Rush – Permanent Waves (40th Anniversary) (1980/2020) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

Celebrating 40 years of Rush’s Permanent Waves, deemed the poignant moment the band reinvented themselves and their sound. The 3LP Deluxe Edition features original vinyl packaging with a newly designed gatefold jacket for the two discs of live bonus tracks (from the 1980 World Tour). With a 20-page booklet of reimagined artwork by original designer Hugh Syme & unreleased band archive photos. Housed in a slipcase. Features hits like “The Spirit Of Radio” and the cinematic “Jacob’s Ladder”.

Rush’s 8th album, 1980’s Permanent Waves, is where the little Canadian trio that could, became one of the biggest rock acts on the planet. Much of the success is thanks to the album’s best known track “The Spirit of Radio”—proof that a prog-rock band known for marathon epics could also pen short(er) catchy singles. “Spirit” also marked the band’s initial experiment with adding reggae flavors to its music. The new shorter, lower approach made another pair of songs here—”Freewill” and “Entre Nous”—into instant Rush highlights.

The first of their albums recorded at Quebec’s Le Studio (a magical locale where their next career-defining album Moving Pictures was also cut), Permanent Waves is also where a small tweak—bassist Geddy Lee singing in lower registers—removed another obstacle to the band’s wider success. Up to that point, Lee’s unnaturally high nasal yowl had been too much of an acquired taste for some listeners. Reissued with improved sound and precious, unreleased live material (including the shortest version of 1975’s “By-Tor and the Snow Dog” ever recorded) for its 40th Anniversary, Permanent Waves is a band solidly in their most creative period, growing increasingly confident in their artistry. – Robert Baird

Tracklist

1. Rush – The Spirit Of Radio
2. Rush – Freewill
3. Rush – Jacob’s Ladder
4. Rush – Entre Nous
5. Rush – Different Strings
6. Rush – Natural Science
7. Rush – Beneath, Between & Behind (Live in Manchester)
8. Rush – By-Tor & The Snow Dog (Live in London)
9. Rush – Xanadu (Live in London)
10. Rush – The Spirit Of Radio (Live in Manchester)
11. Rush – Natural Science (Live in Manchester)
12. Rush – A Passage to Bangkok (Live in Manchester)
13. Rush – The Trees (Live in Manchester)
14. Rush – Cygnus X-1 (Live in London)
15. Rush – Cygnus X-1: Book II Hemispheres (Live in London)
16. Rush – Closer To The Heart (Live in Manchester)
17. Rush – Jacob’s Ladder (Live in Missouri)
18. Rush – Freewill (Live in London)