Steve Swift
Alternate Moving Pictures — What Moving Pictures?
It’s a seminal Rush album. You know Rush, the marvellously long-lasted band who moved from Prog to ’80s almost and back to Prog with a little bit of Pop.
Moving Pictures was their first number 1 in their homeland of Canada. It went to number 3 in the album charts both in the US and the UK.
But more than that. It was an album which moved the band somewhere else.
Sure, the previous album, Permanent Waves had contained some shorter songs, but Moving Pictures really moved Rush into their second phase—surely no one, faced with the synth riff from album opener ‘Tom Sawyer’, would suggest Rush weren’t looking forward.
Classic Rock Review may tell us that the album was; ‘previewing their new wave influenced sound of the early 1980s.’
And it could be said that 2-part ‘The Camera Eye’ and instrumental ‘YYZ’ are not quite letting go of Progressive Rock feelings.
But ‘Red Barchetta’ is a much more straightahead; even Rock Pop, whilst Moving Picture closer ‘Vital Signs’ even takes the slight Reggae wisps of ‘Permanent Waves’ single ‘The Spirit Of Radio’ and runs with it.
Oregano Rathbone for Udiscovermusic sums it up beautifully: ‘it’s Moving Pictures that stands as their most graceful, perfectly weighted mid-point between a past that resembled a Roger Dean cloud map and a clean, straight-edged, digital present.’
And it was 40 years ago. So something special is afoot. The cover, the say-what-you-see photograph of pictures, moving, is not just that.
It has blokes moving pictures. But there are also people on the sidelines emotional because the pictures are…yes…moving. And on the back of the cover is a film crew making a…movie…a moving picture…of the whole thing.
Hugh Syme designed the artwork, but he didn’t take the pics, that was Deborah Samuel and now, in commemoration of Moving Pictures’ 40th anniversary, more photos are being made available.
And they have never been seen before, in mags, books, online; that’s unusual. I’m not going to be so crass as to reproduce many of them here, but there is a link to see and purchase and that will be available later.
So What Do You Get?
The Deborah Samuel Collection includes:
- 3 alternate album front covers
- 3 alternate back album covers
- 13 alternate interior album pictures of Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson
The Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Black and white photos along of them in full flight are startling and full of excitement. Deborah used a monobloc light head, which is really a strobe, to achieve the motion trails in the pictures, which again fits with the moving pictures idea.
And It’s For A Great Cause
The pictures have been released in aid of the Canadian charity Grapes For Humanity with the Gift Of Sight Campaign in combination with the Himalayan Cataract Project and the Genius 100 Foundation.
The proceeds from the collection will provide funding for sight restoring surgeries in underfunded countries.
As Geddy commented, ‘I’m very thankful to Deborah for generously making these rare photographs available to our fans, the proceeds of which will help bring sight to the sightless.’
And Alex gives us some insight into the shoot; ‘I clearly remember the day Deborah set up for this cover, and especially the interior series of the Moving Pictures photographs’
I was jumping around in the dark with a bright strobe flashing away, which was disorienting to say the least, but the results fit so well with the album concept, and I loved the final photos she produced. I’m thrilled to revisit them and make the covers and these interior photos available in support of Grapes For Humanity.’
The cover picture we see on the album, taken at the Ontario Legislature building in Ontario was one of 43 taken that day, 65 for the back image. These pictures will surely be wonderful for fans to visit and many will want the alternative shots, which can be found here:
https://chipsterpr.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bdb1a8377ea3eeb263b993237&id=f0fb3dbaae&e=a5dfd19229
Enjoy great photos for a great cause.
The 1st time I ever heard of Rush, my cousin played 2112 for me in June of 76. I was instantly hooked. Had never heard anything like it before. I listened to it 3 times all the way through. Both sides. Went my 1st Rush concert after that in 76 and saw farewell to kings tour. Cheap trick and UFO opened at the Baltimore Civic Center. I saw every show played in the Balt./Wash. Area from then on. Even if you played 2 shows back to back,, or played the Capital Centre then played Balt. CIVIC centre. Took my 23 year old son to the next to last show Rush played before retiring held at Nissian Pavillion in Virginia. Alex broke string during the grand finally of 2112. He kept right on going. Want to thank you guys for so much great music. Subdivisions really hit home with me. For me getting older Subdivisions seguie’s into Middletown.
The 1st time I ever heard of Rush, my cousin played 2112 for me in June of 76. I was instantly hooked. Had never heard anything like it before. I listened to it 3 times all the way through. Both sides. Went my 1st Rush concert after that in 76 and saw farewell to kings tour. Cheap trick and UFO opened at the Baltimore Civic Center. I saw every show played in the Balt./Wash. Area from then on. Even if you played 2 shows back to back,, or played the Capital Centre then played Balt. CIVIC centre. Took my 23 year old son to the next to last show Rush played before retiring held at Nissian Pavillion in Virginia. Alex broke string during the grand finally of 2112. He kept right on going. Want to thank you guys for so much great music. Subdivisions really hit home with me. For me getting older Subdivisions seguie’s into Middletown.
That’s really good to read Mike, so persinal too. For me the first time was picking up the cassette of ‘2112’ with Christmas vouchers, knowing nothing of it and being hooked by side 2 first
That’s really good to read Mike, so persinal too. For me the first time was picking up the cassette of ‘2112’ with Christmas vouchers, knowing nothing of it and being hooked by side 2 first