A Toronto trio whose progressive rock explored science fiction and individualism through shifting time signatures.
For a sense of their approach, 'Jacob's Ladder' and 'Tom Sawyer' frame it well, one shows the philosophical side, the other that synth-bass drive.
The band's sound was built around Neil Peart's precise drum patterns and philosophical lyrics, which you can hear in tracks like 'Jacob's Ladder' and 'Witch Hunt.' Their 1981 album 'Moving Pictures' included 'Tom Sawyer,' anchored by Geddy Lee's synthesizer bass line, which became one of their best-known songs. That lineup stayed together for more than forty years, recording and touring regularly until Peart's death in 2020.
Rush formed in Toronto in 1968 with Geddy Lee on bass and vocals, Alex Lifeson on guitar, and John Rutsey on drums. Rutsey left in 1974 and was replaced by Neil Peart, who became the band's drummer and primary lyricist. Their music pulled from progressive rock and hard rock, with songs built around shifting time signatures and extended instrumental sections.
Keep it compact: a lyric you come back to, a live memory, or the part of the catalog you would point someone toward first.
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