Features :: GODS OF ROCK: RUSH: Beauty In Complexity.

Twenty three consecutive gold and platinum records, the third longest string in music history after only The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, Rush is the pioneer of the genre we know today as ‘Progressive Rock’.

Doing away with all the introductions, it will suffice to say that way back in 1969, after a few lineup changes, and misunderstandings, and breakups, and issues being sorted out, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and John Rutsey along with Ray Daniels as their manager set out to woo the Canadian record companies with their then unknown sound. Ray managed to get them shows all over Ontario and got them to record their full-length LP after their single “Not Fade Away” generated enough interest.

Ray’s efforts saw that the Rush LP titled ‘Working Man’ made it to quite a few radio stations in Toronto and Montreal and eventually into the hands of Donna Halper, program director at WMMS in Cleveland, Ohio, with whose influence Daniels managed to land Rush the opening concert for a ZZ Top concert. In fact, at that concert, Rush, the opening band, got such an enthusiastic response that when they tried to do an encore, the oranisers disconnected their amps to shield the main act! Soon they signed a deal with Mercury Records and had their first major five-week US supporting tour.

With their supporting tour about a fortnight away, John Rutsey quoted musical differences and health reasons (diabetes) and quit the band. This is when Rush as we know them today was formed. After a few auditions, Neil Peart joined the band and as the good book says, “The rest is history”.

Rush, in this new form, began their marathon journey that has spanned over 30 years and 17 studio albums, not to mention the innumerable accolades and the millions of fans that they have gathered in that time. In fact, every single band that even wishes to associate itself with the genre Progressive Rock cites Rush as a major influence. Such is the widespread reach and appeal of their music.

In 1975, Rush began to move away from their Led Zeppelin-ish sound to carve a niche genre for themselves with the release of their second album titled ‘Fly by Night’. Neil Peart established himself as the primary song writer for the band with his sci-fi influenced lyrics that seemed to fit just perfectly with the band’s sound. The end of 1975 saw them release their third album, ‘Caress of Steel’.

In 1976 came what is often called Rush’s ‘breakthrough’ album ‘2112’. Set in the future in 2112 AD at the “Temples of Syrinx”, this is a sci-fi story of how a bunch of priests live there and have a strong belief that they are all equal and they do not believe in individualism. All of the people who live there are banded together under the Red Star of the Solar Federation. One of the people who lives in the temples finds a guitar. Guitars had been banished for decades and he had never seen one before. He learns how to play it and he shows it to the priests. The high priest knows what it is and he thinks it is evil and that it destroyed the elder race of man. He becomes enraged with anger so he rejects it and destroys it. The inside cover of this album contained what was to become Rush’s logo, the red pentragram (five-pointed star) symbolising collectivist mentality with a naked man in it who was the hero of the story.

This was a time when Neil was writing epic songs to fit the sci-fi theme that gave Rush the whole initial aura. For their fifth album, Rush decided to go live and record the best songs of their first four albums live and did exactly that with ‘All the World’s a Stage’. From then on, for every four studio albums they recorded, they would come up with a live album. A mighty treat for the fans, this practice was.

Then came ‘A Farewell to Kings’, which reached the Top 40 in the United States and in Britain, with “Closer to the Heart” going on to become their most popular song yet. In fact, it became to Rush what “Stairway to Heaven” was to Led Zeppelin. Following this, there was a whole load of music coming from Rush’s alley. Neil had stopped writing their epic compositions and was writing much shorter melodic compositions and yet keeping them intoxicatingly complicated; progressive! Among these were “The Spirit of the Radio” from the album ‘Permanent Waves’ and “Tom Sawyer” from ‘Moving Pictures’ (which went on to become their largest selling album ever).

The band then toured less frequently and focused on getting more music recorded and settling into their family lives. Geddy Lee got married and had a son and a daughter. He had even formerly expressed interest in running a minor league baseball team when he wasn’t touring. Neil Peart got married and had a daughter. Alex Lifeson got married and had 2 sons. He also spent time as a licensed pilot when he wasn’t on tour.

In 1994, Rush was inducted into the Canadian Rock Hall of Fame, a long overdue and well deserved recognition of the band’s talent and success. The late ‘90s brought a lot of uncertainty in the band with Neil Peart’s wife succumbing to cancer and his daughter dying in a road accident. After this testing time and a long break, Rush got back to record ‘Different Stages’ amidst all this.

Expectant fans were waiting for news from the band which was just about recuperating from the events that had shaken them most and trying to get back together and keep the flame going. In 2000, there was news that Neil had gotten back with the band and there was a tour and release planned for 2001. The fans were to wait a little longer but for good reason. Rush came out with their ‘Vapour Trails’ tour in 2003, which personally is the best live rock show I’ve seen ever. The ‘Rush in Rio’ DVD is a testimony of this fact and is a must watch even for the non-believer.

Here’s to Neil Peart, the most “air-drummed” drummer in the world; Geddy Lee, who plays the bass, keys and sings for the band—even for their live shows; Alex Lifeson, who keeps his own inspite of the others and has the most studied riffs/leads in the world.

Here’s to Rush, the band that defined a sound 30 years ago that still mesmerises people. A band that’s lasted 35 years on the road and in the studio and is still going strong.

Here’s to beauty in complexity; to Rush, the Gods of Rock!