The goal of any anthology is to capture the broad scope of an artist’s career. Rush 50 is a strong attempt, starting with their first singles (previously unreleased) all the way to their final live recordings in 2015. In between are reams of epic studio and stage recordings, summing up the band’s career in one tidy, hard-rockin’ box.
The early tracks are fascinating, as the Canadian trio was formidable out of the gate. Tracks from 1973-’74 demonstrate their Led Zep obsession (“You Can’t Fight It,” “Need Some Love”), while Alex Lifeson was already accomplished at speedy Jimmy Page-style licks. An unreleased live-in-studio take on “Anthem” at NYC’s Electric Lady Studio is another Echoplex-through-Marshall stomper.
The next decades are well-covered, but there’s a generous slab of concert material from the 2000s. “Freewill” sounds as powerful in 2011 as it did in 1980, propelled by Geddy Lee’s mighty bass and Lifeson’s chorused shimmer. The last song Rush ever played onstage was a snippet of one of their earliest, the Black Sabbath-charged “Garden Road,” which you can compare here to the ’74 version. In poetic hindsight, its riff provided the perfect way for Rush to begin – and end – their career. – PP
This article originally appeared in VG’s May 2025 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
