The remarkable thing is that we’re watching Rush with their own brand of beer on CBSs’ Sunday morning show. They were this obscure, under the radar band, until probably the 1980s and MTV started playing their music videos. Yeah, I also saw that their first drummer wasn’t mentioned. But probably due to time constraints and continuity, they had to tell their story to a vast audience that might not have ever heard of the group.
I originally wasn’t into them at all. Yes, I would see a few of their records in the “R” section at various record stores. For one thing, I don’t know why their music wasn’t played on the radio here in the 1970s. KSAN FM might have played a few of their songs, but there was so much going on, they got lost in the shuffle. I was more into Led Zeppelin, Sex Pistols, Kraftwerk and Sweet in the last 70’s, amongst the tide of other bands like The Tubes, Journey and Sammy Hagar’s first two albums. Not to forget Bob Marley and the rise of Reggae music and New Wave bands. A lot going on here in the San Francisco Bay Area.
It was in this context that I met up with a new found friend who was learning the Bass Guitar. All he did was play Rush records while cranking up the amp and play along with their music. Over and over again. He got really good at playing their music and would get frustrated over a bass line, until he figured it out. 1979 - 1980. I grew to appreciate them. And, along with his girlfriend, we went and saw them live. So, I’ve seen every Rush concert from about 1980 to 1991. I’d say Permanent Waves really spoke to me at the time and Moving Pictures. The thing that impressed me about the band Rush was that they were always experimenting, never afraid to add other styles of music or electronic music to whatever they had in mind. Also not afraid to reject what they were doing and try something else. Some of my favorites from then are still Power Windows and Counterparts. I also thought lyrics and emoticons were important to the music. Which, let’s face it, a lot of 80s bands were generic and dull. Perhaps it reflected the context of the times, but I didn’t like it. I better stop here.
I liked Presto and Roll the Bones and saw those tours live. I’d say those records were transitional albums going into the 1990s. As you can see, Counterparts, is a really great record no matter what type of rock music you’re into. And much different than the music they created before. Anyway, that’s just a little bit of how I experienced those times.
