Moving Pictures

With Moving Pictures, Rush's complex songwriting and musical virtuosity reached new heights. It's that rarest of creatures, a highly listenable progressive-rock album; even the all-instrumental "YYZ" is of interest to listeners besides musicians. The highlight of the album is "Limelight"; like many progressive-rock bands, Rush writes songs about the experience of being on-stage. The result is impressive, with almost orchestral arrangements that never overwhelm the actual music. "Tom Sawyer," another classic, is on this album, as well as the science-fiction-meets-road-movie "Red Barchetta," the epic "The Camera Eye," the cautionary "Witch Hunt," and "Vital Signs," which takes advantage of the budding digital sound technology available at the time the album was recorded. This is probably Rush's best album; it's definitely their most accessible. --Genevieve Williams

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