Anthem: Rush in the '70s

Name: Anthem: Rush in the '70s
Author: https://www.simonandschuster.biz/authors/Martin-Popoff/226608032
ISBN: 9781770415201

Book #1 of Rush Across the Decades

By Martin Popoff

PRICE MAY VARY BY RETAILER

Excerpt
Rave and Reviews

About The Book

The definitive biography of the rock ’n’ roll kings of the North

Includes two full-color photo inserts, with 16 pages of the early days of the band on tour and in the studio

With extensive, first-hand reflections from Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart, as well as from family, friends, and fellow musicians, Anthem: Rush in the ’70s is a detailed portrait of Canada’s greatest rock ambassadors. The first of three volumes, Anthem puts the band’s catalog, from their self-titled debut to 1978’s Hemispheres (the next volume resumes with the release of Permanent Waves) into both Canadian and general pop culture context, and presents the trio of quintessentially dependable, courteous Canucks as generators of incendiary, groundbreaking rock ’n’ roll.

Fighting complacency, provoking thought, and often enraging critics, Rush has been at war with the music industry since 1974, when they were first dismissed as the Led Zeppelin of the north. Anthem, like each volume in this series, celebrates the perseverance of Geddy, Alex, and Neil: three men who maintained their values while operating from a Canadian base, throughout lean years, personal tragedies, and the band’s eventual worldwide success.

Excerpt

Like Geezer Butler in Black Sabbath, to reiterate, Geddy indeed began on guitar. Alex, however, missed this part of Lee’s evolution.

“I didn’t know Ged when he played guitar. So the transition was already completed by the time we started jamming together and playing. Because that’s what we did after school. We’d plug into his amp and play. There was one guitar and one bass. So I’m not really sure about that transition. I’m sure he was interested in guitar like everybody was interested in guitar. But once we actually started playing and learning instruments, that was his chosen one. Just think John Rutsey in that early days—the drums became his thing but I don’t know if in his heart he wanted to be a drummer. I think he wanted to be a guitarist as well. But everybody had their job that they sort of gravitated to.”

Says Geddy, “I was nominated to be the bass player when the first band I was in, the bass player couldn’t be in our band. I think his parent’s prohibited him or something, and we had no bass player so they said, ‘You play bass’ and I said okay, and that was how simple it was. That happens to a lot of bass players. Everyone wants to be a guitar player, but I was happy to be bass player. Bass player is like being a major league catcher. It’s the quickest way to the majors. Nobody wants to be a bass player. It’s a great instrument, it really is, awesome way to spend your time. I had teachers you know; I’m just carrying on the tradition of Jack Bruce, Jack Casady, Chris Squire, a fine tradition of noisy bass players that refuse to stay in the background. So I feel that’s my sacred duty, to carry on what they started.”

About The Author

Martin Popoff

Product Details

Publisher: ECW Press (May 12, 2020)
Length: 360 pages
ISBN13: 9781770415201

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Raves and Reviews

“Popoff provides a comprehensive appreciation of Rush’s music, focusing on its formation in 1968 through the 1970s … This will thrill Rush’s huge fan base.” — Publishers Weekly

“VERDICT A must for Rush fans and an intriguing examination of how small musical groups coalesce. Also a fitting memorial to drummer Neil Peart, who died this past January.” — Library Journal

“Popoff (who worked on the Rush documentary, Beyond the Lighted Stage, 2010) charts Rush from their early years playing bars around Ontario up through worldwide success and the creation of their first seven albums.” — Booklist

“Popoff mainly steps out of the way to allow Rush (as well as their moms) to tell their own story. That storytelling is consistently interesting.” — Psychobabble

“This 375-page hardcover book paints a fascinating picture of the band’s early years, and is easily the most in-depth Rush tome I’ve read.” — BraveWords

“It takes an inquisitive researcher's mind to properly tell such a rich history, and on these 354 pages, Popoff more than proves that he's the man for the job. Part of a trilogy that will include also the upcoming Limelight: Rush in the '80s and Driven: Rush in the '90s, this is likely the deepest dive into the band's history, and one that would please casual and diehard fans alike.” — Sonic Perspectives

“Anthem: Rush in the '70s is an enjoyable read, an excellent way to find out about music, in what is arguably the greatest decade for progressive hard rock, from a band that stuck to its guns and forged a singular, unique path for 40 years.” — Vintage Rock

“Fashioned like a bible, Anthem is a truly stunning book. Such attention to the visual gives a certain definitive quality to Popoff's work, even before opening it. This is the Rush biography you need… Ultimately, Anthem marks an incredibly strong and insightful first entry that will leave you very much excited for parts two and three to Popoff's latest saga.” — Spill Magazine

“The first of a planned trilogy, Anthem digs deep into the Canadian trio's early days, often through Popoff's firsthand reporting and relationship with the group.” — Oakland Press

“Straight from all the sources that matter, the book reads as an oral biography. Swaths of paragraphs are conversational and anecdotal, putting you in the room, on the stage, and in the mindset of unfolding events. What’s not to love? Whether you’re a fan or not.” — The Aquarian