Test for Echo
| Test for Echo | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Rush | ||||
| Released | September 10, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | January–March 1996 at Bearsville Studios, New York and Reaction Studios, Toronto | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock[1] | |||
| Length | 53:25 | |||
| Label |
Anthem (Canada) Atlantic | |||
| Producer | Peter Collins, Rush | |||
| Rush chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Test for Echo | ||||
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Test for Echo is the sixteenth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1996. It marks the final Rush work prior to the tragic events in Neil Peart's life that put the band on hiatus for several years. He recorded a majority of his drum tracks for the album using traditional grip, after receiving drum lessons from jazz instructor Freddie Gruber.
The cover displays an inukshuk, native to the band's home country of Canada. Created by the Inuit, an inuksuk is a stone figure in the shape of a human used to mark a food cache, hunting ground or a place where someone lost their life.
The title track reached No. 1 on the mainstream rock chart. "Driven" became a bass showcase for Geddy Lee during live performances, while "Resist" was rearranged as an acoustic song on the Vapor Trails and R30 tours. Since then, the band has not performed any tracks from the album in concert. It was remastered and reissued twice: in 2004 as a continuation of "The Rush Remasters" set and in 2013 as a part of the box set The Studio Albums 1989–2007.
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (B)[3] |
| Mojo | [4] |
| Rolling Stone | (favorable)[5] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave Test for Echo 3 out of 5 stars, saying that Rush has "rarely played better in the past ten years than they have on Test for Echo."[2]
Track listing
All songs written by Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee and Neil Peart, except where noted.
- "Test for Echo" (Lifeson, Lee, Peart, Pye Dubois) – 5:56
- "Driven" – 4:27
- "Half the World" – 3:41
- "The Color of Right" – 4:48
- "Time and Motion" – 5:04
- "Totem" – 5:00
- "Dog Years" – 4:56
- "Virtuality" – 5:43
- "Resist" – 4:22
- "Limbo" – 5:28
- "Carve Away the Stone" – 4:05
Personnel
- Geddy Lee – bass guitar, keyboards, vocals
- Alex Lifeson – acoustic and electric guitars, mandola
- Neil Peart – drums, percussion, hammered dulcimer
Charts
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Billboard 200 | 5[7] |
| UK Albums Chart | 25[8] |
Sales certifications
| Country | Organization | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. | RIAA | Gold (500,000)[9] |
| Canada | RIAA | Gold (50,000)[10] |
Singles
| Information |
|---|
"Test for Echo"
|
"Half the World"
|
"Driven"
|
"Virtuality"
|
"Resist"
|
References
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/test-for-echo-mw0000646681
- 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Test for Echo - Rush". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
- ↑ Jim Farber (October 4, 1996). "Test for Echo Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 17, 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
- ↑ "Rush - Test for Echo CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
- ↑ "Test For Echo". Rolling Stone. December 17, 1996. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
- ↑ "Rush: Album Guide". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
- ↑ "Test for Echo chart position in the US". Billboard.
- ↑ "Rush chart positions in the UK". The Official Charts Company.
- ↑ "RIAA searchable certification database". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2010-03-17.
- ↑ "CRIA searchable certification database". Canadian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 2010-03-17.
