FLY BY NIGHT

This is Rush at their hard rocking best. More mature but still as energetic as on the first record. Not as elaborate but more direct then 2112. The album has a fine mix of good hard rock songs (Beneath Between Behind, Fly by Night) and classic tracks like Anthem and By-Tor that mark Rush's their first brave steps into prog territory. Especially Neil Peart lifts this album to a higher stage. His drumming is immediately spot on. Fast, heavy, subtle, rich, complex and very prominent.

Anthem is the quintessential Rush track, with its complex rhythms, Zeppelin-meets-Crimson guitar riffs, the heavy Chris Squire inspired bass playing and Geddy's vintage duck squeal it screams prog rock through all its pores, even though it's only a good 4 minutes long. Best I Can and Beneath Between Behind are entirely pleasant hard rock tunes. Again it is the drumming that makes them stand out above Rush's debut album. By-Tor and the Snowdog is the real winner here. An epic song with an unexpected song structure, long instrumental passages and heavy effect soloing. One of the most interesting tracks of 1974. Fly By Night and Making Memories are just straightforward, catchy rock songs, but with Rivendell and In The End, the album goes for a strong ending. Rivendell is a folksy moody tune, a unique style exercise for Rush and a very successful one. In The End screams Led Zeppelin all over again, it's the last of their songs where the reference is still so obvious but it's a worthy tribute and a solid conclusion of an ambitious and well balanced album.

Well, I think you kind of guessed Fly By Bight is my personal favourite of Rush's first four albums.