Sat Eye Candy: Rush

HOW CAN THREE GUYS MAKE ALL THAT SOUND?

Since the early 1970s Rush has served as an effective gateway into high level musicianship and smart rock construction. Long before most of us heard Return To Forever, Miles Davis or even Phish, we likely heard the hard rock majesty of “Limelight” or “Tom Sawyer,” which, like most of their canon, broaden the parameters of rock ‘n’ roll considerably. Part prog, part heavy rock, part fusion, Rush – Geddy Lee (bass, keys, vocals), Alex Lifeson (guitars) and Neal Peart (drums, percussion) – work as the perfect introduction to the expansive power of extremely talented, dedicated musicians hell-bent on making art rather than simple product. That they also inspire head banging and bong loading is crucial to their 35-year and counting popularity. Always happy to celebrate jam’s forefathers, we present this small salute to one of the most enduring, intelligent rock acts ever.

We kick off this assortment with “YYZ,” a tune that lies at the core of their popularity, a wicked switchback of quick shifts, artful dropouts and showy musicianship that remains unremittingly fun regardless of all the crazy braininess.

Unleash the unicorns!

If you were a alienated, brainy teen with a love of angst riddled music in the early 1980s then you probably wore out a copy of Signals and delighted everytime MTV played this video.

The band returned to instrumental composition for the first time since 1996 with 2007’s Snakes And Arrows, including jagged keeper “Malignant Narcissim.”

Time to fulfill the “universal dream.” This one rarely fails to make even the most hardened, cynical listener lose it, just a bit and enough to remind us of rock’s power to connect and stir us.

There’s a worldly energy to “Mystic Rhythms” that compares well with Peter Gabriel’s work during the ’80s, when this track first appeared on 1985’s Power Windows.

Continue reading for more Rush videos…

2002’s Vapor Trail album and tour were a triumph on several levels for Rush. Not only was it one of their strongest releases in years, the subsequent concerts boasted a revitalized band and one of their finest productions to date. All this occurred in the sad wake of drummer Neal Peart’s extreme personal loss of his only child and wife in a 10 month period, after which he’d announced his retirement. Thankfully he returned and found solace in his craft. “One Little Victory” is Rush at their heavy, sharp best, and while the sound on this clip is a bit dodgy it does show off the amazing set and effects from this tour well.

Epic vaguely begins to cover the huge scope of “2112,” which is the very definition of “ambitious rock.” This vintage performance from 1976 was cool enough to put up with the omnipresent time code, and for those who want the full monty, Part Two can be found here.

While many, many acts that enjoyed massive success in the ’80s failed to reproduce anything like it in the ’90s, Rush retooled and has remained a stadium filling sure bet ever since. The template for this new sound was laid down by 1991’s Roll The Bones.

The slight reggae accents to “Distant Early Warning” combined with the glossy keys and slick movements create one of the band’s standout tracks. Nifty live version despite the trio looking like they got mugged by a Miami Vice stylist.

And where else could we end but up the river with “Tom Sawyer”?