Jump to content

Your Rush a-ha moment?


maplelevy
 Share

Recommended Posts

My brother had been playing their stuff for years back in the early 80's, mostly Moving Pictures and I liked it, but it wasn't until I heard Xanadu for the first time that I was hooked. That intro gave (and still gives) me instant goosebumps. It's just so damn atmospheric and I would guess that I have Terry Brown to thank for it as much as the band.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had no singular a-ha moment, but I had a collective one.

 

Over the years of my early adolescence I would of course listen to the radio. And there were songs I always loved.

 

Closer to the Heart, Fly By Night, New World Man, Tom Sawyer, Spirit, Limelight, Freewill, The Trees, Subdivisions, etc. etc.

 

The in an advertisement for a concert in Omaha I heard all of these songs in the promo and realized that all of these songs I heard sporadically, but loved, were the SAME BAND.

 

That was the moment, and from that point on I always paid close attention and once I actually had my own income I bought everything.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've told this story before, so here's the abbreviated version. The first time I heard Rush I didn't like 'em. It was late summer of '76 and I was 11 years old. One of my brother's friends was playing 2112 in his car (on 8 track, of course) and it didn't do a thing for me. Fast forward about a year and I heard ByTor and the Snowdog playing on the home stereo as I was walking down the sidewalk and I was mesmerized. I came in and sat down with the lyric sheet and became an instant fan.
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great thread topic.

 

I’ve also told my story...I was introduced through Roll the Bones, Exit Left, and Chronicles, and liked all but the second disc of Chronicles (after Subdivisions). I didn’t move beyond this for 3 years or so. A friend knew I liked some Rush and talked about how 2112 was transformative for him...I listened and loved the full version of 2112, but didn’t do buy anything else. That summer (6 months later) I went to a used CD place and was able to get Rush, FBN, CoS, AFTK, Hemishperes, PeW, and MP (I already had 2112) for about $20 total, so I did. I fell in love with CoS and Hemispheres especially. It took another few years before I fell for the rest of the catalog, but it was inevitable at that point.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

First had Hemispheres,then Moving Pics,Signals but perhaps when HIP came out I went bang ! this band is going somewhere.

 

HIP?

Blast it.It was supposed to be GUP (Grace Under Pressure).
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seeing :rush: my first time and experiencing the band and the crowd bounce off each other as they performed

natural science live and I said to myself at that point - I will love this band until the day I die.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My Rush "a-ha" moment was actually somewhat similar to yours. I've recounted this story on here before at least twice.

 

It was in the summer of 1980, and I had at that point never heard of Rush.

 

I went into a Carvel ice cream shop in Staten Island, New York and while waiting on line The Spirit Of Radio came on.

 

I loved it immediately (got goose pimples), but had no idea who the band was or what the name of the song was.

 

As much as I loved it I remember thinking at the time that it would be better with a male singer (yes, I thought it was a woman singing).

 

Over the next two years or so I became familiar with Rush, but only by way of teens wearing Rush concert shirts or having Rush album covers painted on the back of their denim jackets as was all the rage back then.

 

Usually it would be  what I would today recognize as 2112, but at the time I took it to be a satanic pentagram. I figured this "Rush" band must be a pretty intense heavy metal group.

 

This presumption was reinforced by the fact that the teens who sported these Rush shirts and jackets were typically of the long haired, leather jacket, weed smoking variety who would be just as likely to be sporting shirts or jackets with Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, or Black Sabbath images as Rush images.

 

So I assumed this band "Rush" must be a pretty intense metal band.

 

The next time I heard it was while driving with an older cousin and it came in the radio and I was like "Who is she?" and my cousin was like "That's not a woman, that's Rush you idiot!"

 

Then Moving Pictures came out and by that time I was listening to FM album oriented rock radio (the two best at the time in the NYC metro area at the time were WNEW and WPLJ) and whenever Rush came on it was a thrill (the Rush songs played were generally limited to Closer To The Heart, TSOR, Free Will, Limelight, and Tom Sawyer).

 

Then one day on the school bus some kids were playing ATWAS and I heard songs from 2112 and FBN and the debut album for the first time and was blown away. At the t and started buying all of their albums and listening to them all the time.

 

I was hooked.

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Instantly for me, with Atwas, my first intro into Rush.

 

Same for me. Had never heard Rush before. Was about 13 and heard ATWAS on a Walkman while in a tent on a Boy Scout camping trip.

 

Very cool!

 

I hung out with the freaks in HS, listened to Nugent, Hendrix, FMac, etc. When I abruptly broke away from this crowd I distinctly remember when a football-team jock(of all people!) recommended Atwas to me as we were standing in front of the auto shop door. I soon went out and bought the Atwas 8-track -and that was it!! It was so refreshing to listen to, comparatively, and felt like I had finally found "my" band.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was my first Rush exposure to Rush in '76 with ATWAS; along with The Song Remains the Same, it dominated my listening for a year (it took me forever to warm up to the first four LPs as I thought the definitive versions of those songs are the ATWAS version, and if it wasn't on ATWAS, it was second tier. I got over that eventually). Of all the cool moments, I think it was In The End more than anything. "One, two, buckle-my-shoe" ... And then came Xanadu the next year, and Hemi the year after. Those were very good years. Edited by Rutlefan
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've said it before...but a friend years back got ATWAS when it came out, and about a week or two later, I was at his house and he said "Hey...you're a drummer, right? I saw this band a few months back and they released a live album.... you have to hear this drum solo"! So he played Working Man through the end, and I was AMAZED! So I had my mother order it from Columbia House the next day (along with Caress of Steel, which was the only other album they had listed) and became an instant fan!
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well besides seeing them perform live the very 1st time in 1980, I would say my AhHa moment (although I have to admit this still happens sometimes :D ) was during Natural Science. PeW was the 1st album I had go out and buy (when it was released). After getting through the last track I was completely blown away! The promenent thought was " Holy $#!T that song was f**kin AWESOME! It was a song that connected with me instantaneously , me being a science nut and all. The next (& very real revelation) was I had never heard that song played on the radio. I lived outside of Philly and if it did get played it was only when the local rock station(s) would play the entire album. Believe me Philly is a very, very :rush: friendly city. So my thought was "If this kind of music is on one of their albums and rarely gets recognized, what is "Lerxting" on all the other albums? The quest had begun as I started collecting and digesting every album :rush: had released up until that point. As I mentioned before in this post and on this forum Philly was the 1st :rush: show I had ever attended in 1980 and that experience forever forged :rush: as my favorite band of all times!

Long live :rush: !!!

Edited by Crimsonmistymemory
Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I was a kid I listened to classic-rock radio all the time and I'm sure I'd heard the hits over the years but they never registered. But one day the DJ said they were going to play the new single from Rush, "One Little Victory." This was around the time I had started playing drums and knew Neil's name and that he was considered one of the greats, but hearing that blistering drum intro for the first time, man...

 

I bought Vapor Trails when it came out and really liked it, and then started working my way through the rest of the catalogue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fall of 8th grade (1981?). Sitting at my friends table & eating a bowl of cereal (probably hung over - oh 8th grade - sigh) and Tom Sawyer came on MTV. It got my attention right away.

 

Over the next few years, I found friends who shared the same enthusiasm and respect for the musicianship. Besides, I had a high voice and took pride in being able to imitate Ged. It was during this late 8th - 10th grade, bring apart of our band, that my education of the band exploded.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was 1995. My husband was quoting lyrics about peer pressure to his teenaged son, mostly Subdivisions and Kid Gloves. I liked the poetry. He was surprised that I, a Canadian, was unfamiliar with Rush. We had just purchased a CD player (!!) and he suggested I buy Exit Stage Left and Grace Under Pressure. I was immediately hooked. I loved Geddy's voice, all the instruments, and Neil's lyrics. I didn't really like TFE, and we lived too far away from any to go see them anyhow. Then the hiatus happened, and I didn't think I would ever see them play Live. We missed Vapor Trails too, but when Snakes and Arrows came out, I saw them for the first time, and that's when I became a true fan. (or fanatic) Now we own all the music and all the later DVD's. I listen to Rush all the time.
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What was the moment or moments that, when listening to a Rush song or album, you were either struck by a metaphorical bolt of lightening or had an indescribable warm feeling come over you and knew that the band would forever hold a special place in your heart?

 

Personally, I had a false alarm, although I'm sure it planted a seed, which finally bloomed four decades later. In the summer of 1980, before my senior year in high school, I heard "Spirit of Radio" on the radio in front of my best friend's house. I still recall listening and thinking, how does that guy (Alex) play the guitar that frenetically? (probably didn't know the word frenetically at that time)

 

As the years went by, I lost touch after Signals. In fact, I gave up tickets to the 1982 Signals tour because I had a college exam the next day. After getting married and raising four kids, I didn't re-engage until hearing "Time Stand Still" on I-Heart radio in 2011? (Not the moment)

 

So, I decided that I was going to R40, to make up for the missed show in 1982. Went with my No. 3 son in Bristow, Va. and had a memorable evening. (Not the moment). I had done my research, listened to some of the classics (Xanadu, 2112, e.g.) to really enjoy the show.

 

But, the moment occurred the next day when I was doing yardwork. Decided to listen to the Roll The Bones album with headphones. Had heard Dreamline (which I liked), but the next song just stopped me in my tracks. I had to play it over again, go through the lyrics, etc. I couldn't believe that this was Rush. Of course, the song was Bravado! (That was the moment!!!). That song was the impetus for my to get into the entire Rush catalog, which I have immersed myself into for the past year and a half. The diversity of styles of their music, their individual and combined playing and writing accumen and their humble nature have made these 18 months so personally uplifting.

 

So, what's your Rush a-ha moment???

 

Awesome. Mine was Subdivisions. Not only bc I liked it (I liked earlier stuff) but bc I related to it so much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First hearing Bastille Day on Caress of Steel that my friend had brought around to my house (must have been 1979). He also brought Hemispheres and left the 2 albums with me. My old record player was pants and as soon as he'd left I dumped both albums in to my, then small, pile of LPs. It was only a few weeks later when he asked what I thought of 'Rush' and I realised I hadn't played them since. I got home a put CoS onto my old man's Bang and Olufsen record player. Wow - that was it. I played both albums as much as I could before handing them back and immediately went out and bought AFTK. The rest is, of course, history. I saw them play first on the PeW tour at the Manchester Apollo. Unfortunatley Rush then began get 'poppy'. I just about tolerated PoW, but I didn't even get through Force Ten on HYF when it came out. That's when my hiatus started and I moved on to other things. It wasn't until I accidently heard S&A in 2007 that my interest returned. I still don't like that period from GuP to RtB, but I do listen to those albums sometimes (the start of Force Ten still makes me shudder though, and not in a nice way).
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As a kid, I would look forward to Friday and Saturday nights when The Midnight Special and Don Kirschner's Rock Concert would run on TV at the ungodly hours of 1 or 2am ..

 

One particular night in 1977 began in typical fashion - waiting for a hush to fall on the house, and making certain everyone was asleep, I would sneak into the family room and get ready ..

 

My first experience was the A Farewell To Kings video .. First off, my Dad played classical guitar, and we had musical instruments of all kinds in the house - so when A Farewell To Kings came on, I was immediately struck because here was the super cool looking rock guy with long hair playing classical guitar .. And there were the shots of Neil playing the glockenspiel or xylophone - and we had a full sized xylophone at the house - all this was fascinating for me. and as a10 year old who not only admired rock stars but also my Dad, this seemed like a big time bond ..

 

When the band kicked in - there were shots of explosions on the stage, and as a mega Kiss fan, I loved that ..

 

Geddy's unreal voice just capped everything ... I loved them right off the bat ..

 

My enthusiasm carried over to the next day, when unable to contain my exuberance for what I had seen the night before, I told my Dad of this incredible band - and the classical guitars and xylophones and explosions and long hair ..

 

The musician in my Dad listened with curiosity and interest - but the dad in my Dad was like "What the hell were you doing awake that late ?!?"

 

:LOL:

 

.

Lucas, you made me laugh; I used to do the exact same thing. :LOL: :lol: Long live those nights in front of the brown box (with the pliers attached to change channels!)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...