Rush - Grace Under Pressure (1984)

"Grace Under Pressure" was the first Rush album since 1975's Fly by Night to not be produced by Terry Brown, who was replaced by Peter Henderson (Supertramp, Paul McCartney). The change resulted in a slightly more accessible sound than its predecessor, "Signals", and marked the beginning of a period where many Rush fans feel that synths and electronics were used too prominently -- in effect pushing guitarist Alex Lifeson into the background. The album's running theme is pressure and how humans act under different kinds of pressure. In songs like "Between the Wheels" and "The Body Electric", Peart's lyrics explore the pressure put on by life as a whole. In "Afterimage", Peart describes the impressions left by a loved one that dies suddenly. One track, "Red Sector A," is notable for its allusions to The Holocaust, inspired by Geddy Lee's memories of his mother's stories about the liberation of Bergen-Belsen, where she was held prisoner. While the album's opening track "Distant Early Warning" has been interpreted as dealing with the pressure involving the aftermath of nuclear holocaust, Peart demurred in a contemporaneous interview, saying, "It's about a lot of stuff." "The Enemy Within" is part one of the "Fear" series of songs that started with part three, "Witch Hunt," on Rush's 1981 album "Moving Pictures", through part two,"The Weapon" on 1982's "Signals".

Track List:
01. "Distant Early Warning" – 4:59
02. "Afterimage" – 5:04
03. "Red Sector A" – 5:10
04. "The Enemy Within (Part I of Fear)" – 4:33
05. "The Body Electric" – 5:00
06. "Kid Gloves" – 4:18
07. "Red Lenses" – 4:42
08. "Between the Wheels" – 5:44

Released: 12 April 1984
Recorded: November 1983 - March 1984 Le Studio, Morin Heights, Quebec
Genre: Hard Rock, Progressive Rock
Length: 39:23
Label: Mercury
Produced by: Rush and Peter Henderson
Music and lyrics by: Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee and Neil Peart

Personnel:
Geddy Lee - bass guitar (Steinberger XL-2), synthesizers (Minimoog, PPG Wave, Oberheim OB-Xa, Roland Jupiter 8), vocals
Alex Lifeson - guitars (Hentor Sportscasters), synthesizers
Neil Peart - drums (Simmons and Tama), percussion