Closer to the Heart
I was on vacation, but now I'm back, to review one of Rush's most beloved songs.
Trying to step outside fandom, I could make arguments for disliking this song. Beginning a song with "and" feels pretentious. The opening acoustic guitar and synth, taken apart from the rest of the song, lack any musical force. Skipping ahead through the lyrics, Peart talks a lot about how we can get closer to that ol' heart, but never defines what it means. It reminds me a little of that Python sketch with the talk show that tells you how to do amazing things - by glossing over all the hard parts.
Who cares? This song works anyway. The wee opening lays the groundwork for a slow buildup in tension, as the bass and drums come in for the second verse, then the guitar gets distorted in the third. The electrification makes the solo feel like a logical next step, featuring respectable contributions from all three band members, and then a gorgeous bridge back to the fourth verse. With the band already at full throttle for the solo, the parts underlying the fourth verse rock a lot harder than the third. Themes previously expressed languidly receive a much more raucous treatment, and then they're just playing their asses off to get to the fade-out. Or perhaps I should call it the cop-out; the jam session that became the standard conclusion to live versions of the song feels a lot more satisfying.
I can't find any particular moment I hadn't noticed before, or any new revelations. This song works because all three members of the band play it real well, and orchestrated the buildup from a single acoustic guitar to all out rockfest so cunningly that you could almost miss it. Put it back in the set list, Rush. Nobody besides you ever got sick of it.
Trying to step outside fandom, I could make arguments for disliking this song. Beginning a song with "and" feels pretentious. The opening acoustic guitar and synth, taken apart from the rest of the song, lack any musical force. Skipping ahead through the lyrics, Peart talks a lot about how we can get closer to that ol' heart, but never defines what it means. It reminds me a little of that Python sketch with the talk show that tells you how to do amazing things - by glossing over all the hard parts.
Who cares? This song works anyway. The wee opening lays the groundwork for a slow buildup in tension, as the bass and drums come in for the second verse, then the guitar gets distorted in the third. The electrification makes the solo feel like a logical next step, featuring respectable contributions from all three band members, and then a gorgeous bridge back to the fourth verse. With the band already at full throttle for the solo, the parts underlying the fourth verse rock a lot harder than the third. Themes previously expressed languidly receive a much more raucous treatment, and then they're just playing their asses off to get to the fade-out. Or perhaps I should call it the cop-out; the jam session that became the standard conclusion to live versions of the song feels a lot more satisfying.
I can't find any particular moment I hadn't noticed before, or any new revelations. This song works because all three members of the band play it real well, and orchestrated the buildup from a single acoustic guitar to all out rockfest so cunningly that you could almost miss it. Put it back in the set list, Rush. Nobody besides you ever got sick of it.