Rush
Roll The Bones

Year of Our Lord 1991.

The Canadian trio Rush (composed of Geddy Lee on bass and keyboards, Alex Lifeson on guitar, and Neil Peart on drums) found themselves in what has been considered by most of the band's fans as their "transition period". For a few years, the band had been dealing with a series of issues that had partly undermined the previously idyllic path of the three from Toronto: producer Peter Collins, who had already worked with them on "Power Windows" and "Hold Your Fire," had decided to abandon ship, forcing the three musicians to look for a new producer. The choice fell on Rupert Hine, who had already produced artists like Tina Turner and Bob Geldof. Besides this, the group experienced the first signs of unrest, with Alex Lifeson feeling somewhat sidelined, despite not imposing his opinion on his bandmates; his guitar, since the album "Signals" (1981), had been gradually overshadowed in favor of those keyboards and synthesizers that were so trendy during that period. Finally, some fans of the group expressed for the first time various criticisms towards the "plastic" sound used in the recent albums, considered too far removed from the hard rock/progressive atmospheres of "2112" and "Moving Pictures."

In this not entirely perfect climate, the trio released first "Presto," which turned out to be a significant shift in the band's sound, with Lifeson's guitar finally regaining its deserved space, and then "Roll The Bones."

The path taken with the previous album was confirmed here as well: one can notice, in fact, a greater balance between the various instruments, with the keyboards, while present, not excessively dominating the scene, leaving more space for guitar and bass; for the rest, the winning team hasn't changed at all. Lee and Lifeson, responsible for the music, once again demonstrate how they can skillfully blend a purely hard rock sound (the sharp opener "Dreamline" is a clear example) with masterful progressive technique, and finally with atmospheres ranging from sweet ballads (the beautiful "Bravado") to funky (clear remnants of 80s influences, as evidenced by the instrumental "Where's My Thing") while still maintaining their distinctive sound, always recognizable and that has consistently been the fortune of the Canadian trio. On the other hand, the lyrics written by Peart are always suitable for the occasion and, in this case, are united by a subtle thread related to fate and fortune; thus, we are far from the sci-fi and fantasy topics of the early period, abundantly covered in albums like the aforementioned "2112" or "Caress of Steel."

Not everything is rosy, though. Hine's production appears too cold and impersonal (a flaw already encountered in "Presto"), not allowing the album to fully unleash its energy; moreover, during the listening, one can notice a couple of fillers that add nothing to the value of the record, probably only useful to fill a bit of space (we're still talking about Rush's fillers, so the quality is always guaranteed).

In conclusion, this "Roll The Bones" can be considered a transitional album, perhaps contradictory in its balance between the 70s sound and the 80s one, but nonetheless fundamental, as (along with the previous album) it brings the Rush from the keyboard-centered music of "Grace Under Pressure" and "Signals" to the hard rock sound that will characterize the subsequent "Counterparts" and "Test For Echo." Not epochal like "Hemispheres," not startling like "Power Windows," but nevertheless a quality work made in Canada.