I may have posted about this a while ago, but I'll post again. The band called Rush, a Canadian progressive band known for fusion and experimentation over the years, if by far my favorite rock band of all time. AR Rahman himself once said that Rush was one of his inspirational bands when he was growing up. Are there any Rush fans in this group? I know AR Rahman and Pink Floyd are often discussed together, but I feel Rush really deserves to be right up there since I feel the similarities are striking:
Here are some similarities between Rush and AR Rahman as I see it: - Both are progressive artists always experimenting and trying new directions, never afraid to be themselves and always true to their love of music, no matter what the critics say. - Both have an extremely loyal and passionate fan base who are absolutely in awe. - AR Rahman and Rush both emphasize musicianship and sound in their albums, paying close attention to fine details and creating music that is extremely powerful, emotional and intelligent/thought provoking at the same time. - AR Rahman and Rush have musical arrangements that are very lush, crisp, rich, and tight with extremely precise rhythmic sections and adventurous interludes. Many of Rush's songs are also quite "loopy" in nature. - Rush's music in the 1980s was very ambient in nature, emphasizing soundscapes, synth dominated sounds, and aural tapestries, even with the sound technology they had back then. - Some of Rush's songs include lots of strings and symphonic arrangements. Of course, Rush is a hard rock band first and foremost so their music is louder and more edgy in nature. But, there are many delicate and soft Rush songs that emphasize beautiful acoustic guitars and great bass playing and drumming with passionate singing. Neil Peart, Rush's drummer, is regarded as the best power rock drummer of all time by many. You should see his Drum solos in concert. Here is a link to one of his drum solo performed live.....it is awesome!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF-k4wg70rg
