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Why Did Rush Happen


chemistry1973
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What do you think was most formative in making Rush a successful prog rock power trio?

 

What were the economic and social conditions of Canada, St. Catherines and Toronto at the time.

 

I remember reading 70's era reviews that Rush appealed to the "zonked out set". They were a party band - much like Van Halen was in their early days...

 

Was Rush- in their 70s heyday - an escape for a particular group? Of course later, their appeal was big amongst the loners and nerds of the 80s (like me). But what was that spark - what grabbed people in 74 and 75?

 

But what brought the band together? We've the official line from the band - but what was it really?

 

My feeling is that the upbringings for all three - especially through the lens of a suburban teenager - were possibly pretty oppressive. Al and Ged's immigrant families pushed them to be successful and responsible with the results being rebellion and then unpredictable and unbelievable success. But those traumatic events in their families past must've put a a great deal of pressure on those 2.

 

We know the Weinrib story. But Al's family were immigrants from Serbia (AKA the Soviet satellite known as Yugoslavia) - another land of brutal oppression.

 

Neil Peart's family grew up in quiet middle class comfort, comparatively - as everyone knows, much of that darkness traveled through Geddy and Alex and seeped into Peart's writing. At least it did for a time.

 

This probably resulted in Rush's best work.

 

Eventually Peart's own experiences started affecting the writing, and there were different results.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrDj5XvZXX4

Edited by chemistry1973
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...er....budding big egos combined with the love of playing an instrument?

 

I'm also guessing Gary and Alex didn`t want 'real' jobs (like being a plumber). It's a good thing the two realized it was a pipe dream to succeed. Hence they played their collective tails off, forcing their will upon the cosmos, bending musical time and space... :D

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Dumping Jeff Jones in favor of some kid with a big nose....
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...er....budding big egos combined with the love of playing an instrument?

 

Then every band would be monstrous.

 

But then why play an instrument? What contributed to those egos?

 

You're not wrong.

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Donna Halper

 

Apropos right? Working Man - a blue collar call-to-arms, but also a cry for help:

 

I get up at seven, yeah

And I go to work at nine

I got no time for livin'

Yes, I'm workin' all the time

 

It seems to me

I could live my life

A lot better than I think I am

I guess that's why they call me

They call me the workin' man

 

They call me the workin' man

I guess that's what I am

 

'Cause I get home at five o'clock

And I take myself out a ice, cold beer

Always seem to be wond'rin'

Why there's nothin' goin' down here

 

It seems to me

I could live my life

A lot better than I think I am

I guess that's why they call me

The workin' man

 

They call me the workin' man

I guess that's what I am

 

Well they call me the workin' man

I guess that's what I am

 

I get up at seven, yeah

And I go to work at nine

I got no time for livin'

Yes, I'm workin' all the time

 

It seems to me

I could live my life

A lot better than I think I am

I guess that's why they call me

They call me the workin' man

 

Well they call me the workin' man

I guess that's what I am

 

They call me the workin' man

I guess that's what I am

 

- The band knew that they were at a dead end already. f**k THAT life - working, then dying. Anything is better than that.

Edited by chemistry1973
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Donna Halper

 

Apropos right? Working Man - a blue collar call-to-arms, but also a cry for help:

 

I get up at seven, yeah

And I go to work at nine

I got no time for livin'

Yes, I'm workin' all the time

 

It seems to me

I could live my life

A lot better than I think I am

I guess that's why they call me

They call me the workin' man

 

They call me the workin' man

I guess that's what I am

 

'Cause I get home at five o'clock

And I take myself out a ice, cold beer

Always seem to be wond'rin'

Why there's nothin' goin' down here

 

It seems to me

I could live my life

A lot better than I think I am

I guess that's why they call me

The workin' man

 

They call me the workin' man

I guess that's what I am

 

Well they call me the workin' man

I guess that's what I am

 

I get up at seven, yeah

And I go to work at nine

I got no time for livin'

Yes, I'm workin' all the time

 

It seems to me

I could live my life

A lot better than I think I am

I guess that's why they call me

They call me the workin' man

 

Well they call me the workin' man

I guess that's what I am

 

They call me the workin' man

I guess that's what I am

 

- The band new that they were at a dead end already. f**k THAT life - working, then dying. Anything is better than that.

Donna gave them their break.

 

That's all any band needs - their big break - being in the right place at the right time.

 

The rest is history! :)

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...er....budding big egos combined with the love of playing an instrument?

 

Then every band would be monstrous.

 

But then why play an instrument? What contributed to those egos?

 

You're not wrong.

 

 

Well, to me Alex was immensely talented and a naturally gifted guitarist who loved the spotlight (Geddy mentioned something that he loved to show off).

 

Ultimately Alex and Geddy's desire to succeed over came obstacles that sideline most wannabees. Alex was driven because he had a family to support, Geddy seems to have been driven by his parents experience during the Holocaust.

 

But let's face it, luck played a major role...If Donna Halper called in sick and Rush was delivered to an unsympathetic DJ, Rush would be a big zero.

 

Dumping Jeff Jones in favor of some kid with a big nose....

 

How many people told the band that Geddy was toxic and an obstacle to their success.

 

I would wager: Everybody

 

Didn`t Ray Daniels want to demote/fire Geddy and hire a new singer?

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Canada's live birth totals were at their highest from the years between 1954-1964, peaking in 1959-60. So like most/all seventies rock bands - it was timing. They had the most amount of young teenagers to play to year after year. I believe America's age demographics closely resemble Canada's. Obviously it's not the only thing but it's foundational to the popularity and endurance of classic rock.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Canada#Age_characteristics

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Canada's live birth totals were at their highest from the years between 1954-1964, peaking in 1959-60. So like most/all seventies rock bands - it was timing. They had the most amount of young teenagers to play to year after year. I believe America's age demographics closely resemble Canada's. Obviously it's not the only thing but it's foundational to the popularity and endurance of classic rock.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Canada#Age_characteristics

 

“Here we are now, entertain us...”

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What do you think was most formative in making Rush a successful prog rock power trio?

 

What were the economic and social conditions of Canada, St. Catherines and Toronto at the time.

 

I remember reading 70's era reviews that Rush appealed to the "zonked out set". They were a party band - much like Van Halen was in their early days...

 

Was Rush- in their 70s heyday - an escape for a particular group? Of course later, their appeal was big amongst the loners and nerds of the 80s (like me). But what was that spark - what grabbed people in 74 and 75?

 

But what brought the band together? We've the official line from the band - but what was it really?

 

My feeling is that the upbringings for all three - especially through the lens of a suburban teenager - were possibly pretty oppressive. Al and Ged's immigrant families pushed them to be successful and responsible with the results being rebellion and then unpredictable and unbelievable success. But those traumatic events in their families past must've put a a great deal of pressure on those 2.

 

Me know the Weinrib story. But Al's family were immigrants from Serbia (AKA the Soviet satellite known as Yugoslavia) - another land of brutal oppression.

 

Neil Peart's family grew up in quiet middle class comfort, comparatively - as everyone knows, much of that darkness traveled through Geddy and Alex and seeped into Peart's writing. At least it did for a time.

 

This probably resulted in Rush's best work.

 

Eventually Peart's own experiences started affecting the writing, and there were different results.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrDj5XvZXX4

 

 

Who can say all of the factors that combine for success? There were recessions in the mid 70's in the US and Canada but I'm not sure how much that contributed. I think what it comes down to is that you had 3 guys who wanted to make music more than anything else. They had that solid of a focus and the youth and energy to work on it. You know how close Alex and Geddy are to their moms and yet the pull of music was so strong that they chose to leave high school with only 1 year left to go; at the time their moms strongly wanted them to stay. They got lucky with Donna Halper and Mercury but they had already put in the work of playing in bars for years and working on their songs.

 

Geddy did mention in Beyond The Lighted Stage that growing up in his house was very heavy because of all the Holocaust memories; but I think there is an inborn reaction in most late teens to want to move out and onward from their family. He later said in a different interview, and I love him for this, that he realized his mom didn't talk about the Holocaust so often on purpose; those were just the only memories she had of childhood and her early romance with Ged's father. Where other parents might talk about a prom or high school sport or something, memories of life in the concentration camps were all she had. Amazing guys, all of them, and amazing families. :heart:

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They appealed to working class teens and young adults who wanted a little more out of life than what was being offered. They probably also wanted more out of music. A little more heaviness, a little more complexity, a little more thoughtfulness, a little more technical ability, a little more highly pitched vocals. Overall though, what’s always gotten Rush their fans is their uniqueness. There is no other band from their time that could really claim to be quite like them, especially by the time 2112 hit. No other group played such loud, heavy, catchy, complex, extreme, thought-provoking music at such a high caliber technically, and few other bands worked as hard at it either. Those of us who are drawn to the abnormal and the extreme find both in spades in Rush, but never at the sacrifice of good songwriting or powerful hooks and oddly catchy anthems. Rush are a band that embody not just good values, but good ideals, just as much in their attitude and approach as in their lyrics. People may have loved The Stones and The Who for being outrageous rock stars in every sense, but they loved Rush for proving you didn’t have to throw tv’s out windows or sleep with 5 different women every night to be in a great rock band. I think those are just a few reasons, but more or less I think Rush’s appeal in 1974 was really much the same as it was in 76, 81, 87, 93, 02, 12, and on through today. They stand up for the outcasts, and bring us all together.
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People screwed. Babies were born. Years later they formed a band a caught a few breaks. Then the drummer quit on them. They replaced him with a dweeb. Then the dweeb quit on them. Time for the next one.
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...er....budding big egos combined with the love of playing an instrument?

 

Then every band would be monstrous.

 

But then why play an instrument? What contributed to those egos?

 

You're not wrong.

I can name a few bands that are monstrous..... er... or would that more appropriately be "monstrosities"...
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...er....budding big egos combined with the love of playing an instrument?

 

Then every band would be monstrous.

 

But then why play an instrument? What contributed to those egos?

 

You're not wrong.

I can name a few bands that are monstrous..... er... or would that more appropriately be "monstrosities"...

 

:laughing guy:

 

I can name an entire decade... :P

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People screwed. Babies were born. Years later they formed a band a caught a few breaks. Then the drummer quit on them. They replaced him with a dweeb. Then the dweeb quit on them. Time for the next one.

 

Unfortunately the dweeb has psychic powers and brainwashed Geddy, Alex and the horrid fans into believing no one can fill his shoes....

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