Rush Album by Album, Song By Song

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by mark winstanley, Jan 11, 2020.

  1. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    I have been a Rush fan for a few years now. Yea I know, most of you guys have probably been Rush fans for Decades. Well I took a while to come around.
    I was playing in bands from about seventeen, and weirdly enough, except for a couple of jam sessions I always had the same drummer in the band I was in. My mate Dave from High School, heck of a drummer of of his own accord.
    Dave loved lots of drummers, that's what you do when you love music and play, you appreciate all the cool things about different players. He was trying to sell me on Rush via 2112, and that was a good ploy, because I loved the music ... but I just found it hard to get into "that singer".... So from very early on I knew the guys were a great band, but as sometimes happens I just couldn't quite get around the singer.
    Anyway, long story short. When the Moving Pictures 5.1 came out, I bought it, because I love 5.1 mixes, and I knew the instrumentation would be brilliant.
    I loved it, I had even gotten used to Geddy's voice, yes, he had a name now.
    I since have bought all the 5.1's and the Hemisphere's, Farewell To Kings boxes and the R40 bluray set and I reckon I can safely say I am a Rush fan now.... have been for a few years actually.
    The news yesterday probably didn't hit me as hard as it did a lot of folks, because Rush are the kind of band that most folks seem to grow up with, and stay with, but as a music lover it is always a hit to the heart when a great musician goes home.
    Anyhow.
    I am not fully fluent in the band's entire catalog, but I am very familiar with the middle period (2112 to Signals) and getting to know the later period.
    I hope no long time fans will be annoyed that I am starting this thread, because I have found it a great way to know a band better, and I look forward to your contributions. My perspective on these threads is that when folks share their stories and their knowledge, we all get to learn more about bands we love, and often it can bring us closer to the music. So I am certainly not some authoritative figure who is going to pretend I know all about these guys. I am just the guy laying down the path for anyone who wants to walk down it, because there is some great music here to share.

    If you aren't familiar with Rush, please join in where you can, and listen along. Read the comments folks make too, because there are a lot of very knowledgeable folk on here.

    The only thing I ask is try to stay where we are at, so that people don't get confused about where we are at when they have a look. By all means if you come along late, please feel free to talk about anything we have already done, but lets keep the timeline as much in order as we can, so folks coming further down the track can follow this like a little musical biography or something, and hopefully learn to love this Canadian rock band that has so much great music to offer.

    Sorry if I am waffling, I have had a few beers, as the ever shining light of mortality keeps on sending that message.
    This isn't purely the Neil Peart thread, but that is the spark that lit the flame for me to dive deeper, and I hope you'll join me.

    Cheers
    Mark
     
  2. maui jim

    maui jim Forum Resident

    Location:
    West of LA
    I’m in. Enjoy all your threads.
     
  3. GoodKitty

    GoodKitty FloydM

    Location:
    Pacific
  4. Terrapin Station

    Terrapin Station Master Guns

    Location:
    NYC Man/Joy-Z City
    I'll try to regularly participate as long as we don't move too fast.
     
  5. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Rush the band - a bit of background
    The band was formed in 1968 in Canada, and like most bands went through a few line up changes on the way to their dream.
    The set up was always the same, but a few names changed.
    Initially we had Alex Lifeson (no introduction needed I wouldn't think) guitar, Jeff Jones Frontman and Bass, and John Rutsey on the drums. Jones left within a couple of weeks of the band forming and was replaced by Geddy Lee, a schoolmate of Lifeson.
    They started off playing at a Youth Centre in the basement of St. Theodore of Canterbury Anglican Church in North York. The name Rush was suggested by the drummers brother Bill. The band was managed by Toronto resident Ray Danniels who had attended a lot of Rush's early shows.
    After honing their skills on the local circuit, the band released their first single in 1973, a cover of Buddy Holly's Not Fade Away


    The b-side was composed by Lee and Rutsey and called You Can't Fight It. They got little reaction, so decided to form their own independent label Moon Records. With the help of Daniels and newly enlisted engineer Terry Brown the band released it self titled debut in 1974. The album was sort of treated as being Led Zeppelin derivative, and things weren't looking too good, until Donna Halper of WMMS in Cleveland picked up on the track Working Man, and the songs blue collar theme struck a chord with the working class and this new found popularity led to the album being re-released by Mercury Records in the US

    and that is how we start this story
     
  6. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    The b-side You Can't Fight It

    First time for me hearing Not Fade Away and You Can't Fight It.
    They certainly both show promise.

     
    Stormrider77, Ken.e., DavidD and 8 others like this.
  7. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    I won't be rushing mate.
    I generally do a song a day, and Sunday is a break day for folks to catch up, and for me to do my surround sound thread.
     
  8. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Please don't think I am jumping out of the blocks here. I just wanted to get the debut single up.
    I probably won't be able to post for a couple of days, because of some prior commitments.
    So please feel free to share your thoughts/feelings on the band. Comment on the debut single. Whatever takes your fancy. On Wednesday or Thursday we will post the first album. Up til that point, the floor is yours guys.
     
    OptimisticGoat likes this.
  9. George Co-Stanza

    George Co-Stanza Forum Resident

    Location:
    America
    All in on this thread. Rush is the best.
     
  10. Al Gator

    Al Gator You can call me Al

    I've often thought it's ironic that Rush's first release was a cover song, when they'd almost never play covers again. It's a mildly interesting single but IMO doesn't show much indication of the greatness to come. Why isn't it available digitally yet??? (You Can't Fight It is mostly forgettable.)

    I'll participate in this thread - I certainly have Rush opinions. The last time I saw them was at Red Rocks on the Time Machine tour.
     
  11. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

  12. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

  13. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

  14. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

  15. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Sadly I never got to see them. Any input appreciated.
    Yea the debut single is the kind of thing you expect from a bunch of young guys. when you consider in two years they will be making 2112, it is quite remarkable
     
  16. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Cheers mate :righton:
     
    More Than A Feeling and maui jim like this.
  17. rancher

    rancher Unmade Bed

    Location:
    Ohio
    I’ll participate as this goes on, but don’t know the first couple of albums that well besides a song or two. I did see Rush 3x in the late ‘80s and have a good number of CD’s
     
    mark winstanley likes this.
  18. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Alex Lifeson OC (Officer of The Order Of Canada)
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    Born Alexander Zivojinovic August 27 1953 in Fernie, British Columbia.
    Lifeson is a semi-literal translation of his surname. The exact translation in Serbian is Son Of Life.
    Lifeson's first musical instrument was the Viola, but he changed to guitar when he was twelve. His first guitar was a Kent Classical Acoustic.
    His main guitar influences were Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Steve Hackett, and Allan Holdsworth.
    On starting playing the guitar he said "My brother-in-law played flamenco guitar. He lent his guitar to me and I grew to like it. When you're a kid, you don't want to play an accordion because it would be too boring. But your parents might want you to play one, especially if you're from a Yugoslavian family like me."
    In addition to music, Lifeson is a painter, an avid golfer, a licensed aircraft pilot, and part-owner of The Orbit Room (a bar and restaurant located in Toronto, Canada).
    In 1971 Lifeson made his film debut in a Canadian Documentary by Allen King called Come On Children. He has made several appearances in the mockumentary The Trailer Park Boys. In 2009 the whole band appeared as themselves in the comedy I Love You, Man. In 2009 he also appears as the border guard in the movie Suck.

    Awards and Honours
    • "Best Rock Talent" by Guitar for the Practicing Musician in 1983
    • "Best Rock Guitarist" by Guitar Player Magazine in 1984 and May 2008
    • Runner-up for "Best Rock Guitarist" in Guitar Player in 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986
    • Inducted into the Guitar for the Practicing Musician Hall of Fame, 1991
    • 1996 – Officer of the Order of Canada, along with bandmates Geddy Lee and Neil Peart
    • 2007 – Main belt asteroid "(19155) Lifeson" named after Alex Lifeson
    • "Best Article" for "Different Strings" in Guitar Player (September 2007 issue).
    • Most Ferociously Brilliant Guitar Album (Snakes & Arrows) – Guitar Player Magazine, May 2008
    • 2013 – With Rush, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.



     
  19. Bluepicasso

    Bluepicasso Android Confused

    Location:
    Arlington, Va

    Thank you. This thread will be a labor of love!
     
  20. Tim 2

    Tim 2 MORE MUSIC PLEASE

    Location:
    Alberta Canada
    Listening to - Fly By Night - this morning, then will move on to - Caress of Steel - , not sure from there.
    Any of you cats want to make a recommendation :cool:
     
  21. Octavia

    Octavia Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cardiff
    Thanks Mark. The Genesis album thread was great, so sure this will be as enjoyable and educating. I’ll try to stay with it up to Grace Under Pressure after which my interest in the band dips but I’m willing to re-evaluate from Power Windows onwards.
     
  22. boboquisp

    boboquisp Magic Prism Eyes

    Location:
    NE Ohio
    You could just go through the catalog in order and follow their progress! :righton:
    I've done this a few times...
     
  23. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    I'm hitting 2112 on the surround thread this morning. I reckon that was their first masterpiece.
     
    ThunderDan and Tim 2 like this.
  24. Rockford & Roll

    Rockford & Roll Forum Resident

    Location:
    Midway, KY
    Thanks, what a great community this is!
     
  25. Ron2112

    Ron2112 Forum Resident

    Alex Lifeson on "Not Fade Away" as the first single:

    "Man, we were very young when we did this! We were playing the clubs and didn't know better. Because we were having such a hard time getting a deal, our management thought that maybe something a little more accessible, possibly something already known, would be the way to go.


    "Not Fade Away is something we'd been playing live, but we did it really heavy. We rocked it out, sort of the way Led Zeppelin might have. It was powerful and very full. We had a good time with it.

    "By the time we recorded it, though, we lightened it up a little to make it more palatable for radio. This is the version that was to be our debut album, but we ended up dropping it and it rerecorded some of the other songs.

    "Everything was done so quickly, and it didn't really come out the way we wanted it to. But you know, we were 18, 19 years old. In our minds, we'd arrived. We'd made a record, which meant...we were recording artists."

    ...and more on "You Can't Fight It":

    "Geddy and John Rutsey wrote this one. I think it came about in 1971, something like that. It was also supposed to be on our first album, but we dropped it, too. I think we took off three or four songs that were going to be on the album.

    "You Can't Fight It was a fun tune to play, though, especially in the bars late at night. We would never play it early in our show; we'd always do it in the second set or the last set when everybody was feeling pretty spirited, in both senses of the word. [laughs]

    "As to why we picked this song over some of our other originals, I think the reason was because it was short. You had to be under three minutes to get on the radio in 1973, and You Can't Fight It fit. Like Not Fade Away, I thought this recording was a little tame. I thought so then, and I've always thought so. But it's what we did at the time."

     

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