Rush, the best thing ever to come out of Canada

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OK, topic title is maybe slightly exagerated but definitely in music terms they ARE.



Been going through some of their stuff today again and it still moves me every time I hear it. To realise this band has been going for 40 years and still manages to produce great records, while their older stuff never ever sounded outdated, ... amazing. My favourite songs of them are the synth-driven ones like they did in the era when they produced Tom Sawyer, Subdivisions, etc. but the evolution of the band and seeing they pulled off some extraordinary music in every style they tackled is extremely interesting. I would say Subdivisions is their best song both lyrically and musically, but some other tracks come very close. Today I have been playing Limelight over and over again, also one of those tracks that gets under your skin the first second and keeps repeating itself in your head.

Terribly underappreciated band, especially here in Europe where they have a cult following but not a huge following. They deserved more recognition than they got, as they have always been a very renewing band that never hesitated to evolve their sound.

I guess in the super group category, they are, unfortunately Nickelback also come from Canada, and my province of Alberta, everybody here can't stand them, to commercial.

Rush are really good, but Arcade Fire are the best Canadian rock band. But it's close.

Other contenders include The Tragically Hip, Tokyo Police Club, Barenaked Ladies, Tegan and Sara, Death from Above 1979 and Crystal Castles.

They are all very good too, but they haven't been as big an influence as Rush.
Another interesting Canadian band is God Speed You Black Emperor

I like Rush, they are amazing- Neil Peart is the greatest drummer of all time!!

Outdated? Heck, the older stuff is more relevant than ever! A Farewell To Kings and Beneath, Between and Behind apply with far more deadly accuracy to the Bush Administration than they ever did to the machinations of Nixon...

I somewhat dig them

I am usually not too much into the drumming aspect of music, but I agree Neil Peart is outstanding. Rush are one of the few bands where I do pay attention a lot to the drums. But as much as a great drummer, he is an amazing lyricist, he does write the overwhelming majority of Rush's lyrics (I am not sure if Geddy or Alex do write lyrics) and some of his lyrics have even been used in lectures on art in Canadian universities. The last Rush album was quite political, the lyrics were as good as ever.

"In between the bright lights and the far unlit unknown", that is one of the best lines in the history of rock music IMO. That line somehow stirs up my travel desires, it is amazingly well written but leaving room for your own interpretation.

PS: here is a video from their latest album. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S9uNxUI9ng
Still great music, the band existed 38 years already when this was released...

I saw them in 1980, they were incredible, best concert I have ever been to, besides Pink Floyd, they were great too, but the outdoor venue sucked.

I would love to see Rush live, but they mainly tour North America. In Europe they are very underrated, and unfortunately they don't come over here too often. They are touring right now but only in the US and Canada, for us Europeans it will probably take another 1 or 2 years before they come over again.

I like Rush, but I say that Neil Young is the greatest musical artist to come out of Canada! The Guess Who was a great band, too.

i second gy!be and add Cryptopsy (with the exception of their new album)

but yea rush are awesome, there was about a year there where whenever i got drunk id start preaching about the good news of rush

hold your fire is probably my favorite album, despite tom sawyer being my favorite song

am would list death from above 1979 as being the best to come from canada.

Just heard "The Trees" for the first time. Wow. Sublime. That guitar solo in the middle along with that background drum noises. Fantastic song.

Also saw their live DVD now, their are amazing as much live as on album. I have the feeling though lot of people focus on Neil Peart and Geddy Lee which is IMO a bit insulting to Alex Lifeson whose contributions to the music seem to be a bit underrated. His guitar solos are amazing (eg the solo after the second chorus from Limelight, the guitar instrumental piece in Working Man, the intro to Spirit of Radio, ...)

THey weren't bad in the 70's though I didn't like a lot of the stuff that they did after 'Moving Pictures'.

Other Canadian bands that are well worth checking out are:

Les Breastfeeders
NoMeansNo
Simply Saucer
Death From Above 1979
Bachmann Turner Overdrive