It may surprise you to learn that I have NEVER heard this album... up till now.
For me, it's typical Lifeson. At times weird, unusual, heavy, beautiful... the man is nothing if not a musical maverick.
I don't suppose it will appeal to everyone, and being a Rush fan certainly helps, but I thought it was excellent. A way better, IMHO than My Favourite Headache, which I didn't get on with at all.
I guess the most surprising thing about the album is the hard edged and slightly risqué sexual lyrics. Why I should be surprised by that I'm not surer, unless it’s because Rush are such an asexual band. I understand from the research I've done that Lifeson and his Missus were going through a difficult patch at the time and he was surveying the wreckage of friends relationships around him. There's a lot of revenge and guilt sex going on here !
I think the lyrical content and the slightly disjointed musical approach Lifeson has, gives the album a slightly skewed quality, which actually puts it fair and square back into Rush territory for the casual listener - you either get it and love it or hate it completely.
For me, well, see if you can guess where I sit...
