Rush is an acclaimed Canadian progressive rock band comprising bassist/keyboardist/vocalist Geddy Lee (real name Gary Lee Weinrib), guitarist Alex Lifeson (real name Alexander Zivojinovich), and drummer/lyricist Neil Peart (pronounced: 'Peert') who released their first album in 1974. The band was formed in the summer of 1968, in Sarnia, Ontario by Lifeson, Lee, and John Rutsey. They soon moved to Toronto to further their career. Peart replaced Rutsey on drums in July of 1974 to complete the present lineup.
Rush | |
|---|---|
| File:Rush30thanniversary.jpg | |
| Background information | |
| Years active | 1968 – present |
| Members | Geddy Lee Alex Lifeson Neil Peart |
Rush have been awarded the Juno Award (Canada's equivalent of the Grammy Award) on numerous occasions. Additionally, Lee, Lifeson, and Peart are all Officers of the Order of Canada.
History
As time has passed, Rush's musical style has changed substantially. Their debut album is somewhat derivative of the British rock band Led Zeppelin, but over the first few albums their style progressed eclectically, influenced by the British progressive rock movement in particular, but maintaining a hard rock ethos at its core.
1968–1976
The original lineup of Rush formed in September 1968, consisting of Jeff Jones (bass and lead vocals), John Rutsey (drums and backing vocals) and Alex Zivojinovich, better known by his stage name, Alex Lifeson (guitars and backing vocals). Rutsey's older brother suggested the name Rush. In September 1968, Jones was replaced by Lifeson's friend Gary Lee Weinrib, who used the name Geddy Lee apparently because his Jewish grandmother's pronounciation of Gary sounded like Geddy. Lee, Lifeson, and Rutsey released their first album in 1974, the self-titled Rush. Highly derivative of Led Zeppelin, Rush had limited local popularity until the original release, distributed by Moon Records, was picked up by a Cleveland radio station. This popularity led the album to be redistributed by Mercury Records.
The same year, drummer John Rutsey resigned due to health concerns and a distaste for touring. Rush held auditions for a replacement drummer before finally selecting Neil Peart, who led Rush to a more progressive ethos over the course of the next few albums, Fly by Night, Caress of Steel, and 2112. The lyrics of that time (most of them written by Peart) were heavily influenced by classical poetry and literature, science fiction and, in a few cases, the writings and philosophy of Ayn Rand, as exhibited most prominently by their 1975 song "Anthem" and 1976's 2112.
1977–1979
Many of their early songs received limited airplay because of their extended length (in some cases exceeding ten minutes); one notable exception was the 3-minute "Closer To The Heart" from their 1977 album A Farewell To Kings, which was widely played on Canadian radio. Also from A Farewell to Kings, "Xanadu" (one of the said 10 minute songs) became a common fan favorite.
1978's Hemispheres followed A Farewell to Kings' progressive rock style, including a second part to the song "Cygnus X-1". While Rush produced a few other multichapter songs over the rest of their career, "Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres" was their last side-spanning epic. As the new decade approached, Rush gradually began to dispose of their older styles of music in favor of shorter, and sometimes softer arrangemements.
1980–1991
(Moving Pictures session photo 1980)
1980's Permanent Waves changed Rush's style of music dramatically. Rush felt they had taken the long-form song format as far as they could or wanted, and began to opt for shorter songs that still retained their trademark musicianship and complexity. Although a hard rock style was still evident, more and more synthesizers were introduced. Lyrical themes changed markedly during this time, beginning to rely much less on science-fiction imagery. Instead Neil's lyrics took on a more didactic tone with subject matter that dwelled less upon fantastical or allegorical story-telling and more heavily on cerebral topics that utilized humanitarian, social, and metaphysical elements. Musically, other styles such as reggae and new wave, were starting to sneak into Rush songs throughout the early 1980s. Lengthy songs did make a few final appearances in this period, in the form of "Jacob's Ladder", "Natural Science" and "The Camera Eye". It should be noted, however, that many of the band's songs would continue to clock in at five or six minutes, still just outside of mainstream music convention.
Even though the majority of their music was over the usual radio time limit, Rush began to receive frequent airtime on rock radio stations in the early 1980s, thanks to the release of some shorter and therefore more popular songs. As a result, Permanent Waves cracked Billboard's Top 10 and went platinum. One song in particular, "The Spirit of Radio" (named for the Toronto-local groundbreaking radio station, CFNY), went on to become a huge hit on the alternative circuit.
Rush's popularity hit its zenith with the release of Moving Pictures in 1981. The lead track, "Tom Sawyer", is the band's best known song. Moving Pictures shot up to #3 on the Billboard Album Chart and has been certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). "Tom Sawyer" can be heard frequently on American classic rock stations to this day.
1982's Signals, which contained their only top-40 hit "New World Man", and 1984's Grace Under Pressure introduced even more synthesizer into the group's sound, therefore matching and sometimes overcoming Alex Lifeson's guitar riffs. Examples of heavy synthesizer use from these albums include "Between the Wheels" and "Subdivisions". Both songs have lead synthesizer with an occasional guitar solo, and the latter of the two examples featured a popular MTV music video. Other songs like "Chemistry" and "The Enemy Within" expanded the band's usage of reggae and funk. More specifically, Alex Lifeson's guitar tone and playing style were very reminscient of contemporary acts of the time who were well known for incorporating such rhythms into their music; The Police and U2 being the most evident, and it is not at all uncommon to still hear comparisons drawn between Alex Lifeson and Andy Summers of The Police. It is likely that he was influenced heavily by his playing during this era of Rock.
The recordings made in the later 1980s and early 1990s are markedly different from Rush's earlier work. 1985's Power Windows and 1987's Hold Your Fire could be considered the peak of this chapter of Rush. Rush began to move away from their early 1980s style with the albums Presto and Roll the Bones. Beginning with Presto (1989) the band opted for arrangements that were notably more guitar-centric than the previous two studio albums. While synthesizers were still used in many songs, the instrument was no longer featured as the centerpiece of Rush's compositions. This helped pave the way for future albums in the mid 90's which would adopt a more straight-forward rock formula.
(Roll The Bones tour photo 1991)
1992–present
After the "synthesizer period" of 1982–1991, the band largely dropped synthesizer-style keyboard sounds from their studio recordings in favor of a heavier, guitar-driven style and adapted the remaining keyboard sounds to more organic voices such as strings and organ. This transition began with the well-received 1993 album Counterparts.
After 1996's Test for Echo, the band entered a six-year hiatus mainly due to personal tragedies in Peart's life. Peart's daughter Selena died in a car accident in August 1997, followed by his wife Jacqueline's death from cancer in June 1998. Peart embarked on a self-described "healing journey" by motorcycle in which he travelled thousands of kilometers across North America. He subsequently wrote about his travels in his book Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road. Rush later stated that they had nearly broken up during this period due to Neil's situation.
The band returned in 2002 with the surprisingly heavy and modern sounding Vapor Trails album. The album contains the song "Ghost Rider", which describes Peart's experiences during his "healing" motorcycle journey. September 11th was also addressed in the song "Peaceable Kingdom". The album debuted to moderate praise and was supported by the band's first tour in six years, including first-ever concerts in Mexico City and Brazil, where they played to some of the largest crowds of their career.
The band was one of a number of hometown favourites to play the SARS relief concert (dubbed SARStock) at Downsview Park in Toronto in August 2003, with an attendance of over half a million people.
A live album, Rush in Rio, was released in late October 2003. The DVD which it accompanied won the 2004 Juno for best music DVD. June 2004 saw the release of Feedback, a studio EP featuring eight covers of such artists as Cream and The Who. Several songs, including "Summertime Blues," "Crossroads," and "The Seeker," were played on modern and classic rock radio stations across North America, introducing Rush to some new audiences. In the summer of 2004, Rush again hit the road for a very successful 30th Anniversary Tour, playing dates in the United States, Canada, the UK, Germany, Italy, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands. A Frankfurt, Germany concert was recorded for DVD (titled R30: Live in Frankfurt), which was released November 22, 2005.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Debate
Despite Rush's solid success and following, they have yet to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The members of Rush have themselves noted that people "either love Rush or hate Rush", resulting in strong detractors and an intensely loyal fan base. Despite having completely dropped out of the public eye for five years after Test for Echo and the band being relegated almost solely to classic rock stations in the U.S., Vapor Trails release shot up to #6 on the Billboard Chart in its first week of release in 2002. The subsequent Vapor Trails tour grossed over $24 million and included the largest audience ever to see a Rush show - 60,000 fans in São Paulo. The following year, the band released Rush in Rio, which the RIAA has certified gold, marking the fourth decade in which a Rush album had been released and certified at least gold. Moreover, in 2004, Feedback cracked the top twenty on the Billboard 200 chart, in addition to receiving radio airplay.
Band Members
- Geddy Lee - Bass, Vocals, Synthesizers (1968 - Present)
- Alex Lifeson - Guitar (1968 - Present)
- Neil Peart - Drums (1974 - Present)
- John Rutsey - Drums (1968 - 1974)
Discography
Studio Albums
- Rush (March 1974)
- Fly by Night (February 1975)
- Caress of Steel (September 1975)
- 2112 (February 1976)
- A Farewell to Kings (September 1977)
- Hemispheres (October 1978)
- Permanent Waves (January 1980)
- Moving Pictures (February 1981)
- Signals (September 1982)
- Grace Under Pressure (April 1984)
- Power Windows (October 1985)
- Hold Your Fire (September 1987)
- Presto (November 1989)
- Roll the Bones (September 1991)
- Counterparts (October 1993)
- Test for Echo (September 1996)
- Vapor Trails (May 2002)
Other Studio Records
- Not Fade Away (1973 - 7" Single)
- Closer to The Heart (1977 - Single)
- Feedback (June 29, 2004 - Cover Album)
Live Albums
- All The World's a Stage (September 1976)
- Exit...Stage Left (October 1981)
- A Show of Hands (December 1988)
- Different Stages (November 1998)
- Rush in Rio (October 2003)
- R30: Live in Frankfurt (November 2005)
Videos
- Through the Camera Eye (VHS, Laserdisc)
- Exit..Stage Left (VHS, Laserdisc)
- Grace Under Pressure Tour (VHS, Laserdisc)
- A Show of Hands (VHS, Laserdisc)
- Chronicles (VHS, Laserdisc, DVD)
- Rush in Rio (DVD)
- R30: Live in Frankfurt (DVD - November 2005)
Compilations/Interviews
- Archives (April 1978) – Repackage of the first three albums (Rush, Fly by Night and Caress of Steel)
- Chronicles (September 1990) – Essentially a "Greatest Hits" release
- The Story of Kings - Interview (1992) – Interview with Alex Lifeson
- The Interviews - Vol 2 (October 1995) – Interview with Geddy Lee
- Retrospective I 1974-1980 (1997) – Repackaging of best songs from their first decade.
- Retrospective II 1981-1987 (1997) – Repackaging of best songs from their second decade.
- The Spirit of Radio: Greatest Hits 1974-1987 (February 2003) – Repackaging of Mercury/Polygram-held songs up to Hold Your Fire (1987)
Solo Efforts
- Burning for Buddy, Volume 1 (Buddy Rich tribute album) – (Solo), Peart, et al. (1994)
- Burning for Buddy, Volume 2 (Buddy Rich tribute album) – (Solo), Peart, et al. (1994/-5?)
- Victor – (Solo), Lifeson, et al. (1996)
- My Favorite Headache – (Solo), Lee, et al. (November 2000)
Books
- Rush: Visions: The Official Biography – Banasiewicz, Bill. (1988), Omnibus Press – ISBN 0711911622
- Rush Tribute: Merely Players – Telleria, Robert (2002) – ISBN 1550822713
- Rush: Success Under Pressure – Gett, Steve. (1984) – ISBN 0895242303
- Rhythm & Light – Nuttall, Carrie, (2005), Rounder Books, ISBN 1579400930
- Drum Techniques of Rush – Peart (1985) – ISBN 0769250556
- More Drum Techniques of Rush – Peart, Wheeler (1989) – ISBN 0769250513
- The Masked Rider: Cycling in West Africa – Peart (1999) – ISBN 1895900026
- Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road – Peart (2002) – ISBN 1550225464 (hardcover), ISBN 1550225480 (paperback)
- Traveling Music: Playing Back the Soundtrack to My Life and Times – Peart (2004) – ISBN 1550226649
- Contents Under Pressure: 30 Years of Rush at Home and Away – Popoff, Martin. Publisher: Ecw Press (June 28, 2004) – ISBN 1550226789
- Mystic Rhythms: The Philosophical Vision of Rush – Price, et al. (1999) – ISBN 1587151022
(30th Anniversary tour photo 2004)
(30th Anniversary tour photo 2004)
(30th Anniversary tour photo 2004)
Awards list
Rush has received many awards during their career.
Juno awards
Rush has been awarded the following Juno awards:
- 1974 Most promising group of the year
- 1977 Group of the year
- 1978 Group of the year
- 1991 Best Heavy Metal Album
- 1991 Best album cover - Presto
- 1992 Best Hard Rock Album
- 1992 Best album cover - Roll the Bones
- 2004 Music DVD of the year - "Rush in Rio"
Grammys
- 1982 nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance
- "YYZ" -- lost to The Police's "Behind My Camel"
- 1992 nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance
- "Where's My Thing" -- lost to Eric Johnson's "Cliffs of Dover"
- 1995 nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance
- "Leave That Thing Alone" -- lost to Pink Floyd's "Marooned"
- 2004 nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance
- "O Baterista" from Rush In Rio -- lost to Brian Wilson's "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow"
Magazine awards
Alex
- 1983 - "Best Rock Talent" - Guitar for the Practicing Musician
- 1984 - Best Rock Guitarist - Guitar Player Magazine
- 1991 - Inducted into the Guitar for the Practicing Musician Hall of Fame
Geddy
- Bass Hall of Fame - Guitar Player Magazine
- 6 time winner: "Best Rock Bass" - Guitar Player Magazine
- 1993 - "Best Rock Bass Player" Bass Player readers' poll
Neil
From Modern Drummer magazine reader's polls:
- Hall of Fame: 1983
- Best Rock Drummer: 1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985
- Best Multi-Percussionist: 1983,1984,1985,1986
- Best Percussion Instrumentalist: 1982
- Most Promising New Drummer: 1980
- Best All Around: 1986
- 1986 Honor Roll: Rock Drummer, Multi-Percussion
- (As a member of the Honor Roll in these categories, Neil is no longer eligible for votes in the above categories.)
- Best Recorded Performance:
- 1981: Moving Pictures
- 1982: Exit... Stage Left
- 1983: Signals
- 1985: Grace Under Pressure
- 1986: Power Windows
- 1988: Hold Your Fire
- 1989: A Show of Hands
- 1990: Presto
- 1992: Roll The Bones
- 1993: Counterparts
RIAA platinum certifications
- Fly by Night #113 US
- 2112 - 3x #61 US
- All the World's A Stage #40 US
- A Farewell to Kings #33 US, #22 UK
- Hemispheres #47 US, #14 UK
- Archives #121 US
- Permanent Waves #4 US, #3 UK
- Moving Pictures - 4x #3 US, #3 UK
- Signals #10 US, #3 UK
- Power Windows #10 US, #9 UK
- Exit...Stage Left #10 US, #6 UK
- A Show of Hands #21 US
- A Show of Hands - (video)
- Chronicles - 2x #51 US, #42 UK
- Chronicles - (video)
- Roll the Bones #3 US, #10 UK
- Rush in Rio - (video) 4x
RIAA gold certifications
- Rush
- Caress of Steel
- Hold Your Fire
- Exit...Stage Left - (video)
- Counterparts
- Test for Echo
- Different Stages Live
- Rush in Rio
Videos
External links
- Official RUSH Home Page
- Neil Peart's Official Site - (Flash Intensive)
- Official Rush Universal CA
- Atlantic Records Rush
- Official Rush In Rio Page
- The National Midnight Star - (Archive Of The First Significant Rush Site On The Web)
- Rush Tablature Project
- The Rush FAQ
- Power Windows - a Rush tribute site
- Rush Tribute @ Cygnus-X1.Net - Home to the Rush Image Database
- Rush 30th Anniversary Interview
- Rush Archives - News and Information Site
- Google Groups alt.music.rush
- Rush Radio (Internet Radio)