|
|
As a self-confessed prog-rock fan, I feel I should know more about Rush, but, ‘Tom Sawyer’ and a couple of others aside, I’m basically ignorant of their music. Moreover, I know nothing of their story, of their career, or the forces that shaped them. To me, these facts, combined with a decent knowledge of other prog greats like Yes or The Floyd, make me ideally placed to review this rock-u-mentary (Spinal Tap allusion only half intentional). As long as it’s not as cringeworthy as Metallica’s Some Kind of Monster…
By the time that Jack Black asserts, “Rush are one of those bands that has a deep reservoir of Rocket Sauce”, I’ve decided that I’m going to like this film. Though I don’t agree with Billy Corgan that they were “marginalized”, the interviews with the likes of Trent Reznor (NIN), Tim Commerford (RATM), Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Danny Carey (Tool), Jimmy Chamberlin (Smashing Pumpkins) and Mike Portnoy are almost as interesting as the main feature (no Peter Hook, though…).
The film covers the band’s entire career, from Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson’s childhood friendship, to the entry of Neil Peart and eventual success with albums such as 2112 and Hemispheres. Despite the huge sales of Moving Pictures, they remain content to call themselves ‘the World’s biggest cult band’. Indeed, there’s some evidence for this; after all, it took them 35 years to appear on American TV (on the Colbert Show).
What is perhaps most striking is the genuine affection the band have for one another - compared to Smashing Pumpkins, my favourite band, the bonds are nothing short of familial. In particular, the section dealing with the death of Peart’s daughter (and, shortly afterward, his wife) is very moving. Peart took his motorcycle and travelled 50,000 miles across the Americas, and the pain he felt is so clearly echoed in Lifeson and Lee that it lends them a whole new dimension of authenticity. They speak of their anxiety for Neil’s safety, barely tempered by occasional, cryptic postcards. As such, by the end it’s as much the story of three friends as of Rush.
It’s not all so heavy going however; at one point, Gene Simmons unleashes a comic diatribe about their aversion to groupies (reason: they were all happily married) when they supported Kiss on their first tour, and comment is regularly focussed on Peart’s obsessive reading and shy, introverted nature.
For bonus features, there are the obligatory outtakes; but of more interest is the rare live footage, which spans the length of their career, from high school dances to most recent tour. The highlight of these is a recording of ‘La Villa Strangiato’ at the Pinkpop festival in 1979, which shows a band at the height of their powers, playing simply sublime music.
Conclusion? Well, first I’m going to watch it again, and then I’m going out to buy some Rush albums. Even if you’re not a fan, the film is a treat- entertaining, moving, uplifting and inspirational.
…kind of like music then. Release Date: 28.06.10 TAGS: Rush Words by: Alex Lynham Links:
Rush - DVD
|
