Fear series
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| "The Enemy Within (Part I of Fear)" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Song by Rush | ||
| from the album Grace Under Pressure | ||
| Released | April 12 1984 | |
| Genre | Progressive rock | |
| Length | 4:34 | |
| Label | Mercury Records | |
| Writer(s) | Lee & Lifeson Lyrics by Peart | |
| Producer(s) | Rush and Peter Henderson | |
| Grace Under Pressure track listing | ||
| "Red Sector A" (3) | "The Enemy Within (Part I of Fear)" (4) | "The Body Electric" (5) |
| "The Weapon (Part II of Fear)" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Single by Rush | ||
| from the album Signals | ||
| Released | 1982 | |
| Genre | Progressive rock | |
| Length | 6:22 | |
| Label | Mercury Records | |
| Rush singles chronology | ||
| "The Analog Kid" (1982) | "The Weapon" (1982) | "Countdown" (1982) |
| "Witch Hunt (Part III of Fear)" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Song by Rush | ||
| from the album Moving Pictures | ||
| Released | February 28, 1981 | |
| Genre | Progressive rock | |
| Length | 4:43 | |
| Label | Mercury Records | |
| Writer(s) | Lee & Lifeson Lyrics by Peart | |
| Producer(s) | Rush and Terry Brown | |
| Moving Pictures track listing | ||
| "The Camera Eye" (5) | "Witch Hunt (Part III of Fear)" (6) | "Vital Signs" (7) |
| "Freeze (Part IV of Fear)" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Song by Rush | ||
| from the album Vapor Trails | ||
| Released | May 14, 2002 | |
| Genre | Progressive rock | |
| Length | 6:21 | |
| Label | Atlantic Records | |
| Writer(s) | Lee & Lifeson Lyrics by Peart | |
| Producer(s) | Rush and Paul Northfield | |
| Vapor Trails track listing | ||
| "Nocturne" (12) | "Freeze (Part IV of Fear)" (11) | "Out of the Cradle" (13) |
The "Fear Series," or as it's more commonly known among Rush's fanbase, "The Fear Trilogy," is a set of four songs by the band Rush. The series consists of Part I: The Enemy Within (from Grace Under Pressure), Part II: The Weapon (from Signals), Part III: Witch Hunt (from Moving Pictures), and Part IV: Freeze (from Vapor Trails). Parts I, II, and III were released in reverse order, while Part IV was released more than twenty years after Part III. The songs do not follow a set storyline; instead, they deal with topics relating to the emotion of "fear".
In a 1994 interview, Neil Peart describes what inspired the "Fear" Series:
- The idea for the trilogy was suggested by an older man telling that he didn't think life was ruled by love, or reason, or money, or the pursuit of happiness -- but by fear. This smart-but cynical guy's position was that most people's actions are motivated by fear of being hungry, fear of being hurt, fear of being alone, fear of being robbed, etc., and that people don't make choices based on hope that something good will happen, but in fear that something bad will happen.
- I reacted to this the way all of us tend to react to generalities: "Well, I'm not like that!" But then I started thinking about it more, watching the way people around me behaved, and I soon realised that there was something to this viewpoint, So I sketched out the three "theaters of fear," as I saw them: how fear works inside us ("The Enemy Within"), how fear is used against us ("The Weapon"), and how fear feeds the mob mentality ("Witch Hunt").
- As it happened, the last theme was easiest to deal with, so it was written first, and consequently appeared first on record, and the other two followed in reverse order for the same reason.
(From Rush Backstage Club Newsletter, January 1994)
Contents |
[edit] Part One: The Enemy Within
The Enemy Within describes phobias and other situations that scare people intentionally, thus causing paranoia and worry.
[edit] Part Two: The Weapon
The Weapon explains how everything that people fear can be used against them, even leaders, great nations, evil dictators, lovers, and murderers.
[edit] Part Three: Witch Hunt
The concept of Witch Hunt is how manipulators can use fear to "possess" the "ignorant" masses to their liking, much like the Salem townspeople during the Witch Hunts.
[edit] Part Four: Freeze
Freeze explores the fine line between running away and/or standing up to encounter one's fear. Peart also wrote this as an answer to television preachers at that time. They thought since Rush used the Starman logo, that they were promoting witchcraft.[citation needed]
| Rush |
| Geddy Lee | Alex Lifeson | Neil Peart |
| John Rutsey |
| Discography |
|---|
| Albums: Rush | Fly by Night | Caress of Steel | 2112 | All the World's a Stage | A Farewell to Kings | Hemispheres | Permanent Waves | Moving Pictures | Exit...Stage Left | Signals | Grace Under Pressure | Power Windows | Hold Your Fire | A Show of Hands | Presto | Roll the Bones | Counterparts | Test for Echo | Different Stages | Vapor Trails | Rush in Rio | Feedback (EP) |
| Compilations: Archives | Chronicles | Retrospective I | Retrospective II | The Spirit of Radio: Greatest Hits 1974-1987 | Gold |
| Related articles |
| The Rush Portal
Rush discography | Rush music videos | History of Rush | Rush instrumentals | Victor | My Favorite Headache | A Work In Progress | Anatomy of A Drum Solo | "Fear" Series | Cygnus X-1 Series |
