Roll The Bones
Atlantic/Anthem, 3 September, 1991
- Dreamline (4.38)
- Bravado (4:56)
- Roll The Bones (5:30)
- Face Up (3:54)
- Where’s My Thing? (instr.) (3:49) (Part IV, “Gangster Of Boats” Trilogy)
- The Big Wheel (5:15)
- Heresy (5:26)
- Ghost Of A Chance (5:19)
- Neurotica (4:40)
- You Bet Your Life (5:00)
Additional Musician: Rupert Hine - Keyboards/Backing Vocals.
Produced by Rupert Hine And Rush. Engineered by Stephen Tayler.
This is a veritable pot-boiler of songs, as Rush the band re-emerges from its doldrum and continues on its way, older and wiser this time, but rejuvenated and ready for whatever the world may throw at the Willowdale three. “We are young, wandering the face of the world,” goes the chorus to the opening song ‘Dreamline’, and indeed the band sets out to demonstrate it plans to make the most of its allotted time.
‘Roll The Bones’ is the convergence of two factors – a renewed interest in the abilities of each band member, and a shared view on how things should feel and sound, resulting in a more mature, composed style that is woven like a thread through every song. Not without irony, there is a sense of the band trying its luck, setting itself up as a renewed entity. This mostly works – spearheaded by songs like ‘Bravado’, which with its uber-complex drum beats, confirms the sentiment that life is not to be frittered away. “If the music stops, there’s only the sound of the rain,” sings Geddy, who has no intention of hanging up his microphone just yet.
Thematically of course, Lady Luck plays a big part in the proceedings, not least her role in human relationships and self-determination as songs like ‘Ghost of A Chance’ (with its stunning guitar solo), ‘You Bet Your Life’ and ‘Neurotica’ clearly demonstrate. Slightly out of place is ‘Heresy’, which was written as a polemical statement against the wasted years prior to the fall of the Iron Curtain. While the sentiment may have been pure it may have been best kept as a statement, not a song – it does stick with the theme of circumstances, the accident of birth that dictates the regime one has to live by. Neil had based the drum part on a pattern he had heard while he was cycling in Togo. “I was laying on a rooftop one night and heard two drummers playing in the next valley, and the rhythm stuck in my head,” he said.
Not a band to baulk at experimentation, Rush even brought a voice- distorted, pseudo-rap piece to the proceedings in the shape of the title track. It sits well with the rest of the song, and indeed the album. There’s room for the drive time instrumental ‘Where’s My Thing’, the rock and roll romp that is ‘Face Up’, and a couple of other musical gems besides.
Lyrically the gambling theme has been well and truly covered by the end. Is there any such thing as luck? ‘Roll The Bones’ is proof of this, made after fifteen years by a rejuvenated band that can finally look back and see the fruits of its labours. The harder they worked, the luckier they had become.