Rush - Test For Echo review
| Band: | Rush |
| Album: | Test For Echo |
| Style: | Progressive rock |
| Release date: | September 10, 1996 |
| A review by: | Dream Taster |
01. Test For Echo
02. Driven
03. Half The World
04. The Color Of Right
05. Time And Motion
06. Totem
07. Dog Years
08. Virtuality
09. Resist
10. Limbo
11. Carve Away The Stone
Rush is one of those "love or hate" bands, they have been around since the 70s, releasing countless albums and touring the five continents. Their one-of-a-kind progressive rock pretty much established itself as a staple of rock music for the past three decades. The Canadian trio is still regarded as one of the best bands touring nowadays. You get the picture, Rush are monsters of rock. And 1996's Test for Echo is in my honest opinion one of their most achieved records.
I can't be biased here as Test for Echo is indeed my favorite Rush album. Neil Peart [drums], Geddy Lee [bass, vocals, keys] and Alex Lifeson [guitars] managed to bring their newly polished groove of the 90s and put it in control with clear, concise melodies and incredibly complex passages. The drumming of Neil Peart is unsurprisingly amazing; he himself recognized that he was at his peak on his album. Geddy Lee bass lines are as unexpected as ever, and Alex Lifeson is providing some strong guitar lines.
But the strength of Test for Echo is its structure. There isn't a track I would want to skip. All the songs are a part of the soul of this album. And while the mood is definitely a reflection of the 1990s, I still find it up-to-date today. Test for Echo is music for the soul. Sure, we are far away from the raw craziness of the album 2112, but this record is closer to what the band still stands for today.
If I had to burn all my Rush records and keep only one, Test for Echo would be my pick. It features everything I like about this band. The songwriting is direct without sacrificing the progressive aspect. The songs are all memorable; I find it hard to single out one of them. Every Rush fan will have his/her own favorites; Test for Echo is definitely mine.
Highlights: Songs 1 through 11, those are the highlights.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 10 |
| Songwriting: | 10 |
| Originality: | 8 |
| Production: | 9 |
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Written on 29.09.2007 by
Bringing you reviews of quality music and interesting questions such as: "A picture is worth a thousand words. How many words is a song worth?" I have only got so much patience and skills, you do the math. |
Comments
Comments: 10
Visited by: 90 users
| Katatronik Angel of Lust Posts: 1018  |
Very good album indeed, though I'm not totally into Rush music... I love the first 2 songs especially... great review! 
---- "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." Howard Phillips Lovecraft
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| Rusher Posts: 69  |
As a huge Rush fan, I think I'm always more critical when I talk about one of their albums. Well, I really like T4E but I wouldn't score it so high! I agree there are some songs that really shines but, overall, this album is not as good as when compared against some albums they've released in the past. 
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| marillionfan Account deleted |
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| Dane Train Beers & Kilts Elite Posts: 8902  |
This, too, may be my favorite Rush album. While the material from the 1970's was groundbreaking, memorable and awe-inspiring, this album had something more to it on a personal level. Maybe it is songs like "Half The World" that really speak to your soul? I am not sure. But great review, you nailed it!
---- (space for rent)
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| Ellie Account deleted |
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| Warman Erotic Stains Posts: 7695  |
I'm such a big fan of Rush, but never really got into their '90s. The '80s was their golden period IMO, I'm such a sucker for keyboards. This is a good album, but their best? No way. : 
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| marillionfan Account deleted |
marillionfan
Account deleted Written by Warman on 19.11.2007 at 18:43 The reviewer did not say he considers TFE the best Rush album; he said it's his favourite - big difference!
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| marillionfan Account deleted |
marillionfan
Account deleted Written by Warman on 19.11.2007 at 18:43 The reviewer did not say he considers TFE the best Rush album; he said it's his favourite - big difference!
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| Warman Erotic Stains Posts: 7695 |
Written by [user id=17278] on 19.11.2007 at 18:55 Ah okay... then we change it to: "This is a good album, but my favourite? No way. : "
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| marillionfan Account deleted |
marillionfan
Account deleted Written by Warman on 19.11.2007 at 22:55 that's better 
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