Rush 50 (Anniversary Super Deluxe)

Released on 3/21/25 by Mercury Records
Main artists: Rush
Genre: Rock

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Rush fans will forever mourn the 2020 death of drummer/main lyricist Neil Peart, which spelled the end of the much beloved prog rock trio. With Geddy Lee's high-pitched vocals, Alex Lifeson's inventive guitarwork, and the irreplaceable Peart's otherworldly drumming, Rush developed an intensely loyal fanbase who will celebrate this massive 50-track retrospective of studio and live cuts, alternate takes, and seven unreleased tracks; for those new to the band, this is a superb introduction.

The core of Rush 50, which includes material from all the labels the band recorded for, is composed of well-known songs like "Fly By Night," "Closer to the Heart," "Tom Sawyer," and "The Spirit of the Radio." What makes for an enjoyable survey even for experienced fans is the clever way that many of the familiar studio versions of the band's classics appear in live form, such as second album cut "By-Tor and the Snow Dog," which is represented by a version from their excellent double live album, 1976's All The World's A Stage.

An unreleased take of the storming "Anthem"—recorded in 1974 at New York City's Electric Lady studios—has sound issues but is wonderfully furious. One of the band's exotic epics, "Xanadu," is heard in an extended live version recorded in 1978 at London's Hammersmith Odeon. For Peart obsessives, "Drum Solo" from that same show will bring back pleasant memories, if not tears, as he displays his trademark speed and inventiveness.

Another plus are the superior live takes of album deep cuts, like a 2004 performance of Grace Under Pressure's "Between The Wheels" from Frankfurt, Germany. Equally inspired is a version of "Jacob's Ladder"—which Lee intros as "a rarely played song"—from a 2015 show at Toronto's Air Canada Centre for the R40 Tour.

Two of Rush's earliest live recordings, "Need Some Love" and "Before and After," both from 1974, feature the band's original drummer John Rutsey. Another pair from that year, "Bad Boy" and "Garden Road"—neither of which ever appeared on a Rush album—were recorded with improved fidelity at one of America's most famous hard rock emporiums, The Agora Ballroom in Cleveland, Ohio. At the other end of the spectrum, a medley of "What You're Doing / Working Man / Garden Road" comes from the trio's final live show, a 2015 date at The Forum in Los Angeles. Gone but not forgotten, Rush 50 is a welcome and wide-ranging remembrance of their glory years. © Robert Baird/Qobuz

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Rush 50 (Anniversary Super Deluxe)

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