Friday, July 23, 2004
30 YEARS OF PURE CANADIAN POWER
Happy belated birthday (yesterday, July 29) to Rush bassist and vocalist Geddy Lee. On his 21st birthday (1974), a gentleman by the name of Neil Peart (drums) joined the band and the classic lineup of Rush (rounded by guitarist Alex Liefson) was born. Rush have been together without a lineup change for thirty years, yesterday; a feat only topped (to the best of my knowledge) by ZZ Top (1969). Known for high pitch vocals, intricate chord changes, odd time signatures, and fantastical/mystical lyrics, Rush have been a fave with the pocket protector crowd, a very dedicated fan base, for decades. When I got wind of Rush back in 1980, they were known simply as a hard rock band with severe chops. Albums like 2112 and Farewell To Kings were examples of what you could aspire to as a musician, writer, performer, engineer, or producer. Over the years I have taken some crap from friends who just couldn't get it. Their loss. Rush is great. One need only check out their live DVD from last year "Rush In Rio" to see not only how amazing they are, but the effect they have had world wide. Music has no language barrier, and Rush are a prime example of that fact.
Happy belated birthday (yesterday, July 29) to Rush bassist and vocalist Geddy Lee. On his 21st birthday (1974), a gentleman by the name of Neil Peart (drums) joined the band and the classic lineup of Rush (rounded by guitarist Alex Liefson) was born. Rush have been together without a lineup change for thirty years, yesterday; a feat only topped (to the best of my knowledge) by ZZ Top (1969). Known for high pitch vocals, intricate chord changes, odd time signatures, and fantastical/mystical lyrics, Rush have been a fave with the pocket protector crowd, a very dedicated fan base, for decades. When I got wind of Rush back in 1980, they were known simply as a hard rock band with severe chops. Albums like 2112 and Farewell To Kings were examples of what you could aspire to as a musician, writer, performer, engineer, or producer. Over the years I have taken some crap from friends who just couldn't get it. Their loss. Rush is great. One need only check out their live DVD from last year "Rush In Rio" to see not only how amazing they are, but the effect they have had world wide. Music has no language barrier, and Rush are a prime example of that fact.
Comments:
A worthy occasion to celebrate indeed... While not a die hard Rush geek, I am a fan nonetheless. I actually liked their late eighties and nineties material quite a bit. I thought "Roll the Bones" was a great record. Not a big fan of the earliest stuff al la "Caress of Steal" with the exception of course of "Working Man" from their debut. Neal Peart took a lot of lumps, but really is a remarkable drummer. Nothing wrong with wanting to be a little more cerebral in the world of hard rock.
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