Rush Starter Pack

Hello, and welcome to the second installment of “Starter Packs,” where I take a popular band or artist with a notably large catalogue of work, and recommend three albums to start your journey. Today, we’ll be taking a look at Rush. As some of you may know, Rush is my favorite band, and I’m more than happy to talk your ear off about them anytime, so this should be a fun one. Rush are inarguably a prog rock staple, and one of the most accomplished bands in the history of the genre. With a career spanning nearly half a century, and a discography of 19 studio albums, there’s a lot of music to dig into. So today, I’ll be sharing what I feel are some of the best places to start. Keep in mind, these aren’t necessarily my personal favorite Rush albums (check out my Rush discography ranking from earlier this year for that), but are simply the albums I feel are good jumping off points. So let’s get started!

1.Moving Pictures

Everyone starts with Moving Pictures. No exceptions. Non-negotiable. Moving Pictures is Rush’s mainstream rock opus, and is a classic record by all metrics. With this album, Rush managed to become the most radio-friendly version of themselves, without sacrificing any of the complex, yet quirky characteristics that made them such respected musicians in the prog scene. This album is packed wall-to-wall with classics such as “Tom Sawyer,” “Limelight,” and “Red Barchetta,” making it the perfect first impression for newcomers, particularly those who may not be ready for the weirder corners of Rush’s discography. Get ready to lose yourself in the massive atmosphere, and barrage of virtuosic instrumental passages that ooze out of these songs. The busy, yet purposeful, compositional style displayed by all three members ensures that there is never a dull moment on Moving Pictures. It’s an accessible, and quite inviting album that will leave you hungry to hear more of what these guys are capable of. So with that, let’s keep moving.

2. 2112

For this one, we’re going back a little earlier in Rush’s career, to the album that essentially saved them. Prior to 2112, Rush just wasn’t selling records, and their label was losing patience. The band was explicitly told that if their next record wasn’t a hit, they were done. They were instructed to write more mainstream-friendly music. So naturally, they ignored the label executives, and wrote one of prog rock’s great masterpieces. And against all odds, it exploded. And for good reason. Ladies and gentlemen, I’m not exaggerating when I say that side A of 2112 is the greatest 20 minutes of audio ever captured. A massive, multi-movement sci-fi suite about a dystopian world without music. If you aren’t 100% sold on Rush, hearing this absolute gem of a track will get you there. And on top of that, Side B is a pretty great sampling of Rush’s early sound, with classics such as “A Passage to Bangkok” and “The Twilight Zone.” And if you love this record, I have some great news for you. The entirety of Rush’s output from the 1970s is an absolute gold mine of superb prog rock in this vein. So go nuts. I can’t stress enough what a joy this band’s early work is.

3. Grace Under Pressure

The 1980s were a controversial time for Rush, and the music they released during the decade remains a topic of debate among Rush fans to this day. Following the massive success of Moving Pictures, the band dove headfirst into the use of electronics and synthesizers, an element that had already been growing more and more present in their music for some time. This lead to the creation of four new wave albums throughout the 80s, which together are known to Rush fans as “the synth era.” Some fans of the band absolutely hate the synth era. Hell, even Alex Lifeson hates the synth era. But nevertheless, it was a noteworthy period in Rush’s career, and it must be represented in this starter pack. And while many fans would point to Signals, the first album of the synth era, as the best, I have always felt that the next album, Grace Under Pressure is where the band truly locked in their new sound. The production and performance are air-tight, the songwriting packs a punch at all the right times, and the mix of Geddy Lee’s synth work, Neal Peart’s electric drums, and Alex Lifeson’s inversion-heavy guitar riffage, comes together as one unified musical unit more effectively here than on any other Rush album from this era. Songs such as “Distant Early Warning” and “Red Sector A” are some of the best from this era, and from Rush’s entire catalogue. If you enjoy this album, you’ll surely love the rest of Rush’s synth era albums. And if you enjoy all three of the albums I’ve suggested, then do yourself a favor and dive headfirst into the rest of this band’s immaculate body of work.