RUSH

As has been said many times, Rush's debut finds them struggling to find an identity, with much of the tracks obviously Zeppelin inspired. Indeed, if I recall, Zeppelin's debut in 1969 had an enormous impact on Geddy and Alex, apart from Cream and the usual heavy blues suspects. In any case, those seeking progressive Rush will not find it here; instead, fun flat-out hard rocking tracks like "Finding My Way", "What You're Doing", "In The Mood", and of course the playground for live extended soloing, "Working Man", a radio favorite in parts of the US which helped launch their career. Even here, however, the talent of Geddy and Alex are unmistakable. Those who are new to the band should hold off on this, I view it as a passable record but really for Rush completionists. The introduction of Neil Peart makes their next album perhaps the "true" debut.