Signals: A mixed result
I'll start with the biggest problem with Signals: The mixing/recording has been described as "muddy", "slushy", "blurry", etc. It's all true. Just click on the "Analog Kid" sample Amazon offers, and you'll hear a lot of midrange, but no clarity or brightness (and this is supposed to be the "rocking" track of the album). It was a poor, poor mixing job, and the re-master did nothing to improve it. It's a CD that sounds like a cassette, and if you were unfortunate enough to own a cassette in the 80's, it sounded like an old AM radio. Also, a couple of the songs are simply forgettable.

Now for the good: There are also some *really* good songs on here. Some of the songwriting is incredibly inspired, experimental, progressive, and thoughtful.

A critique of the songs:

SUBDIVISIONS: Great song. Great writing. Great arrangement. Heavy on the synths, and yet extremely well done. Great lyrics.

ANALOG KID: Great song. The most rocking song of the album, but with a major tempo change in the chorus. Great riffs for both guitar and bass. Great lyrics.

CHEMISTRY: An experimental song that never quite makes it. Once you've heard it twice, it becomes dull, and is forgettable. It was no better live on the Signals tour either.

DIGITAL MAN: Another experimental song, and this time with great results. A bass-lover's dream, and an altogether unique sound. Great lyrics, and they complement the lyrics of "Analog Kid". Still fresh 26 years later.

THE WEAPON: A forgettable song with a good idea behind it. While it could never have been a "great" song, it could have been a "good" song, but is far too long for what it does. The middle instrumental section is dull, and adds nothing to the song but length. A shorter arrangement would have been much better.

NEW WORLD MAN: A catchy single, easy to warm up to, interesting message in a small package. Really good song.

LOSING IT: A remarkable ballad. As a ballad, it's never going to be among the great Rush classics, but it's really a creative, interesting song.

COUNTDOWN: The biggest disappointment of the album. Tried to capture an emotional moment, and failed. Just not a good song.

Overall, I'd give it 3.5 stars. A better mix would have helped. A few different arrangements may have helped, but it is what it is: a mixed result.

Great Follow-Up to One of The Finest Rock Albums
Instead of resting on laurels, Rush moved away from the incredible feel of Moving Pictures and offered a different sound for Signals. Like Moving Pictures, Rush made an album that hooks you from the opening track (Subdivisions) to the final track (Countdown). Also like Moving Pictures, this album is as fresh today as it was in 1981/2.

On a side note, it is a bit laughable that this band has not been recognized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

no classic, but good enough
Signals marks where Rush started to change their sound (for the worse). It's not really their fault though, and it's not like they were the only band who was the unfortunate victim of the 80's recording equipment. Many other bands such as ZZ Top, Queen, Pink Floyd, and Black Sabbath (just to name a few) were also the victims of having their music sound worse than it really is because of the way it was recorded

In other words, while the music on this album is certainly pretty decent, it sounds horrible. Many of the tunes give off an initial feeling of being unmemorable because of the way the album was recorded makes every song sound *exactly* the same. They don't sound the same though, you just have to put a lot of effort into concentrating and paying attention to the vocal melodies in each song in order to wash away that samey "slushy" vibe the album has going. If anything, Signals will take you back to the early to mid 80's immediately.

The Third Part Of Rush's Ultimate 80s Trilogy
SIGNALS is the third installment in Rush's ultimate trilogy of wonderful 80s studio albums. Neil Peart had apparently overcome his Ayn Rand fixation and was writing lyrics with more heart and soul than he had in the 70s. For example, "Subdivisions" is about high-school cliquishness, but could apply to anywhere where, if you're not part of "the in crowd", people will side with your parents or other authority figures against you, and "New World Man" is about the very nature of the modern human race. This album will keep you thinking for hours about the world and how you and others can make a difference in changing it for the better.

RUSH - Signals CD
Another great CD by RUSH in the 80's. It is still as good now as when it first came out.