RUSH Live at Bell Center, Montreal, 2nd September 2026 (+ IRON MAIDEN Live)

Despite having seen multiple shows in Montreal by this point, this was the first time I had ever visited the Bell Center, or even learned where it exactly was. It’s not for lack of size that I’d never crossed it: it’s an imposing box of a building with banners dedicated to the Canadiens de Montréal all over, and it’s under one of them that a horde of fans decked out in tour merch poured in. Many of them were surely going to see Iron Maiden the very next day (I would know, I was one of them). It hadn’t dawned on me there would be merchandise, but the line for the concession within the concourse was fast enough I could buy two shirts before the show got started. These shirts, designed by Rush’s long-time art director Hugh Syme, cover all the aesthetic bases of their history: one bears the livid owl from Fly by Night, another a set of orbs in a wide open space, reminiscent of the artwork of Hemispheres. The stoplight design associated with the tour could have reasonably been an alternate cover for Signals.

YES – 90125 (1983)

90125

Artist: Yes
Released: 7 November 1983
Genre: Pop Rock
Label: Atco
Producer: Trevor Horn, Yes
Length: 44:34
Best Track: Our Song

TRACKS: 1) Owner of a Lonely Heart; 2) Hold On; 3) It Can Happen; 4) Changes; 5) Cinema; 6) Leave It; 7) Our Song; 8) City of Love; 9) Hearts

Yes are one of the titans of classic progressive rock. More so than many of their contemporaries, they had a pop sensitivity that kept hooks and catchy melodies at the center of their music, even as its complexity intensified. For this reason, they boast perhaps the greatest assortment of 10+-minute epics of any prog band, not to mention a successful transition into pop rock in the 1980s. Their line-up, which has undergone many changes over their long history, has hosted bassist Chris Squire, vocalist Jon Anderson, drummers Bill Bruford and Alan White, guitarists Steve Howe and Travor Rabin, keyboardist Rick Wakeman, and many others.

Previous reviews include: Going for the One (1977), Drama (1980)

YES – DRAMA (1980)

DRAMA

Artist: Yes
Released: 18 August 1980
Genre: Progressive Rock
Label: Atlantic
Producer: Yes, Eddie Offord
Length: 36:30
Best Track: Tempus Fugit

TRACKS: 1) Machine Messiah; 2) White Car; 3) Does It Really Happen?; 4) Into the Lens; 5) Run Through the Light; 6) Tempus Fugit

Yes are one of the titans of classic progressive rock. More so than many of their contemporaries, they had a pop sensitivity that kept hooks and catchy melodies at the center of their music, even as its complexity intensified. For this reason, they boast perhaps the greatest assortment of 10+-minute epics of any prog band, not to mention a successful transition into pop rock in the 1980s. Their line-up, which has undergone many changes over their long history, has hosted bassist Chris Squire, vocalist Jon Anderson, drummers Bill Bruford and Alan White, guitarists Steve Howe and Travor Rabin, keyboardist Rick Wakeman, and many others.

Previous reviews include: Going for the One (1977)

YES – GOING FOR THE ONE (1977)

GOING FOR THE ONE

Artist: Yes
Released: 7 July 1977
Genre: Progressive Rock
Label: Atlantic
Producer: Yes
Length: 38:43
Best Track: Going for the One

TRACKS: 1) Going for the One; 2) Turn of the Century; 3) Parallels; 4) Wonderous Stories; 5) Awaken

Yes are one of the titans of classic progressive rock. More so than many of their contemporaries, they had a pop sensitivity that kept hooks and catchy melodies at the center of their music, even as its complexity intensified. For this reason, they boast perhaps the greatest assortment of 10+-minute epics of any prog band, not to mention a successful transition into pop rock in the 1980s. Their line-up, which has undergone many changes over their long history, has hosted bassist Chris Squire, vocalist Jon Anderson, drummers Bill Bruford and Alan White, guitarists Steve Howe and Travor Rabin, keyboardist Rick Wakeman, and many others.

THE 1975 – NOTES ON A CONDITIONAL FORM (2020)

NOTES ON A CONDITIONAL FORM

Artist: The 1975
Released: 22 May 2020
Genre: Art Pop, Electronic (Future Garage, House), Pop Rock
Label: Dirty Hit, Polydor
Producer: George Daniel, Matthew Healy, Jonathan Gilmore
Length: 1:20:30
Best Track: Guys

TRACKS: 1) The 1975; 2) People; 3) The End (Music for Cars); 4) Frail State of Mind; 5) Streaming; 6) The Birthday Party; 7) Yeah I Know; 8) Then Because She Goes; 9) Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America; 10) Roadkill; 11) Me & You Together Song; 12) I Think There’s Something You Should Know; 13) Nothing Revealed / Everything Denied; 14) Tonight (I Wish I Was Your Boy); 15) Shiny Collarbone; 16) If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know); 17) Playing on My Mind; 18) Having No Head; 19) What Should I Say; 20) Bagsy Not in Net; 21) Don’t Worry; 22) Guys

The band that would ultimately become The 1975 formed in 2002, comprising to this day Matthew Healy (vocalist/guitarist), Adam Hann (lead guitarist), Ross MacDonald (bass), and George Daniel (drums). As early as their debut, they have integrated a wide array of stylistic influences into their pop framework, dabbling in many variations of rock as well as synthpop, soul, and ambient, all in the same record. Their latest album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language, released on 14 October 2022.

MARK HOLLIS – MARK HOLLIS (1998)

MARK HOLLIS

“One song among us all”

Artist: Mark Hollis
Released: 26 January 1998
Genre: Chamber Folk, Chamber Jazz (+ light touches of Post-Rock)
Label: Polydor
Producer: Mark Hollis
Length: 47:00
Best Track: The Colour of Spring

TRACKS: 1) The Colour of Spring; 2) Watershed; 3) Inside Looking Out; 4) The Gift; 5) A Life (1895 – 1915); 6) Westward Bound; 7) The Daily Planet; 8) A New Jerusalem

To commemorate the memory of Mark Hollis (1955 – 2019), I will be reviewing Talk Talk’s last three records, as well as his self-titled solo album, so as to explore his experimentation in the genre of post-rock.

Previous reviews include: The Colour of Spring (1986), Spirit of Eden (1988), Laughing Stock (1991)

TALK TALK – LAUGHING STOCK (1991)

LAUGHING STOCK

“Reflected in returning love you sing”

Artist: Talk Talk
Released: 16 September 1991
Genre: Post-Rock
Label: Verve (offshoot of Polydor)
Producer: Tim Friese-Greene
Length: 42:57
Best Track: Runeii

TRACKS: 1) Myrrhman; 2) Ascension Day; 3) After the Flood; 4) Taphead; 5) New Grass; 6) Runeii

To commemorate the memory of Mark Hollis (1955 – 2019), I will be reviewing Talk Talk’s last three records, as well as his self-titled solo album, so as to explore his experimentation in the genre of post-rock.

Previous reviews include: The Colour of Spring (1986), Spirit of Eden (1988)

TALK TALK – SPIRIT OF EDEN (1988)

SPIRIT OF EDEN

“Everybody needs someone to live by”

Artist: Talk Talk
Released: 16 September 1988
Genre: Post-Rock, Art Rock
Label: Parlophone (subsidiary of EMI)
Producer: Tim Friese-Greene
Length: 40:28
Best Track: Wealth

TRACKS: 1) The Rainbow; 2) Eden; 3) Desire; 4) Inheritance; 5) I Believe in You; 6) Wealth

To commemorate the memory of Mark Hollis (1955 – 2019), I will be reviewing Talk Talk’s last three records, as well as his self-titled solo album, so as to explore his experimentation in the genre of post-rock.

Previous reviews include: The Colour of Spring (1986)

TALK TALK – THE COLOUR OF SPRING (1986)

THE COLOUR OF SPRING

“As bad as bad becomes it’s not a part of you”

Artist: Talk Talk
Released: 1986
Genre: Art Pop
Label: EMI
Producer: Tim Friese-Greene
Length: 45:44
Best Track: Time It’s Time

TRACKS: 1) Happiness Is Easy; 2) I Don’t Believe in You; 3) Life’s What You Make It; 4) April 4th; 5) Living in Another World; 6) Give It Up; 7) Chameleon Day; 8) Time It’s Time

Talk Talk’s primary lineup comprised vocalist/lead songwriter Mark Hollis, drummer Lee Harris, and bassist Paul Webb. Though they are known for hit pop singles such as “It’s My Life” and “Life’s What You Make It”, they are also considered one of the forefathers of post-rock, with their final releases Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock being two of the earliest albums of the genre.

To commemorate the memory of Mark Hollis (1955 – 2019), I will be reviewing Talk Talk’s last three records, as well as his self-titled solo album, so as to explore his experimentation in the genre of post-rock.

RUSH – ROLL THE BONES (1991)

ROLL THE BONES

“Playing for time, don’t want to wait for heaven”

Artist: Rush
Released: 5 September 1991
Genre: Progressive Rock, Hard Rock
Label: Anthem
Producer: Rupert Hine, Rush
Length: 48:07
Issue Date: 1991
Best Track: Bravado

TRACKS: 1) Dreamline; 2) Bravado; 3) Roll the Bones; 4) Face Up; 5) Where’s My Thing? (Part IV, “Gangster of Boats” Trilogy); 6) The Big Wheel; 7) Heresy; 8) Ghost of a Chance; 9) Neurotica; 10) You Bet Your Life

For most of their existence, Rush have consisted of vocalist/bassist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer/lyricist Neil Peart. With almost 20 studio albums over 30 years, they were a very notable case of a progressive rock band retaining their identity throughout their entire career — even through the 1980s, where other acts of that genre had faltered due to commercial pressure. Many of their defining characteristics are highly recognizable: these include their mix of complex musicality with hard rock hooks, their exploration of sci-fi/fantasy topics, and the individualist undertone that runs through a lot of their lyrics.