Geddy Lee once explained why punk “legitimised” Rush
Despite being widely influential, Rush have always been frank about their place in music. Thanks to lyricist Neil Peart’s voracious reading appetite, they might have made prog rock their own with a futuristic and deeply fantastical slant. Still, this spirit and their propensity for winding sonics weren’t for everyone, and they’re fully aware of this.
Starting life in a blues rock environment that took cues from the likes of Led Zeppelin, Cream and Black Sabbath, Rush would gradually hone their sound and, by the mid-1970s, started delving into the world of prog, with their contemporary influences being Pink Floyd and Yes. Constructing expansive numbers fit for the masses of nerdy rock lovers huddled over Dune in their bedrooms, this era saw them stand out from the crowd. Typified by 1976’s 2112, Rush became poster boys for the prog scene just as its progenitors were attracting widespread condemnation for their increasingly pretentious sounds.
Although Rush started life years before 1976’s commercial breakthrough, their immensely successful foray into prog came when the zeitgeist was rapidly shifting. Thanks to the prog pioneers forgoing self-awareness, the tag quickly became one with unfavourable connotations. Young folk worldwide were sick and tired of the ostentatious sound and the cape-clad poshos producing it, a manifestation of their general anger towards the societal status quo. Channeling this dissatisfaction was punk.
It was back-to-basics rock ‘n’ roll that fused punchy chord progressions with furious lyrics, placing itself at spiritual loggerheads with prog and groups like Rush. Representing two wholly distinct and antithetical realms, as groups such as Sex Pistols, The Clash, and Ramones rose to the fore, the Canadian trio could not help but find themselves in their crosshairs. This was regardless of their coffers being lined with untold riches by their less cool peers who much preferred the comfort of their homes to pogo-ing in sweaty clubs.
There is no better person to characterise how punks felt about prog than Sex Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten. Known for wearing an ‘I hate Pink Floyd’ T-shirt during the band’s heyday, he once recalled that groups like Yes and Emerson, Lake and Palmer were so bloated that it seemed like rock was on death’s door.
Of the supposed mid-1970s malaise, he said: “It really did look at that time like the end of rock ‘n’ roll, if you want to call it that because rock ‘n’ roll did become flappy flared trouser stuff and posturing and ridiculousness.”
Yet, regardless of all the hate they were attracting from punks and prominent critics who had aligned themselves with the movement, Rush frontman Geddy Lee remembers the period well. He says that not only was it fascinating to watch the scene unfold, but it also “legitimised” the band’s ability for them and their fans, creating a clear alternative to the likes of Rotten.
Speaking to The Guardian in 2023, Lee reflected on how he views the punk period and revealed he does so “fondly”. The vocalist said: “I remember it quite fondly because we were mixing an album in London when the Sex Pistols were on TV. It was fascinating to watch. At the same time, the three-chord style of these bands instantly made us seem like Beethoven by comparison. So, in a sense, the punk movement legitimised our playing ability and more complex structures. I was all in favour of that.”
Rush might be self-aware, but they’ve always been confident in their own abilities, too. After punk imploded, they enjoyed increased success and, ironically, would in the future be lauded by figures from across the genre divide, including Dave Grohl, Pixies and Rage Against the Machine.
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