When 1985s Power Windows came out, I loved the lead off single “Big Money”. Again, it was different than their previous album, a step further into their change to a more keyboard sound, modern, lighter…but beyond “Big Money”, I didn’t get too much into Power Windows. I saw that tour, at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, but that was the last Rush album I picked up early on in release, and last tour until the 2000s.

Roll The Bones was produced by Rupert Hine, a British musican/producer, who was more known for producing more 80s pop & New wave then, such as The Fixx, Howard Jones, and The Thompson Twins. He did do a couple of excellent Saga albums as well. So, with Rush’s lighter and modern direction for the past few albums, Hine, I guess, seemed like a good fit for what the band was going for then.

This album featured the singles – “Dreamline” (promo) “Ghost Of A Chance” (US, UK, Germany) and the title track. “Roll The Bones” (being the only video released), is the best known from this album, with it’s brief ‘rap’ section, which though I could do without, it is something different (again) and made for a great visual video and live. The stand-out track on this album for though is “Bravado”, and hearing this one in recent months (prior to the tour) is what had me revisiting this album. Seeing the live clips of it from the 50 Something Tour, and then hearing it in Toronto, along with the Neal Peart tribute collection of photos that went along with it, made more of an impact. Such a unqiue melody, lyirc and song in the band’s catalogue. One thing about the lighter sound, Alex Lifeson’s solos were always spot on during this period, such as on “Bravado”. Although I really like the 3 songs chosen as singles, I can’t imagine why “Bravado” was not issued as a single (tho there was promos of this in the US & France).

Other good songs on Roll The Bones (for me) include the instrumental “Where’s My Thing” (which was nominated for a Grammy), and “Heresy”. Can’t say I’m crazy about everything here, but there is enough classic Rush to make me want to put this on more, and rethink and revisit previous albums I never really got into so much.