Hold Your Fire is an album in the purest sense; infinitely greater than the sum of its parts, it gradually draws in the listener by slowly revealing its nuances and secrets.
While the use of keyboards is still overwhelming at times, Geddy Lee employs lush textures which, when coupled with a greater rhythmic and melodic presence from guitarist Alex Lifeson, results in a far warmer sound than in recent efforts.
Of course, drummer Neil Peart is as inventive and exciting as ever, while his lyrics focus on the various elements (earth, air, water, fire) for much of the album.
Opener "Force Ten" is the band's most immediate number in years, and other early favorites such as "Time Stand Still" and "Turn the Page" soon give way to the darker mysteries of "Prime Mover" and "Tai Shan." The multifaceted "Lock and Key" is quintessential Rush, and sets the stage for the album's climax with the sheer beauty of "Mission." As was the case with 1976's 2112 and 1981's Moving Pictures, Rush always seem to produce some of their best work at the end of each four-album cycle, and Hold Your Fire is no exception.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Force TenPye Dubois, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart | Rush | Play | 04:33 | 10 MB | 25 MB |
| 2 | Time Stand StillGeddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart | Rush | Play | 05:08 | 11 MB | 29 MB |
| 3 | Open SecretsGeddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart | Rush | Play | 05:38 | 12 MB | 34 MB |
| 4 | Second NatureGeddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart | Rush | Play | 04:36 | 10 MB | 24 MB |
| 5 | Prime MoverGeddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart | Rush | Play | 05:20 | 12 MB | 30 MB |
| 6 | Lock and KeyGeddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart | Rush | Play | 05:07 | 11 MB | 29 MB |
| 7 | MissionGeddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart | Rush | Play | 05:17 | 12 MB | 26 MB |
| 8 | Turn the PageGeddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart | Rush | Play | 04:55 | 11 MB | 29 MB |
| 9 | Tai ShanGeddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart | Rush | Play | 04:17 | 9 MB | 21 MB |
| 10 | High WaterGeddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart | Rush | Play | 05:33 | 12 MB | 29 MB |
| 50 mins | 115 MB | |||||
| 50 mins | 281 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael J. Ade | Assistant Engineer |
| 2 | Van Azzoli | Executive Producer |
| 3 | James Barton | Engineer |
| 4 | Jim Barton | Engineer |
| 5 | Liam Birt | Executive Producer |
| 6 | Ken Blair | Assistant Engineer |
| 7 | Jim Burgess | Synthesizer |
| 8 | Peter Collins | Arranger, Producer |
| 9 | Philippe Cusset | Mixing Assistant |
| 10 | Pye Dubois | Composer |
| 11 | Jon Erickson | Reproduction |
| 12 | Andrew Jackman | Arranger, Conductor |
| 13 | Brian Lee | Mastering |
| 14 | Geddy Lee | Bass, Bass Pedals, Composer, Guitar, Guitar (Bass), Keyboards, Pedals, Synthesizer, Vocals |
| 15 | Martin Lee | Assistant Engineer |
| 16 | Alex Lifeson | Composer, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric) |
| 17 | Bob Ludwig | Mastering |
| 18 | Aimee Mann | Guest Artist, Vocals |
| 19 | Neil Peart | Composer, Drums, Electronic Percussion, Percussion |
| 20 | Andy Richards | Keyboards, Synthesizer |
| 21 | Rush | Arranger, Primary Artist, Producer |
| 22 | Reynold Swan | Assistant Engineer |
| 23 | Hugh Syme | Art Direction |
| 24 | Glenn Wexler | Photography |
| 25 | Williams Fairey Brass Band | Horn |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |