From anandrajan 06/16/2019 03:17

It took me a very long time (as a Rush fan) to get into this album. Instead of rehashing what others have already said, I think "Afterimage" deserves a shout out. It's a song about a friend who passed away and Rush get the mood just right. Listen closely to 2:20-4:00, especially the change in rhythm and Alex's evocative playing. Brings me close to tears these days.

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!

From Fischman 12/14/2016 22:19

One of Rush's less impressive outings, partly because the sound is such a product of it's time. Still, many great songs here. I'm probably unique in that 'Kid Gloves' and 'Between the Wheels' are my favorites.

From hoyquarlow 11/20/2015 22:10

I am the only who thinks this is the best Rush album? Maybe that's because I'm not too much into Rush's music... All songs here are great, highly melodic and relatively short; We're not anymore into prog rock territory and that's not a bad thing...

Red Sector A is the best track here. The album is good overall but Signals is better

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.

From junodog4 12/02/2012 04:09

I know that some love Rush, and love this album. Great - glad to see they have devoted fans. I just find that with every following album, they just get harder and harder to like.

Red Sector A , One of Rush's best songs, underrated album.

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.

When I get my band going I am so going to change the world. Get a number 1 and huge set of hits. Knock them out at headline shows and have people rave about me. And then... I'm going to change my sound. Change it completely. Make it soft and shock people though fine tunes. Rush did this here. Their heavy loud big sound heyday is... sort of here. Now though, things have become subtle. The bravado of the keyboards comes in the shout along the electric camp fire choruses and carries a lot of the songs. They certainly add a lot to 'Afterlife' and 'The Body Electric'. The former a touching tribute to a former friend of the band. "We ran by the water, on the wet summer lawn, I see footprints, I remember, I feel the way you would" this lyric has always stuck out to me as poignant. I liked how track was the explained by a member, I forget whom, who said it was how someone leaves the footprints on beach. And they get washed away in the passing of time but they are still inside of you. Something like that, inspiring song. The human spirit appears a lot on this album. 'The Enemy Within' is dedicated to the fear response and how it holds us back, all set to some of the most groovy playing Rush could muster. 'The Body Electric' shows another type of fear, one of a robot who has escaped some where or something. It isn't hard to see the aim here is to ask what measure is human as the it explicitly states the robot is "scarred out of its wits" and finally prays to its own God. The drumming is a highlight hear and does bring the impression that terror is closer than the horizon. The most unusual thing about this album is that despite it being a departure from the past it is an exceptional piece of work. You know, like it all feels vaguely familiar. I haven't even touched on my favorite songs from it yet. 'Distant Early Warning' and 'Between The Wheels' are both time capsules of a time when nuclear war was still a major issue. While 'the former has a fantastic synth line with one of Rush's most catchy choruses thrown in too, 'Between The Wheels' is the surveying the devastation humans have waged on the world and wondering how long will it be before real life gets worse. If the Rush albums touted by the publications and people as classics don't appeal to you, still get try this album regardless. The writing is impeccable and the music fits it perfectly. I'll take back what I said at the start. Making a piece of art like this would appeal to me much more.