was the first Rush album I bought when it came out. Back catalogue I already knew at the time and loved also the 80's albums a lot. Rush has been one my favorites ever since the mid 80's. Any Rush album is a good/great album. Simple as that. :)
I don’t understand the hate on this record. I know it’s not as heavy as some records and Alex is not prominent as usual but still quality songs. I think it has aged well, it’s a grower. This was the first tour I saw them on so I have a soft spot for it. I would give it a 7/10.
Love HYF. I was 16 when it came out. Listened to it everyday. Still listen to it on the regular. 10/10 I don’t think the “experts” realize that Neil had a 6 in. long, thick RAT TAIL! Alex definitely had the best hair. I mean it was the 80’s. All of their hair makes sense.
I had this album on cassette. I acquired it from my grandpa's deceased wife's collection. This was around the time I was starting to get into Rush, around 1991-1992. I honestly did not think much of this album when I first heard it. However, a couple years later I bought A Show of Hands which had many of the same songs like Force Ten, Mission, etc. and I really dug them which made me go back to this album. I wondered how I missed these songs the first time because I ended up really like them including Prime Mover - it went completely under the radar. Its acquired taste and listening. This is a good album. Not as bad as many fans say it is but I completely understand the sentiment to completely dislike it: 7/10
Prime Mover and Turn The Page are two of Rush's most underrated songs. But I rate the album probably a 7 out of 10 only because of the 80s production. However, Rush HAD to adapt to the 80s sound in order to survive. I think they did it gracefully and honorably, overall.
Just watched the show.i love this album.i know people who hated this album back in the day.cant see why myself. Lock and key is a killer track probably one of Neil's finest studio performances. Totally amazin
My favourite Rush album. My introduction was Spirit of Radio, I had every Rush album by the time Moving Pictures came along. Power Windows nearly lost me - too clinical sounding. Bought the Time Stand Still 12" as a trial, loved it and HYF was the first Rush album I didn't buy on vinyl first - I went straight to CD & never regretted it. Mission is my absolute favourite Rush song and I think this album has some of Neils best & most human lyrics - along with Counterparts
Every Rush album release was much anticpated from the first time I heard AFtK on the day it came out + my first time listen to the studio version of 2112 on the same day (all I had was the live album... I had not heard any Rush studio tracks prior to other than In The Mood... because it was on A.M. radio regular airplay) I loved how each album was a progression.... loved how they never repeated themselves.... loved it when they explored new directions. HYF was no exception..... I did not dislike the album... although enjoying it did not come easy. (and some of I've never liked) Force Ten, Lock And Key and Turn The Page were all strong Rush tracks (still are) .... I really liked Second Nature, Prime Mover and Mission a lot as well. Open Secrets and High Water are a bit of a snooze ... not horrid... but I tend to skip them. And as for "the hit" .... no I didn't really enjoy Time Stands Still.... still don't. It's like Open Secrets and High Water ..... they never go in my Rush long airplane flight playlist.... and they never will. And that just leaves .... that song ....... Tai Shan. Yes.... it was crap then.... its still crap now..... it will forever maintain its place in the "Rush Trilogy of Song Turds" (joining Rivendell and Madrigal in that trip of blech) Rate it out of 10????? .... 3 great songs + 3 very good songs + 2.5 listenableable songs and 1 pos song = .... the album is a 6-7.... no higher. It ranks in Rush's bottom 5 along with Roll The Bones, Caress Of Steel, the Debut and Presto. That being said.... Rush's worst albums are still better than all other band's best albums. The balance can sometimes fail -- Strong emotions can tip the scale --
This is a misunderstood and maligned album. I love the lush production, the cinematic scope and the emotional lyrics. Thank goodness Rush tried something different and didn’t try to re-create the same album over and over. Time Stand Still and Prime Mover are in my top 10.
Agree 100 %. Lush is a word I’ve used to describe these 4 albums. There are only two songs I don’t really like, but the rest a really catchy, lyrically strong and of course with great musicianship.
As an 80s kid that was fully into Rush when this was released, I was initially disappointed with HOLD YOUR FIRE but probably because POWER WINDOWS was and still is one of my favorites of theirs and this wasn't on that level for me. However it slowly grew on me and I can accept it on it's own terms. Not a bad song on the album but not any great ones, although Prime Mover and High Water are very good. I give it 7.6/10
In my opinion the first 2 tracks are excellent.. and there’s at least 5 other goods songs on there.. as usual the musicianship is brilliant, lots of catchy melodies and riffs throughout, relatively intelligent lyrics, etc.. more radio-friendly sound than a lot of older Rush material.. but yes, a very polarizing album 😷..some old-school Rush fans rejected it as crap… On the otherhand, Rush sold out Madison Square Garden on the “Hold Your Fire” tour ,as well as the arena in my town (Atlanta) ..they headlined arenas all over North America and UK in 1987-88.. My brother went to the show and said it was phenomenal.. as far as I know the album went gold, which is a good achievement.. personally i like Hold Your Fire better than any of the 90’s Rush albums… cheers 🍻
Good show folks, Tim and I are the same age by the sounds of it and I remember being 13 also when this album came out. I got the cassette for Christmas of '87 and I remember not wanting to hurt my parents feelings when I opened it. lol I wasn't really into Rush at the time but I did like a few of the songs, I like Time Stand Still, it is just a good progressive pop song, very catchy and Aimee Mann did an excellent job too. Some of the songs are pretty good, some aren't, just a matter of personal choice I guess. I hear what Joe is saying, I'm more of a hard rock guy BUT I'm with Dawn, Tim and the rest of the panel, when it comes to actually enjoying some of it, it's grown on me over the years a little.
Reading the comments, I see the same sad problem that I see both in other videos and in their comment section. People like everything about prog rock bands except the fact that they actually progress! Every great band progresses over time. You cannot expect every album by a band to sound like the ones they released a decade or two earlier. It's just not going to happen with a great band. So, stop disliking a band just because they did not take the direction you thought they should have taken and enjoy their musicianship. That's what counts. And Rush's musicianship on Hold Your Fire is fantastic.
I just bought Signals yesterday based on another Contrarians episode. Am I going to have to buy this one, as well? Keep the videos and recommendations coming! 🤘 I have to work everyday, anyhow. I probably won't go broke ... 😂 😆
@@thecontrarians2438 🤣😂🤣 I rarely fly blind anymore, like I did back in the day at record stores. I generally pre-listen via Spotify. That being said, I bought Abacab without listening, at all.
The album sounds better now to me than it did when it came out. There are some good songs on it but I still don’t prefer to listen to it too often. Tai Shan is unlistenable to me. Signals was great but it opened the door to lesser efforts and a more synth sound - which they stuck with for a while. Grace Under Pressure was good to great - Power Windows is so-so. Moving Pics is tops. Always will be.
I really love this album. The only songs I don’t love are chai tea and the mission. Turn the page is one of my top non 10 minute rush songs. It’s super catchy and lyrically powerful. High water is another great song at the back end of the album.
😁Chai Tea - hahaha - I love it! -- It might seem odd that I feel such contempt for that song because I have been known to insanely tell people to shut up if they make noise while "Rivendell" is playing. "Tai Shan" has fake, soulless music and the lyrics remind me of a self-help guru scam (sorry Neil). "Rivendell" which was inspired by Tolkien has natural, real music and the lyrics actually do allow me to escape the world...where the Dark Lord and all evils/worries cannot go.
@@dawnthechaldean5377 i grew to tolerate tai chi, I mean, I won’t turn it off. The only songs I can’t listen too are dog years and virtuality. The songs up to the choruses are good, but then the choruses kick in and I can’t go on.
Even though Rupert Hine did not produce Signals, Grace Under Pessure, Power Windows and Hold Your Fire, I am pretty sure that he influenced Geddy's vocal style on those albums. I remember reading that somewhere years ago, but cannot remember where.
This was an innovative effort on all fronts and Force Ten + Lock and Key were uncharacteristically not in the same vein as the musical zeitgeist at the time (both are perennial favorites for me), and the inclusion of the monstrously talented Aimee Mann was a great decision, but overall couldn't save the fact that this release suffered from far too much overproduction and ambient keyboard fills making it sound too busy and pretentious. Presto is a far superior album specifically because they filtered it back down to the "power trio" formula that had made them so authentic in the past, and the songwriting remains more relatable when you can hear the nuanced strings, bass and drums instead of the dolby-doom wall of sound caused by pianos, horns and orchestral overdubs (Power Windows did that for me, I didn't need a lite version of that compilation). In the final analysis, I felt that Hold Your Fire was a fine entry in their catalogue of work, but is the least likely album I reach for when profound nostalgia and the need for synthesizers overwhelms me. That honor belongs to Grace Under Pressure, which is a far greater darkhorse considering the exit of Terry Brown as the "comfort" producer of the progressive era, and the first real commercial effort at what they were trying to achieve for the next decade of their careers without him at the studio helm.
Probably the first Rush album where we see CD-era bloat come in. Had it been released a couple of years earlier, Tai Shan easily vanishes and maybe they have to make a decision about Second Nature. I like the other 8, Prime Mover is a bit cheesy. The other seven songs make a really awesome album up there with Permanent Waves which would be in about the same 36 minute length.
This was the first Rush album I ever listened to because my older brother brought it home back then. I was 8 and I hated it. Then he bought Show of hands both the LP and VHS and I got in love with the band. I am with the guy that gave it 3 if I go back to the late 80’s, but now, I’ll probably give it a 6. It’s my least favorite synth era Rush album. That goes to Grace under pressure. “Prime mover” however is one of my favorite Rush songs.
re: hair styles/Miami Vice suits/etc. It was 1987! That is period-correct... I don't see what that has to do with the album review. I'm neutral on the album but enjoy "Time Stand Still"... having the vocalist collaboration was a breath of fresh air
I don’t recall Rush doing Temples from 2112 as overly fast and New Wave. I just watched the Grace Under Pressure concert and Rush played Temples as usual.
I enjoy the album for what it is, but it’s definitely not in my regular Rush rotation. If they just skipped straight to Presto, things might have been a little different. The true dark horse album is Power Windows, without a doubt.
I was already off the Rush bandwagon when this came out so I didn't care for it then. My issue with all post-Signals albums is that I think I would like them more if Terry Brown was producing. The proof is that I liked the HYF songs (and GUP and PW too) a lot better hearing them live on A Show of Hands. I've come to appreciate this album more over time though, especially considering I still can't stand the three albums that followed it. "Mission" is a top ten Rush tune for me. Rating: 6.5
This album is fine. Rush has too good a discography for it to rank really high and it doesn't quite live up to some of the previous 80s records, but looking at the tracklist there are three that are among my favorites overall, and that's Lock and Key, Open Secrets and Time Stand Still. Lifeson was doing interesting stuff all throughout the 80s and these tracks are good examples. Seems like a predictable statement but yeah, the drum performance is quite good here... The synth work doesn't attack you like on Signals and Grace under Pressure but rather envelops you in a pleasant atmosphere... Stuff here reminds me of Losing It from Signals and I'm happy for it, that's a favorite deep cut... I didn't even remember Force Ten was on this so I'm realizing there are a lot more good songs than I remember. I think this album checks out all the boxes for anyone who's into Rush's new wave-ish synth phase. I'd put it above Presto, Power Windows and several of the 90s albums, except for Test for Echo...
You'd put this techno babble bloat over Power Windows, which is unquestionably top to bottom, from the guitar, to bass to drums just simply more refined, more precise, sonically more pleasing based on the technology used to present it and lyrically way, way better and not so twee.. Frankly Test For Echo is better too but whatever. Putting HYF over Power Windows is sacrilege and I'm 99.99% sure the guys who made these records would tell you so too.
the outrage lol ... I don't care... that one doesn't have the three songs I like, it's a math equation for me... This is Rush, not a debuting new wave band, the standard is high either way
@@gabriellarrubia1006 Also, this IS Rush, so why did they do a tune like Time Stand Still? It'd make far more sense as a Stevie Nicks type tune. It's a very sterile pop tune with overt sentiment, it gets people to forgive the bland music because of the lyrical schmaltz.
I hate this record from the bottom of the lake in Lakeside Park. My first and only time seeing Rush was on this tour and all I remember was Geddy saying "Here's another song from our new album" and the extreme boredom. I was only 17 and had no idea they didn't play much from the 70s. If I ever tell you I love this album, shoot me, I'm an imposter.
For the most part I've always liked this album. The songs are good, some like Force Ten and the Mission perhaps great. I think this album overall boasts some of Neil's greatest lyrics. Musically I would agree that it tends to be over produced and too thin due to lack of guitar. I give it a 7 out of 10. Also, gotta remember who Rush's musical heroes were too in order to fully get this album.
8/10 (but I'm slightly biased as I drank the Rush Kool-Aid) Solid Songs: Time Stand Still, Prime Mover, Lock and Key, Mission, Turn the Page Force Ten - I never really got into. Open Secrets - Probably listened this once or twice. I've listened to Tai Shan more. Second Nature - I can deal with it and that's all the "slow" you should have. They should have moved this into Tai Shai slot and threw that away. Tai Shan - Just a mistake for this band and album but they tried it. Plus it's I don't think it's bad per se. High Water- Not regular on my playlist. I had to open up my Music and give it a listen actually. Kind of like a "Territories" part 2. Background: I got into Rush for and around Counterparts. I heard Stick It Out and was like "what's that who's that?" I am a big fan and have all the albums today in 2023. I appreciate almost all of them. I mean the level of musicianship is obviously there. So they are like a band I feel are there is no bad song per se. As they do work on everything until done, which is why there are no b-sides. I should also say I was a drummer (and now an older wannabe drummer). Neil will also be a God to me.
Personally, I love "Hold Your Fire". "Signals" was always disappointing to me (other than "Subdivisions" which is a classic), and "Grace Under Pressure" is my least favourite of all the Rush albums. But "Power Windows" was excellent and "Hold Your Fire" was even better. I could listen to it all day and never get sick of it.
Coming off the hight of synth pop area, Power Windows record which I feel is one of Rush’s finest! It’s hard to out do that one. It’s very comparable to Radio Head releasing Kid A after Ok Computer. 7.5 out of 10 from me!!!
A massively slagged album whose production does it no favors but was somewhat a symptom of the times, but I think there are a lot of very good songs on this album. Frankly it’s a mid tier album for me and I can find a lot to enjoy in it tbh. If only Tai Shan hadn’t made the cut!
My favorite song on here is Prime Mover. I'd give this one a 7/10 overall. I'd bump it up to an 8/10 if you took off the last 3 songs, which do nothing for me. The sentiment of the album would've been more consistent if it ended with Mission.
I side with Alex Lifeson, the overly busy synths, thin sonically and too much mid range tonality. I like Rush in full power trio mode and Alex having a strong presense. Time Stand Still is a classic.
I dont rate moving pictures dat high where side 2 is average, and i rate this one higher than most people do, provably top 8, time stand still is one of their best songs, overall 7/10
As an original card carrying Rush fan from 1978 on I was there to behold the awesome power of what Rush recorded during their golden era which culminated in the twin masterpieces Permanent Waves & Moving Pictures. With the release of Signals in 1982 a radical shift in their sound slowly crept in and during the next 5 years I saw everything I loved about the band stripped away until their was almost nothing recognizable. I waited for a return to a hard rock/prog sound that never came and was truly horrified by what I heard in their 1987 album Hold Your Fire. I said it in 1987 and many times since; Hold Your Fire is not just Rush's worst album by far, it is an unlistenable abortion of a rock record. 30+ years later in remains the saddest chapter in Rush history. Fact.
I posted this on another thread- but since we're listening to the same, techno bloat record (Signals is excellent however! lol). It's a weird record. Rush's first real duff and it was a more pronounced "what the fuck is this" feeling at the time. Ged really has a nack for putting together elaborate synth sequences and this record coupled with the production values just feels fake, like modern EDM/Dance stuff. It also has Neil's lyricism starting to take a political turn (if subtle) from the guy who wrote The Trees, when he's not just being twee. Misson for example is more motivational poster than rock tune. Pros: it has a few really strong, underrated tracks like Open Secrets, which might be THE underrated tune in the whole catalog. A few fun drum grooves in there too, like High Water.
I hate when people say the mid-late 80’s era of Rush is bad. You might not like it, but Rush without the 80’s synth era would have been obsolete by the 80’s just like all of those other 70’s hard rock bands. And Grace Under Pressure is better than 2112.
A lot of people think keys/synth are the anthesis to rock but i disagree, i think when used well in the arrangement they can add a lot and i dont usually mind them, except when they are blatantly overbearing
I always thought Mission was the crown jewel of the album. Alex plqys one hell of a beautiful solo. Some guy on a different panel really trashed the song, to my chagrin.
A bottom 5 Rush album for me, but not terrible as I don't believe Rush ever made a terrible album. Less Alex Lifeson was never a good thing. Solos are good though. 6.5 / 10.
Is Hold your Fire the best? No, not really. Is it their worst? Absolutely not. Presto, Roll the Bones, Vapor Trails, Caress of Steel, Snakes and Arrows all worse than this album. I feel this gets a lot of flack from “old school” fans that couldn’t get over the fact that they went synth AND the fact that Thai Shan exists. Thai Shan is so bad, but at least it’s a memorable bad. When was the last time you thought of the bore-fests that are Sweet Miracle, The Larger Bowl, Good News First, or Hersey? Overall. Hold Your Fire is dope. It gets 8/10
Signals and Grace Under Pressure are miles above this album, I don’t agree with Dawn at all. This album is tepid compared to those two albums. Also, Sting has only ever written pop songs even with The Police. Lol.
Join the Contrarians. $3.00 You have many interesting comments and would be able to elaborate more. As for Signals and Grace Under Pressure, on a technical level you are correct. I just prefer the sentimentality of Hold Your Fire. Also, the Sting/Police comment was true in many ways. I suppose they were a pop band in some ways but far more sophisticated musically and lyrically than your run of the mill 80's pop. Again, think about joining the show. 😁
Oh, come on Joe! As I believe Pete Pardo said, even a "bad" Rush album is still a great album. Drop the tough guy metal head thing and listen to as it if were composed by a band you never heard before. Then, tell me if you honestly feel the same way. Speaking as someone who was raised on dance music and enjoys both new wave and prog as well as numerous other genres, I have no problem with synth drenched music. Heck, I like Van der Graaf Generator. To me, they're heavy metal largely without the guitar. Peter Hammill, Hugh Banton and David Jackson are just phenomenal! Guy Evans is great too, but it's the first three that really make VDGG a heavy metal band and though Peter does play guitar, it generally takes a back seat to the other instruments. My point is that it doesn't take heavy guitar to make a great heavy metal band.
Worst album or second to worst album by Rush is Hold Your Fire. I give this one a 2 out of 10. I can't listen to this one all the way in one listen. Way too 80's sounding which i really don't like a lot of this era.
I was a Rush fan since the mid 70s, but this album was the nail in the coffin for me. I didn't listen to them for a very long time after this was released. I give is a 2/10 and this is me being very kind.
Rush is, without question, my favorite band of all time. I still remember in 7th grade my best friend in giving me a cassette of “Moving Pictures” (without the case) and playing it to death. My favorite Rush album is “Presto”. Yes, “Presto”. In 1996, while working at the Quincy, Mass. Patriot Ledger, I got to interview Alex for a preview of their Boston concert that fall. And one of the things he told me was that the band knew they had some songs they could have done better. And I have to believe that “Hold Your Fire” contains many of those songs the band could have done better. To me, “Hold Your Fire” is actually one outstanding double-A side single (or, should have been) of “Force Ten” and “Time Stand Still”, which can stand with Rush’s best songs…And one, eight-song album of songs that are forgettable and should have been left in the studio. “Tai Shan” might be the worst song Rush ever did (R.I.P., Neil, but that lyric “When China sang to me” sounds like something from the pen of 1987 Richard Marx.) Every band has to have a “worst” album, and “Hold Your Fire” is Rush’s. I give it a 2 out of 10. Best hair? Definitely, Alex.
I am also a huge fan of Presto. I bought it on the day it was released. God knows I love the ‘70s Rush, but from a purely song writing perspective, Rush hit their peak between Grace under Pressure and Presto.
The first song (Force Ten) is good. The next song (Time Stand Still) is great (the best on the album). The next song is okay. The next 3 songs are passable. The last 4 songs however have no redeemable qualities at all to me. Had it been a 6-song EP with the songs reshuffled, it would have possibly fared better, but as it stands, it's not a strong album. It really lacks energy and that Rush spark.
What do you rate Rush's Hold Your Fire out of 10?
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I've just bought 40th anniversary of moving pictures, again. I decided to listen to Rush albums, PW, Presto, RTB and HYF. Still love these albums, I can listen to all without skipping a track, even tai shan. Fantastic albums. I saw rush for the 1st time on HYF tour, still got the tour program, they were amazing
As a RUSH fan, never had a problem with "Hold Your Fire". It was a sign of the times. Fun to try to drum along to. I do like "Prime Mover", very underrated song.
Agree, and all of that plus Geddy had a truly legendary mullet. LOL
Lock and Key snuck up on me..
Open secrets… lovely tune with great Alex solo
I honestly just love hearing people talk about albums like this despite their opinion about said album. This one in particular as I am a big fan of this album along with Power Windows and even Show Of Hands. I play the CDs on repeat often overnight and have for 20+ years or so now. Perfect mood music when indeed you are in said mood. Edit: I also don't have a problem with Tai Shan, fits with the album's vibe perfectly for me.
Hey thank you very much! I agree, its interesting hearing 5 people talk about an album with 5 different reactions to it
Didn't think much of it when it was new (I was into the 70s stuff then), but it's one that I'd reach for before most of those these days. It's aged well.
I've just begun watching this. I'm five minutes in. First, I want to say that I love this album! Is there a meh track or two. Sure, but it's a strong album overall. Second, about Time Stand Still specifically (Warning: You cannot undo this connection once you read it), I've always jokingly thought of it as a jingle for a Big Red commercial. It's a great song. I love it. It's lyrics like, "Freeze this moment a little bit longer. Make each sensation a little bit stronger." that really drive the Big Red connection home.
Being a fan of new wave music, I quite enjoy the synth drenched albums unlike many Rush fans. I'd personally give this album about an 8 out of 10. Not quite as good as Grace Under Pressure, but still pretty darn good.
I look at Hold Your Fire and Power Windows as their self-help albums. Good tunes with Geddy steering them in unique directions. I love them and enjoy the fact that Rush didn't just do the same thing over and over again.
Killer point @Dawn about multiple artists doing a similar experiment at the time. I did not know that.
Great episode with great guests with great opinions ! Rush is my favorite band of all time ! I bought Hold Your Fire at age 18 the first day of its release. It took me 15 years too really appreciate that album ! At 52 years old now , I give it a 7.5 out of 10 ! I really like Open Secrets , Lock and Key , Mission and Turn the Page. I skip Time Stand Still (not Tai Shan) because I heard it too much on the radio....but great lyrics !
Hold Your Fire is one of my favorite Rush albums. It is the album where they became my favorite band.
Back in the day, Hold Your Fire was the soundtrack to my hacker life. I didn’t know who Brian Eno was at that point, but later I would completely appreciate is notion of ambient music not needing to change moods from song to song. Hold Your Fire was this amazing album that retained a mood/tone that you could just code to. I know it’s down on the list for most Rush fans, but I rank it higher given the context that I played it most often. Oh, the days of The Wall BBS on my C64.
Hold Your Fire is a decent album. Rush adapted and faired pretty well throughout the 80s. They started the first half of the decade on fire with Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, Exit... Stage Left, Signals, and Grace Under Pressure. Those are all good to great albums imo. The second half of the decade wasn't as strong but still good.
Always enjoyed Hold Your Fire from the moment it came out. Force Ten and Turn the Page have loads of energy, Mission has a great lyrical vision, there's a lot to enjoy on this one. Solid Rush album.
I totally agree.....these were the really strong offerings on the album. Not a bad album at all! For me, Mission is one of their very best songs. It is one of Geddy's favorites as well.
I honestly like this album a lot. I think it's pretty decent, I listen to it more than the debut, and more than anything from the 90s.
I had heard of but never heard or seen Rush for years. My first exposure was the video for Time Stand Still and I thought "This is that band? Pretty mild."
Now they're my favorite band and I love the album.
HYF was the first Rush album I ever bought as a 16 year old in 1987 so I’ve always loved it!
Have always liked Hold Your Fire. It was the first Rush album I bought when it came out. Back catalogue I already knew at the time and loved also the 80's albums a lot. Rush has been one my favorites ever since the mid 80's. Any Rush album is a good/great album. Simple as that. :)
I don’t understand the hate on this record. I know it’s not as heavy as some records and Alex is not prominent as usual but still quality songs. I think it has aged well, it’s a grower. This was the first tour I saw them on so I have a soft spot for it. I would give it a 7/10.
Open Secrets is one of my favorite Rush songs from the 80s. Nice guitar work from Alex.
Love HYF. I was 16 when it came out. Listened to it everyday. Still listen to it on the regular. 10/10
I don’t think the “experts” realize that Neil had a 6 in. long, thick RAT TAIL! Alex definitely had the best hair. I mean it was the 80’s. All of their hair makes sense.
I had this album on cassette. I acquired it from my grandpa's deceased wife's collection. This was around the time I was starting to get into Rush, around 1991-1992. I honestly did not think much of this album when I first heard it. However, a couple years later I bought A Show of Hands which had many of the same songs like Force Ten, Mission, etc. and I really dug them which made me go back to this album. I wondered how I missed these songs the first time because I ended up really like them including Prime Mover - it went completely under the radar. Its acquired taste and listening. This is a good album. Not as bad as many fans say it is but I completely understand the sentiment to completely dislike it: 7/10
Prime Mover and Turn The Page are two of Rush's most underrated songs.
But I rate the album probably a 7 out of 10 only because of the 80s production. However, Rush HAD to adapt to the 80s sound in order to survive. I think they did it gracefully and honorably, overall.
Also, Rush had changed because people change over time. Repeating what they did on earlier albums wouldn't have fit who they were at the time.
Just watched the show.i love this album.i know people who hated this album back in the day.cant see why myself. Lock and key is a killer track probably one of Neil's finest studio performances. Totally amazin
Hold Your Fire is a great album. Listen to it for what it is and don't go in with preconceived notions. Enjoy the music!
😂 experts in the room! 😂😂😂. That’s code for “people with opinions” !
Both Force Ten, Mission and Time Stand Still has always been fan favorites. I think HYF is one of their best albums.
My favourite Rush album. My introduction was Spirit of Radio, I had every Rush album by the time Moving Pictures came along. Power Windows nearly lost me - too clinical sounding. Bought the Time Stand Still 12" as a trial, loved it and HYF was the first Rush album I didn't buy on vinyl first - I went straight to CD & never regretted it. Mission is my absolute favourite Rush song and I think this album has some of Neils best & most human lyrics - along with Counterparts
Open secrets i enjoyed. Lock and key snuck up on me. I will always love time stand still.
Force ten also..
Geddys hair is terrible
Every Rush album release was much anticpated from the first time I heard AFtK on the day it came out + my first time listen to the studio version of 2112 on the same day (all I had was the live album... I had not heard any Rush studio tracks prior to other than In The Mood... because it was on A.M. radio regular airplay)
I loved how each album was a progression.... loved how they never repeated themselves.... loved it when they explored new directions.
HYF was no exception..... I did not dislike the album... although enjoying it did not come easy. (and some of I've never liked)
Force Ten, Lock And Key and Turn The Page were all strong Rush tracks (still are) .... I really liked Second Nature, Prime Mover and Mission a lot as well. Open Secrets and High Water are a bit of a snooze ... not horrid... but I tend to skip them. And as for "the hit" .... no I didn't really enjoy Time Stands Still.... still don't. It's like Open Secrets and High Water ..... they never go in my Rush long airplane flight playlist.... and they never will.
And that just leaves .... that song ....... Tai Shan. Yes.... it was crap then.... its still crap now..... it will forever maintain its place in the "Rush Trilogy of Song Turds" (joining Rivendell and Madrigal in that trip of blech)
Rate it out of 10????? .... 3 great songs + 3 very good songs + 2.5 listenableable songs and 1 pos song = .... the album is a 6-7.... no higher.
It ranks in Rush's bottom 5 along with Roll The Bones, Caress Of Steel, the Debut and Presto. That being said.... Rush's worst albums are still better than all other band's best albums.
The balance can sometimes fail --
Strong emotions can tip the scale --
This is a misunderstood and maligned album. I love the lush production, the cinematic scope and the emotional lyrics. Thank goodness Rush tried something different and didn’t try to re-create the same album over and over. Time Stand Still and Prime Mover are in my top 10.
Agree 100 %. Lush is a word I’ve used to describe these 4 albums. There are only two songs I don’t really like, but the rest a really catchy, lyrically strong and of course with great musicianship.
As an 80s kid that was fully into Rush when this was released, I was initially disappointed with HOLD YOUR FIRE but probably because POWER WINDOWS was and still is one of my favorites of theirs and this wasn't on that level for me. However it slowly grew on me and I can accept it on it's own terms. Not a bad song on the album but not any great ones, although Prime Mover and High Water are very good. I give it 7.6/10
Fantastic album 9/10 for me just behind Signals .
In my opinion the first 2 tracks are excellent.. and there’s at least 5 other goods songs on there.. as usual the musicianship is brilliant, lots of catchy melodies and riffs throughout, relatively intelligent lyrics, etc.. more radio-friendly sound than a lot of older Rush material.. but yes, a very polarizing album 😷..some old-school Rush fans rejected it as crap… On the otherhand, Rush sold out Madison Square Garden on the “Hold Your Fire” tour ,as well as the arena in my town (Atlanta) ..they headlined arenas all over North America and UK in 1987-88.. My brother went to the show and said it was phenomenal.. as far as I know the album went gold, which is a good achievement.. personally i like Hold Your Fire better than any of the 90’s Rush albums… cheers 🍻
Good show folks, Tim and I are the same age by the sounds of it and I remember being 13 also when this album came out. I got the cassette for Christmas of '87 and I remember not wanting to hurt my parents feelings when I opened it. lol I wasn't really into Rush at the time but I did like a few of the songs, I like Time Stand Still, it is just a good progressive pop song, very catchy and Aimee Mann did an excellent job too. Some of the songs are pretty good, some aren't, just a matter of personal choice I guess. I hear what Joe is saying, I'm more of a hard rock guy BUT I'm with Dawn, Tim and the rest of the panel, when it comes to actually enjoying some of it, it's grown on me over the years a little.
thanks for the comment! it’s nice to hear everyone’s different experiences with bands and music
Reading the comments, I see the same sad problem that I see both in other videos and in their comment section. People like everything about prog rock bands except the fact that they actually progress! Every great band progresses over time. You cannot expect every album by a band to sound like the ones they released a decade or two earlier. It's just not going to happen with a great band. So, stop disliking a band just because they did not take the direction you thought they should have taken and enjoy their musicianship. That's what counts. And Rush's musicianship on Hold Your Fire is fantastic.
Well said, mate! Totally agree!
I just bought Signals yesterday based on another Contrarians episode. Am I going to have to buy this one, as well? Keep the videos and recommendations coming! 🤘 I have to work everyday, anyhow. I probably won't go broke ... 😂 😆
haha we should put a disclaimer that we take no responsibility for peoples music purchases 😂
@@thecontrarians2438 🤣😂🤣 I rarely fly blind anymore, like I did back in the day at record stores. I generally pre-listen via Spotify. That being said, I bought Abacab without listening, at all.
Signals is great ! Hold your fire is not .
@@christianhaynes1954 fair warning
Signals is basically Moving Pictures pt.2. It’s a top 10 Rush album of all time. HYF is no where near comparable.
The album sounds better now to me than it did when it came out. There are some good songs on it but I still don’t prefer to listen to it too often. Tai Shan is unlistenable to me. Signals was great but it opened the door to lesser efforts and a more synth sound - which they stuck with for a while. Grace Under Pressure was good to great - Power Windows is so-so. Moving Pics is tops. Always will be.
I really love this album. The only songs I don’t love are chai tea and the mission. Turn the page is one of my top non 10 minute rush songs. It’s super catchy and lyrically powerful. High water is another great song at the back end of the album.
😁Chai Tea - hahaha - I love it! -- It might seem odd that I feel such contempt for that song because I have been known to insanely tell people to shut up if they make noise while "Rivendell" is playing. "Tai Shan" has fake, soulless music and the lyrics remind me of a self-help guru scam (sorry Neil). "Rivendell" which was inspired by Tolkien has natural, real music and the lyrics actually do allow me to escape the world...where the Dark Lord and all evils/worries cannot go.
@@dawnthechaldean5377 i grew to tolerate tai chi, I mean, I won’t turn it off. The only songs I can’t listen too are dog years and virtuality. The songs up to the choruses are good, but then the choruses kick in and I can’t go on.
anything rush.....you got my attention.
This is a great album. I prefer all the 80's album by Rush before the 70's stuff(exept the great first album)and its great songs on Hold Your Fire.
The last Rush album i bought . After that I checked out .
Even though Rupert Hine did not produce Signals, Grace Under Pessure, Power Windows and Hold Your Fire, I am pretty sure that he influenced Geddy's vocal style on those albums. I remember reading that somewhere years ago, but cannot remember where.
This was an innovative effort on all fronts and Force Ten + Lock and Key were uncharacteristically not in the same vein as the musical zeitgeist at the time (both are perennial favorites for me), and the inclusion of the monstrously talented Aimee Mann was a great decision, but overall couldn't save the fact that this release suffered from far too much overproduction and ambient keyboard fills making it sound too busy and pretentious. Presto is a far superior album specifically because they filtered it back down to the "power trio" formula that had made them so authentic in the past, and the songwriting remains more relatable when you can hear the nuanced strings, bass and drums instead of the dolby-doom wall of sound caused by pianos, horns and orchestral overdubs (Power Windows did that for me, I didn't need a lite version of that compilation). In the final analysis, I felt that Hold Your Fire was a fine entry in their catalogue of work, but is the least likely album I reach for when profound nostalgia and the need for synthesizers overwhelms me. That honor belongs to Grace Under Pressure, which is a far greater darkhorse considering the exit of Terry Brown as the "comfort" producer of the progressive era, and the first real commercial effort at what they were trying to achieve for the next decade of their careers without him at the studio helm.
Probably the first Rush album where we see CD-era bloat come in. Had it been released a couple of years earlier, Tai Shan easily vanishes and maybe they have to make a decision about Second Nature. I like the other 8, Prime Mover is a bit cheesy. The other seven songs make a really awesome album up there with Permanent Waves which would be in about the same 36 minute length.
This was the first Rush album I ever listened to because my older brother brought it home back then. I was 8 and I hated it. Then he bought Show of hands both the LP and VHS and I got in love with the band. I am with the guy that gave it 3 if I go back to the late 80’s, but now, I’ll probably give it a 6. It’s my least favorite synth era Rush album. That goes to Grace under pressure. “Prime mover” however is one of my favorite Rush songs.
She's not wrong. I went to see this tour and was disappointed but still feel this album is an 8 no problem.
re: hair styles/Miami Vice suits/etc. It was 1987! That is period-correct... I don't see what that has to do with the album review. I'm neutral on the album but enjoy "Time Stand Still"... having the vocalist collaboration was a breath of fresh air
I would give this album a strong 8. I like it more than the two that came before it.
I don’t recall Rush doing Temples from 2112 as overly fast and New Wave. I just watched the Grace Under Pressure concert and Rush played Temples as usual.
I enjoy the album for what it is, but it’s definitely not in my regular Rush rotation. If they just skipped straight to Presto, things might have been a little different. The true dark horse album is Power Windows, without a doubt.
John - Really?! You don't like Available Light? I think it's a fantastic song! To each his/her own I guess.
Love this record.
I was already off the Rush bandwagon when this came out so I didn't care for it then. My issue with all post-Signals albums is that I think I would like them more if Terry Brown was producing. The proof is that I liked the HYF songs (and GUP and PW too) a lot better hearing them live on A Show of Hands. I've come to appreciate this album more over time though, especially considering I still can't stand the three albums that followed it. "Mission" is a top ten Rush tune for me. Rating: 6.5
This album is fine. Rush has too good a discography for it to rank really high and it doesn't quite live up to some of the previous 80s records, but looking at the tracklist there are three that are among my favorites overall, and that's Lock and Key, Open Secrets and Time Stand Still. Lifeson was doing interesting stuff all throughout the 80s and these tracks are good examples. Seems like a predictable statement but yeah, the drum performance is quite good here... The synth work doesn't attack you like on Signals and Grace under Pressure but rather envelops you in a pleasant atmosphere... Stuff here reminds me of Losing It from Signals and I'm happy for it, that's a favorite deep cut... I didn't even remember Force Ten was on this so I'm realizing there are a lot more good songs than I remember. I think this album checks out all the boxes for anyone who's into Rush's new wave-ish synth phase. I'd put it above Presto, Power Windows and several of the 90s albums, except for Test for Echo...
You'd put this techno babble bloat over Power Windows, which is unquestionably top to bottom, from the guitar, to bass to drums just simply more refined, more precise, sonically more pleasing based on the technology used to present it and lyrically way, way better and not so twee.. Frankly Test For Echo is better too but whatever. Putting HYF over Power Windows is sacrilege and I'm 99.99% sure the guys who made these records would tell you so too.
the outrage lol ... I don't care... that one doesn't have the three songs I like, it's a math equation for me... This is Rush, not a debuting new wave band, the standard is high either way
@@gabriellarrubia1006 outrage? I don't care either, but Power Windows is obviously better than Hold Your Fire by the longest of long shots
@@gabriellarrubia1006 Also, this IS Rush, so why did they do a tune like Time Stand Still? It'd make far more sense as a Stevie Nicks type tune. It's a very sterile pop tune with overt sentiment, it gets people to forgive the bland music because of the lyrical schmaltz.
I hate this record from the bottom of the lake in Lakeside Park. My first and only time seeing Rush was on this tour and all I remember was Geddy saying "Here's another song from our new album" and the extreme boredom. I was only 17 and had no idea they didn't play much from the 70s. If I ever tell you I love this album, shoot me, I'm an imposter.
tell us how you really feel!
For the most part I've always liked this album. The songs are good, some like Force Ten and the Mission perhaps great. I think this album overall boasts some of Neil's greatest lyrics. Musically I would agree that it tends to be over produced and too thin due to lack of guitar. I give it a 7 out of 10. Also, gotta remember who Rush's musical heroes were too in order to fully get this album.
Honestly, it's Neil's "coming of age" album realizing that time is slipping away. Lyrically it's one of my favorites.
8/10 (but I'm slightly biased as I drank the Rush Kool-Aid)
Solid Songs:
Time Stand Still, Prime Mover, Lock and Key, Mission, Turn the Page
Force Ten - I never really got into.
Open Secrets - Probably listened this once or twice. I've listened to Tai Shan more.
Second Nature - I can deal with it and that's all the "slow" you should have. They should have moved this into Tai Shai slot and threw that away.
Tai Shan - Just a mistake for this band and album but they tried it. Plus it's I don't think it's bad per se.
High Water- Not regular on my playlist. I had to open up my Music and give it a listen actually. Kind of like a "Territories" part 2.
Background: I got into Rush for and around Counterparts. I heard Stick It Out and was like "what's that who's that?" I am a big fan and have all the albums today in 2023. I appreciate almost all of them. I mean the level of musicianship is obviously there. So they are like a band I feel are there is no bad song per se. As they do work on everything until done, which is why there are no b-sides.
I should also say I was a drummer (and now an older wannabe drummer). Neil will also be a God to me.
Personally, I love "Hold Your Fire". "Signals" was always disappointing to me (other than "Subdivisions" which is a classic), and "Grace Under Pressure" is my least favourite of all the Rush albums. But "Power Windows" was excellent and "Hold Your Fire" was even better. I could listen to it all day and never get sick of it.
Digital Man, The Analog Kid, The Weapon, Losing It, New World Man and Countdown didn't do it for you? Tough crowd, man.
@@whiskeycreammedia I’m more shocked by the lack of love for Grace Under Pressure. But hey, you can’t please everyone.
Coming off the hight of synth pop area, Power Windows record which I feel is one of Rush’s finest! It’s hard to out do that one. It’s very comparable to Radio Head releasing Kid A after Ok Computer. 7.5 out of 10 from me!!!
At 25:50 the man with more balls than the album cover
Its much better than presto and roll the bones
A massively slagged album whose production does it no favors but was somewhat a symptom of the times, but I think there are a lot of very good songs on this album. Frankly it’s a mid tier album for me and I can find a lot to enjoy in it tbh. If only Tai Shan hadn’t made the cut!
My favorite song on here is Prime Mover. I'd give this one a 7/10 overall. I'd bump it up to an 8/10 if you took off the last 3 songs, which do nothing for me. The sentiment of the album would've been more consistent if it ended with Mission.
I side with Alex Lifeson, the overly busy synths, thin sonically and too much mid range tonality. I like Rush in full power trio mode and Alex having a strong presense. Time Stand Still is a classic.
I dont rate moving pictures dat high where side 2 is average, and i rate this one higher than most people do, provably top 8, time stand still is one of their best songs, overall 7/10
As an original card carrying Rush fan from 1978 on I was there to behold the awesome power of what Rush recorded during their golden era which culminated in the twin masterpieces Permanent Waves & Moving Pictures. With the release of Signals in 1982 a radical shift in their sound slowly crept in and during the next 5 years I saw everything I loved about the band stripped away until their was almost nothing recognizable. I waited for a return to a hard rock/prog sound that never came and was truly horrified by what I heard in their 1987 album Hold Your Fire. I said it in 1987 and many times since; Hold Your Fire is not just Rush's worst album by far, it is an unlistenable abortion of a rock record. 30+ years later in remains the saddest chapter in Rush history. Fact.
I posted this on another thread- but since we're listening to the same, techno bloat record (Signals is excellent however! lol). It's a weird record. Rush's first real duff and it was a more pronounced "what the fuck is this" feeling at the time. Ged really has a nack for putting together elaborate synth sequences and this record coupled with the production values just feels fake, like modern EDM/Dance stuff. It also has Neil's lyricism starting to take a political turn (if subtle) from the guy who wrote The Trees, when he's not just being twee. Misson for example is more motivational poster than rock tune. Pros: it has a few really strong, underrated tracks like Open Secrets, which might be THE underrated tune in the whole catalog. A few fun drum grooves in there too, like High Water.
I hate when people say the mid-late 80’s era of Rush is bad. You might not like it, but Rush without the 80’s synth era would have been obsolete by the 80’s just like all of those other 70’s hard rock bands. And Grace Under Pressure is better than 2112.
A lot of people think keys/synth are the anthesis to rock but i disagree, i think when used well in the arrangement they can add a lot and i dont usually mind them, except when they are blatantly overbearing
I always thought Mission was the crown jewel of the album. Alex plqys one hell of a beautiful solo. Some guy on a different panel really trashed the song, to my chagrin.
Just skip this chat. And put on 2112.
A bottom 5 Rush album for me, but not terrible as I don't believe Rush ever made a terrible album. Less Alex Lifeson was never a good thing. Solos are good though. 6.5 / 10.
Is Hold your Fire the best? No, not really. Is it their worst? Absolutely not. Presto, Roll the Bones, Vapor Trails, Caress of Steel, Snakes and Arrows all worse than this album. I feel this gets a lot of flack from “old school” fans that couldn’t get over the fact that they went synth AND the fact that Thai Shan exists. Thai Shan is so bad, but at least it’s a memorable bad. When was the last time you thought of the bore-fests that are Sweet Miracle, The Larger Bowl, Good News First, or Hersey? Overall. Hold Your Fire is dope. It gets 8/10
Prime Mover is the best track
Signals and Grace Under Pressure are miles above this album, I don’t agree with Dawn at all. This album is tepid compared to those two albums. Also, Sting has only ever written pop songs even with The Police. Lol.
Join the Contrarians. $3.00 You have many interesting comments and would be able to elaborate more. As for Signals and Grace Under Pressure, on a technical level you are correct. I just prefer the sentimentality of Hold Your Fire. Also, the Sting/Police comment was true in many ways. I suppose they were a pop band in some ways but far more sophisticated musically and lyrically than your run of the mill 80's pop. Again, think about joining the show. 😁
Oh, come on Joe! As I believe Pete Pardo said, even a "bad" Rush album is still a great album. Drop the tough guy metal head thing and listen to as it if were composed by a band you never heard before. Then, tell me if you honestly feel the same way. Speaking as someone who was raised on dance music and enjoys both new wave and prog as well as numerous other genres, I have no problem with synth drenched music. Heck, I like Van der Graaf Generator. To me, they're heavy metal largely without the guitar. Peter Hammill, Hugh Banton and David Jackson are just phenomenal! Guy Evans is great too, but it's the first three that really make VDGG a heavy metal band and though Peter does play guitar, it generally takes a back seat to the other instruments. My point is that it doesn't take heavy guitar to make a great heavy metal band.
Terrible album. Used it as a beverage coaster and fell off the Rush bandwagon. Major disappointment. 0/10
two decent songs. otherwise nothing rock and roll about it.
This and presto for its thin sound we’re always my least fav rush albums and still to this day. They lost the plot for these two.
Worst album or second to worst album by Rush is Hold Your Fire. I give this one a 2 out of 10. I can't listen to this one all the way in one listen. Way too 80's sounding which i really don't like a lot of this era.
I was a Rush fan since the mid 70s, but this album was the nail in the coffin for me. I didn't listen to them for a very long time after this was released. I give is a 2/10 and this is me being very kind.
1 out of 10. I think it's the worst of their albums.
Rush is, without question, my favorite band of all time. I still remember in 7th grade my best friend in giving me a cassette of “Moving Pictures” (without the case) and playing it to death. My favorite Rush album is “Presto”. Yes, “Presto”. In 1996, while working at the Quincy, Mass. Patriot Ledger, I got to interview Alex for a preview of their Boston concert that fall. And one of the things he told me was that the band knew they had some songs they could have done better. And I have to believe that “Hold Your Fire” contains many of those songs the band could have done better.
To me, “Hold Your Fire” is actually one outstanding double-A side single (or, should have been) of “Force Ten” and “Time Stand Still”, which can stand with Rush’s best songs…And one, eight-song album of songs that are forgettable and should have been left in the studio. “Tai Shan” might be the worst song Rush ever did (R.I.P., Neil, but that lyric “When China sang to me” sounds like something from the pen of 1987 Richard Marx.) Every band has to have a “worst” album, and “Hold Your Fire” is Rush’s. I give it a 2 out of 10. Best hair? Definitely, Alex.
The first three albums and clockwork angels are all worse than hold your fire.
I am also a huge fan of Presto. I bought it on the day it was released. God knows I love the ‘70s Rush, but from a purely song writing perspective, Rush hit their peak between Grace under Pressure and Presto.
The first song (Force Ten) is good. The next song (Time Stand Still) is great (the best on the album). The next song is okay. The next 3 songs are passable. The last 4 songs however have no redeemable qualities at all to me. Had it been a 6-song EP with the songs reshuffled, it would have possibly fared better, but as it stands, it's not a strong album. It really lacks energy and that Rush spark.
Terrible album , way too poppy , 3/10 . . .
my least favorite album of rush 4 out of ten
lmao this album is so boring and uninspired. it might be good if it was the only Rush album ever
*nerds*
Sorry bro's, but everything after Moving Pictures = piece of $hit.
don’t be sorry we all like different $hit! 😉
Signals and Grace Under Pressure are great.
@@drummer78 Agreed. Both albums are the perfect blend of Rush meets The Police. New wave reggae-ish prog.