Power Windows (album)

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Power Windows
Studio album by Rush
Released October 29, 1985
June 3, 1997 (remastered CD)
Recorded The Manor Studio, Shipton-on-Cherwell, Oxfordshire,
Sarm East Studios, Angel Studios and Abbey Road Studios, London,
AIR Studios, Montserrat,
April to June and August 1985
Genre Hard rock, synthrock
Length 44:44
Label Anthem (Canada)
Mercury (USA)
Vertigo (Europe)
Producer Peter Collins and Rush
Rush chronology
Grace Under Pressure
(1984)		 Power Windows
(1985)		 Hold Your Fire
(1987)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 3/5 stars[1]
Rolling Stone (favorable)[2]
Kerrang! 4/5 stars[3]
Wiki letter w.svg This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information.

Power Windows is the 11th studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1985. Power Windows was the first Rush album to be produced by Peter Collins and the album was recorded at The Manor in England, Air Studios in Montserrat and at Sarm East Studios in London.

Power Windows introduced more keyboard synthesizers into the band's sound. "The Big Money" and "Mystic Rhythms" were both made into music videos featured in MTV's rotation at the time.

Power Windows' lyrics are focused primarily on various manifestations of power. For example, the song "Manhattan Project" explores the origins and consequences of the U.S. military's development of the atomic bomb, and "Territories" comments on nationalism around the world. Like "Subdivisions," from the album Signals, "Middletown Dreams" explores suburban monotony and the average person's attempts to temporarily escape it.[4]

Contents

[edit] Recording

In February 1985, work started at Elora Sound in Canada for three weeks, in a barn with a 24-track studio. Vocalist and bassist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson were working on songs that could fit the lyrics drummer Neil Peart wrote at a small desk there, with Peart at the same time trying to write lyrics adaptable to Lee and Lifeson's music. During his time there, Peart researched the Manhattan Project to prepare to write lyrics for the song of the same name. He also wrote rough outlines for "The Big Money," "Mystic Rhythms" and "Marathon". Lee and Lifeson sorted through jams and Lifeson’s riff tapes to write music for these songs, with each song taking up to a week. They then began on "Middletown Dreams", "Marathon" once again, and then "Grand Designs".[4]

Peart went through tapes to the five new songs in a Miami hotel room in March, getting ready for the warm-up tour gig in Lakeland, Florida.[4] At this point, the band met up with engineer James "Jimbo" Barton, recommended by producer Peter Collins. Later at Elora, the songs whose lyrics Peart was formerly struggling with, "Territories" and "Manhattan Project", began to come together. Peart was also working on lyrics to a ballad called "Emotion Detector", which seemed to work perfectly with the music they were jamming on at the time. The music to "Territories" was also arranged, and a tape of seven songs was created. They had trouble with writing the music to "Manhattan Project", but Collins contributed ideas to this and other songs.[4]

In April, at The Manor Studio in England, basic tracks were recorded more quickly than usual, in the span of a few weeks, to capture more spontaneous performances ready for overdubs. Andy Richards was brought in to provide extra keyboard programming and performances. The drum tech was sent to London to pick up African and Indian drums for use on "Mystic Rhythms", and bongos were also used on "Territories".[4]

Lifeson began recording guitar overdubs in May at Air Studios in Montserrat. Next, in June, at Sarm East Studios in London, he began on guitar solos, and Lee did vocals. They moved to a townhouse in July for mixing, a decision on the track listing, and the artwork, credits, and photos. Strings were recorded for the album by a 30-piece orchestra in Studio 1 at Abbey Road Studios in August. A 25-piece choir was also recorded at Angel Studios for the ending of "Marathon". In September, Lee oversaw the mastering in New York, and proofs were approved for the album cover.[5][6][4]

[edit] Track listing

All lyrics written by Neil Peart, all music composed by Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee.

No. Title Length
1. "The Big Money"   5:37
2. "Grand Designs"   5:06
3. "Manhattan Project"   5:07
4. "Marathon"   6:09
5. "Territories"   6:20
6. "Middletown Dreams"   5:15
7. "Emotion Detector"   5:11
8. "Mystic Rhythms"   5:54

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Rush

[edit] Additional Personnel

  • Andy Richards - additional keyboards
  • Jim Burgess - additional synthesizers
  • Anne Dudley - string arrangement
  • Andrew Jackman - conductor, choir arrangements
  • The Choir - additional vocals

[edit] Production

  • Rush and Peter Collins - arrangements and production
  • Jim Barton - engineer
  • Matt Butler, Stephen Chase, Dave Meegan, Heff Moraes - assistant engineers
  • Bob Ludwig and Brian Lee - mastering
  • Hugh Syme - artwork, cover design

[edit] Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1985 Billboard 200 (North America)[7] 10
1985 RPM100 Albums (Canada)[8] 9
1985 UK Album Chart[9] 9
1985 Swedish Album Chart[10] 26
1985 GfK Dutch Album Chart[11] 44

[edit] Singles

Information
"The Big Money"
  • Released: 1985
  • Written by: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson & Neil Peart
  • Produced by: Peter Collins and Rush
  • Chart positions: #45 US Hot 100; #4 US Mainstream Rock[12]
"Territories"
  • Released: 1985
  • Written by: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson & Neil Peart
  • Produced by: Peter Collins and Rush
  • Chart positions: #30 US Mainstream Rock[12]
"Mystic Rhythms"
  • Released: 1986
  • Written by: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson & Neil Peart
  • Produced by: Peter Collins and Rush
  • Chart positions: #21 US Mainstream Rock[12]
"Manhattan Project"
  • Released: 1985
  • Written by: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson & Neil Peart
  • Produced by: Peter Collins and Rush
  • Chart positions: #10 US Mainstream Rock[12]
"Marathon"
  • Released: 1989
  • Written by: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson & Neil Peart
  • Produced by: Peter Collins and Rush
  • Chart positions: #6 US Mainstream Rock[12]

[edit] Sales Certifications

Country Organization Sales
U.S. RIAA Platinum (1,000,000)[13]
Canada CRIA Platinum (80,000)[14]
UK BPI Silver (60,000)[15]

[edit] Remastered edition details

Although the original recording had a SPARS Code of DDD and was considered to be of good quality, a remastered edition was issued in 1997. The remastered edition follows the trend of newer albums, as it is considerably louder.[16]

  • The tray has a picture of three fingerprints, light blue, pink, and lime green (left to right) with "The Rush Remasters" printed in all capital letters just to the left. All remasters from Moving Pictures to A Show of Hands feature this logo, originally found on the cover art of Retrospective II.
  • Includes the original grey border around the back cover image, along with lyrics and credits.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Rush Power Windows review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/power-windows-r17144/review. Retrieved 2011-08-27. 
  2. ^ Fricke, David (30 January 1986). "Rush Power Windows". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/power-windows-19860130. Retrieved 2011-08-27. 
  3. ^ Dickson, Dave (17 October 1985). "Stained Glass". Kerrang!. 105. London, UK: Morgan Grampian. pp. 18. 
  4. ^ a b c d e f Banasiewicz, Bill (1988). "Catching the window - a glimpse beyond". In Chris Charlesworth. Rush - Visions: The Official Biography. London, UK: Omnibus Press. pp. 84-87. ISBN 0711911622. 
  5. ^ "Power Windows Tour Book". Power Windows - A Tribute to Rush. Anthem Records. http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/main/PoWtourbook.htm. Retrieved 2011-11-21. 
  6. ^ "Power Windows". Power Windows - A Tribute to Rush. Anthem Records. http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/main/PoWlyrics.htm. Retrieved 2011-11-21. 
  7. ^ "Power Windows - Rush". Billboard.com. Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/#/album/rush/power-windows/14782. Retrieved 2011-11-21. 
  8. ^ "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 43, No. 14, December 14 1985". Library and Archives Canada. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0610&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=m89iq841abagb37ld9c0fdc1f3. Retrieved 2011-11-21. 
  9. ^ "Power Windows Chart Stats". Chart Stats.com. http://www.chartstats.com/release.php?release=43770. Retrieved 2011-11-21. 
  10. ^ "Rush - Power Windows (Album)". Swedishcharts.com. Media Control Charts. http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Rush&titel=Power+Windows&cat=a. Retrieved 2011-11-21. 
  11. ^ "Rush - Power Windows (Album)" (in Dutch). Gfk Dutch Charts. Media Control Charts. http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Rush&titel=Power+Windows&cat=a. Retrieved 2011-11-21. 
  12. ^ a b c d e "Power Windows Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/power-windows-r17144/charts-awards. Retrieved 2011-11-21. 
  13. ^ "RIAA Database Search for Power Windows". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?content_selector=gold-platinum-searchable-database#. Retrieved 2011-11-21. 
  14. ^ "Gold Platinum Database - Title: Power Windows". Music Canada. http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=windows&ica=False&sa=rush&sl=&smt=0&sat=-1&ssb=Artist. Retrieved 2011-11-21. 
  15. ^ "BPI Certified Award Search for Rush". British Phonographic Industry. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx. Retrieved 2011-11-21. 
  16. ^ Rowan, Rip (31 August 2002). "Over the Limit". ProRec. Archived from the original on 2007-08-10. http://web.archive.org/web/20071005020650/www.prorec.com/Articles/tabid/109/EntryID/247/Default.aspx. Retrieved 2011-11-21. 
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