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Rush: Album by Album
Album by Album pays genuine tribute to this iconic rock band's discography by moderating frank, entertaining conversations about all 20 of Rush's studio albums.
Formed in Toronto in 1968, the rock trio Rush has gone on to multiplatinum success behind the distinctive high register and virtuosic bass-playing of frontman Geddy Lee, the legendary drumming and lyric-writing of Neil Peart, and the guitar heroics of Alex Lifeson. Despite having just four chart-topping singles since the release of their debut LP in 1974, Rush has nonetheless sold more than 25 million albums in the U.S. and more than 40 million worldwide.
The Canadian trio may be the definition of an "album band," and this new book from prolific rock journalist and acknowledged Rush authority Martin Popoff pays tribute to the band's discography by moderating in-depth, frank, and entertaining conversations about all 20 of Rush's studio albums. Inside, the author gathers 20 rock journalists and authors who offer insights, opinions, and anecdotes about every release.
Together, the conversations comprise a unique historical overview of the band, as well as a handsome discography. Popoff also includes loads of sidebars that provide complete track listings, details on album personnel, information on where and when the albums were recorded, and sidebar facts about the albums, their songs, and the band.
Formed in Toronto in 1968, the rock trio Rush has gone on to multiplatinum success behind the distinctive high register and virtuosic bass-playing of frontman Geddy Lee, the legendary drumming and lyric-writing of Neil Peart, and the guitar heroics of Alex Lifeson. Despite having just four chart-topping singles since the release of their debut LP in 1974, Rush has nonetheless sold more than 25 million albums in the U.S. and more than 40 million worldwide.
The Canadian trio may be the definition of an "album band," and this new book from prolific rock journalist and acknowledged Rush authority Martin Popoff pays tribute to the band's discography by moderating in-depth, frank, and entertaining conversations about all 20 of Rush's studio albums. Inside, the author gathers 20 rock journalists and authors who offer insights, opinions, and anecdotes about every release.
Together, the conversations comprise a unique historical overview of the band, as well as a handsome discography. Popoff also includes loads of sidebars that provide complete track listings, details on album personnel, information on where and when the albums were recorded, and sidebar facts about the albums, their songs, and the band.
192 pages, Hardcover
Published May 1, 2017
44 people are currently reading
404 people want to read
About the author
Martin Popoff
224 books247 followersAt approximately 7900 (with over 7000 appearing in his books), Martin has unofficially written more record reviews than anybody in the history of music writing across all genres. Additionally, Martin has penned approximately 85 books on hard rock, heavy metal, classic rock and record collecting. He was Editor-In-Chief of the now retired Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles, Canada’s foremost metal publication for 14 years, and has also contributed to Revolver, Guitar World, Goldmine, Record Collector, bravewords.com, lollipop.com and hardradio.com, with many record label band bios and liner notes to his credit as well. Additionally, Martin has been a regular contractor to Banger Films, having worked for two years as researcher on the award-winning documentary Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, on the writing and research team for the 11-episode Metal Evolution and on the ten-episode Rock Icons, both for VH1 Classic. Additionally, Martin is the writer of the original metal genre chart used in Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey and throughout the Metal Evolution episodes. Martin currently resides in Toronto and can be reached through martinp@inforamp.net or www.martinpopoff.com.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 21, 2017
3, 5 Stars
I'm not a Rush fan, but I adore music in general and rock -of any kind, really- is my bread and butter. So, when I found this gem on NetGalley, about a huge prog rock/metal band and written by the renowned Martin Popoff, I just had to grab it!!!
Although the writing style isn't substantial nor my favorite and I had a few problems with the author's narration, still, the book was quite interesting and highly detailed. Of course, he exaggerates a lot about the meaningfulness and the power their artistic work has but we talk about three great musicians here. Even if they are better as individuals than as a trio.
I liked the in depth discussion between industry people, the tidbits regarding the recordings and how neatly every album was presented. Everything is in chronological order and accompanied by photos.
THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK
- I would recommend it to people who love RUSH.
- And those who care about music philosophy.
- It entails the perspectives of musicians, fans, producers.
- I was expecting the writing to be better. Also, I was expecting rare and interesting photos and that wasn't the case.
ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
I'm not a Rush fan, but I adore music in general and rock -of any kind, really- is my bread and butter. So, when I found this gem on NetGalley, about a huge prog rock/metal band and written by the renowned Martin Popoff, I just had to grab it!!!
Although the writing style isn't substantial nor my favorite and I had a few problems with the author's narration, still, the book was quite interesting and highly detailed. Of course, he exaggerates a lot about the meaningfulness and the power their artistic work has but we talk about three great musicians here. Even if they are better as individuals than as a trio.
I liked the in depth discussion between industry people, the tidbits regarding the recordings and how neatly every album was presented. Everything is in chronological order and accompanied by photos.
THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK
- I would recommend it to people who love RUSH.
- And those who care about music philosophy.
- It entails the perspectives of musicians, fans, producers.
- I was expecting the writing to be better. Also, I was expecting rare and interesting photos and that wasn't the case.
ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
July 19, 2017
Shooting fish in a barrel. That's what this book was for this fan of Rush for 30+ years since I first discovered their music at the age of 14, around the time 'Grace Under Pressure' was released.
Besides setting the scene for each of Rush's 20 studio albums (counting the 'Feedback' EP), Popoff interviews various musicians (such as Metallica's Kirk Hammett, Mr. Big's Paul Gilbert, Voivod's Michel "Away" Langevin), industry people and others who interacted with the group over their 40+ years - with each giving their recollections of when they first heard each album, what they thought of it, standout tracks, notes on how it was recorded, breakdowns of the various time changes Rush is known for in their songs, etc... it was absolutely fascinating. As most of my reading was done at night, most of the next day at work was spent with 4 or 5 Rush albums playing in the background at the office as I picked up elements from each record that I may not have noticed before.
The only downside I found was that one of my all-time favorite Rush albums, 1987's 'Hold Your Fire', might as be considered a wart on the ass of Rush's discography based on some of the commentary surrounding the album. I wouldn't say it is necessarily hated, but it is generally regarded at the bottom of their catalog... which was reinforced in these pages. Dammit.
Besides setting the scene for each of Rush's 20 studio albums (counting the 'Feedback' EP), Popoff interviews various musicians (such as Metallica's Kirk Hammett, Mr. Big's Paul Gilbert, Voivod's Michel "Away" Langevin), industry people and others who interacted with the group over their 40+ years - with each giving their recollections of when they first heard each album, what they thought of it, standout tracks, notes on how it was recorded, breakdowns of the various time changes Rush is known for in their songs, etc... it was absolutely fascinating. As most of my reading was done at night, most of the next day at work was spent with 4 or 5 Rush albums playing in the background at the office as I picked up elements from each record that I may not have noticed before.
The only downside I found was that one of my all-time favorite Rush albums, 1987's 'Hold Your Fire', might as be considered a wart on the ass of Rush's discography based on some of the commentary surrounding the album. I wouldn't say it is necessarily hated, but it is generally regarded at the bottom of their catalog... which was reinforced in these pages. Dammit.
September 17, 2024
UPDATE: Well, that was a lot of fun - although I'm pretty sure I have now relistened to enough Rush for a while. Much of the joy in reading such books as this and DK's James Bond Encyclopedia is to see where and how strongly you disagree with them ("you actually prefer Roger Moore to Sean Connery??!!"), and I certainly had my share of arguments with the musicians interviewed here, as I came to Rush late (around
Signals
), but not late late (their post-keyboards work like
Counterpoints
and
Vapor Trails
), and so I actually prefer their keyboard work on albums like
Hold Your Fire
and
Power Windows
.
But who cares? It was great to be pointed to particular drum or guitar solos, or specific Peart lyrics; and watching many of the old music videos on YouTube really took me back to the fun early days of MTV. Plus, now I finally know what a "red Barchetta" is and what "YYZ" stands for!
But again - def nuff for now.
ORIGINAL: Extremely guilty pleasure, this one - but I just couldn't resist when I saw it on sale at our local "Ollie's Bargain Outlet." Didn't realize I was that serious a Rush fan until I thumbed through it and realized yup, I have every CD from Signals (when Geddy finally stopped screeching and started singing) to Feedback. So my mornings lately have been a cup of coffee and going through this chapter by chapter, while listening to the corresponding album on YouTube. Still working through the first nine, all of which make my ears bleed thanks to Lee's truly painful vocals - but there are some interesting early Lifeson licks in there, and I'm hearing some Peart solos I hadn't before, which is always a treasure.
But who cares? It was great to be pointed to particular drum or guitar solos, or specific Peart lyrics; and watching many of the old music videos on YouTube really took me back to the fun early days of MTV. Plus, now I finally know what a "red Barchetta" is and what "YYZ" stands for!
But again - def nuff for now.
ORIGINAL: Extremely guilty pleasure, this one - but I just couldn't resist when I saw it on sale at our local "Ollie's Bargain Outlet." Didn't realize I was that serious a Rush fan until I thumbed through it and realized yup, I have every CD from Signals (when Geddy finally stopped screeching and started singing) to Feedback. So my mornings lately have been a cup of coffee and going through this chapter by chapter, while listening to the corresponding album on YouTube. Still working through the first nine, all of which make my ears bleed thanks to Lee's truly painful vocals - but there are some interesting early Lifeson licks in there, and I'm hearing some Peart solos I hadn't before, which is always a treasure.
July 21, 2017
The title tells you everything you need to know: a bunch of Rush fans got together to shoot the breeze about each of the many studio albums. . . except these guys are either incredibly familiar with the band from working with them, or are musicians—some in tribute bands—music journalists, or similar.
Intriguing forward by the author, but then I’d expect no less when it comes to my favorite band. Oddly, the book isn’t all that long, even with tons of photos, from album covers to concert fliers to pages from comic books! (As graphic novels were called back then, kiddies.)
Not a fan of Dream Theater, but Mike Portnoy seems like a fun guy to hang out with: “The way most kids my age were staring at a Playboy centerfold, I was looking at a Modern Drummer centerfold and salivating over the whole kit.”
The one downside for me was a lot of musical verbiage that went way beyond my understanding, especially about drumming. Was also surprised by how short the Moving Pictures section was, considering everyone calls it the band’s seminal album. As I’m sure every reader/fan will think, they spend too little time talking about my favorites and too much on those songs I hardly ever listen to, if at all. Still, there are nice things said about The Pass and Bravado—yes, among my faves—especially Geddy claiming the latter is his fave to play live. There’s also a great feeling when someone says something I’d already thought of, such as the addendum in Ghost of A Chance. Most of all, the agreement of The Wreckers being such a beautiful song made me smile.
The last 15 pages or so list the contributors, offer a bibliography, and end with a pretty thorough index.
3.5 pushed up to 4/5
Intriguing forward by the author, but then I’d expect no less when it comes to my favorite band. Oddly, the book isn’t all that long, even with tons of photos, from album covers to concert fliers to pages from comic books! (As graphic novels were called back then, kiddies.)
Not a fan of Dream Theater, but Mike Portnoy seems like a fun guy to hang out with: “The way most kids my age were staring at a Playboy centerfold, I was looking at a Modern Drummer centerfold and salivating over the whole kit.”
The one downside for me was a lot of musical verbiage that went way beyond my understanding, especially about drumming. Was also surprised by how short the Moving Pictures section was, considering everyone calls it the band’s seminal album. As I’m sure every reader/fan will think, they spend too little time talking about my favorites and too much on those songs I hardly ever listen to, if at all. Still, there are nice things said about The Pass and Bravado—yes, among my faves—especially Geddy claiming the latter is his fave to play live. There’s also a great feeling when someone says something I’d already thought of, such as the addendum in Ghost of A Chance. Most of all, the agreement of The Wreckers being such a beautiful song made me smile.
The last 15 pages or so list the contributors, offer a bibliography, and end with a pretty thorough index.
3.5 pushed up to 4/5
May 16, 2017
Rush fans will enjoy this book. I certainly did. Album by album, in chronological order, the author has conversations with musicians, historians, sound engineers, mega-fans, and tribute artists to expound on what the like, love, and hate about Rush's catalogue. Colourful images from concerts, publicity material, album covers, ticket stubs, posters, and other cool stuff are littered throughout. However, I was expecting something a bit different. As an editor, I would have brought more consistency to the commentary. Shifting commentators from album to album is fine but what disappointed me was they would talk a lot of music shop on one album, but a lot of lyrics talk on another, and another with something else like cover art. Lots of mix but inconsistent in execution for each album. I wanted to know all this stuff for each album, not randomized as was done here. That said, there's tons of great stuff here. Musicians, aficionados, mixers, producers, sound engineers might get a bit more depth when they talk time signatures and all manner of other technical details. It's good stuff, but beyond my skill set (nor do I really care, honestly), which is fine. There's definitely something for everyone here. Enjoy and rock on!
May 17, 2024
Forgot I had this sitting around and have been reading it little by little the past few months. I wish I had read it when it first came out as there are some newer books that give greater insight to the albums. Mainly, Martin Popoffs excellent trilogy, Rush in the 70's/80's/90's and Geddy Lee's autobiography, "My Effin' Life".
The problems, for me, were that there is some serious snark when describing some albums and I'm fine with crticism, but the attempted humor fell flat. Also, he interviews others and they comment on the albums. There are no interview bios until after all the albums have been discussed. I did not know that and it really should have been at the beginning or even within each album discussion. There is also some technical discussion, I am not a musician so that was all over my head.
It's OK, Rush fans will like it for their collection I imagine but I think I've read enough about this stuff for now. Only thing missing really is an Alex Lifeson autobiography.
The problems, for me, were that there is some serious snark when describing some albums and I'm fine with crticism, but the attempted humor fell flat. Also, he interviews others and they comment on the albums. There are no interview bios until after all the albums have been discussed. I did not know that and it really should have been at the beginning or even within each album discussion. There is also some technical discussion, I am not a musician so that was all over my head.
It's OK, Rush fans will like it for their collection I imagine but I think I've read enough about this stuff for now. Only thing missing really is an Alex Lifeson autobiography.
August 14, 2017
Rush Album by Album by Martin Popoff Rush was formed in the early 70's in Canada, then moved to the UK. The band consists of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart. I have basically listened to this band pretty much all of my life, or at least as long as I can remember. I love so many of their songs. I'll bet pretty much everyone knows at least part of the lyrics to Spirit of the Radio. I was thrilled to have a chance to check out this book. The book is amazing. it has so much information not only about the band but their albums, their songs and more. The pictures are awesome as well. This really is a great book, perfect for anyone who loves Rush or just loves music in general.
I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com to read and review.
I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com to read and review.
January 27, 2020
This book describes the studio-albums of Rush chronologically. A lot of lovely photo's and tidbits in this book and some insight and opinions from "experts". Of course every die-hard Rush fan is opinionated, so it's very personal if you agree with the sentiments or not. I have two issues with the book; first the live-albums are not included (Exit...Stage left, All the World's A Stage, Show of Hands, Rock in Rio, ..) which to me are integral part of their catalogue. To leave out the numerous compilations, Best of... is normal, since they don't add anything, but the live albums do. The second issue is that I woud loved to have the insights of Rush themselves on the albums, especially now that they are of age, and can look back and see what stood the test of time.... Still I do think it is a must have for a Rush fan
February 14, 2019
A very enjoyable read. Brought back some great memories of seeing Rush in concert for the Moving Pictures and Subdivisions tours. Loved all the pictures. Now I am interested in the Pink Floyd: Album by Album book!
August 12, 2019
This book helped me to look at Rush after Subdivisions, when the keyboards turned me off. Artwork is cool, but the text leaned more to an appreciation from musicians. This would probably be a great book for those that actually play their music.
February 20, 2018
Little bit of a rehash here. Excellent photos, though. Also, it was fun to get other people's perspectives on the different albums. Everybody has a different favorite.
May 17, 2020
This is a perfect read for any hardcore Rush fan. Each album is discussed, opinions provided but you draw you own conclusions hard on the discussion.
April 28, 2017
I have been listening to Rush for almost 40 years and know a lot about the music- its inspirations, structure and technicality, etc. Yet I still learned quite a bit reading this discography review by a group of fellow Rush-philes that happen to be musicians, journalists, and people that have been involved with the band. Now I must go listen some more......
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews