I, like much of the world, learned Friday that the incomparable Neil Peart lost his struggle with brain cancer. My impressions, having never met the man, range from immaculate precision to thoughtful writings to humble hermit. What I do know is that from the first time my dad threw on All The World's A Stage, I was hooked, taken in by a band with a high voiced singer, unparalleled musicianship, and some of the craziest time signatures known to man (although at 3 I readily admit a "time signature" was about as foreign to me as, well, "time".)
Here I will lay out some favorite Rush tracks, in no particular order or reason; some will cite music, some will cite lyrics, some will cite melody, but mostly they will cite a 40+ year admiration for what 3 musicians can do. Some will be hits, some will be deeper cuts, but I hope you choose to walk the bridge and join me on the journey...
I'll start with the Holy Grail, the Dead Sea Scroll, the Jedi Texts of Rock'n'Roll… 2112. Maybe the single most important rock song ever conceived. Mercury wanted them to write shorter radio friendly fare and they responded by delivering an entire side of Ayn Rand inspired narrative. "Overture" alone probably spurned several thousand musicians. The narrative is even driven by the music: see Act III: Discovery as Alex Lifeson mimics tuning the guitar our hero finds, before actually playing it. Easily in my favorite five songs of all time and one I've never tired of exploring.
"Distant Early Warning" is an example of what a memorable melody line can capture. "The world weighs on my shoulders, but what am I to do?"... that entire chorus section is the hook of this song for me. Something about that music and rhythm catches my ear. The Police influence is unmistakable in the verse sections. Peart was a consummate student of alternate musical forms and this is one example of how he integrated those styles into rock music.
This next song was a huge part of my short college experience. Truth be told, there's a 22nd fret bend followed by a whammy bar dive bomb in the solo of "Dreamline" that keeps me coming back. However, the synth/guitar bridge is a close second. Also there's a great driving Geddy bass line throughout that makes driving a little more tolerable...
"Fly By Night"... the first Rush song I learned to play on guitar, mostly by accident. Those clear arpeggiated chords are just sparkling. The guitars are high in the mix so it's easy to lose the impact of the drums and bass here. The next time this pops up on the classic rock stations on the radio, try to hear what's in the background. I guarantee you'll get another appreciation for just how complex this song is.
Despite the clean picked guitar intro "Time Stand Still" has an interesting bass driven verse section, that transitions into a sparse chorus made impactful by it's use of little distortion. Couple that with the excellent vocals of the great Aimee Mann from Til' Tuesday, there's a simplicity that makes this song especially accessible.
"The Trees"... A song I was introduced to by Brian Schmitt, a friend of my dad's that never let me forget how awesome Rush was. A wonderfully written parable of equality and how it can be both helpful and hurtful. Neil Peart outdoes himself here with such insightful lines as:
"So the maples formed a union
And demanded equal rights
'The oaks are just too greedy
We will make them give us light'
Now there's no more oak oppression
For they passed a noble law
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet, axe, and saw"
And demanded equal rights
'The oaks are just too greedy
We will make them give us light'
Now there's no more oak oppression
For they passed a noble law
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet, axe, and saw"
"Subdivisions"... pretty much how I felt throughout high school: visible enough to be ignored, ignored enough to be invisible. "Conform or be cast out"... that's why anyone that wishes to be back in high school is a liar: No one could possibly want to be what they were at 14,15,16 years old. We all sucked... Sorry, got a little pissy there...
"Tears" is from the second side of 2112 and has long been a calming song for me. Very heartfelt Geddy vocal, but the real star of this song is the way the acoustic guitar and vocals follow the same melody in the verse. Dream Theater does a phenomenal cover of this song BTW...
You may have noticed I left out the Tom Sawyer/Limelight/Spirit of Radio/Freewill quadumvite. Well, those tunes have been heard and disected ad nauseum. We all know they're damned near perfect and exceptionally memorable so I felt no need to delve into their greatness. I will say "Freewill" isn't just a song... it should be a semester in college. "Tom Sawyer" may be the most important drumming ever put down on acetate. "Limelight" shows an impressive level of self-awareness in the face of increasing popularity.
I've ranked Rush among my favorite bands in the past and I don't foresee that changing any time soon. This is just a small sample of what I love about the band and now with the sad passing of Neil Peart, their legacy is complete. I, for one, will continue to carry the torch for a mostly geeky Canadian trio that captured the imaginations of millions of adolescents looking for a little more from their rock and roll.
