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Rush Power Windows synths


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Does anyone have a gear list for Rush's Power Windows album? I just picked up Moving Pictures, Power Windows and Hold Your Fire on iTunes. (Cheap, $7 each!) Killer synth orchestrations, I'm interested to know what he used. Sounds like a lot of Jupiter 8 and PPG Wave. Google failed me this time. Thanks, -jl
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Originally posted by DJDM:

By far my favorite Rush album. :)

Mine too, thank goodness we have this keyboard forum where we can say that without the "overproduced/too-glossy/damn-keyboard" comments we'd here in other places. :P:D

Botch

"Eccentric language often is symptomatic of peculiar thinking" - George Will

www.puddlestone.net

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Originally posted by DJDM:

By far my favorite Rush album. :)

I would agree that this is a great, great album. I think it was the pinnacle of what they were trying to do as artists, although Moving Pictures is also pretty phenomenal.

 

Not alot of hits, but the songs were totally solid. They went a little too non-aggressive after this.

"For instance" is not proof.

 

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Power Windows? That overproduced, too-glossy, damn-keyboard Rush album? ;)

 

Just kidding...not a bad album at all, but I was a geek Rush purist back when I cared. I'd have to say my favorite Rush albums would have been (not in any order) 2112, Moving Pictures, Hemispheres and A Farewell to Kings.

 

- Jeff

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Originally posted by Gulliver:

...

My favorite Rush albums are: Signals, Grace Under Pressure, Power Windows, Hold Your Fire.[/QB]

I think all these CDs "qualify" as "overproduced, too-glossy, damn-keyboard" Rush albums. And that's exactly the reason I like them. :)
I am back.
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My favorite Rush albums are: Signals, Grace Under Pressure, Power Windows, Hold Your Fire.

I'm with you on Signals. I put Moving Pictures next followed by G/P. I'm not big on Hold your Fire so I'll cheat and go with the live album Exit Stage Left. Rush was/is one of my all time favorite keyboard bands. I make the distinction of Geddy Lee as a great synthesist vs a great keyboard player.
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I caught them live on the "Signals" tour. Not one of their most popular albums, but I think one of their best. "Grace" I didn't really like at the time, but I wish I had it now. "Red Sector A" is a great song. I used to like "Farewell", but now I don't think their songwriting really came together until "Moving Pictures".
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I'm a big fan of Power Windows myself. I was doing some painting the other night and listening to that and Signals.

 

I really like the song "Manhattan Project," especially when the Minimoog bass kicks in during the verse and all those atmospheric, shimmery sweeps. I recall being fairly inspired by Rush back when I was just getting into synthesizers in about 1984. "Subdivisions" was one of the first songs I learned on my JX8P.

 

I don't own much Rush on CD, but I do have about 4-5 albums on vinyl. Time to go shopping at the used CD store!

 

Regards,

Eric

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Everyone needs to listen to Turn The Page on the Hold Your Fire album & tell me that's not the most kick ass rock jam. They pulled this one off live on that tour & it was amazing. Check out A Show of Hands video to see it.
"I'm not a monkey anymore..."
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Really? He used all THAT on Power Windows? Back in the Moving Pictures days, his rig was a Mini, an OB-Xa, and Taurus pedals. And with just that limited setup, the sound was HUGE. Oh, and he managed to do a little singing and bass playing on the side. ;)

 

Fave Rush In Descending Order (Fave Tunes)

 

Moving Pictures (Limelight, Tom Sawyer, Red Barchetta)

 

Permanent Waves (Free Will, Spirit Of Redia, Different Strings, Natural Science)

 

Signals (Digital Man, Subdivisions, New World Man)

 

Hemispheres (The Trees, La Villa Strangiato, Hemispheres)

 

2112 (Something For Nothing, Passage To Bangkok, 2112)

 

A Farewell To Kings (Xanadu, Closer to the Heart)

 

Hold Your Fire (Time Stand Still, Second Nature, Open Secrets)

 

First Album - suffers from lack of Neil (What You're Doing, Working Man)

 

Grace Under Pressure - Rush out of their element. Bad sound. Dumb songs. Zero feel. Producer was not asked back. Distant Early Warning is a great song, though, one that I didn't fully appreciate until I became a parent.

 

Note: These are the discs that I've owned over the years. I can't comment on the others. I'll have to check out Power Windows based upon the recommendations I'm reading here.

The Black Knight always triumphs!

 

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Originally posted by Dan South:

Really? He used all THAT on Power Windows? Back in the Moving Pictures days, his rig was a Mini, an OB-Xa, and Taurus pedals. And with just that limited setup, the sound was HUGE. Oh, and he managed to do a little singing and bass playing on the side. ;)

 

Fave Rush In Descending Order (Fave Tunes)

 

Moving Pictures (Limelight, Tom Sawyer, Red Barchetta)

 

Permanent Waves (Free Will, Spirit Of Redia, Different Strings, Natural Science)

 

Signals (Digital Man, Subdivisions, New World Man)

 

Hemispheres (The Trees, La Villa Strangiato, Hemispheres)

 

2112 (Something For Nothing, Passage To Bangkok, 2112)

 

A Farewell To Kings (Xanadu, Closer to the Heart)

 

Hold Your Fire (Time Stand Still, Second Nature, Open Secrets)

 

First Album - suffers from lack of Neil (What You're Doing, Working Man)

 

Grace Under Pressure - Rush out of their element. Bad sound. Dumb songs. Zero feel. Producer was not asked back. Distant Early Warning is a great song, though, one that I didn't fully appreciate until I became a parent.

 

Note: These are the discs that I've owned over the years. I can't comment on the others. I'll have to check out Power Windows based upon the recommendations I'm reading here.

Dan, too bad you never got to see us do our Rush Tribute. A lot of your Favorites on our set list. Too bad there wasn't enough market for it to keep it going.

 

Cool! :cool: I just found an old set list (circa 1997)

 

Set 1

 

Bastille Day

Anthem

The Trees

Xanadu

Entre Nous

A Passage To Bankok

Subdivisions

2112

 

Set 2

Cygnus X-1 Book II : Hemispheres

Tom Sawyer

Red Barchetta

YYZ

Limelight

Natural Science

Something For Nothing

 

:eek::eek::eek:

 

Those were the days. :D

So Many Drummers. So Little Time...
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Khan,

 

Can you teach me some Alex playing tricks? I've always loved his chord voicings!

 

BTW, what's that black guitar that he plays a lot (with tremolo system and a humbucker right next to the neck)?

The Black Knight always triumphs!

 

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Originally posted by Dan South:

Khan,

 

Can you teach me some Alex playing tricks?

Yes. But then I'd have to kill you.

 

BTW, what's that black guitar that he plays a lot (with tremolo system and a humbucker right next to the neck)?

I really havn't been following Alex's gear for quite a while. He was playing Paul Reed Smith guitars a lot though.
So Many Drummers. So Little Time...
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"Second Nature" is my new favorite Rush song. Most bands can't sound that big. Do yourself a favor and spend the $0.99 on iTunes to check it out. Really cool song.

 

I hear a big difference between the Oberheim-driven sound of Moving Pictures and the Roland-driven sound of Power Windows and Hold Your Fire. I really prefer the Roland sound, but I'm afraid my Andromeda sounds more Oberheimy. I couldn't possibly talk my wife into a Super Jupiter... could I...?

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