 Rush in concert in Milan (September 21, 2004) from left:Lifeson, Lee and Peart. Rush is an award-winning Canadian progressive rock band comprised of bassist/keyboardist/vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer Neil Peart (pronounced: 'Peert') that has been consistently recording since 1973. The band was formed in the summer of 1968, in Toronto by Lifeson, Lee, and John Rutsey (who played drums for Rush on the first album but resigned for health concerns shortly thereafter). Since Peart joined in 1974, they have remained intact. Lee and Lifeson usually write the music and Peart writes the lyrics, although every once in a while they will collaborate on lyrics or music.
Rush have been awarded the Juno Award (Canada's equivalent of the Grammy Award) on numerous occasions, and all three individuals are Members of the Order of Canada.
History
Rush's musical style has changed greatly over the lifetime of the group. Albums prior to 1980's Permanent Waves are a mix of heavy metal and progressive rock similar to Yes or Genesis. Demonstrating their birth within the short-lived era of glitter rock bands, such as Alice Cooper or Ziggy Stardust, Rush were known to have flashy costumes and stage shows. The lyrics of that time were heavily influenced by science fiction and, in a few cases, the writings and philosophy of Ayn Rand, as exhibited most prominently by 1976's 2112 and 1978's Hemispheres. Many of their early songs received limited airplay because of their extended length (in some cases exceeding ten minutes) which were deemed unprofitable by station managers.
Permanent Waves changed things dramatically. Although the music was still based on heavy-metal style, more and more keyboards were introduced. The themes of the songs changed dramatically, and became far more in common with alternative rock than prog-rock. One song in particular, Spirit of Radio (named for the Toronto-local groundbreaking radio station, CFNY), went on to become a huge hit on the alternative circuit. Another favourite on American classic rock stations to this day is Tom Sawyer from 1981's Moving Pictures. From that point on, their albums of the 1980s tended to follow this lead, although recordings in the later 1980s and 1990s have sometimes been derided as being too mainstream.
Each of the three individual artists has produced and released work independent of the band's structure, to varying degrees of commercial and critical success.
After 1996's Test for Echo, the band entered a six-year hiatus due mainly 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 embarked on a self-described "healing journey" by motorcycle in which he travelled thousands of miles across North America. He subsequently wrote about his travels in his book . Rush later said that they came very close to disbanding during this period.
The band returned in 2002 with a surprisingly heavy and modern Vapor Trails album, their first without keyboards in over twenty years. The album contains the song "Ghost Rider", describing Peart's motorcycle journey. It 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.
The band was one of a number of hometown favourites to play the SARS relief concert (dubbed SARStock) at Downsview Park in Toronto in August 2003, with an attendance of over half a million people. Also in 2003, Alex Lifeson appeared in the highy successful Canadian mockumentary Trailer Park Boys. Rush also played for CBC's 2004 tsunami relief telethon, along with Ed Robertson (of the Barenaked Ladies) and Mike Smith (Bubbles) from Trailer Park Boys.
A live album, Rush in Rio, was released in late October 2003. The companion DVD won the 2004 Juno for best music DVD. June 2004 saw the release of Feedback, a studio EP featuring eight covers of such artists as Cream and The Who. It is rumored that the band is to go back into the studio to record a new album in early 2005.
Rush has been nominated for a Best Rock Instrumental Performance Grammy Award for Neil Peart's drum solo, O Baterista from the album Rush in Rio.
Discography
Studio albums
Official live albums
Compilations/interviews
Solo efforts of band members:
- Burning for Buddy, Volume 1 (Buddy Rich tribute album) – (Solo), Peart, et al (1994)
- Burning for Buddy, Volume 2 (Buddy Rich tribute album) – (Solo), Peart, et al (1994/-5?)
- Victor – (Solo), Lifeson, et al (1996)
- My Favorite Headache – (Solo), Lee, et al (November 2000)
Books
Awards list
Rush has received many awards during their 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
- 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"
Grammys
- 1982 Runner-up in Best Rock Instrumental
- "YYZ" - beat by The Police's "Behind My Camel"
- 1992 Runner-up in Best Rock Instrumental
- "Where's My Thing" - beat by Eric Johnson's "Cliffs of Dover"
- 2004 Nomination in Best Rock Instrumental Performance
- "O Baterista" from Rush In Rio
Magazine awards
- Geddy Lee is in the Bass Hall of Fame for Guitar Player Magazine
- (he has won Best Rock Bass more than 5 times).
- Geddy Lee won "best Rock Bass player" in the 1993 "Bass Player" readers' poll.
- Alex Lifeson won Best Rock Talent in 1983 (I assume that it's on the same mag),
and he was inducted into the Guitar for the Practicing Musician Hall of
Fame in May of 1991.
Neil 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
- Best Multi-Percussionist: 1983,1984,1985,1986
- Best Percussion Instrumentalist: 1982
- Most Promising New Drummer: 1980
- Best All Around: 1986
- Best Recorded Performance: 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
- 1986 Honor Roll: Rock Drummer, Multi-Percussion
External Links
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