Rush’s ‘Permanent Waves’ Celebrates 40 Years With Expanded Reissues
Originally released in January 1980, this landmark release features classic tracks such as ‘The Spirit Of Radio’ and ‘Freewill’.
On 29 May, UMe/Mercury/Anthem label group continues its extensive Rush 40th anniversary album series with a new, imagination-capturing expanded edition of all the music that comprises the band’s remarkable 1980 release, Permanent Waves.
Permanent Waves, Rush’s seventh studio album, was originally released in January 1980, and its forward-thinking music signaled a new direction for the Canadian band as it entered a new decade. The six songs encompassing the album encapsulated the breadth of Rush’s formidable progressive chops meshed with its knack for creating radio-friendly arrangements, all elements that were embedded within the grooves of their previous album, 1978’s widely acclaimed Hemispheres. Permanent Waves also signified Rush’s first of many recording sessions at Le Studio in Morin-Heights, Quebec, which was at one point nicknamed the trio’s own personal Abbey Road recording studio.
The album’s explosive lead-off track, ‘The Spirit Of Radio,’ roared out of the gate with a fine appreciation for the joy of experiencing great music on the airwaves, itself becoming a favorite FM staple for the ensuing decades in the process. Next came the time-signature-challenging ‘Freewill,’ a manifesto for embracing the independence of making one’s own life choices, while ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ chronicled an aurally cinematic interpretation of the lyrics’ palpably invoked religious imagery.
Side 2 commenced with ‘Entre Nous,’ a deeply introspective examination of how to bridge interpersonal differences, followed by the moving balladry of ‘Different Strings,’ and ultimately concluded with the formidable sonic cosmic vortex of the longtime concert favorite, ‘Natural Science.’
Permanent Waves’ 40th Anniversary will be available to fans in four distinct configurations, including the (1) Super Deluxe Edition, (2) two-CD Deluxe Edition, (3) three-LP Deluxe Edition, and (4) Deluxe Digital Edition.
The Super Deluxe Edition includes two CDs and three high-quality 180-g black vinyl LPs. The set encompasses the Abbey Road Mastering Studios 2015 remastered edition of the album for the first time on CD, along with previously unreleased and newly restored bonus content newly mixed from the original analogue live multi-tracks by the band’s original producer, Terry Brown. The unreleased bonus live tracks come from three stops on the Permanent Waves World Tour 1980: (1) Manchester Apollo in Manchester, England; (2) Hammersmith Odeon in London, England; and (3) Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri.
The Super Deluxe Edition of Permanent Waves 40th Anniversary will also include several exclusive items, including a 40-page hardcover book with unreleased photos, reimagined artwork by original album designer Hugh Syme, and an extensive & exclusive 12,000-word essay; a replica of the Permanent Waves 1980 official tour program; The Words & Pictures Volume II, a replica of the band’s rare 1980 UK-only tour program; a 24×36-inch two-sided wall poster of the original album cover model photo shoot and photos of the band recording at Le Studio; three replica band member 1980 tour backstage laminates; three Neil Peart-handwritten lyric sheets for “The Spirit Of Radio,” “Entre Nous,” and “Natural Science”; and a 20-page 5×7-inch notepad emblazoned with Le Studio letterhead.
The second configuration of Permanent Waves 40th Anniversary will be released in a two-CD Deluxe Edition digipak that includes the remastered original album and the live bonus tracks, plus a 20-page booklet with unreleased photos and reimagined artwork by Syme.
The third Permanent Waves configuration will be offered as an audiophile black vinyl 180-g three-LP Deluxe Edition featuring the original album on LP1 and all 12 bonus live tracks on LPs 2 & 3, all housed in a slipcase, along with a 20-page booklet with unreleased photos and Syme’s new artwork. Jacket 1 features Syme’s original 1980 album artwork in a single-pocket jacket, while Jacket 2 contains the Permanent Waves 1980 Tour bonus content in gatefold form.
The fourth configuration, the Deluxe Digital Edition featuring the original album and all 12 bonus live performances. CD2 in the Super Deluxe Edition and the Deluxe Edition will feature 11 of the 12 live bonus tracks due to CD run time constraints. “A Passage To Bangkok (Live in Manchester)” was previously available on the 2112 – Deluxe Edition in 2012 so will not be featured on CD2 for both of these configurations.
Permanent Waves is out on 29 May. Scroll down to read the full tracklist and buy it here.
SUPER DELUXE EDITION:
CD 1: Original Album:
‘The Spirit Of Radio’
‘Freewill’
‘Jacob’s Ladder’
‘Entre Nous’
‘Different Strings’
‘Natural Science’
CD 2:
Permanent Waves World Tour 1980 / previously unreleased
‘Beneath, Between & Behind’ (Live in Manchester)
‘By-Tor & The Snow Dog’ (Live in London)
‘Xanadu’ (Live in London)
‘The Spirit Of Radio’ (Live in Manchester)
‘Natural Science’ (Live in Manchester)
‘The Trees’ (Live in Manchester)
‘Cygnus X-1’ (Live in London)
‘Cygnus X-1 Book II’ (Live in London)
‘Closer To The Heart’ (Live in Manchester)
‘Jacob’s Ladder’ (Live in Missouri)
‘Freewill’ (Live in London)
3-LP VINYL SLIPCASE:
Original Album:
‘The Spirit Of Radio’
‘Freewill’
‘Jacob’s Ladder’
‘Entre Nous’
‘Different Strings’
‘Natural Science’
BONUS LIVE CONTENT
PERMANENT WAVES WORLD TOUR 1980 / Previously Unreleased except *
LP 2 – SIDE 3
‘Beneath, Between & Behind’ (Live in Manchester)
‘By-Tor & The Snow Dog’ (Live in London)
‘Xanadu’ (Live in London)
LP 2 – SIDE 4
‘The Spirit Of Radio’ (Live in Manchester)
‘Natural Science’ (Live in Manchester)
‘A Passage To Bangkok’ (Live in Manchester)*
‘The Trees’ (Live in Manchester)
LP 3 – SIDE 5
‘Cygnus X-1’ (Live in London)
‘Cygnus X-1 Book II’ (Live in London)
LP 3 – SIDE 6
‘Closer To The Heart’ (Live in Manchester)
‘Jacob’s Ladder’ (Live in Missouri)
‘Freewill’ (Live in London)
UK English
