Rush

Elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year was Rush, who had been eligible for years but finally got in. There was a lot of controversy about this, because even as band member Geddy Lee says, "You either love Rush, or hate Rush."

The band was formed near Toronto over forty years ago, and settled into its current lineup in 1974, when drummer Neil Peart joined Lee, the bassist and vocalist, and Alex Lifeson, the guitarist. They have always been recognized as accomplished musicians, with Peart right up there as one of the best rock drummers as all time. It's Peart's lyrics, though, that have divided rock critics and fans.

Starting as a heavy metal group that some compared unfavorably to Led Zeppelin, their early work was heavy on guitars and percussion. They also favored long, multi-part songs that showed Peart's interest in science fiction and fantasy. On the greatest hits album I've been listening to, there isn't much of that there, since those songs were not radio-friendly, but an example is "2112 Overture/The Temples of Syrinx." That title enough shows that Peart surely has read J.R.R. Tolkien and Frank Herbert, and the instrumental beginning samples Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture."

Rush would later use more and more synthesizers, and become a staple of classic rock radio. Songs like "The Spirit of Radio," "Limelight," "Tom Sawyer," and "New World Man" have, as the cliche goes, become the soundtrack to a certain generation, whether they like it or not.

So why the division about Rush? In the recent film I Love You, Man, two guys bond over their love of Rush, and it's meant to be somewhat comic. I suppose that it's cool to hate Rush because they appeal to nerds--one writer called Rush fans "the Trekkies of rock fans." The songs can be pretentious, though I admire their ambition. "Tom Sawyer" is a good example--it's not many mainstream rock groups that make literary references. Also, Geddy Lee's vocals are, well, they're quite distinct. He has a pretty high range that, when in full squeal, sounds like a person who has just inhaled an entire Macy's Thanksgiving Day balloon of helium.

I will say this, though--after listening to Rush's best of, I think they're pretty catchy. Some of the songs are kind of facile. A song called "Freewill" says, "I will choose free will." I think that's a tautology. If you are choosing free will, it means you already have it. "Limelight" is a basic song about being famous, and "Big Money" is yet another song by rich musicians about the evils of Mammon. But "Subdivisions," my favorite Rush song, has a great way of putting the pressures of being a teenager:

"Subdivisions
In the high school halls
In the shopping malls
Conform or be cast out

Subdivisions
In the basement bars
In the backs of cars
Be cool or be cast out"

That the word "subdivisions" is spoken by this deep, disembodied voice is a great touch.

So, I don't love Rush, and I don't hate Rush. I kind of like Rush.