Wednesday, August 01, 2012

Amazon Deal of the Day: Clockwork Angels by Rush

Run, don't walk, and get yourself a copy of one of the best Rush albums in a long while. Clockwork Angels [+digital booklet] is being offered for $0.99 by Amazon just for today.

Given our societal Crisis of Confidence, where authority is suspect and free will under thought control. it is timely that Rush returns with their intricate, rich ode to individualism and personal fulfilment. That they do this with the creative intensity sorely lacking in modern pop music makes the album all that much more distinct from its contemporaries.

As a concept album, Clockwork Angels keeps true to its theme - a lone traveler looking for meaning in a mechanistic world, a fool against the elites. The individual songs provide fragmentary glimpses into his journey and encounters with diverse characters, each a metaphor for the things that matter and that allow us to define our identity as distinct from the whole.

There is a great deal of depth in the album - musically it proves that rock can still be born anew and poses a challenge to the rest. Some songs feel a bit too layered, requiring repeat listening to peel away the dross to pick out the gems within.

Some Fine Books