Mystic Rhythms: The Philosophical Vision of Rush Paperback – 1 Dec. 1999

Just a few words to say how much I enjoyed going through this reference book and picking up a greater understanding of the cleverness of Neil Peart's lyrics. I have been a Rush fan for a long long time but this book has helped me to better categorise the themes behind many of their best songs, and to enjoy them further.Even after thirty years, Rush are a fabulously creative and powerful rock band and this book helps me appreciate them even more than I already did!If there is a downside, it is that the book has left me wanting more. The book takes us up to Presto but there have been four other strong studio albums since then and I'd like to read more about them from someone accustomed to providing this kind of analysis. Carol, is the next volume ready yet?

Even though I grew up with Rush and still know their first few albums by heart, I confess I felt a slight `eek!' when I was presented with this book (a father's day present), partly due the band's penchant for quoting far-right headbanger Ayn Rand in their early songs. Did I really want to explore all that much further? I'm not the only one to have thought this: I dimly remember an NME piece from '79 or so titled "Threat to the nation's youth: Rush are fascists!" or some such. It was clear to me as a 13 year-old that they weren't that, but I always enjoyed the way that music journalists used to struggle with their lyrics. `Neil Peart appears to be trying to say something in this song,' Kerrang writers used to say, clearly unused to the idea, `but I haven't quite worked it out yet...'So what are Rush? Price's basic thesis in the slightly overlong and digressive book is this: they have picked up upon Rand's passionate individualism because they are actually Stoics. She begins by examining the existential notion of `authentic living,' and relating it to several 80's-era songs about suburbia / conformity. It's a fairly convincing argument, and fits well with the band's celebration of self-sufficiency. However, there is a naivety (or is it cynicism?) in this belief in individualism, in the value of the free-thinker, the artist. Specifically, it seems to me to require every one else to be a `common herd' so that he (it's always a he in Rush songs) can rise above them. Interestingly, in a late song (`Natural Science') Rush themselves seemed to start to look beyond this trap; it's a lyric I still find inspiring today. But there's nothing of this in Price's discussion of the song.There are other omissions: how can you discuss `The Camera Eye' without even mentioning John Dos Passos, from whose ideas it is obviously derived? And I would have liked to read a little more about the embarrassingly Tolkieny early LPs than the slicker-but-samey later ones. But that's just my personal prejudice. Also, when Rush try to talk about what their free-thinking hero might do with his freedom, it can all get a little woolly. Driving a car, for instance (`Red Barchetta') is hardly an inspiring act of rebellion! Except perhaps, if you are a north American.

As a long time Rush fan, and having read some of Neal Pert's work, I was very interested to see what this book had to say. Philosophy is not really my thing, but it is truly at the root of many (if not most) of Rush's songs. Anyone looking for light reading may want to pass. This is meant to be thought provoking material. Of course anyone seeking superficial entertainment is probably not your typical Rush fan anyway. The interpretations expressed are well thought out and congruent. Definitely gained a few nuggets here and there - things I had not previously noticed. The writing style was refreshing and not as dry as one might expect from a philosophical book. A great read for any fan who cares even a little bit about what Rush was trying to say to its audience. Suggestion: It would have been nice to include an appendix with the full text of all the songs discussed.

If you're looking for a book about Rush the band, this is not for you. If you are looking for insights into the inspiration behind the lyrics, this book is a step in the right direction.Carol Selby Price comes off as well-read, with a wide range of knowledge covering philosophy, religion, literature and pop culture. She definitely is a fan of the music of Rush, but especially the lyrics of Neal Peart. Don't expect a lot of coverage on the instrumental music here, this is strictly about the lyrics.I found that the breakdown of theme categories and selection of titles worked from the standpoint that she covered from 2112 through Presto. The book works best when clearly staying with the topic of a single song, then using some comparisons from literarture, etc. If one were to merely listen to the songs, there would be a surface meaning, but this book helps dig deeper below the surface layer, peeling through the layers of allegory and metaphor to some core visions.For example, while "Red Barchetta" appears to be a thumbing of the nose against the powers of a dystopic society, I never thought about the adventure merely being a dream by the fireside itself. Did he actually drive the care or simply remain with his uncle by the fireside?I liked the link of Analog Kid, Digital Man and New World Man, especially the inner/outer versions of New World Man comparing both individuals as well as the regions New World, Old World and Third World.Criticisms: There must have been a copyright issue with reprinting the lyrics, because one would need the album/disk package at hand to review the writing. While there are plenty of quotes from other sources, the Rush songs are merely paraphrased. I also would have liked to have the entire song broken down, instead of going off on a tangent to show comparisons with Kant, Plato, Nietzsche or Ayn Rand. At times the writers appeared to be showing off their knowledge and there was some definite narrative preachiness about our society. E.T. one long commercial for Reese's Pieces? What does that have to do with Rush?Some songs are covered briefly, such as 2112, which was then recovered in The Trees. Some editorial tightening would have helped this book, but then again, at barely 150 pages, it was not that long a read.I would recommend this book to Rush fans who are scholars and have read works by some of those in the bibliography.

I have at least two problems with this book.1) The Prices are much better thinkers than they are writers. The writing style is frequently cackhanded and juvenile.2) The book does not (as I thought) discuss ALL of Rush's songs, merely those than lend themselves to the Prices' Randian-based philosophical analyses. I was kinda hoping to at least get some comments on every song (such as Cygnus X-1 or the Necromancer), but the Prices stick only to the deeper songs which most clearly reveal the structure of Peart's thinking.Notwithstanding this I rate the book 5 stars because it accomplishes nicely what it sets out to do; it's just that it set out to do a lot less than I hoped for.Other gripes would include the fact that the Prices occasionally evince shoddy research (e.g., apparently not knowing that "Red Barchetta" was heavily lifted from that short story, "A Nice Morning Drive," (I forget by whom), which one can easily find on the internet.I've sung along with Rush's canon nearly all my life, but reading this book definitely opened up completely unexpected ways of understanding them. Not a trifling achievement, considering I smugly assumed I knew all there was to know about "what Rush was saying."On the whole, a worthy and useful achievement. Naturally it would be difficult to concoct something that would please ALL of Rush's variegated and finicky fans, but you're unlikely to regret having purchased it. There's something in here, I would think, for everybody.

Weather of not you like the music of Rush, the lyrics of Neil Peart stand on their own merit as works of genius which resonate with deep meaning and vivid pertinence. Neil's lyrics give voice to more serious and truly important issues and questions than are found in any other lyrics in the music industry in general. Neil Peart is a very meticulous person. There is very little he does or says that is without purpose. Meaningful structure is as equally prevalent in his lyrics as it is in his famously well-crafted drum parts. These structures as well as the content are categorized and examined in this wonderful book.Carol Selby Price and Robert Price are obviously very knowledgeable about each of Neil's lyrics as well as the literature and philosophical concepts that have fed Neil's writing. Their vast knowledge of literature, ancient through modern, is used throughout this book to help explain in colorful detail the issues and images depicted in the lyrics.The authors have put in a great deal of analysis and thought leading to an extremely poignant, interesting and insightful analysis of Neil's lyrics and the philosophies behind them. This book will help greatly deepen the reader's appreciation and understanding of the deep, thought provoking, and powerfully inspirational messages of Neil's works.

I haven't gotten a chance to get very far through it it, but I've enjoyed it so far and look forward to finishing it. (I'm a slow reader and only spend 5-8 minutes per night reading). The interpretations of Rush's lyrics are interesting and have made me delve back into some of their amazing body of work. Great job Carol and Robert!!