The RUSH discography

"they call me the working man, I guess that's what I am"

RUSH - (Moon Records/Mercury Records) - 1974

In 1974, Rush escaped from the relative obscurity of Toronto and added their own unique variation to the still-developing North American heavy rock scene. Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and John Rutsey self-financed the recording of the debut Rush album at two different studios in Toronto. They then formed their own label (Moon Records) and pressed 3500 copies of the album. The song Working Man was discovered by a Cleveland, Ohio DJ and garnered enough attention for Mercury Records to reissue the album worldwide.

The debut album was firmly influenced by the British hard rock scene (Led Zeppelin, Cream, Ten Years After, etc) but RUSH has it's own vibe as well. Lee & Lifeson used their prodigious technical skills to great effect, adding lots of nuance to a style of music often accused of being neanderthal in execution. By throwing in subtle elements of progressive rock they managed to elevate fairly basic songs like What You're Doing and Finding My Way into something just a little bit beyond...

One thing is for sure, the album is HEAVY. I have always loved the production on this album, with Geddy's bass standing equal to Lifeson in the mix. The interplay between the three is rock solid, every song really drives on this album, lots of energy and forward momentum to the arrangements.

Finding My Way, What You're Doing, Before & After and especially Working Man are classic Rush songs. Working Man is a monster song, a variation on the doom-blues groove that Sabbath was using with the added fun of a Cream-inspired extended guitar solo by Lifeson...in fact, it's the guitar solo to Working Man that made me get a Rush album in the first place. The most impressive tracks musically are the multi-layered Before & After with it's melodic introduction leading to full on Zep-inspired attack....and Here Again, which is a really nice mid-paced ballad with Lifeson's best playing on the album.




Rush were still not quite complete and were a little rough around the edges, but man does this record sound HUNGRY. That garage vibe to the album is what makes it so much fun to listen to...

John Rutsey would leave the band shortly before their first US tour. He was quickly replaced by Neil Peart, who would prove to be much more than just a "drummer" in the near future. Rush went on tour opening for Uriah Heep...but they wouldn't be a supporting act for long.

Before...


...and After.

This is a thread that highly interests me. I really liked Moving Pictures, Signals and Roll the Bones. Watching Metal Evolution has peaked my interest in the band, so I really want to learn more about them.

This is an awesome debut fer sures !

I am trying to recall if I ever heard this before "Fly by Night" or not ? Oh well, not an issue really. "Working Man" is still a favorite. Yet like Shawn stated, "Before And After" is a stand out/apart tune. It was sad about the original drummer, but the band wouldn't have became what it did if he'd remained (IMHDO)

your "after" photo is about two years after Still correct I suppose

Love the debut album, very Led Zeppelin influenced but still maintaining their own identity. One of the first Rush albums I bought, mainly because it was cheap for a brand new copy.

I must have played it a thousand times since then.

Great debut album, different than the Rush we will all get to know on later releases. Honestly, I think if they had kept in this style they would never have been as big as they became. Still, a fun record and a great listen

thejokeriv wrote:

Great debut album, different than the Rush we will all get to know on later releases. Honestly, I think if they had kept in this style they would never have been as big as they became. Still, a fun record and a great listen

I think if they would have kept this style they would have ended long ago.

I guess one good thing about all these deleted threads is, I will be able to pick up from the beginning on Discography 2.0. As far as this first Rush album is concerned, I feel it's highly underrated. Most people seem to always mention 2112, Moving Pictures, Fly By Night, and a few others before this ever gets brought up in the discussion. I'm guessing much of that has to do with two factors, no Neil Peart and Terry Brown wasn't their producer yet. Well, whatever, it's still a strong record and it's easily in my top 5 for the Rush catalog.

I just got done listening to this album, and I have to agree with Shawn that this album does NOT have a bad song among the eight. "Here Again" is probably my least favorite, but in no way is that a bad song. I also have to agree with Shawn's thoughts on the production and how Geddy's bass is equal with that of Alex's guitar. I can't say that I would enjoy hearing this type of mix if most bands went in that direction, but it works with Rush and a great bassist like that of Geddy Lee. Another song worth mentioning is that of "In the Mood". It's kind of goofy because of the lyrics, but that's what I dig about it. It's got KISS written all over it, and if this were a KISS song, it would probably be considered a classic. It's just not a direction Rush went forward with when Neil took over the lyrical duties, and even if that subject matter was touched upon, it was less upfront.

Favorite songs in order: Finding My Way, Working Man, Take A Friend, In the Mood, Before and After, What You're Doing, Need Some Love, & Here Again.

Alright, S.D. is the right man for the job. And i'm going to fight when we get to the 80's that those were some excellent albums all the way through. But in the meantime......a good album that was like a rough template of where they would go.

Great review!!!! Before And After and Here Again are killer tunes! I like this one so much I rebought it on vinyl to get that extra heavy sound!!!!!!

It is a fantastic debut album and because it's really just the sound of a live band playing their normal setlist it doesn't sound dated in the slightest.

I listened to it again last night while posting this thread, it's an album I'll never get sick of.

vinyl is the ONLY way to listen to old RUSH

Rush is definitely one of my favorite bands, and the debut's one of my favorites. I would type more, but everything I have to say has already been said.

"our memories remind us, maybe road life's not so bad"

FLY BY NIGHT - (released Feb 15, 1975)

The first of two Rush albums to be released in 1975, Fly By Night is an energetic recording by a band fresh from the road. The addition of Neil Peart sped up the progression of the band and Fly By Night shows that growth starting in earnest. This would be the first album co-produced with Terry Brown who would remain associated with the band for most of the decade.

Peart's influence, both musically & lyrically is on display in classic album opener "Anthem". Where the debut album owed a great deal to Zep (and there are still moments of that here), Anthem is proof that Peart's technical facility enabled Rush to more fully intigrate progressive rock into their sound...the opening riff to Anthem is not unlike something Chris Squire would have written for Yes during this era. The track's heaviness keeps it firmly rooted in the early proto metal movement, but Rush was already showing signs that they had larger goals in mind.

Best I Can is a good straight-ahead rocker in the same vein as the debut album, Lifeson's performance sells this one.

Beneath, Between & Behind is an underrated Rush classic. Here the Zep influence is front and center, but the way they approach that influence is more nuanced than on the debut. Peart again adds extra punch to the proceedings, really driving Lifeson's guitar through the progression.



By-Tor & The Snow Dog is the first foray into an epic (albeit a tongue in cheek one). Basically a small song suite, rockin' beginning, spacey mid-section with killer Lifeson guitar solo and return to the opening groove. This song would remain a staple in their live sets through the Moving Pictures era and has returned to the lineup several times since then.

After the rather intense cycle of songs on side one, side two finds Rush in a more light hearted and melancholy mood, punctuated by lots of acoustic guitar.

Fly By Night is another classic early Rush song, memorable guitar riff and a nice personal lyric courtesy of Peart. This tune became a minor league AOR hit.



Making Memories is another criminally forgetten Rush song, a joyous acoustic driven number co-written by all three members while traveling to a gig. The sunny mood to this one is quite different from the somber roads they would soon travel. This is one of the best "car songs" ever....

Rivendell is the one true misstep on the album. The combination of Peart's rather treakly fantasy lyrics "elvin songs and endless nights) with Lifeson's classical fingerpicked guitar and Geddy's etheral vocal delivery ends up being giggle inducing instead of "mysterious". They would try this kind of thing with better success on the next album.

The album closes with another Rush classic...In The End. Simply, a beautifully written tune. The opening acoustic riff sticks in your mind forever, then when the distortion kicks in it's even more majestic. Geddy gives one of his best performances here and Lifeson's guitar tone is astounding. This song became a frequent set-ender for Rush. One of my favorite songs from the early years.



All in all, Fly By Night is still a transitional album, but the picture was really coming into focus.

The debut album is still one of my favorites. Funny thing was I didn't "discover" it till well into my Rush fandom. Probably my most frequently played.

I'm kinda "ehh" on Fly By Night. Don't hate it, but it has never done much for me. It's one of those albums if I give it a listen I always think of the other Rush albums I'd rather be listening to.

Good transitional album. It also shows how much changing a drummer change the overall sound of a band

As always one recognizes the talent on Fly By Night but it's not one I pull out a lot.

I just spun 'Fly By Night' this afternoon, after I saw this morning that SD had moved on to album #2.

This was the last Rush I bought out of their 70's discography, and I am not sure why. It is an album that is easily found, and always cheap whether on CD or vinyl.

I think the best phrase to describe this album is what SD called it, a transitional album. Still a heavy album but the band is slowly moving away from their Led Zeppelin type roots.

This album has lot of great deep cuts, including 'Making Memories' and the final cut on the disc 'In the End' is a perfect ending.

I am bit burnt out on the title track, which I thought was ok at best thanks to Clear Channel and their various lotion boys who insist on playing the same damn songs over and over.

I listened to "Fly By Night" today as well, and even though I hear the title track quite a bit on the radio, I still really enjoy this album as a whole. I agree that "Rivendell" is the one song that sounds out of place on this record. I haven't listened to the song "Making Memories" forever, and when I do, I can't help but think that if you plugged in Patrick Simmons or Tom Johnston on vocals, this song sounds like something you would've heard on 1974's "What Were Vices Are Now Habits" Doobie Brother's album. Obviously there is an upgrade in the drumming department, but when it's all said and done, I do prefer the self titled album to this one.

Favorites songs in order: Anthem, Fly By Night, Best I Can, In The End, By-Tor & The Snow Dog, Beneath, Between & Behind, Making Memories & Rivendell.

I was one who thought it was kewl that another band besides Zeppelin used a reference from Tolkien, This was my first Rush lp. ( I think) The story includes an older siblings friend and my uncanny ability to talk folks into giving me albums. I think my sisters breasts may have helped too ? This album gets a bad rap because most Rush fans look back in retrospect. Rush got a gang of new fans with "2112" and then a whole entire group of fans with "Moving Pictures". I for one think all the songs are great to some degree. Then I dig the next album alot too.

A lot of good tuneage on this album! I'm definitely an odd duck here, as I happen to like Rivendell. I don't skip any songs on this album at all..... very enjoyable!

Anthem is a great album opener!

Here is the track "Making Memories", I should have included this in my post but forgot about it. I think this would be a great surprise tune for them to bring out in an encore.

"I've lost a few more hairs, I think, I think I'm going bald"

CARESS OF STEEL (released September 1975)

"listening to Caress Of Steel now it sounds like we were really high when we recorded it." - Geddy Lee

1975 was a busy year for Rush, they were in a state of constant touring behind Fly By Night and were also under pressure by the label to deliver another record. Enlisting Terry Brown to co-produce again, they went back into the studio with the intent of creating a "statement record".

The resulting album, Caress of Steel, has been a source of constant debate by Rush fans ever since.

Opening with another Zep-esque assault in the form of Bastille Day, the record starts out with a bang. The main riff to Bastille is a real monster and one of my favorites from that era.



However, the momentum created by the opening track is sidetracked by 'I Think I'm Going Bald'....an attempt at humor that manages to completely miss the mark. This is the song that always stuck out on this record like a sore thumb, because it just doesn't fit the proceedings at all.

Lakeside Park was the leadoff single and continues in the vein of Fly By Night, a pleasant song that became a concert favorite. I prefer the live version on "All The World's A Stage" to the studio recording.



The Necromancer, here Rush continues to explore the possibilities of the mini-epic they began to toy around with on By-Tor. Another fantasy-tinged effort, this song is one of the most memorable on the album and contains some absolutely killer playing/arranging by the group. The only downside to this track is the poorly-recorded narraration...the goofy vocal effect distracts from the words and has always sounded muffled.

"The Fountain Of Lamneth" is a sidelong song suite, the first of three Rush would record over their early career. Fountain really functions more as separate songs tied together (the original cassette release messed up the track order, adding to this confusion). There are some great moments scattered thoughout this piece, especially the opening segments and the ballad "Panacea". However, in the grand scheme of things it really doesn't succeed as creating a unified statement. The hurried state of the recording sessions probably didn't help, it sounds like it could have used some more development time.



That actually kind of sums up my feelings about the entire album. It has always sounded to me like demo recordings that weren't quite finished, it's a little flat overall in the production and it just doesn't have the heft required to make it a complete success. A good album to be sure, but not the defining event the band was hoping for.

The album flopped upon release, there wasn't a single to rival either Working Man or Fly By Night and it was basically ignored by radio and the press. The record company was unhappy and the band thought their career was over. They called the tour for Caress Of Steel...the "going down the tubes tour". Alex Lifeson has stated in interviews that they were really shocked by the failure of Caress upon release, the band was extremely proud of it and thought they had really nailed it.

In a very short time, Rush would channel that frustration they felt into a real masterpiece....

Bastille Day is an easy hit, Lakeside Park is good enough but it's a disjointed album. I think they tried to transition too fast and were doing too much in a short amount of time.

As a kid I loved the album simply because radio and fans treated like a red headed stepchild.

I have to agree now that I am older, the album does not hold up as well as the previous albums. A transitional album for sure, but I think if this album never happened then neither anything that followed.

This album taught them a lesson, fired up their creativity, and basically made them a band who felt they had nothing to less, so they went for it on their next album.