FLY BY NIGHT

Rush's second album Fly By Night still owes much to Led Zeppelin. The influence of new drummer/lyricist Neil Peart certainly gives the band a more mature and complex essence but Fly By Night is still essentially a Hard Rock album. Anthem and Beneath, Between & Behind are surprisingly aggressive and while not particularly sophisticated Fly By Night itself is a snappy, guitar driven rocker with an infectious chorus. There is Progressive Rock value here most notably on geeky extended centre-piece By-Tor & The Snow Dog which features an intense jam/instrument battle section. Fans of acoustic based music will be pleased with the inclusion of good-time Folky number Making Memories, Tolkienesque ballad Rivendell and the introduction to album closer In The End (Which soon breaks into a pounding riff driven reprise of itself). While still obviously the sound of a developing band Fly By Night should not be overlooked especially by fans of Classic Rock with subtle hints of Prog.