Counterparts (1993)

Counterparts (1993)

It goes without saying that the rock music landscape was a lot different in 1993 than it was in 1991. With the post-grunge groundswell conquering mainstream radio and indie/alternative rock and Britpop flourishing as a direct response to such blandness, veteran bands were forced to make some serious decisions if they wanted to stay relevant. Including Rush. The sleek, middle-of-the-road, pop-driven sound that dominated the band’s 1987-1991 incarnation had gone as far as it could, and with sullen, gritty guitar rock suddenly becoming de rigueur, such lightweight music quickly became yesterday’s news. Although it was clearly time for a shift in Rush’s musical direction regardless of what was trendy at the moment, Lee, Lifeson, and Peart were absolutely aware of what was going on around them, and if there was a perfect time to return to the heavy rock of their roots, it was then.

The choice of “Stick It Out” as the first single from Rush’s 15th album stuck in the craw of many fans, and for good reason. With its thick, muddy, doomy riff, slight atonality, and prototypical alt-rock beat, its intentions were clear — just like all other classic rock and metal bands “grunge-ifying” their sounds in the 1990s — and such a move seemed beneath these three classy fellows from Canada. As a song it wasn’t bad, but it felt as shallow as such previous missteps as “Tai Shan,” “Scars,” and “Heresy.” But what do you know, the tactic worked marvelously, as “Stick It Out” became a significant hit in America, topping the mainstream rock chart. And to the relief of fans, the rest of the new album would turn out to be much, much better than that single led people to believe.

In a period where so many older bands sounded lost as they tried to adjust to rapidly changing times, Counterparts sees Rush embracing change with typical grace and charm. The band reunited with Peter Collins, who in the time since 1987’s Hold Your Fire had built up his heavy metal pedigree considerably, producing Gary Moore’s After The War and Queensrÿche’s classics Operation: Mindcrime and Empire. However, the bigger influence on this record would be engineer Kevin Shirley, a dynamo whose effort and input on this album would earn a unique, Steve Albini-esque “recorded by” credit. Shirley encouraged the band to thicken its sound, imploring Lee to dust off his old Rickenbacker bass and Peart to embrace a grittier drum tone. The biggest beneficiary from Shirley’s input was Lifeson, the focal point on a Rush album for the first time in a very, very long time. Consequently, he sounds reborn on this album.

Indeed, once you get past “Stick It Out,” Counterparts is a surprisingly vibrant album despite that return to heavier tones. Keyboards are only used to subtly enhance the otherwise power trio-oriented tracks, but when it’s done, it’s done beautifully, as on the excellent first track “Animate,” which combines a wicked groove — what a joy it is to hear the guys coalescing like they do here — with a soaring, catchy chorus. The ebullient “Between Sun And Moon” lets even more light in, thanks to playful rock riffing by Lifeson and a chorus that features Lee’s best singing on the record. The nervous “Alien Shore” and “Cold Fire” bring welcome energy to the album, while the surreal “Double Agent” and the whimsical, Grammy-nominated instrumental “Leave That Thing Alone” both find the band flexing its progressive rock muscle again, for the first time in forever. Forming the emotional core of the album is the heartfelt “Nobody’s Hero,” Peart’s most poignant ballad since “The Pass” four years earlier, which is accentuated beautifully by some uncharacteristically restrained orchestration by the normally bombastic Michael Kamen.

The initial success of “Stick It Out” — yours truly has slowly warmed up to the song in the last 20 years — played a big role in propelling Counterparts to a surprising number two placing in grunge-obsessed America, topped only by Pearl Jam’s Vs. The band would end up voicing its dissatisfaction with the album’s sound and Shirley’s dominance of the recording sessions, but contrary to what Rush thinks, it has aged well, one of the most underrated albums in its discography. Still, after a steady pace of albums and tours, the band was tired. It was time for the guys to slow down, and it wouldn’t be for another three years until the world would hear from Rush again.