There are several distinct phases in the epic career of Rush. While today they are pigeonholed as progressive rockers, they didn’t start out that way. The Canadian combo hail from a time when a group’s importance was in its album-selling potential. Bands were given quite a few chances by the corporate number crunchers before judgements were passed regarding their future. These were the days when artists were allowed to marinate in their own creative juices. No one demanded instant microwaved solutions.
Rush debuted way back in 1973 when they released a mildly ridiculous cover of Buddy Holly’s Not Fade Away as a single. But they learned their craft quickly. When their first album came out two years later, they had metamorphosed into Led Zeppelin-alikes, characterised by bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee’s mutilated Robert-Plant-on-helium squeals.
