Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage

RUSH. You're going to have one of three reactions to that title. One: Who are they? Two: Oh yeah, some group that recorded Tom Sawyer back in the day. Three: Awesome kings of Rock 'n' Roll! I used to be a massive Rush fan up until around their Test For Echo album. Major life changes and having gotten too frustrated with their 80's synthesizer work put them on the back burner for awhile. I had, however, been to the Counterparts concert and was exhilarated by their fun performing. I was so excited to see the boys in this documentary though. The documentary is fairly simple: some concert footage, talking heads from Rush themselves or people who worked with them/admired them, a little footage of the band just goofing off together, and you've got your film. So don't go to this documentary expecting a breakthrough in the film genre. It is a solidly produced and edited movie that has an undercurrent of positivity, fun, and honesty. You feel like you get to know the band, and they come across as good friends, good husbands, and good guys. It's something awesome to see hard rockers getting hit with success but never giving in to the usual temptations of infidelity, casual sex, and heavy drug usage (except for pot). There's a sense of righteousness about this band, in a weird way.

Much is focused on the band getting little critical respect, but winning devoted fans worldwide. I remember growing up I actually got teased for having them as my favorite band. As I watched the film, I had a big smile on my face as memories flooded back from how I tried to cop Neil Peart by taking pots and pans and drumming on them. Their epic song story concepts always fascinated me. But they were always on the edge of mainstream. Now Rush seems to be cool again. Rush fans, we can come out of the closet and enjoy them once again publicly. This movie is not for someone who is not a Rush fan, but it is very endearing for those who enjoy them. I have been listening to my old Rush music since seeing this documentary and marveling once again at their craftsmanship.

It is about bloody time someone turned the microscope on this band, and this documentary ably rides the line between investigation and glowing tribute. In an attempt to examine what makes Rush a noteworthy band (and why it took 40 flippin' years to gain mainstream acceptance), the filmmakers line up interviews from all walks of music; from Jack Black and Gene Simmons, to Billy Corgan and Trent Reznor.

And every phase of the group's evolution is paid attention, be it the humble beginnings in a Toronto suburb or the prog and synth eras of the late '70s and '80s. The many celebrities interviewed shed light on what captivated them when they became fans and what it is that makes Rush so hard to define and properly market.

It's a highly watchable documentary and as polished as the power trio is musically proficient. Just incredibly engaging and, most importantly, as comprehensive as they come.

9/10

In general, documentaries, even those exploring the careers of high profile bands, are not renowned for being particularly fun or interesting to watch for those not already enraptured by the subject matter, providing interesting supplementary informational tidbits for established fans, but unlikely to draw in anyone else. Bearing this in mind, it takes a pretty exceptional music documentary to feel like a concert, cultural history lesson, lively standalone film and hangout session with the band in question all at once, yet directors Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen manage to pull off such a daunting task with Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage with exultant ease.

Canadian rockers Rush, despite copious success and a tenaciously loyal band of fans (several interviews have concert-goers amusing admitting to it being their one-hundredth Rush show), have always had difficulty courting mainstream critical or commercial success, the "superstar band never to be fully acknowledged as superstars", and Beyond the Lighted Stage delves into the interesting interplay between fanaticism and indifference, managing to shed light upon the mainstream's elusive distaste for the band (too quirky? too nerdy? too many long songs? not firmly mainstream or firmly progressive enough to be easily categorized? not "hummable" enough?) while also delving to the heart and essence of the band and illuminating why the appeal really should have caught on. Furthermore, the film is particularly credible as being the rare documentary to match up to its subject matter cinematically with uncommonly masterful structure and composition. Perfectly paced, Beyond the Lighted Stage swiftly doles out its tidbits of band biography and the cultural reaction to them as if exhilarating plot twists rather than drab, necessary context, lending the film as lively and propulsive a tone as any good Rush song, of which the soundtrack offers enough to prove a comprehensive musical history of the band in itself.

More importantly, through comprehensive interviews with the naturally giving musical trifecta as well as those associated with them (interviews with the mothers of all three rockers are adorable) or simply admirers (with particularly effective use of Gene Simmons - "I couldn't understand how a band so good would go back to their hotel rooms without taking up the chance to get laid... those crazy Canadians" - and Jack Black - "Just when you thought the bottle of rocket-sauce that is Rush had run out, they just keep pumping out the rocket-sauce"), the film offers a genuine human, emotional anchor behind the music. As told by wacky but wise bassist/singer Geddy Lee, deadpan twinkling guitarist Alex Lifeson and the less outgoing, perfectionist yet perpetually chuckling drummer Neil Peart, what could have been a banal slab of backstory instead surpasses anecdote to become a vivid, kinetic journey. From their inglorious origins (playing high school dances, being too young to play higher profile clubs), struggles with their own musical complexity and refusal to curb to ascribed expectations (when asked to write more songs "designed to be singles", they churned out twenty-one minute long rock odyssey "2112", inspired by the writings of Ayn Rand - subsequently a massive hit), the evolution of their musical form (with an amusing, retrospective debate about the overuse of synths between Lee and Lifeson) and the haunting tragedy of the loss of Peart's daughter and wife, the viewer genuinely feels as if they have risen, struggled and rejoiced alongside Rush, with the trio's "goofy", irreverent sense of humour maintaining the journey remains a consistently offbeat and enjoyable one.

Just as likely to pique the interest of those unfamiliar with Rush as placate the enthusiasm of die-hard fans, Beyond the Lighted Stage proves one of the most satisfyingly effective documentaries in years, as much an extended thesis for the relevance and appeal of Rush (who, at the time, had yet to even be inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame) as as comprehensive overview of their backstory. Whether a Rush fan or not, such a kinetic, energetic and vivacious piece of film-making should be considered near essential viewing, even for those who have yet to fly by night alongside the unmistakably unique rock band.

-9/10

I only "discovered" RUSH 3 short months ago. Before seeing this documentary, I was aware of the few RUSH songs I'd heard on radio - but I would never have name checked them as a great rock band.

In the short time since then (a period during which I have picked up almost all their CDs), RUSH has displaced the Beatles as my favourite band of all time. I assure you that's no small feat - I remain one of the most avid Beatles fans you will ever encounter. This said, if you love the Beatles, you won't necessarily love RUSH - and unlike the almost universally appealing Beatles, RUSH's music seems to be a love it or hate it affair.

RUSH has many different styles and eras to their vast repertoire of songs, and their level of musicianship is without parallel. It's rarely "conventional" rock, but that's what makes it so interesting.

To date, Rush has 24 gold records, 14 of which are platinum (3 multi-platinum). That places them third behind The Beatles and The Rolling Stones for the most consecutive gold or platinum albums by any rock band. Amazingly, they've achieved that distinction with comparatively little radio support. This documentary provides insights into how word-of-mouth made that happen one fan at a time.

A key strength of this documentary is highlighting the significance of Neil Peart's lyrics as well as it does. I appreciate the written word, and never have I come across musicians whose artistry fuses music and lyrics so well.

This film (and RUSH's music generally) is highly recommended to anyone who appreciates intelligent lyrics, highly crafted musical artistry and exceptionally good music.

This film does a good job of presenting and explaining what Rush is all about, and how the group has earned respect from fans, producers, DJs and other musicians (just not critics). Not quite hagiography, as it quotes some of the negative reviews and the band's own dissatisfaction with some of their albums or directions or even wardrobe choices.

Unlike the filmmakers' heavy metal survey films (Headbanger's Journey and Global Metal), in this film Dunn is never on screen and is only heard once or twice asking questions of interview subjects. The spotlight (or limelight) is clearly placed on the band - this is a straight-up documentary, without dwelling on a fan's relationship to a band or genre. As in previous films by this team, the interviews with a surprisingly wide variety of subjects provide much of the meat of this film, giving a broad perspective and keeping it from having too much of a narrow viewpoint. Of course at least half the interviews are with Rush members themselves. You get a real sense of the men behind the music, including their relationships to each other, family, other musicians, and fans.

A special aspect is some great earlier footage, even from family discussions while they were still in high school. There are also some powerful landscape shots while exploring Peart's response to deaths in his immediate family. And the examination of the song-writing process, including shots of original hand-written lyrics drafts, provides good value for viewers.

Overall, a well-made film that does justice to the topic. Not as poignant or story-arced as Anvil: the Story of Anvil, this film has a more successful subject and didn't need to become a real-life Spinal Tap to make a interesting watch.