The Rush appreciation thread

I remember reading online somewhere a few years ago or so about how Alex's approach(especially on Perm. Waves and later)would have sounded different without the first Van Halen album. Although it's been well documented that Alex was influenced by Andy Summers(and you can certainly hear that in some of the 80's albums)it's been mentioned far less frequently(if at all)that he was influenced by Eddie Van Halen when he first came on the scene. Yet the fast guitar intro at the beginning of "spirit of radio," although a bit different than Eddie's tapping technique(which itself was probably "borrowed" from Steve Hackett), would nonetheless be different without that first VH album. I read this somewhere although I happen to agree with it. I don't feel Alex stole anything from these guys. He merely borrowed ideas which is something most great musicians do. 

Machinemessiah wrote: When I listen to Rush, I look for Alex Lifeson distorted strumming (and solos obviously, but those perfectly tuned up, distorted strummings always fascinate me; I play guitar and I don't find it easy to make the electric guitar sound so neat strumming entire chords, or chords progressions like an acoustic guitar, with distortion), also his unusual power chords and arpeggiated transitions (ex. Anthem), his solos with that blessed wrist for the vibratos and all kinds of color with harmonics.

He really came a long way stylistically between Hem and MP.   By the time Signals came out ~ with his emphasis on phrasing, tone, and restraint ~ he was almost unrecognizable from the post-Page shrieks & squeals of his earlier days.

My family moved to a new town in '79. I was 11 and up to that point, my musical tatses were Beatles and whatever was on pop radio stations. My new neighbors were huge Rush fans. They tried to get me into them but at first, it just didn't click. In fact, I wanted no part of that weird music.  However by Moving Pictures I had started to like a few songs. I had a mix tape (taped off the radio) of songs like Vital Signs, Spirit of Radio, etc and that blossomed into full on love for their music.

My first record was Moving Pictures. My second was Caress of Steel. As a Rush neophyte, hearing CoS was quite the interesting experience.  It became one of my favorites though.

Well Feedback is not your typical covers album.....It is songs that made an impact on each one of them growing up. Rush did not record those songs because they were popular, the songs were who they were and influenced them to get into a band and play rock n roll.

This portion from the liner notes, which of course all of it written by Neil.

"It was April of 2004, but Geddy, Alex, and I were channeling back to 1966 and 1967, when we were thirteen- and fourteen -year-old beginners. We thought it would be a fitting symbol to commemorate our thirty years together if we returned to our roots and paid tribute to those we had learned from and were inspired by. We thought we might record some of the songs we used to listen to, the ones we painstakingly learned the chords, notes, and drum parts for, and even played in our earliest bands."

No Rush fan should be without it......Your right, here's mine!