Rush FAQ: All That's Left to Know about Rock's Greatest Power Trio by Max MobleyMy rating: 5 of 5 starsRush FAQ by Max Mobley is a 2014 Backbeat / Hal Leonard Group publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Backbeat books/Hal Leonard has this fantastic series of books that feature authors, musical groups, and movies that appeals mostly to the diehard fans but is an excellent introduction to those that maybe aren't that familiar with the topic.
This book is all about the Canadian Rock band RUSH. It is important to note that these books are NOT biographies or little bits of trivia. These books are chock full of knowledge that is interesting and seldom dry reading. I think this book will really be something the true blue Rush fan can not live without. As opposed to the other books in the FAQ series, this book does have the feel of being written just for those folks that think they have heard it all from their all time favorite group and is more for the loyal fan than for those who only know one or two Rush tunes.
This seems fitting to me because Rush was never really mainstream and their fans were loyal for years, and years. This band is one that just keeps on putting out stellar music and doesn't rest on their laurels and tour behind their big hits of the past. They are coming out with new material and it's always above and beyond in creativity and musicianship. Rush never sounds the same way twice it seems. Each album stayed true to the group's ethics and they never got caught in a rut nor could they be labeled in any particular way. They took risk others were too afraid to take and occasionally it didn't pan out just right, but mostly it did. Rush never cared about the talking heads in the studios, they were WAY ahead of the game and proved it time and time again. They have been together for over forty years and show no signs of slowing down.
For me, if we go by the author's assessment of the Rush fan, I would fall into the “Second Gen” group and was and still am a “Geddycorn”. I didn't need the encouragement of a boyfriend or guy to turn me on to Rush. I like the group despite the fact that most girls might like hard rock , but they still like love, heartbreak, and topics along those lines in their music. Rush seldom ever recorded those songs. Instead they recorded concept albums, science fiction themes, anthems, told stories and touched on deep themes and topics no one in rock music ever thought about trying to tackle. They are certainly a one of a kind , unique group with a distinctive sound. I have never in my life seen a bass played the way Geddy Lee does, nor is there a better rock drummer than Neil Peart. Alex Lifeson is one of the most underrated guitarist out there. The guy is just incredible. Yes, the group did use a lot of equipment and after the first album came off with the obvious Led Zepplin sound, the group, after adding Neil on drums begin to move away from that, thank goodness. But, keyboards became a huge part of the group's sound and they were heavy into synthesizers for awhile. The amount of equipment they traveled with is staggering.
This book goes through each album calling special attention to the breakout albums of which the author names three. Then we are given an in depth look at the video, DVD markets Rush took advantage of, the tours, the live albums, the instruments, the equipment, the behind the scenes folks that are still with the band after all this time and the collaborations that mostly took place in later years with a few notable exceptions.
This book is extremely detailed and very well researched and it's obvious the author did a lot of work on this one. This book is a digital copy and it has color photos and black & White photos, plus album covers. These photos are scattered throughout. The actual paperback version could vary from the digital copy.
Even if you have books, magazine articles, DVD's and all of this groups music, you should still pick this one up. If nothing else you will enjoy looking back at all the work this group as put together through the years and it will amaze you all over again the vast talent this trio has. Writing, singing, playing multiple instruments and always giving an incredible live performance. Other than one five year break , this group has been one of the hardest working groups out there.
This book was a real pleasure to read, and I would suggest keeping this one on hand to use as a reference guide as well. Lots and lots of wonderful information is packed into this one.
Obviously, I'm gushing just a little over this one, so you know it will get it the gold! Five stars!!
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