Listening to this album again, there are sounds just coming from everywhere. Synthesizer notes, strings, odd drum noises - it somehow all works. On 'Mystic Rhythms', there are animal kinds of noises, like that of larks or Whales. It works. It works as pop music. Pop music is known for being smooth. Somehow Rush takes noise and makes it pop music. This album is an amazing success in this regard.

Neil Peart has claimed the songs on the album are about power or expressions of power. Sometime around Signals, people began to pay attention to what Neil Pert had to say. He began to say many of the songs on Signals had a similar theme, communication (they were certainly communication something on Signals with 'New World Man', 'Losing it', and then 'Countdown' - a rejuvenating song about the space program - at the end). The songs on this album are all about Power.

The songs certainly could be about power. The song titles on side one include, 'Big Money' (a big song, which got played on MTV), 'Grand Designs', 'Manhattan Project', and 'Marathon', with 'Territories' beginning side two. According to Wikipedia, 'Grand Designs' was originally intended to be a criticism of the superficiality of mainstream music. 'Middle Town Dreams' (one of the best, if not the best song on the album) could be seen as a search for power.

 'Emotion Detector' is a personal song that stands apart from the album. 'Emotion Detector' might be a bit embarrassing for the author. Musically, it is the worst song on the album, if not one of the worst Rush has ever done. The lyrics are very personal, if not some of the more illuminating. I take the song to be an admission (perhaps the title is what explains all) that Neil Pear's rational stance or demeanor, his logic, his rational, kind of a Mr. Spock view of the world, it is simply a mask for emotion, "Right to the heart of the matter, right to the beautiful part, illusions are painfully shattered right where discovery starts". He may appear to be highly rational, but there is emotion behind it. Perhaps even, in at least some small way, a quest for power.

'Mystic Rhythms', the final song, is one of the best, if not the best song, on the album.

The songs on the follow-up album 'Hold Your Fire', are all about restraint. Perhaps this idea regarding the songs all having the same these is exaggerated. Mr. Peart may be trying to hold our interest/this is as much about a marketing campaign, as it is anything. Power Windows came out just after the 'Fear' Trilogy, a set of three songs placed on different albums. The appropriate final song of 'Fear', part III, is titled 'Witch Hunt'. Strangely part III, 'Witch Hunt' came out on the first album 'Moving Pictures' with part II, 'The Weapon', coming out on 'Signals' and part I of 'Fear', 'The Enemy Withing', being released on 'Grace Under Pressure' the album that came out just before this one, 'Power Windows'.

There's a great story regarding 'Fear' trilogy on Wikipedia, Neil says, "The idea for the trilogy was suggested by an older man telling that he didn't think life was ruled by love, or reason, or money, or the pursuit of happiness -- but by fear. This smart-but-cynical guy's position was that most people's actions are motivated by fear of being hungry, fear of being hurt, fear of being alone, fear of being robbed, etc. and that people don't make choices based on hope that something good will happen, but in fear that something bad will happen. I reacted to this the way all of us tend to react to generalities: 'Well, I'm not like that!' But then I started thinking about it more, watching the way people around me behaved, and I soon realized that there was something to this viewpoint". The 'Fear' trilogy reminds me of the story 'The Mysterious Stranger' by Mark Twain. I do wonder just what old man Neil was talking about.

One problem with the idea that the songs on 'Hold Your Fire' are about restraint (with the songs on Power Windows being about power) are that the songs on 'Hold Your Fire' are so powerful, beginning with the hard hitting 'Force 10' - let's hope it can restrain itself. The music on the two albums does not perfectly match the lyrics. This may be no more true than regarding the song 'Middle Town Dream'. The music is very sad. Neil Peart has said the song is very positive and hopeful. I distinctly remember, not Neil Peart saying this, but a member of the media discussing the song (and noticing the discrepancy himself). He noted/reported that Neil sees this as a positive song adding, 'see what you think' (he also must have seen it as a kind of sad song). The picture on the album cover is just perfect. The picture might perfectly relate to the song 'Middle Town Dreams'.

This album came out 32 years ago, and I'm now a 52-year-old man talking about. After 32 years I'm returning to 'Middle Town Dream'. I'm trying to draw inspiration from it.

I'm really liking the sound on this album. Rush has never made noise sound so good.
Listening to this album again, there are sounds just coming from everywhere. Synthesizer notes, strings, odd drum noises - it somehow all works. On 'Mystic Rhythms', there are animal kinds of noises, like that of larks or Whales. It works. It works as pop music. Pop music is known for being smooth. Somehow Rush takes noise and makes it pop music. This album is an amazing success in this regard. Neil Peart has claimed the songs on the album are about power or expressions of power. Sometime around Signals, people began to pay attention to what Neil Pert had to say. He began to say many of the songs on Signals had a similar theme, communication (they were certainly communication something on Signals with 'New World Man', 'Losing it', and then 'Countdown' - a rejuvenating song about the space program - at the end). The songs on this album are all about Power. The songs certainly could be about power. The song titles on side one include, 'Big Money' (a big song, which got played on MTV), 'Grand Designs', 'Manhattan Project', and 'Marathon', with 'Territories' beginning side two. According to Wikipedia, 'Grand Designs' was originally intended to be a criticism of the superficiality of mainstream music. 'Middle Town Dreams' (one of the best, if not the best song on the album) could be seen as a search for power. 'Emotion Detector' is a personal song that stands apart from the album. 'Emotion Detector' might be a bit embarrassing for the author. Musically, it is the worst song on the album, if not one of the worst Rush has ever done. The lyrics are very personal, if not some of the more illuminating. I take the song to be an admission (perhaps the title is what explains all) that Neil Pear's rational stance or demeanor, his logic, his rational, kind of a Mr. Spock view of the world, it is simply a mask for emotion, "Right to the heart of the matter, right to the beautiful part, illusions are painfully shattered right where discovery starts". He may appear to be highly rational, but there is emotion behind it. Perhaps even, in at least some small way, a quest for power. 'Mystic Rhythms', the final song, is one of the best, if not the best song, on the album. The songs on the follow-up album 'Hold Your Fire', are all about restraint. Perhaps this idea regarding the songs all having the same these is exaggerated. Mr. Peart may be trying to hold our interest/this is as much about a marketing campaign, as it is anything. Power Windows came out just after the 'Fear' Trilogy, a set of three songs placed on different albums. The appropriate final song of 'Fear', part III, is titled 'Witch Hunt'. Strangely part III, 'Witch Hunt' came out on the first album 'Moving Pictures' with part II, 'The Weapon', coming out on 'Signals' and part I of 'Fear', 'The Enemy Withing', being released on 'Grace Under Pressure' the album that came out just before this one, 'Power Windows'. There's a great story regarding 'Fear' trilogy on Wikipedia, Neil says, "The idea for the trilogy was suggested by an older man telling that he didn't think life was ruled by love, or reason, or money, or the pursuit of happiness -- but by fear. This smart-but-cynical guy's position was that most people's actions are motivated by fear of being hungry, fear of being hurt, fear of being alone, fear of being robbed, etc. and that people don't make choices based on hope that something good will happen, but in fear that something bad will happen. I reacted to this the way all of us tend to react to generalities: 'Well, I'm not like that! ' But then I started thinking about it more, watching the way people around me behaved, and I soon realized that there was something to this viewpoint". The 'Fear' trilogy reminds me of the story 'The Mysterious Stranger' by Mark Twain. I do wonder just what old man Neil was talking about. One problem with the idea that the songs on 'Hold Your Fire' are about restraint (with the songs on Power Windows being about power) are that the songs on 'Hold Your Fire' are so powerful, beginning with the hard hitting 'Force 10' - let's hope it can restrain itself. The music on the two albums does not perfectly match the lyrics. This may be no more true than regarding the song 'Middle Town Dream'. The music is very sad. Neil Peart has said the song is very positive and hopeful. I distinctly remember, not Neil Peart saying this, but a member of the media discussing the song (and noticing the discrepancy himself). He noted/reported that Neil sees this as a positive song adding, 'see what you think' (he also must have seen it as a kind of sad song). The picture on the album cover is just perfect. The picture might perfectly relate to the song 'Middle Town Dreams'. This album came out 32 years ago, and I'm now a 52-year-old man talking about. After 32 years I'm returning to 'Middle Town Dream'. I'm trying to draw inspiration from it. I'm really liking the sound on this album. Rush has never made noise sound so good.