Signals (1983)
1.Subdivisions
2.The Analog Kid
3.Chemistry
4.Digital Man
5.The Weapon
6.New World Man
7.Losing It
8.Countdown
Having at long last emerged from the underground and into full-fledged stardom with the phenomenal Moving Pictures, it would have been understandable — perhaps even expected — for Rush to coast a little, to capitalize on their moment in the sun by simply replicating the formula that had finally pushed them into the upper echelons. But Rush were never that kind of band. Settling was not in their DNA. Instead, they did what they’d always done, and what they’d continue to do: they evolved.
And what an evolution it was. Signals marks a radical departure, not in theme or thoughtfulness, but in texture. The most immediate and — for some — jarring development is the conspicuous reduction of Alex Lifeson's guitar work. The muscular riffs and expansive solos that had become synonymous with Rush's sound were suddenly buried, softened, reined in by an increasingly dominant synthesizer presence. Geddy Lee’s keyboards take center stage here, pulsing and swirling with newfound urgency. This was no mere adornment; this was now the backbone of the band’s sonic identity. It’s often said (perhaps apocryphally) that during recording sessions, Lifeson would reach for the mixing console in a desperate attempt to restore the guitars to their rightful place, only to have producer Terry Brown swat his hand away. Whether or not this actually happened is beside the point — it feels true.
The opening track, Subdivisions, serves as both statement and thesis. It is a stark departure — a swirling electronic overture that sets the tone for everything that follows. The song’s themes of adolescent alienation and suburban conformity are matched perfectly by its cool, clinical arrangement. The guitars are there, but they whisper rather than roar. It’s one of the band’s most enduring pieces, and certainly the most fully realized of this new era.
Elsewhere, the band continues to push boundaries, sometimes to exhilarating effect, and sometimes… less so. The Weapon, which opens Side Two, dares to flirt with dance rhythms — a risky move for a band so steeped in rock intricacy. Yet it works. Just. Likewise, Digital Man dabbles in a kind of reggae/ska hybrid that sounds, on paper, entirely incompatible with the band's style, but in practice, manages to find some compelling middle ground.
But even Rush, for all their fearless tinkering, don’t always stick the landing. Losing It — a ballad, no less — is a curious blend of melancholy reflection and sonic overreach. The inclusion of an electric violin might have sounded like a bold stroke during planning, but in execution, it edges toward indulgence. It’s not a bad song, but one can’t help but feel that its ambition slightly outpaces its impact. The same might be said for the closing track, Countdown, which chronicles the band’s awe at witnessing the launch of the space shuttle Columbia. Again, intentions are admirable, and the enthusiasm is genuine, but there’s a whiff of promotional zeal that slightly undermines the drama.
Curiously, Signals contains Rush’s only bona fide Top 40 hit — New World Man — a track that very few outside of diehard circles even seem to remember. Its success was almost certainly a product of timing rather than substance. It’s a decent enough track, pleasant and unassuming, but hardly a representative high point in the band’s catalogue. That honor perhaps goes to The Analog Kid, which remains the album’s most unabashedly rock-oriented track — a burst of kinetic energy that harks back to earlier glories while still fitting snugly within the album’s aesthetic framework.
So where does that leave us? Signals is a very good album. An ambitious, frequently brilliant attempt to pivot and redefine. But it is not Moving Pictures, and it does not soar with the same effortless confidence as Permanent Waves or even Hemispheres. Still, it is the sound of a band moving forward — sometimes awkwardly, sometimes brilliantly — and doing so on their own terms. Thirty years on, that bravery is what lingers longest.
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