The Rush album written as a ‘screw you’ to their label
Rush was never a band known for compromising all that often. From day one, the Canadian trio always had a specific agenda in mind with their songs, and they weren’t going to let any sort of trend get in the way of them realising that vision. The only problem was that vision didn’t always translate to record sales.
After initially starting life as a cheap knockoff of Led Zeppelin, Rush grew by leaps and bounds the minute they got Neil Peart in the group,a drummer who battered new life into their progressive sound and carved out a unique approach to lyrics. Though Fly By Night had them on the right track, the label started to take issue with them stretching their songs out into long exercises, with ‘By-Tor And The Snow Dog’ being the first straight-ahead story they ever took on. Little did they know what was in store for the next album.
Looking to expand the conceptual side of their sound, Peart thought up unique stories for the second half of their third effort, Caress of Steel, which became mainstream poison for everyone involved. As much as the rest of the group believed in the record, they talked about not getting a good reception from their peers. When playing the album to Kiss’ Paul Stanley, Alex Lifeson remembered the ice-cold reaction, saying in Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, “he just didn’t get it. A lot of people didn’t get it. We wondered if we even got it”.
When the band went to record their next album, the label was breathing down their neck, giving them a choice to think about writing commercial material, or their deal would be history. Rush’s solution? Lie to their label. As their manager Ray Danniels continues: “I went to Mercury Records, and I told them everything they wanted to hear. They wanted singles. I said ‘sure, I’m sure that’s what they’re gonna do”.
Behind the scenes, Rush had absolutely no intention of watering down their sound. During the production of what would become 2112, Peart thought of a new concept centred around their struggles with their label. Opening the album with a 20-minute title track, the tune was about a creative person stifled by a high order of priests looking to censor all creative expression.
As the songs started coming together, Peart talked about wanting to shove this tune back in their faces, saying, “It was all a big no. No, we won’t compromise our sound. No, you can’t tell us what to do, and no we don’t care”. Despite being called out for wanting the lowest common denominator, 2112 became the ticket to mainstream success. Catching on through word-of-mouth, Rush started to develop a cult following around them, creating a communal atmosphere among fans who latched onto the story about not backing down from people leaning on them.
From there, Rush got total creative freedom to do whatever they wanted, with the label never interfering with their direction ever again. That policy remained in effect until the end of their run, as Lifeson recalled, “when we give our album to their label, they get it already packaged and accept it as it is. They have no choice”. This position is the creative golden ticket that most bands only dream of, but Rush got to where they are by always holding on to what they knew was right.
