Test for Echo is the sixteenth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released on September 10, 1996 by Atlantic Records. Its total length is 53:31. The band's lineup includes vocalist, bassist, and synthesizers player Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer Neil Peart.
Rush's previous release Counterparts had a certain heaviness and edginess to it that had never been heard on any Rush album before it. Test for Echo goes for a much less heavy sound for most of the album. Test for Echo has a very disjointed sound to it due to the fact that many songs have no direction and feel like pointless pieces in Rush's discography.
Test for Echo was a popular release as it charted at #5 on the Billboard 200 chart and #25 on the UK albums chart. It has since gone Gold in the U.S. and Gold in Canada. The strength of the album are its opening two tracks that demonstrate the bands excellent musicianship. The weaknesses is the albums lyrical themes that seem to lack direction and are uninteresting and in some cases are terrible, the overall disjointed feel the album has, and the abnormally large amount of weak tracks the album contains. Here are my thoughts on each track.
1. "Test for Echo" 5:56 (8.5/10)
"Test for Echo" begins with some very audible bass from Geddy and soon dives into a quick paced musical onslaught with heavy guitar riffs, chaotic bass playing, and sporatic drumming. Lifeson's riffs are so powerful and Neil's drumming is fast and has a big feel to to it. Geddy's vocal delivery isn't perfect, but he delivers his lines well. The chorus is very catchy and melodic and is definitely one of my favorite parts about the song. The guitar solo is very well executed and sounds great. "Test for Echo" is a chaotic track that is very impressive musically.
2. "Driven" 4:27 (9.5/10)
"Driven" begins with an epic guitar riff that is soon met with Geddy's great bass lines. I really like Neil's drumming during the song, as he compliments the other instruments really well. Geddy's vocal delivery is very nice as well. The bass riff in this song is so catchy and really drives the song home for me. The guitar solo is strange, but really works well in the song. "Driven" is the strongest the album has to offer.
3. "Half the World" 3:43 (3.5/10)
"Half the World" begins with a really nice peaceful guitar riff that has a very nice feel to it. The bass playing is very audible and the drumming is also nice. Then, I hear the song lyrically and I really can't stand it. Honestly it's some of Rush's least interesting and dull lyrics in their entire catalog. Musically it begins to get very repetitive as well. "Half the World" is such a safe track that really has nothing remarkable about it.
4. "The Color of Right" 4:48 (1/10)
"The Color of Right" begins with a pretty cool sounding guitar riff and some nice bass lines as well. Geddy's singing again sounds some what out of tune and out of place. I really hate his vocal delivery during this track. The bass is very audible and is great during the song. The chorus is awful. Geddy's voice sounds terrible and the lyrics are so cheesy and terrible. The song doesn't flow well and I am saddened by how bad the song really is. "The Color of Right" is laughable.
5. "Time and Motion" 5:01 (6.5/10)
"Time and Motion" begins with a very heavy guitar riff and some great synths as well. It has odd time signatures and appears to bring Rush back to form on this album. I really love Geddy's terrific bass playing and Neil's very good drumming. Lifeson's guitar riff is perfect sounding and fits the track perfectly. Geddy's vocals are odd, but really work for the song. The guitar solo is awesome and really uses some awesome effects and adds massive effect despite its shorter length. I really love the odd nature the song has and it is definitely one of the best songs from the album.
6. "Totem" 4:58 (4/10)
"Totem" begins with an upbeat acoustic guitar and some great bass playing. Neil's drumming is also very prominent. Geddy's vocal delivery during the verses may not be very good, but he delivers the chorus well. The chorus is basically the only thing that works in the song though. The guitar solo is also really good. The verses are so unremarkable and they are very awkward and just aren't very good to listen to. "Totem" isn't awful, but it is a bit of a lackluster effort.
7. "Dog Years" 4:55 (1/10)
"Dog Years" is probably the worst song Rush has in their entire catalog. Its lyrics are laughable and the song doesn't flow well at all. Geddy's terrific bass playing and Lifeson's heavy riffs can't save this lyrical catastrophe. Honestly, I don't know what Rush was thinking with this song, it is so bad.
8. "Virtuality" 5:44 (5/10)
"Virtuality" begins with an amazing heavy guitar riff. Geddy's bass playing is really excellent and Neil's drumming is very powerful. The chorus of this song is a lyrical nightmare and really continues the album's trend of lackluster lyrics. It's a shame to, because musically the song is actually pretty nice. Instrumentally the song is actually very good, but due to its terrible chorus and its dragging nature it remains a very stale tune.
9. "Resist" 4:23 (5.5/10)
"Resist" is a beautiful little tune from the album. It has really nice vocals and may be simple lyrically, but has a really nice to feel to it. I enjoy Lifeson's emotional guitar parts that are very dramatic in their nature. Geddy's bass compliments the vocals really well. The drumming is really impressive as well. "Resist" is a beautiful song that is full of emotion and is one of the stronger tracks on the album. It does drag at times, but still has a great effect on the listener.
10. "Limbo" 5:29 (8/10)
"Limbo" is the instrumental track from the album. it begins with some awesome bass playing that is soon met with some Lifeson guitar. I really like Lifeson's heavy guitar riffs during the song and Geddy's random vocals in the background that add dramatic effect. The drumming is also very good. Geddy's bass playing is very audible and full of his personality. "Limbo" is a very good instrumental and is one of the best tracks from the album.
11. "Carve Away the Stone" 4:06 (5.5/10)
"Carve Away the Stone" begins with a very nice guitar riff and some very melodic vocals from Geddy. The song feels a little bit like "Half the World" because of its non climatic approach and simple lyricism. The instrumentation is fine, but doesn't really have a big effect on the listener. Geddy's bass playing is very good at times and Lifeson's guitar solo is emotional and is definitely one of the best from the album. Neil's drumming is good, but not great. "Carve Away the Stone" is a decent track.
My Verdict:
Test for Echo is Rush's most unfocused and disjointed album in their entire catalog. It is full of tracks that do not even sound like actual songs and feel thrown together halfheartedly. There are some gems on this album, but unless your a die hard Rush fan there is no need to listen to this release all the way through. I recommend some of the songs, but as a whole album, Test for Echo is by far Rush's worst album in their entire catalog.
