En el vasto panorama del rock progresivo, pocos nombres resuenan con la misma intensidad que Rush. La banda canadiense, formada en agosto de 1968 en Toronto, Ontario, nació de la unión de Alex Lifeson en la guitarra, Jeff Jones en el bajo y la voz, y John Rutsey en la batería. Jeff Jones, sin embargo, fue rápidamente reemplazado por Geddy Lee, un cambio que marcaría el inicio de una dinámica revolucionaria.
En 1974, después de numerosos conciertos y una creciente base de seguidores, Rush lanzó su álbum debut homónimo. Este disco introdujo a un público inicial a su sonido característico, una mezcla ecléctica de hard rock con influencias de bandas como Led Zeppelin y Cream. Aunque el álbum no recibió instantáneamente gran atención crítica, despertó el interés suficiente para continuar su carrera musical.
El siguiente año, en 1975, significó una encrucijada importante para Rush. Neil Peart se unió al grupo como baterista y letrista. Peart no solo ofreció habilidades percusivas inigualables, sino que también trajo consigo una profundidad lírica que se refleja en la posterior obra de la banda.
A partir de mediados de los años setenta, Rush ingresó a una etapa prolífica. Tres álbumes definieron esta era dorada:
Though we might have precious little
It's still precious
I like that song
About this wonderful world
It's got a sunny point of view
And sometimes I feel it's true
At least for a few of us
I like that world
It makes a wonderful song
But there's a darker point of view
That's sadly just as true
For so many among us
Though we might have precious little
It's still precious
In the sweetest child there's a vicious streak
In the strongest man there's a child so weak
In the whole wide world there's no magic place
So you might as well rise put on your bravest face
Put on your bravest face
I like that show
Where they solve all the murders
An heroic point of view
It's got justice and vengeance too
At least so the story goes
I like that story
Makes a satisfying case
But theres a messy point of view
That's sadly just as true
For so many among us (2X)
In softest voice threes an acid tongue
In the oldest eyes theres a soul so young
In the shakiest will there's a core of steel
On the smoothest ride there's a squeaky wheel
In the sweetest child there's a vicious streak
In the strongest man there's a child so weak
In the whole wide world there's no magic place
So you might as well rise put on your bravest face
Put on your bravest face
In softest voice threes an acid tongue...
Though we might have precious little
It's still precious
In softest voice threes an acid tongue
In the oldest eyes theres a soul so young
In the shakiest will theres a core of steel
On the smoothest ride there's a squeaky wheel
In the sweetest child there's a vicious streak
In the strongest man there's a child so weak
In the whole wide world there's no magical place
So you might as well rise put on your bravest face
Oh you might as well rise put on your bravest face
Put on your bravest face (3X)