Signals [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Rush | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 3, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Island / Mercury
• ASIN: B000001EST
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (215 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,127 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #9 in Music > Hard Rock & Metal > Progressive Metal
  • #31 in Music > Rock > Progressive > Progressive Rock
  • #62 in Music > Classic Rock > Arena Rock

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easily my favourite Rush album, August 12, 2005

By 

selffate "invigorating genius" (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Signals (Audio CD)

For a band that has encompassed a huge collection of albums, spawning 3 decades, and seen several musical trends and revolutions, Signals is still the album I find myself going back to again and again. I'd also like to say, that for purchasers of this disc the Re-master (In comparison of the disc that is not), makes Niel's drums sound a little more crisp, and the album is a bit louder and has erased some of the softness of the recording. That being said on with the review....

I won't go around echoing the same comments that I have heard here from time to time. The departure from the radio friendly greatness of the last 2 albums, the flat keyboards and poor mixing of Alexs guitar, the absence of 7-10 minute opuses/concepts, the dropping of Terry Brown. All this has been talked about and leaves all those hard core Rush fans (many who seem to borderline be obsessed on the level of Star Trek geeks), too much to fight over.

What I will say is that to me this is an album that distinctly captures a mood and an era that doesn't exist anymore. The snythns have this demonic dark underpinning, and for the first time there were many songs on the album (for Rush) that had a distinct dark brooding theme to them. Subdivsions doesn't just hint at the drudgery and disspair of teenage pressure, it's litteraly hammered home in Geddy's verse of "conform or be cast out", as if he had to spell it out for the listeners.

The Weapon, while being a great moody piece for Niel to shine hammers home the possible apocalypse, and Loosing It easily needs no introduction with it's self-titled moniker, and Ben Minks violin solo. It isn't so much that Ben's violin sings as much as it literraly weeps and cries.

Even the glorious Analog Kid which is upbeat in mood and lyric, still sounds as if there is a lingering pathos that just sounds unreal when the sudden abrupt chorus hits of "you move me, you move me."

For good measure there are other songs that aren't dark at all, (New World Man, Chemistry, Digital Man), but there is an overhanging cloud that seems to exist over every song.

This to me is the greatness of this album. THe tracks and all the music prowess of the members combined with the early 80's new wave snyth mood going on, produced a dark complicated album that somehow touches me individualy like no other album. There had been dark themes such as say 2112 but it's a story, Witch Hunt is a common concept and brooding too, but somehow the bleakness and grandeur of this album speaks to me "personally" for the first time for a Rush album.

The band has still made great phenomenal albums (and even made a bleaker sounding album in Grace Under Pressure), but this is the one that speaks to me. It's like a perfect conversation with your best friend you haven't seen in a long time.

There is no album ever that even sounds like this. Do enjoy.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Signals - it's a jelly!, December 9, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Signals (Audio CD)

For me, this album completes the trilogy "Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, Signals" and parallels my transition into those important high school years.

I grew up with Rush and can remember my dad telling me to turn the @(*$& down as a 10 year old listening to 2112 on 11 in my bedroom (so you knew it was cool). I remember skipping school the day Permanent Waves was released, running out to the store and then going back to a friends wood paneled basement with some goodies from Tim Hortons and playing the album over and over again wearing out each groove.

So, yea, you guessed it, by 1982 I was playing guitar in a rock band, trying my best to sound like Alex (I owned a gibson doubleneck (white circa 1972) for a few years as well and like an idiot sold it later in life - suck), had my hair way past my shoulders and really wanted to score with the hot blond chick who had developed earlier than all her friends. Monica, where are you?

So, what the hell does this have to do with Signals?

Well, Signals is a grown up, totally mature Rush, finding the sounds of the times as they were changing. Analog to Digital, "progressive" rock giving away to the wash of 80's synth pop and technology...always the wonder of technology moving forward. The lyrical genius of Countdown for example, remember when NASA wasn't incompetent? More than 20 years later still a complete pleasure to listen to.

Disappointingly received when released this albums true brilliance is unquestionable today. Regardless of what "phase" of Rush you dig, Signals is one that should equally be enjoyed by all. One-click this into your collection today!

As the saying goes... "It's a jelly eh?"

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a comfy synthesizer album..., May 17, 2002

By 

R. Recchia "reck" (blodgett mills, ny) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Signals (Audio CD)

SIGNALS may not be as heavy or exciting as it's studio
predecessor MOVING PICTURES, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. LIFESON'S guitar took a back seat to GEDDY LEE'S syn-
thesizers, but this still sounded like RUSH; it was actually
their last album with that original RUSH sound and not coinci-
dently, their last album with TERRY BROWN. While me and my bro-
thers were initially disappointed with SIGNALS, it's now one of
my favorite albums of theirs. The songs themselves are terrific;
there are many classic Rush songs here, such as the very scien-
tific opening track, the synth heavy SUBDIVISIONS. I didn't mind
their chose of synthesizers around this time; I think they added
more color and texture to their sound and the synths on this al-
bum sound gorgeous. The band still rocks out on this, especially
on SUBDIVISIONS, THE ANALOG KID and DIGITAL MAN. DIGITAL MAN
and the other man song, NEW WORLD MAN, saw RUSH flirting with
POLICE-like reggae and I found the results rather enjoyable.
The real star of this album is NEIL PEART; his drumming has never
been, before or since, so playful and adventurous. Check out his
little disco beat at the beginning of SUB, or his playing on
DIGITAL MAN and especially on THE WEAPON; this guy knew his way
around his drum kit! LOSING IT is a gorgeous little song with
very sad lyrics sung perfectly by GEDDY LEE and features BEN
MINK on electric violin. GEDDY LEE actually does some of his
finest singing on this and comes up with many memorable vocal
lines.
THIS IS a WONDERFUL ALBUM!