Moving Pictures

Having taken inspiration from New Wave rock, Rush approached this 1981 album with a desire to refine and streamline their songs, particularly on the pop-prog crossover “Tom Sawyer”. While still capable of flabbering ghasts with their playing—in the startling filigrees of “YYZ” and the sleaze rock of “Limelight”—this highly focused set also brings in bouncy, off-kilter riffs based on reggae and funk (“Vital Signs”) and sharp melodic rock with sudden right-angle turns (“Red Barchetta”).