Rush Song Of The Day: The Analog Kid

Rush, who recently released the R40 box set, grace the cover of the latest issue of Prog and in that issue we called upon 40 famous Rush fans to reveal their favourite Rush songs.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be bringing you some of those choices. GIven it’s the Editor’s favourite Rush album (alongside A Farewell To Kings), we wondered if anyone might choose something from 1982’s Signals album. Step up Schnauser’s Alan Strawbridge, who says of The Analog Kid “it still retains that fresh power trio sound.”

“My choice is The Analog Kid. On the Signals album, Rush demonstrated how they’d developed the ability to write concise pop songs - with The Analog Kid being a fine example. Propelled by a breakneck ear-worm riff reminiscent of current prog-pop genii White Denim, and lyrically a lot more uplifting and emotional than their earlier albums, the track still retains the fresh power trio sound. This is alongside the last vestiges of the chunky production which made Moving Pictures and Permanent Waves such essential albums.They developed this songwriting style over their consecutive albums, but with diminishing returns often due to the production typical of the late 80s and 90s which never did them any favours.”/o:p

Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.