Progressive rock & metal episode 32 - Rush Discography review pt. 1 (1974-1978)
Published 2024-05-29
Welcome to a special edition of the progressive rock & metal album reviews series and today i am going to be taking a look at the legendary catalogue of one of the greatest, most iconic and legendary bands in the history of music, the one and only, legendary canadian rock band Rush.
I first heard about the music of Rush back in the 90s but hadn't heard any of their earlier stuff as i was more familiar with their albums from the 80s to early 90s, when i checked out their earlier albums, i was completely blown away by not only how different they sounded but good their music and playing really was. I have been a fan ever since. I had the honour of seeing Rush live twice and they were some of the best shows i have ever seen.
Rush was formed in 1968 by longtime school friends, bassist / vocalist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson along with original drummer John Rutsey. Rush in their early years were a hard rock band and very influenced by many of the classic rock bands such as Cream, Thin Lizzy, The Who and Led Zeppelin. As time went on, they slowly moved away from that style and started to develop their own musicial identity.
Rush would evolve from a classic hard rock outfit and transform into a progressive rock band. They would start to add acoustic guitars, bass pedals, percussion and keyboards to their sound. The keyboards would later go on to play a massive and important role in the band's music as well as their overall sound. When you hear Rush, you know straight it's them as they have such a distinct and recognisable sound that you know within 5 seconds who it is.
It is absolutely mind blowing how a band featuring 3 musicians can create such a massive sound which at times sounds like a band of 5 to 6 guys, the only other band that has acheived that kind of level is Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP)
Drummer John Rutsey was let go due to health issues and Neil Peart would replace Rutsey behind the drum kit while also going on to become the band's main lyricst. Peart joining the band would be the ultimate game changer for Rush as he would contribute lyrics to the songs and putting together the concepts for the albums while Lee & Lifeson would compose all of the music. A true band effort.
In their history, Rush have only had two lineup changes and the lineup of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart is the one that is recognised by fans as the band's definitive lineup which would remain intact for their entire existence.
This is a 5 part special where i will be taking a look at the entire catalogue of Rush which is a total of 30 albums, 19 studio albums and 11 live recordings.
I will be discussing each decade of Rush's albums and all of their official live recordings
For today's special edition which is part 1 of 5, i will be taking a look at their Rush's albums from the 70s and talking about each one individually while choosing which one i think is the best.
Make sure you don't miss part 2 where i'll be taking a look at Rush's albums from the 80s.