Cover Art: Rush - Moving Pictures

Artist: Rush

Title: Moving Pictures

Date: 1981

Label: Polygram Records SRM-1-4013

Art Direction, Graphics and Cover Concept: Hugh Syme

Photography: Deborah Samuel

Notes: While I'm not a huge Rush fan this album really caught my ear. Lee's distinctive voice and "lead" bass playing have been Canada's donation to the Prog-Rock gene pool for decades. This trio, tight as always, plays through a nice range of musical textures and audio dynamics on this album. The live favorite, Tom Sawyer, kicks off side one and they never look back. Very nice cover photography too. Every museum should have at least one "Dogs Playing Poker" painting prominently displayed. Bonus points if it's a "paint-by-number" set.

Line Up:

Geddy Lee: bass guitars, Oberheim polyphonic OB-X, mini-Moog, Taurus pedal synthesizers

Alex Lifeson: six and twelve string electric and acoustic guitars, Taurus pedals

Neil Peart: drum kit, timbales, gong, bass drum, orchestra bells, glockenspeil, wind chimes, bell tree, crotales, cow bells, ply wood

Track Listing

Side 1

Tom Sawyer
Red Barchetta
YYZ
Limelight

Side 2

The Camera Eye
Witch Hunt
Vital Signs

Front Cover

Back Cover

Here's a bit of additional info provided by Joe: When Rush presented the idea for the cover of "Moving Pictures" to the record company, they were told such a concept would be too expensive and did not receive financial approval. The band chose to pay for the shoot out of their own pockets, at a cost of $9,000 (1981 dollars). The striking and ironic imagery is the work Hugh Syme, a long-time Rush cover art designer.