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Epicurus.com - Permanent Waves
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List Price: $11.98
Our Price: $8.97
Your Save: $ 3.01 ( 25% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Island / Mercury
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0073145346302
Format: Original recording reissued
Label: Island / Mercury
Manufacturer: Island / Mercury
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Island / Mercury
Release Date: 1997-05-06
Studio: Island / Mercury
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Editorial Reviews:
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One of Rush's finest moments, second only to Moving Pictures. This album includes two classic songs, "The Spirit of Radio" (which has one of the most recognizable guitar riffs in all of rock) and "Freewill." There's also the epic-feeling "Jacob's Ladder," as well as "Entre Nous," a sort of intellectual love song (if such a thing can be said to exist). The introspective "Different Strings" and the anthemic "Natural Science" (which clocks in at over nine minutes) close the album. Though there are only six songs on Permanent Waves, it's enough; the material is rich enough that more of it would be like overdosing on chocolate. -- Genevieve Williams
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: One of Rush's best.
Comment: After spending several years conjuring up alien landscapes, doomed space travelers, and Greek gods, Rush got back to earth on this one. Nowhere is this more evident than on on "Spirit of the Radio," which was inspired by listening to rock radio in Toronto. There are tons of good riffs here (even a short reggae-inspired break) and in 1977 or 1978 Rush might have used them to create an extended composition about the battle between an old Norse god and a dwarf. In 1980 they used them to construct a complex, but still concise, catchy rock song warning of corporate rock and arguing for honesty...HONESTY!...in music. It is definitely Rush's calling card (and still sounds vital) even 28 years later.
"Free Will" is the other obvious classic here. It has a catchy chorus, fairly preachy lyrics about how each of us is the master of his or her own destiny, and a middle section solo that kicks some serious butt. What more could you ask for from Rush?
Aside from the classics, you have two progressive pieces, both of which are among Rush's more successful. "Jacob's Ladder" is probably a couple of minutes too long, but otherwise it is a fine listen. "Natural Science," is also great. I especially like the middle part which has an almost new wave feel to it. Loads of fun.
The other two tracks, "Entre Nous" and "Different Strings," are pretty good songs which only pale in comparison to the other tracks on the album. They are still better than most of the album tracks on their earlier records.
All-in-all this is an excellent record, that falls just slightly short of five stars. Let's call it 4.5! If you want to get into classic Rush, this (or Moving Pictures) is as a good a place as any to start. Then start moving forward and back.
Customer Rating:
Summary: RUSH Return To This Quality Of Sound On Future Albums????
Comment: The Clear Crisp Sound Of "PERMANENT WAVES" Album....
Terrific Album For The Crisp Clear Quality RUSH Album.....
Will This Sound Ever Come Back On Future RUSH Albums?????
ENJOY THIS ONE FOLKS!!!!!!!! ONE OF THEIR BEST........
Customer Rating:
Summary: I've heard every single Rush album- This one is the best
Comment: I'm only 20 years old, but I've been a die-hard Rush fan ever since I was first exposed to them some 5-6 years ago. That being said, Permanent Waves is my favorite Rush album of them all. It has tracks that are great for the casual listener, some that are great for the blossoming Rush fan looking to get their first album, some that are great for the prog-rock enthusiast, and ALL that are great additions to anyone's music collection.
Any listener of Classic Rock radio will instantly recognize The Spirit Of Radio and Freewill. Two great radio-friendly tracks that are still proggy by Rush standards (check out the time changes in Freewill). Entre Nous is a very beautiful song, along with Different Strings. Jacob's Ladder is mostly instrumental and involves some more prog elements while combining good story-telling, but the album's biggest prog feature is Natural Science, a nearly 10-minute long track written in three parts that has beautiful melodies, challenging part writing, astounding lyrics, and just general great playing from all three members of the band.
Also, this album is at an interesting place in the guitar-synth-guitar timeline of Rush, as the album is definitely guitar-driven with just enough synths and keyboards to add that little bit of flavor and unique touch that only Rush can. Definitely used for icing more than substance.
I hesitate to say that this album is better than Moving Pictures, based on what the average musicophile will argue, but I will say that this album definitely has the characteristics of an incredible music experience.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Rush at Their Artistic Pinnacle
Comment: Permanent waves is Like an Old Friend. You can listen to it over and over and the relationship is always the same, you can fall back on it at any point even if it has been years and everything is right with the world!
Permanent Waves was released in 1980 and followed up the last of the true long suite progressive rock albums Hemispheres while also predating 1981's moving Pictures by one year. Hemispheres is also a modern rock classic but is quite different from Permanent Waves in a number of different ways. First of all the title track of Hemispheres is an entire side of the album like 1976's 2112. Permanent Waves does include a 9 plus minute tune in Natural Science but no instrumentals although sections of Natural Science are fairly long instrumental sections. I would also rank Natural Science as the best track on this great album though there are several excellent tracks here. Natural Science is very relevant today or in any era as our awareness of Climate Change and our "carbon footprint' are very relevant to the theme of Natural Science which discusses humankind's lack of awareness of our effect on the natural world and even hints of genetic engineering or other newer science technologies that we have not fully grasped before unleashing them on an unsuspecting world.
Entre Nous is one of the very few love songs ever penned by Peart, Lee and Lifeson and it is a great one. I am thrilled that they have been performing it live on the Snakes and Arrows tour and am hopeful they will continue to do so as I am slated to see them next month! Different Strings which follows Entre Nous is another excellent love song and is a true ballad, one of the few ever from the group that features some excellent guitar work by Alex Lifeson and it is a gem. I won't discuss Spirit of Radio or Free will because so many others have elaborated on them ad infinitum but I will mention the one clunker here and that would be Jacob's Ladder. This particular song smacks of filler and embodies virtually every cliche' that This Is Spinal Tap so effectively lampooned.
How can I rank an album 5 stars with one out of 6 songs being filler you ask? The remaining tracks are so superb that they overwhelmingly balance out the weak Jacob's Ladder. This one is in the top 5 of all Rush albums to date, highly recommended!
Customer Rating:
Summary: MoFi/Rush a perfect combo
Comment: Preordered this CD the minute I possibly could, and was not disappointed! I have all the other MoFi Rush CD's as well and another awesome product. Geddy's bass sounds more lifelike and that Ricky sound really comes through. Alex's guitars sound more spacious and up front, Neil's percussion is cleaner with a wider soundstage. Geddy's vocals also sound like he's in the room with you, the most lifelike I have ever heard. I would love it if MoFi also remastered Caress of Steel and A Farewell to Kings.
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