Rush Returns From Triumphant European Tour
Local Band, Makes Good
By Patrick Harbron, Entertainment Weekly Toronto, August 26, 1977, transcribed by pwrwindows
You may not have noticed, but suddenly, Toronto is the proud possessor of a band which has not only sold gold three times, but has also taken two of the bastions of innovative rock (the U.S. and England) by the proverbial storm.
Rush's background is basically the same as any band struggling up the ladder in the music business, except that in the past year their story has travelled with increasing speed. The bass player, Geddy Lee, and Alex Lifeson, the lead guitarist, both attended the same high school, Vanier High in Willowdale. They began to play together at school, and any other gathering that would have them, for any kind of fee. When they left school, the Toronto club circuit was waiting to be conquered, and for a few years that was the biggest billing they got. But they were getting attention, and finally, Anthem Records discovered their potential and signed them up.
In August 1974, the band released their debut album, Rush, and had a change in personnel when John Rutsey, the drummer, left, and was replaced by Neil Peart. Only four days after the album came onto the market, and ten days with Peart, Rush descended on America as opening act for Uriah Heep, and later, Rory Gallagher. The band received welcome signs of acceptance - encores in concert, and vastly increased record sales.
The first foray into the States ended in late December 1974, and by January, the band were back at work in the studio on the Fly by Night album. Neil Peart's lyrical skills were further developed, and the band as a whole emerged with a more confident, heavy sound. Their popularity in the States was cemented with this second L.P., and finally, the home market produced a reasonable sales response for them. Canada also honored its own when Rush were presented with a Juno for Most Promising New Group in the same year.
The band's career began to escalate. A packed schedule was suddenly there to keep them working, and they departed for a four month tour in the U.S. as opening band. After that was completed Rush found themselves north of the border once more, but as headliners, even selling out Massey Hall. July, 1976 saw Rush in the studios again to cut Caress of Steel. No sooner had they completed that, than they were off to America once more for their third crack at stardom - this time, though, as guest artists in picked locations, and headliners in larger venues.
Impressive album sales were being clocked up in northern Europe, and Japanese fan clubs were getting gratifyingly large. But this was a drop in the ocean compared with what was to come when 2112 was released. The virtual cult status the band had achieved in some parts of the States mushroomed to immense proportions, and Canadians were showing their appreciation of Canadian talent by buying up the album as fast as it entered the shops. 2112 was a Neil Peart concept that was an experiment for Rush, in that it had a Sci-Fi epic story on one side, which very few rock bands had got away with. The band just sat and watched the sales graphs rise off the top of the pages, as sales doubled those of Caress of Steel.
Any band must put out a live album, if only to prove to their critics that they can produce the goods outside of a studio environment. Rush booked Massey Hall for three nights and proceeded to record All the World's a Stage - a double set, documenting exactly what Rush is all about, the heaviness, the energy, the audience response. For the three nights the Hall had attendance records set, with packed houses crowding in to witness the recording on stage (how did the foundations stand up to it?).
More recently, Rush has experienced their biggest gig to date. They have just returned from a tour of England that was plagued with problems at the start, but which was wildly successful. English rockers turned out in Sheffield on June 1st this year in large numbers, and the apprehensive trio were given the approbation they needed most - tangible, very definite acceptance outside North America. For the first couple of stops, Rush had to perform without most of their lighting and special effects equipment that they had brought with them - it was held up going through the British customs, and there was nothing they could do to release it. Eventually, however, all the niggling problems were resolved, like changing all the equipment over to the different wattage, and the band played to sell-outs and critical acclaim wherever they appeared. The following quote comes from one of Britain's biggest music publications, The New Musical Express: "... Rush still proved themselves bigger than your run of the mill Black Sabbath - Led Zeppelin imitators. There was a delicate romance in 'Lakeside Park' and slick, jazzy drumming at the beginning of 'By-tor And The Snow Dog.' And with Alex Lifeson's guitar blasting away like Hawkwind meeting Jaws in St. Paul's Cathedral and fighting to the death, Rush have a sound to match the subject. Most impressive." The English press also praised the professionally-controlled lighting and effects that play such a large part in Rush's stage appearance. Each of the band members was given enthusiastic write-ups - like "fine all-round rock drummer" about Neil Peart, and Alex was said to have put out "virtuoso metal guitar playing".
Rush have now come full-circle, for here they are, back home in Toronto, ready to play the C.N.E. this month. And not only that, but they are due to offer the rock public a new album to be titled A Farewell To Kings, slated by those inside the industry to be their best yet. The album is to be released upon us to coincide with the C.N.E. date, to bolster what is bound to be an unmitigated knockout. Is it not strange though, that Rush had to go to the States to achieve some kind of recognition? We should count ourselves lucky that Rush have decided to stay north of the border, thereby giving the Canadian music industry much prestige and putting Toronto on the map as a breeding ground for up and coming stars, instead of a barren ground upon which seeds of talent fall unnoticed will give heart to many bands following Rush's well-trodden path.