I have granted the Canadian rock band Rush the distinction of being the first rock & roll band I review here for a number of reasons. First, I really like their music - enough so that they are the first rock band whose career and albums I have consistently followed. Second, they also happen to be the very first band I've ever seen live in concert. Third (and not least), had it not been for Rush, I might never have met my husband, nor, subsequently, had my life follow the path it has since taken. A fascinating tale, if I do say it myself - but that, as Kipling said, is another story; I will not relate it here.Finally, there's my fondness for the underdog. Rush beat the odds to become a success; what's more, the band has remained a success through twenty-six years and twenty plus albums. In a world and genre where artists frequently rise high only to fall hard and fast like so many shooting stars, this is no mean accomplishment. Rush's flame took some time to ignite and took some time to work into a steady burn, but once the flame caught, it was consistent.
Before I get into my theory on the secret to Rush's longevity, I should probably say a word about their particular genre - that brand of rock & roll music known as progressive rock. A category within the larger category of classic heavy metal, progressive rock is a rather vague term referring to music of a higher caliber and musicians of superior talent and ability. Lyrics tend to be more esoteric and universal in progressive rock and the music itself more complex.
How to identify a heavy metal song as being progressive? The most obvious characteristic is an odd time signature. Since progressive rock artists tend to experiment more with their sound, technically speaking, the time signature is often one of the first things to change. A laymen such as myself would refer to the time signature of a particular piece of music as the "beat." While the majority of rock & roll songs have a 4/4 time signature (50's era rock is a good example), Rush has been known to use a 7/4 time signature. So where progressive rock may be difficult to describe, it is readily identifiable. In short - it may have a beat, but you can't necessarily dance to it.
Now, about Rush's longevity: in this writer's opinion, there are two important reasons for it. First is the band's ability and willingness to adapt and grow. I talk about the importance of this quality somewhat in my Eugene O'Neill review; specifically, my theory is that unless an artist is both willing and able to evolve within his or her medium, he or she cannot hope to have his or her career endure.
The only evidence you need to prove Rush's unwillingness to rest on their laurels are their first and last albums. The first album, titled simply Rush, released in 1974, features the original three band members: Alex Lifeson on the guitar, Geddy Lee on the bass (Lee, the band's lead vocalist, also added keyboards in later years), and John Rutsey on the drums. They're barely more than kids here, but the raw musical talent is vividly apparent (despite the "Chopping Broccoli" lyrics!). Also apparent is their influence; there's no mistaking the Led Zepplin-like, 1970's classic rock sound. Go on to listen to Test For Echo, released in 1996 (the last studio album produced before a family tragedy sidetracked one of the band members), and you'll wonder if you're listening to the same band: the songs are shorter, tighter, more professional-sounding; the musicianship is well-developed; the lead singer's voice has mellowed (he no longer has the inclination nor, I suspect, the ability, to screech), and the lyrics are, thank God, much more profound and sophisticated (after the first album, Neil Peart replaced John Rutsey on the drums and has been with the band ever since - a happy find for Rush, as not only is Peart a very talented drummer, but his lyric-writing is infinitely better than Geddy Lee's make-it-up-as-you-go technique - sorry, Geddy!).
The transition is easier to see when you listen to the albums in sequence. By doing so, you get a sense of three boys growing into men, with each album representing an era in their lives even as it represented the music of the times. With their earlier concept albums reflecting fantastic imagination and science fiction themes, moving on to the political, social and environmental concerns of the mid-80's to 90's, the band members show how they gradually become fluent in the language of music, and use it to speak their hearts. The sheer musical talent combined with thoughtful, beautiful lyrics (one critic referred to Rush as "the thinking man's rock) makes for an unforgettable melodic experience.
I mentioned that Rush owed their longevity to two things: the second, I think, is the fans. Few bands, I think, have been so fortunate to have such loyalty in their fan base. Due to their individuality, willingness to change and defiance of concrete classification, Rush has not proved popular with the critics. Where such lack of popularity has grounded many a band before it even got off the ground, Rush's fans would have none of it from the very beginning, when they were still playing in basement bars in Toronto. It was word of mouth that kept Rush popular then, and the fact that their fans have grown along with them and continue to appreciate them in spite of how they've changed only proves that it isn't just the band members who are of a higher caliber; the fans are, as well.
I intend to go through a few of Rush's albums here; to tell their full story would take more memory than Tim and I have on our servers! But there are some great sites that can help, and I've included the links below.
June, 2001
The Counterparts Rush Fan Website
Geddy Lee's web site Geddy produced his first solo album last Fall.
