The progressive/hard rock band Rush has never been as popular as it is now. A documentary film about the band, Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, which was released in the summer of 2010 has been universally well received. They had a cameo in the movie I Love You Man. Their seven-part song “2112” was included in a version of “Guitar Hero” released in 2010. The group even appeared on The Colbert Report.And now this, a book about Rush written for a general audience and geared towards issues concerning popular culture and philosophy. There has been a recent explosion of Rush onto the popular culture front, and how ironic for a band that has spent the early days of their career on the outside of mainstream popularity. Even legendary trios such as Cream and The Police don’t enjoy the commitment and devotion that Rush’s fans lavish on Alex, Geddy, and Neil. In part, this is because Rush is equally devoted to its fans. Since their first album in 1974, they have released 18 additional albums and toured the world following nearly every release. Today, when other 70s-bands have either broken up or become nostalgia acts, Rush continues to sell out arenas and amphitheatres and sell albums—to date Rush has sold over 40 million albums. They are ranked fourth after The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Aerosmith for the most consecutive gold or platinum albums by a rock band.Rush’s success is also due to its intellectual approach to music and sound. The concept album 2112 made Rush a world-class band and cemented its reputation as the thinking-person’s progressive rock trio. Rush’s interest in political philosophy, mind-control, the nature of free-will, of individuality, and our relationship to machines makes Rush a band that matters and which speaks to its fans directly and honestly like no other. Lyricist Niel Peart has even built a following by writing books, both about his motorcycle travels and about the tragic death of his daughter, which have only furthered the respect Rush’s fans have for (arguably) rock’s greatest drummer and lyricist.Fiercely independent of trends, Rush has maintained a clear mission and purpose throughout their career. With a unique sound, best described as the “Rush sound,” the band has been able to blend thought-provoking lyrics and music for almost four decades. The Rush style of music can trigger the unusual combination of air-drumming, air-guitar, singing along, and fist-pumping, just as much as it can thoughtful reflection and deep thinking, making Rush “The Thinking Man’s Band.” Rush and Philosophy does not set out to sway the public’s opinion, nor is it an awkward gushing of how much the authors love Rush. Rush and Philosophy is a fascinating look at the music and lyrics of the band, setting out to address thought-provoking questions. For example, elements of philosophical thinking from the likes of Jean Paul-Sartre, Ayn Rand, and Plato can be found in Peart’s lyrics; does this make Peart a disciple of philosophy? In what ways has technology influenced the band through the decades? Can there be too much technology for a power-trio? Can listening to Rush’s music and lyrics lead listeners to think more clearly, responsibly, and happily? Is the band’s music a “pleasant distraction” from the singing of Geddy Lee? In what ways is Rush Canadian? How can a band that has been referred to as “right-wing” also criticize big government, religion, and imperialism? Rush and Philosophy is written by an assortment of philosophers and scholars with eclectic and diverse backgrounds who love Rush’s music and who “get” the meaning and importance of it. They discuss Rush with the enthusiasm of fans and the seriousness of college professors. The book will be a must-read for the many fans who have long known that Rush deserves as much respect as the ideas, concepts, and puzzles about human existence they write and compose music about.

RUL

I am giving this book 4 stars mainly for the amount of knowledge the writers have of the band's catalog of music and meaning of the songs, as well as the research involved in putting together the essays.

I'm a major Rush super fan and collector and I enjoy reading other fan's perspectives on their music, especially philosophical and existential views and theory.

Some chapters of this book are a little too out there, slinging philosophical textbook jargon that lacks the passion of art appreciation, which makes it a bit too dry to enjoy. There are many chapters that are a bit more down to earth and enjoyable to read.

I doubt I'd recommend it to anyone other than a Rush fan who is also well versed in Philosophy. The average intellect of a Rush fan who understands their lyrics can draw the same assumptions without laboring through this book.

Yla

This is the third Pop Culture and Philosophy book I've read, and Open Court has done a great job of bringing philosophy to the masses. I teach a high school philosophy class, and I use some of the articles to illustrate philosophical writing and how to apply philosophy to contemporary issues. So far, I've read Facebook and Philosophy and Bruce Springsteen and Philosophy (outstanding). I was ecstatic to see Rush and Philosophy was going to be released, as I have been listening to them for thirty years. However, be forewarned. The first few chapters are all music theory and have nothing to do with philosophy. They are quite difficult to digest if you don't have the technical musical vocabulary. I couldn't get through them. Another chapter was on Rush and psychology, which was marginally interesting. Eventually, the editors got around to the hardcore philosophy, and that is where the book shines. I've found with these books, the best things to do with chapters you don't like or don't find interesting is skip them. No harm done. Some are written better than others. The publishing company, however, really MUST do a better job editing these essays. The authors are mostly college professors, but perhaps they could brush up on grammar and punctuation. Sorry--I've been an English teacher too long!

Barinirm

I am a big Rush fan and was really looking forward to reading this. Unfortunately, It was very dry . A few of the writers did not seem like they were interested in the topic. Some of it felt like it was repetition of what the others said. it also felt like a book report instead of a look at Rush and Philosophy.

Zbr

I have to agree with Cohen. I'm a huge fan. I've spent tens of hours compiling all Rush song's lyrics and read them regularly. Lots of philosophical gems in there. This book spends much of its time talking about musical timing and such. That whole concept is OK, just doesn't seem to fit the expectation of the title. I found it interesting, but not what I was expecting at all. The author might have compiled the chapters differently in order to give the reader what was expected to start, then throw the other stuff in later. There is a small amount actual philosophy, but it's more about musical style. It's worth the Rush fan's time, others may not be as interested.

Dangerous

Starts off slow....works up to GREAT!!
Into RUSH?
This would fit your genome to a T.

Extremely glad of this purchase.

Moswyn

This is a rush fans wet dream.

Laizel

I love the rock band Rush. I have for decades. That's why I can tell you with some kind of authority that this is one of the dumbest books you will ever read. So then don't bother! It is so cheesy and so forced, you will be bored.

Great book, first half is mostly music theory and how it relates to Rush's music, this was very interesting to me because I am a musician and speak the language. Second half is basically philosophical interpretations of Peart's lyrics and his influences. That part gets a little deep, and several authors give their individual differing observations on the subject (s). Very interesting book overall, especially for the Rush fan and anyone who enjoys the occasional magic brownie.