FLY BY NIGHT

Rush' second album after the odd debut. A radical change you might call this. There's not much left compared to their first where style is concerned and of course that has also to do with the personnel change (Peart for Rutsey) which in such a small band is a significant change. But also the songwriting has already matured slightly in one year time. First three songs are nice firecrackers, pretty heavy songs with speed sounding really fine. Next is By-Tor & The Snow Dog the album heads in another more symphonic direction. Real progressive composition, almost epical with after two minutes special vocal effects combined with spacy guitar playing by Lifeson. Significant song this.

The original B-side (vinyl) was always less interesting to me, just some good tracks with In the End as the better one. If side B would have been as good as the A-side this could have been a 4 star album but now it will have to settle for 3 (3,3). Good album.