So I asked her about it. Sure enough, she’s a fan. Someone born in 1996 is a fan of a band who reached its peak in 1981. And by “peak” I mean the audience moved from guys-with-Farrah-Fawcett-hair-in-mom’s-basement to relatively mainstream.
Nevertheless I thought: this is cool. And so is this student.
I find Rush to be oddly fascinating, primarily because they leave so many unanswered questions. Like:
Do their lyrics suggest they are pretentious posers or underappreciated philosophers?
Is Geddy Lee’s voice distinctive or obnoxious?
Are they art rock, prog rock, power rock, or did they create their own genre?
Is any song that lasts 20 minutes worth listening to or should you immediately click to the next one?
Is Canada really worth all this fuss or should we embrace that nation, its single-payer healthcare system, and its pre-eminent rock band?
So in honor of those unanswered questions, that Good Shepherd student and my own high school friends who loved Rush before Rush was ever cool, here are my top five Rush songs:
5. Free Will. I guess Rush is really a trio of Wesleyan theologians.
4. Tom Sawyer. The biggest hit the band ever had; certainly its most radio-friendly tune.
3. 2112 Overture / Temples Of Syrinx. They made up a whole ‘nother world on this one. I’m giving you the condensed version below.
2. La Villa Strangiato. Rush goes instrumental! For this song, at least, the Geddy Lee Voice question doesn’t have to be asked, much less answered. Intricate music, to say the least.
1. The Trees. Who knew there was unrest in the forest and trouble with the trees? Hammer, axe, and saw, oh my. The concept is so odd that it’s mesmerizing.
There are 3 comments
I am so very glad you included Trees! My favorite. My husband would like to add YYZ. We recently attended a rush concert and were very surprised that the crowd was 50% bald spots, 50% cool teens! Proof that everything comes back around!
In a desperate attempt to be cool a second time, I will answer your questions as philosophically as possible:
1.Yes
2.Yes
3. All of the above (and sometimes none of the above)
4. Did you leave the oven on? No? Then listen to it!
5. Do we get to keep all the maple syrup? If no, then no. If yes, then yes. If uncertain, then probably.
The cool thing about Rush is that they can span generations. They have something to offer to everyone. They’ve got instrumentals (and good ones at that!) for aesthetes. They’ve got deep, meaningful lyrics for logophiles. They’ve got music from different decades for those people who miss their “golden age” or whatever other pretty pseudonyms there are for spent youth. They’ve even got a song about a car for petrolheads! And that is magical, at least to me.
Plus, as my dad always says, no matter what situation you’re in, there’s a Rush lyric for that!
ThatGoodShepherdStudent:
You reply demonstrated your coolness effortlessly, not desperately.