Prolific rock author Martin Popoff presents yet another book on a band he knows, loves and has written about plenty — Anthem: Rush In The 70s. Popoff, a Canadian who grew up on Rush, has authored three books about the trio before this one. He also contributed to the Rush documentary Beyond The Lighted Stage and, as such, was in a unique position to gather together unused interviews from that film to bring together dead-on facts about Rush’s beginnings and output during the 70s in this book.
Starting with “Early Years,” then proceeding with chapters named after the succession of albums that followed, we get the full story of the band’s beginnings. Undoubtedly, the main meat is taken from interviews with the band members themselves. We also get wildly honest and often loving, tales from their parents, roadies, their producer Terry Brown, and even rock icons like Gene Simmons.
One will positively salivate over the touring stories of the 70s, as Popoff gives the reader a been-there-survived-it look into what it was like for a hard-working, hard-rock band who had yet to see the full blush of fame Rush would ultimately enjoy. I loved learning about Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson’s growing up (and Neil Peart’s later). Their family stories are wonderful and told with just the right amount of humor and honesty by the people who were there.
Anthem: Rush In The 70s is an enjoyable read, an excellent way to find out about music in, what arguably the greatest decade for progressive hard rock, from a band that stuck to its guns and forged a singular, unique path for 40 years.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
