Anthem: Rush in the 1970s
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4.5 • 8 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
The definitive biography of the rock ’n’ roll kings of the North
With extensive, first-hand reflections from Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart, as well as from family, friends, and fellow musicians, Anthem: Rush in the ’70s is a detailed portrait of Canada’s greatest rock ambassadors. The first of three volumes, Anthem puts the band’s catalog, from their self-titled debut to 1978’s Hemispheres (the next volume resumes with the release of Permanent Waves) into both Canadian and general pop culture context, and presents the trio of quintessentially dependable, courteous Canucks as generators of incendiary, groundbreaking rock ’n’ roll.
Fighting complacency, provoking thought, and often enraging critics, Rush has been at war with the music industry since 1974, when they were first dismissed as the Led Zeppelin of the north. Anthem, like each volume in this series, celebrates the perseverance of Geddy, Alex, and Neil: three men who maintained their values while operating from a Canadian base, throughout lean years, personal tragedies, and the band’s eventual worldwide success.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Learn how the Rush legend started, from the band themselves. In the first part of his chronological history of the iconic Canadian progressive rockers, rock scholar Martin Popoff combines exhaustive research, his own fandom, and a knack for storytelling. Drawing on extensive interviews with the band members, Anthem digs deep into the rockers’ childhoods, the band’s rough start, and their ’70s albums and tours. Whether you want to hear about Geddy Lee’s upbringing with two Holocaust survivor parents, a newbie band’s road experiences with glam rock superstars Kiss, or the time they were literally held hostage by a mob man club owner, Popoff’s got you covered. An eye-popping batch of rare photos and a detailed discography sweeten the deal even further. Rush lovers, prepare to feel closer to your heroes than ever before.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Music critic Popoff (Rush: Album by Album) delivers the exciting first volume in a projected three-part history of the band Rush, from its formation in 1968 through the 1970s. Popoff provides a comprehensive appreciation of Rush's music, focusing on its first seven LPs, including a detailed look at its breakthrough 1976 work 2112. Based on interviews with bassist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart (who died in January of brain cancer), as well as their managers, record producers, and fellow musicians, Popoff recounts the band's formative years (from being "three kids from Toronto trying to figure out what they were and become what they wanted to be"), their gigs in Toronto as they were gaining popularity (they opened for the New York Dolls at the Victory Theater in 1973), as well as their drive "to be the world's most complicated three-piece band" or, in Lee's words, "to combine the feeling and emotional rock potential of The Who and even Zeppelin and bring the complexity of a band like Genesis and Yes." By book's end, Rush has emerged from "the action-packed and at times desperate 1970s" to become a major headlining band. Popoff is given to sharing extensive quotes, which can slow the narrative but nevertheless provide great detail and depth. This will thrill Rush's huge fan base.
