FLY BY NIGHT

A solid four star album. Peart joins just as they are about to tour for the first album and we are off and running full speed. His entry in late 74 opened the door for Geddy and Alex to begin realizing their vision. Peart is almost cosmically in tune with their musical proclivities and is the perfect addition. He breaks the mold in a way by assuming control over the lyrics. And guess what? His respect for the objectivist philosophy of Ayn Rand draws a great deal of criticism from "liberal" critics. This musico/politico firestorm is augmented by the usual whiners complaining about Geddy's voice. Funny how I never heard them moan and groan about the absurdly hoarse Cobain vocals and other darlings of rock who can't sing live with anywhere near the intensity and consistency of Geddy. Standout tracks include Anthem, Best I Can, and By Tor and the Snow Dog. 4.254839203200398953 is my final answer.