Rush: the Masters of Heavy Prog

P r o g r e s s i v e R o c k W o r l d

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Heavy Prog

The immense Rush are a Canadian band founded in 1968, the greatest representatives of the Heavy Prog movement in progressive rock .

The group was formed between 1968 and 1974 with guitarist Alex Lifeson , drummer John Rutsey and then bassist/singer Geddy Lee , who was joined in 1974 by drummer and lyricist Neil Peart , who wrote many of the band's lyrics. Neil Peart 's addition to the lineup led to a huge increase in the complexity of the songs.

The band is one of the most influential progressive and hard rock bands in history, with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame stating that their influence in the 1970s was as significant as that of the Beatles in the previous decade.

Rush began their recording career with John Rutsey on drums, who only appeared on their first album , and a hard rock/blues sound influenced by the great bands of the time, which had influenced many bands in the previous years, such as Led Zeppelin (who had already released their fifth studio album) and Cream (who had already released their albums).

In Brief:

In 1968 Alex Lifeson and John Rutsey formed Rush near Toronto, Ontario.

In 1971 Geddy Lee joined the band, replacing Jeff Jones on bass and vocals.

In 1974 Neil Peart joined the band, replacing Rutsey and as a lyricist, Rutsey soon left Rush , due to stylistic differences but also to health problems.

Neil Peart 's influence on the band's sound was enormous. He was one of the greatest drummers of all time, and the greatest while he was alive. His style featured extremely complex odd time signatures, as did the arrangements and the innovative use of electronic percussion. His solos were characterized by great technical precision, incorporating separate patterns between arms and legs with exceptional precision and richness in his interpretations and variations.

Rush 's sound soon became a reference as it was unique, combining progressive rock and hard rock .

Among their albums, Moving Pictures from 1981 is considered among Rush 's best and most important and one of the best hard rock albums of all time but Rush have produced at least 4 other essential masterpieces for progressive rock which are 2112 from 1976, A Farewell To Kings from 1977, Hemispheres from 1978, Permanent Waves from 1980 .

My experience in the music world is closely tied to Rush . I was just a kid when I played drums in a progressive rock band, and at concerts we only played our own songs and a few covers, including " Subdivisions " from Signals , which I was pretty good at despite Neil Peart 's unrivaled ability , but I put in a lot of effort. My introduction came when Mizio (Maurizio) joined the band I was playing in, joining the lead keyboardist, and he was (and is) a Rush fan . I started with Signals , then Moving Pictures , and then all the albums whose photos and reviews you'll find below.

A huge band that carved a path into the history of progressive rock. The passing of the genius Neil Peart on January 7, 2020, at the age of just 67, was a blow to the heart. A long discography and bibliography remain to remember and represent a gigantic musician, but above all a great man who, among other things, loved to travel by motorcycle, like me. His BMW R 1200 GS, which was auctioned off and sold to a private collector for over €20,000 in January 2025, was his personal motorcycle, a well-worn bike, with mileage marks. His beautiful book , Ghost Rider: Travel on the Healing Road , a travel diary from 2002, is a must-see.

The Discography and the Reviews