# RUSH - When did you "discover" them? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 14, 2013, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-when-did-you-discover-them/658315 "2013-05-14T14:20:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-when-did-you-discover-them/658315/1 "2013-05-14T14:20:22Z")
After RUSH’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the revelation that it is now cool to be a RUSH fan. When did you “discover” the magical world of RUSH? ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-when-did-you-discover-them/658315/2 "2013-05-14T14:37:01Z")
1. 13 years old, and my friend Scott loaned me 2112. Been hooked ever since. 40 years later, and he has pix on his FB page of him and Geddy hanging out. So jealous. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-when-did-you-discover-them/658315/3 "2013-05-14T14:40:57Z")
1. Actually I saw them before that on TV. It sounded like Don Kirschner called them Rust. When I told my brother about them but didn’t quite know their name, he insisted that I’d seen Rufus. Yeah, no. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-when-did-you-discover-them/658315/4 "2013-05-14T14:42:58Z")
1. I was 11. I had many friends who had older brothers, so this was the golden age for me. The album collections we would raid. And it seemed each friend’s older brother had a different focus. One was the KISS guy, one was the Queen guy, one the Sabbath guy. My friend Bird’s older brother was the Rush guy. First album I knew anything about was _2112_. Then back to the older ones, then picking up each new one. Right up to about _Grace Under Pressure_ when I started not paying attention to them anymore for one reason or another. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-when-did-you-discover-them/658315/5 "2013-05-14T14:43:39Z")
> [@](#): > > When did you “discover” the magical world of RUSH? I haven’t. Couldn’t name one song of RUSH. You didn’t have an option for they’ve never hit my radar and at this point, probably never will. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-when-did-you-discover-them/658315/6 "2013-05-14T14:47:05Z")
Saw them play in Anchorage back in the late 70’s/early 80’s. Vowed to never listen to anything they ever did ever again. So where’s that option on the poll? ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-when-did-you-discover-them/658315/7 "2013-05-14T15:07:13Z")
I intend to discover them via the new [Ron Howard movie](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rush_%282013_film%29). ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-when-did-you-discover-them/658315/8 "2013-05-14T15:11:48Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I haven’t. Couldn’t name one song of RUSH. You didn’t have an option for they’ve never hit my radar and at this point, probably never will. Who cares? The Poll is asking people when they discovered them not if they’ve discovered them. For me, I may have heard 2112 but I’m not sure I knew it as Rush. I do remember older teenagers having the 2112 “Starman” logo patch on their the back of their jean jackets. Farewell to Kings was the first album I bought myself and by that time I was fully aware of who and what they were. It may have been the promo video for [“Closer to the Heart”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSh2XeLY7YE) that influenced me. Of course, growing up in Canada and subjected to [Can-con](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_content) since 1971, we were exposed to Rush by law. LOL ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-when-did-you-discover-them/658315/9 "2013-05-14T15:22:06Z")
Moving to CS. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-when-did-you-discover-them/658315/10 "2013-05-14T15:23:32Z")
Sometime around 2000 the classic rock station I listened to all the time in San Diego started playing them at least twice an hour after never ever having played them before. I couldn’t stand them at first, but they gradually grew on me. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-when-did-you-discover-them/658315/11 "2013-05-14T15:26:20Z")
I discovered them as a freshman in college, and \*\*\*Permanent Waves \*\*\*was the first Rush album I bought. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-when-did-you-discover-them/658315/12 "2013-05-14T15:43:53Z")
I heard Permanent Waves as a high school junior and praised it as a record reviewer in the school paper. When Moving Pictures crossed over, it was interesting to see - Journey and REO fans bopping along to Tom Sawyer. I was never a huge fan - I’m just not a prog guy; PWaves caught me at the right time. Much respect though, and I found the RRHoF issue an unfortunate distraction. Nice to be past it. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-when-did-you-discover-them/658315/13 "2013-05-14T15:50:19Z")
1. I was working in the back room of a local hardware store, and my coworker was a fellow former high school student (we were both in college at the time). Since we were the only ones back there sorting and tagging merchandise, we talked a lot, and he mentioned Rush at one point. I’d heard of them but never heard any of their music. I don’t remember if he played me any or if I just decided to take a chance, but either way, I ended up buying _Grace Under Pressure_. I loved it (especially “Distant Early Warning”) and the rest was history. I’ll always be grateful to that guy for turning me on to what ended up being one of my favorite bands for most of my life. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-when-did-you-discover-them/658315/14 "2013-05-14T15:52:20Z")
I first heard about them ca. 1978, when my local album rock station played “Circumstances” a lot. Loved that song, and still do. I was 14 years old, and my friends were still more into the Bay City Rollers. Around that time, they played in our city, and for several days afterwards, one of the cheerleaders at school claimed that she Did It with the lead singer of Rush. Someone finally brought a magazine or album cover to school, showed her a picture of Geddy Lee, and said, “You had sex with THIS GUY!!!” :dubious: She replied, “Um, no, it was probably someone else.” Or maybe nobody at all, Miss Pants On Fire? 😃 :rolleyes: :smack: The first album I ever actually bought was 1981’s “Moving Pictures.” And I’ve seen them 4 times, each in a different state. 1982: Des Moines, Iowa 1990: Omaha, NE 1994: Twice in the same week: Kansas City, MO and Moline, Illinois. Haven’t managed to see them since, although I thought about seeing them in the Twin Cities last year just so I could say I’d seen them 5 times in 5 states, but didn’t make it. My favorite song by them, that I’ve heard anyway, is probably “Anagram (for Mongo)”, on “Presto”. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-when-did-you-discover-them/658315/15 "2013-05-14T15:56:19Z")
I am not sure because I don’t know the names of any of their albums and I try to block their songs out of my mind as quickly as I can if I accidentally get exposed to one (which happens way too often for my taste). Rush has the dubious distinction of being both very musically talented but also incredibly boring yet simultaneously grating to many of us. I like all kinds of music but I wish I could ‘undiscover’ them. ---
**Author:** ![Cygnus42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Cygnus42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cygnus42)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-when-did-you-discover-them/658315/16 "2013-05-14T15:56:23Z")
I voted Presto - local Pittsburgh radio was playing ‘Show Don’t Tell’ frequently, so I checked out Presto, then dug into earlier albums. Went to see them in concert for that tour, and have seen every Pittsburgh show (except one…grumble) since. And, I was extra-pleased that they finally played the song ‘Presto’ live for the first time on the ‘Time Machine’ tour - I’d been waiting for that one. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Doom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Dr\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Doom)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-when-did-you-discover-them/658315/17 "2013-05-14T16:06:38Z")
I voted _Caress of Steel_. I also could have voted _Rush_. It was 1980, I was 10, I had this “robot” toy called **2XL**. It was basically an 8-track player in the shape of a robot, and you could buy tapes that had trivia and audio games on them, which you played by selecting one of the 4 buttons. I wasn’t long discovering I could listen to my brothers’ 8-tracks with it, and they were _Rush_ and _Caress of Steel_, and a couple from other bands. I never really got into\*\* Rush\*\* when I became old enough to find my own music, a couple years later, but hearing anything from those 2 records really brings back memories. ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-when-did-you-discover-them/658315/18 "2013-05-14T16:22:47Z")
1981 - Moving Pictures. I’d briefly heard Rush prior to that but I was only 11 years old and didn’t quite get it. Once I got the Moving Pictures LP (yes, it was a large, black disk with grooves that spun on an actual turntable) I was hooked. Being a drummer myself, the first time I heard “Tom Sawyer” I was stunned. I recall sitting in my bedroom for hours playing YYZ and Red Barchetta over and over and over. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-when-did-you-discover-them/658315/19 "2013-05-14T16:24:57Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > “…it is now cool to be a RUSH fan…” It is? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-when-did-you-discover-them/658315/20 "2013-05-14T16:29:12Z")
Late 80’s in high school. One of my friends had a mix tape with 2112, Tom Sawyer and Subdivisions on it. From there I started borrowing and buying up all their albums. My favorites are probably Trees, 2112, Ghost of a Chance and La Villa Strangiato [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rush-when-did-you-discover-them/658315.md?page=2)