FLY BY NIGHT

When I started listening to rush I decided to do it chronologically, I guess I thought they deserved it. The debut is a very strong album, a real solid one and I enjoyed that much that I used it as trampoline to the rest of their catalog. But I think it is also fair to better jump straight to their sophomore release, Fly By Night, the album that placed the cornerstone to the band's prog journey and also saw the debut on drums of an alien, an extraterrestrial being that later would become main lyricist and music composer for the power trio, Mr. Peart. Anthem kicks off with a heavy prog rock metal powerful introduction that rapidly grabs the listener and sets the bar for what's to expect in the next 40mins. Lee's vocals sound powerful and more balanced that those in the debut, Lifeson's guitar playing is confirming what everybody was thinking about him after listening to the debut (what a great fucking player) and there's something new happening with the rhythms, it seems like an octopus took over the kit and the two other guys are letting him be and do as he please, wisest decision ever made. The track is a mix of the hard rock displayed in their previous work with a small pinch of additional greatness. Best I can rocks intensely all the way through, with heavy guitar riffs and gentle but powerful drumming, and I'm sincerely impressed by the lead vocalist bass skills; ups? it's the opposite right? I'm impressed how good the bass player sounds when he sings! Geddy's tone is not a love at first sight kinda of tone, but when you love you love it! Beneath, Between and Behind, one of my favorite tunes from the record. Still some straightforward heavy rock but with a complex twist. Peart is not credited in the writing process for this album, but I can feel his invisible hand adding some complexity to the music crafting, and this song is the first example for the listener to encounter. The guitar-bass dup works beautifully and shows the growing partnership happening between two lifetime friends within the musical aspect of their relationship. By-Tor and the Snow Dog, their first epic and their first true prog tune, or at least pseudo prog tune. Four parts totaling 8 plus minutes of hard rock and heavy prog "in your face" music. By-Tor is powerful and smartly closes side A of the Vinyl, most instrumental and very experimental on the bass lines and effects, a perfect place for Peart to show his first drum soloing with the band, short but precise, with some here and there guitar licks and a mellow and atmospheric passage, prelude maybe to what The Necromancer will sound like in the near future, bluesy and kind of dark; well, By-Tor is the prince of Darkness after all. Very cool song that will set footprint for a lot of work in the next 3- 4 albums. The title track Fly By Night opens side B with a very familiar sound, maybe a little too melodic to be part of the debut but with the same traditional hard rock structure. Excellent soloing by Lifeson and tight rythmic section. One can tell throughout the whole record the lyrical influence of the new member with just a couple of exceptions and it does good to the entire experience. Making Memories kicks off in an uptempo folky way, very loud and pristine bass playing commands the ship, Alex presents himself again with some electric guitar participation but never overpowering the rest of the band, the mix is well balanced and helps the listener to enjoy the merry track. Rivendell, that beautiful place described by JRT on the Lord of The Rings saga, the most beautiful song ever written by the power trio and lyrical influenced by Peart's fantasy reading hobby. The melodies are enchanting as well as the acoustic guitars, storyteller Lee sounds like an Elf himself singing those amazing notes and transmitting the tranquility of enjoying the mentioned place. "You feel there's something calling you, you are wanting to return to where the Misty Mountains rise and friendly fires burn, a place you can escape the world, where the dark lord cannot go; peace of mind and sanctuary by loud water's flow". In the End keeps the soft melodic and acoustic groove of the previous track for almost 2minutes, then Alex interrupts with classic hard riffing and some backing distorted licks, appropriate for the mid-low tempo of the song. It's easy to see the bluesy roots of the band and the musical influence coming form across the globe (did Neil also bring some of that?) The strings duo sounds very compact and adjusted and even though they both are protagonists here they also respect each others talent and lead the song until the last chord. Maybe the album deserved a more powerful closure, same as it started, but those two last songs are perfect the way they are and once the album has finished one can help but to crave for further listens. A great place to understand what's coming in the future musically speaking and to raise hands saying: I'm officially a Rush fan!