Rush
Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee, and Neil Peart of Rush 30th Anniversary tour photo, 2004
Background information
Origin	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genre(s)	Hard rock, progressive rock, heavy metal
Years active	1968–present
Label(s)	Moon, Mercury, Anthem, Atlantic
Website	www.rush.com
Members
Geddy Lee Alex Lifeson Neil Peart
Former members
John Rutsey Jeff Jones

Rush is a Canadian rock band originally formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, presently comprised of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart. Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Hard rock (also referred to as heavy rock) is a variation of Rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and Psychedelic rock Progressive rock (often shortened to " progressive " " prog " or " prog rock " is a form of Rock music that evolved In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Mercury Records is a Record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Music Group in the US and are both subsidiaries of Anthem Records is an Independent record label based in Toronto Ontario. Atlantic Records ( Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American Record label best known for its many recordings of Rhythm & blues, Rock Geddy Lee OC (born Gary Lee Weinrib on July 29, 1953 in Willowdale Toronto) is a Canadian musician best known as the lead vocalist Alex Lifeson, OC (born Aleksandar Živojinović on August 27 1953 in Fernie, British Columbia) is a Canadian Musician Neil Peart (ˈpɪərt OC, (born Neil Ellwood Peart, September 12, 1952, Hamilton, Ontario) is a Canadian Musician John Howard Rutsey (1953 &ndash May 11, 2008) from Ontario, Canada was a former drummer most recognized for being a co-founding member of Jeff Jones is a Canadian bassist best known for being the co-founder of Toronto rock band Rush and his work in Red Rider. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Canada 2008 Willowdalejpg|thumb|250px|Driving down Yonge Street toward Churchill Avenue in Willowdale in 2008]] Willowdale is an established community in the former City of North Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a Musical keyboard. Geddy Lee OC (born Gary Lee Weinrib on July 29, 1953 in Willowdale Toronto) is a Canadian musician best known as the lead vocalist An electric guitar is a type of Guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current which is made louder Alex Lifeson, OC (born Aleksandar Živojinović on August 27 1953 in Fernie, British Columbia) is a Canadian Musician A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells A lyricist is a Writer who specializes in Song Lyrics, usually paid for by a band to write a custom song(s Neil Peart (ˈpɪərt OC, (born Neil Ellwood Peart, September 12, 1952, Hamilton, Ontario) is a Canadian Musician The band and its membership went through a number of re-configurations between 1968 and 1974, achieving their definitive form when Neil Peart replaced original drummer John Rutsey in July 1974, two weeks before the group's first U. John Howard Rutsey (1953 &ndash May 11, 2008) from Ontario, Canada was a former drummer most recognized for being a co-founding member of S. tour.

Since the release of the band's self-titled debut album in March 1974, Rush has become known for the instrumental skills of its members, complex compositions, and eclectic lyrical motifs drawing heavily on science fiction, fantasy, and libertarian philosophy, as well as addressing humanitarian, social, emotional, and environmental concerns. Rush is the first Studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1974 (see 1974 in music) and remastered in Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting Libertarianism is a term used by a broad spectrum of political philosophies which prioritize individual Liberty and seek to minimize or even abolish the Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language

Musically, Rush's style has evolved over the years, beginning in the vein of blues-inspired heavy metal on their first album, then encompassing hard rock, progressive rock, a period dominated by synthesizers and, more recently, modern rock. Hard rock (also referred to as heavy rock) is a variation of Rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and Psychedelic rock Progressive rock (often shortened to " progressive " " prog " or " prog rock " is a form of Rock music that evolved Modern rock is a term commonly used to describe a Rock music format found on American commercial Radio. They have influenced various musical artists, including Metallica,^[1][2] The Smashing Pumpkins^[3] and Primus,^[3] as well as notable progressive metal bands such as Dream Theater^[1] and Symphony X. Metallica is an American heavy metal band that formed in 1981 in. The Smashing Pumpkins are an American Alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988 Primus is an American rock band currently composed of singer and bassist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde, and Progressive metal (often referred to simply as prog metal) is a sub-genre of Heavy metal music which blends the powerful guitar-driven sound of metal with the complex Dream Theater is an American Progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name " Majesty " by John Myung, John Petrucci Symphony X is an American Heavy metal band from New Jersey founded in 1994 by guitarist Michael Romeo. ^[4]

Rush has won a number of Juno Awards, and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994. The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian Musical Artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music The Canadian Music Hall of Fame honors Canadian musicians for their lifetime achievements in Music. Over the course of their careers, the individual members of Rush have been acknowledged as being some of the most proficient players on their respective instruments, with each band member winning several awards in magazine readers' polls. As a group, Rush possesses 24 gold records and 14 platinum (3 multi-platinum) records. These statistics place Rush fifth behind The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Kiss and Aerosmith for the most consecutive gold and platinum albums by a rock band. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 Kiss (also typeset as KISS) is an American rock band formed in New York City in December 1972 Aerosmith is an American Hard rock band sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston " and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band" Rush also ranks 78th in U. S. album sales according to the RIAA with sales of 25 million units. ^[5] Although total worldwide album sales are not calculated by any single entity, as of 2004 several industry sources estimated Rush's total worldwide album sales at over 40 million units.

The band is currently promoting their latest album, Snakes & Arrows with an intercontinental tour. Snakes & Arrows is the 18th full-length Studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush. Rush began the Snakes & Arrows Tour to promote their latest album Snakes & Arrows on June 13, 2007 in Atlanta Georgia The second leg began in San Juan, Puerto Rico on April 11, and is set to finish on July 24, 2008 in Noblesville, Indiana. San Juan is Spanish for Saint John. It can also be the short version of San Juan Bautista ( John the Baptist) Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Events 1132 - Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Noblesville is a city in Hamilton County, Indiana, United States located just north of Indianapolis Indiana in what ^[6]

History

The early years (1968–1976)

For more details on this topic, see History of Rush. The history of the band Rush spans over forty years The group progressed from a fluctuating early lineup between the summer of 1968 and May 1971 to Geddy Lee,

 Music sample:

Working Man (1974)

Sample of "Working Man" from the debut album Rush. This was the song responsible for giving the band the recognition they needed to procure a record contract.

Problems listening to the file? See media help.

The original line-up formed in August 1968 in the neighbourhood of Willowdale in Toronto, Ontario, by guitarist Alex Lifeson, front man Jeff Jones, and drummer John Rutsey. Canada 2008 Willowdalejpg|thumb|250px|Driving down Yonge Street toward Churchill Avenue in Willowdale in 2008]] Willowdale is an established community in the former City of North Jeff Jones is a Canadian bassist best known for being the co-founder of Toronto rock band Rush and his work in Red Rider. Within a couple weeks of forming, and before their second performance, bassist and lead vocalist Jones was replaced by Geddy Lee, a schoolmate of Lifeson. After several lineup reformations, Rush's official incarnation was formed in May 1971 consisting of Lee, Lifeson, and Rutsey. The band was managed by local Toronto resident Ray Danniels, a frequent attendee of Rush's early shows. Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario ^[7][8]

After gaining stability in the lineup and honing their skills on the local bar/high school dance circuit, the band came to release their first single "Not Fade Away", a cover of the Buddy Holly song, in 1973. " Not Fade Away " is a song written by Buddy Holly and Norman Petty and performed by Holly the song's rhythm pattern is one of the classic examples of Charles Hardin "Buddy" Holley (September 7 1936 – February 3 1959 was an American Singer-songwriter and a pioneer of Rock and roll. Side B contained an original composition, "You Can't Fight It", credited to Rutsey and Lee. The single generated little reaction and, due to record company indifference, the band formed their own independent record label, Moon Records. With the aid of Danniels and the newly enlisted engineer Terry Brown, the band released their self-titled debut album in 1974, which was considered highly derivative of Led Zeppelin. Terry Brown is a Record producer involved in a variety of work but most noted for his involvement with the Canadian rock band Rush and the British/Canadian band ^[9] Rush had limited local popularity until the album was picked up by WMMS, a radio station in Cleveland, Ohio. Rush is the first Studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1974 (see 1974 in music) and remastered in WMMS (1007 FM) is a Radio station in Cleveland Ohio, with a rich history of broadcasting both locally and nationally Cleveland is a City in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads Donna Halper, a DJ and music director working at the station, selected "Working Man" for her regular play list. Donna L Halper (born February 1947 in Dorchester Massachusetts) is a Boston -based Historian and radio consultant The song's blue collar theme resonated with hard rock fans and this new found popularity led to the album being re-released by Mercury Records^[10][11] in the U. Mercury Records is a Record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Music Group in the US and are both subsidiaries of S.

The "starman" logo first appeared on the back cover of the 1976 album 2112. Hugh Syme, creator of graphics on many of Rush's albums, stated that the Starman, ". . . didn't begin as an identity factor for the band, it just got adopted. " in a 1983 interview. ^[12]

Immediately after the release of the debut album, Rutsey resigned in July 1974 due to his affliction with diabetes and a distaste for touring. Diabetes mellitus (ˌdaɪəˈbiːtiːz or /ˌdaɪəˈbiːtəs/ /məˈlaɪtəs/ or /ˈmɛlətəs/ often referred to simply as diabetes ( Ancient Greek: grc Rush held auditions and eventually selected Neil Peart as Rutsey's replacement. Peart officially joined the band on July 29, 1974, two weeks before the group's first US tour. Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. They performed their first concert together, opening for Uriah Heep and Manfred Mann with an attendance of over 11,000 people at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on August 14. Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in December 1969 when record producer Gerry Bron invited keyboardist Ken Hensley (previously This article is about Manfred Mann the band For Manfred Mann the man see Manfred Mann (musician. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern In addition to becoming the band's drummer, Peart assumed the role of principal lyricist as Lee and Lifeson had very little interest in writing, contributing to only a handful of song lyrics over the rest of the band's career. Instead, they focused primarily on the musical aspects of Rush. Fly by Night (1975), Rush's first album after recruiting Peart, saw the inclusion of the band's first epic mini-tale "By-Tor and the Snow Dog", replete with complex arrangements and multi-section format. Fly by Night is the second studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in February 1975. Lyrical themes also underwent dramatic changes after the addition of Peart due to his love for fantasy and science-fiction literature. ^[13] However, despite these many differences some of the music and songs still closely mirrored the blues style found on Rush's debut. ^[14][13]

Following quickly on the heels of Fly By Night, the band released 1975's Caress of Steel, a five track hard rock album featuring two extended multi-chapter songs, "The Necromancer" and "The Fountain of Lamneth. Caress of Steel is the third Studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1975 " Caress of Steel was reported by some critics to be unfocused and an audacious move for the band due to the placement of two protracted numbers back-to-back, as well as a heavier reliance on atmospherics and story-telling, a large deviation from Fly by Night. ^[15] Intended to be the band's first "break-through" album, Caress of Steel sold below expectations and the promotional tour consisted of small venues which led to the moniker the "Down the Tubes Tour. "^[16] In light of these events, Rush's record label pressured them into molding their next album in a more commercially friendly and accessible fashion. However, the band ignored the requests and developed their next album, 2112. 2112 ("Twenty-One Twelve" is the fourth Studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1976. It was the band's first taste of commercial success and their first platinum album in Canada. ^[17] The supporting tour for the album culminated in a three night stand at Massey Hall in Toronto, which the band recorded for the release of their first live album titled All the World's a Stage. Massey Hall, located at 178 Victoria Street downtown Toronto, was built in 1894 by architect Sidney Badgley and financed by Hart Massey of Massey-Harris All the world's a stage is the phrase that begins a famous Monologue from William Shakespeare 's As You Like It, spoken by the melancholy Allmusic Guide critic Greg Prato summarily reminds listeners and fans of how the album demarcates the boundary between the band's early years and the next era of their music. allmusic (previously All Music Guide) is a Metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. ^[18][19]

The progressive rock era (1977–1981)

After 2112, Rush retreated to the United Kingdom to record 1977's A Farewell to Kings and 1978's Hemispheres at Rockfield Studios in Wales. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A Farewell to Kings is the fifth Studio album by Canadian rock band Hemispheres is the sixth Studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1978. Rockfield Studios, near Monmouth in Wales and just outside the village of Rockfield, are where many of British rock music’s most successful recordings These albums saw the band members pushing the prog rock envelope for Rush even further than before by expanding their use of progressive elements. Trademarks such as increased synthesizer usage, extended-length concept songs, and highly dynamic playing featuring complex time signature changes became a staple of Rush's compositions. In Popular music, a concept album is an Album which is "unified by a theme which can be instrumental compositional narrative or lyrical" The time signature (also known as " meter signature" is a notational convention used in Western Musical notation to specify how many beats To achieve a broader, progressive palette of sound, Alex Lifeson began to experiment with classical and twelve-string guitars, and Geddy Lee added bass-pedal synthesizers and Minimoog. Likewise, Peart's percussion became diversified in the form of triangles, glockenspiel, wood blocks, cowbells, timpani, gong and chimes. The triangle is an Idiophone type of Musical instrument in the percussion family The glockenspiel ( German, "set of bells quot or "play-bells" also known as orchestra bells and in its portable Timpani (also known colloquially as kettledrums or kettle drums) are Musical instruments in the percussion family This article is about the Internet Protocol Television channel Tubular bells (also known as chimes) are Musical instruments in the percussion family Beyond instrument additions, the band kept in stride with the progressive rock movement by continuing to compose long, conceptual songs with science fiction and fantasy overtones. However, as the new decade approached, Rush gradually began to dispose of their older styles of music in favor of shorter, and sometimes softer, arrangements. The lyrics up to this point (most of them written by Peart) were heavily influenced by classical poetry, fantasy literature, science fiction, and the writings of novelist Ayn Rand, as exhibited most prominently by their 1975 song "Anthem" from Fly By Night and a specifically acknowledged derivation in 1976's 2112. A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story Ayn Rand (ˈaɪn ˈrænd &ndash March 6 1982 born Alisa Zinov'yevna Rosenbaum (Алиса Зиновьевна Розенбаум was a Russian born American ^[20]

Permanent Waves (1980) shifted Rush's style of music dramatically via the introduction of reggae and new wave. Permanent Waves is the seventh Studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released January Reggae is a Music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s New Wave is a Rock music genre that existed during the late 1970s and the 1980s ^[21] Although a hard rock style was still evident, more and more synthesizers were introduced. Moreover, due to the limited airplay Rush's previous extended-length songs received, Permanent Waves included shorter, more radio-friendly songs such as "The Spirit of Radio" and "Freewill", two songs which helped Permanent Waves become Rush's first U. " The Spirit of Radio " is a song released in 1980 by Canadian rock band Rush from their album Permanent Waves. " Freewill " (Sometimes written as "Free Will" is the second track on Progressive rock band Rush 's 1980 album Permanent S. Top 5 album; both songs continue to make appearances on classic rock radio stations in Canada and the United States to this day. ^[22] Meanwhile, Peart's lyrics shifted toward an expository tone with subject matter that dwelled less on fantastical or allegorical story-telling and more heavily on cerebral topics that explored humanistic, social, emotional and metaphysical elements. An allegory (from αλλος allos "other" and el αγορευειν agoreuein "to speak in public" is a figurative mode of representation Metaphysics is the branch of Philosophy investigating principles of reality transcending those of any particular science

 Music sample:

Tom Sawyer (1981)

Sample of "Tom Sawyer" from the album Moving Pictures. This is the band's best known song with heaviest radio airplay.

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Rush's popularity reached its pinnacle with the release of Moving Pictures in 1981. Moving Pictures is the eighth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1981 Moving Pictures essentially continued where Permanent Waves left off, extending the trend of highly accessible and commercially friendly pop-progressive rock that helped thrust them into the spotlight. The lead track, "Tom Sawyer", is probably the band's best-known song^[23] with "Limelight" also receiving satisfactory responses from listeners and radio stations. " Tom Sawyer " is a 1981 song by Canadian Progressive rock band Rush, named for Mark Twain 's literary character Moving Pictures was Rush's last album to feature an extended song, the ten-and-a-half-minute "The Camera Eye". The song also contained the band's heaviest usage of synthesizers up to that point, hinting that Rush's music was shifting direction once more. Moving Pictures reached #3 on the Billboard 200 album chart and has been certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard ^[24]

Following the success of Moving Pictures and the completion of another four studio albums, Rush released their second live recording, Exit...Stage Left, in 1981. ExitStage Left is a live album by Canadian band Rush, released in 1981. The album delineates the apex of Rush's progressive period by featuring live material from the band's Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures tours. As with their first live release, Exit. . . Stage Left identified the margin of a new chapter of Rush's sound. The band underwent another radical stylistic transmutation with the release of Signals in 1982. Signals is the ninth studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1982 (see 1982 in music) ^[25]

The synthesizer period (1982–1989)

The OBX synthesizer used by Geddy Lee on the album Signals (1982)

While Geddy Lee's synthesizers had been featured instruments ever since the late 70s, keyboards were suddenly shifted from the contrapuntal background to the melodic frontlines^[26][27] as evidence by songs such as "Countdown" and the lead-off track "Subdivisions". " Subdivisions " is a Rush song that describes Peer pressure for teenage life in the Suburbs. Both feature nimble lead synthesizer lines with minimalistic guitar chords and solos. Other previously unused instrument additions were seen in the song "Losing It," featuring collaborator Ben Mink on electric violin. Ben Mink (born January 22, 1951) is a Canadian Songwriter, Multi-instrumentalist, and producer. ^[28]

 Music sample:

Subdivisions (1982)

Sample of "Subdivisions" from the album Signals. This song is notable for demonstrating the band's foray into their synthesizer period.

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Signals also represented a drastic stylistic transformation apart from instrumental changes. The album contained Rush's only U. S. top-40 pop hit, "New World Man",^[29] while other more experimental songs such as "Digital Man", "The Weapon", and "Chemistry" expanded the band's use of ska, reggae, and funk. Ska ( pronounced /ska/ or in Jamaican Patois /skja/ is a Music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and which was the precursor Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended Soul music, Soul ^[30] More specifically, Alex Lifeson's guitar tone and playing style on Signals were very reminiscent of contemporary acts of the time who were well known for incorporating such rhythms into their music. Although the band members consciously decided to move in this overall direction, they felt dissatisfied with long-time producer Terry Brown's studio treatment of Signals and parted ways with him in 1983. These diverse styles would come into further play on their next studio album.

Neil Peart began incorporating Simmons Electronic Drums beginning with 1984's Grace Under Pressure

The style and production of Signals were augmented and taken to new heights on 1984's Grace Under Pressure. Simmons was a pioneering British manufacturer of Electronic drums that supplied electronic kits from 1980 to the early '90s Grace Under Pressure is the tenth studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1984 (see 1984 in music) It was Peart who named the album, as he borrowed the words of Ernest Hemingway to describe what the band had to go through after making the decision to leave Terry Brown. Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21 1899 — July 2 1961 was an American novelist short-story writer, and Journalist. Producer Steve Lillywhite, who gleaned fame with successful productions of Simple Minds and U2, was enlisted to produce Grace Under Pressure. Steve Lillywhite (born 1955 is a Grammy Award -winning English music producer Early career Lillywhite entered the music industry in Simple Minds are a rock band from Scotland, who had their greatest worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s However, he backed out at the last moment, much to the ire of Lee, Lifeson and Peart. Lee has said "Steve Lillywhite is really not a man of his word. . . . after agreeing to do our record, he got an offer from Simple Minds, changed his mind, blew us off,. . so it put us in a horrible position. " Eventually Rush hired Peter Henderson to co-produce and engineer the album in his stead. ^[31]

Musically, although Geddy Lee's use of sequencers and synthesizers remained the band's cornerstone, his focus on new technology was complemented by Neil Peart's adaptation of Simmon's electronic drums and percussion. Alex Lifeson's contributions on the album were decidedly enhanced to act as an overreaction to the minimalistic role he played on Signals. ^[32] Still, many of his trademark guitar textures remained intact in the form of open reggae chords and funk and new-wave rhythms; "Distant Early Warning", "Red Lenses", "Red Sector A" and "The Enemy Within" serving as prime examples. "Red Sector A" is a song by Rush that provides a first-person account of a nameless protagonist living in an unspecified Prison camp setting

With new producer Peter Collins, the band released 1985's Power Windows and 1987's Hold Your Fire. Peter Collins may refer to Peter Collins (Australian politician Peter Collins (organ builder Peter Collins (racing driver Power Windows is the eleventh studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1985 (see Hold Your Fire is the twelfth studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in the fall of 1987 (see 1987 in music) The music on these two albums gives far more emphasis and prominence to Geddy Lee's multi-layered synthesizer work. While fans and critics took notice of Lifeson's diminished guitar work, his presence was still palpable on "The Big Money", (the album's modest-charting single) with spotlights on "Grand Designs", "Middletown Dreams" and "Marathon. " Lifeson, like many guitarists in the late 1980s, experimented with processors that reduced his instrument to echoey chord bursts and razor-thin leads. Hold Your Fire represents both a modest extension of the guitar stylings found on Power Windows, and, according to Allmusic Guide critic Ed Rivadavia, the culmination of this era of Rush. ^[33] Whereas the previous five Rush albums sold platinum or better, Hold Your Fire only went gold in November 1987, although it managed to peak at number 13 on the Billboard 200. ^[34]

A third live album and video, A Show of Hands (1989), was also released by Mercury following the Power Windows and Hold Your Fire tours, demonstrating the aspects of Rush in the 80s. A Show of Hands is a Live album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1989. A Show of Hands met with strong fan approval, but Rolling Stone critic Michael Azerrad dismissed it as "musical muscle" with 1. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published 5 stars, claiming Rush fans viewed their favourite power trio as "the holy trinity". ^[35] Nevertheless, A Show of Hands managed to surpass the gold album mark, reaching number 21 on the Billboard 200. ^[36] At this point, the group decided to change record labels from Mercury to Atlantic. Atlantic Records ( Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American Record label best known for its many recordings of Rhythm & blues, Rock After Rush's departure in 1989, Mercury released a double platinum two-volume compilation of their Rush catalogue, Chronicles (1990). Chronicles is a Compilation album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1990 (see 1990 in music) ^[37]

Returning to their roots (1989–1997)

 Music sample:

Dreamline (1991)

Sample of "Dreamline" from the album Roll the Bones. This song is notable for demonstrating the band's return to a more standard three piece instrument style, where synthesizers are used more sparingly and the guitar returning to the forefront of the sound.

Problems listening to the file? See media help.

Rush started to deviate from their 1980s style with the albums Presto and Roll the Bones. Presto is the thirteenth studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1989 (see 1989 in music) Roll the Bones is the fourteenth studio Album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1991 (see 1991 in music) Produced by record engineer and musician Rupert Hine, these two albums saw Rush shedding much of their keyboard-saturated sound. Rupert Neville Hine (born 1948 in London is an English musician and also a prolific producer in the Synth pop era helming albums by Kevin Ayers, Beginning with 1989's Presto, the band opted for arrangements that were notably more guitar-centric than the previous two studio albums. Although synthesizers were still used in many songs, the instrument was no longer featured as the centerpiece of Rush's compositions. Continuing this trend, 1991's Roll the Bones extended the use of the standard three-instrument approach with even less focus on synthesizers than its predecessor. While musically these albums do not deviate significantly from a general pop-rock sound, Rush stuck to their creative approach of incorporating traces of more exotic musical styles. "Roll the Bones", for instance, exhibits funk and hip hop elements, and the instrumental track "Where's My Thing?" features several jazz components. Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with The Canadian rock band Rush has written recorded and performed several instrumentals throughout its career ^[38] This return to three-piece instrumentation helped pave the way for future albums in the mid-90s, which would adopt a more straightforward rock formula.

The transition from synthesizers to more guitar-oriented and organic instrumentation continued with the 1993 album Counterparts^[39] and its follow-up, 1996's Test for Echo, again both produced in collaboration with Peter Collins. Counterparts is the fifteenth studio Album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1993 (see 1993 in music) Test for Echo is the sixteenth studio Album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1996 (see 1996 in music) Musically, Counterparts^[39] and Test For Echo are two of Rush's most guitar-driven albums. Although the music in general did not meet the criteria for "progressive rock", some of the songs could be considered more adventurous than what one might expect from a standard modern rock band. ^[40] For instance, "Time and Motion" possesses multiple time signature changes and organ usage, while the instrumental track "Limbo", consists of several relatively complex musical passages repeated throughout. The Canadian rock band Rush has written recorded and performed several instrumentals throughout its career Musically, Test For Echo still retained much of the hard rock/alternative style already charted on the previous record. Lifeson and Lee's playing remained more or less unchanged; however, a distinct modification in technique became apparent in Peart's playing due to formal Jazz and Swing training under the tutelage of jazz instructor Freddie Gruber during the interim between Counterparts and Test For Echo. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Swing music, also known as swing jazz, is a form of Jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and had solidified as a distinctive style by 1935 in the United Freddie Gruber is a jazz drummer and drum teacher He came up in the nascent New York Be-bop scene and gigged with Charlie Parker, among many ^[41] In October 1996, in support of Test For Echo, the band embarked on an extensive and successful North American tour, the band's first without an opening act and dubbed "An Evening with Rush. Rush's Test for Echo Tour was in support of the band's studio album Test for Echo. " The tour was broken up into two segments spanning October through December, 1996 and May through July, 1997 with the band taking a respite between legs.

Hiatus and comeback (1997–2005)

After wrapping up the tour promoting Test for Echo in 1997, the band entered a five-year hiatus mainly due to personal tragedies in Peart's life. Peart's daughter Selena died in a car accident in August 1997, followed by his wife Jacqueline's death from cancer in June 1998. Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled Peart took a hiatus to mourn and reflect, during which time he traveled extensively throughout North America on his BMW motorcycle, covering 88,000 km (55,000 miles). At some point in his journey, Peart decided to return to the band. Peart wrote Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road as a chronicle of his geographical and emotional journey. Ghost Rider Travels on the Healing Road (ISBN 1-550-22548-0 is a 2002 Memoir by Neil Peart, the Drummer and main Lyricist for In this book he writes of how he had told his bandmates at Selena's funeral, "consider me retired. "^[42] On November 10, 1998 a triple CD live album entitled Different Stages was released, dedicated to the memory of Selena and Jacqueline. Events 1444 - Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna (aka Ulaszlo I of Hungary and Wladyslaw Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Different Stages is a live album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1998 (see 1998 in music) Mixed by producer Paul Northfield and engineered by Terry Brown, it contained three discs packed with recorded performances from the band's Counterparts, Test For Echo, and A Farewell to Kings tours, marking the fourth officially released live album by the band. Paul Northfield is a prolific Record producer and Sound engineer, who has worked on Albums by bands like Dream Theater, Queensrÿche Rush's Counterparts Tour was in support of the band's studio album Counterparts. Rush's Test for Echo Tour was in support of the band's studio album Test for Echo.

 Music sample:

One Little Victory (2002)

Sample of "One Little Victory" from the album Vapor Trails. This song's rapid tempo and heavy double bass drumming was done intentionally in order to herald the comeback of the band after their hiatus.

Problems listening to the file? See media help.

After sufficient time to grieve and reassemble the pieces of his life, and while visiting long-time Rush photographer Andrew MacNaughtan in Los Angeles, MacNaughtan would play matchmaker and introduce Peart to his future wife, photographer Carrie Nuttall. Carrie Nuttall is a Photographer who works primarily in the music industry mainly devoted to black & white pictures Peart married Nuttall on September 9, 2000. Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. In early 2001 he announced to his band mates that he was ready to once again enter the studio and get back into the business of making music. With the help of producer Paul Northfield the band returned in May 2002 with Vapor Trails, written and recorded in Toronto. Vapor Trails is the seventeenth studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 2002 (see 2002 in music) To herald the band's comeback, the single and lead track from the album, "One Little Victory" was designed to grab the attention of listeners due to its rapid guitar and drum tempos. "One Little Victory" is the opening track to Rush 's 2002 album Vapor Trails, with music by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson ^[43] Vapor Trails marked the first studio recording not to include a single synthesizer, organ or keyboard part since the early 1970s. While the album is almost completely guitar-driven, it is mostly devoid of any conventional sounding guitar solos, a conscious decision made by Alex Lifeson during the writing process. According to the band, the entire developmental process for Vapor Trails was extremely taxing and took approximately 14 months to finish, by far the longest the band had ever spent writing and recording a studio album. ^[43] The album debuted to moderate praise and was supported by the band's first tour in six years, including first-ever concerts in Mexico City and Brazil, where they played to some of the largest crowds of their career. Rush's Vapor Trails Tour marked the first tour for the band in nearly six years after the band entered a hiatus due to personal tragedies in drummer Neil Peart 's life A concert is a live Performance, usually of Music, before an Audience. Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld

A triple CD live album and dual Rush In Rio DVD was released in late October 2003 featuring an entire concert performance recorded on the last night of their Vapor Trails Tour, November 23, 2002, at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Rush in Rio is a live DVD by Canadian band Rush, released in 2003 (see 2003 in music) Rush's Vapor Trails Tour marked the first tour for the band in nearly six years after the band entered a hiatus due to personal tragedies in drummer Neil Peart 's life Events 800 - Charlemagne arrives at Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, commonly called Estádio do Maracanã ("Maracanã stadium" is an open-air stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil To celebrate their 30th anniversary, June 2004 saw the release of Feedback, a studio EP recorded in suburban Toronto featuring eight covers of such artists as Cream, The Who and The Yardbirds, bands which the members of Rush cite as inspiration around the time of their inception. Feedback is a studio EP by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 2004 with eight Cover songs The album marked A studio album is an original collection of new tracks by a recording artist An extended play ( EP) is a Vinyl record, CD, or Music download which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify In Popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition ( Performance or Recording) of a previously recorded commercially released The Yardbirds are an English rock band noted for starting the careers of three of rock's most famous Guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck ^[44] Also in the summer of 2004, Rush hit the road again for the very successful 30th Anniversary Tour, playing dates in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands. Rush 's R30 30th Anniversary Tour was a Concert tour which celebrated a milestone for the band and was in support of the cover album Feedback On September 24, 2004 a Frankfurt, Germany concert was recorded at The Festhalle for DVD (titled R30: Live in Frankfurt), which was released November 22, 2005. Events 622 - Prophet Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Festhalle is a term used to describe a German Arena or Community center. R30 30th Anniversary World Tour is a live DVD by the Canadian band Rush, that was released on November 22 Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Snakes & Arrows (2006–present)

Main article: Snakes & Arrows

Main article: Snakes & Arrows Tour

During promotional interviews for the R30 Live In Frankfurt DVD, the band revealed their intention to begin writing new material in early 2006. Snakes & Arrows is the 18th full-length Studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush. Rush began the Snakes & Arrows Tour to promote their latest album Snakes & Arrows on June 13, 2007 in Atlanta Georgia While in Toronto, Lifeson and Lee began the songwriting process in January 2006. During this time, Peart simultaneously assumed his role of lyric writing while residing in Southern California. That following September, Rush chose to hire American producer Nick Raskulinecz to co-produce the album. Nick Raskulinecz (born in Knoxville, Tennessee) is a Grammy -winning American Record producer. The band officially entered Allaire Studios, in Shokan, New York in November 2006 in order to record the bulk of the material. Taking the band 5 weeks, the sessions ended in December. On February 14, 2007, an announcement was made on the official Rush web site that the title of the new album would be Snakes & Arrows. Events 842 - Charles the Bald and Louis the German swear the Oaths of Strasbourg in the French and German Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The first single, entitled "Far Cry," was released to North American radio stations on March 12, 2007 and reached #2 on the Mediabase Mainstream and Radio and Records Charts. " Far Cry " is the first single from Rush 's 2007 Album Snakes & Arrows. Events 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[45]

The Rush website, newly redesigned on March 12 to support the new album, also announced that the band would embark on a tour to begin in the summer. Events 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving Snakes & Arrows was released May 1, 2007 in North America, where it debuted at #3 in the Billboard 200 with approximately 93,000 units sold in its first week. Snakes & Arrows is the 18th full-length Studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[46] To coincide with the Atlantic ocean hurricane season, "Spindrift" was released as the official second radio single on June 1, 2007, whereas "The Larger Bowl (A Pantoum)" saw single status on June 25, 2007. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. "The Larger Bowl (A Pantoum" is the fourth track and third single from Rush 's 2007 album Snakes & Arrows. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. "The Larger Bowl" positioned within the top 20 of the Mainstream Rock and Media Base Mainstream charts, however, "Spindrift" failed to appear on any commercial chart. ^[47] The planned intercontinental tour in support of Snakes & Arrows began on June 13, 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia, coming to a close on October 29, 2007 at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland. Rush began the Snakes & Arrows Tour to promote their latest album Snakes & Arrows on June 13, 2007 in Atlanta Georgia Events 1525 - Martin Luther marries Katharina von Bora, against the Celibacy rule decreed by the Roman Catholic Church for Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 437 - Valentinian III, Western Roman Emperor, marries Licinia Eudoxia, daughter of his cousin Theodosius II Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Hartwall Areena (often called Helsinki Areena, Helsingin Areena or Helsingforsarenan ('The Helsinki Arena' by the Finnish press is a large Helsinki (in Finnish;) or Helsingfors (in Swedish;) is the Capital and largest city of Finland. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. ^[48] The 2008 portion of the tour started on April 11, 2008 in San Juan, Puerto Rico at José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum and is currently scheduled to end on July 24, 2008 in Noblesville, Indiana at the Verizon Wireless Music Center. Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common San Juan (saŋ hwaŋ (from the Spanish San Juan Bautista, " Saint John the Baptist " is the Capital and largest municipality in The José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, officially named " Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot " (and nicknamed El Choliseo, in honor of Events 1132 - Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Noblesville is a city in Hamilton County, Indiana, United States located just north of Indianapolis Indiana in what ^[49] The tour dates have since been announced, in addition to the April 15 release of Snakes & Arrows Live, a double live album documenting the first leg of the tour. Snakes & Arrows Live is a live double CD by the Canadian band Rush, released on April 14 2008 in the United Kingdom ^[50] According to the latest Rush electronic newsletter and Peart's official website, it has been confirmed that performances filmed at the Ahoy arena in Rotterdam, Netherlands on October 16 and 17 will eventually be released as a live concert DVD. Rotterdam (pronounced) is the 2nd-largest City by population in the Netherlands, located in the province of The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands ^[51][52]

Musical style and influences

Rush's musical style has changed substantially over the years. Their debut album is strongly influenced by British-Blues rock: an amalgam of sounds and styles from such rock bands as Cream, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple. Cream were a 1960s British rock band Led Zeppelin were Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertfordshire in 1968 Over the first few albums their style remained essentially hard rock, with heavy influences from The Who^[53] and Led Zeppelin,^[9] but also became increasingly influenced by the British progressive rock movement. The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend ^[54] In the tradition of progressive rock, Rush wrote protracted songs with irregular and multiple time signatures combined with fantasy/science fiction-inspired lyrics; however, they did not soften their sound. The time signature (also known as " meter signature" is a notational convention used in Western Musical notation to specify how many beats This fusion of hard and progressive rock continued until the end of the 1970s. In the 1980s, however, Rush successfully merged their sound with the trends of this period, experimenting with New Wave, reggae and pop rock. Pop rock is a hybrid of Pop music and Rock music that uses catchy pop style with light lyrics over top of guitar-based songs ^[55] This period included the band's most extensive use of instruments such as synthesizers, sequencers and electronic percussion. A music sequencer (also MIDI sequencer or just sequencer) is software or hardware designed to create and manage computer-generated music It is largely agreed that the culmination of this era of Rush was in 1987 after the release of Hold Your Fire. ^[56] With the approach of the early '90s and Rush's character sound still intact, the band transformed their style once again to harmonize with the alternative rock movement. Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of ^[57] The new millennium has seen them return to a more rock and roll roots sound, albeit with modern production. ^[53]

Band members

• Geddy Lee – bass guitar, lead vocals, keyboards, mellotron, bass and synthesizer pedals, electric and acoustic rhythm guitar (September 1968-present)
• Alex Lifeson – six and twelve-string acoustic and electric guitars, classical guitar, mandolin, mandola, Bouzouki, backing vocals, bass and synthesizer pedals (summer 1968-present)
• Neil Peart – drums, electronic and acoustic percussion (July 1974–present)

Former members

• John Rutsey – drums, percussion, backing vocals (summer 1968–July 1974)
• Jeff Jones – bass, lead vocals (summer 1968-September 1968)

Reputation

More than 30 years of activity has provided Rush with the opportunity for musical diversity across their discography. The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a Musical keyboard. The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical polyphonic keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s An electric guitar is a type of Guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current which is made louder A mandolin is a musical instrument in the Lute family (plucked or strummed The mandola (US and Canada or tenor mandola (Europe Ireland and UK is a fretted stringed Musical instrument. The bouzouki ( gr το μπουζούκι pl. τα μπουζούκια (plural sometimes transliterated as bouzoukia) is the mainstay of modern As with many bands known for experimentation, such changes have inevitably resulted in dissent among critics and fans. The bulk of the band's music has always included synthetic instruments in some form or another, and this is a great source of contention in the Rush camp, especially the band's heavy reliance on synthesizers and keyboards during the 1980s, particularly on albums Grace Under Pressure, Power Windows, and Hold your Fire. ^[58][59] Still, most fans saw this as nothing less than artistic growth and support for the band remained unwavering through each transitional phase. ^[56]

The members of Rush have themselves noted that people "either love Rush or hate Rush", resulting in strong detractors and an intensely loyal fan base. To the chagrin of fans, the band has not been nominated for entry into the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since their year of eligibility in 1998. The Hall's refusal to induct Rush may be a consequence of the band's insistence on remaining outside the mainstream of rock when it comes to self-promotion, in favor of maintaining a high degree of independence. ^[60] To this day fans earnestly clamor for the band's inclusion into the Hall by citing noteworthy accomplishments including longevity, proficiency, and influence, as well as commercial sales figures and RIAA certifications. However, Lifeson has expressed his indifference toward the perceived slight saying "I couldn't care less, look who's up for induction, it's a joke". ^[61] Rush has gained a degree of recognition in popular culture despite any official recognition from the Hall. ^[62]

As a band, Rush has been nominated for and received various awards throughout its career. Likewise, the individual members have received coverage in various modern music magazines with specific technocratic recognition for instrumental ability. See List of awards and nominations for Rush for more details on this topic.

Geddy Lee

Geddy Lee in concert, 2004.

Geddy Lee's high-register vocal style has always been a main signature of the band — and sometimes, a focal point for criticism, especially during the early years of Rush's career when Lee's vocals were high-pitched, with a strong likeness to other singers like Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin. Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948 West Bromwich, England) is an English rock singer and songwriter famous for his membership in the Led Zeppelin were In fact, his voice is often described as a "wail". ^[63][64] However, his voice has softened significantly over the years. His instrumental abilities, on the other hand, are rarely criticized. An award-winning musician, Lee's style, technique, and ability on the bass guitar have proven influential in the rock and heavy metal genres, inspiring such players as Steve Harris of Iron Maiden,^[65] John Myung of Dream Theater,^[66] Les Claypool of Primus^[67] and Cliff Burton of Metallica^[68] among others. Stephen Percy Harris (born March 12, 1956 in Leytonstone, London, England) is the Bassist, band leader and primary For other uses see Iron maiden. John Ro Myung (ˈmaɪəŋ (born on January 24, 1967 in Chicago, Illinois) is a Bassist and a founding member of the Progressive Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool (born September 29, 1963 in Richmond, California, U Clifford Lee Burton (February 10 1962 &ndash September 27 1986 was a bass guitarist best known for his work with the American heavy metal band Metallica Lee is notable for his ability to operate various pieces of instrumentation simultaneously. This is mostly evident during live shows when Lee must play bass, supply lead vocals, manipulate keyboards, and trigger foot pedals during the course of a performance, as in the song "Tom Sawyer". ^[54] Because of this he is required to remain in one place during songs containing complex instrumentation. Lifeson and Peart are, to a lesser extent, responsible for similar actions during live shows.

Alex Lifeson

Alex Lifeson in concert, 2007.

Instrumentally, Lifeson is regarded as a virtuoso guitarist whose strengths and notability rely primarily on signature riffing, electronic effects, unorthodox chord structures, chorusing/phrasing and a copious arsenal of equipment used over the years. ^{[69] [70] [71]} Despite his esteem, however, Lifeson is often regarded as being overshadowed by his bandmates due to Lee's on-stage multi-instrumental dexterity and Peart's status as a drummer. ^[72]

During his adolescent years, he was influenced primarily by Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix) (November 27 1942 – September 18 1970 was an American Guitarist, Singer and Songwriter Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born 19 May 1945 in Chiswick, London) is an English rock Guitarist, Singer, Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck (born June 24, 1944 to Arnold and Ethel Beck in Wallington, England) is an English Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE (born 30 March 1945 is an English Blues-rock Guitarist, singer Songwriter and Composer James Patrick Page, OBE (born 9 January 1944 is an English Guitarist, Composer and record producer ^[73] For versatility, Lifeson was known to incorporate touches of Spanish and classical music into Rush's guitar-driven sound during the 1970s. Taking a backseat to Lee's keyboards in the 1980s, Lifeson's guitar returned to the forefront in the 1990s, and especially on 2002's Vapor Trails. During live performances, he is still responsible for cuing various guitar effects, the use of bass-pedal synthesizers and backing vocals.

Neil Peart

Music

Peart is commonly regarded by music fans, critics and fellow musicians as one of the greatest rock drummers. ^[74] He is also regarded as one of the finest practitioners of the in-concert drum solo. ^[75] Initially inspired by Keith Moon, Peart absorbed the influence of other rock drummers from the 1960s and 1970s such as Ginger Baker, Carmine Appice, and John Bonham. Keith John Moon ( August 23, 1946 &ndash September 7, 1978) was the Drummer of the rock group The Who. Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker (born 19 August 1939 Lewisham, South London) is an English Drummer. Carmine Appice (b December 15, 1946 in Brooklyn New York) is an American rock Drummer of Italian ancestry John Henry "Bonzo" Bonham (May 31 1948 – September 25 1980 was an English Drummer and member of the band Led Zeppelin. ^[76] Incorporation of unusual instruments (for rock drummers of the time) such as cowbells, glockenspiel, and tubular bells, along with several standard kit elements, helped create a highly varied setup. The glockenspiel ( German, "set of bells quot or "play-bells" also known as orchestra bells and in its portable Tubular bells (also known as chimes) are Musical instruments in the percussion family Continually modified to this day, Peart's drumkit offers an enormous array of percussion instruments for sonic diversity. For two decades Peart honed his technique; each new Rush album introduced an expanded percussive vocabulary. In the 1990s, he reinvented his style with the help of drum coach Freddie Gruber. Freddie Gruber is a jazz drummer and drum teacher He came up in the nascent New York Be-bop scene and gigged with Charlie Parker, among many It was at this point that Peart began emulating jazz drummer Buddy Rich. Bernard "Buddy" Rich ( September 30 1917 &ndash April 2 1987) was an American jazz drummer and Bandleader

Neil Peart in concert, 2007.

Lyrics

Peart also serves as Rush's primary lyricist, attracting much attention over the years due to his eclectic style. Known for penning concept suites and songs inspired by literature, music fan opinions of his writing have varied greatly, running the gamut from cerebral and insightful to overly pretentious and preachy. During the band's early years, Peart's lyrics were largely fantasy/science fiction-focused and did not appeal to all listeners. ^[77] Peart's lyrics continue to divide audiences today. For example, in 2007, he was placed second on Blender magazine's list of the "40 Worst Lyricists In Rock". Blender is an American music Magazine that bills itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more" ^[78]

Albums

Studio album discography

Main article: Rush discography

• Rush (1974)
• Fly by Night (1975)
• Caress of Steel (1975)
• 2112 (1976)
• A Farewell to Kings (1977)
• Hemispheres (1978)
• Permanent Waves (1980)
• Moving Pictures (1981)
• Signals (1982)
• Grace Under Pressure (1984)
• Power Windows (1985)
• Hold Your Fire (1987)
• Presto (1989)
• Roll the Bones (1991)
• Counterparts (1993)
• Test for Echo (1996)
• Vapor Trails (2002)
• Feedback (2004)
• Snakes & Arrows (2007)

Album sales

Over the course of their career, Rush has come to release a total of 24 gold records and 14 platinum records (3 of which have gone multiplatinum),^[79] placing them within the top 5 for the most consecutive gold albums by a rock band. This is the discography of the Canadian rock band Rush. Albums All chart positions are U Rush is the first Studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1974 (see 1974 in music) and remastered in Fly by Night is the second studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in February 1975. Caress of Steel is the third Studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1975 2112 ("Twenty-One Twelve" is the fourth Studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1976. A Farewell to Kings is the fifth Studio album by Canadian rock band Hemispheres is the sixth Studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1978. Permanent Waves is the seventh Studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released January Moving Pictures is the eighth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1981 Signals is the ninth studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1982 (see 1982 in music) Grace Under Pressure is the tenth studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1984 (see 1984 in music) Power Windows is the eleventh studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1985 (see Hold Your Fire is the twelfth studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in the fall of 1987 (see 1987 in music) Presto is the thirteenth studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1989 (see 1989 in music) Roll the Bones is the fourteenth studio Album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1991 (see 1991 in music) Counterparts is the fifteenth studio Album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1993 (see 1993 in music) Test for Echo is the sixteenth studio Album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1996 (see 1996 in music) Vapor Trails is the seventeenth studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 2002 (see 2002 in music) Feedback is a studio EP by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 2004 with eight Cover songs The album marked Snakes & Arrows is the 18th full-length Studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush. ^[80] Rush ranks 78th in U. S. album sales according to the RIAA with sales of 25 million units. ^[81] Total worldwide sales approximate 40 million units. ^{[82][83][84][85]}

Despite having completely dropped out of the public eye for five years after the gold-selling Test for Echo (which peaked at number 5 on the Billboard 200) and the band being relegated almost solely to classic rock stations in the U. S. , Vapor Trails reached #6 on the Billboard 200 chart in its first week of release in 2002 with 108,000 albums sold. It has sold approximately 343,000 units to date. The subsequent Vapor Trails tour grossed over $24 million and included the largest audience ever to see a headlining Rush show — 60,000 fans in São Paulo, Brazil. São Paulo ( is the largest city in Brazil, with its metropolitan area ranking among the largest urban areas in the world |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Nevertheless, Vapor Trails remains their first album not to achieve at least gold status.

However, Rush's triple CD live album, 2003's Rush in Rio, was certified gold by the RIAA, marking the fourth decade in which a Rush album had been released and certified at least gold. Moreover, in 2004 Feedback cracked the top 20 on the Billboard 200 chart and received radio airplay. The band's most recent album, Snakes & Arrows, debuted at #3 (just one position shy of Rush's highest peaking album, 1993's Counterparts, which debuted at #2) on the Billboard 200 selling approximately 93,000 copies in its first week of release. Snakes & Arrows is the 18th full-length Studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush. ^[86] This marks the 13th studio album to appear in the Top 20 and the band's 27th album to appear on the chart regardless of position over the course of their career. The album also debuted at #1 on the Billboard's Top Rock Albums chart, as well as peaking at #1 on the Top Internet Albums chart when the album was released on the MVI format a month later. ^[87] Still, Snakes & Arrows has yet to accumulate sales that approach or eclipse Vapor Trails or Rush in Rio.

Live performances

The members of Rush share a strong work ethic, desiring to accurately recreate songs from their albums when playing live performances. Toward this goal, beginning in the late 1980s, Rush has included in their concert equipment a capacious rack of digital samplers which the band members use, in real-time, to recreate the sounds of non-traditional instruments, accompaniments, vocal harmonies, and other sound "events" that are familiarly heard on the studio versions of the songs. A sampler is an electronic musical instrument closely related to a Synthesizer.

In live performances, the band members share duties throughout most songs, with each member triggering certain sounds with his available limbs, while playing his primary instrument(s). Each band member has one or more MIDI controllers that enables him to use his free hands or feet to trigger sounds that have been loaded into the samplers for a particular song. MIDI controller is used in two senses In one sense a controller is hardware or software which generates and transmits MIDI data to MIDI-enabled devices ^[88] It is with this technology that the group is able to present their arrangements in a live setting with the level of complexity and fidelity that fans have come to expect, and without the need to resort to the use of backing tracks or employing an additional band member. A backing track is an audio or MIDI recording which musicians play or sing along to in order to add parts to their music which would be impractical to perform live ^[89]

The band members' coordinated use of foot-pedal keyboards and other electronic triggers to "play" sampled instruments and audio events is subtly visible in their live performances, especially so on R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour, their 2005 concert DVD. R30 30th Anniversary World Tour is a live DVD by the Canadian band Rush, that was released on November 22 DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is ^[90]

A staple of Rush's concerts is a Peart drum solo. Peart's drum solos include a basic framework of routines connected by sections of improvisation, making each performance unique. Each successive tour sees the solo more advanced, with some routines dropped in favor of newer, more complex ones. Since the mid-1980s, Peart has used MIDI trigger pads to trigger sounds sampled from various pieces of acoustic percussion that would otherwise consume far too much stage area, such as a marimba, harp, temple blocks, triangles, glockenspiel, orchestra bells, tubular bells, and vibra-slap as well as other, more esoteric percussion. MIDI ( Musical Instrument Digital Interface, ˈmɪdi is an industry-standard protocol that enables Electronic musical instruments Computers A sound module (sometimes referred to as tone generator) is an Electronic musical instrument without a human-playable interface such as a keyboard, for In some parts of Africa the term "marimba" refers to the Kalimba. The harp is a Stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicular to the soundboard. The temple block is a percussion instrument originating in China, Japan and Korea where it is used in religious ceremonies The triangle is an Idiophone type of Musical instrument in the percussion family A bell is a simple Sound -making device The bell is a Percussion instrument and an Idiophone. A vibraslap (also called the mandible is a Percussion instrument consisting of a piece of stiff wire (bent in a handle-like shape connecting a wood

See also

• Rush instrumentals
• List of awards and nominations for Rush

References

Further reading

Books

• Rush: Visions: The Official Biography – Banasiewicz, Bill. (1988), Omnibus Press – ISBN 0-7119-1162-2
• Rush Tribute: Merely Players – Telleria, Robert (2002) – ISBN 1-55082-271-3
• Rush: Success Under Pressure – Gett, Steve. (1984) – ISBN 0-89524-230-3
• Rhythm & Light – Nuttall, Carrie, (2005), Rounder Books, ISBN 1-57940-093-0
• Drum Techniques of Rush – Peart (1985) – ISBN 0-7692-5055-6
• More Drum Techniques of Rush – Peart, Wheeler (1989) – ISBN 0-7692-5051-3
• The Masked Rider: Cycling in West Africa – Peart (1999) – ISBN 1-895900-02-6
• Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road – Peart (2002) – ISBN 1-55022-546-4 (hardcover), ISBN 1-55022-548-0 (paperback)
• Traveling Music: Playing Back the Soundtrack to My Life and Times – Peart (2004) – ISBN 1-55022-664-9
• Contents Under Pressure: 30 Years of Rush at Home and Away – Popoff, Martin. Ghost Rider Travels on the Healing Road (ISBN 1-550-22548-0 is a 2002 Memoir by Neil Peart, the Drummer and main Lyricist for Publisher: Ecw Press (June 28, 2004) – ISBN 1-55022-678-9
• Mystic Rhythms: The Philosophical Vision of Rush – Price, et al. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " (1999) – ISBN 1-58715-102-2
• Rush: Chemistry : The Definitive Biography – Collins, Jon. (2006) Helter Skelter Publishing – ISBN 1-900924-85-4 (Hardcover)
• Roadshow: Landscape With Drums - A Concert Tour By Motorcycle – Peart (2006), Rounder – ISBN 1-57940-142-2

Scholarly articles

• "Rand, Rush, and De-totalizing the Utopianism of Progressive Rock" by Steven Horwitz (2002)
• "Textu(r)al Undercoding and the Music of the Rock Band Rush: String Quartets, Death Metal, Trip-Hop, and other Tributes" by Dr. Durrell Bowman (2004/2002)
• "'Open Secrets': Individualism and Middle-Class Identity in the songs of Rush," Popular Music and Society Volume 31 No. 3, July 2008, pp. 313-328, by Chris McDonald.
• "'Making Arrows Out of Pointed Words': Critical Reception, Taste Publics and Rush," Journal of American and Comparative Cultures, Volume 25 No. 3-4, September 2002, pp. 249-259, by Chris McDonald
• "Grand Designs: A Musical, Social and Ethographic Study of Rush" (dissertation, Ph.D. in ethnomusicology, York University, 2002) by Chris McDonald
• "Structure, Function and Process in the Early Song Cycles and Extended Songs of the Canadian Rock Group Rush" (dissertation, Ph. D. in music theory, Ohio State University, 2002) by Brian Walsh
• "Permanent Change: Rush, Musicians' Rock, and the Progressive Post-Counterculture" (dissertation, Ph.D. in musicology, UCLA, 2003) by Dr. Durrell Bowman

External links

• Official RUSH Home Page