Rush - Rush 50

Anyone who even knows me a little bit, knows that I am a huge fan of the band Rush. Being a drummer that is into progressive rock I, of course, count Neil Peart as one of by biggest inspirations. When he passed away back in 2020 (of a brain cancer called glioblastoma), it hit me pretty hard. Oddly and sadly, his brother Danny just passed away last week…also from glioblastoma!

On a more positive note, also last week a new retrospective box set of Rush’s entire career was released. It is called Rush 50 and is today’s pick!

There have been plenty of re-packaging of Rush’s music over the decades. Some trying to cover all the bases at the time (such as the 2 CD set Chronicles from 1990) to focusing on a particular era (such as the Retrospective series that was released as three separate sets in 1997 and 2009).

While all these sets are good, each have their flaws. Obviously, Chronicles is incomplete as Rush released 6 studio albums since then. The Retrospective series only focused on studio albums and didn’t include any live material (where Rush really shined). Other compilations like Icon and Icon 2 were haphazard collections that weren’t even in any kind of chronological order.

What sets Rush 50 apart and makes it a truly definitive statement is because of these many factors:

• All the songs (both studio and live) appear in chronological order. This is especially interesting for the live material that sometimes was released far later than it was recorded (such as Grace Under Pressure Tour or the Live at Hammersmith Odeon 1978 concert that was included as part of the 40th anniversary A Farewell to Kings re-release). On Rush 50 the live songs are peppered in with the studio songs completely chronologically so you can hear the evolution of the band throughout the entire set

• All nineteen of Rush’s studio albums are represented. At least one song from each record is included

• The set starts with the ultra-rare first single (“Not Fade Away” / “You Can’t Fight It”) Rush released in 1973. I had never heard these songs until I heard Rush 50!

• There are other amazing early live recordings that have been released for the first time such as “Need Some Love” and “Before and After” when original drummer John Rutsey was still in the group. Also songs they never recorded in the studio like “Bad Boy” and “Garden Road” from August 1974…just months after Neil Peart joined the band!

Need more incentive to hear this incredible set? How about this informative review by Hank Shteamer in Rolling Stone for starters?

If that’s not enough, here is a cool “unboxing” video, which includes some glances at the huge hardcover book that comes in the box:

This is all fine, but what about hearing some of the music itself? I got you covered! Besides the rare early live material I mentioned above, all the other concert recordings are from live albums / videos Rush released officially. I’ll include some of my favorites below.

First up is this clip of “YYZ” from 1981 that was originally included on Exit…Stage Left (The full version of the song is included in Rush 50):

Here is the Moving Pictures deep cut “Witch Hunt” that was part of Grace Under Pressure Tour:

Another incredible song is “Cygnus X-1”. Originally it was on 1977’s A Farewell to Kings but is heard here from the 2003 live album Rush In Rio:

A crazy good version of “Red Barchetta” from Time Machine 2011: Live In Cleveland:

In my opinion, the definitive version of “Jacob’s Ladder” from R40 Live:

Live recordings of Rush would not be complete without at least one Neil Peart drum solo. There are three included on Rush 50! Here is one from 1978:

As I mentioned, all of the above live versions of these songs are part of the Rush 50 set. There’s plenty more where that came from.

What about the studio recordings? Highlights abound! I’m going to include some of the songs included by way of their official music videos.

“Fly By Night” is an early Rush classic from 1975:

Obviously Rush 50 includes two of the band’s biggest hits: “Limelight” and “Tom Sawyer” from Moving Pictures:

Many people don’t like the mid-to-late 80s Rush material, but I do! Perhaps the music videos for “Subdivisions”, “Distant Early Warning”, “The Big Money” and “Time Stand Still” from that era will change minds of the skeptical:

In the mid-90s Rush went heavier and was influenced by grunge and alternative rock. An excellent era that is also often overlooked. Here is “Stick It Out” from 1993’s Counterparts:

While this is not an “official” video, I think this set of images set to “Test For Echo” does a great job of depicting the themes in the song:

Speaking of the album Test For Echo check out this fun TV commercial promoting the record from 1996!

I’ve included more than a dozen examples from Rush 50 that illustrates why this is essential listening for long-time fans and novices alike. While this seems like a bit of overkill, it barely scratches the surface of the fifty song compilation that runs close to 5 hours.

I’d like to close out this (perhaps too raving) review of Rush 50 that shows why putting everything chronologically puts the band’s entire career in perspective. The seventh song on the collection is “Garden Road” from one of the first concerts that Neil Peart performed as a member of Rush in 1974. The fiftieth song is a medley of “What You’re Doing” / “Working Man” / “Garden Road” which was the very last song the band ever played live! You can literally hear how they started and ended between these two songs. The results of their career encapsulated in these two recordings is staggering.

Ever since I unboxed my own copy of Rush 50 I have already listened to it front-to-back a few times…and it will likely be something I come back to again and again. It is a crucial document of one of the best bands that ever existed.