Rush Signals - What Do You Remember?

[@mitchellbracey5234]

The guitar solos on this album are fantastic.

[@christianhaynes1954]

Definitely , Lifeson is awesome 👌

[@peteywheatstraws4909]

Supposedly, this is Lifeson's least favorite album, I thought it was off the chain.

[@michaeljones6948]

Attended the majority of the uk dates on the Signals tour,maybe only missing one.Those were the days when you sent off for tickets in the post,and amazingly I got front row seats for a couple of gigs.That tour was most memorable for me when my friends and I were able to get autographs on two successive nights from all three members after Wembley arena concerts.After waiting outside behind the fence after the gigs,ten or twenty of us were escorted backstage and looked in amazement when Rush came walking out ,sitting behind a table while we streamed by.I’m not too starstuck in general,but those guys are the exception. I’ll never forget that time.

[@DaveGardnervideos]

Dec 6, 1982 Signals show was my first concert ever. Six rows from Geddy Lee. Fantastic experience at the Boston Garden.

[@samuelpatton2677]

I was at this show, my first Rush concert! I was 16. I will never forget seeing Neil in person, a transformative moment in my life. I would go on to see them once or twice each tour through R40. RIP Neil, your mark on my life was significant. Rush has always been the music of my life…thank Alex, Geddy and Neil!

[@jimtatro6550]

I was 15 years old and a school band drummer when this album dropped in my very first concert was this tour. My life changed that night. I was lucky enough to see them another 14 times through the years.

[@DNR5586]

Subdivisions was what got me into Rush. I loved the melodic sound of the synths on this song. Like you said Signals was released Sep 9, 1982 but I didn't notice Subdivisions playing on the radio until right around Thanksgiving of '82. The synth sound and the drums (especially that ride cymbal) is what really caught my interest. I thought "Who are these guys?" Oh, the same band who brought you Tom Sawyer! Cool! I was in 10th grade when all this happened and a buddy of mine educated me on album releases and upcoming tours. You mean we can see these guys play live! We must go! March 23, 1983 at The Omni in Atlanta, GA was my very first concert and it was Rush on the Signals tour, still have the ticket stub. I'm pretty sure Jon Butcher was the opening act. Rush fan for life after that. Was fortunate to see them 12 times after that.

[@menot2993]

I first saw Rush live on their Hemispheres Tour. I also caught them (twice) during the Permanent Waves Tour. I completely missed the Moving Pictures Tour, but I definitely was determined to see Rush's Signals Tour. The show began with brilliance. The stage was covered by a massive red velvet drape. The drape parted and there it was, Neil Peart's red Tama drum kit. That kit was stunningly beautiful, and it still had all the percussive toys that were used during the Moving Pictures Tour. The show begins with The Spirit of Radio. Alex was wearing a dark red blazer and a skinny tie. And his hair was cut and styled like he was in a New Wave band. Geddy was wearing a suit jacket with the sleeves rolled up, sporting the Miami Vice look before there was Miami Vice. It was a different band. Rush had joined the 80s and was making music like their inspirations, the Police, the Talking Heads, Ultravox... This was definitely not the band that I saw on the Hemispheres Tour...this was something completely different.

[@markjohnson4217]

Amazing that a band after their most successful release at the very peak of their popularity, would decide to take a very different approach on the follow-up.. and wildly succeed. Signals was nothing like anything they had done previously. I was a bit shocked at first, being a huge fan of the classic 70s Rush, but it grew on me very quickly and it still stands head to head with their greatest albums. People wbo complain about keyboards have far too many preconceptions about rock. Geddy's keyboard work on Signals created an amazing, full, chordal pallet of sound and still using much of tbe analog synths played jn real time. It was a much warmer, more human sound than we were hearing from them in tbe mid-late 80s. Signals was living proof that real musicians can cross over from genre to genre, can explore completely new territory without missing a step or commiting professional suicide.

[@menot2993]

@@markjohnson4217 The keyboards, at some point, maybe around Power Windows, did get to be too much. Geddy, by his own admission, is not a keyboard player. He's no Rick Wakeman, that's for sure. It was Rupert Hine that told them to go back to being a power trio, because they lost something crucial in all the keyboards. Even Alex was getting mad with all the synths taking up his space. Fortunately, they gave their collective heads a shake and went back to the sounds that made them great.

[@josephrobertmah3438]

Hi Robert! Thanks for posting this video - the Signals album is near and dear to me because this was the first Rush tour that I saw. I became a fan around the time of Hemispheres but after Signals I became a Rush fanatic, and have been (more or less!) to this date. Most Rush fans wanted Alex to be in his usual place in front of the mix, but the band wanted to turn everything on its head, having achieved everything they wanted as a three piece power prog trio on Moving Pictures. Signals does sound a bit duller with the drums and guitar further in the mix but the band were exploring new textures and Neil's lyrics were rarely as emotional and straight-forward as on this album. Subdivisions, Losing It, and Analog Kid are extremely affecting, while Chemistry, Digital Man, and New World Man are playful and clever. The entire band plays well, but they were trying to showcase the songs rather than the musicianship. I remember reading a review from a DJ at the local radio station, K-97, who simply wrote that "Rush borrows a chapter from Genesis and makes a whole album from it." Nobody else made that comparison and more accurate than most - this is not the synth-pop album like many people claim. The show was stupendous. In Western Canada where I saw them, I believe a Canadian band, Wrabbit, opened and I don't remember anything from their set after Rush hit the stage. They played every song from Signals, except Losing It, and the video screen was massive. The Countdown and Subdivisions video footage that displayed on the massive screen behind the band can be seen on the music videos for those songs. I was very disappointed when the 40th Anniversary box set omitted any live material from that tour, but I guess the band didn't have access to any great sounding recordings from that tour. Such a shame! I suppose video footage would have really been too much to wish for.

[@christianhaynes1954]

My favorite rush album . So great 👍 👌. I was a fan since permanent waves but signals really sparked my love for rush .

[@richdrums6886]

I LOVE Rush. Understatement of the century. Cygnus X-1 was the first Rush song I ever heard. This is why/how I became a drummer, professionally since I was 18. I loved Signals when it came out, but since they 'retired' it's really been born again for me. That and Grace Under Pressure both really speak to me these current days. Rush has always been 'perfection' to me - a constant evolvement since its inception.

[@bobcarn]

I believe I saw this tour in Radio City Music Hall in New York City. I can't remember the opening band. I was going through a lot of life changes at the time. I was about 22, had come out and moved out to live with my new partner, and everything was such a blur. I loved the album at the time, though it has moved down my list over the years. I rate it in the upper half of their albums. The five albums preceding it (2112 through Moving Pictures) had each sounding new and different. Each one had its own unique style or sound to it, but each one still sounded like they had been doing that style all along. It was a streak of brilliance. Signals sounded a bit experimental though. It sounded like they wanted to try some new things and wanted to see where they could go. Before, it felt like they knew what they wanted. Here it felt like they were wondering what they could do. It sounds like even Terry Brown wasn't quite sure what they were going for. I still like the album very much. I just don't think it hit the highs that the previous five hit.

[@ElJuanSolo]

Radio City was the Grace Under Pressure warm up tour. This was in September of 1983 with Marillion opening. They played at Madison Square Garden with Rory Gallagher about 9 months earlier. December 2nd & 3rd 1982. I was at both shows.

[@peteywheatstraws4909]

"Analog Kid" was my jam.

[@ZIG4ZAG20]

Top 5 in the Rush studio releases for me. Pissed that the 40th anniversary release still isn’t available on streaming services iTunes or Spotify.🎹🎸🥁🎤First tour I got to see was 1984’s GUP and they only played Subdivisions, New World Man and The Weapon🤘🖖✌️but later tours they revisited The Analog Kid, Digital Man and finally Losing It on the R40 tour of 2015😳🤯😢

[@tomhann61]

My one and only Rush concert, so sad, was the Signals tour stop in Lakeland FL. Stood among the smashed standing only bodies about 5-6 people from the stage. Legs were in bad shape afterwards, but the experience was so worth it.

[@anti7928]

I saw rush on the Signals tour.. first song i remember hearing was Working man... Really enjoy your video's

[@PaulLoughrin]

I remember buying this cassette. I started listening to it on my Walkman, lol, and I was a little disappointed at first. However, I then loved it. Subdivisions is a great song. They played that song when I saw them here in Jacksonville, FL in 2008. I'm 58. I'm old, lol!

[@domenicbell2834]

Still have this beauty on vinyl, man, the lyrics,..'Subdivisions' alone is a spectacular observation of social engineering and behavior, and then the wonderful 'Analog Kid'. to the 'Digital Man',...the modern synth sound... RUSH just knew how to make the transition into the '80's so naturally without losing their power and essence ,.the song structures , The vocal range and melody's Geddy used, more of Neil's brilliant lyrics ,and Alex's sound was so fleshy and atmospheric yet controlled , organised , gutsy and bighting , his solo's /breaks are just perfect for every song, flowing perfectly from the first song to the last, ..and when it came to 'Losing it',..yep, I had indeed lost it on this record ,...mind blown.

[@robgasper8521]

My 3rd favorite by them behind Kings and Pictures.

[@anthkraus4433]

I got farewell to kings as a birthday present from an uncle shorty after it was released . Part of the reason why I’m so cool .

[@scottfulmer4414]

Love this album! I'm a huge fan of their early 80's new wave-ish music. This one and Grace Under Pressure may be my favorite albums of theirs.

[@mcraft2240]

I know in the US they opened the show with Spirit of the Radio, Tom Sawyer, Freewill in that order. Unbelievable start. I also remember them coming on stage with the “3 blind mice” song playing. Funny.

[@peterpinnpalermo6887]

The first time I ever saw RUSH was during the earlly days of HBO when movies had start times. In between films there were various music videos and film shorts. It had to be around 1978. I was waiting for a movie to start. But right before the film. This mysterious three piece band with alot of gear onstage started playing. It was the video for The Trees. I didn't know if I liked or not. I was 10 and still a huge KISS fan. Never saw that video again until here on KZbin. And yes I did see the Signals tour. Once again at The Boston Gardens. The opening act was a Canada band Wrabit. Maybe spelt with two B's. A bad name. I don't recall how good they were and own their album. I couldn't tell you if it was good. It's probably on Spotify. I saw RUSH every year up until Hold Your Fire. I only went because a buddy had a extra ticket. I was kinda done with them. It was extra special the HYF tour for Boston fans. It was that very album and only album that had another vocalist singing on one of their albums. Boston's very own Aimee Man from Til' Tuesday. She didn't appear in person. When her part came in she appeared on the big video behind the band. The crowd went nuts. The last time I saw Rush was Snakes and Arrows tour. I was already a big fan again.

[@DSM9]

I saw Rush several times in the early 1980s. They were young and on fire - and for me, at the peak of their powers. Signals remains one of my very favourite albums.

[@ElJuanSolo]

Saw them on this tour in New York City. They came around with Rory Gallagher. I only knew he was a guitarist at the time and not much more but glad I got to see him. As for Rush…I loved Signals,even though they were more keyboard friendly the songs were fantastic. Subdivisions,Digital Man and Analog Kid were fantastic. I remember it being such a great show. It was one of many Rush shows I would attend. Just about 10 months later I’d catch them again,this time at Radio City with Marillion (who were booed !!!!) but I quite enjoyed. This was the Grace Under Pressure warm up tour.

[@jackstraw36]

I saw the Signals show in Charleston W.V. With John Butcher Axis as the opening act. I remember the Screen with the cover of the Moving Pictures album coming to life. With the movers carrying the pictures up the steps. This blew me away,as I assumed that it was just a backdrop. Video screens were not as common at this time. I remember it was an awesome experience though my memory is a bit fuzzy. It being so many years ago. I remember Geddy having the small keyboard setup with the rest of his rig. I didn’t feel that it was overused.But mostly played during the intro to the new material. Very happy to have been able to see them at what I feel was the peak of their success.

[@mcraft2240]

I believe you can find KZbin video of Alex talking about Rory. I think they opened for Rory early in their career. I saw them twice on this tour, and Rory opened for them both times. RIP to a great Irish blues rocker.

[@greensombrero3641]

i have the vinyl - and i loved this album

[@richardwoodworth8996]

I was at the Toronto show also in November 1982. It was my first time seeing them in concert. Although I do like the whole album, in my opinion it does indeed signal the end of an Era for Rush. They stopped working with their producer, Terry Brown after Signals and somehow the magic was gone after that.

[@j_omega_t]

I bought Signals as soon as it came out, but it was with some trepidation. That stemmed from me not caring much for Vital Signs. It's a good song, but it seemed like the poppiest thing they had ever done up to then, and I heard they were pretty enamored with it. Sure enough, Signals had more of a pop feel, but it also had some great stuff on it. I loved Subdivisions, Analog Kid, Losing It, and Countdown. I really liked Digital Man. I still do not like Chemistry. Over the years, the album grew on me, but I definitely saw Signals as a turning point. I am one of many people who find the 80's Rush as their weakest material. I was so happy when I heard Counterparts, as that heralded the end of the synth era.

[@j_omega_t]

As for New World Man, that's what made me turn the radio on again. Where I lived, they never got ANY airplay until NWM. I still found the radio to be unbearable crap, but I could tolerate it when Rush was actually in the rotation. I listened on a clock radio in the "sleep mode" because if something too terrible came on, I could turn it off with one hand (whereas the on/off switch required two since sliding that switch would just move the radio across the nightstand). I was a sophomore in college when it came out, and was listening in the dorm on my clock radio with a broken chair leg in my hand (don't ask) when something awful came on. I reached over and slapped the radio with the chair leg, and that took out all the LEDs in the 10's of minutes column except for the two that were needed to light up a one. That sure made it harder to tell time.

[@PaulLoughrin]

Well said.

[@rickradix6174]

Still have it. Bought it as soon as I got paid after it came out.

[@dmt02459]

We saw Rush in L. A. on the Signals album. I think Golden Earring what are the opening band.

[@SteveAuger2021]

YYZ was epic on that live album

[@penguinlust6749]

This was the tour I wanted a live album from, and the biggest disappointment by far of the 40th anniversary version of the Signals CD was the lack of a concert recording, unlike many of the prior albums of the 40th anniversary series. Allegedly there is no complete concert recording of acceptable quality, but I think even a composite recording would have been far preferable to what we got.

[@PittsburghRocks]

Rory Gallagher... what a strange opener for Signals-era Rush.

[@Mark-hn5bm]

Yes I remember as well. My first concert Signals tour December 1982 MSG. I was hooked after that.

[@mcraft2240]

I believe they opened for Rory early in their career. Alex was a fan and friend of Rory.

[@Mark-hn5bm]

I believe you are correct. I remember hearing that several years back in an interview with either Alex or Geddy. I was young when I saw signals tour but I remember at the time asking “who is Rory Gallagher”

[@Diesel65-tl3zv]

This was my 2nd Rush concert on Halloween Night in Evansville IN. 1st being the Moving Pictures, I missed Permanent Waves which is my fav, Signals was a great show with screen behind them play the video you see for the single releases, the album grew on us and I believe it was Gallagher opening I think he opened on MP tour too, after this album is where I fell out of the Rush camp sadly,

[@j_omega_t]

@Diesel65-tl3zv The first concert I ever went to I was Rush on the Moving Pictures tour in Evansville. The second was Signals, but I think I saw that one in Nashville.

[@Diesel65-tl3zv]

That’s awesome I saw so many great shows at the Old Roberts stadium and Mesker Amphitheater at the Mesker Zoo growing up in that area in my youth, And maybe that’s a good topic for a video on this channel great concerts in venues that are long gone.

[@Rick-mp8tm]

I heard Tom Sawyer at church camp In 1980, I was 12 , not cool yet, the older kids were playing it in our cabin, and they had a suitcase full of drugs and whiskey! I also heard back in Black and other cool stuff but wasn't hip yet, I got hip to killer music in 82! btw, those older kids got busted because they had a secret party up in someone's house up from the camp, and a drunk girl fell and broke her leg really bad, they got sent home , lucky they didn't call the cops on them! Ha ha

[@trenken]

Im a massive rush fan but i never really loved signals. I love subdivisions, analog kid, weapon is ok but aside from that it doesnt do a lot for me. Im a bassist so digital man is the best bass song on this album but theres a few songs that feel like filler to me. The band sounds maybe a little less inspired when they wrote this than prior albums. Its not bad it just doesnt move me like other albums do. Power windows as far as synth era is far better imo. I became a fan young but im 48 now so the first new rush album i remember coming out was i think hold your fire, but presto was really the first rush album i remember actually looking forward to when i was 13 or so. I went to the power windows tour when i was 10 lol

[@chevken1831]

The thing I remember the most about this period were the kids who began saying, "Rush sucks!". It's like they didn't get it.

[@scottydub5785]

They didn’t get it. Rush’s run in the ‘80s, esp “Moving Pictures” thru “Power Windows”, was superb! Then you go back to their ‘70s catalog and it was just mo betta!

[@chevken1831]

@scottydub5785 Many people throughout the years looked at "Moving Pictures" as the final chapter of their heavy period. I was very eager to find out just how far Rush were going after the "Signals" period. I followed that band's music right to the very end.

[@scottydub5785]

@ hear hear, my man…I personally think of “Exit Stage Left” as the close of their first chapter and beginning of a great second act in the ‘80s

[@chevken1831]

@scottydub5785 I enjoyed every phase of Rush's discography. Not once was I ever disappointed.

[@Chekmate99]

not only the kids, but the music industry and pop culture didn’t get Rush at that time - Rush in some strange way were the anti-thesis of the 80’s. You’d be lucky to see ten girls at Rush concert back then - the song Subdivisions sums up the Rush fanbase from that period - it wasn’t until the 90’s that Rush really started to make inroads into the pop culture scene.

[@theragingdolphinsmaniac4696]

I **HATED** (and I cant emphasize that enough) the synthy Rush sound. That said I have learned to appreciate it more recent years.

[@Deplorable0698]

August 1976 ,1st album in its entirety . Of course 'Working Man' was the tune . Best concert was December 31,1978 Maple Leaf Gardens . Amazing playlist

[@Philip-e4b]

Seen the tour with Golden earring opener