Rush 1984 to 2015 (Every Album, Every Song)

This volume is the companion book to Rush On Track 1973 – 1982. Fans who hoped that 1982’s keyboard heavy Signals had been a one off were to be disappointed. In line with their desire never to make the same album twice the infamous ‘synth era’ began. Albums including Power Windows, and Hold Your Fire split the fan base; the ‘old guard’ resenting the changes in both instrumentation and song-writing style. New followers joined the fold, however, and the band’s popularity in album sales and concert receipts continued to grow. Rush were never ones for treading water, as subsequent releases into the 1990s showed a gradual but welcome return to the guitar-centric power-trio format. A double family tragedy for drummer Neil Peart seemed to signal the end of the band, with a sign-off triple live album, Different Stages appearing in 1997. But five years later a reformed Rush released a series of new albums, culminating in the magnificent concept record, Clockwork Angels. This book reviews all the band's studio and live releases from 1984’s Grace Under Pressure to the final, farewell live album, R40, in 2015. Peart’s subsequent retirement and tragically early death in 2020 finally closed the annals of this unique band.