''Grace Under Pressure'' is the tenth studio album by Canadian
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
Rush, released April 12, 1984 on
Anthem Records
Anthem Records is an independent record label based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The company was formed in May 1977 by Ray Danniels and Vic Wilson with initial recording artists Rush, Max Webster, Liverpool and A Foot in Coldwater. The three ...
. After touring for the band's previous album, ''
Signals
In signal processing, a signal is a function that conveys information about a phenomenon. Any quantity that can vary over space or time can be used as a signal to share messages between observers. The ''IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing'' ...
'' (1982), came to an end in mid-1983, Rush started work on a follow-up in August. The band had decided to not work with longtime producer
Terry Brown, who had collaborated with Rush since 1974. The new material accentuated the group's change in direction towards a synthesizer-oriented sound like its previous album. After some difficulty finding a suitable producer who could commit, the album was recorded with Peter Henderson.
''Grace Under Pressure'' reached number 4 in Canada, number 5 in the UK, and number 10 on the U.S.
''Billboard'' 200. It was certified platinum in the U.S. for selling one million copies.
Background and recording
In July 1983, Rush ended its 1982–1983 tour of North America and the UK in support of its previous album, ''
Signals
In signal processing, a signal is a function that conveys information about a phenomenon. Any quantity that can vary over space or time can be used as a signal to share messages between observers. The ''IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing'' ...
'' (1982). The group reconvened in mid-August to write and rehearse new material for a follow-up in a lodge in
Horseshoe Valley Horseshoe Valley may refer to:
* Horseshoe Valley (Antarctica)
* Horseshoe Valley (Peleliu)
* Horseshoe Valley (Missouri)
* Horseshoe Valley (North Dakota)
* Horseshoe Valley (Nebraska)
* Horseshoe Valley, North Dakota
* Horseshoe Resort
Ho ...
in
Barrie, Ontario
Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, about north of Toronto. The city is within Simcoe County and located along the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, the western arm of Lake Simcoe. Although physically in Simcoe County, Barrie is politically i ...
.
[ The sessions were productive, partly due to the set amount of time they gave themselves to work in and that studio time had already been booked. The band adopted its usual working method of ]Geddy Lee
Geddy Lee (born Gary Lee Weinrib; July 29, 1953) is a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush. Lee joined the band in September 1968, at the re ...
and Alex Lifeson
Aleksandar Živojinović, (born 27 August 1953), known professionally as Alex Lifeson (), is a Canadian musician, best known as the guitarist and backing vocalist of the progressive rock band Rush. In 1968, Lifeson co-founded the band that wo ...
working on music while Neil Peart
Neil Ellwood Peart OC (; September 12, 1952 – January 7, 2020) was a Canadian-American musician, best known as the drummer and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush. Peart earned numerous awards for his musical performances, including an ...
worked on lyrics. News stories from the Toronto-based newspaper ''The Globe and Mail
''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'' inspired some of the lyrics on the album, particularly " Distant Early Warning," " Red Lenses" and " Between the Wheels."[ Peart wrote that they came up with "Between the Wheels" on the first night and, after a few days, "Kid Gloves" and "]Afterimage
AfterImage is a Filipino rock band formed in 1986, best known for their songs "Habang May Buhay", "Next in Line", and "Mangarap Ka". They disbanded in 1997 and became active again in 2008 after they reunited and released their fourth studio album ...
." In three weeks, the group had assembled a demo tape of the aforementioned tracks along with "Red Sector A
"Red Sector A" is a song by Rush (band), Rush that provides a first-person account of a nameless protagonist living in an unspecified internment, prison camp setting. "Red Sector A" first appeared on the band's 1984 album ''Grace Under Pressure (R ...
" and "The Body Electric."[ Development then paused in September 1983 while Rush performed five nights at ]Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue and Theater (structure), theater at 1260 Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Nicknamed "The Showplac ...
in New York City, after which the band resumed album rehearsals.[
''Grace Under Pressure'' is the first Rush album that was not produced by Terry Brown since its 1974 debut effort. At the beginning of the ''Signals'' tour in April 1982, Rush met with Brown in Miami to inform him that the band had decided to work with a different producer.] The group wished to explore different approaches and techniques that someone else might offer which in turn would develop their sound but stressed that the change did not suggest any dissatisfaction in Brown's production. Peart recalled that the split was tough for both parties considering the length of time they had worked together, but that they split on good terms.[ Brown receives a tribute in the liner notes of ''Grace Under Pressure'' in French which translates to "And always our good old friend."][
The search for a new producer began during Rush's 1983 European tour, where the band met several candidates during their visit to the UK. They met ]Steve Lillywhite
Stephen Alan Lillywhite, (born 15 March 1955) is a British record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited on over 500 records, and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including new wave acts XTC, Big ...
, who initially agreed to the project, but he backed out two weeks before the band was to start rehearsing, as he'd decided to work with Simple Minds
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1977. They have released a string of hit singles, becoming best known internationally for "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (1985), which topped the '' Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United St ...
instead. They had Yes bassist Chris Squire
Christopher Russell Edward Squire (4March 1948 – 27June 2015) was an English musician, singer and songwriter best known as the bassist and backing vocalist of the progressive rock band Yes (band), Yes. He was the longest-serving original memb ...
and singer and producer Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English music producer, label and recording studio owner, musician and composer. He is best known for his production work in the 1980s, and for being one half of the new wave band The Buggles (wit ...
, who sang on Yes' 1980 album Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
, attend their concert at Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena (originally the Empire Pool, now known as OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London, England, used for music, comedy, family entertainment and sport. The 12,500-sea ...
with the prospect of choosing one of them to produce. Eventually, the group started pre-production alone, which Peart thought increased the band's desire to succeed: "This really drew us together and gave us a strong resolve and a mutual determination to make a really great record."[ Rush then met with another English producer during rehearsals who showed promise, but various problems that hindered his availability could not be solved in time.][ This was followed by the arrival of Englishman Peter Henderson, who the band liked and who agreed to produce and engineer, but his occasional indecisiveness ultimately left the band to handle the majority of the creative decisions themselves.] Despite this, Rush and Henderson are credited as co-producers in the liner notes.
After a collection of demos had been worked out, the group entered Le Studio
Le Studio (later renamed Studio Morin Heights) was a residential recording studio in the Laurentian Mountains near the town of Morin-Heights, Quebec, Canada built in 1972 by recording engineer and producer André Perry, Nick Blagona and Yaël ...
in Morin-Heights, Quebec
Morin-Heights is a town in the Laurentian Mountains region of Quebec, Canada. It is west of Saint-Sauveur and north of Lachute; municipally, it is within the Regional County Municipality of Les Pays-d'en-Haut.
It is primarily a tourist town, ha ...
to record, from November 1983 to March 1984,[ the longest period Rush had taken to record an album up to this point.] The band spent up to 14 hours per day in the studio. In a 1984 interview, Lifeson picked ''Grace Under Pressure'' as the "most satisfying of all our records."
The album's title was inspired by a quotation from American novelist Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century fic ...
. Peart was an avid reader and admirer of Hemingway, and liked the quotation "courage is grace under pressure" as he thought the quote reflected the ambient mood of the album's recording sessions.
A music video produced for "The Enemy Within" would be the first played by the Canadian music television channel MuchMusic
Much (an abbreviation for its full name MuchMusic) is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults.
MuchMusic launched on August 31 ...
, which launched in August 1984.
Music
Style
Musically, the album marks yet another development in Rush's sound; while continuing to make extensive use of keyboard synthesizers as on ''Signals'', the band also experimented by incorporating elements of ska
Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...
and reggae into some of the songs. The guitars played a larger role on this record than on ''Signals'', with Lifeson stating, "I think the guitar on ''Signals'' took a bit of a back seat. The keyboards were really upfront ... though in a sense that's what we were trying to achieve, we wanted to go for a different perspective on the whole sound. But, possibly, we lost direction at times on ''Signals''." Lifeson also pointed out that there is no acoustic guitar on ''Grace Under Pressure'' and the lack of ballad type songs.[
]
Songs
"The Body Electric" features a guitar solo with an added harmonizing effect with a delay which Lifeson described as "pretty bizarre."
"Afterimage" was written about Robbie Whelan, a tape operator at Le Studio who was killed in a car accident a year prior to the album's release. The album was dedicated to his memory.
Artwork
The cover was designed and painted by Hugh Syme
Hugh Syme is a Canadian Juno Award-winning graphic artist and member of the Premier Artists Collection (PAC) who is best known for his artwork and cover concepts for rock and metal bands. He is also a musician and has appeared on some Rush ...
, the creator of all Rush album cover artwork since 1975.[ The back cover features a band portrait by Armenian-Canadian photographer ]Yousuf Karsh
Yousuf Karsh, FRPS (December 23, 1908 – July 13, 2002) was a Canadian-Armenian photographer known for his portraits of notable individuals. He has been described as one of the greatest portrait photographers of the 20th century.
An Armenian ...
. The group had decided to employ Karsh when they discussed ideas for the album's sleeve during rehearsals in Horseshoe Valley. Lifeson suggested to Peart a black-and-white band photograph, as the band had not done something like that on previous albums. Lee was enthusiastic towards the idea and suggested to use Karsh. Lifeson spoke of the end result: "It's definitely not a rock 'n' roll picture, but it's a very true, realistic picture of the three of us."[ The original vinyl pressing also featured a photo depicting an egg being held in a ]C-clamp
A C-clamp or G-clamp or G-cramp is a type of clamp device typically used to hold a wood or metal workpiece, and often used in, but are not limited to, carpentry and welding. Often believed that these clamps are called "C" clamps because of the ...
.
Release and reception
''Grace Under Pressure'' was released in April 1984. It reached No. 4 in Canada, No. 5 in the UK, and No. 10 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200. It was certified platinum in the U.S. for selling one million copies.
Rush filmed promotional videos for "Distant Early Warning," "Afterimage," "The Body Electric" and "The Enemy Within."[
'']Guitar World
''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists – and fans of guitar-based music and trends – that has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original art ...
'' magazine placed the album on their list of "New Sensations: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1984".
Reissues
Track listing
Personnel
Rush
*Geddy Lee
Geddy Lee (born Gary Lee Weinrib; July 29, 1953) is a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush. Lee joined the band in September 1968, at the re ...
– bass guitar, synthesizers, vocals, production
*Alex Lifeson
Aleksandar Živojinović, (born 27 August 1953), known professionally as Alex Lifeson (), is a Canadian musician, best known as the guitarist and backing vocalist of the progressive rock band Rush. In 1968, Lifeson co-founded the band that wo ...
– guitars, synthesizers, production
*Neil Peart
Neil Ellwood Peart OC (; September 12, 1952 – January 7, 2020) was a Canadian-American musician, best known as the drummer and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush. Peart earned numerous awards for his musical performances, including an ...
– drums, percussion, electronic percussion, production
Production
*Peter Henderson – production, engineer
*Frank Opolko - engineering assistant
*Robert Di Gioia – engineering assistant
*Jon Erikson – pre-production engineer
*Paul Northfield
Paul Northfield is a prolific British record producer and sound engineer, who has worked on albums by bands such as Dream Theater, Queensrÿche, Rush, Porcupine Tree and Suicidal Tendencies.
Northfield worked at Advision Studio, London from 197 ...
– PPG synthesizer programming assistance
*Jim Burgess – PPG synthesizer programming assistance
* Moon Records – executive production
*Hugh Syme
Hugh Syme is a Canadian Juno Award-winning graphic artist and member of the Premier Artists Collection (PAC) who is best known for his artwork and cover concepts for rock and metal bands. He is also a musician and has appeared on some Rush ...
– art direction, cover painting
*Yousuf Karsh
Yousuf Karsh, FRPS (December 23, 1908 – July 13, 2002) was a Canadian-Armenian photographer known for his portraits of notable individuals. He has been described as one of the greatest portrait photographers of the 20th century.
An Armenian ...
– portrait
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Singles
"The Body Electric" #56 in the United Kingdom
Certifications
See also
* ''Grace Under Pressure Tour'' (audio-only releases)
* ''Grace Under Pressure Tour'' Video
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
1984 albums
Rush (band) albums
Anthem Records albums
Atlantic Records albums
Epic Records albums
Mercury Records albums
Sony Music Entertainment Japan albums
Vertigo Records albums
Albums recorded at Le Studio