Limelight: Rush in the 80s

Rush Across the Decades #2

by Martin Popoff

Part two of the definitive biography of the rock 'n' roll kings of the North

In the follow-up to Anthem: Rush in the '70s, Martin Popoff brings together canon analysis, cultural context, and extensive firsthand interviews to celebrate Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart at the peak of their persuasive power. Rush was one of the most celebrated hard rock acts of the '80s, and the second book of Popoff's staggeringly comprehensive three-part series takes readers from Permanent Waves to Presto, while bringing new insight to Moving Pictures, their crowning glory. Limelight: Rush in the '80s is a celebration of fame, of the pushback against that fame, of fortunes made -- and spent ...

In the latter half of the decade, as Rush adopts keyboard technology and gets pert and poppy, there's an uproar amongst diehards, but the band finds a whole new crop of listeners. Limelight charts a dizzying period in the band's career, built of explosive excitement but also exhaustion, a state that would lead, as the '90s dawned, to the band questioning everything they previously believed, and each member eying the oncoming decade with trepidation and suspicion.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography, Audiobook, History, Canada

1 pages, Audio CD

Published March 1, 2021

About the author

At approximately 7900 (with over 7000 appearing in his books), Martin has unofficially written more record reviews than anybody in the history of music writing across all genres. Additionally, Martin has penned approximately 85 books on hard rock, heavy metal, classic rock and record collecting. He was Editor-In-Chief of the now retired Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles, Canada’s foremost metal publication for 14 years, and has also contributed to Revolver, Guitar World, Goldmine, Record Collector, bravewords.com, lollipop.com and hardradio.com, with many record label band bios and liner notes to his credit as well. Additionally, Martin has been a regular contractor to Banger Films, having worked for two years as researcher on the award-winning documentary Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, on the writing and research team for the 11-episode Metal Evolution and on the ten-episode Rock Icons, both for VH1 Classic. Additionally, Martin is the writer of the original metal genre chart used in Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey and throughout the Metal Evolution episodes. Martin currently resides in Toronto and can be reached through martinp@inforamp.net or www.martinpopoff.com.

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living in the limelight, the universal dream
For those who wish to see
Those who wish to be
Must put aside the alienation
Get on with the fascination
The real relation, the underlying theme ... -Rush

Limelight is book two of Popoff's overwhelming Rush trilogy. While the first volume took readers from childhood through the band's breakthrough in the Seventies, Limelight takes the reader through the next decade as the band's sound changed and it became the headliner rather than the opening act. Rather than stories from tours and personal issues, this book focuses on the changes in production from one album to another, telling us about how decisions were made, and what the results were. A must read for fans of the band, but perhaps a bit much for someone who is only a casual fan and only knows the few big hits.

[Phil Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. Martin really knows how to write. My only complaint is that I had heard many of these interviews before.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. I loved reading about the details of the making of each album, about the tours in between, and about these three creative geniuses working with different producers over the years.

I discovered RUSH in that life-altering way shortly after the release of GRACE UNDER PRESSURE. Then I went back and listened to earlier albums. FLY BY NIGHT and their first album, then SIGNALS, then MOVING PICTURES, then I went back to the beginning to work my way through all of their material I hadn't listened to and have been a dedicated life-long fan ever since.

But RUSH in the 80's of course, hold a very deep and meaningful place in my heart, because that's when I jumped on board for a ride that has forever altered my life in so many ways.

Popoff does a brilliant job of documenting and covering this important era in the band's history and my experience of reading through it was a wonderful experience of learning new things, while re-living some of the thrills of discovering this amazing band for the first time.

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second part of the "Rush Through the Decades" series is excellent. I love 80's Rush and this was really cool incite into the recording of their albums, tours, and everything surrounding it that came out in that decade. This is all about the music, and thank goodness for that. I definitely don't always agree with Martin Popoff on his opinion and/or descriptions of certain songs and/or albums but unlike the first book in the series, "Anthem", this was all about the album process and production which I loved. Highly recommended for Rush fans and alike. I look forward to the third and final book of the series.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite different than the first book. More about the production. Not being a musician it was fascinating but also went over my head a lot. Pretty sure I’ve read some biographies of the band that dealt with the 80’s ; but really can’t remember any more so a lot of this was fresh to me, haha.

Two things I wish he had done: 1. Mention the years that quotes were from in each chapter. Some were obviously later but how much later, 5 years? 15 years? 2. Put a caveat at the beginning of the book saying he really didn’t like 80’s Rush as much instead of being snarky about it all the time in many chapters.

But I still give it five stars and think it’s a must read for Rush fans. Looking forward to the final book.

[Brian Brantley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic look at Rush in the 80's. They changed their music but didn't change who they were as people. There are great stories on the songs and the production of those records that were recorded in the 80's in this book. It definitely adds to the first volume.

[David]

Much the same as Anthem, a book full of interesting little anecdotes, particularly concerning the writing of each individual song and the process of its recording, but one which make me wonder who does the proof-reading. Rush fans will love it.

[Ray Fagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

You have to be a fan - great detail on recording and writing of each album

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another great book from Martin Popoff, the resident Rush expert.

Like the first book, Anthem, Limelight continues the narrative that Rush is basically a collection of nice guys. The appealing thing about this book is how it offers the reader insights into the band and those who've worked with them. There are no pretensions at all; it's just like sitting down and conversing with them.

To be clear, I didn't like this book as much as Anthem--but that's mostly due to the fact that I didn't like their eighties music as much as their seventies music. Still, the fact that Rush changed their sound so much in their second decade provides a great opportunity for interesting content. It was interesting to hear their opinions of these albums, as well as the commentary from their producers and engineers during that time (post-Terry Brown).

Some interesting things I learned:
-How much the band and their producers loved Power Windows (my least favorite of their 80s albums, but that's just personal taste)
-How little they regard Presto (a solid middle-of-the-road entry from that decade, but not the worst of the lot by far)
-How Rupert Hine takes credit for getting Geddy to lower his singing register
-Some of the personality dynamics of the band while they're recording (i.e., Alex tends to be relatively silent while they record, then sometimes explodes to vent)
-How Alex's guitar solos are more of a group effort than an individual composition
-How the band loves to do things like play volleyball in the middle of the night to decompress during recording

[MB KARAPCIK · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second book in the Rush series covers the middle period of the band when they created their showstopper, Moving Pictures. Again, each chapter focuses on a different album, including live albums, beginning with Permanent Waves, one of my personal favorites.

The 1980s brought changes to the way that Rush approached making an album and saw the intense foray they took into heavily incorporating keyboards into their songs. They produced much shorter songs, too, which, while somewhat more radio-friendly, still retained their uniqueness as a band. This era also saw the parting of ways with their longtime producer, Terry Brown, who in many ways embodied the "fourth" member of the band.

I hungrily read about the writing, recording, and reception of Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures. It inspired me to revisit the albums and think about the time period itself. New Wave music was rising on the charts, and bands like the Police helped to formulate what direction Rush would go. I remember first seeing parts of the Exit Stage Left videos at 10 or 11 on MTV and being very intrigued.

Grace Under Pressure turned out to be one of their most challenging albums to record for many reasons including more keyboard and electronic usage, which unfairly (I think) began to decrease Alex Lifeson's guitar contributions. They struggled, too, because their new producer wasn't proactive enough, so they felt at sea at times. This also gave rise to creating videos to satisfy MTV and later on, MuchMusic, the Canadian-based music channel.

Although I like parts of Power Windows, I really despise Hold Your Fire. Both felt too overloaded with synthesizers and not enough raw bass, guitar, and drums. A happy marriage between both could not be found in either one to me. Again, it seems to me that Alex felt unhappy with his role in the band despite the fact that all three needed to juggle their instruments and electronic devices, too, to replicate all the sounds they used in both.

Either way, I really enjoyed finding out how these albums were recorded, what their tours consisted of, and how they all changed as people. I was happy to see the reentry of guitars on Presto, which they felt could have been rerecorded and made that much better. The producer they hired, Rupert Hine, who they attempted to hire after Moving Pictures, finally came on board and gave the band a new burst of life and encouraged Alex to produce more guitar work on his own that satisfied everyone in the band.

While this edition held excitement for me because of the albums I love, some chapters weren't as compelling to me. Maybe because I'm not as enamored of the recordings. It was interesting to find out that Cyndi Lauper or Chrissie Hynde may have sung on Time Stand Still instead of Aimee Mann. I will say that knowing that the 1990s volume will be out in April and that it starts off with Roll the Bones ramped up my anticipation for the final installment.

[J Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Limelight: Rush in the '80s by Martin Popoff is a detailed account of the group during this period. Filled with facts and opinions (both his and those of the band members), this work really makes these albums come alive again.

I admit to being one of the fans who prefer their earliest records. My first album of theirs was Fly By Night while I was in high school. I then found their first album, bought it, and bought every one through Grace Under Pressure when they released. While I still liked them, GUP was the album that made me decide not to buy their albums immediately upon release any more, and I only bought a few more after that. So now you know where I am coming from.

Popoff goes into detail on every album as well as the influences that helped form the later Rush sound(s). I think that reading this has given me a better appreciation of what they were doing with the albums I liked less. As expected, I was particularly interested with reading about their albums early in the decade and I was not disappointed.

It is funny how as listeners we often only pay attention to one or two aspects of an artist's music when it is first released. Reading this made me remember some of my thoughts during those years and how, in some respects, they were quite ignorant of many fine points. I also never really bought into genre names too much, I either liked something or I didn't, so liking Rush or Yes didn't conflict with my liking Sabbath or Judas Priest, or even The Eagles for that matter. Progressive was a term I knew then but simply disregarded as being a way to divide music and listeners into warring camps. Anyway...

I recommend this to fans of Rush (whether the 80s was your favorite period or not) as well as readers with an interest in rock history.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Clint Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

The quality that ranks Martin Popoff’s biographies so high is how he tenaciously quotes his sources. His personal views are sparse and informed, usually opinions that land beside my own, or at least in alignment with other fans. His style of directly quoting the sources makes it a fast read, difficult to put down in a way similar to dropping out of an interesting conversation at a party.

This is a valuable source to help understand Rush’s decisions for their musical direction after their most interesting work in the 70s drastically changed into synth-heavy, blurred-guitar and less dramatic, mid-range vocals. Rush were seduced by the rapidly growing electronica of the time and its new capabilities. They were determined to change, and were characteristically too musically technical to fall into a traditional pop niche. Another relevant factor was their search for a producer who could help them grow in new musical directions. Popoff’s work illuminates these factors, while providing insight into band dynamics, their personalities and the delicious trivia we’ve grown to expect, whether it’s the music itself, the tour stage effects and lighting, or inspirational ideas behind each album.

Most fans agree that the 80s were generally the end of the Rush sound they most enjoyed, and Popoff doesn’t balk at stating so with tasteful respect. The general sentiment is reinforced by Geddy’s own comment:

'The Pass' stands out on Presto, and I can’t think of any other titles off the top of my head.

Sadly that could easily apply to 'song X from album Y' for most of the Rush albums in the 80's and beyond.

Despite the band’s deflating--but honorable--effort to reinvent, Limelight is an excellent documentary that provides the embarrassingly lovable moment when the wizard behind the curtain is revealed.

[Mr MR · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish we could give half stars as rating because if I could I’d give it 3.5 stars. It was better than a 3, but not quite a 4, which is what I rated Anthem, the first book in this series.
This was an interesting and in depth read. Very well put together by the author. However, this book seemed to focus almost exclusively on the production of each record the band made in this period. While this was great to read, it was missing much of what I enjoyed about Anthem, which was the behind the scenes stories, whether it was things happening on the road or in their personal lives. It would have been interesting to read about their growth and maturity as they entered their 30’s and became family men and how that changed their behaviors on the road. For example, some stories about Neil’s adventures on bicycle or travels through Africa and China.
The other thing that somewhat annoyed me was the author’s obvious dislike for Power Windows and Hold Your Fire (and to a small extent Presto as well). He seems to be somewhat critical instead of merely explaining the production and process of creating them. It just sort of rubbed me the wrong way. Report the facts, not your feelings please.
Otherwise still a good, informative book that any Rush fan should add to their collection

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent follow-up to "Anthem: Rush in the '70s", and I expect the third and final book in this series to be no different.

As the title suggests, this book covers Rush through the '80s, a decade widely debated by Rush fans as either being great or dissatisfying, in large part due to the increasing presence of keyboards. It's nonetheless the band's commercial peak. We get more in-depth insights into the seven studio albums and their respective tours, along with two live albums from the decade. Interestingly, this seems to be the group's first troublesome decade, as internal strife can be found in several albums after "Moving Pictures". However, Martin expertly captures the continued experimentation of the group from various sonic, musical, textural, and lyrical standpoints. It's a great read, though hardcore fans may have already known most of the information presented. Nevertheless, it's great to reacquaint oneself in this period of the band.

Once again, I'd highly recommend listening to each song from each album as Martin describes their background, meaning, and genesis. I would say I'm really looking forward to the final book, but we fans know of the group's unfortunately tragic end.

[Michael Hammond · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was quite disappointed by this book, which promised to provide all sorts of insight into Rush's music in the 1980s, which is the era of the band I find most interesting. Instead of any real insight or narrative from the author, the book is a collection of many, many, many quotations from the band, taken from just about every piece of media he could find. Don't get me wrong. It's amazing how much research went into compiling this book, but it left me kind of bored. As much as I love Rush, I found some of the band members' unedited quotations about their music to be long-winded and somewhat circuitous. This is not a knock on the band. In an interview, when you're asked questions that you have not prepared for in advance, your answers will sometimes be a bit long-winded as you search for the right answer. This book is 95% quotations and about maybe 5% original insight. I still read it, as I am a huge Rush fan, but I would not recommend it for those who aren't hardcore fans.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent summary of the middle stages of Rush, cataloging the band's changes over the years with their early adoption of keyboard/synthesizer technology. Not a dirt biography, though some attention's paid to the effect of the keyboards on Alex Lifeson's guitars. Appreciate the information re: their choices in producers, their writing styles morphing, and their continued evolution as players and people. The Moving Pictures > Signals > Grace Under Pressure > Power Windows era is my personal favorite, so enjoyed this one a touch more than the last book, Anthem.

[Wayne Ballew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both books of Rush in the 70’s and this book all about the 80’s have been a pleasure to listen as audiobooks.
As a fan mainly of their 70’s releases, I found it interesting to learn about the growth the band went through in the 80’s. They change their sound in many ways and opened up to a whole new group of fans.
I found myself revisiting those albums of the 80’s with a whole new attention and respect. I hope there are more books coming to continue to learn more about their 40 year career.

[Clay Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely surprise!

I didn't expect this to be as enlightening as it was. A Rush fan for many decades, I've always been disappointed with any texts regarding their activities in the eighties. This book provided a great deal of new information for even the diehard fan. It details much of the creative processes for each album and offers at least some insight into the lives of the artists themselves.

[David Cavaco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though my enthusiasm for Rush evaporated somewhat in the 1980's as their music became more synth-based, this book proved how wrong I was! Given Neil Peart's passing and the passage of time, Rush music in the 1980's was solid and so under appreciated. Volume 2 of Popoff's book highlights Rush' body of work throughout the decade with admiration for the band's creativity, lyrical complexity and progressive ideals. Loved it! Onwards to Volume 3. Greatest band ever!

[Bob Nielsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a fan of RUSH then this is a book you will want to read. In-depth detail of the albums from the 80's with lots of background info from the band, producers, and excerpts from interviews. I learned things about songs I've heard a thousand times. Well worth the time spent reading. I look forward to the next entry in the series.

[Joe B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another installment of Rush’s rock history. Martin Popoff does it again by bringing to life and the times of this rock trio. This is the second volume and worth the read. The 1980’s was certainly a growing period for Rush. This decade put them on the map and then somehow the 90’s appeared and Rush began the musical experiment. Volume 3 of this series puts it all in the end.

[Rodrigo Llamozas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Close to 4.5 stars, but, hey...

This is probably my favorite era of Rush, the 80s. This is the time I discovered them (with Power Windows), so the albums detailed are "my albums".

Yet, it became repetitive, somehow. This time around, having too much information was not a good thing.

Anyhoo, will take a break before diving into the last book in the triloguy, Drive.

[Brant Vallier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as excellent as the first tome, this middle book is the complete history of the band at their zenith of commercial success and trials through the trends of the 80's.

(The 5 stars obviously comes with the caveat that its going to be a niche audience who thinks a book like this would be an interesting read — 5/5 for Rush fans, probably a 3/5 for anyone outside of that bubble).

[Ken Wilcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one! As a long time Rush fan, this book answered a lot of questions for me about the changes in the bands music in the 80’s. While they always managed to keep their identity, the music definitely took a turn toward a more keyboard centric approach. The book addresses the differences and explains the influences, from the new technology, to switching producers, to the stuff the members of the band were listening to at the time. Highly recommended.

[Chris Lira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great installment of Popoff's Rush trilogy. I've been listening to Rush for over 40 years and love hearing about the writing and recording process. In this installment, the role of the producer really comes through as well with the band's parting from Terry Brown. Highly recommended.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second, in a planned trilogy, about the music of Rush. Music of the gods. Limelight focuses on the 80's. Rush did some of their best work during the 80's and it was really interesting to read about it. Popoff knows his stuff and does his homework. Rush fans will dig it.

[Kimberly L. Chadwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

Excellent, very through, and enjoyable read…of course, anything involving or about Rush never disappoints. Highly enjoyed and highly recommended to anyone who considers themselves a Rush fan

[Beatrice Hogg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! I didn't really know much about the band in the 1980's even though I bought three of the albums discussed in the book on cassette in the 1980s. I liked learning more about the Rush creative process.

[Luis Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating behind the scenes of the 80s era of Rush. It made me realize that Rush was a true progressive band in the true sense. Maybe some albums don’t connect with people (like “Hold your fire”), they dared to progress musically and lyrically. All while holding true to their ideals.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the band. Don’t really care about the road crew….sorry. It’s name salad after a while. Needs more song exegesis and behind the scenes content. Basically, the author quotes other interviewers, so re-hashing what is already out there.