page_title: Power Windows (album)
section_title: Recording
hierarchical_section_title: Power Windows (album) / Production / Recording
caption_attribution_description: English: This is a recent picture of the ruins of the AIR Studios taken by me in May of 2013 which I plan to use in article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associated_Independent_Recording#AIR_Montserrat
context_page_description: Power Windows is the eleventh studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released on October 14, 1985 by Anthem Records. After touring in support of their previous album, Grace Under Pressure, the band took a break and reconvened in early 1985 to work on a follow-up. The material continued to display the band's exploration of synthesizer-oriented music, this time with the addition of sampling, electronic drums, a string section, and choir, with power being a running lyrical theme. Power Windows was recorded in Montserrat and England with Peter Collins as co-producer and Andy Richards on additional keyboards.
  The album reached No. 2 in Canada, No. 9 in the United Kingdom, and No. 10 in the United States. In January 1986, the album reached platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America for one million copies sold in the United States. Rush released five singles from the album between 1985 and 1986: "The Big Money", "Territories", "Manhattan Project", "Mystic Rhythms", and "Marathon". The band supported the album with their 1985–1986 tour.
context_section_description: Rush recorded Power Windows from April to August 1985 in five different recording studios. The group recorded Power Windows with a new producer, Peter Collins. During their warm-up gigs in Florida, the band first met Australian engineer James "Jimbo" Barton who Collins had recommended. They accepted, and Peart later praised Barton's contributions and suggestions to the band, considering his small recommendations to improve a song, which he referred to as "events", was "just what we were looking for". Lifeson compared the experience of recording Power Windows as more pleasant and fun than Grace Under Pressure, which presented various problems for the band. He added that the album contained elements that Rush had not incorporated before and broke several boundaries that had existed with previous albums. Lee supported this view and said the group decided "not to hold anything back" and make the album first and focus later on the music's onstage presentation.
  Recording began at The Manor Studios in Oxfordshire, England, where the basic rhythm, keyboards, and bass tracks were recorded more quickly than usual, in the span of five weeks, to capture more spontaneous performances ready for overdubs. Here, the music was recorded using two Studer A800 24-track tape machines with an SSL console. It was during sessions at The Manor where Rush brought in musician Andy Richards to play additional synthesizers and assist in their programming. His rig consisted of a PPG Wave 2.3 synthesizer connected to a Roland Super Jupiter module through a MIDI system, a Yamaha QX-1 digital sequencer, and a Roland Jupiter-8 and Yamaha DX7 synthesizer. In one instance, Peart's drum technician Larry Allen drove with him to London to collect a set of African and Indian drums to use on "Mystic Rhythms", and bongos for "Territories".
  In May 1985, the band had relocated to AIR Studios in the island of Montserrat in the Caribbean. They had discussed recording at the studio for several years and booked the facility for three weeks for Lifeson to record guitar overdubs. The tracks were put down using two Studer tape recorders with a Neve console. Collins recalled this period of recording as painstaking work due to the various combination of microphone and amplifier set-ups that were experimented. This was followed by a return to England in June to record in London, firstly at SARM East Studios. The band chose to live together in a single apartment rather than separate hotel rooms. At SARM East, the guitar solos and Lee's vocals were put down.
  Mixing began in July after the band took a one-week break from the material, which coincided with decisions on the final running order, artwork, credits, and photos. In August, the string section was recorded which featured a 30-piece orchestra in studio 1 at Abbey Road Studios. Rush wanted musician and arranger Anne Dudley to complete the string arrangements, which she agreed to do, and the group was conducted by Andrew Pryce Jackman. A 25-piece choir was recorded at Angel Recording Studios for the ending of "Marathon". The album completed, Lee oversaw the mastering in New York City in September, and proofs were approved for the album cover.
caption: Rush relocated to AIR Studios in Montserrat, the ruins of which are pictured here in 2013, to record guitar overdubs.
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