Rush - Roll The Bones (LP)

By 1991, Rush had already shapeshifted a few times, so Roll the Bones landed like a confident shrug from a band that knew exactly where it stood. It’s their fourteenth studio record, produced with Rupert Hine for a second go after Presto, and you can hear the trio streamlining their ‘80s polish into something leaner and more playful. The songs are tight, but the record breathes. It’s tuneful, witty, and quietly bold in a way that sneaks up on you.

Dreamline is the kind of opener that reminds you why people fall for this band in the first place. Guitars shimmer, the chorus lifts cleanly, and Neil Peart’s lyric sketches that sweet spot between wanderlust and mortality. It was a rock radio regular for good reason, and it still hits with a rush of open-road air. Bravado follows as the album’s beating heart. Geddy Lee sings with warmth and restraint, Alex Lifeson lets the chords ring, and the lyric carries one of Peart’s most humane refrains. If we burn our wings, flying too close to the sun. It’s so simple, and it lands every time.

Then comes the title track, which remains one of the most curious singles in the catalogue. Roll the Bones is built on a sly funk pulse and a big chorus, but what made fans double-take in 1991 is the brief rap break in the middle. Rather than a gimmick, it plays like a cheeky aside in a song already obsessed with chance and risk. Why does it happen? Because it happens. The band toys with the zeitgeist, has a laugh, and still turns in a tune catchy enough to anchor a tour.

Rush never forget the muso fun, either. Where’s My Thing? arrives as the requisite instrumental, and they tagged it Part IV of the Gangster of Boats Trilogy, which is exactly the kind of inside joke that’s kept fans grinning for decades. The track earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance, and it’s easy to hear why. Peart’s patterns tumble, Lifeson’s tone shifts from glassy to gnarly, and Lee threads through with lines that feel almost vocal. It’s precision with a wink.

What makes Roll the Bones such a satisfying listen is the balance. The Big Wheel and Face Up keep the pace taut without crowding the room. Heresy slips a little political reflection into a melody you can hum on your commute. Ghost of a Chance might be the sleeper, a slow-burn ballad with one of Lifeson’s most lyrical solos of the era. The record sounds crisp without feeling thin, which suits this version of Rush. The keyboards are still in the frame, but guitars have their swagger back, and the rhythm section feels lighter on its feet.

It also sits in a lovely spot in the discography. You can hear a through-line from the synth-forward craft of Power Windows and Hold Your Fire, yet the band are edging back toward the grit that would show up in Counterparts. The writing feels relaxed, like three lifers enjoying the interplay. Hine’s touch keeps the details tidy, but there’s room for surprise. That little shuffle in the title track. The way Bravado blooms. The snap of Dreamline’s chorus. It’s music made by hands that know each other well.

For those crate-digging instincts, Roll the Bones is one of those records that rewards a proper sit-down. Spinning the Roll the Bones vinyl puts the dynamics front and centre. The quiet-to-loud swells in Bravado, the pocket in Roll the Bones, the cymbal detail in Where’s My Thing? all feel more alive when the needle’s down. If you’re hunting Rush vinyl, this is a smart pick that still turns up often enough to keep the price sensible, and it pairs nicely with Presto on the shelf. Plenty of Melbourne record store bins will have a copy on a good day, and it’s easy to buy Rush records online if you’re outside the city. Fans building out a run of Rush albums on vinyl will want this for the era’s character alone.

Three decades on, the dice still roll kindly for this album. It captures Rush loosening the tie, backing strong melodies, and trusting their instincts. Not their flashiest record, not their heaviest, but a deeply playable one. Put it on, let Dreamline kick the door, and see where the bones fall. For folks in the hunt for vinyl records Australia wide, it’s a tidy way to hear a great band enjoying its own momentum.