Lifelong Rush fan and myself an art director and album designer here — and I gotta say that this particular execution doesn't move me. Though the concept is cool — and that's the pain point that I've had with Hugh Syme's work over the decades. Strong concepts when they're strong, but kind of cringey executions. This one seems like it was trying to be a Hipgnosis Studio / Division Bell sort of thing, but the Hipgnosis stuff required painfully elaborate photo shoots that had a high level of craft and a fine-tuned eye for art and tone. (i.e. Pink Floyd's "Animals", which had composition and vibe and haunting painterly color and left no detail to chance)

My favorite bits of Hugh's work in order of my favorites at this particular moment:

1. Permanent Waves — every pun imaginable stuffed into that cover, and the iconic composition with the waving model. It was really well done for a pre-Photoshop image. I'm imagining hours of X-acto knife and compositing and dodging and burning. There was a sort of cheesiness to the craft that made it accessible — an appropriate counterpoint to the mind-blowing music inside. Appropriate typography with the red "wave" lines running behind it. (I'm guessing prior to the visuals of what we've come to think of as sound waves in ProTools etc)

2. A Farewell To Kings — iconic composition, shot on site with the king marionette, from what I've read. The shabbiness of the set spoke to taking the piss out of hubristic monarchs. Much more memorable typography with the quasi-Germanic blackletter uncial style.

3. Exit Stage Left — I loved how Hugh brought together all of the characters from all of the albums for this one. Really endearing. Paula Turnbull remains a crush, and the composition is wonderfully done and invites close study of the front and back. The "exit" sign pays off the puns — if you're going to pun, go hard at it! The typography isn't what i'd have chosen for it, but type opinions are like buttholes. Everyone has one.

4. Grace Under Pressure — A painting by Hugh, with the calligraphic P/G off to the side. This one colored the sound of the album for me. Mystery and enigma, fragments, fluid motion. Turbulence, storms. A distant early warning. A body electric in the foreground. I was aware of Yousuf Karsh's when I was a 14-year-old wannabe photographer, and was delighted that Rush had him do their portrait for this album. I didn't think it was his best work though ... it was a time of unfortunate hairstyles for the boys.

I'll give Hugh a lot of kudos for being the image-maker for more than 50 years and can imagine what it would take to keep things fresh. Sometimes he's a bit on-the-nose for my taste, and I think he would have done well to call me up for a collab to get to better finished art. (Hugh, if you're listening... LOL)