Snakes & Arrows

I am sure this will make me unpopular with the elite but Snakes & Arrows is my all time favourite Rush album. I do love all the others, of course, but not every single track like I do with this one. Snakes & Arrows is probably one of my top played albums of all time. And yes I still say album instead of CD or mp3 collective...

What am amazing opener! I am always a little bit "nervous" about a new Rush album because you never quite know what direction they will be heading in. Rush are unusual for me in that they are one of the "old" bands I like from when I was a teenager who are still going. Most of the others I liked have either disbanded or died or both. That means that we have the fear of Rush putting out some utter shite (incredibly unlikely, I know) like some other bands have done as they have got older.

But fuck all that as soon as I heard "Far Cry". I just love it. This is one of my most-played tracks from the album. They played it as the opener of the second half of the show on the Snakes & Arrows tour and I was literally blown away (and Geddy would have been too if I could have got past security...). It is such a strong track and along the slightly heavier lines of what I like.

Classic line -

One day I feel I'm ahead of the wheel

And the next it's rolling over me

Love it.

"Armor and Sword" does not get as much play as the opener. It is a very emotive song for me so I tend to have to really be in the mood for it. It has kind of an anti-religion slant to it (I guess that was the original intention) and being part of a generation that has witnessed so much killing in the name of a God of choice, I find it very easy to relate to.

Confused alarms of struggle and flight

Blood is drained of colour

By the flashes of artillery light

No one gets to their heaven without a fight

The battle flags are flown

At the feet of a god unknown

No one gets to their heaven without a fight

Now "Workin' Them Angels" gets us back on track! This one is a very "Neil Peart" one, if you get what I mean. It totally reminds me of his books, more than likely due to the association with movement which is a major theme in his works. Hell, he even mentions two of his books!

Turn up the music and smile

...

Memory drumming at the heart of an English winter

Memories beating at the heart of an African village

Again, this one probably gets a little less play than the other songs. Not because I don't like it; it is just another one of those "mood" songs... I am currently studying British social policy in relation to crime and the underclass. Gonna see if I can squeeze in a few of the lyrics as a source in my next essay and get away with it...

I absolutely adore the video sequence in the live show for this one, by the way.

"Spindrift". Isn't in my top three but I do still play it. It doesn't draw me in like the other tracks, I'm afraid. More of a background song for me... Geddy does sound amazing on this one, though.

Now we're getting into it! I have always loved Rush instrumentals and "The Main Monkey Business" is no exception. I even love the story behind it...

"The Way The Wind Blows" is another religion-related one. I completely agree with the sentiment...

Now it's come to this

Wide-eyed armies of the faithful

From the Middle East to the Middle West

Pray, and pass the ammunition

"Hope" makes me want to dance... go figure...

"Faithless" is a great one. This is a hopeful song, as far as I am concerned.

Like a stone in the river

Against the floods of spring

I will quietly resist

...

I don't have faith in faith

I don't believe in belief

You can call me faithless

I still cling to hope

And I believe in love

And that's faith enough for me

"Bravest Face" is way up there as one of my favourite tracks of all time. It is incredibly well put together and features some of the best lines I have heard recently (and yes, I do happen to listen to Ke$ha when I am bored...).

In the softest voice there's an acid tongue

In the oldest eyes there's a soul so young

In the shakiest will there's a core of steel

On the smoothest ride there's a squeaky wheel

"Good News First" Gets quite a bit of play time. Reminds me of Los Angeles. Not sure why... Maybe because my ex out there was a manipulative piece of crap sometimes. Or it could be because I sat on Santa Monica pier listening to this one on a loop while Kay burnt her skin the fuck off down on the beach... I guess we'll never know...

You used to feel that way

The saddest words you'll ever say

But I know you'll remember that day

And the most beautiful words I could ever say

My song! Yes, this is the track I named the blog after. Why? Because I could. And I do display the symptoms of a malignant narcissist at times...

I adore this one. Geddy's voice is just perfect with the ending reminding me of earlier Rush. What I always find strange is the fact that these are not Geddy's lyrics. He and Neil are so in sync that Ged can sing Neil's words and make them truly sound like his own.

This is my little inspiration song for when I am having a shit day at work; I am doing it for a reason and just have to focus on the bigger picture... Don't give up.

How many times

Do we chafe against the repetition

Straining against the faith

Measured out in coffee breaks

...

How many times

Do we wonder if it's even worth it

There's got to be some other way

Way to get me through the day

So there you have it. My thoughts on my favourite Rush album. Thanks for sticking with me this long!