I'm a die hard Rush fan. (Sorry Craig. Thanks Rob!). Here's a table of contents:
The rock band Rush was formed by Aleksandar Živojinović (Alex Lifeson), John Rutsey, and Jeff Jones in 1968. They were teens. Rutsey and Lifeson were previously in a band, The Projection (The Lost Cause). Alex started playing with Jones as bassist and vocalist, and Rutsey would join them. At the time, they were unnamed, (later named by Rutsey's brother). Jones had difficulty making practices, and recommended Gershon Lee Weinrib (Gary/Geddy) stand in when he couldn't make it. Alex asked Geddy to stay with the band the next day.
Lindy Young joined the band in January 1969, but started playing with Rush, as pianist and keyboardist, in the Fall of 1968. He stayed until June 1969. For a time in 1969, Danniels (manager) and Rutsey pushed Lee out, who was replaced by Joe Perna with Lindy singing lead, and they changed the name of the band to Hadrian. Lindy left to join Geddy's new band. When Geddy's band broke up, Rutsey asked Geddy to return and reform Rush. Lindy did not follow, deciding to go to college.
Mitch Bossi joined the band in the Fall of 1970 but left in the
dead summer
of 1971. Bossi relates he was a mediocre musician who
wanted to have fun, but Rush was too serious, and in the summer lull
left the band.
When the legal drinking age became 18 in Canada, Rush began playing in bars and clubs, getting out of the school performances, and beginning to play full time. They paid to do their first recording in September 1973, at age 20, released their first single from that session the same month, and their eponymous debut album in March 1974 using their own label Moon Records, which later became Anthem.
An interesting note from the Rush website. The Parkside Collegiate
Institute concert in St. Thomas Ontario is dated 1 January 1970. I believe
this is a mistake. Some suggestion that the concert labeled 6 April 1974 as
UNKNOWN VENUE
is actually that concert. This is also the case with
the Laura Secord Secondary School performance, found on the R40 video kit,
in St. Catherine's Ontario. At the least it should be listed as 1974, though
I've seen suggestion it was 1 April 1974. Setlist.fm appears to wrongly have
it labeled as 15 May 1974. I suspect the 1970 labels come down to the dates
are generally unknown.
As the band was signing on to Mercury Records in the summer of 1974, Rutsey's ongoing struggle with diabetes caused issues with the increased performance schedule, and Gerry Fielding played in his stead for most performances. Ultimately, Rutsey left the band, not enjoying full time touring and wanting to play more generic rock. (He went on to be a body builder, passing in 11 May 2008.)
Rutsey and Fielding was formerly replaced by Neil Peart on 29 July 1974. He played his first concert in Pittsburg on 14 August 1974. Peart's last performance was 1 August 2015, ending the R40 tour, after which he retired. He passed in January 2020 from a three year fight with brain cancer.) In 2025 Anika Nilles was asked to audition and joined the band as the new drummer. Loren Gold was added as keyboardist in February 2026. They first played at the Juno awards 29 March 2026.
The first Rush albums I listened to were on vinyl. At one point I had the entire album and live catalog on cassette tapes. I listened to them until they fell apart, replacing them with CD-ROMs. The first remastered CD-ROM I got was the Vapor Trails remix. I've since looked at remasters when they offer extra features I'm interested in. Many of the cases of my CDs have been broken, most of those I disgarded, and I wasn't smart enough to keep the backing insert when there was nothing unique to the front insert (which I always kept).
These CDs are finally starting to show wear and tear, but I still listen to them, preferring optical media. I only get digital copies when I can archive them in a backup. I'm not opposed to digital, DVD audio, or BD Pure Audio, as long as I don't have to fight with encryption or special players, (such as with Super Audio CD). For digital formats, I prefer FLAC in general, but also like the idea of Opus. I have MP3 files of some of Rush's music where they came offered with purchased CDs. I consider CD, DVD, and BD to be superior to all forms that preceed them, including vinyl. After having seen the loss of my wife's paid-for music disappearing with a service or device, I've been cynical of digital-only formats and controlled encryption protection.
My favorite Rush album is
Snakes & Arrows,
followed by Hold Your
Fire and Clockwork
Angels, which I like equally. Prime Mover
remains my long
standing favorite song, and Subdivisions
resonates with me in
several ways. There's not a song I dislike. Oh and I Love You Man is
an awesome movie.
I live in Utah, where Rush has toured since the Farewell to Kings tour. I've not been able to go all of them.
I have a YouTube playlist of my preferred recordings of Rush's work. I originally kept the list in chronological order, but decided to turn on voting. In general, I'm only using official Rush videos, with limited exceptions, e.g. Hall of Fame, a song not available elsewhere. This means that most of the tracks are limited to audio. I have chosen the complete version of the longer songs (some live performances pick only parts) and sometimes prefer the better quality of the studio version if nothing otherwise has changed. The newer performances of the last couple decades have excellent sound quality, and sometimes evolving improvements.
I read Peart's book Ghost Rider which seemed great, until the end, when he left the end to journal entries, but it was engrossing to read. I watched intensly during that half decade, having been to the Salt Lake Test for Echo Tour, only to have Rush suddenly come to a halt. I had lived with Rush nearly all my life, so the book was intense with a happy ending as Vapor Trails released, with its loud mixing which felt appropriate for the time.
As a child, I went to the Festival of Trees, and met Bruce Hurst, who signed a baseball for me. I love baseball. My daughter bought a baseball mit holder for me to put the baseball on, which before sat on my bookshelf free to roll around. In March, I had gone about my normal routine at work, helping out a coworker and pointing him to helpful code, and thinking maybe I should document this for him in a playbook. It'll help whomever tries this in the future. It's been a long time since I've got a work award. Nerds seem to get overlooked, as Rush fans know well. His award recognition came with a cash award, so I got Geddy Lee's book 72 Stories about his baseball collection. It came that weekend. Thank you, Daniel. So I guess that's my Rush baseball story.
The following are the music and video collections Rush has released and promoted. I have a couple notes on things part of Rush fandom that weren't released by Rush, or their record labels. I add notes on unique details of interest, including the current optical media and digital releases. I also include books, as Neil and Geddy began writing later in life.
You Can't Fight Iton side B. R50 provides a remaster.
skyline labelreferring to the Terry Brown remix.
Anthemwas written in the early days of Rush, but Rutsey didn't like to play it. It was one of Peart's audition songs. The music video of
Anthemis an Easter egg on the Rush in Rio DVD/BD, and the music video of
Fly by Nightcan be found on R30's DVD/BD.
What You're Doingdue to CD-ROM size constraints of the time. The missing song is available with the Chronicles compilation album. The remasters are unabridged. The 12 Months of Rush release is the most current remaster. The 50th anniversary is September 2026.
Lakeside Park,
Closer to the Heart,
2112(without
Oracle: The Dream), Peart's drum solo,
Madrigal, and an outtake. The Super Deluxe edition has a Blu-ray Pure Audio edition remastered by Steven Wilson. Three music videos were made after the original album, and included as extras on the BD:
Closer to the Heart,
A Farewell to Kings, and
Xanadu.
Circumstances,
The Trees, and
La Villa Strangiato.
Fly by Night,
Making Memories,
Bastille Day,
Something for Nothing,
Cinderella Man,
Anthem,
Overture/Temples of Syrinx,
The Twilight Zone,
Best I Can,
Closer to the Heart, and
In the End.
Limelight,
Tom Sawyer, and
Vital Signs(also included with Through the Camera Eye). The first two were included with Rush Chronicles — The DVD Collection.
A Passage to Bankok, but it is not a remaster. This is the first album I ever heard of Rush, on vinyl. There's a DVD of the same name from Rush Replay X 3, with a more limited (and different) selection with documentary commentary.
The Weaponhas a musical transition instead of the verse
And the things that we fear / Are a weapon to be held against himin the second refrain (about 3 minutes into the song).
New World Manand
Digital Manseem subtly different. The insert also has a spelling error in
The Weapon,
worse that your Hellshould be
thannot
that. Two music videos were issued at the time:
Subdivisionsand
Countdown. These were included with Through the Camera Eye, and
Subdivisionswas included with Chronicles: The Video Collection on LaserDisc, and Rush Chronicles — The DVD Collection. The most current CD-ROM is the 40th anniversary super deluxe edition, based on the 2015 remaster, with some included singles. There's also a BD Pure Audio release. It is the last anniversary release before R50.
Distant Early Warning,
Afterimage,
The Body Electric, and
The Enemy Within. These can be found on Through the Camera Eye. The Chronicles videos did not include
The Body Electric. There is a 40th anniversary supper deluxe edition. The second CD-ROM is Terry Brown's mix and a more recent mastering, and is really the outstanding part of this collection. CDs 3-4 are a more complete set list from the Grace Under Pressure Tour, (and the third CD-ROM release of the concert). Rush Replay X 3 has a DVD and CD-ROM (the first) release of the tour. The Replay CD has since been released separately. The Grace Under Pressure Super Deluxe boxed set edition has a new BD of the Grace Under Pressure Tour concert.
The Big Moneyand
Mystic Rhythms, found on the Chronicles videos. The 40th anniversary was in October 2025: will there be a deluxe remaster edition soon?
Vital Signs,
The Body Electric, and
Countdown. Most of the rest appears to be found on the Chronicles DVD, or in live formats found elsewhere.
Time Stand Stilland
Lock and Key, the latter being on the Chronicles video release. The 2015 Abbey Road remaster was used for a reissue and is the most current CD-ROM release.
Lock and Key, which was on the LaserDisc release). The missing video is on R40.
What You're Doingfrom the original All the World's a Stage CD-ROM, and
A Passage to Bankokfrom the original Exit… Stage Left CD-ROM, might make this worth the buy, at least at the time. There's also Rush Chronicles — The DVD Collection, which offers the related music videos.
Something for Nothingon Retrospective I is replaced with
Working Manon Gold. The 2112 Deluxe CD-ROM collection, or the 40th anniversary CDs, has a newer remaster than the 1997 version found here. If you have Retrospective I, getting The Spirit of Radio: Greatest Hits 1974-1987 will give the additional song.
Working Manis added. A sampler DVD special edition was included with the CD for limited release with five music videos:
Closer to the Heart,
Tom Sawyer,
Subdivisions,
Big Money, and
Mystic Rhythms.
Resistdebuts as an acoustic version. DVD Disc 2 has two Easter eggs. First, from the menu, press Enter when Bytor's movie is showing to see the movie. Second, spell 2112 by going to
O Baterista,
YYZ,
YYZagain, then back to
O Baterista: this will provide the 1974
Anthemvideo.
Resistand
Heart Full of Soulhave acoustic versions, providing a breather for Peart after his drum solo, (the accoustic performance of
Resistis also in the Vapor Trails tour). The BD has several songs not provided on the DVD or CD, but can be found elsewhere:
Red Sector Aon the Snakes & Arrows Live DVD,
Secret Touchon the Retrospective III: 1989-2008 two disc DVD,
One Little Victoryon the two disc version of
Working Men, and
Bravadoand
YYZon Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage DVD. There are two Easter eggs on the second DVD, tracks 16 and 17.
Rush Hits St. John'scan be found by arrowing right three times on the man menu.
Alex's Interview for Artist of the Decadecan be found arrowing right three times on the
Interviewsmenu.
Working Maninstead of
Something for Nothing. It was released in April 2006, and had some digital assembly unique to it.
One Little Victorywhich was part of the R30 BD, but not DVD or CD. It (along with others) can be found on the Blu-ray (BD) R30 video.
Live From the Rabbit Hole. There's also Peart warming up for a performance.
I spent time documenting current mixes and mastering of the different albums, and have ultimately decided that, other than perhaps Vapor Trails, I'm not entirely particular. It seems that the anniversary editions and The Studio Albums for Presto through Snakes & Arrows are the basic way to collect their music. (The Sectors box sets are already out of print.) Remasters, reissues, and rereleases are ongoing, e.g. Bob Ludwig (1991), Adam Ayan (2004), Kevin Gray (2011), Andy Van Dette (2013), Sean Magee (2015, Abbey Road). Patience is required if looking for CD-ROM or other optical media. The louder 1997 The Remasters are what are otherwise commonly available. Vinyl seems to be popular lately for Rush, but I find optical media and digital (FLACs!) to be better (perhaps a bias).