Rush - Hold Your Fire [Remastered] (1998)

Rush's 1987 album Hold Your Fire should be a very appealing album to most people unless you're not into the synth period.
This is a softer album which fits perfectly between Power Windows(1985) and Presto(1989)
Tracks are:

Force Ten: A track which I feel was incredibly well put together and probably the most hard rocking track on the album.

Time Stand Still: Very thought provoking lyrics from Neil about the passing of time and also represents a first for Rush- the backing vocals during the chorus sang by solo artist Aimee Mann.

Open Secrets: A song with some interesting lyrics about the secrets held between two people, a great chorus here:
"Well I guess we all
Have these feelings
We can't leave unreconciled
Some of them burned on our ceilings
Some of them learned as a child
The things that we're concealing
Will never let us grow
Time will do it's healing
You've got to let it go"

Second Nature: A great follow up to Open Secrets about responsibilities with a strong chorus.

Prime Mover: Great guitar work from Alex in this song and a great opening line:
"Basic elemental
Instinct to survive
Stirs the higher passion
Thrill to be alive"
One of my favourite tracks.

Lock and Key: This song discusses the killer instinct in all of us with darker lyrics.

Mission: The strongest song on the album by far with another change of pace. This song talks about dreams and the obsessive feelings people have when pursuing theirs. Absolutely magical opening:
"Hold your fire-
Keep it burning bright
Hold the flame
'Til the dream ignites-
A spirit with a vision
Is a dream with a mission"
An absolutely perfect song.

Turn The Page: A faster track with lots of speed changes and some good guitar work from Alex and particularly Geddy stands out on this track with his opening bass guitar and keyboard work.

Tai Shan: The quietest Rush song since Rivendell but riddled with mesmerizing guitars and interesting lyrics about the Chinese Mountain of Tai Shan. Also some woodwinds add a chinese feel to the song.

High Water: Pretty much a song about our connections to the ocean, again some more distorted guitar than what is common to this album.
"When something left the ocean
To crawl high above the foam
We still feel that elation
When the water takes us home"

A great album from a time where Rush peaked in their synthesizer use.
A truly magical album to own and may even make you look at life in new light.
I have certainly changed since I bought it.