Hold Your Fire

Hold Your Fire Artist: Rush
Label: Polygram Records
Category: Music


Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1


UPC: 042283246423
EAN: 0042283246423
ASIN: B000001FMH


Release Date: 1990-10-25

Hold Your Fire


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Tracks:

  1. Force Ten
  2. Time Stand Still
  3. Open Secrets
  4. Second Nature
  5. Prime Mover
  6. Lock and Key
  7. Mission
  8. Turn the Page
  9. Tai Shan
  10. High Water

Similar Items:

  1. Power Windows
  2. Grace Under Pressure
  3. Signals
  4. Presto
  5. Permanent Waves

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars 20 years and a different take on 80's Rush.......2007-05-04

The late 70's and early 80's were arguably the golden age for Rush. When my cassette of Signals was trashed and laying spaghettied all over the floorboard of my Chevy Monza, I was ready for "what's next" from who I considered my prog-rock Gods at the time.

In '85 at the height of the New Wave "wave" Power Windows dropped. But I'm sure I felt at first like many hard core fans, and that was "What the heck is this?! A noticeably heavy reliance on gimmicky synth and straight ahead power beats?" (Not at all what I expected from Neil Peart from whom I had always expected great and challenging percussion fills and signatures). I felt a little bit like putting a bag over my head. What radio America was seemingly embracing, I was dissing as un-Rush-like and as kind of a sellout to me.
Then, Hold Your Fire arrived in '87, It was the very first Compact Disc I had ever purchased. Again, I was unimpressed. It seemed that all that was once good about my favorite Canadian prog rock band had just exited stage left, washed away in a sea of Simmons pads, predictable lyrics, and was much too slick and smoothed over.

But now, some 20 years later I find myself trying to put together my Rush library again, just for old time's sake. And I actually found a first run Mercury disc of Hold Your Fire, and so I bought it. I'm actually amazed how 20 years have changed my view. In hindsight, Hold Your Fire was a inevitable departure for Rush. If I had had half the aural patience back then, that I do now, and could have at least matured a little bit along with Geddy, Alex and Neil, I would have appreciated the music more, and not so hastily dismissed it as unworthy. The 80's albums had to be approached from an entirely different standpoint. The guys were maturing and becoming more sociopolitical in their outlook. A little bit less "rockin" and "epic" yes, but not so bad. The lyrics and melodies held their own. I enjoy listening to them today, and probably will for some time to come. It's entirely possible too, that I've just become older, slower, and sleepier.

5 out of 5 stars Time Stand Still.......2007-04-25

I think some Rush fans dismissed this album because they felt the band's sound had become too excessive in a pop format. Much of the material on this release is flowing with the use of keyboards, but the songs flow well as Geddy Lee works his magic. Some might say the band was too experimental and incorporating more keyboards left less time for guitar jams. Maybe there is a little less of that, but certainly not absent. I think most fans will realize how Hold Your Fire is a very strong album once given a chance. The emotion and passion for all things remains within the songs and their observations on life and human interaction continue to be thought-provoking. Rush were getting ready to close a chapter in their music career as the 80's were nearing an end, and as every recording marks a moment in time for this amazing group, their music still stands the test of time.

2 out of 5 stars Hold My Fire!.......2007-04-03

Not the greatest of Rush albums however one for the digitally remastered archives and well worth the order fee. Great service from Amazon in speed and supply. However please stop using those sticky bar coded stickers along the edge of the cd box they wreck the presentation and also are a devil to remove. The box for the delivery was also way too big!! Talk about over packaging and the whole green thing!Many thanks though for great supply.Thanks

5 out of 5 stars Stood the test of time well (4.5 stars).......2007-03-28

(Why can't we give half stars? Consider this one a 4.5 star - not in the same league as Moving Pictures or 2112, but close).

I have to admit, I'm NOT generally a huge fan of Rush's "keyboard era", and when this album was new, I hated it, except for Force Ten and Time Stand Still. However, 20 years later, I think this is one of Rush's best albums - indeed, almost a classic.

The songs on this album are very melodic and spiritual. One of the criticisms that you often hear about "Hold Your Fire" is that it is sterile and overproduced, however, I think there is a lot of emotion on these songs ("Mission" in particular). The arrangements are very complex, and these songs get better with each listen as you discover new things about them; this is true art.

Lyrically, this is some of Neil Peart's best stuff, and possibly his best up to this point. The only negative about this album (for me) is that Alex Lifeson's guitar work is very subtle. However, that type of playing fits these songs very well.

4 out of 5 stars Melodic atmospheres, "Hold Your Fire" holds it's own.......2007-02-14

The 1987 release "Hold Your Fire" showcases ten tracks of progressive and powerful music. The mood of most of these songs still stays well within the formula of themes that stay within the circles of hope and perseverance while still reaching further heights of artistic vision. Another nice touch are the great synthesizers that help create a dreamy, magical background of sound for many of the songs on this album.

"Force Ten" has a good beat and is fast in delivery, whereupon we get into the second track on the album, the staple hit "Time stand Still" which is uplifting in its execution which is held up strongly by Geddy Lee's poetic and crisp vocals. The track "Lock and Key" showcases some more great vocals but also has a lot of nice changeups that do what this band does so well, which is create strong rhythms that mix in with some screeching solo's from the guitar of Alex Liefson. Despite leaving their ever epic 70's work behind them, this album's songs still do a great job in really creating the worlds and emotions that emit from the stories told through the songwriting. The song "Turn the Page" has some timeless soundscapes to it and is also song that has a lot of meaning within the songwriting.

Music Album:

  1. Someone Else's Party ~ The Durutti Column
  2. Opening Band ~ Paul and Storm
  3. Aerial Pandemonium Ballet ~ Harry Nilsson
  4. For the Memories ~ Don McLean
  5. Back to the Blues ~ Rick Derringer
  6. ØØ Void ~ Sunn O)))
  7. Love Is the Greatest Revenge (Digipak) ~ Tremolo
  8. The Millennium Bell ~ Mike Oldfield
  9. Too Much Sleep ~ Bongwater
  10. Cowboys and Indians ~ The Jeevas

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The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born ~ Branford Marsalis

Olé Coltrane ~ John Coltrane

Mood Swings ~ Carla White

Letters & Leaves ~ Krzysztof Popek

Destination Motherland ~ Roy Ayers

Serendipity ~ Gregory Tardy

Shinobikoi/ Inochimoiranai ~ An Chuna

Certe Piccole Voci: Live ~ Fiorella Mannoia

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