Permanent Waves 30th Anniversary today!

[Permanent Waves]

Rush's classic album Permanent Waves is 30 years old today! (Released on Jan. 1st, 1980).

To celebrate I have chosen it as the first album I will listen to in the new year and decade, twice (how can you listen to this album just once? ), first the MFSL master and then the Rush Remasters version (both have their advantages imo).

Happy 30th birthday Permanent Waves!!!

PS: Rush is probably coming out with a new album this year and then going on tour and have hinted that they want to do something to celebrate the 30th anniversary of PW this year, like, uh play the album live in it's entirety!!! :yippy: However, this is all merely rumor at this point so I will believe it when I see them do it live! Whatever the case it's going to be a good year for Rush fans :thmbsp: (and let's hope it's a better year overall as well! :yes.

Oh and happy New Year/Decade everyone. :wave: (Yes I had a few tonight as you might have guessed! :beer

 

[Jailtime]

Great album, and my favorite Rush cover art. :yes: 30 years old, and there's six albums before it. Makes one think that there could be an R40, they're getting close. :scratch2: Whatever you do, Rush, please release another album and DVD of your tour! It will make my New Year quite happy! Here's ANOTHER one to Rush!

Oof, now I've had too much to drink!

 

[131east23]

Wow, 30 years ago, huh! I was 18 and my sweet 16 year old girlfriend bought the album for me as a gift. I have still have it of course. I saw them on that tour. I think they did 5 out of the 6 songs on the album that night. I also saw them in August of 79 at the very end of the Hemispheres tour and distinctly remember them playing Jacob's Ladder at that show. Good Times!

 

[Permanent Waves]

Great album, and my favorite Rush cover art. :yes: 30 years old, and there's six albums before it. Makes one think that there could be an R40, they're getting close. :scratch2: Whatever you do, Rush, please release another album and DVD of your tour! It will make my New Year quite happy! Here's ANOTHER one to Rush!

Oof, now I've had too much to drink!

Did you know that this is the only Rush studio album to feature one of the members on the cover? (Neil, way in the background).

I could quite easily see a R40. :yes: Even if they feel too old to tour soon I think they will still produce albums/songs for awhile. We'll see. I remember when I was first getting into them around '91 people were saying they were going to retire soon! (One rumor was that Neil had cancer!)

Wow, 30 years ago, huh! I was 18 and my sweet 16 year old girlfriend bought the album for me as a gift. I have still have it of course. I saw them on that tour. I think they did 5 out of the 6 songs on the album that night. I also saw them in August of 79 at the very end of the Hemispheres tour and distinctly remember them playing Jacob's Ladder at that show. Good Times!

I was 2! You're soo lucky to have been young during those years! I've only been able to see Rush since '93. I wish I could have seen them on every tour up to now!

That's a good gf! :yes: (My gf is also a huge Rush fan like me ).

According to this they played 4/6 of the songs on Permanent Waves on that tour, and in August of '79 they did a short Permanent Waves "warm up" tour (where they tried out some new material from Permanent Waves). No Jacob's Ladder is listed, but that could be a mistake. :scratch2:

http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/main/Tours.htm

 

[Permanent Waves]

Just finishing my 3rd listen to this album, the MFSL version. I couldn't resist. I can easily listen to about any Rush album multiple times in a row! :yes:

 

[131east23]

According to this they played 4/6 of the songs on Permanent Waves on that tour, and in August of '79 they did a short Permanent Waves "warm up" tour (where they tried out some new material from Permanent Waves). No Jacob's Ladder is listed, but that could be a mistake.

Thats a great link: So I did see them on the Permanent Waves warm up tour in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl, summer of 79. They were the last band of all the bands listed to play and aside from Foghat they were the reason we were there. I don't remember Joan Jett making it to that show. They were still selling Hemispheres shirts and programs. The only PW song I remember them doing that night was Jacob's Ladder but I'm sure they did more. I saw them on Feb. 2nd 1980 in Fort Worth and after looking at the set list that looks correct. I was ALWAYS sober at these shows because I didn't want to miss anything. Cygnus X1 and Hemispheres were the best part of that show.

I saw them April 10th, 1981 in Dallas. I saw them March 1, 1983 in Dallas. I guess 1983 was the last time I saw them live.

 

[dsndblm]

Wow, 30 years ago, huh! I was 18 and my sweet 16 year old girlfriend bought the album for me as a gift. I have still have it of course. I saw them on that tour. I think they did 5 out of the 6 songs on the album that night. I also saw them in August of 79 at the very end of the Hemispheres tour and distinctly remember them playing Jacob's Ladder at that show. Good Times!

Man, I was 17 and my 16 old girlfriend gave me the album for my birthday two weeks after Jan, 1 release. I also saw them on the Hemispheres tour and remember hearing Jacob's Ladder. I listen to P/W often. When I can't decide what to listen to I just grab P/W and am a happy guy. That period was a great time of my life and the album always brings back great memories.

I've seen Rush in concert 7 times. I have always been sober as a judge. I didn't want to miss one single second of their show.

 

[Permanent Waves]

I thought I was about the only one who went to Rush concerts sober! :thmbsp:

I've seen them 7 times and never had anything to drink (and I never did smoke anything ever at any time, not even a cigarette). That's a band you have to pay attention to live or you'll miss something. So much is going on and I want to burn every moment into my brain. And luckily I can easily recall many moments from all those concerts. Such great shows and good times all! :yes:

And 131: '83? :nono: Man go see them again if you get the chance! :yes: The last few times I've seen them (Vapor Trails, R30, SnA twice) have been the best I've ever seen. They just get better and better! :yes: (Although Geddy's voice may be finally starting to go as can be heard at times on SnA Live :sigh.

I guess they did play Jacob's Ladder on that tour as you two remember. You should contact the guy at Power Windows (Eric, cool guy) and set him straight!

 

[gklainer]

Did you know that this is the only Rush studio album to feature one of the members on the cover? (Neil, way in the background).

I could quite easily see a R40. :yes: Even if they feel too old to tour soon I think they will still produce albums/songs for awhile. We'll see. I remember when I was first getting into them around '91 people were saying they were going to retire soon! (One rumor was that Neil had cancer!)




I was 2! You're soo lucky to have been young during those years! I've only been able to see Rush since '93. I wish I could have seen them on every tour up to now!

That's a good gf! :yes: (My gf is also a huge Rush fan like me ).

According to this they played 4/6 of the songs on Permanent Waves on that tour, and in August of '79 they did a short Permanent Waves "warm up" tour (where they tried out some new material from Permanent Waves). No Jacob's Ladder is listed, but that could be a mistake. :scratch2:

http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/main/Tours.htm

I have seen Rush several times the first time in November 1975 - Akron Civic Theater. I agree the last few tours they have been better then ever.

Great Link - Thanks

Gary

 

[131east23]

Regarding aging rockers: I think some bands can't help but be caricatures of their former selves in their hey day. Other aging bands somehow still pull it off, usually by going to the recording studio and promoting the new music by touring. Sounds like Rush is the latter and I will be at the next show in my area. I took my wife to see Yes about six years ago. I had seen this same line up in the 70's (Anderson, Wakeman, Howe, Squire, White) and they too were so very good...

 

[rooster18]

As I was recovering from playing my NYE gig yesterday, I didn't have a chance to spin any albums. However, this morning, my wife and I listened to Permanent Waves at good solid volume levels, the way it was meant to be.

RUSH is awesome. RUSH on a great sounding stereo is even more awesome. I'm hoping they make it back to Phoenix on the next tour. We always seem to give them a good turnout, and their usual venue is a very nice one to see a concert in. This time, if they make it, we're going to splurge and get as close to front row center as possible.

They are a band I try to never miss on a tour. Iron Maiden and Blue Oyster Cult are the other ones.

rooster.

 

[Permanent Waves]

I have seen Rush several times the first time in November 1975 - Akron Civic Theater. I agree the last few tours they have been better then ever.

Great Link - Thanks

Gary

Glad an older Rush fan who has seen Rush over the years live many times agrees that they seem to have gotten even better playing live recently then ever. :yes:

All I have to go by is the sound of their live concert albums (and some boots) from yesteryear as live I have only been able to see them since '93 (stupid being born too late! ).

But since '93 when I first was able to see them live, I have seen an upwards progression in their performance live, with the Vapor Trails and R30 tours being the best imo (they were just on fire!).

You're very lucky to have seen them since basically the beginning, and good for you for still going! :thmbsp:

Regarding aging rockers: I think some bands can't help but be caricatures of their former selves in their hey day. Other aging bands somehow still pull it off, usually by going to the recording studio and promoting the new music by touring. Sounds like Rush is the latter and I will be at the next show in my area. I took my wife to see Yes about six years ago. I had seen this same line up in the 70's (Anderson, Wakeman, Howe, Squire, White) and they too were so very good...

Agreed. Many bands over the years simply just lose the creativity/passion that made them great for whatever reason (too many line up changes, too much drugs/booze, too large of egos, not caring about making art and just trying to stick with a stale old formula that sells albums, etc.).

The bands that consistently, year after year, decade after decade, put out good/great music (as compared to ok/bad) are a rarity and happy exception in the music world. I put Rush firmly in this category. :yes: Better than ever live and never a bad album (a couple of mediocre ones I will admit, but even those are worthwhile and have some great songs on them and are better than a lot of other stuff out there!).

As I was recovering from playing my NYE gig yesterday, I didn't have a chance to spin any albums. However, this morning, my wife and I listened to Permanent Waves at good solid volume levels, the way it was meant to be.

RUSH is awesome. RUSH on a great sounding stereo is even more awesome. I'm hoping they make it back to Phoenix on the next tour. We always seem to give them a good turnout, and their usual venue is a very nice one to see a concert in. This time, if they make it, we're going to splurge and get as close to front row center as possible.

They are a band I try to never miss on a tour. Iron Maiden and Blue Oyster Cult are the other ones.

rooster.

Yep, Rush is awesome, and Rush on a proper stereo is even more AWESOME! Something I have found out in the last few years as I finally got a good stereo instead of my low-fi big box store "decent at best" one I had during my teen and college/post college years.

If (when!) Rush tours this year it should be Spring/Summer and I'm sure they will hit all the major cities like Phoenix (nice city btw, I was there as a kid on vacation).

Be warned though that getting good seats is not really a matter of just being willing to pay as getting lucky/knowing someone/etc., unless you are willing to pay a couple to a few hundred for a seat in the first 10 rows or so (which I'm not, partly because I like being at about the 20th row anyway). That is, the second tickets go on sale online, it seems the first 10 rows are already gone and you have to go through a broker to get them (which is expensive). I just look for anywhere about 1/4 to 2/3 of the way back and I'm good. :yes: As long as I am there!

Btw, I've never seen Maiden! They haven't come to St. Louis in awhile and I wasn't enough of a fan to see them back when they did. :tears:

 

[AnalogDigit]

I remember playing that album on my new Realistic STA 52B receiver and of course it was all over the radio along with Pink Floyd The Wall.

 

[Permanent Waves]

I remember playing that album on my new Realistic STA 52B receiver and of course it was all over the radio along with Pink Floyd The Wall.

Fun memories! :yes:

This was, of course, Rush's breakthrough album into mainstream markets becoming their first top 5 album on the charts (peaked at #4) with "Spirit of Radio", "Freewill", and, to a lesser extent, "Jacob's Ladder" and "Entre Nous" becoming radio staples (at least in some markets, like in St. Louis: K-SHE has played these four songs, especially the first two, routinely for as long as I can remember).

 

[KeninDC]

As our local DC DJ, Adam Smasher used to say:

"Man, can that three-man band jam."

Ken

 

[Permanent Waves]

As our local DC DJ, Adam Smasher used to say:

"Man, can that three-man band jam."

Ken

:yes:

I have a old high school/college friend who was/is a pretty big Rush fan (not like me though ) who was always amazed that: "3 people could put out a wall of complex sound like that!" to paraphrase one of his ways of expressing his awe of this phenomenon.

In fact, one of his favorite things to do was to play some Rush to those who hadn't heard much of them before and ask them how many people they thought were playing. Almost invariably the answer was "4 or 5". He'd always grin and say: "Nope! Three!" and show them the cd when they didn't believe him lol.