"The first thing you notice about Rush, according to one observer, is that they're not as gross-looking as Bachman-Turner Overdrive and they have a somewhat lower thud weight than most other Canadian bands.

Rush's ability to emulate the musical approach of the keyboard-dominated English cosmic groups without duplicating their sound is one of the advantages Rush finds in remaining a guitar/bass/drums trio, a format that has fallen out of favor in the 70s.

Why they survived and became so successful has little to do with instantly-obvious talent and a lot to do with hard, hard work. "It's like when I phone up an electrician and he comes and gives me good service," says Neil Peart. "I'll call him back again and maybe recommend him to someone else." The road show is superb in visual terms and two hours in length, and their vast audience is ample evidence that there are many who love their music. Nobody can ignore them anymore.

"I affirm this band's ability to rock out, but I really want to give Rush a hard shove in the direction it's already heading."

"We know we're doing well when we can sit back and say, 'That's a good record; the audience applauds for it, they like it,'" concludes Lee as he heads for the arena's dressing room. "To make records people enjoy and that we enjoy playing - that's our measure of success."

Using keyboards in their arranging makes the guitar parts better, believes Lifeson: "When you play keyboard progressions on guitar. you end up playing chords on combinations you never really think to play."

"...When Rush strike up their amps no words are necessary, for they create a total involvement situation where the music is everything..."

"...This music is about as subtle as a hit over the head with a sledgehammer - loud, proud, and take-it-or-leave-it, played with shrieking energy and some musical skill..."

"...While it maintains the group's solid rock sounds, along with the usual Rush elements of progressive music and science fiction lyrics, the album shows elements of further musical and lyrical maturity from the group..."

"...Terry Brown's production is typically commendable, and he manages to capture the sound of each individual instrument with tremendous feeling. Rush can content themselves in the knowledge that they've once again scored a winner..."

"...Songwriter-drummer Neil Peart takes pride in the fact that his hard rock band doesn't change with every trend that comes along.

'Influence is one thing.' starts Peart, 'but to apply artificial limits on music is dishonest. We try not to be influenced by external limitations. One of our songs may be five minutes or 12 minutes. It's all relative to the piece.'..."

"...No record company would touch us...yet we became the biggest band Canada has produced. It makes you a bit cynical..."

"...They just won't let up. They're always on, tour. They only get about a month of free time to themselves, and they take such pride when they're recording an album. The band is slowly but surely progressing onto superstar status..."

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"...Indeed, Rush devotees may scratch their heads, but by the third listen the fire will be brighter than ever. Grade: A- ..."

"...their tendency to pontificate on contemporary themes has already branded them as particularly pompous reactionaries..."

"...each identical performance on this five-month extravaganza (during which Rush have played to 905,000 people on 79 dates and grossed over $4 million) holds all the excitement of a Howard Johnson's omelet..."

There are few quality groups like Rush in the world. Perfectionists, yet so powerful, they work with traces of jazz and symphonic rock producing the hardest, purest rock metal you will ever hear.

"...The only part of the show that was both well intentioned and well executed was the band's performance. Tight, precise, faithful, but still very much alive, the songs maintained their recorded versions' clarity and perfection - pleasant if loud reminders that concerts are for listening to..."

"...Rush are, without doubt, the best musicians in their field at the moment and long may they stay that way!"

"...They may have become a household name in 1980, but 1981 was the year their music became a household sound. Until last winter Neil Peart, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, a trio known as Rush, got more recognition for their bombastic live shows (and sometimes, more infamy) than for their well-crafted but seldom-aired Mercury albums. Moving Pictures, the Canadian band's 10th release, was the record that changed all that. It appeared in February, and before March was out such surprisingly catchy songs as "Limelight" and "Vital Signs" were blasting from thousands of radio speakers to which Rush had always been strangers..."

"...the music we're making now is still complicated, but in a much more subtle way..."