Fly by Night

Fly by Night is a memorable second album on which, through the arrival of the great drummer Neil Peart, Rush gained an entirely new language of expression. Peart, who also wrote lyrics, brought the band literary depth and a foundation of complex rhythm. Geddy Lee’s high, soaring voice and bounding bass, Alex Lifeson’s sharp guitar and Peart’s precise rhythm give the former straight-ahead hard rock much richer scenery. The openness of the light title track “Fly by Night,” the drive of the powerful “Anthem” and the grand narrative of the fantastical suite “By-Tor & the Snow Dog” already clearly show elements leading to later progressive Rush, while cuts like “Beneath, Between & Behind,” “Rivendell” and “Best I Can” show the band’s varied sides. Its appeal is that spirited hard-rock playing and an inexhaustible curiosity for more complex construction coexist beautifully. The figure of a band that leapt greatly in a short time from the debut is inscribed. Completing the trio lineup and stepping toward a one-of-a-kind character, it is an important turning point.