For every male, teenage kid going through their classic rock phase, they eventually reach a crossroads where prog-rock comes into the picture. While this writer never became enamored with the likes of Yes and King Crimson, others embrace the genre with gusto and if you did, there was no doubt that Rush soon became a part of your steady listening rotation. While this writer was never a big fan of the band (though he did own a copy of 2112 on cassette), the latest documentary from Sam Dunn and Scott McFadyen (“Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey,” “Global Metal”) is engaging, interesting and fun enough that even non-fans will have a blast.
By any measure, personnel wise, Rush are the most boring band on the planet (and in the outtake footage over the end credits, frontman Geddy Lee even warns the documentarians that they may be in for a world of disappointment). No drugs, no women, no debauchery, no internal band conflict, Rush are beyond the stereotype of the “polite” Canadians. If anything, Rush is the rare story of a band who got along, made records, progressed their craft, stayed curious and along the way became third only to the Beatles and The Rolling Stones in terms of most consecutive Gold or Platinum albums sold (seriously). A remarkable feat for a band, now pushing over forty years in the biz, who never had anything to the mainstream success of those bands.
The film presents a straightforward, chronological history of the band, but it’s the formative years (and really the first half of the film) that are by far the most interesting. Eager teenagers Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and the band’s first drummer John Rutsey, began playing a circuit of high schools in southern Ontario. At the time the legal drinking age in the province was 21 years old, making performances in bars a no-go. Regardless, the band secured a manager and continued the run of gigs wherever they could play. Just as they all turned 18, the province lowered the drinking the age, and the band moved right to bars, playing sometimes six times per week, perfecting their chops. The band cut their first record and the reception was non-existent until the song “Working Man” suddenly became a hit in Cleveland. The record was re-released by Mercury and after letting Rutsey go due to health issues (his diabetes would make the grueling tours an impossibility), they enlisted Neil Peart and set off on a string of nearly endless touring.
With Peart now in the band, the dynamics shifted a bit into a formula that would go on to serve the band well for the rest of their career. Lee and Lifeson would focus on the arrangements, while Peart, an avid reader and all around brainiac, would pen the lyrics. The result would be highly literate songs, dealing with complex themes and issues, but always set to the band’s progressive sound. Essentially running through the band’s history album-to-album, the film documents Rush’s metamorphosis from full-on prog rockers on albums like 2112, Caress Of Steel and Hemispheres to their increasing reliance on synths during the 80s, their various flirtations with the mainstream and finally the unique hybrid sound they are known for today.
While the film is compelling viewing for fans and non-fans alike, Dunn and McFadyen do display a bit of a curious choice of interview subjects for the film. While they do reach out to solid, no-brainer choices like Gene Simmons (who selected Rush to open for KISS on an extensive North American tour), Kirk Hammett, Trent Reznor, Taylor Hawkins, Billy Corgan and Vinnie Paul, we wonder how relevant feedback from guys like “South Park” creator Matt Stone, Sebastian Bach and Jack Black really is. It also would’ve been nice if they reached out to more contemporary metal and rock bands (ie. Mastodon, Dillinger Escape Plan, High On Fire) to see how Rush’s music continues to resonate with younger fans, musicians and listeners.
While that might’ve helped flesh out the film a bit, it doesn’t make Dunn and McFadyen’s finished product any less fascinating. Combining interviews with Lee, Lifeson and Peart; archival footage and a respect for the group that never spills over into fandom, “Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage” is a tribute to a band that stuck by their music, by their fans to each other. In an industry that’s increasingly fickle, theirs is a story that is inspiring in how ordinary it is. [B+]
“Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage” begins a limited theatrical run in Canada today and will be released on DVD and BluRay on June 29th.
