Go inside Rush’s Permanent Waves 40th anniversary Super Deluxe Edition

Rush’s 1980 album Permanent Waves will be reissued tomorrow (May 29) through UMC/Mercury.

The new package celebrates the landmark album’s 40th anniversary and will feature a remastered cut of the original album, live cuts from the Permanent Waves World Tour and more.

It’ll launch as a Super Deluxe Edition, 2CD Deluxe Edition, 3LP Deluxe Edition, and Deluxe Digital Edition – and a video has now been released showing an unboxing of the Super Deluxe Edition to give fans a taste off what they can expect.

The video shows every aspect of the edition in detail and is accompanied by tracks from Rush's seventh studio album. Take a look below.

The Super Deluxe box set will be spread across 3LP and 2CD and feature the 2015 remaster and live cuts from the Manchester Apollo, London’s Hammersmith Odeon and the Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis.

Aside from the music, the box set will come with a 20-page notepad reproduced from a newly-discovered piece of Le Studio letterhead, two tour programmes: The official 1980 world tour programme and the rare, unofficial Words & Pictures Vol II UK-only tour booklet. 

In addition, the super deluxe edition box set will include a 40-page hardcover book with previously unreleased photos, liner notes, three replica backstage laminates, a 24”x36” poster and three Neil Peart handwritten lyric sheets.


Rush and Permanent Waves featured on the cover of issue 274 of Classic Rock magazine which is still available to buy. The lead article spans nine pages and includes an interview with Alex Lifeson along with comments from Geddy Lee, Terry Brown and art director Hugh Syme about the band’s seventh studio album.

The psychical edition also features a Rush album-by-album guide and an official Rush 'Starman' laptop sticker, while the magazine also includes Ozzy Osbourne, Robby Krieger, Queen, Bernie Marsden and more.

Rush: Permanent Waves Super Deluxe Edition

Rush: Permanent Waves Super Deluxe Edition
Rush's pivotal 1980 album Permanent Waves has been reissued in this lavish package to celebrate its 40th anniversary. It features a remaster of the original album, live cuts and much more.

Rush: Permanent Waves 40th anniversary Super Deluxe edition

CD1: Permanent Waves - 2015 remaster
1. The Spirit Of Radio
2. Freewill
3. Jacob's Ladder
4. Entre Nous
5. Different Strings
6. Natural Science

CD2: Permanent Waves 1980 World Tour
1. Beneath, Between & Behind (Live in Manchester)
2. By-Tor & The Snow Dog (Live in London)
3. Xanadu (Live in London)
4. The Spirit Of Radio (Live in Manchester)
5. Natural Science (Live in Manchester)
6. The Trees (Live in Manchester)
7. Cygnus X-1 (Live in London)
8. Cygnus X-1 Book II (Live in London)
9. Closer To The Heart (Live in Manchester)
10. Jacob's Ladder (Live in Missouri)
11. Freewill (Live in London)

LP1: Permanent Waves - 2015 remaster
1. The Spirit Of Radio
2. Freewill
3. Jacob's Ladder
4. Entre Nous
5. Different Strings
6. Natural Science

LP2: Permanent Waves 1980 World Tour
1. Beneath, Between & Behind (Live in Manchester)
2. By-Tor & The Snow Dog (Live in London)
3. Xanadu (Live in London)
4. The Spirit Of Radio (Live in Manchester)
5. Natural Science (Live in Manchester)
6. A Passage To Bangkok (Live in Manchester)
7. The Trees (Live in Manchester)

LP3: Permanent Waves 1980 World Tour
1. Cygnus X-1 (Live in London)
2. Cygnus X-1 Book II (Live in London)
3. Closer To The Heart (Live in Manchester)
4. Jacob's Ladder (Live in Missouri)
5. Freewill (Live in London)

Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent 35 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving to the e-commerce team in 2020. Scott keeps Louder’s buyer’s guides up to date, writes about the best deals for music fans, keeps on top of the latest tech releases and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more. Over the last 10 years, Scott has written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald newspapers, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.