Album of the Day

Canadian progressive trio Rush ended their Atlantic Records tenure on a high note with SNAKES & ARROWS. The 2007 release is among the most well-recorded of the band's career, recalling the richly layered textures of Rush's '70s classics – even if songs like “Far Cry,” “Spindrift” and “The Larger Bowl (A Pantoum)” are darker thematically than their early work. The set was shaped to a degree by the Internet; producer Nick Raskulinecz volunteered his services after seeing online posts about the group's recording plans, and the 'net allowed California-based lyricist Neil Peart to collaborate more easily with bandmates Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson in Toronto. If technology facilitated the recording, the singing and playing are as organic as ever, and “Malignant Narcissism” earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Geddy Lee celebrates a birthday today, and we'll cue up the Top 10 hit SNAKES & ARROWS in his honor.