Learn From : Rush

In this edition of learn from I am going to focus on one of the forefathers of progressive rock....Rush. Rush is a three piece band from Canada formed in 1968. They are made up of Geddy Lee on bass, lead vocals and keyboard, Alex Lifeson on guitars and drummer and lyric writer Neil Peart. Rush is a band that has NEVER conformed to trends. They are one of the biggest and most influential bands on the planet. They have some simple catchy songs, some hard rockers, some ballads, some 1/2 hour progressive monsters and any other kind of song you can think of. They write music as a band but the drummer , Neil Peart, writes all the lyrics. Geddy Lee is known as a master of bass playing and a pretty good synthesizer/keyboard player. He is also known for having a voice higher than a woman sometimes !!!! Alex Lifeson is known for his unique tone and riffs and searing solos. Perhaps the most famous member of the band is the drummer, Neil Peart. The drummer is hardly ever the most known member of a band. In Rush the drummer is. That should tell you how good he is. Many people consider him the best drummer in the history of music. If you listen to Rush you can see how people can make that argument. There are four main breakdowns to the Rush career, so the hard core fans say. There is progressive rock era from 1977-1981, the synthesizer period from 1982-1989, returning to their roots era from 1990-1997 and the hiatus and comeback era from 1998-present. In those periods there are lots of great records to get. Here are a few to check out- Fly By Night, 2112, Moving Pictures, Signals, Counter Parts,Vapor Trails and the newest album, Snakes and Arrows. There are many good videos of their live performances to check out too. The documentary on the band was incredible. It is called Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage. It will take you on the journey the band has been on. It is a must see for any fan. It will also be good for anyone who does not like Rush also. It is so good it can appeal to a non music fan as well. Here are a couple Rush things to listen to right now. Here is the song YYZ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mR0tzt9XaM

and here is 2112 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDjx6aM-7VM