Fear series 3229549 225862678 2008-07-15T19:19:42Z 76.27.241.13 {{Song_infobox | Name = Fear | Cover = Rush_Grace_Under_Pressure.jpg | SorA = album | Artist = [[Rush (band)|Rush]] | Album = [[Grace Under Pressure (Rush album)|Grace Under Pressure]], [[Signals (album)|Signals]], [[Moving Pictures (album)|Moving Pictures]] and [[Vapor Trails]] | Released = [[April 12]] [[1984]] <br> [[August 23]] [[1982]] <br> [[February 28]] [[1981]] <br> [[May 14]] [[2002]] | Recorded = | Genre = [[Progressive Rock]] | Length = 22:00 (4:34/6:22/4:43/6:21) | Writer = [[Geddy Lee|Lee]] & [[Alex Lifeson|Lifeson]] <br/> Lyrics by [[Neil Peart|Peart]] | Composer = | Label = [[Mercury Records]]<br> [[Atlantic Records]] | Producer = [[Rush (band)|Rush]], Peter Henderson, Paul Northfield & Terry Brown | Chart position = <!-- none --> | Misc = {{Extra tracklisting | Album = [[Grace Under Pressure (Rush album)|Grace Under Pressure]] | Type = studio | prev_track = "[[Red Sector A]]" | prev_no = Track 3 | this_track = "The Enemy Within" | track_no = Track 4 | next_track = "The Body Electric" | next_no = Track 5 }} {{Extra tracklisting | Album = [[Signals (album)|Signals]] | Type = studio | prev_track = "Digital Man" | prev_no = Track 4 | this_track = "The Weapon" | track_no = Track 5 | next_track = "[[New World Man]]" | next_no = Track 6 }} {{Extra tracklisting | Album = [[Moving Pictures (album)|Moving Pictures]] | Type = studio | prev_track = "[[The Camera Eye]]" | prev_no = Track 5 | this_track = "Witch Hunt" | track_no = Track 6 | next_track = "[[Vital Signs (song)|Vital Signs]]" | next_no = Track 7 }} {{Extra tracklisting | Album = [[Vapor Trails]] | Type = studio | prev_track = "Nocturne" | prev_no = Track 11 | this_track = "Freeze" | track_no = Track 12 | next_track = "Out of the Cradle" | next_no = Track 13 }} }} {{Infobox Single | | Name = The Weapon (Part II of Fear) | Cover = | Artist = [[Rush (band)|Rush]] | from Album = [[Signals (album)|Signals]] | Released = [[1982]] | Format = | Recorded = | Genre = [[Progressive rock]] | Length = 6:22 | Label = [[Mercury Records]] | Producer = | Last single = "[[The Analog Kid]]" <br>([[1982]]) | This single = "The Weapon" <br>([[1982]]) | Next single = "[[Countdown (song)|Countdown]]" <br>([[1982]]) | Misc = }} 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 (band)|Rush]]. The series consists of Part I: The Enemy Within (from 1984's ''[[Grace Under Pressure (Rush album)|Grace Under Pressure]]''), Part II: The Weapon (from 1982's ''[[Signals (album)|Signals]]''), Part III: Witch Hunt (from 1981's ''[[Moving Pictures (album)|Moving Pictures]]''), and Part IV: Freeze (from 2002's ''[[Vapor Trails]]''). Parts I, II, and III were released in reverse order, while Part IV was released over twenty-one years after Part III. The songs do not follow a set storyline; instead, they deal with topics relating to the emotion of "[[fear]]". ==Motivation== In a 1994 interview, Neil Peart describes what inspired the "Fear" Series: {{cquote|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.<ref>{{cite journal | title = Counterparts | journal = Rush Backstage Club Newsletter | date = January 1994}}</ref>}} ==Part One: The Enemy Within== The Enemy Within describes phobias and other situations that scare people intentionally, thus causing paranoia and worry. Instrumentally, the song begins with a sharp attack and ends by fading out, thus feeling like the first movement of a trilogy. ==Part Two: The Weapon==<!-- This section is linked from [[Signals (album)]] --> The Weapon explains how everything that people fear can be used against them, even leaders, great nations, evil dictators, lovers, and murderers. Instrumentally, the song fades in at the beginning and fades out at the end, being the middle section of the trilogy. ==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. Instrumentally, the song fades in at the beginning, but ends on a strong climactic crescendo thus signaling the end of the trilogy, even though this song was recorded first in the sequence. At the beginning of this part, the "mob sounds" were in fact the band layering sounds they made while drinking outside the studio in the snowy winter. It was recorded the night [[John Lennon]] died on [[December 8]], [[1980]]. ==Part Four: Freeze==<!-- This section is linked from [[Vapor Trails]] --> Freeze explores the fine line between running away and/or standing up to encounter one's fear, otherwise known as the [[fight or flight]] response. Instrumentally, the song begins and ends sharply, without fade. Not being part of the original conception of Fear as a trilogy, it doesn't fit as cohesively with the other three pieces, but may be seen as an addendum or somewhat of an afterword. ==Notes== {{reflist|1}} {{Rush}} [[Category:Rush (band) songs]] [[Category:1982 singles|1982 singles]] [[Category:1981 songs]] [[Category:1984 songs]] [[Category:2002 songs]] [[id:Fear series]]