RUSH

Rush's first album, an enjoyable blues based hard rock album, with Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple influences. On this debut Rush already proofs they are a good band, with great guitar works from Alex Lifeson, fabulous bass play from Geddy Lee, and a good drummer with the name of John Rutsey, he left after this album to pursue other interest, to be replaced by Neil Peart. Geddy's voice is an acquired taste, but I like it, he always makes me smile and remember a cartoon called Alvin's Chipmunks (if you know the show, you know what I'm talking about).

The songs are rather simple in structure, but if you like early 70's hard rock, i'm sure you'll find some nice moments on here. with a little imagination you might even find some progressive elements on it aswell, but at that time it wasn't more than hints of a future direction.

Throughout the album Led Zeppelin influences are heard, both in the bass/drum interplay, as in the vocal lines as in the guitar sound, but for me that's quite a plus, since I like Led Zeppelin. Some moments they are even more Led Zeppelin than Led Zeppelin where ;)

No bad songs on this album, very well excecuted songs, production isn't top-notch, but they had to produce it themselves with limited funds, so considering that, they still did a marvelous job, with a well-balanced sound.

Best songs on the album: Working Man, Finding My Way, What You're Doing, all fairly heavy rock songs, with great rhythm and fabulous guitar play. Here Again is a bit slower, but really very good blues, totaly love the slow guitar development. fabulous. The other songs are not bad also. Just don't mind the lyrics, remember Neil Peart is not on board yet.

A very good blues based heavy rock album, and I like it very much. Hardly progressive, and too much copying the Led Zeppelin style too be considered very original, but most of their quality of writing emotive great pieces of music is already apparent. I rate it 3 stars, because of their lack of progressiveness on this album, but I'm going to listen it again now.

Recommended to all Rush fans who haven't got it yet, also fans of heavy blues rock will probably dig it.