Rush: A Musical Journey

Did not appreciate this LP unti "A Farewell To Kings". I was listening to that in my barracks room, When a guy next door brought over Fly By Night. I'd only heard a few tracks. We played both LP's back to back. Next day at PX we both bought what we were missing. Thanks again Kevin. You rock brother!

Mine is a similar story. 2112 grabbed me by the ears. I was aware of the band prior to that, but hadn't taken much notice. Back then, there was a lot happening in music and not much money around to take advantage of it.
 
Mine is a similar story. 2112 grabbed me by the ears. I was aware of the band prior to that, but hadn't taken much notice. Back then, there was a lot happening in music and not much money around to take advantage of it.

Exactly my issue. Didn't really know how to figure them at first. Really, What got my attention was how good musicians they were/are. After my first "Real" rig around 1978, I started to hear all the layers in the music. For just three guys, There is a lot to absorb, As you know.
 
Caress Of Steel

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Track list:

1. Bastille Day
2. I Think I'm Going Bald
3. Lakeside Park
4. The Necromancer
5. The Fountain Of Lamneth

The second album of 1975 was Caress Of Steel, which made the lukewarm reception of Fly By Night seem like the heat of a supernova by comparison.

Criticism was rife and it seemed that Rush had made a huge mistake. The album was a failure and neither it nor the band were going any further.

I'm pretty well convinced that those who berate the album haven't listened to it at all. From the opening bars of Bastille Day to the last notes of Fountain Of Lamneth, it's clear that this was a work of art, and one of the better albums of the era. The first three tracks show the band to be powerful, humorous and thoughtful. The 4th and 5th develop the program material and Lee's powerful voice conveys Peart's lyrics admirably.

I think that what the fans initially missed and what the critics found unforgivable was that this was a band who intended to progress, and were prepared to take risks in order to do so. Constant reinvention of Working Man was not going to happen, even if it meant that feathers were going to be ruffled.

Like the rest of the catalogue, Caress Of Steel now stands up as a shining example of how to do program material. Any and all of the tracks could be played at a concert to rapturous applause. 4 decades on and Caress of Steel takes its place proudly in the discography, as indeed it should.

However close Mercury came to letting Rush go, or whether that was even going to happen, history reveals that the band survived and of course, the next part of the story will tell us that not only did they survive, but began to achieve iconic recognition. As 1975 gave way to 1976, a phenomenon was in preparation and nothing would ever be quite the same again.
 
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Track list:

1. Bastille Day
2. I Think I'm Going Bald
3. Lakeside Park
4. The Necromancer
5. The Fountain Of Lamneth

The second album of 1975 was Caress Of Steel, which made the lukewarm reception of Fly By Night seem like the heat of a supernova by comparison.

Criticism was rife and it seemed that Rush had made a huge mistake. The album was a failure and neither it nor the band were going any further.

I'm pretty well convinced that those who berate the album haven't listened to it at all. From the opening bars of Bastille Day to the last notes of Fountain Of Lamneth, it's clear that this was a work of art, and one of the better albums of the era. The first three tracks show the band to be powerful, humorous and thoughtful. The 4th and 5th develop the program material and Lee's powerful voice conveys Peart's lyrics admirably.

I think that what the fans initially missed and what the critics found unforgivable was that this was a band who intended to progress, and were prepared to take risks in order to do so. Constant reinvention of Working Man was not going to happen, even if it meant that feathers were going to be ruffled.

Like the rest of the catalogue, Caress Of Steel now stands up as a shining example of how to do program material. Any and all of the tracks could be played at a concert to rapturous applause. 4 decades on and Caress of Steel takes its place proudly in the discography, as indeed it should.

However close Mercury came to letting Rush go, or whether that was even going to happen, history reveals that the band survived and of course, the next part of the story will tell us that not only did they survive, but began to achieve iconic recognition. As 1975 gave way to 1976, a phenomenon was in preparation and nothing would ever be quite the same again.

I was introduced to Rush, With this album. The material is first rate, My only issue was the production aspect. It always sounded overly " Bright" to my ears. The Remaster addressed some of that. Definitely didn't get the respect it should have.
 
2112

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Track list:

1. 2112
2. Passage To Bangkok
3. The Twilight Zone
4. Lessons
5. Tears
6. Something For Nothing

If Caress Of Steel was Rush's Apollo 13 moment; a near disaster that would later be viewed as a triumph, then 2112 must be "The Eagle Has Landed". Rush were no longer on Mercury's skid list. They had written their music, their way and had won the day.

With the release of the 4th album, Rush showed that they knew what they were about. I said at the outset that this would not be my personal journey, but since 2112 was the album that introduced me to the band, it's difficult not to reminisce a little.

2112 continues the band's series of program pieces. Side 1 of the LP is a 7 part masterpiece telling the story of a man living in a future dystopian society ruled by a caste known as The Priests. The man finds a guitar and learns to play it, and is then eager to share his discovery with the Priests. He is horrified when his discovery is rejected and destroyed and retreats to his cave, committing suicide just as the world of the Priests is about to be liberated by The Elder Race, previous inhabitants of the planet who had escaped as the Priests power multiplied, always intending to return and claim their homeland. The narrator had dreamed of their return but had dismissed his dreams as wishful thinking, not realising how close he was to the truth and the liberation.

On CD versions, Side 1 is a single track, indexed in 7 parts for CD players capable of reading them.

Side 2 consists of 5 tracks; A Passage To Bangkok is a romp around the world's cannabis growing regions, Twilight Zone appears to explore an LSD trip, Lessons and Tears are two gentle, very musical numbers that show the other side of Geddy Lee's voice. Something For Nothing concludes the album with a more conventional rock piece.

To say that the Starman has become the trademark of the band is an understatement. It has become one of the most recognisable symbols of rock music. 2112 is where I met the band for the first time, becoming captivated by the sound and lyrics that a) meant something and b) could actually be understood. For me, the musical landscape had changed, and I wasn't alone with that thought. I bought all of the band's albums from that point on and backtracked through the earlier releases. Some of the music, I have to admit, was difficult at first, but I've always known that sooner or later I'd find the key that would unlock the door.

I'll leave this post now for comments and recollections. Whatever I can write about 2112 pales into insignificance compared with the work itself. I'm sure there are many memories and thoughts attached to 2112...
 
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This thread will detail the music of one of rock's most enduring bands. I intend to write a post for each album and explore some of what was going on at the time of release of each one.

The work of Rush has been part of my playlist for many years, but I don't intend to make this thread a personal journey. The fact that I buy my coffee from the gas station where Neil Peart's motorcycle was inadvertently filled with diesel is neither here nor there. It doesn't give me a single degree of separation from the band, nor does it make me feel that I've walked in the footprints of the gods. The music has been important to me and it has certainly impressed me, but this thread will collate the thoughts of others, hopefully finding some anecdotes that long time fans will find familiar and introducing the band to those who are not so familiar with the Canadian trio.

I've no idea how long it will take to work my way from Rush to Clockwork Angels. I'd rather take my time over it and do a good job than present a list of albums and little else. I spend long periods away from my sound and computer equipment and would rather not attempt to do it on my phone, my only link to the civilized world, so in the main, I'll be waiting until I'm home to post to the thread, but taking notes at other times for inclusion in the posts.

Anyway, this is more of a statement of intent rather than an informative post. Exploring the 40 year history of one of the most influential bands of all time will be an interesting study.

Thanks to @Ethan25 for planting the seeds of the idea. I encourage you to take a look at a similar thread he is working on following the life and work of Phil Keaggy.
Kevin, if you drive that big rig like you write, then the roads of Canada are a much safer place when you're hauling product.
Very well done!
 
This thread inspired me to run off and order the Blu Ray Audio version of Farewell to Kings to go with my 1978 version. Ordered Alan Parson's Project / Tales of Mystery and Imagination at the same time. As well as the 2112 LP. This forum is expensive.
 
This thread inspired me to run off and order the Blu Ray Audio version of Farewell to Kings to go with my 1978 version. Ordered Alan Parson's Project / Tales of Mystery and Imagination at the same time. As well as the 2112 LP. This forum is expensive.

That's what music forums are all about. Nothing better than helping spend someone else's money. Enjoy those disks. I may have to follow your lead and buy that FtK BluRay myself. Obviously, there's a hole in my collection that requires patching.
 
2112 was the album that opened my eyes to how much drumming influences music, Pertaining to rock music. Sure, We already had doses of Bonham/Moon/Paice/Appice, But this LP put drumming to the forefront.

Peart's work on 2112, Made me make sure Not to overlook the rhythm section in music again. It was more than cool guitar solo's, And cleaver lyrics. The record itself still stands as a go to disc to shut off the lights and escape. It's a lot like supercharged classical music that way. A must have Record. Thanks Kev. Killer write-up.
 
All The World's A Stage

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Track list:

1. Bastille Day
2. Anthem
3. Fly By Night/In The Mood
4. Something For Nothing
5. Lakeside Park
6. 2112
7. By-Tor And The Snow Dog
8. In The End
9. Working Man/ Finding My Way
10. What You're Doing

Rush's 5th album and their 1st live recording, All The World's A Stage was the second album of 1976. Recorded over 3 nights at Toronto's Massey Hall, it was presented as a double album in a gatefold sleeve, and later as a single CD.

Speaking from experience, the atmosphere at a Rush concert is electric and this comes across on the recording as the band are welcomed home before launching into around 1½ hours of material from their first 4 albums.

A 15 minute version of 2112 is included and this album introduces Neil Peart's now-famous drum solo, introduced by Geddy Lee as "The Professor on the drum kit".

One thing that was apparent from All The World's A Stage is that Rush were as tight and accurate on the stage as in the studio. Their live work would never suffer as a result of being performed live, no matter how complex it became.

With only 4 albums to draw from, the 1976 concert is of course limited, but that would change over the next few years as a steady stream of material was added. Next post takes us back into the studio and answers the question "How the hell do you follow 2112?"
 
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This was my first live album purchase. The resident Rush fanatic came running down the hall waving this when it came out, My room was the go to place, Since I had a proper stereo. I was impressed by the production using that era technology. It was one of the albums always requested on party night. Days stationed at Pearl Harbor. Real tough!
 
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Track list:

1. A Farewell To Kings
2. Xanadu
3. Closer To The Heart
4. Cinderella Man
5. Madrigal
6. Cygnus X-1

The 5th studio album was recorded at Rockfield Studios in South Wales. A Farewell To Kings continued with Rush's now-familiar method of writing longer tracks with two tracks over 10 minutes, Xanadu and Cygnus X-1. Such tracks leave plenty of room for instrumental sections and neither track disappoints in this regard. The title track, a jaundiced view of our present seen from a critical future is also quite a long presentation at over 5 minutes. The other 3 tracks are short and include Closer To The Heart, which became a concert favourite for many years. Xanadu, with its extended instrumental intro, gives Peart a chance to show that a drum kit can be extended into an entire orchestra.

Geddy Lee's vocals have had many comments made about them, not all kind. Cygnus X-1 probably stretches him to his highest capability like no other, before or since. Yet there is no sense of his being uncomfortable. He just takes the high notes in his stride.

Cygnus X-1 is, of course, part of Rush's program material and would be continued on the subject of the next post, Hemispheres.

A Farewell To Kings is perhaps THE album that I'd recommend for anyone new to Rush. It has a mixture of raw power and thoughtful contemplation and serves as a bridge between the earlier, heavier numbers and the later complexities for which the band became famous. I've always seen it as the first part of Rush's second chapter. By now firmly established, they could concentrate on getting the words and music down on paper and vinyl and let the rest of the music industry do as it pleased.
 
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