“Practice like hell”: The one band Jack Black called part of his DNA
Every artist can only hope to inspire the generation that comes after them. Anyone can be in the business to make a lot of money, but once they have that shiny mansion, it’s hard to wonder what people think of their music beyond what they can listen to on their way to work. Although Jack Black was always a fan of all things hard rock, he felt that this band was a part of everyone’s musical background.
When talking about the origins of rock and roll, though, it’s hard to think of anyone other than The Beatles as ground zero for many people. Although Elvis Presley opened up doors no one knew were there, the Fab Four turned the concept of music on its head the moment they started playing tunes like ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ and ‘A Day In the Life’ during their psychedelic period.
Whether they knew it or not, the band were on the verge of progressive rock, and it wouldn’t be long before acts like Pink Floyd and Yes started building on what they had started. There had been many people with a passing knowledge of music theory at the top of the charts, but this is where songs turned into massive exercises that could get more than a little bit grating for someone looking to hear a pop song.
Even when they were making grand epics, though, Rush never really got boring. Some tunes required more time and work out of the listener, but looking through their back catalogue, every piece of the Canadian trio’s sound was about taking rock and roll into different territory. So that one minute, they could be playing a 20-minute Genesis-style epic, and the next minute they would write a folk tune or be inspired by new wave music.
And although most fairweather fans didn’t start paying attention to Moving Pictures, Rush had already hit perfection. Regardless of how many times they had tried to make something grandiose before, this was the moment where they made time signature changes feel seamless, whether that was constantly shifting metres on ‘Limelight’ or making a riff that grooves so hard in 7/4 in ‘Tom Sawyer’.
Black may have considered himself a member of the greatest band in the world, but he felt that the love of Rush is something built into the fabric of modern rock and roll, saying, “ Can anyone imagine a world without ‘Tom Sawyer?’ These songs and many others have become part of our collective DNA. They inspired you enough to pick up an instrument and practice like hell.”
Even though the pop charts are still largely in 4/4 these days, some acts are still looking to take what Rush did further. Billy Corgan has always been outspoken about his fandom for the group, and even Pharrell Williams has been spotted wearing Rush T-shirts for deep-cut albums like Test for Echo.
But maybe the reason why Rush resonates with so many people is because of how normal each of the members seemed during their time together. Yes, they were a band doing extraordinary feats every time they made records, but something about their demeanour made many believe that if they could do it, so could you.
