MARTIN POPOFF - Anthem: RUSH In The '70s
May 19, 2020, 4 years ago
(ECW Press)
It's easy to glaze over a little bit, thinking, I'm pretty sure Martin Popoff has written a book or two about Rush before, but hold up: this is the definitive history of our fave Canuck wizards, Anthem: Rush In The '70s being but the first in a trio of books detailing the group's history through exhaustive interviews and Popoff's exclusive access to the Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage unused interview archives.
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. I love the picture of '70s Toronto that Popoff vividly paints along the way as we learn about the early lives of the band members, drummer Neil Peart in particular having an interesting road to rock. And, man, I love how the band's integrity and passion for the craft shines through loud and clear, their disdain for other acts of the era talking about their “product” and treating audiences as mere consumers clearly rubbing our boys the wrong way as they continue to deliver middle finger after middle finger to their record label in the form of albums that just get trickier and busier and less commercial throughout the decade. I was just absolutely engrossed through this entire book, which goes up to and includes the mighty Hemispheres record. Can't wait for the next in this series to drop, which is going to be Limelight: Rush In The '80s.
