Review: 'Rush & 2112: Fifty Years'

 

I haven't read much by him, but Daniel Bukszpan had a big impact on my own writing. Reviewing his Encyclopedia of New Wave a long time ago here on Psychobabble, I was most impressed by how he balanced humor with doing what any rock writer is supposed to do. So when I received a press release announcing his next book was on Rush's 2112, I lit up. I like Rush, and 2112 is a pretty good album, but I was mostly on board to read how Bukszpan would handle the topic. Considering Rush's highfalutin concepts, their kimonos, Geddy Lee's wood-sprite voice, and Neil Peart's mustache it's not like there's no material to poke a bit of good-natured fun at. 

Review: 'Limelight: Rush in the ’80s'

The first volume in Martin Popoff’s biographical series on Rush ends just as the band is on the precipice of world domination… or at least, serious popularity outside of Canada. The second volume, Limelight: Rush in the ’80s, continues the story Neil Peart-style (that means it doesn’t miss a beat). We know we’re in superstar territory when the book begins with a discussion of Permanent Waves, Rush’s first album to go top-ten in the UK and US. The hardships and struggles of the previous decade are a distant memory, and the trio hits their artistic stride with the three most unimpeachable albums in their catalog.

Review: 'Anthem: Rush in the 1970s'

Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen’s funny, touching Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage is one of the great Rock documentaries, offering an unusual degree of access to the beloved Canadian prog trio…and their moms. As is the case with most documentaries, a lot of footage did not make it into the film.

Review: Picture Disc Edition of Rush's 'Hemispheres'

As soon as they acquired resident intellectual Neil Peart, Rush had big conceptual ambitions. Yet, although sprawling conceptual epics were the centerpieces of album such as Caress of Steel, 2112, and A Farewell to Kings, their short songs were still better than their long sci-fi and fantasy narratives. With their final album to contain such an epic, Rush finally got it right. As far as I’m concerned, Hemispheres is the first Rush album on which the long songs unquestionably beat the short ones. If you put me on the rack and stretched my body until I revealed the meaning of  “Cygnus X-1 (Book II-Hemispheres)”, I’d end up being pulled to pieces, but it is as dreamy, enveloping, and enthralling a musical suite as Rush would ever conjure. So what if the lyrics are gibberish? They sure beat the log-limbed metaphors of what may be the worst of Peart’s early songs: “The Trees”. This ditty sports the message: “People bicker and complain too much! Some of them even whine about wanting equal rights!” Trenchant insights from a rich, white, Ayn Rand fan.