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Rush is a Canadian rock band comprising bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart. Rush was formed in the summer of 1968, in the neighbourhood of Willowdale in Toronto, Ontario, by Alex Lifeson, Jeff Jones, and John Rutsey. Geddy Lee replaced Jeff Jones in September 1968. There were several ephemeral lineup fluctuations between 1968 and May 1971, before Neil Peart replaced Rutsey on drums in July 1974, two weeks before the group's first U.S. tour, to complete the present line-up. Since the release of the band's self-titled debut album in 1974 Rush has become known for the instrumental virtuosity of its members, complex compositions, and eclectic lyrical motifs drawing heavily on science fiction, fantasy, libertarian philosophy, as well as addressing humanitarian, social, emotional, and environmental concerns.

Musically, Rush's style has evolved over the years, beginning in the vein of blues-inspired heavy metal on their eponymous debut to styles encompassing hard rock, progressive rock, a period dominated by synthesizers and, more recently, modern rock. Rush has influenced various modern artists such as Metallica, The Smashing Pumpkins and Primus, as well as many notable progressive metal bands such as Dream Theater and Symphony X.

Rush has been awarded several Juno Awards and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994. Over the course of their career, the individual members of Rush have been recognized as some of the most proficient players on their respective instruments with each member winning several awards in magazine readers' polls. As a whole, Rush boasts 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. Rush ranks 77th in U.S. album sales (tied with Nirvana, ZZ Top and Faith Hill) according to the RIAA with sales of 25 million units. 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. An intercontinental concert tour began June 13, 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Band members

• Geddy Lee – bass guitar, lead vocals, keyboards, including mellotron, bass and synthesizer pedals, guitars (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)

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. Over the first few albums their style remained essentially hard rock, with heavy influences from The Who and Led Zeppelin, but also became increasingly influenced by the British progressive rock movement. 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. 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. This period included the band's most extensive use of instruments such as synthesizers, sequencers and electronic percussion. It is largely agreed that the culmination of this era of Rush was in 1987 after the release of Hold Your Fire. 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. The new millennium has seen them return to a more rock-n-roll roots sound, albeit with modern production.

History

The early years (1968–1976)

The original line-up formed in August 1968, consisting of Jeff Jones on bass and lead vocals, Alex Lifeson on guitars, and John Rutsey on drums. Within a couple weeks of forming (and before their 2nd gig), 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.

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. 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 Terry Brown working in an unofficial capacity, the band released their self-titled debut album in 1974, which was considered highly derivative of Led Zeppelin. Rush had limited local popularity until the album was picked up by WMMS, a radio station in Cleveland, Ohio. Donna Halper, a DJ working at the station, selected "Working Man" for her regular play list. 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 in the U.S.

Immediately after the release of the debut album, Rutsey resigned in July 1974 due to his affliction with diabetes and a distaste for touring. 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. Receiving an advance from their record company the band purchased new equipment and 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. 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 mini-epic tale "By-Tor and the Snow Dog", replete with complex arrangements and multi-section format. Lyrical themes also underwent dramatic changes after the addition of Peart due to his love for fantasy and science-fiction literature. However, despite these many differences some of the music and songs still closely mirrored the blues style found on Rush's debut.

Following quickly on the heels of Fly By Night, the band released Caress of Steel (1975) a five track hard art rock album featuring two extended multi-chapter songs, "The Necromancer" and "The Fountain of Lamneth." 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. 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." 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, in spite of such urges, the band ignored the requests and developed their next album, 2112. It was the band's first taste of commercial success and their first platinum album in Canada. 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. 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.

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. 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. 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. 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.

Permanent Waves (1980) shifted Rush's style of music dramatically via the introduction of reggae and new wave. 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.S. Top 5 album; both songs continue to make appearances on classic rock radio stations in Canada and the United States to this day. 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.

Rush's popularity reached its pinnacle with the release of Moving Pictures 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 and "Limelight" also received satisfactory responses from listeners and radio stations. 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 (RIAA).

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. 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.

The synthesizer period (1982–1989)

While Geddy Lee's synthesizers had been featured instruments ever since the late 70s, 1982's Signals represented Rush's most drastic stylistic transformation up to that point. Keyboards were suddenly shifted from a contrapuntal background to the melodic frontlines. Traditional guitar solos also became less of a focal point as seen in "Countdown" and the lead-off track "Subdivisions". Both songs feature nimble lead synthesizer lines with minimalistic guitar chords and solos. Another song, "Losing It," features Ben Mink on electric violin.

Signals contained Rush's only U.S. top-40 pop hit, "New World Man", while, musically, other more experimental songs such as "Digital Man", "The Weapon", and "Chemistry" expanded the band's use of ska, reggae, and funk. 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.

The style and production of Signals were patently augmented and taken to new heights on 1984's Grace Under Pressure. 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 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. Still, many of his trademark guitar textures remained intact in the form of open reggae chords and funk and new-wave rhythms; "Red Lenses", "Red Sector A" and "The Enemy Within" serving as prime examples. Grace Under Pressure also featured a popular MTV music video for the anti-nuclear anthem "Distant Early Warning."

1985's Power Windows was followed by Hold Your Fire in 1987, both of which were produced by Peter Collins. 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 is 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. 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.

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 met with strong fan approval, but Rolling Stone critic Michael Azerrad dismissed it as "musical muscle" with 1.5 stars, claiming Rush fans viewed their favourite power trio as "the holy trinity". Nevertheless, A Show of Hands managed to surpass the gold album mark, reaching number 21 on the Billboard 200. At this point, the group decided to change record labels from Mercury to Atlantic. After Rush's departure in 1989, Mercury released a double platinum two-volume compilation of their Rush catalogue, Chronicles (1990).

Returning to their roots (1989–1997)

Rush started to deviate from their 1980s style with the albums Presto and Roll the Bones. Produced by record engineer and musician Rupert Hine, these two albums saw Rush shedding much of their keyboard-saturated sound. 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 centrepiece 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. 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 and its follow-up, 1996's Test for Echo, again both produced in collaboration with Peter Collins. Musically, Counterparts 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. 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. Musically, Test For Echo still retained much of the hard rock/alternative stylings 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. 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." 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 (1997–2006)

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. 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. In this book he writes of how he had told his bandmates at Selena's funeral, "consider me retired." On November 10, 1998 a triple CD live album entitled Different Stages was released, dedicated to the memory of Selena and Jacqueline. 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.

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. Peart married Nuttall on September 9, 2000. 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. 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. 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. 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.

A triple CD live album and dual Rush In Rio DVD,was released in late October 2003. It features 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, as well as two tracks "Between Sun & Moon", recorded at Cricket Pavilion, Phoenix, Arizona, on September 27, 2002, and "Vital Signs", recorded at Colisee, Quebec City, on October 19, 2002. 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.. That same summer of 2004, Rush again hit the road 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. 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.

A new DVD box set, called Rush Replay X 3, was released on June 13 2006. It consists of the three original home videos (Exit...Stage Left, Grace Under Pressure and A Show of Hands) completely remastered in 5.1 surround sound by Lifeson on DVD. Also included is a previously unreleased soundtrack CD to the Grace Under Pressure disc. Rush Replay x 3 debuted at #1 on the Billboard Music Video charts, marking the third consecutive time a Rush DVD has topped the music video charts.

Snakes & Arrows (2006–present)

During promotional interviews for the R30 Live In Frankfurt DVD, the band revealed their intention to begin writing new material in early 2006. 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. 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 the official Rush web site that the title of the new album would be Snakes & Arrows. It 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. 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.

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. 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. "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. 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. On October 3, 2007 Alex Lifeson confirmed an extension of the tour that will run through the summer of 2008 with 45 additional tour dates. The tour dates have since been released along with an announcement for the accompanying release of a Snakes & Arrows live album in April 2008. 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.

Reputation

More than 30 years of activity has provided Rush with the opportunity for musical diversity across their discography. As with many bands known for experimentation, such changes have inevitably resulted in some 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. Still, most fans saw this as nothing less than artistic growth and support for the band remained unwavering through each transitional phase.

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 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. 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, its a joke". Rush has gained a degree of recognition in popular culture despite any official recognition from the Hall.

Geddy Lee

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. In fact, his voice is often described as a "wail". His voice has softened significantly over the years while remaining distinctive. His instrumental abilities, on the other hand, are rarely criticized. An award-winning musician, Lee's style, technique, and virtuosity on the bass guitar have proven very influential in the rock and heavy metal genres, inspiring such players as Steve Harris of Iron Maiden, John Myung of Dream Theater, Les Claypool of Primus and Cliff Burton of Metallica among others. He is notable for his ability to competently operate various pieces of instrumentation simultaneously. This is mostly evident during live shows when it is necessary for Lee, as the frontman, to play bass, supply lead vocals, manipulate keyboards, and trigger foot pedals during the course of a performance, as in "Tom Sawyer". Because of this he is required to remain in one place during songs which contain complex instrumentation. Lifeson and Peart are, to a lesser extent, responsible for similar actions during live shows.

Alex Lifeson

Instrumentally, Lifeson is regarded as a 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. Despite his high esteem and popularity, however, Lifeson is sometimes regarded as being overshadowed by his bandmates due to Lee's on-stage multi-instrumental dexterity and Peart's iconic status as a drummer.

During his adolescent years, he was influenced primarily by Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. 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 has remained there ever since, along with his occasional duties of cuing various guitar effects and the use of bass-pedal synthesizers, as well as backing vocals.

Neil Peart

Peart is widely regarded by music fans, drummers, critics, and fellow musicians as one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock, this high esteem continuing today as it has throughout his playing career. He is also regarded as one of the finest practitioners of the in-concert drum solo. 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. 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. 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 surprised many fans by reinventing his style, with the help of drum coach Freddie Gruber. At this time, Peart began emulating jazz drummer Buddy Rich.

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. While the themes of Peart's lyrics have become more reality based since the release of Permanent Waves, he still positioned second on Blender Magazine's list of the "40 Worst Lyricists In Rock" in 2007.

Album sales overview

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), placing them within the top 5 for the most consecutive gold albums by a rock band. Rush ranks 77th in U.S. album sales according to the RIAA with sales of 25 million units. Total worldwide sales approximate 40 million units.

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. 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. 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. Even 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 depict 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.

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. 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.

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.

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.

Studio album 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)

Awards

Rush has received several awards and nominations throughout their three decade career.

Juno awards

Rush has been awarded the following Juno awards:

• 1974 Most promising group of the year
• 1977 Group of the year
• 1978 Group of the year
• 1990 Artist of the Decade (80's)
• 1991 Best Heavy Metal Album
• 1991 Best album cover - Presto
• 1992 Best Hard Rock Album
• 1992 Best album cover - Roll the Bones
• 2004 Music DVD of the year - Rush in Rio

Grammy nominations

• 1981 nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance
  • "YYZ" — lost to The Police's "Behind My Camel"
• 1992 nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance
  • "Where's My Thing?" — lost to Eric Johnson's "Cliffs of Dover"
• 1995 nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance
  • "Leave That Thing Alone" — lost to Pink Floyd's "Marooned"
• 2004 nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance
  • "O Baterista" from Rush In Rio — lost to Brian Wilson's "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow"
• 2008 nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance
  • "Malignant Narcissism" from Snakes & Arrows

Miscellaneous awards

• December 1990 - Rush wins Mayor's Award at the Toronto Music Awards.
• October 1992 - Recipients of the Harold Moon Award by the Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN). It is the most prestigious songwriter’s award in Canada.
• May 1993 - Rush is inducted into the Harvard National Lampoon and named “Group Of The Millennium”.
• October 1993 - Recipients of the Toronto Arts Award.
• March 1994 - Rush inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame
• May 1996 - Lee, Lifeson, and Peart are made Officers of the Order of Canada, the first rock musicians so honored.
• December 1996 - Performance magazine, a publication for the touring industry, nominated Rush as "Rock Act of the Year" for their 1996 Performance Readers Poll Awards.
• May 1997 - The Foundation Forum and F Musicfest have announced Rush this year's recipient of the "Concrete/Foundations Outstanding Contribution to Music Award. Rush joins a distinguished list of receipts including Van Halen, Kiss, Ozzy Osbourne and Alice Cooper.
• May 1999 - Rush was inducted into Canada's Walk Of Fame in Toronto.
• January 2000 - Rush has topped JAM! Music's online poll, which determines them "Best Canadian Musicians of All Time".
• 2003 - Inducted into the CMW Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame

Magazine awards

Geddy Lee

• Bass Hall of Fame - Guitar Player Magazine
• 6 time winner: "Best Rock Bass" - Guitar Player Magazine
• 1993 - "Best Rock Bass Player" Bass Player readers' poll

Alex Lifeson

• "Best Rock Talent" by Guitar for the Practicing Musician in 1983
• "Best Rock Guitarist" by Guitar Player in 1984
• Runner-up for "Best Rock Guitarist" in Guitar Player in 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986
• Inducted into the Guitar for the Practicing Musician Hall of Fame, 1991

Neil Peart

Peart has received the following awards in the Modern Drummer magazine reader's poll:

• Hall of Fame: 1983
• Best Rock Drummer: 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 2006 (won vote count, but ineligible*)
• Best Multi-Percussionist: 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986
• Best Percussion Instrumentalist: 1982
• Most Promising New Drummer: 1980
• Best All Around: 1986
• 1986 Honor Roll: Rock Drummer, Multi-Percussion

(* - As a member of the Honor Roll in these categories, he is no longer eligible for votes in the above categories.)

• Best Instructional Video: 2006, for Anatomy of A Drum Solo
• Best Drum Recording of the 1980s, 2007, for "YYZ" from Exit...Stage Left

• Best Recorded Performance:
  • 1980: Permanent Waves
  • 1981: Moving Pictures
  • 1982: Exit...Stage Left
  • 1983: Signals
  • 1985: Grace Under Pressure
  • 1986: Power Windows
  • 1988: Hold Your Fire
  • 1989: A Show of Hands
  • 1990: Presto
  • 1992: Roll the Bones
  • 1993: Counterparts
  • 1997: Test for Echo
  • 1999: Different Stages
  • 2002: Vapor Trails
  • 2004: R30
  • 2007: Snakes and Arrows

Peart has received the following awards from DRUM! magazine for 2007:

• Drummer of the Year
• Best Progressive Rock Drummer
• Best Live Performer
• Best DVD ("Anatomy Of A Drum Solo")
• Best Drumming Album (Snakes & Arrows)

Fan conventions

Two fan conventions are held annually:

• RushCon - The North American convention held in Toronto every year since 2001.
• EuCon - The unofficial name of the European Rush convention held in various parts of England since 1996.

See also

• Rush instrumentals

References

1. ^ Austin Chronicle Music Rush's 30th Anniversary Tour, Accessed 16 August 2006
2. Metallica thanks Rush Accessed August 15 2007
3. ^ CNN.com Rush profile Accessed 17 August 2006
4. Symphony X Official website FAQ Accessed 16 August 2006
5. RIAA Website
6. Rush tour schedule
7. ^ Alex Lifeson Interview, March 2006 Guitar Player Magazine Accessed 30 March 2006
8. ^ Allmusic: Rush album AllMusic.com Accessed 18 March 2006
9. ^ Geddy Lee Interview, March 2006 Bass Player Magazine Accessed 30 March 2006
10. Allmusic: Signals AllMusic.com Accessed 18 March 2006
11. ^ ProgArchives Accessed 18 March 2006
12. Allmusic: Counterparts AllMusic.com Accessed 18 March 2006
13. Banasiewicz, Bill (1990). Rush Visions: The Official Biography. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0711911622.
14. Banasiewicz, Bill. "Rush Visions: The Official Biography (excerpt)". Retrieved 2007-03-10.
15. Donna Halper, and the Rush Discovery Story RushWeb Accessed 5 March 2006
16. History of Rush History of Rush Accessed February 2006
17. ^ Fly By Night Review Allmusic Guide Accessed September 20 2007
18. Banasiewicz, Bill (1990). Rush Visions: The Official Biography. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-1162-2
19. Caress of Steel Review Greg Prato, Allmusic Guide Accessed September 20 2007
20. Tour Archive Caress of Steel Tour Archive Accessed 17 April 2006
21. Rush Highlights Official Rush Website Accessed 16 March 2006
22. Allmusic Guide Greg Prato on All the World's a Stage Accessed December 14, 2007
23. Power Windows Website Rush: By Brian Harrigan Accessed April 17 2007
24. 2112 and Ayn Rand Rush FAQ Accessed 16 March 2006
25. Geoff Barton (2006). "Rush: Progressive To The Core". Classic Rock Magazine Issue. 97. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
26. Rush Biography Allmusic guide, Jason Ankeny Accessed September 20 2007
27. Moving Pictures Certification Recording Industry Association of America Accessed 16 March 2006
28. Signals Rate Your Music Accessed 6 May 2006
29. Signals Review Rolling Stone Accessed 6 May 2006
30. New World Man Rush Archives Accessed 6 May 2006
31. Signals Musical Style Visions, the Official Rush Biography, Chapter 10 Accessed 6 May 2006
32. Grace Under Pressure "Success Under Pressure" Accessed 7 May 2006
33. Hold Your Fire Review Allmusic Guide, Ed Rivadavia Accessed September 20 2007
34. Hold your Fire Power Windows Website Accessed September 14, 2007
35. Rolling Stone A Show of Hands Review Accessed 6 June 2006
36. A Show of Hands Power Windows Website Accessed September 14, 2007
37. Chronicles Power Windows Website Accessed September 14, 2007
38. Roll the Bones Allmusic: Accessed 18 March 2006
39. ^ Counterparts Review Allmusic Guide Accessed April 18 2007
40. All Music Guide Test For Echo Review Accessed April 17 2007
41. Neil Peart's tutelage Drummerworld Accessed April 18 2007
42. Peart, Neil. Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road. Toronto: ECW Press. 2002. ISBN 1550225464
43. ^ Vapor Trails news archive Power Windows website Accessed 16 March 2006
44. Feedback new archive Power Windows Website Accessed 28 April
45. Replay x3 Rush Official Website Accessed 13 April 2006
46. Katie Hasty, "Ne-Yo Scores Second No. 1 In Debut-Heavy Week", Billboard.com, May 9, 2007
47. Rush Official Website, Rush.com, accessed August 3 2007.
48. Snakes and Arrows chart rankings, Power Windows website, Accessed August 12 2007.
49. Official Rush Website Accessed 26 March 2007.
50. Rush fan web site, accessed 17 October 2007.
51. Power Windows Website Latest Rush News Accessed January 20, 2008
52. Snakes & Arrows DVD release Power Windows website Accessed November 12, 2007
53. Snakes $ Arrows DVD release Neil Peart's Official website Accessed November 12, 2007
54. Grace Under Pressure All Music Accessed 18 March 2006
55. Rush Profile Music.com Accessed 28 March 2006
56. Vapor Trails Interview: "R30 Interviews"
57. Rock & Roll Hall of fame Power Windows website Accessed November 12, 2007
58. "Power Windows — A Tribute to Rush". Retrieved March 3. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
59. Allmusic: Geddy Lee Biography AllMusic.com Accessed 18 March 2006
60. East Rutherford, N.J., 16 December 1996, Concert Review New York Times Accessed 5 April 2006
61. Steve Harris Biography Accessed 18 December 2006
62. John Myung Biography Accessed 18 December 2006
63. Les Claypool Accessed 18 December 2006
64. Cliff Burton Accessed 18 December 2006
65. Alex Lifeson profile Dinosaur Rock God Accessed 31 March 2006
66. Alex Lifeson minor overview Guitar Player Accessed 16 July 2007
67. Alex Lifeson Archive Alex Lifeson Archive and equipment Accessed 16 July 2007
68. Alex Lifeson profile All Classical Accessed 31 March 2006
69. Alex Lifeson profile Epiphone Accessed 31 March 2006
70. Neil Peart profile Drummer World Accessed 30 March 2006
71. Modern Drummer Magazine April 2006 Article "Soloing in the Shadow of Giants". Modern Drummer Publishing Inc. NJ, USA.
72. Anatomy of a Drum Solo DVD, Neil Peart (2005) accompanying booklet. (Republished in Modern Drummer Magazine, April 2006)
73. Rush profile, John Mcferrin's Rock and Prog Reviews, accessed 18 March 2006
74. The 40 Worst Lyricists In Rock, Blender, November 2007.
75. RIAA searchable Database Recording Industry of America July 29, 2007
76. RIAA Top Artists Recording Industry Association of America Accessed July 29, 2007
77. RIAA Top Artists Recording Industry Association of America Accessed July 29, 2007
78. Classicrock.about.com by Dave White
79. Rockreport, Claim for 40 million sold albums, October 5, 2005
80. "Rush Turns Up The "Feedback"". Warner Music Group. 2004. Retrieved 2007-05-09. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
81. "Rush adds second show". The Air Canada Centre (website). 2007-04-27. Retrieved 2007-05-09. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
82. Power Windows Website Snakes & Arrows chart rankings Accessed August 7 2007
83. Power Windows Website Snakes and Arrows news page Accessed August 7 2007
84. "Rush Rolls Again", September 2002, OnStage Magazine
85. Peart, Neil Rush Backstage Club Newsletter, March 1990, via "Power Windows" Rush Fan Site
86. Rush R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour entry at IMDb.
87. Awards List Rush Awards list Accessed August 2 2007
88. Individual awards list Accessed 16 July 2007
89. Canadian Music Hall of Fame Accessed 16 March 2006
90. DRUM! Magazine Awards Blabbermouth.net Accessed January 1, 2008

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. Publisher: Ecw Press (June 28 2004) – ISBN 1-55022-678-9
• Mystic Rhythms: The Philosophical Vision of Rush – Price, et al. (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)
• "'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
• Official RUSH Mailing List & Contest Page
• Official RUSH RADIO X3
• Template:Dmoz
• Unauthorized Rush Radio: 24/7 Rush Radio Online

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• Rush
• Progressive rock groups
• Canadian progressive rock groups
• Musical groups established in 1968
• 1970s music groups
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• Rock trios
• Mercury Records artists
• Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees
• Canada's Walk of Fame
• Juno Award winners
• Toronto musical groups