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Canadian Classic Rock
Rush
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The origins of Rush trace back to 1968 when Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson formed a garage band and jammed to the sounds of Hendrix, Cream & Led Zeppelin. Along with original drummer John Rutsey, they became an underground favourite and soon made enough to cut their first 45 on their own label "Moon Records". The songs featured were an original collaberation entitled "Can't Fight It" and Bobby & Sue Womack's "Not Fade Away", which has been the band's only cover to date. This 45 is viewed as an extreme collectible, as neither of these tracks have ever appeared on another album. The band released their self-titled debut lp in 1974 and was like the proverbial night and day from the sound they've evolved into today. Lifeson's searing guitar solos along with Geddy Lee's distinct vocals solidified themselves as one of the most promising local groups of the time. This period is the most crucial in the band's history. It was during this time that the group was noticed by Phonogram Records in the US and Attic in Canada and also saw drummer John Rutsey replaced by a former mythology student named Neil Peart. The reformed trio released FLY BY NIGHT in 1975 and featured "By-Tor & The Snowdog", the first of what would become trademark epics penned by Peart and his love for Greek & Roman mythology and science fiction. Later that same year saw CARESS OF STEEL, which further made evident the group's natural blending of the ear-piercing chords of metal anthems like "Bastille Day" and the soothing melodies of "Lakeside Park". Rush released "2112" in 1976, and powered by such classics as "Passage To Bangkok" and "Temples of Syrinx", 2112 is widely viewed as their breakthrough album, opening new avenues for the group's future to an audience that now stretched past North America. The group released "All The World's A Stage" that same year as a showcase of their live show and the record's raw edge captured their heavy but harmonious stage-presence, making it one of the premier live records ever cut. 1977 saw A FAREWELL TO KINGS, and featured the classics "Closer To The Heart" and "Cinderella Man". The airplay given both these tracks on both sides of the Atlantic helped earn Rush the title of bona-fide supergroup. The group cut HEMISPHERES in '78. For the first time they left the friendly surroundings of Canadian studios and opted to lock themselves in a castle-turned-recording studio in a remote Welsh coutryside. The result was the classics "Circumstances" and "The Trees". The record also saw the title track, the last of 'The great Rush side one epics". Rush returned to the remote Quebec countrtyside to cut PERMANENT WAVES in 1980, which featured one of radio's biggest hits of the year in "Sprit of the Radio", as well as "Jacob's Ladder" and "Freewill". While still following the course their music was naturally evolving into, The group also performed on Max Webster's "Battle Scar" on the UNIVERSAL JUVENILES record that same year.. In 1981 Rush turned out their biggest selling record to date, MOVING PICTURES, which featured "Red Barchetta", "Vital Signs" and "Tom Sawyer", co-written by Pye Dubois of MAX WEBSTER fame. Geddy Lee also found time to make a guest appearance on Bob & Doug McKenzie's record that year, proudly showing his hoser roots by singing "Take Off". The group released their second live album, EXIT STAGE LEFT, later that year then came back with SIGNALS in 1982. The record marked a noticeable change in the group's sound. With keyboards and synthesized guitars now prominant, SIGNALS went over with the public like the proverbial lead balloon, though it remains a critic's favourite to this day, backed by "Subdivisions", "The Weapon", and "New World Man". The slight change of direction also paved the way for 1984's GRACE UNDER PRESSURE. Falling back on more of a mainly guitar-based sound but still following the course laid out by its predecessor, the record featured "Distant Early Warning", "Red Sector A" and "Body Electric". POWER WINDOWS was released the next year but failed to build on the momentum the group was rebuilding, though "Big Money" and "Mystic Rhythms" remain staples of the groups live show today. By this time, Peart's writing style had also pretty much changed from just writing the epic fantasies and story-telling to more politically and social-conscious numbers. Not withstanding, Rush still stayed true to their fans and released HOLD YOUR FIRE, featuring "Time Stand Still" with Amee Mann and "Force Ten" in 1987. Again to show their appreciation of the fans, a third live album A SHOW OF HANDS was released in 1989. Later that same year came "Presto", featuring "Show Don't Tell" and "Superconductor". 1991 saw "Roll the Bones", which had the title track and "Dreamline". 1993 saw unquestionably Rush's biggest album in years. Backed by "Stick It out" and "Nobody's Hero", "Counterparts" was the album that brought the group back into the spotlight after losing some of their lustre over recent albums. The group was inducted into the Juno Hall of Fame the next year, in recognition of their truly legendary status in their homeland and the mark they'd humbly but unimistakingly left on the development of Canadian music over the last twenty-some years. After appearing on I Mother Earth's "Like A Girl" from the "Scenery and Fish" lp, Lifeson become the first member to put out a solo album when "Victor" hit the shelves in '96. Partially based on the works of poet W.H. Auden, the record was met with rave reviews and featured a helping hand from Dalbello, Edwin and some people with first AND last names too. This time of seperation also afforded Peart the chance to release an instructional video called "Modern Drummer". and see his first non-fictional novel published, "The Masked Rider" The group put out "Test For Echo" the next year featuring "Half The World". All plans were put on hiatus however early in 1997 following the death of Peart's 19 year-old daughter in a car accident. But 1997 also saw some proud moments for the group. On February 27, a humble Lee, Lifeson & Peart were recognized for their exhaustive charity work with the awarding of the Order of Canada, this country's highest civic honour. While the group took some time off out of the spotlight, with tours and recording on hiatus, Anthem released a 2 disc "best of" set called RETROSPECTIVE in 199 and that same year pumped out the group's fourth live record entitled DIFFERENT STAGES. Already hailed as the definitive live Rush album, it features 2 discs made up from the TEST FOR ECHO world tour, as well as a third disc of re-mastered performances from '77. Rush has enjoyed more international success than any other Canadian group in history, selling over 35 million copies of 20 studio albums. Though their sound has matured, following a natural progression ... or evolution ... over those 24 years, Rush has always stayed loyal to their fans, never compromising themselves for the sake of a hit record. The elaborate show they put on make their concerts an event, always remembering their early musical roots and filling the arena with lazers and pyrotechnics that are rivalled by no one. They have pioneered so many avenues for so many Canadian artists of so many different sounds, Rush is indeed a one of a kind group, and they've always been proud to say they're from Canada, making them our ambassadors and our greatest contribution to the rock and roll world. Written by Dan Brisebois of |
Discography
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Finding My Way |
Anthem |
Bastille Day |
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I. Overture |
Bastille Day |
A Farewell to Kings |
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Need Some Love |
Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres |
The Spirit of The Radio |
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Tom Sawyer |
Spirit of Radio |
Subdivisions |
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Distant Early Warning |
The Big Money |
Force Ten |
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Intro |
Show Don't Tell |
Finding My Way |
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Dreamline |
Animate |
Test For Echo |
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The Spirit of Radio |
The Big Money |
Dreamline |
