The Best Canadian Rock Band, Ever.

Seen here recording in the middle of a Canadian winter, eh?

a reply to: AnkhMorpork
I cannot argue. RUSH m/ (devil horns will not work here on ats....grrr)

Tom Sawyer, Rush

A modern day warrior
Mean, mean stride
Today's Tom Sawyer
Mean, mean pride
Though his mind is not for rent
Don't put him down as arrogant
His reserve a quiet defense
Riding out the day's events
The river
What you say about his company
Is what you say about society
Catch the mist, catch the myth
Catch the mystery, catch the drift
The world is, the world is
Love and life are deep
Maybe as his skies are wide
Today's Tom Sawyer
He gets high on you
And the space he invades
He gets by on you
No, his mind is not for rent
To any God or government
Always hopeful yet discontent
He knows changes aren't permanent
But change is
What you say about his company
Is what you say about society
Catch the witness, catch the wit
Catch the spirit, catch the spit
The world is, the world is
Love and life are deep
Maybe as his eyes are wide
Exit the warrior
Today's Tom Sawyer
He gets high on you
And the energy you trade
He gets right on to the friction of the day
Songwriters: Alex Lifeson / Geddy Lee Weinrib / Neil Peart / Paul Woods

Good ATS style lyrics in my opinion.

Btw, as an aside/interesting factoid, I have an interesting personal connection to the guy who wrote the lyrics to this song (along with Alex Lifeson). When I was a little kid, my parents were friends with Paul Woods aka Pye Debois who quit his job as a nursing assistant at a mental hospital in downtown Toronto called the Clark Institute of Psychiatry, to form the band Max Webster who used to tour around with Rush and who almost ended up playing our own backyard during one of the shindigs whereby many of the hospital staff from the notorious tenth floor would come up to our five acre lot and set up tents and party around and do hippy stuff (in my eyes). He used to write some very trippy poetry I remember. We called him uncle Paul and presented him with a plaque indoctrinating him into our family as he didn't have anyone which was just the kind of thing my mother liked to do. One time I even saw him smoking marijuana!

It's about my only claim to fame.. lol

a reply to: AnkhMorpork

Pye wrote the lyrics to Tom Sawyer with Neil Peart, not Alex Lifeson.

I'm not doubting your story but I am a Rush geek so at the very least I'd know that Neil wrote all the lyrics after the first album(excepting Chemistry which was mostly a Alex and Geddy collaboration) and the record must be set straight.

The world is a suckier place without Rush. I got lucky and saw nearly their last show ever. I'm a better person for that, and all the times I've seen them. No one, not my parents, friends or whoever has had more influence on me than Rush and Neil's lyrics - and I don't always agree with the guy.

In now way, shape or form am I perfect or even a good person but Rush has helped me become the person I am and I'm grateful to them for that. They helped shaped me into a better person than I would have been which isn't much but for a person like me, it's a lot.

Now, go and eat two soups and take a nap on a shrimp cot.

ETA: Just for the record, Triumph kicks ass and are also Candian. That Thunder 7 tour was phenomenal. April Wine was also pretty darned cool, just check out Roller, I believe the tune is titled. After that it's Justin Beiber, Celine Dion and Bryan Adams so I'm figuring there was something in the water up there in the '70's that isn't there now as the recent stuff from Canada sucks way. While Adams is from the '80's, he also sucks hard. And Canada also gets a honorary mention for Loverboy - goofy name and singer but some really killer riffs at least like Turn Me Loose.

a reply to: TheSpanishArcher

I stand corrected, but we were close with Pye (Paul).

That's interesting that you attribute so much to your personal growth and development to Rush. Can you elaborate on that a bit? What was it in particular that most resonated with you?

a reply to: AnkhMorpork

Yes, Rush, no argument.

But Max Webster would have given them a good run for their money had they stayed around.

I don't think they had the song-writing skills of Rush but, musically, they were on a par.

a reply to: AnkhMorpork

Rush is one amazing band. Thank you for posting this thread!

a reply to: AnkhMorpork

Of course they are and especially Geddy Lee in this collaboration:

a reply to: AnkhMorpork

Without doubt one of the greatest rock bands ever , so many great songs and a longevity many bands can only dream of.
Never been a great fan of instrumentals but this is on another level.


Three of the finest musicians on the planet.

a reply to: AnkhMorpork

Corrections...one of the all time rock bands ever..

I got hooked on RUSH in 1977. I was 13 and 2112 had come out the year before. A friend of mine had it on the turntable in his room when I went over and He said "Listen to this, I just got it today" . That was the most amazing musical discovery of my life bar none and I still vibrate the windows with "YYZ", "Working Man", "Red Barchetta", etc... or sit quietly listening to "The Trees".

This made my day. Cheers dude.

Love Rush so much. Seen them live twice. Once at Red Rocks in Colorado and once at MSG in NY.

a reply to: gortex

I used to like listening to this one.

"Cygnus X-1, Book One: The Voyage"

[Prologue:]
In the constellation of Cygnus, there lurks a mysterious, invisible force: the black hole
of Cygnus X-1...

Six Stars of the Northern Cross
In mourning for their sister's loss
In a final flash of glory
Nevermore to grace the night...

[1]
Invisible to telescopic eye
Infinity, the star that would not die

All who dare to cross her course
Are swallowed by her fearsome force

Through the void
To be destroyed
Or is there something more?
Atomized...at the core?
Or through the Astral Door?
To soar...

[2]
I set a course just east of Lyra
And northwest of Pegasus
Flew into the light of Deneb
Sailed across the Milky Way
On my ship, the 'Rocinante'
Wheeling through the galaxies
Headed for the heart of Cygnus
Headlong into mystery

The x-ray is her siren song
My ship cannot resist her long
Nearer to my deadly goal
Until the black hole
Gains control...

[3]
Spinning, whirling
Still descending
Like a spiral sea
Unending...

Sound and fury
Drown my heart
Every nerve
Is torn apart...

To be continued...

Can't argue with Rush. Been a fan for 40 years. While not a fan The Tragically Hip are HUGE. Kinda like Canada's E Street Band.



I AM a fan of the Headstones though:

a reply to: intrepid

yup...

i do believe The Hip have officially taken over as Canadas Best band

more hit songs... and... well Just better all around

Besides the fact that alex lifeson is the worst soloist in the history of guitar

Neil is the best drummer by far... but they just can't stand up to The Hip

Another good one from the 2112 Overture Album

Rush, 2112

"2112"

'I lie awake, staring out at the bleakness of Megadon. City and sky become one, merging into a single plane, a vast sea of unbroken grey. The Twin Moons, just two pale orbs as they trace their way across the steely sky. I used to think I had a pretty good life here, just plugging into my machine for the day, then watching Templevision or reading a Temple Paper in the evening.

'My friend Jon always said it was nicer here than under the atmospheric domes of the Outer Planets. We have had peace since 2062, when the surviving planets were banded together under the Red Star of the Solar Federation. The less fortunate gave us a few new moons.I believed what I was told. I thought it was a good life, I thought I was happy. Then I found something that changed it all...'

[I. Overture]

And the meek shall inherit the earth...

[II. Temples of Syrinx]

...'The massive grey walls of the Temples rise from the heart of every Federation city. I have always been awed by them, to think that every single facet of every life is regulated and directed from within! Our books, our music, our work and play are all looked after by the benevolent wisdom of the priests...'

We've taken care of everything
The words you read, the songs you sing
The pictures that give pleasure to your eyes
It's one for all and all for one
We work together, common sons
Never need to wonder how or why

We are the Priests of the Temples of Syrinx
Our great computers fill the hallowed halls
We are the Priests, of the Temples of Syrinx
All the gifts of life are held within our walls

Look around at this world we've made
Equality our stock in trade
Come and join the Brotherhood of Man
Oh, what a nice, contented world
Let the banners be unfurled
Hold the Red Star proudly high in hand

We are the Priests of the Temples of Syrinx
Our great computers fill the hallowed halls
We are the Priests, of the Temples of Syrinx
All the gifts of life are held within our walls

[III. Discovery]

'...Behind my beloved waterfall, in the little room that was hidden beneath the cave, I found it. I brushed away the dust of the years, and picked it up, holding it reverently in my hands. I had no idea what it might be, but it was beautiful...'

'...I learned to lay my fingers across the wires, and to turn the keys to make them sound differently. As I struck the wires with my other hand, I produced my first harmonious sounds and soon my own music! How different it could be from the music of the Temples! I can't wait to tell the priests about it!...'

What can this strange device be?
When I touch it, it gives forth a sound
It's got wires that vibrate and give music
What can this thing be that I found?

See how it sings like a sad heart
And joyously screams out its pain
Sounds that build high like a mountain
Or notes that fall gently like rain

I can't wait to share this new wonder
The people will all see its light
Let them all make their own music
The Priests praise my name on this night

[IV. Presentation]

'...In the sudden silence as I finished playing, I looked up to a circle of grim, expressionless faces. Father Brown rose to his feet, and his somnolent voice echoed throughout the silent Temple Hall...'

'...Instead of the grateful joy that I expected, they were words of quiet rejection!
Instead of praise, sullen dismissal. I watched in shock and horror as Father Brown ground
my precious instrument to splinters beneath his feet...'

I know it's most unusual
To come before you so
But I've found an ancient miracle
I thought that you should know
Listen to my music
And hear what it can do
There's something here as strong as life
I know that it will reach you

Yes, we know, it's nothing new
It's just a waste of time
We have no need for ancient ways
The world is doing fine
Another toy that helped destroy
The elder race of man
Forget about your silly whim
It doesn't fit the plan

I can't believe you're saying
These things just can't be true
Our world could use this beauty
Just think what we might do
Listen to my music
And hear what it can do
There's something here as strong as life
I know that it will reach you

Don't annoy us further!
We have our work to do
Just think about the average
What use have they for you?
Another toy that helped destroy
The elder race of man
Forget about your silly whim
It doesn't fit the Plan!

[V. Oracle: The Dream]

'...I guess it was a dream, but even now it all seems so vivid to me. Clearly yet I see the beckoning hand of the oracle as he stood at the summit of the staircase...'

'...I see still the incredible beauty of the sculptured cities and the pure spirit of man revealed in the lives and works of this world. I was overwhelmed by both wonder and understanding as I saw a completely different way to life, a way that had been crushed by the Federation long ago. I saw now how meaningless life had become with the loss of all these things...'

I wandered home through the silent streets
And fell into a fitful sleep
Escape to realms beyond the night
Dream can't you show me the light?

I stand atop a spiral stair
An oracle confronts me there
He leads me on light years away
Through astral nights, galactic days
I see the works of gifted hands
That grace this strange and wondrous land
I see the hand of man arise
With hungry mind and open eyes

They left the planet long ago
The elder race still learn and grow
Their power grows with purpose strong
To claim the home where they belong
Home to tear the Temples down...
Home to change!

[VI. Soliloquy]

'...I have not left this cave for days now, it has become my last refuge in my total despair. I have only the music of the waterfall to comfort me now. I can no longer live under the control of the Federation, but there is no other place to go. My last hope is that with my death I may pass into the world of my dream, and know peace at last.'

The sleep is still in my eyes
The dream is still in my head
I heave a sigh and sadly smile
And lie a while in bed
I wish that it might come to pass
Not fade like all my dreams...

Just think of what my life might be
In a world like I have seen!
I don't think I can carry on
Carry on this cold and empty life

My spirits are low in the depths of despair
My lifeblood...
...Spills over...

[VII. The Grand Finale]

Attention all Planets of the Solar Federation
Attention all Planets of the Solar Federation
Attention all Planets of the Solar Federation
We have assumed control
We have assumed control
We have assumed control

Yeah the Tragically Hip are good, but come on, that's just epic.

..."and the meek shall inherit the Earth"..

OMG - sends shivers down my spine to this day! LOL

The Hip don't do that for me, as good as they are. I got a reply message from one of their members once when I asked what "ahead by a century " was all about.

"Just growing up stuff" he said in a nutshell. But he liked that it could mean different things for different people depending on their experience.

Rush are the best, imho, and I'm glad that they finally got a place in the rock and roll hall of fame. They deserve to be in it.

a reply to: AnkhMorpork

Sure. Critical thinking.

In 1985, maybe a year later, I had all the Rush albums to that point but had never gotten 2112. A guy from a rock band who I was friends and neighbors with gave me the album and I was floored. I was young but that album made me think, really THINK, question what I was being told. The individual against the masses, as Neil put it in the doc.

I started to understand that the questions I had, like what is the difference between a democrat and a republican and why was it that I could see no discernible difference. Turns out I was right, there is no difference, they are both controlled by power and money.

Just understanding that 2112 was a sort of retelling of 1984, which I had read, was a Godsend. I got it, even at that young a age.

Then looking at other songs, like Bravado. Neil wrote in the RTB tour book that he was pissed when the Berlin Wall fell - when so many others were happy - because so many people had to wait in bread lines for food and drink lighter fluid to get high, all because of someone's misplaced ideology. Different perspectives can sometimes turn a life around. Just look at the girl from the Westboro Baptist Church who turned her back on her whole life just because of a simple question. She was going to be the leader of that "church" and bolted all because a simple question changed her life.

Neil wrote the lyrics to my life, basically. Geddy reinforced them with his delivery and some killer bass lines, while Alex wrote solo's like the one in Soliloquy, which I still think the band and it's interpretation of 2112 is wrong as the main character dies at the end, IMHO. That's a death solo if I've ever heard one. I will still argue to this day that the Priests took back control in 2112 and not the other way around.

I can chart my life's timeline by where I saw Rush, if I didn't see them on that tour and where I was when I saw them, geographically and in a life sense. They literally are the greatest rock band I have ever witnessed and I've seen more than a few.

a reply to: AnkhMorpork

It took THAT long for Rush and Deep Purple to get into the RnR Hall of Shame so don't give that achievement any credence. If the Rush Doc hadn't come out they would still be out of that farce of a Hall and Deep Purple should have been in long before even Rush and were snubbed until the fans finally got a vote.

If it took that long to get DP into that thing, then it's a joke plain and simple. Rush not getting in for so long is just the icing on the cake and they only got there because the doc for once and for all laid waste all the suppositions about Rush.

a reply to: Akragon

alex lifeson is the worst soloist in the history of guitar

Please tell me this is sarcasm. I cannot fathom this comment.

@Angus1745, the show you saw at Red Rocks, was that 2004, the R30 tour? If so, I was there and we both should be a pixel on the cover of Neil's Roadshow book.

Durrr.... I dislike the word 'Best', but suprised not even a Cannuck has mentioned Saga ! Or am I an Old Welshman