RUSH

Rush's 1974 debut was a quality hard rock album, influenced in no small part by the vocals of Robert Plant, the heavy blues guitar style of Jimmy Page and by the wide-reaching hard rock influence of Led Zeppelin in general. Depending upon my mood, I enjoy listening to this album more than to many of Led Zeppelin's albums but that is a matter of personal taste.

The highlight is the 7:10 closer and fan favorite "Working Man", a song that still remains a staple of the band's live performances. As such, more definitive performances are available on live Rush albums.

If you are a classic rock fan with a penchant for Rush, this album clearly is for you. Otherwise, I don't see this as an item of interest to general prog-rockers. For this reason, I'll designate it as a high quality "for collectors/fans only" album. 2 stars.