Animate

The album opener signals the new direction from its very first drum beat. The song explores the tension between masculine and feminine impulses — the need to balance aggression with sensitivity, strength with tenderness. Lines about learning to "gently dominate" and "rule his tender part" make it one of Peart's most psychologically complex lyrics.

The arrangement is muscular and dynamic, with a guitar-bass-drum riff that wouldn't sound out of place on a Pearl Jam record. Lifeson's guitar is heavier and more present than it had been since the early 1980s, and Lee's vocals carry a renewed intensity. The atmospheric bridges provide contrast that makes the heavy sections hit even harder.

"Animate" became a fan favorite and concert staple, often cited as one of the strongest album openers in Rush's catalog. It's the sound of a band that heard what was happening in music and responded not by copying it, but by channeling that energy through their own identity.