Can there be a casual Rush fan?

Back when Rush was getting more airplay in the 80s, there were lots of "casual" fans, who bought like one or two records but didn't become diehards. Those guys are all like 40 now, and I imagine some of them are still "casual" fans.

I would call myself a casual fan. I've never seen them live, I would never wear a t-shirt or put up a poster. I own all of the albums. I love some of them, I hate a few, I'm more or less ambivalent towards most. I first heard them when Moving Pictures first hit and Tom Sawyer was getting a lot of radio play. I would have been 12 and just starting to get into music. I liked Tom Sawyer, but I ended up getting more into new wave, then punk, then hardcore, then thrash, and so on. But over the years I eventually had to admit to myself that whenever I happened to hear Rush, I liked it. Fly By Night, Closer to the Heart, Spirit of Radio, Freewill, Limelight... The coup de grace was when my friend's band started playing a new song called The Oracle. I told him I thought it was his best song ever and very impressive, and he said, "Oh... actually that's a Rush song, from 2112." That was when I started buying their records. I generally love everything from the debut album to Moving Pictures. I absolutely HATE Grace Under Pressure and Power Windows. I'm pretty meh about everything from Signals to Roll the Bones. I like bits and pieces from everything from Counterparts to Snakes.

I'd say I'm like Druff too. They passed me by completely until Spirit Of Radio, which I still think is a great, great rock song. I have gradually picked up about three quarters of their albums over the years - the first three in the main I find not to my taste, 2112 is pretentious but has some good musical moments. After that they get more sophisticated as the years go by and now deserve their status as one of the world's biggest bands. The power and energy of their recent albums is a world away from the rather shrill and tinny early stuff.

I am also going to see them for the first time next month, here in the UK. I'm looking forward to it because, whilst none of their songs really SENDS me in the way that Pearl Jam's 'Daughter' or Van Morrison's 'Cyprus Avenue' do, they're consistent, good value and apparently put on a good show.






Awight we're The Daamned we're a punk baand and this is called Carn't Be Appy T'day!

I love Rush. That being said, they aren't my favorite band. In fact, they are probably fifth or sixth on the list. I've seen the group live, more than a few times, and own several of their albums, both vinyl and cd. I even own two concert DVD's and the classic album domumentary. Of my top twenty favorite albums, there isn't a single Rush piece included. However, I listen to the Chronicles disk, quite often, and am always throwing together different mixes featuring their catalogue. So... yeah, there can be a casual Rush fan, and I'm guilty as charged.

It's funny, though. I was flying out to St. Louis for a show, several years ago, and encountered two pretty hardcore fans of the band who were decked out in Rush-related clothing, while waiting in line at the airport. The married couple, became an item, many years previous, after listening to the 2112 album on the husband's turntable. They had traveled to five Rush shows that year alone, and were planning to attend four or five more, before the end of the tour. While chatting about various Rush literature, I made reference to a biography of the Talking Heads. They both looked at me confusedly, yet tried to be polite, noting the virtues of The Heads, even though I could clearly tell that they had never heard of the group. It was as if, to this couple, at least, that no other music existed, outside of the Rush universe. This amused me. I have a pretty broad musical pallett, that ranges from Steely dan, Van Halen, Zeppelin, Prince, Huey Lewis, Miles Davis, The Jam, Joe Walsh, and Herb Alpert, to Wutang Clan, Devo, Michael McDonald, Wolfmother, Elvis Costello, Frank Sinatra, and the Beastie Boys. Furthermore, I am aquainted with many devoted Rushees, who all follow various other bands outside the Rush spectrum, as well. BUT, there is also a sect that knows only Rush... and this concept fascinates me.

"The key is, you've got to be crazy to maintain your sanity"

[deleted]

There are some casual Rush fans.

However, it seems to me that most people either really love the band or really hate the band.

It's a measure of a life

Plenty of casual fans. Most friends and co-workers like them but really only know them as the band that plays "Tom Sawyer" and a few other hits. Nothing wrong with that. You really have to dig deep to truly appreciate Rush and not everyone is passionate enough about music to do that.

I consider myself a casual Rush fan. I really liked their Summertime Blues album from several years ago. I'm a huge fan of Tom Petty and a few other bands, a casual fan of a lot of others, Rush being one of them. They're a good band.