RUSH! (The Band, not the Conservative Halfwit)

In my humble opinion, the best band around. They are accomplished musicians, gracious and energetic performers, and ever-evolving artists. They put on the best concerts in the business. Whenever you meet another Rush fan, you usually find a new friend, because the things that draw people to Rush tend to give them a lot of other things in common. Neil Peart's lyrics are amazing. Virtually every other gifted poet/lyricist in modern music writes consistently about death and alienation. Peart writes of life, intellectual discovery, and the invisible ties that connect us. Then he and his wonderful bandmates Geddy and Alex perform the songs with gorgeous conviction. Rock on forever, Rush!

What's New With Rush:

For news on the Rush front, a great resource is Between Sun and Web. There you can keep up with concert and recording schedules and other news about the band's members.

Rush Humor

Not surprisingly, Rush fans have a great sense of humor. A fanzine started posting subscribers' submissions for Deep Thoughts, Rush style. You remember Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey on Saturday Night Live, right? Well, these Rush-inspired postings are pretty damn funny. You might need to know a little about the band to "get" them all, but they're a hoot!

A couple examples here:

"A piece of wood is just a piece of wood, until Neil picks it up and hits something with it. Then it's a relic. Unless of course that something is a person. Then it's evidence."

--Rebekah Mills (rebekah@worldnet.att.net)

"If the members of Rush were not from Canada, but rather from outer space, I think I would still like them, but perhaps I would be more frightened about them devouring my flesh than I am now."

--HaloJ@aol.com

There are plenty more where those came from! And trust me, most of them are quite good.

Deep Rush Thoughts

The Best of Rush

My favorite lyrics from my favorite songs, by... yep, my favorite band! Do you want to know my favorite color? Too bad! It's the only thing I can't make up my mind about.

2112 -The whole "2112" suite. A great musical adaptation of Ayn Rand's classic prose poem Anthem. Who else but Rush would be ambitious enough to do this and good enough to pull it off?
Bravado --This is the song I want played at my funeral. "If we burn our wings flying too close to the sun, if the moment of glory is over before it's begun, if the dream is won...If love remains, though everything is lost, we will pay the price, but we will not count the cost."
The Trees--My wife the socialist just hates this song, which I as an Objectivist just love. "And the trees will all get equal...with the hatchet, axe, and saw." That's the only possible result of collectivism when taken all the way.
Closer to the Heart-- Isn't this the prettiest concert anthem ever? A religious experience every time I see them perform this live.
Prime Mover --The narrative voice of this song is God, and he's definitely a deist, not a theist. After creating the framework of the universe, he watches in amazement and wonder: "From the point of conception, to the moment of truth, from the point of departure from the burden of proof, from the point of ignition, to the final drive, the point of the journey, is not to arrive: ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN." Wow.
Middletown Dreams --Perfectly captures the sense of utter desperation of dreamers in small towns. "It's understood; every single person would be elsewhere if they could, but so far so good, and life's not unpleasant in our little neighborhood." Of course, that last line is sung by Geddy to convey complete despair, so it's a killer.
Territories --The best song condemning nationalism I've ever heard. Really a brave song for them to do, since most pinheads everywhere are nationalistic.
The Pass --If you've ever lost anyone you cared about to suicide, this song will really get to you. It's a reasoned plea for survival. "And now you're trembling on a rocky ledge, staring down into a heartless sea, can't face life on the razor's edge, nothing's what you thought it would be...TURN AROUND."
Tai Shan --Gorgeous, sublime song about China. Makes you want to set out on foot to the mountains of the Buddha.
Subdivisions --Life in suburbia is hell, the boys can prove it, and you can jam while they do.
The Spirit of Radio-- That tiny voice coming from the dial is a lifeline that connects even the most stranded of souls with music.
Red Barchetta --Every rock band does songs about fast cars. Only Rush does a song about a fast car that is really about the power of imagination and the affection between a boy and his uncle.
Witch Hunt --"Quick to judge, quick to anger, slow to undertand. Ignorance and prejudice and fear walk hand in hand." "Those who know what's best for us must rise and save us from oursleves." Yeah! Take that, Jerry Falwell!
Grand Designs --About creativity. "So much style without substance, so much stuff without style, it's hard to recognize the real thing, it comes along once in a while." The "curves and lines...of grand designs."
Oh, and I love all their other songs too! Back to my Good Stuff Menu Page.