Essential 5 – Rush | SHAVEURLEGZ

What happens when you mix three music virtuosos and tell them to just go ape shit on their instruments?? Well u get Rush. These three canadiens have been around since the early 70’s and they are still abusing our senses with what I consider to be some of the best prog rock ever recorded.

To the average layman, songs like Limelight, Time Stands Still and Tom Sawyer are the jist of your Rush knowledge. I don’t fault you, cause these are kick ass songs especially the latter of the three. But when I tell you that absolutely every song you will ever hear written by these Canadian fellows is better than any top 40 garbage, I’m not stretching the truth. Of course this is coming from a biased opinion but if you ever get a chance, pick up any of their Retrospective albums and take it for a spin. Every single song on there has a unique identity, story and uniqueness that makes their music timeless.

Talent is something rare in music these days , while we strive to find shreds of it, its mostly dulled away by technology. I mean most music today is not art, its mechanical engineering. I digress, Rush’s music is built upon raw natural talent. From Mr. Lee’s amazing bass slapping skills and perfect use of his falsetto esque voice to Mr. Peart’s use of every single one of his 20+ drum kit pieces to create atmospheric build ups as clean as modern day drum machines. Let’s not forget Mr. Lifeson’s propelling riffs that make anyone with a pulse confuse a tennis racket for strat.

All in all, Rush is the complete package and I wish that someday I’ll be able to enjoy them live. But for now here’s to having for more company. I leave you with what I consider to be reason enough, Rush’s essential 5.

5. Red Barchetta – Moving Pictures (1981)