Last May, JL and I checked out Rush at the Concord Pavilion (sorry I don't think I can ever bear calling it the Sleep Train Pavilion in Concord). Going into the show I knew they were playing 9 songs off their latest album, so I got my hands on a copy of the CD and spent the 2 weeks leading up to the show listening to nothing but that album.
At first Snakes & Arrows sounded like the last few Rush albums and I will leave it at that. But after several runs through the album it really started to grab me and the volume on the stereo would slowly increase. With each listen, every song started to take on it's own identity. The opening track "Far Cry" was the first song to sink in and take it's grip on me. The music and the lyrics are made for driving around with the volume turned up and this old man rarely does that these days. My ears have taken a beaten from 30 years of going to concerts with no ear protection.
Now granted the music isn't quite as complex or lengthy as the band's classic 70's period but it still rocks and has some great layers of sound and textures. And the lyrics are the big selling point for me. Neil has matured to an even greater level than his previous lyrics, writing about inner and outer turmoils in the world. There is light and darkness all rolled into one here. Thirty years from now these lyrics will be just as classic lyrics as his earlier lyrics.
After 3 months this CD is still in my car disc player and gets spun every day. The songs are catchy and will get even catchier with each listen. So for those of you classic Rush fans that are curious but haven't gave Snakes and Arrows a chance do your self a favor and listen to this album! It is easily their best album as a whole since Grace Under Pressure.
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