Although I had heard and enjoyed Rush's classic rock radio staples such as "Tom Sawyer" and "Spirit of Radio" for a few years (or more), it wasn't until 1987 that I bought the ticket and took the ride. During the summer of that year, ads touting the impending release of their newest album, Hold Your Fire, appeared in Kerrang! and they got me thinking that I ought to really investigate their music beyond what I had heard on the radio. 8 September rolled around and I went out and bought a copy. I found that I loved it as much as their older, riffier material.
A couple years later they gave us Presto. I was a bit ambivalent upon hearing of its release. Part of me loved (and still does) their previous 3 albums that made generous use of synthesizers and saw Alex Lifeson's guitar add more color than heavy riffs to the songs. Another part was hoping that Lifeson would bring back those big, fuzzy chords. When I finally heard Presto, I was heartened to hear that the lead off track, "Show Don't Tell" was heavier than anything on Hold Your Fire, even if it wasn't a return to their roots. As the album progressed, it became clear that, "Superconductor" aside, this would not be the return of the riffs.
Regardless of the keyboard-guitar ratio, Presto proved to be a great album. I went to see them with a group of friends at Alpine Valley in the summer of 1990, the first of several times I would catch them in concert. As luck would have it, someone recorded the show so I can relive that experience without having to sink into the mud as we did in our lawn seats that night.
"War Paint" is one of my favorites from the album. It comes charging out of the gates as though it were a camera quickly zooming in on the subject of the first verse - a girl before the mirror. The song slows for the verse where she appraises her amateurish maquillage. I don't know that Neil Peart ever explained his lyrics here but I've long wondered if he had read something by Erving Goffman that provided inspiration. For me, it's a commentary on how we choose to present ourselves to others along with a dose of mild cynicism with the observation that we have a seemingly infinite capacity to delude ourselves.
The verse featuring the boy before the mirror is a bit faster than its counterpart, with more tension. Just as Geddy Lee begins to sing "Boys and girls together/Mistake conceit for pride" the song kicks into overdrive with a fast beat and Lifeson's guitar propelling the song forward as a chorus of voices repeats the couplet "Paint the mirror black/the mirror always lies" to the end.
Presto may not be a perfect album but its joys are many and they certainly include "War Paint".
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