Canada's #1 Export
Now that it's safe for Rush fans to come out of the closet, what with the appearance of the band on The Colbert Report, their featured role in the comedy I Love You, Man, and their recent documentary, Beyond The Lighted Stage taking an Audience Award at the Tribeca Film Festival, I'm going to go ahead and risk alienating some readers by letting you know that I, for many years, have kept somewhat hidden my love for Rush.
There. I'm out! I feel so free!
They are awesome, "The Synthesizer Years" notwithstanding. How awesome? Matt Stone and Trey Parker, creators of South Park, created the opening video to their last tour. Sure, all their stuff doesn't work for me, and I have accused them of being (as they note in the film) "pretentious," but for three guys to make this much incredible music is just stunning. I get that they're a musician's band, and they're not for everyone. Those who appreciate them tend to do so to a psychotic degree while those who hate them do so with equal fervency, but they've been with me for a long time. When I fell asleep and rolled my Toyota Celica on I-5 in San Diego one early morning as a teenager, it was Rush playing from the cassette deck when I awoke upside down. (Seatbelts Save Lives, Kids!)
I understand that the band (as pointed out in I Love You, Man, as well as in the recent documentary) are not exactly a favorite among the ladies, unless those ladies are 11-years-old and pure musical geniuses. I only today saw this, so if it's old to you, apologies. Here's an 11-year old girl playing the highly complex Rush composition YYZ - by herself - on keyboards.
For the uninitiated, YYZ has worldwide appeal, as evidenced by this inspirational footage of a crowd of 60,000 Brazilians actually SINGING to an INSTRUMENTAL.
(For the non-Canadian and non-Rush fan, YYZ is the airport code for Toronto.)
Why no one has ever licensed any Rush tunes for commercial use is a mystery to me. Perhaps the heady lyrics and "pretentiousness" have hindered advertisers. I'm working on a little spec spot that I hope might change that.
There. I'm out! I feel so free!
They are awesome, "The Synthesizer Years" notwithstanding. How awesome? Matt Stone and Trey Parker, creators of South Park, created the opening video to their last tour. Sure, all their stuff doesn't work for me, and I have accused them of being (as they note in the film) "pretentious," but for three guys to make this much incredible music is just stunning. I get that they're a musician's band, and they're not for everyone. Those who appreciate them tend to do so to a psychotic degree while those who hate them do so with equal fervency, but they've been with me for a long time. When I fell asleep and rolled my Toyota Celica on I-5 in San Diego one early morning as a teenager, it was Rush playing from the cassette deck when I awoke upside down. (Seatbelts Save Lives, Kids!)
I understand that the band (as pointed out in I Love You, Man, as well as in the recent documentary) are not exactly a favorite among the ladies, unless those ladies are 11-years-old and pure musical geniuses. I only today saw this, so if it's old to you, apologies. Here's an 11-year old girl playing the highly complex Rush composition YYZ - by herself - on keyboards.
For the uninitiated, YYZ has worldwide appeal, as evidenced by this inspirational footage of a crowd of 60,000 Brazilians actually SINGING to an INSTRUMENTAL.
(For the non-Canadian and non-Rush fan, YYZ is the airport code for Toronto.)
Why no one has ever licensed any Rush tunes for commercial use is a mystery to me. Perhaps the heady lyrics and "pretentiousness" have hindered advertisers. I'm working on a little spec spot that I hope might change that.
Labels: Brazil, Canada, documentaries, live music, movies, music, music for ads, music industry, Rush, San Diego, South Park, spec ads, toronto
Sent into orbit at
10:31 PM
4 Comments:
I love old rush. When they started going more heavy synth like so many in the late 80's early 90's kind of lost interest in the new stuff. But will always love the old stuff.
By
Howie, at July 4, 2010 at 12:16 PM
Hey Howie,
Buy the last album. The sound of 3 old geezers clearly having the time of their lives and playing music they love with lyrics that mean something.
If you love old Rush, you'll love new Rush and maybe you can ignore middle Rush (Confession...I love all Rush).
By
Luo An Lai, at July 5, 2010 at 5:29 AM
Mid to later Rush fan. Never got into the old stuff. Lots of *love* here though. I think Tom Sawyer was used by Rand Paul but they sued his campaign. I swear Nissan Pathfinder used it though a few years ago.
The word verification was “etyra” btw. Which could itself be the name of an instrumental. Or fictitious Canadian town they got high in.
By
Anonymous, at July 5, 2010 at 7:51 PM
Thanks for that gem. Too bad we couldn't see the dad, likely singing along with the song, making guiding eyes and head shakes at his daugher. Kinda reminded me of a soundblaster midi performance. btw, my 'word verification' is 'forkin'
I"m fixinta post this forkin comment.
By
raytubes, at July 8, 2010 at 4:05 AM
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