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130-543: 2112 (pronounced "twenty-one twelve") is the fourth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush , released in March 1976 by Mercury Records . It reached No. 5 in Canada and became the band's commercial breakthrough in the US, peaking at No. 61. The band was in financial hardship due to the disappointing sales of 1975's Caress of Steel , which also gained an unfavourable critical reception, and

260-533: A "pop cultural wave", the band appeared as themselves in the 2009 comedy film I Love You, Man . On February 16, 2009, Lifeson remarked that the band might begin working on a new album in the fall of 2009, with Nick Raskulinecz once again producing. In November 2009, Lee, Lifeson and Peart were awarded the International Achievement Award at the annual SOCAN Awards in Toronto. On March 19, 2010,

390-716: A Chance " (No. 2) were successful on US Mainstream Rock Radio stations, marking a resurgence of Rush's album sales in the US (No. 3 and platinum), the UK (No. 10) and some other parts of northern Europe. The transition from synthesizers to more guitar-oriented and organic instrumentation continued with Counterparts (1993) and its follow-up, Test for Echo (1996), both produced in collaboration with Peter Collins. Up to this point, Counterparts and Test for Echo were two of Rush's most guitar-driven albums. The latter album also includes elements of jazz and swing-style drumming by Peart, which he had learned from drum coach Freddie Gruber during

520-666: A North American tour, the band's first without an opening act and dubbed "An Evening with Rush". The tour was broken into two segments, spanning October through December 1996 and May through July 1997. After the conclusion of the Test for Echo tour in 1997, the band entered a five-year hiatus primarily due to personal tragedies in Peart's life. Peart's daughter Selena died in a car crash in August 1997, and his wife Jacqueline died of cancer in June 1998. Peart took

650-744: A Stage , released in September 1976. All lyrics are written by Neil Peart , except where noted Credits are adapted from the album's 1976 liner notes. Shipments figures based on certification alone. Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. Rush (band) Rush was a Canadian rock band formed in Toronto in 1968 that primarily comprised Geddy Lee (vocals, bass guitar, keyboards), Alex Lifeson (guitar) and Neil Peart (drums, percussion). The band's original line-up comprised Lifeson, drummer John Rutsey , and bassist and vocalist Jeff Jones , whom Lee immediately replaced. After Lee joined,

780-455: A call from John and he said, 'Can we get together?' Basically, 'Can you come back? We're sorry. ' " In March 1972, the band stabilized as a trio of Lifeson, Rutsey, and Lee. They kept Danniels as their manager, with his business partner and agent Vic Wilson sharing duties. Rush honed their skills with regular gigs, initially touring the Ontario high school circuit. In 1971, the legal drinking age

910-471: A cave and rediscovers the lost art of music ("Discovery"). Upon playing the guitar to the priests, they destroy it and declare music a waste of time and against the computers' plan ("Presentation"). In a dream an oracle shows him a planet established simultaneously with the Solar Federation, where an elder race flourish in creativity and individuality ("Oracle: The Dream"). He awakens, depressed that music

1040-682: A close on October 29, 2007, at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland. The 2008 portion of the Snakes & Arrows tour began on April 11, 2008, in San Juan, Puerto Rico , at José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum , and concluded on July 24, 2008, in Noblesville, Indiana at the Verizon Wireless Music Center. On April 15, 2008, the band released Snakes & Arrows Live , a double live album documenting

1170-466: A collection of shorter songs on side two that display their hard rock roots. 2112 was released to favourable reviews from music critics and quickly outsold the band's previous albums. Rush toured the album extensively in 1976 and 1977, which culminated in their debut concerts in Europe. 2112 remains the band's second-highest-selling album behind Moving Pictures , with more than 3 million copies sold in

1300-435: A decline in attendance at its shows. Mercury, their international label, considered dropping them but granted one more album following negotiations with manager Ray Danniels . Rush were pressured to deliver more commercial material, but decided to continue developing its progressive rock direction it had explored on Caress of Steel and made the 20-minute futuristic science-fiction title track occupy side one of 2112 , with

1430-471: A drastic stylistic transformation apart from instrumental changes. The album contained Rush's biggest hit single, "New World Man", while other more experimental songs such as "Digital Man", "The Weapon", and "Chemistry" expanded the band's use of ska , reggae, and funk . The second single, "Subdivisions" reached No. 36 in Canada and No. 5 on the US Album Rock Tracks Chart. Both singles reached

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1560-433: A four-piece band of Lee, Lifeson, Young, and Rutsey, Ray Danniels was hired to be their manager. As Lee recounted years later, Ray came along. He had no real reputation yet as a manager or anything. He was just kind of an agent working in Toronto. So he started directing the band and he just thought I wasn't suitable, for whatever reasons he had. I don't know whether it was the way I looked, or my religious background – who

1690-604: A general pop-rock sound, Rush incorporated other musical styles such as funk and hip hop in "Roll the Bones" and jazz in the instrumental track " Where's My Thing? ". " Show Don't Tell " from Presto was a No. 1 hit on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart, and while the album reached the Top 10 in Canada, it was less successful in the US (No. 16) and the UK (No. 27). From Roll the Bones ", " Dreamline " (No. 1) and " Ghost of

1820-495: A hiatus to mourn and reflect. During this time, he travelled extensively throughout North America on his BMW motorcycle, covering 88,000 km (55,000 mi). In his book Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road , Peart writes of how he had told his bandmates at Selena's funeral, "consider me retired." This left the band's future uncertain, and Lee and Lifeson prepared an archival album, Different Stages , for release during

1950-847: A live CD/DVD/Blu-ray that was released on November 19, 2013. During Rush's European leg of the Clockwork Angels Tour , the June 8, 2013, show at the Sweden Rock Festival was the group's first festival appearance in 30 years. On August 31, 2011, Rush switched their American distribution from Atlantic Records to the Warner Brothers majority-owned metal label Roadrunner Records . Roadrunner handled American distribution of Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland and Clockwork Angels . Anthem/Universal Music would continue to release their music in Canada. On April 18, 2013, Rush were inducted into

2080-546: A month and a half ago we had no songs. And now we've been writing, and now we've got about 6 songs that we just love ..." On March 26, 2010, in an interview with The Globe and Mail , Lifeson remarked that there was even the potential for two supporting tours. Soon after, Peart confirmed that Raskulinecz had returned as co-producer. In April 2010, Rush entered Blackbird Studios in Nashville , Tennessee with Raskulinecz to record " Caravan " and "BU2B", two new songs to be featured on

2210-646: A name that was short and to the point. He suggested Rush, and the group went with it. Due to increasing difficulties in getting to Lifeson's house for practice, Jones suggested that Lifeson get his schoolmate Gary "Geddy" Weinrib to step in on lead vocals and bass. Weinrib replaced Jones as Rush's frontman, adopting the stage name Geddy Lee . Rush rehearsed a set mainly formed of covers by various rock artists, including Cream , Jimi Hendrix , and John Mayall . The band underwent several line-up configurations that included Lindy Young on keyboards and various instruments, and Mitch Bossi on second guitar. Shortly after becoming

2340-481: A non-profit Canadian charitable organization dedicated to promoting the preservation of Canada's audio-visual heritage, has sponsored MasterWorks, which annually recognizes twelve culturally significant Canadian classics from the film, radio, TV and music industries. In 2006, 2112 was one of the albums chosen to be preserved. In 2018, the album won the Polaris Heritage Prize Audience Award in

2470-628: A novelization of Clockwork Angels that was released in September 2012. Clockwork Angels was released in the United States and Canada on June 12, 2012, reaching No. 1 in Canada, No. 2 in the US, No. 21 in the UK and entering the Top 10 in most of Rush's traditional northern European markets. The supporting Clockwork Angels Tour began on September 7, 2012, with performances on November 25 in Phoenix, Arizona and November 28 in Dallas , Texas, recorded to make

2600-510: A portable Pignose practise amplifier. Lee and Lifeson composed with little overdubbing in order to recreate the music on stage as much as possible. Lifeson recalled developing "The Temples of Syrinx" backstage at a gig in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario in front of their opening act Mendelson Joe . The "Overture" was the final piece to be written on the album. Lifeson said 2112 was the first Rush album that "really sounded like Rush". In January 1976,

2730-575: A profit. After the tour, Rush joined fellow Toronto-based rock band Max Webster to record "Battle Scar" for their 1980 album, Universal Juveniles . Max Webster's lyricist, Pye Dubois , offered the band the lyrics to a song he had written. The band accepted, and the song went on, after reworking by Peart, to become " Tom Sawyer ". Rush's popularity reached its pinnacle with the release of Moving Pictures in February 1981. Moving Pictures essentially continued where Permanent Waves left off, extending

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2860-566: A short-lived band, The Projection (formerly known as The Lost Cause). Afterward the two stuck together and brought in Jones to form a new group; their first gig was in September at the Coff-Inn, a youth centre in the basement of St. Theodore of Canterbury Anglican Church in Willowdale; they were paid CA$ 25. They had not named themselves at the time of the booking; Rutsey's brother Bill thought they needed

2990-547: A substitute drummer, Gerry Fielding. After auditioning five drummers, Lifeson and Lee picked Neil Peart , who joined on July 29, 1974, two weeks before the group's first US tour. They performed their first concert together on August 14 at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh , opening for Uriah Heep and Manfred Mann's Earth Band to more than 11,000 people. Peart assumed the role of lyricist; Lifeson and Lee had little interest in

3120-416: A symbol of the Solar Federation depicted in the "2112" suite, represents what Peart described as "any collectivist mentality", while the man represents the protagonist of the story and to Peart, "the abstract man against the masses". Syme said: "That he is nude is just a classic tradition ... the pureness of his person and creativity without the trappings of other elements such as clothing". In July 2013,

3250-512: A time when they needed one more song to fill side two. It was quickly put together, Peart said it was written and recorded in one day. The band were big fans of the television series The Twilight Zone and based the track on the stories written for it from its host, Rod Serling . "Lessons" is one of the few Rush songs written solely by Lifeson. For him, the process of songwriting is more seldom and spontaneous in comparison to dedicating time to write, rehearse and scrap parts that do not work. "Tears"

3380-515: A tour to begin in the summer. Snakes & Arrows was released on May 1, 2007, in North America, where it debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with approximately 93,000 units sold in its first week. It also peaked at No. 3 in Canada and No. 13 in the UK, selling an estimated 611,000 copies worldwide. To coincide with the beginning of Atlantic Ocean hurricane season, " Spindrift " was released as

3510-531: A year, so that's going to take us through to the end of next summer, for sure. That's the minimum. We haven't stopped or quit. Right now we're just relaxing. We're taking it easy and just enjoying our current employment." In September 2014, the Rush R40 box set was announced to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the release of the band's self-titled debut album. It included five previously released live video albums, and various previously unreleased footage from across

3640-568: Is a romantic ballad and is the first Rush track to incorporate the Mellotron , which Syme performs. "Something for Nothing" is a song about freewill and decision making. Peart was inspired by graffiti on a wall that he saw while on his way to perform at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles that read "Freedom isn't free", which he adapted into the song. Lifeson asserted that its lyrical tie-in with

3770-521: Is part of such a society that he can never be part of and kills himself ("Soliloquy"). Another planetary war begins and the elder race successfully take down the Solar Federation, but the song ends with an ambiguous spoken ending: "Attention all planets of the Solar Federation: We have assumed control" ("Grand Finale"). Peart described the ending as a "double surprise ... a real Hitchcock killer". Side two contains five individual songs that display

3900-484: Is really not a man of his word ... after agreeing to do our record, he got an offer from Simple Minds, changed his mind, blew us off ... so it put us in a horrible position." Rush eventually hired Peter Henderson to co-produce and engineer the album instead. Henderson was nominated for a Grammy Award for his work on Supertramp 's Breakfast in America . Musically, although Lee's use of sequencers and synthesizers remained

4030-535: The Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. Some consider Rush to be one of the greatest rock bands of all time. The band was formed in the neighbourhood of Willowdale in Toronto, Ontario, by guitarist Alex Lifeson , bassist and frontman Jeff Jones , and drummer John Rutsey , in August 1968. Lifeson and Rutsey had been friends since a young age and played together in

2112 (album) - Misplaced Pages Continue

4160-629: The Fender Super Reverb and a Twin Reverb . A section of "Discovery" features a Fender Stratocaster that Lifeson borrowed from a friend. Lee used a Rickenbacker 4001 bass with stereo output; Brown fed one channel into the mixing board and then into a compressor, and the other was channelled into Lee's Electro-Voice speakers turned up to the maximum. Upon completing the album, the band expressed an interest in recording in another studio to explore different sounds. Their next album, A Farewell to Kings ,

4290-517: The Red Hot Chili Peppers joined them for " Working Man ", and Danny Carey from Tool drummed for "YYZ". Those appearances fuelled speculation over a possible Rush reunion, with Paul McCartney (who attended the Hawkins tribute shows) urging Lee and Lifeson to tour again, and Smith commenting, "Those guys are so happy to be playing again... They were part of the show. They loved it and enjoyed

4420-439: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . On November 18, 2013, Lifeson said the band would take a year off, following the completion of the world tour in support of Clockwork Angels . "We've committed to taking about a year off", Lifeson said. "We all agreed when we finished this [ Clockwork Angels ] tour [in early August], we were going to take this time off and we weren't going to talk about band stuff or make any plans. We committed to

4550-531: The "2112" concept, they do contain ideas that can relate to its overall theme. Lee wrote the lyrics for "Tears" and Lifeson the lyrics to "Lessons", while Peart wrote the rest. " A Passage to Bangkok " is a song about marijuana ; Lee said it is "a travelogue for all the places in the world that grow the best weed". The track mentions a number of cities and countries, specifically Bogotá , Jamaica , Acapulco , Morocco , Bangkok , Lebanon , Afghanistan , and Kathmandu . Rush started to write " The Twilight Zone " at

4680-448: The "2112" suite makes the track act as a coda to the record. The album was packaged in a gatefold sleeve designed and produced by longtime Rush cover artist Hugh Syme . It marks the first appearance of the emblem later known by fans as the "Starman" logo, which was adopted into the band's stage design and future album covers. Peart used it on the front bass drum heads of his kit from 1977 to 1983, and again in 2004 and 2015. The Red Star,

4810-505: The "Legendary 7-100," the amplifier is still in production and used primarily as a portable practice amp. It has also found a role in recording studios, having been used on records by Joe Walsh , Eric Clapton and Frank Zappa . The 7-100 includes hanger buttons for a guitar strap, allowing a musician to carry the amplifier while standing or walking. The 7-100 is powered by six AA batteries or an optional AC adapter and weighs between five and six pounds (2.27-2.72 kg). Another feature

4940-491: The 1976–1985 category. Ultimate Classic Rock included the album on their list of the "Top 100 '70s Rock Albums". Prog readers voted 2112 the 15th best progressive rock album of all time. Rush promoted 2112 with a concert tour of the United States, Canada, and for the first time in their career, across Europe, between February 1976 and June 1977. The tour saw the band perform over 140 shows. To make their set tighter, "Discovery" and "Oracle: The Dream" were omitted from

5070-762: The 1980s and 1990s, with most albums charting highly in Canada, the US and the UK, including Permanent Waves (1980), Moving Pictures (1981), Signals (1982), Grace Under Pressure (1984), Roll the Bones (1991), Counterparts (1993), and Test for Echo (1996). Rush continued to record and perform until 1997, after which the band went on a four-year hiatus due to personal tragedies in Peart's life. The trio regrouped in 2001 and released three more studio albums: Vapor Trails (2002), Snakes & Arrows (2007), and Clockwork Angels (2012). Rush performed their final concerts in 2015, with Peart retiring from music later that year. Lifeson confirmed in January 2018 that

5200-478: The 1980s, Rush merged their sound with the trends of this period, experimenting with new wave, reggae, and pop rock . This period included the band's most extensive use of instruments such as synthesizers, sequencers , and electronic percussion. In the early 1990s, the band transformed their style once again to return to a more grounded hard rock style and simultaneously harmonize with the alternative rock movement. More than 40 years of activity provided Rush with

5330-736: The CBC posted a video interview with Lee and Lifeson in which they discussed Rush's induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame on March 28, 2010, at the Toronto Centre for the Arts ' George Weston Recital Hall. The band was recognized for the songs "Limelight", " Closer to the Heart ", "The Spirit of Radio", "Tom Sawyer" and "Subdivisions". In addition to discussing their induction, Lee and Lifeson touched on future material, with Lee saying, "Just about

2112 (album) - Misplaced Pages Continue

5460-701: The Down the Tubes Tour. In light of these events, Rush's record label tried to pressure the members into moulding their next album in a more commercially friendly and accessible fashion; the band ignored the requests and developed their next album 2112 (1976) with a 20-minute title track divided into seven sections. Despite this, the album was the band's first taste of significant commercial success as it reached No. 5 in Canada, becoming their first to reach double platinum certification. Rush toured in support of 2112 between February 1976 and June 1977 with concerts in Canada,

5590-422: The Heart ", was the band's first successful song in the UK, peaking at No. 36, while reaching No. 76 in the US and No. 45 in Canada. A Farewell to Kings did not sell as well as 2112 , but still went platinum in both Canada and the United States. By this time, Rush's record deal allowed them a CA$ 250,000 advance on each album and a 16% royalty rate. Permanent Waves (1980) shifted Rush's style of music with

5720-522: The Hot 100, and No. 4 on the US Album Rock Tracks Chart. Moving Pictures was Rush's last album to feature an extended song, the 11-minute " The Camera Eye ". The song also contained the band's heaviest usage of synthesizers yet, hinting that Rush's music was shifting direction once more. Moving Pictures became the band's first album to reach No. 1 on the Canadian Albums Chart , and also reached No. 3 on

5850-520: The Starman logo was featured on a Canada Post stamp honouring Rush. The gatefold includes a photograph of the band dressed in white and standing in front of a wind machine, and was a shoot Lifeson remembered for being particularly awkward. 2112 was released in March 1976 on vinyl, 8-track cartridge, and cassette tape. It received strong promotion from Polydor , the distributor of Mercury Records albums, who issued an advertising campaign based on graphics on

5980-890: The Top 5 in Canada and the UK and the Top 10 in the US It became the highest charter to that date in Sweden (No. 18), while becoming their first album to chart in Germany (No. 43) and Finland (No. 14). While "Distant Early Warning" was not a success on Top 40 radio, it peaked at No. 5 on the US Album Rock Tracks chart . With new producer Peter Collins , the band released Power Windows (1985) and Hold Your Fire (1987). The music on these two albums gives far more emphasis and prominence to Lee's multi-layered synthesizer work, and he switched to an English-made Wal MK1 bass. While fans and critics took notice of Lifeson's diminished guitar work, his presence

6110-579: The Top 50 in the UK. Signals became the group's second No. 1 album in Canada, their third straight No. 3 album in the UK, and peaked at No. 10 in the US, while continuing their moderate success in the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway, making the Top 30 in each country. Although the band members consciously decided to move in this overall direction, creative differences between the band and longtime producer Terry Brown began to emerge. The band felt dissatisfied with Brown's studio treatment of Signals , while Brown

6240-562: The US Billboard 200 and UK album charts; it has been certified quintuple platinum by both the Recording Industry Association of America and Music Canada. Following the success of Moving Pictures , Rush released their second live recording, Exit... Stage Left , in 1981. The band underwent another stylistic change with the recording of Signals in 1982. While Lee's synthesizers had been featured instruments since

6370-628: The US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart . A third live album and video, A Show of Hands (1989), was also released by Anthem and Mercury following the Power Windows and Hold Your Fire tours, demonstrating the aspects of Rush in the '80s. A Show of Hands met with strong fan approval, but Rolling Stone critic Michael Azerrad dismissed it as "musical muscle" with 1.5 stars, claiming Rush fans viewed their favourite power trio as "the holy trinity". Nevertheless, A Show of Hands reached

6500-501: The US alone. It is listed in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die , and ranked second on Rolling Stone ' s reader's poll, Your Favorite Prog Rock Albums of All Time. 2112 has been reissued several times; a 40th Anniversary Edition was released in 2016 with previously unreleased material, including the album performed by numerous contemporary artists. In January 1976, Rush ended its 1975–1976 tour to support 1975's Caress of Steel . The band had enjoyed writing and recording

6630-402: The US with sales of 26 million albums and industry sources estimate their total worldwide album sales at over 42 million. They have been awarded 14 platinum and 3 multi-platinum albums in the US and 17 platinum albums in Canada. Rush were nominated for seven Grammy Awards , won ten Juno Awards , and won an International Achievement Award at the 2009 SOCAN Awards. The band was inducted into

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6760-534: The US, and for the first time Europe, with dates in the UK, Sweden, Germany, and the Netherlands. The three sold-out shows at Massey Hall in Toronto in June 1976 were recorded for Rush's debut live album, All the World's a Stage . Released in September of that year, the double album reached No. 6 in Canada and became Rush's first to crack the US top 40. Record World wrote: "Building its American reputation slowly but steadily Rush stands poised for breaking through all

6890-604: The US, while selling disappointingly in the UK, where it peaked at No. 38. A live album and DVD, Rush in Rio , was released in October 2003, featuring the last performance of the band's Vapor Trails Tour on November 23, 2002, at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. To celebrate the band's 30th anniversary, June 2004 saw the release of Feedback , an extended play work recorded in suburban Toronto that featured eight covers of artists such as Cream, The Who and The Yardbirds , bands

7020-565: The album had outsold the band's past catalogue in Canada and the United States, selling close to 35,000 and more than 200,000 copies, respectively. 2112 became a strong seller in the United States; it reached gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in November 1977 for selling 500,000 copies. In November 1995, the album reached triple platinum for selling more than 3 million copies, becoming Rush's second-biggest seller after Moving Pictures . Cashbox praised

7150-492: The album sleeve, in major trade publications. It became Rush's second album after Fly by Night to enter the top ten on the Canadian Albums Chart , peaking at No. 5. In the US, it peaked at No. 61 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart, the week of 29 May 1976, during a 37-week stay on the chart. It was the band's first to crack the U.S. top 100. The album sold faster than any of Rush's previous albums. In June 1976,

7280-443: The album, as he borrowed the words of Ernest Hemingway ("Courage is grace under pressure" ) to describe what the band had to go through after making the decision to leave Brown. Producer Steve Lillywhite , who gained fame with successful productions of Simple Minds and U2 , was enlisted to produce Grace Under Pressure . He backed out at the last moment, however, much to the ire of Lee, Lifeson and Peart. Lee said, "Steve Lillywhite

7410-446: The album, but guitarist Alex Lifeson recalled the group was in a state of confusion after the tour, sensing the disappointing reaction from crowds after playing songs from it on stage. The album marked the band's foray into progressive rock with lengthy, story-based songs, more complex song structures, and hard-to-grasp lyrics, which made it difficult to receive radio airplay and promote effectively. Vocalist and bassist Geddy Lee said

7540-408: The album, calling it "a valid and melodic tale ... the story/song is a definite cohesive listen". They said of "Temples of Syrinx" that it "combines growling guitars with an incredibly shrill lead vocal." In an article about 2112 for Creem , Dan Nooger wrote the album "features some significant Mellotron meanderings and amazingly eccentric lyrics". The Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada ,

7670-588: The band could not understand the underwhelming response, and later dubbed the tour the "Down the Tubes Tour" as they struggled to meet their $ 125-a-week salary while crowds declined. Lee added, "That really shakes your confidence. We were so confused and disheartened." In 1980, Lifeson, who had formed the band in 1968, said this was the only moment in its history when he felt close to giving up. In addition to their financial hardship, Rush's international label, Mercury Records , considered dropping them. Peart recalled seeing label owner Polygram 's financial predictions for

7800-695: The band decided not to resume activity following the R40 Tour , which was later cemented by Peart's death from glioblastoma , a type of brain cancer , on January 7, 2020, at the age of 67. Lee and Lifeson have continued to periodically work together since Peart's death, including performing at the 25th anniversary celebration of South Park and tributes to then-recently deceased Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins in 2022. Rush were known for their virtuosic musicianship, complex compositions and eclectic lyrical motifs, which drew primarily on science fiction , fantasy and philosophy . The band's style changed over

7930-423: The band entered Toronto Sound Studios to record with their longtime associate Terry Brown assuming his role as producer, operating a Studer 24-track machine . Lifeson plays a 1968 Gibson ES-335 for the majority of the electric guitar parts, with some lead parts played on a Gibson Les Paul Standard. For the acoustic sections, he plays a 12-string Gibson B-45 and a six-string Gibson Dove . His amplifiers were

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8060-440: The band members expanding the progressive elements in their music. "As our tastes got more obscure", Lee said in an interview, "we discovered more progressive rock-based bands like Yes , Van der Graaf Generator and King Crimson , and we were very inspired by those bands. They made us want to make our music more interesting and more complex, and we tried to blend that with our own personalities to see what we could come up with that

8190-577: The band nearly getting dropped from their then-record label Mercury Records . Rush's fourth album, 2112 (1976), reignited their popularity, becoming their first album to enter the top five on the RPM Top Albums Chart. Their next two albums, A Farewell to Kings (1977) and Hemispheres (1978), were also successful, with the former becoming Rush's first to enter the UK Albums Chart . The band saw their furthest commercial success throughout

8320-429: The band opted for arrangements notably more guitar-centric than the previous two studio albums. Although synthesizers were still used, they were no longer featured as the centrepiece of Rush's compositions. Continuing this trend, Roll the Bones extended the use of the standard three-instrument approach with even less focus on synthesizers than its predecessor. While musically these albums do not deviate significantly from

8450-562: The band released Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland , a concert DVD, Blu-ray and double CD documenting the April 15, 2011, concert at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. After the tour's second leg was finished, Rush entered Revolution Recording studios in Toronto to finalize the recording of Clockwork Angels. The second single, "Headlong Flight", was released on April 19, 2012. Peart and author Kevin J. Anderson collaborated on

8580-550: The band went through a few line-up changes before arriving at its classic power trio line-up with the addition of Peart in July 1974, who replaced Rutsey four months after the release of their self-titled debut album ; this line-up remained unchanged for the remainder of the band's career. Rush first achieved moderate success with their second album, Fly by Night (1975). The commercial failure of their next album Caress of Steel , released seven months after Fly by Night , resulted in

8710-563: The band's career. On January 22, 2015, the band announced the Rush R40 Tour , celebrating the 40th anniversary of Peart's membership in the band. The tour started on May 8 in Tulsa, Oklahoma , and wrapped up on August 1 in Los Angeles. On April 29, 2015, Lifeson said in an interview that R40 might be the final large-scale Rush tour due to his psoriatic arthritis and Peart's chronic tendinitis . He noted that it didn't necessarily mean an end to

8840-567: The band's comeback, the single and lead track from the album, " One Little Victory ", was designed to grab the attention of listeners with its rapid guitar and drum tempos. The album was supported by the band's first tour in six years, including first-ever concerts in Brazil and Mexico City, where they played to some of the largest crowds of their career. The largest was a capacity of 60,000 in São Paulo . Vapor Trails peaked at No. 3 in Canada and No. 6 in

8970-416: The band's cornerstone, his focus on new technology was complemented by Peart's adaptation of Simmons electronic drums and percussion. Lifeson's contributions on the album were decidedly enhanced, in response to the minimalist role he played on Signals . Still, many of his trademark guitar textures remained intact in the form of open reggae chords and funk and new-wave rhythms. Grace Under Pressure reached

9100-399: The band's exhaustion from recording Hemispheres . The lyrics up to this point were heavily influenced by classical poetry, fantasy literature, science fiction, and the writings of novelist Ayn Rand , as exhibited most prominently by their 1975 song "Anthem" from Fly By Night and a specifically acknowledged derivation in 2112 (1976). The first single from A Farewell to Kings , " Closer to

9230-404: The band's more traditional hard-rock sound and Lee's higher-pitched vocals featured on their previous albums. Lifeson said while having a title track more serious, the rest of the album was to be "just a little lighter and a little more fun". Bowman wrote that the variation of styles on side two offers "a very different listening experience" in comparison. Though the tracks are not specifically about

9360-568: The band's studio album Clockwork Angels . "Caravan" and "BU2B" were released together on June 1, 2010, and made available for digital download. The Time Machine Tour 's first leg began on June 29 in Albuquerque , New Mexico, and finished on October 17 in Santiago , Chile, at the National Stadium. It featured the album Moving Pictures played in its entirety, as well as "Caravan" and "BU2B". It

9490-520: The band, suggesting the possibility of smaller tours and limited performances. He also said he wanted to work on soundtracks with Lee. On December 7, 2015, Peart stated in an interview that he was retiring. The following day, Lee insisted that Peart's remarks had been taken out of context, and suggested he was "simply taking a break". Lifeson confirmed in 2016 that the R40 tour was the band's last large-scale tour. The band's latest documentary, Time Stand Still ,

9620-565: The credit in the album's liner notes to avoid legal action. In the British paper NME , Barry Miles made allusions of the Rand influence to Nazism , which particularly offended Lee, whose parents were Holocaust survivors. "Overture" begins with a soundscape from musician and album cover artist Hugh Syme performed on his ARP Odyssey synthesizer with an envelope filter and Echoplex Delay pedal. Music writer and professor Rob Bowman calculated that in

9750-507: The death of Peart. In September 2022, Lee and Lifeson performed at the London Taylor Hawkins tribute concert with Dave Grohl and Omar Hakim on drums. They performed " 2112 : Overture", " Working Man ", and " YYZ ", the latter of which was Hawkins' favourite Rush song. Later that month, Lee and Lifeson played the same set at the second Taylor Hawkins Tribute show in Los Angeles. Grohl once again drummed on "2112", Chad Smith of

9880-453: The entire piece, 2:34 of the song contains improvised guitar solos. "Overture" contains the lyric "And the meek shall inherit the earth", a reference to the Biblical passages Book of Psalms 37:11 and Matthew 5:5 and borrows a short sequence from Tchaikovsky 's 1812 Overture . "2112" tells a story set in the city of Megadon in the year 2112, after an intergalactic war in 2062 forces many of

10010-467: The f--- knew? Anyway, he influenced them and they went along with it, Alex Lifeson and John Rutsey, and I was out. With Lee kicked out of the band, Rutsey recruited new bassist and vocalist Joe Perna. The group of Lifeson, Rutsey, and Perna named themselves Hadrian. After a disastrous gig with Perna, Rutsey invited Lee back and the group continued as Rush. Lee stated, "I started a blues band and I was, frankly speaking, doing better than they were. Then I got

10140-636: The first leg of the tour, recorded at the Ahoy arena in Rotterdam , Netherlands on October 16 and 17, 2007. A DVD and Blu-ray recording of the same concerts was released on November 24, 2008. As Rush neared the conclusion of the Snakes & Arrows tour, they announced their first appearance on American television in over 30 years. They appeared on The Colbert Report on July 16, 2008, where they were interviewed by Stephen Colbert and performed "Tom Sawyer". Continuing to ride what film critic Manohla Dargis called

10270-612: The following month by CBS News Sunday Morning if he and Lifeson had talked about continuing as Rush with a new drummer, Lee said, "Have we talked about it? Yeah. It's not impossible, but at this point, I can't guarantee it." Lifeson then expressed optimism about the band's future, stating that, "It's just not in our DNA to stop." Lifeson later stated in a January 2024 interview that he was no longer interested in touring, citing arthritis and expressing doubt that he could perform as he did years ago. In May 2024, Lifeson stated that he and Lee were playing songs together, but continued to rule out

10400-433: The following year, Peart decided to return to Rush. In January 2001, Lee, Lifeson, and Peart came together to see if they could reassemble the band. According to Peart, "We laid out no parameters, no goals, no limitations, only that we would take a relaxed, civilized approach to the project." With the help of producer Paul Northfield , the band produced seventy-four minutes of music for their new album Vapor Trails , which

10530-436: The form of triangles , glockenspiel , wood blocks, cowbells , timpani , gong , and chimes . Beyond instrument additions, the band kept in stride with progressive rock trends by continuing to compose long, conceptual songs with science fiction and fantasy overtones. As the new decade approached, Rush gradually began to dispose of their older styles of music in favour of shorter and sometimes softer arrangements, due in part to

10660-455: The forthcoming year, and the band were not listed. To help the situation Rush manager Ray Danniels flew to the label's head offices in Chicago to try to regain confidence and spoke highly of the band's ideas for a new album without having heard any of it. This followed the group's conscious decision to exclude Danniels from the writing and recording sessions, and only played the album to him when it

10790-568: The gold album mark in the US and the platinum level in Canada. At this point, the group decided to change international record labels from Mercury to Atlantic . After Rush's departure in 1989, Mercury released a double platinum two-volume compilation of their Rush catalogue, Chronicles (1990). Rush started to deviate from its 1980s style with the albums Presto (1989) and Roll the Bones (1991). Produced by record engineer and musician Rupert Hine , these two albums saw Rush shedding much of its keyboard-saturated sound. Beginning with Presto ,

10920-635: The group's biggest hit single to date, peaking at No. 22 in Canada, No. 51 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and No. 13 on the UK Singles Chart. Peart's lyrics on Permanent Waves shifted toward an expository tone with subject matter that dwelled less on fantastical or allegorical storytelling and more heavily on topics that explored humanistic, social, and emotional elements. Rush toured Permanent Waves for six months through 1980 to more than 650,000 people across 96 shows, becoming their first tour to make

11050-494: The guitar style found on Power Windows , and, according to AllMusic critic Eduardo Rivadavia, the culmination of this era of Rush. Hold Your Fire only went gold in the US, whereas the previous five Rush albums had gone platinum, although it managed to peak at No. 13 on the Billboard 200. and made the Top 10 in Canada, the UK and Finland. Two tracks from Hold Your Fire , " Force Ten " and "Time Stand Still", both peaked at No. 3 on

11180-461: The hell out of it. Those guys miss playing. They couldn't play anymore, Neil couldn't do it anymore, but they still want to play." Lee told The Washington Post in November 2023 that he would not rule out performing with Lifeson again as Rush, saying, "It was nice to know that if we decide to go out, Alex and I, whether we went out as part of a new thing, or whether we just wanted to go out and play Rush as Rush, we could do that now." When asked in

11310-503: The hiatus. Mixed by producer Paul Northfield and engineered by Terry Brown, it is a three-disc live album featuring recorded performances from the band's Counterparts , Test For Echo , and A Farewell to Kings tours, dedicated to the memory of Selena and Jacqueline. After a time of grief and recovery, and while visiting longtime Rush photographer Andrew MacNaughtan in Los Angeles, Peart was introduced to his future wife, photographer Carrie Nuttall , whom he married on September 9, 2000. By

11440-525: The inclusion of the story song "By-Tor & the Snow Dog", replete with complex arrangements and a multi-section format. Lyrical themes also underwent dramatic changes because of Peart's love for fantasy and science-fiction literature. Despite these new styles, some other songs on the album mirrored the simplistic blues style found on Rush's debut. " Fly by Night " was released as a single that reached No. 45 in Canada. The album reached No. 9 in Canada, where it

11570-557: The initial pressing of 3,500 copies quickly sold out. It went on to peak at No. 86 on the RPM Top Albums chart. Most critics considered the album highly derivative of Led Zeppelin . It saw a limited release until it was picked up by Donna Halper , a music director and DJ at rock station WMMS in Cleveland , Ohio. She added " Working Man " to the station's regular playlist, and the song's blue-collar theme resonated with hard rock fans in

11700-409: The interim between Counterparts and Test for Echo . " Stick It Out " from Counterparts reached the summit of the US Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart, with the album peaking at No. 2 in the US and No. 6 in Canada. Test for Echo reached the Top 5 in both countries, with the title track again topping the US Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart. In October 1996, in support of Test For Echo , the band embarked on

11830-428: The introduction of reggae and new wave elements. Although a hard rock style was still evident, more synthesizers were introduced. Because of the limited airplay Rush's previous extended-length songs received, Permanent Waves contained shorter, more radio-friendly songs, such as " The Spirit of Radio " and " Freewill ", which helped the album become Rush's highest-charting album to date. "The Spirit of Radio" became

11960-465: The job and recognized Peart's wider vocabulary range from reading regularly. Lifeson and Lee focused primarily on the music, with the new material displaying their influences from progressive rock bands Yes and Pink Floyd . When the US tour concluded in December 1974, Rush had reached its peak of No. 105 on the US Billboard 200 chart. Fly by Night (1975), Rush's first album with Peart, saw

12090-410: The late 1970s, keyboards were shifted from the background to the melodic front-lines in songs like " Countdown " and the opening track, " Subdivisions ". Both feature prominent lead synthesizer lines with minimalistic guitar chords and solos. Other previously unused instrument additions were seen in the song "Losing It", featuring collaborator Ben Mink on electric violin . Signals also represented

12220-596: The members of Rush cite as inspiration around the time of their inception. To help support Feedback and continue celebrating their 30th anniversary as a band, Rush launched the 30th Anniversary Tour in the summer of 2004, playing dates in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands. On September 24, 2004, the concert at The Festhalle in Frankfurt, Germany

12350-542: The official second radio single on June 1, 2007, while " The Larger Bowl (A Pantoum) " saw single status on June 25, 2007. "The Larger Bowl" peaked within the top 20 of both the Billboard Mainstream Rock and Mediabase Mainstream charts, but "Spindrift" failed to appear on any commercial chart. The planned intercontinental tour in support of Snakes & Arrows began on June 13, 2007, in Atlanta, Georgia, coming to

12480-508: The opportunity for musical diversity across their discography. As with many bands known for experimentation, changes inevitably resulted in dissent among critics and fans. The bulk of the band's music included synthetic instruments, and this has been a source of contention among fans and critics, especially the band's heavy usage of synthesizers and keyboards during the 1980s, particularly on Grace Under Pressure , Power Windows , and Hold Your Fire . Pignose The first Pignose amplifier

12610-409: The performance of the "2112" suite. However, "Discovery" was performed on later performances of "2112" on tours for A Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres . Rush would not perform the track in its entirety until their 1996 tour following the release of Test for Echo . The shows at Massey Hall in Toronto in June 1976 were recorded and compiled for release as their double live album All the World's

12740-454: The planets to be ruled by the Solar Federation (symbolized by the Red Star on the cover artwork), where music is unknown and individualism and creativity are outlawed. The population is controlled by a cabal of priests living in the temples of Syrinx, who take orders from giant banks of computers that control all aspects of life ("The Temples of Syrinx"). An unnamed protagonist finds a guitar inside

12870-469: The possibility of ever going back on tour, declaring that he is "proud of the fact" that Rush "was over when it was over." In that same month, Lee and Lifeson appeared together onstage at a Gordon Lightfoot tribute concert at the Massey Hall , where they joined Blue Rodeo to perform one of Lightfoot's songs "The Way I Feel". Rush's musical style had changed substantially over the years. Its debut album

13000-509: The predominantly working class city. In June 1974, Danniels signed Rush to the American booking agency ATI, of which executive Ira Blacker sent a copy of Rush to Mercury Records . The record caught the attention of A&R man Cliff Burnstein, who signed Rush with a $ 75,000 advance as part of a $ 200,000 deal. Following a series of Canadian dates, Rutsey played his last gig with the band on July 25. His preference for more straightforward rock

13130-404: The second half of 1975. Peart had already started writing lyrics, to which Lee and Lifeson would develop songs on acoustic guitars that complemented the mood of what Peart was writing about. This was a departure from the pair using their acoustic guitars to write heavy rock arrangements that were eventually recorded on electric instruments, although some passages were written on electric guitar using

13260-467: The situation: "We had been working towards something a little more ambitious on each of the previous two albums. We simply decided that 2112 would have to be the realization of all our hopes." Following the commercial success of 2112 and its tour, the band vowed to take full creative control of their music from that point on. Rush put down musical ideas for 2112 in backstage dressing rooms, hotel rooms, and in their van while touring Caress of Steel in

13390-565: The songwriting process in January 2006. During this time, Peart assumed his role of lyric writing while residing in Southern California. The following September, Rush hired American producer Nick Raskulinecz to co-produce the album. The band officially entered Allaire Studios in Shokan , New York, in November 2006 to record the bulk of the material. Taking the band five weeks, the sessions ended in December. On February 14, 2007, an announcement

13520-425: The sound quality, so tracks were recut and remixed with a new engineer, Terry Brown . Danniels sold his management company to help raise funds to make the record. Rutsey wrote the lyrics, but tore them up on the day Lee was to record them and would not produce a new set. Lee quickly wrote a fresh set based on earlier versions, which was used on the final takes. The debut album, Rush , was released in March 1974;

13650-427: The status of Rush and the possibility of continuing to work with Lee in a June 2021 interview with Eddie Trunk : There's no way Rush will ever exist again because Neil's not here to be a part of it. And that's not to say that we can't do other things and we can't do things that benefit our communities and all of that. I have lots of plans for that sort of thing that don't necessarily include Geddy. I get asked this all

13780-676: The studio in 1973 to record their first single; their cover of " Not Fade Away " by Buddy Holly was chosen as it had become a crowd favourite. "You Can't Fight It", an original song, was put on the B-side . Released in September, it went to No. 88 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart. That same month, Rush performed their first major gig, opening for the New York Dolls in Toronto, and finished putting down tracks for their first album. The initial sessions produced undesirable results over

13910-414: The three of us with Neil did together." In a January 2021 interview with Make Weird Music, Lifeson revealed that he and Lee were talking of working together on new music: "We're both eager to get back together and kind of get back into that thing that we've done since we were 14 years old that we love to do. And we work really, really well together. So we'll see what happens with that." Lifeson reiterated

14040-550: The time — are we gonna do this, or are we gonna do that? Who knows? All I know is we still love each other and we're still very, very good friends, and we always will be." In August 2022, Lee and Lifeson returned to the stage at the South Park 25th anniversary concert in Colorado , with South Park ' s co-creator Matt Stone on drums to perform " Closer to the Heart " alongside the members of Primus , their first performance since

14170-480: The time, but we don't talk about work. We're friends, and we talk about life as friends. I can't really tell you more than that, I'm afraid. I would say there's no chance of seeing Rush on tour again as Alex, Geddy, Neil. But would you see one of us or two of us or three of us? That's possible. On January 7, 2020, Peart died at the age of 67 following a 3½-year battle with glioblastoma , a type of brain cancer . A year later, Lee confirmed to Rolling Stone that Rush

14300-582: The trend of accessible and commercially friendly progressive rock that helped thrust them into the spotlight. The lead track, "Tom Sawyer", is probably the band's best-known song. Upon release, it reached No. 24 on the Canadian Top 40 Singles Chart, No. 44 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 8 on the new US Album Rock Tracks chart. The second single, " Limelight ", also received a strong response from listeners and radio stations, going to No. 18 in Canada, No. 54 on

14430-449: The way via this two record live set [...] All the highly charged electricity is here in an explosive setting." The liner notes includes the statement: "This album to us, signifies the end of the beginning, a milestone to mark the close of chapter one, in the annals of Rush." After the conclusion of the 2112 tour, Rush went to Wales to record A Farewell to Kings (1977) and Hemispheres (1978) at Rockfield Studios . These albums saw

14560-511: The years, from a blues -inspired hard rock beginning, later moving into progressive rock , then a period in the 1980s marked by heavy use of synthesizers, before returning to guitar-driven hard rock at the end of the 1980s. Clockwork Angels marked a return to progressive rock. The members of Rush have been acknowledged as some of the most proficient players on their respective instruments, with each winning numerous awards in magazine readers' polls in various years. As of 2024, Rush ranks 90th in

14690-442: Was "over" and expressed the impossibility of the band continuing without Peart: "That's finished, right? That's over. I still am very proud of what we did. I don't know what I will do again in music. And I'm sure Al doesn't, whether its together, apart, or whatever. But the music of Rush is always part of us. And I would never hesitate to play one of those songs in the right context. But at the same time, you have to give respect to what

14820-419: Was a battery-powered, five-watt portable guitar amplifier with one five-inch speaker. It is considered the first portable electric guitar amplifier. The inventors gave 65 prototypes (with rubber volume knobs shaped like the end of a pig's nose) to some of the most famous musicians of the era, including Led Zeppelin , The Rolling Stones , The Beatles , The Eagles , and The Who . Terry Kath (of Chicago )

14950-507: Was announced in November 2016. On January 16, 2018, Lifeson told The Globe and Mail that it was unlikely that Rush would play any more shows or record new material. He said, "We have no plans to tour or record anymore. We're basically done. After 41 years, we felt it was enough." In October 2018, Rolling Stone published an interview with Lee, who said, I'd say I can't really tell you much other than that there are zero plans to tour again. As I said earlier, we're very close and talk all

15080-400: Was becoming more uncomfortable with the increased use of synthesizers. Ultimately, Rush and Brown parted ways in 1983, and the experimentation with new electronic instruments and varying musical styles would come into further play on their next studio album. The style and production of Signals were augmented and taken to new heights on Grace Under Pressure (1984). It was Peart who named

15210-520: Was certified platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CAN) for selling 100,000 copies and in the US by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling 1 million copies there. The band followed Fly by Night quickly with Caress of Steel (1975), a five-track album featuring two extended multi-chapter songs, "The Necromancer" and " The Fountain of Lamneth ". Some critics said Caress of Steel

15340-427: Was decreased from 21 to 18, allowing the band to play bars and clubs. Lee said it was at this point that Rush turned "from a basement garage band that played the occasional high school gig to a regular working band playing six days a week." A demo tape was then shipped to various record labels, but Rush were unable to secure a deal, leading to the formation of their own label, Moon Records , with Danniels. Rush entered

15470-467: Was filmed for a DVD titled R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour , which was released on November 22, 2005. This release omitted eight songs also included on Rush in Rio ; the complete concert was released on Blu-ray on December 8, 2009. During promotional interviews for the R30 DVD, the band members revealed their intention to begin writing new material in early 2006. While in Toronto, Lifeson and Lee began

15600-614: Was finished. Danniel's plea was a success, and Mercury approved one more album. Despite pressure from the label and management to make a more commercial record, the band ignored the advice and proceeded with material as they saw fit. Lifeson said, "I remember having these conversations about, 'What are we going to do? Are we going to try to make another mini- Led Zeppelin record or are we going to do what we are going to do and continue forward and whatever happens, happens?' ... We fully intended to [not] go down in flames but we were prepared to do that." Drummer and lyricist Neil Peart looked back on

15730-432: Was given one which led to a partnership with the group and its management team in 1972. Pignose Industries was started by Terry Kath and other members/associates of the band, Chicago, in 1972. They introduced their product (designed and patented by Wayne Kimbell and Richard Edlund) to the music industry at the 1973 Summer NAMM show, with tongue-in-cheek hyperbole, as the "Legendary" Pignose Amplifier. Now known officially as

15860-449: Was incompatible with the more complex music that Lifeson and Lee had written, and Lee recalled that Rutsey had a general distaste for life as a touring musician. His Type 1 diabetes caused further complications, as he required frequent hospital visits to have tests and receive insulin. Since October 1973, Rutsey's health had often been too critical for him to perform; in the months prior to his departure, Rush temporarily replaced him with

15990-401: Was indisputably us." Increased synthesizer use, lengthy songs, and highly dynamic playing featuring complex time signature changes became a staple of Rush's compositions. To achieve a broader, more progressive sound, Lifeson began to experiment with classical and twelve-string guitars , and Lee added bass-pedal synthesizers and Minimoog . Likewise, Peart's percussion became diversified in

16120-465: Was made on the official Rush website that the title of the new album would be Snakes & Arrows . The first single, " Far Cry ", was released to North American radio stations on March 12, 2007, and reached No. 2 on the Mediabase Mainstream and Radio and Records Charts. The Rush website, newly redesigned on March 12, 2007, to support the new album, also announced that the band would embark on

16250-455: Was recorded in Wales . Side one is occupied by the 20-minute futuristic science-fiction song " 2112 ". The seven-part track is based on a story by Peart who credits Russian-American novelist Ayn Rand , inventor of the philosophy of Objectivism and author of the dystopian fictional novella Anthem , the plot of which bears several similarities to "2112". The band had read the book, and Peart added

16380-509: Was still palpable. Lifeson, like many guitarists in the mid to late 1980s, experimented with processors that reduced his instrument to echoey chord bursts and thin leads. Power Windows went to No. 2 in Canada while peaking at No. 9 and 10 in the UK and US, respectively. The lead track, " The Big Money " made the Top 50 in Canada, the UK and US, plus No. 4 on the US Mainstream Rock Chart. Hold Your Fire represents both an extension of

16510-527: Was strongly influenced by British blues-based hard rock: an amalgam of sounds and styles from such rock bands as The Beatles , Black Sabbath , The Who , Cream , and Led Zeppelin . Rush became increasingly influenced by bands of the British progressive rock movement of the mid-1970s, especially Pink Floyd , Genesis , Yes , and Jethro Tull . In the tradition of progressive rock, Rush wrote extended songs with irregular and shifting mood, timbre , and metre , combined with lyrics influenced by Ayn Rand. In

16640-566: Was suggested that Rush would return to the studio after the completion of the Time Machine Tour with plans to release Clockwork Angels in 2011. However, Rush announced on November 19, 2010, that they would be extending the Time Machine Tour. The second leg began on March 30, 2011, in Fort Lauderdale , Florida, and came to an end on July 2, 2011, in Seattle , Washington. On November 8, 2011,

16770-408: Was unfocused and an audacious move for the band because of the placement of two back-to-back protracted songs, as well as a heavier reliance on atmospherics and storytelling, a large deviation from Fly by Night . Intended to be the band's breakthrough album, Caress of Steel sold below expectations. The tour consisted of smaller venues and declining box office receipts, which led to it being nicknamed

16900-409: Was written and recorded in Toronto. Vapor Trails marked the first Rush studio recording to not include any keyboards or synthesizers since Caress of Steel . According to the band, the album's developmental process was extremely taxing and took approximately 14 months to finish, the longest they had ever spent writing and recording a studio album. Vapor Trails was released on May 14, 2002; to herald

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