In this, the final installment of my “most influential” albums, I can reveal where my love of progressive rock metal came from. As you will now know Saxon secured my loyalty to metal and heavy rock and Journey balanced things out by adding AOR to the mix. But where did my penchant for bands like Dream Theater, Symphony X, Marillion, Enchant, Ayreon and even the Flower Kings come from? Well without Rush I would not have been musically “primed” to understand, let alone come to love bands like those aforementioned. In fact some of the bands mentioned might not have come into existence if it hadn't been for Rush.

Rush had been on my musical radar for some time thanks to albums like “2112” and “Hemispheres” and it’s fair to say I “dug” them but it wasn’t until the release of “Permanent Waves” that I felt a new musical direction entering my world. The first thing that struck me was that the album sounded sonically more modern and polished than their previous releases. In fact in 1980 it sounded thoroughly modern and fresh. A lot of other people must have felt the same way as it also generated a massive hit for the band with “The Spirit Of Radio”, a song that was even played on the radio - those were the days. The other big feature of the album is the amount of guitars that sound utterly gorgeous.

When this album came out I had already taken tentative steps at learning rock guitar and one of the things that drew me to Rush was the way Alex Lifeson approached guitar chords and lead lines. His version of an E or an A chord sounded different to everyone else and my curiosity eventually led me to dissecting his chords and discovering the world of suspensions. At the time Permanent Waves was the most played record in the house, my brother listening to it regularly whilst I played guitar along too it -in different rooms I should add.

Permanent Waves was a real turning point as my playing came on in leaps and bounds. I could play along from start to finish and the feeling of accomplishment was enormous. Getting all Lifeson's licks under my fingers showed that playing didn’t need to be overly involved to be effective and his playing was surprisingly straightforward. His lead playing was another matter altogether, that was utterly impossible to copy but I could cop the vibe.

Permanent Waves was, and is, a short album but somehow Rush managed to cram an enormous wealth of ideas into the tight space. From opening track “The Spirit Of Radio” with its bristling and angular opening lead pattern, created to give the impression of radio waves and information flying through the air to closing number “Natural Science”, the longest track on the record. I’ll never forget cracking the guitar pattern that begins at 1.40 minutes. This track shows the three-piece power trio in full flow all supplying parts that make the song sound bigger than it is. Neil Peart leads the band into rhythmic oblivion and towards the end of the track the listener is positively dizzy with all they have to take in, and let's not forget Lifeson's wonderful guitar tone on his main guitar solo and Peart's crazy drum rolls at the end. “Permanent Waves” still sounds fresh and relevant today and has a special place in my music heart thanks to the music contained within it inspiring and helping to “raise my game” as a guitarist.

As mentioned earlier Rush “primed” me for the progressive rock and metal that would become a big feature of my listening habits in years to come. It made me seek out bands where individuals were seen as experts in their field. I remember when Rush toured the Permanent Waves album and came to Newcastle City Hall (the last visit they made there before becoming an Arena band). My brother went with his friends but I had to stay home on the grounds I was too young to go to rock concerts at the time. I did eventually rectify that when I saw the band for the first time on the “Roll The Bones” tour. Years went by and I caught them again on their 30^th anniversary tour and, more recently, on their “Snakes And Arrows” jaunt. My love of Rush remains undiminished and they continue to inspire new generations of musicians and music lovers and you can’t ask for more than that.

Let us know your views on Permanent Waves

Track Listing

Spirit Of Radio
Freewill
Jacob's Ladder
Entre Nous
Different Strings
Natural Science

Line Up

Geddy Lee - Bass/Keyboards/Vocals
Alex Lifeson - Guitars
Neil Peart - Drums

Related Links

Rush - Birmingham Live Review

Rush - Snakes & Arrows CD Review