Grace Under Pressure
by Rush

I think this album works as a whole, rather than the sum of its parts - there are no real weal tracks and there is a nice consistency of sound and feel to the album. Afterimage, Red Sector A and Between The Wheels are the best moments. (Edited)

Rush's evolution into the 80s had been completed with Signals, but here the band are fine-tuning their unique blend of New Wave, Hard Rock, and Prog Rock. It's more aggressive, dark, and edgy than the rather warm and fuzzy Signals album, but it can be just as upbeat and optimistic when it wants to be. The production here is great (Signals' production was a bit of a disappointment). I rank this album lower than Signals because it doesn't have that one song that wows me like Subdivisions. Instead, we have quite an uneven playlist. "The Body Electric", "Kid Gloves", and "Red Lenses" are all good tracks, but they seem to lack one element that puts them over the edge into the top tier of songs. "Distant Early Warning", "Afterimage", "Red Sector A", "The Enemy Within", and "Between the Wheels" are all borderline Rush classics. I say that with caution because I don't consider them on the same level as a "Tom Sawyer" or "Xanadu", but they're clearly good songs.

It's hard to say: something's just keeping this album, and the songs on it, from reaching that top tier for me. I still like it a lot though.

From AAL2014 TOP 100 COMMENTER 02/11/2023 21:09 | #293942 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Grace Under Pressure is one of the most unfairly treated records in any band’s catalog. Although it absolutely shows the band fully immersed in a new sound and era, Rush seems unshaken by transition and in control of their sonic destinies.

With one of Rush’s most solid tracklists, many of the songs on P/G pack a thoughtful, emotional punch. While the production takes some flack for being a bit greyscale and emphasizing icy synths, the album is charged with some really powerful instrumental performances and often overlooked melodic grace.

Don’t forget about Grace Under Pressure when talking about Rush’s classic era. (Edited)

This album marks a point in time when tensions between Russia and the west were heightened, to that end it captures the moment perfectly with tracks like Red Sector A, Early Warning and Red Lenses. As a teenager I probably listened to this more than any other album back in the eighties and I heard it through state of the art tape on a Walkman! (Edited)

From Applerill TOP 100 COMMENTER 01/23/2011 02:02 | #17729 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Yes, this is a Rush disco album. But that's what I like about this. It's probably the only completely danceable album in Rush's catalog.