So, regarding Power Windows...…
I became a Rush fan in junior high 81-82. I was shocked when Signals came out. I was becoming a hard rock fan at this point. When Grace Under Pressure came out, I had zero interest in it. Rush was another band singing about the Cold War, nuclear war, whatever in 1984. I found it very unoriginal. Plus, as a hard rock fan, I just wasn't on board with their sound or their look.
Power Windows came out in the fall of my senior year, and I got nagged to go to the concert, which for whatever reason, I didn't think was all that great. I listened to my friend's Power Windows tape, and it was just so damned keyboardy.
I was knee deep into Iron Maiden, Dio, UFO during this period. Rush had no real appeal to me.
I did eventually come back to them after seeing the Hold Your Fire tour..
Let's all play a game, because I have obviously missed the boat. Can everyone tell me what I'm missing on Power Windows? I'd love if you could go song by song and tell me what it is that makes each song so special?
I'll start....
The Big Money
I find this song extremely average. I don't hate it, but the keyboards are too heavy on this. I've heard it a million times and while it would never make my 80's playlist, I can tolerate it.
Grand Designs
I feel like there's a decent song in here somewhere. But it just feels so buried under 1000 layers. I can feel the build in it, but it never gives me "that moment".
Manhattan Project
This is a song I really like, and one of 3 from this album that makes my Rush 80's Compilation CD. It has a lot of catchy parts. I like the vocals on this as well. The "flying out of the shockwave" part still gives me goosebumps. The keyboard solo that immediately follows that is really cool and textural. This is probably my favorite song on the album.
Marathon
Marathon is another really good song and the second of 3 to make my Comp CD. But I can't help but feel that had I not experienced it live, I might not have liked it as much. Still I don't have anything to complain about here.
Territories
The third song to make my Comp CD. When I was younger this was my favorite song on the album. It felt heavier than the rest. I still like it, but it hasn't aged as well as I had hoped, honestly. It's still good.
Middletown Dreams
Similar to Grand Designs, I feel like there's a good song in here. I definitely prefer it to Grand Designs though, and it has aged fairly well. I like the chorus and feel that it saves the song. I like the solo section, but I feel the climax just misses. I think it has to do with that bridge section between the solo and the ending chorus. Feels unnecessary to me and distracting. And except for Neil, the final "They live in Middletown"s lack some much needed oomph.
Emotion Detector
I'm sorry. Don't get it. At All.
Mystic Rhythms
This isn't a bad song, but I think the studio version is terrible. Too many keyboardy fills here and there. Like a menace mosquito. But the Show Of Hands version of this is amazing. Seeing and hearing the live version is 10 times better than the studio version.
All in all, Power Windows is sandwiched between two pretty flawed, but much more accessible albums in Grace Under Pressure and Hold Your Fire. To me, you can usually trace a path from one Rush album to another. They say they pushed the "long song" concept to the max with Hemispheres. Seems with Power Windows, they pushed the keyboard/technology thing to the max. Maybe it's the Hemispheres of its era. Perhaps it's a generational thing. I've seen people not care for Hemispheres. I think it's nothing short of amazing that they went from Hemispheres to Power Windows in just 8 years.
All I know is the lack of catchy melodies and the overboard keyboards make this album easily one of my 5 least favorite Rush albums.
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