Amazon.co.uk Review
One of Rush's finest moments, second only to
Moving Pictures. This album includes two classic songs, "The Spirit of Radio" (which has one of the most recognisable guitar riffs in all of rock) and "Freewill". There's also the epic-feeling "Jacob's Ladder", as well as "Entre Nous", a sort of intellectual love song (if such a thing can be said to exist). The introspective "Different Strings" and the anthemic "Natural Science" (which clocks in at over nine minutes) close the album. Though there are only six songs on
Permanent Waves, it's enough; the material is rich enough that more of it would be like overdosing on chocolate.
-- Genevieve Williams
CD Description
Falling somewhere in between heavy metal and AOR, Rush wereone of the success stories of the period from 1976 to 1986--all the more surprising because few Canadians manage to break out from the land of the maple leaf in this area of music. Much of their following idolised Alex Lifeson, who was a guitar hero with the technical ability of a Page or a Beck. Occasionally Neil Peart's lyrics leave a little to be desired: "the shifting shafts of shining, weave the fabric of theirdreams . . ". Jon Anderson from Yes was afflicted with the same condition of pretentiolyricitus. That aside, the music is faultless.