Rush - Moving Pictures [30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]

Okay, I have to admit, I’ve been a huge fan of Rush since the late 1990s after hearing the roaring sounds of Tom Sawyer on the radio that got me hooked into this band and they still have a huge following and the train for them has never stopped for them. It’s hard to believe that it’s been 30 years since Moving Pictures has been released originally in 1981 and you can’t tell how they’ve done it from start to finish and all it takes is three men to really set the score and get the machine wagon rolling like a rumbling locomotive.

That and the CD/DVD deluxe edition of the album proved that they have got a lot going. Since they went on tour to promote the Time Machine tour that started last year and ended this year as the played the whole album in its entirety, they weren’t there to just play the album, they were there to perform the album and showed how much they have come a long way. And since the DVD/Blu-Ray features the 5.1 surround mix of the album including music videos and a never-before-seen music video of Vital Signs, it was quite surprising for me to see this and have watching it is one of the most breathtaking experiences I’ve ever watched.

Now let’s get to the facts. Here, we have the first disc which has been remastered that is the original album with no bonus tracks and no new stereo mix, it’s a mind-boggling taste that got Rush into the mainstream and showed how they can move away from the epics like 2112, Cygnus X-1, and By-Tor and the Snow Dog into ‘80s adventures of futuristic rock like no other. Songs like Limelight that deals with the frustration and reconciliation of being notice while the roaring Red Barchetta deals with a mysterious car that hasn’t been rode for a long time has finally got the gas and power to break the law.

You have to understand, Neil Peart is not a fool, nor an idiot, he’s writing the lyrics from the heart and how he and the band have to go through these rough situations and he gets it and understood where the band and the fans have to go through. The twist of the ‘80s Prog-Fusion time changing swift of YYZ is a fun instrumental fan favorite as The Camera Eye and Vital Signs, could have been used in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner as an opening scene of the wasteland in Los Angeles.

The album still has the kicks and the jams, the DVD/Blu-Ray features are a must see. And this will have Rush fans mouth being watery. The resotred pictures of the videos for Tom Sawyer, Limelight, and don’t forget Vital Signs are in a perfect condition and much, much better than seeing it on VHS. Hearing the new 5.1 sounds of the album is quite a jaw-dropping goose bumping warmth that is worthwhile. From the moment you hear the new mixes of Tom Sawyer, and the fierce intro opener of Alex Lifeson’s guitar on Limelight, almost as if you are in the studio in tears watching these guys having fun and enjoying a grand old time.

Still after 30 years since it’s original release, Moving Pictures continues to influence a young generation of fans and still keeps on growing. Alongside Dark Side of the Moon, Moving Pictures has still to keep growing and its quite amazingly the album that you must listen to while you’re in High School or in College to understand real good music. This is a must have Deluxe Edition that you must have in your collection and you’ll live in the limelight, the universal dream.