Hold Your Fire - album discussion

[R6GYY]

Having recently read Geddy Lee's unkind words about Tai Shan, I treated myself to a trip through Hold Your Fire.

Truly magnificent, and yes, Tai Shan does stand out for the wrong reasons.

But the immersive sound, the incredible drumming, possibly Neil's best lyrical work all combine to create what could have been their best album. Tai Shan let's the album down big time. Such a jar following the driving force-of-nature that is Turn The Page.

But maybe that was the idea, to give the listener a break?

Anyhow - HYF is still up there in my top Rush listens.

[pdw1]

It is their last truly great album. It was all down hill from there but what a run it was.

[Fishy]

Yep pretty much firing on all cylinders here save for Tai Shan which is awful.. although the  signs were there on Power Windows  to beware closing tracks with the awful Mystic Rhythms which spoiled an otherwise perfect album..

[Nickslikk2112]

It's their first truly pants album. Been going down for a few years by now. Derived some enjoyment from the tour.

[dom]

 Never got on with this album. My least favourite from the eighties. Not sure whether its the keyboards or the production that let it down but the sound feels soft or cushioned like it was recorded in a studio full of cotton wool

[Slim]

It is their last truly great album. It was all down hill from there but what a run it was.

That's my view, as well. There are for me two good records after HYF, these being Test for Echo and Clockwork Angels. But neither is really important in the bigger picture.

[Rufus_the_dawg]

HYF, last great Rush album, I even like Tai Shan.*

I think Rush started making longer albums and the quality went down because of it. I think there is 40mins of good music on most albums after this...just. The only album I really like after this though is Counterparts, there are some strong songs towards the end, actually just looking up the songs its a great album.

*I like hippy stuff like Deuter and when Jon Anderson goes all mystic and Tai shan fits in pretty well with that. Wasn't Geddy being tongue in cheek with his comments on Tai Shan. Slightly pulling Neils leg?!

[pxr5]

I couldn't even get through it when I first bought it on vinyl. For me it had all gone wrong with Power Windows and then HYF was even worse. I can value it today though, but that 80s period was the worst - my favourite era was, and always will be, from Rush to Moving Pictures.

[Nick]

Some great tracks on there, TSS, Mission, Force Ten, but Tai Shan, second nature and high water saw an increasing number of duds creeping in. Power windows was "all killer no filler"

I did like the album art and inner sleeve though.

[Jonners]

Very fond memories of this era, album, tour, artwork and everything associated with it. This was the time I rediscovered Rush, and have HYF to thank for it.

Its lush

[Slim]

I've always thought of it as being a sort of sequel to Power Windows. I don't think there's another two records in the canon that function as a pair like that.

An easy, and huge improvement would have been just to leave off those last two, awful tracks. High Water is even worse than Tai Shan. I've never been able to listen to it without a sense of disbelief. It's just dead. The vocals don't quite fit on either of those tracks; it's embarrassing listening to Geddy trying to make a vocal melody out of them in the verses.

I don't really like Time Stand Still much either. It's a disposable radio tune at best.

Apart from the above though, it's a very strong record. It really came alive for me on the tour; I was at one of the Show of Hands gigs and Mission and Lock and Key especially were brilliant; really powerful live tunes. I think I did two gigs on that tour, would have to dig out my old ticket stubs to confirm.

I think Power Windows is stronger, although I was hugely confused and disappointed by it when it came out. But I was mostly listening to the Smiths, Prefab Sprout, The Blue Nile et al by the mid '80s anyway.

[Rufus_the_dawg]

I always thought the production was the problem with HYF, the guitars are to safe. On A Show of Hands the guitars come to life which then bring the songs to life. the Mission gets a proper end with Alex playing the extended guitar solo which is fabulous.

[Jonners]

The songs do/did work well live, although I find the guitar tone on the VHS/DVD of ASOH incredibly "bright"

Interesting comment from Slimmers re PoW. I was in an out of Rush when PoW came out, and the first time I heard a song form it was on the Friday rock show end of year countdown of the top albums, and Big Money was the track they played

I found Big Money a really difficult track to enjoy first listen through, so PoW didnt get the attention it deserved, until HYF came out. I loved HYF from minute one, revisited PoW and now its my favourite Rush Album

Listened to it in full on Saturday while cycling, I know a few people give Mystic a hard time, but even that isnt a terrible song. But the other 7 tracks are just wonderful, I think Emotion Detector and Territories are massively under the radar as well

[Slim]

Mystic Rhythms is a very interesting one for me. I really hated it for being plodding and boring until R30, when the combination of the performance and the rear-projected video absolutely made it come alive for me. Now I find it dramatic and compelling.

[Jonners]

I remember watching Pratt during Mystic Rhythms on r30. Someone had told me I would be mesmerized by his performance. think it was Beardy

He was right