Rush Nominated for Rock Hall

    Where is Jann Wenner's dead body? Rush have finally been nominated for induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame right here in Cleveland. I realize they are not in yet, but with the new fan vote and past inductees getting a vote it seems like they actually have a chance. This news changes the planned post that I had for my Rush collection which was largely a diatribe against the Rock Hall nominating committee. When my wife and I moved to Cleveland in 2006 she gave me a very thoughtful gift, a Rock Hall membership. I obviously love music and it's history and enjoyed my visits to the museum. However, deep down I hated to support an institution that stubbornly refused to recognize one of the greatest rock bands of all time-Rush. When they were snubbed again last year I decided not to renew my membership. Needless to say, if they get in I will be renewing. I only wish they had gotten in when the induction ceremony was here so I could attend.
     My Rush collection is quite large. It includes LPs, cassettes, CDs and DVDs. At one time or another I've own their entire catalog on all of these formats. As I mentioned in my first post, the most valuable item in my collection is the Moon Records version of their debut album. It goes without saying that they should keep that album. Back to the wall, here are the other essential albums in the Rush catalog.

Permanent Waves
     This was the album when I was first exposed to Rush. I grew up in the middle of nowhere Michigan and was barely able to listen to a couple AOR stations who's playlists were mainly Journey, Styx, Foreigner, REO and Led Zeppelin. When I heard "The Spirit of Radio" I was hooked. Not only does it rock, but the lyrics really spoke to me about the integrity of music and radio.  The other single from that album was "Freewill" which has the great line"if you choose not to decide you still have made a choice". It continues to challenge my personal philosophy( I lean toward believing in Determinism rather than Freewill) but nevertheless is one of my favorite Rush songs. I didn't know it at the time, but this album was a departure from their prog-rock beginnings. However, "Natural Science" and "Jacob's Ladder" were both proggy and led me to go back and investigate Rush's older material as well as bands like Yes, Genesis, ELP and Marillion. Hopefully, it will have the same effect on my kids.

Moving Pictures
     This is widely accepted as their masterpiece. The first side of the album is flawless and includes my all-time favorite Rush song "Limelight". Ironically, it's Neil's song about his difficulties dealing with fame and it brought them their greatest fame as a band. Unlike 2112, side two is also awesome.

Signals
     Although the band has voiced it's displeasure over how Signals ended up sounding it is still one of my favorite Rush albums. "Subdivisions" has been a live staple since it's release and probably the most identifiable song for their fans. Not only does it comment on the boredom of suburban life, it also gave solace to kids who felt like they didn't fit in with the cool crowd. Signals also includes the criminally overlooked song "Analog Kid".

     I know many people are put off by the kimonoes, Geddy's voice, Neil's technical mastery of drumming and his philosophy. Regardless of how you feel about them or their music there's no denying their influence and their place in the history of rock music. I also recommend that my kids keep all the concert DVDs because Rush is one of the greatest live acts ever.