Decembers Personal Challenge
"Listen to all my Rush music in 27 days (not counting holidays)"
Challenge began December 4th…
First up their Debut album through 2112 (1974 – 1976)
RUSH (1974): Imagine hearing this for the first time like it was really 1974 and you just brought this home. Great opening riff, but its Geddy Lee who strikes you between the eyes, never heard anything like that before nor will you again. Then the rock-funk of "Finding My Way" hits you hard, and Lifeson’s guitar tones and precision playing take over the experience. More rock-funk with "Need Some Love", this time Lee's bass work stands out, but the song is over just as soon as it begins. Take A Friend continues the groove and sexy bass lines and then you get hit with a cool bluesy number showcasing Lifeson again on “Here Again”, to me I hear some Lakeside Park in the rhythm guitar work – I like that even though they would dramatically change in musical style, and approach you can still hear the foundations of the band on this album. Side 2 works just as well as Side 1, for sexy-funk-rock. Side 2 only has one slight miss and that’s “In The Mood”, good song but the weakest track on here. “Before and After” is a solid guitar tune but this albums knocks another one out of the park with its closer, and classic Working Man. (Note to self: SHT should put together a small series on closers) … This album is about straight ahead rock and roll, no frills, no prog, just great blues based boogie rock! A must have…
FLY BY NIGHT (1975): Imagine being a fan of the debut album and running out to pick this up. Anthem sets a great tome and transition from their beginnings to where they are going. More in your face rock! You can hear the distinct changes from Rutsey to Peart right away. But also notice the clear lyrical change. A hint of something new. “Best I Can” sounds like it would fit perfectly on their debut. First hint of the new progressive direction lyrically and musically (IMO) can be heard on “Beneath, Between & Behind” and the obviously “By-Tor and the Snow Dog” just lays it wide open. This is the new Rush!! The Title track makes side 2 start very strong. “Making Memories”, “Rivedell” and “In The End” present a new sounds/styles as well, nice acoustic work, these are styles we will hear revisited and in their perfected form on their later 2112 release. Another must have!
CARESS OF STEEL (1975): A Rush job (so to speak)? Or great prog? Why wait to answer the question, time has been favorable to this album, its great prog! Bastille Day hits you like a brick with its opening riff, but where Fly By Night dabbled in lyrical themes and prog this is album is a full on assault of both! I loved it! Including the whimsical “I Think I’m Going Bald”. Hey, I was 10-11, who wouldn’t think that’s funny and listen? But looking back its probably the one track that just doesn’t fit, but listen closer and you hear the groove and bass lines that were ever present on their debut album, so even though it may not fit, it has historical value in my mind. One wiki tidbit that I learned later about it … "I Think I'm Going Bald" was written for Canadian rocker Kim Mitchell, who at the time was the frontman of the band Max Webster and a close friend of the members of Rush. It is also stated in the book Contents Under Pressure, that the song "I Think I'm Going Bald" was written as a homage to KISS's "Goin' Blind". … Moving on… “Lakeside Park” is another transitional tune, kind of ties Fly By Night and this album together nicely. Now for the last two tracks, “The Necromancer: Into Darkness/Under the Shadow/Return of the Prince”; pure fantasy, but also note The Hobbit tie in and link to By-Tor the Snow Dog. A very cool and interesting listen! Then lastly, “The Fountain of Lamneth: In the Valley/Didacts and Narpets/No One At” – both track coming at a combined 32+ minutes, this is downright like, um… like … LIKE NOTHING YOU’VE EVER HEARD BEFORE! Here’s something I probably don’t need say anymore… Another must have!
2112 (1976): A Must Own! Cited by millions as their favorite Rush album! I don’t know how you can pick just one, but I couldn’t argue with this as their choice. Rush has stated that this album gave them the freedom to do whatever they wanted and they did it by doing what they wanted to anyway! A study of two sides really. Side one being one seven part song, 2112, and side two being the 3-5 minute catchy tracks the studio wanted! 2112 revisited the writings of Ayn Rand (First referenced in the Fly By Night opening track “Anthem”) and tells the story of the Red Star Federation and the Priests who control all aspects of life in the year 2112. A dude finds a guitar, learn how to play it, presents it the Priest who deem it a threat and destroy it … Probably not telling you anything you don’t already know. Here’s something else we all know as well, and that’s how to play air drums/guitar/bass to the entire first side. Side two is cool, it’s got great links to Fly By Night (go back and listen to Making Memories). I love the ties that bind! It makes these albums so much more special.
Next up? Whatever I feel like.... 
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