Customer Reviews

Rush, Rock Music, and the Middle Class: Dreaming in Middletown (Profiles in Popular Music)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book is a high-level academic monograph, and thus some lay readers may find it difficult. But it is rich in ideas and well worth the read. The author's appreciation of Rush comes through clearly (he remains objective while not attempting to hide that he is a fan), and many of his insights into the band's work are fascinating. Moreover, through the excellent summaries of other scholars' theories about North American and middle-class culture, it has a lot of sociology to teach. Even readers who don't particularly like Rush can learn a lot about the place that "progressive rock" (a label the band itself never cared for, but the least objectionable one there is) occupies in music history, the role that the middle class has had in defining cultural tastes in twentieth-century North America, and the brand of individuality that many middle-class North Americans were reared upon. McDonald's examination of the Ayn Rand fiasco is particularly revealing about discursive differences between North America and Great Britain. (It explains why British critics took umbrage at Rush's particular expression of individualism, while most Americans saw it as nothing out of the ordinary.)

It was all the more gratifying for me, as a fan of Rush since 1981, to have Rush's devotees examined seriously as a "taste community." I hazard to say that many Rush fans will see themselves described in these pages. The elements that made Rush appeal to many - the fantasy-escapism, the fierce individualism, the interest in technology, the love of complex musicianship - is all put in a larger cultural context. This book not only taught me a lot of sociology, but helped me put my own tastes, and those of my class and generation, in a meaningful perspective.

This book reads like a thesis because it IS a thesis - Chris McDonald conducted the research for this book as part of his PhD. Thus said, it is an academic tome. Being that I am both an academic AND a hardcore Rush fan, this thoughtful and serious work on Rush and the middle class delights me no end. It may be difficult for the lay reader. Even if you are not a Rush fan, but interested in the study of class, McDonald makes an important scholarly contribution to the literature on the middle class, a oft neglected subject of study in sociology.

This is a wonderful scholarly work on the band and its music and lyrics. Not being familiar with philosophy and cultural theory, this was a hard book for me. But I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about how Rush was related to middle class attitudes. I agree with everything that Chris MacDonald postulated. I could see myself in many of the situations he brings up. Each topic is well researched and backed up with a good deal of other works. I believe the essence of Rush has been captured.

I was looking more for a book on what the meaning of Rush's lyrics, but this book went even deeper. If you are looking for a higher meaning then this is the book for you.

Warning: Not a fan book! Those looking for something that gives details about the band will be disappointed. Rather, this is a cerebral, highly detailed academic study of the famous Canadian band, the context of its music and lyrics within popular music/Rock music. The author argues that Rush's middle class roots explain much about their music and their fans.

Makes copious reference to academic studies of popular music and culture, including fan culture. Serious fans may find the author's assessments useful in coming to a deeper understand of the Canadian trio as well as prog-rock's place within the realm of rock music. Plenty of footnotes.

As a Rush fan who is a non-musician, I thought this book was written in a way that would be both appreciated and accessible by those who are like me. I enjoyed the discussion of both lyric themes and musical structure/arrangement. If you're interested in this book, you can check out my interview with the author on my podcast, Critical Wit (episode 27). You can listen/download it on my website (CriticalWitPodcast dot com) or find it in the iTunes store.

I've been a Rush fan for 30 years and thought I got it, but after resding this book I really know why I relate to this band. I also understand, now, why many people cringe when hearing old Rush songs.This book opened my eyes as to why people like the type of music they like. The author has great insight on these guy's and their music and how they grew as a band and developed their music.
The interviews and excerpts from interviews, were interesting since I always found it hard to get personal information on these guys in their earlier years.
It's difficult to have someone indulge in a subject they've predetermined not to like, but this book is interesting to anyone who would like to explore why music effects us the way it does and how our backgrounds and philosophy draw us to the type of intrests we have.
I'm going to see Rush again the next time they're in town and see some of the songs in a whole new light. Great book. Thanks!

The author starts with a pre-conceived template that is decidely Marxist: i.e. regards people as belonging to a class, which is akin to regarding people as barn yard animals. Once he brings in this template he overlays it on the progressive rock band Rush, fans, and critics. With few exceptions this cramming of a square peg in a round hole is very labored. Since this was a doctoral dissertation turned book, he probably had to write it this way to gain acceptance from his doctoral chair. Many fields of study are like that. They start off with a priori assumptions and then proceed from there as if they are self-sufficient truths. Not!
Once you get past the Marxist bull shrimp, you can learn a lot about the musicology of Rush. However, you get darned little of the full depth of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and, especially, Niel Peart. Along side this book, I would highly recommend Niel Peart's "Ghost Riders" as an antidote to logical positivist diatribe that only sees the world as it is stripped of its emotional profundity.
The author's take on Ayn Rand is typical Rand-bashing without a shred of understanding. He parrots a lot of the anti-Randroid clap trap that surrounds her and those who admit of her influence.

I could never imagine a book about Rush being boring. Well I was wrong. I forced myself to read the whole thing (after chapter one it became a struggle of will to read on) to see if it drew any major conclusions. It did not. This is the work of an academic trying to impress other academics, not an author who is chronicling important facts about a subject they are passionate about. It is definitely not for Rush fans, there is nothing in this book that would possibly resonate with any Rush fan I know of. You will be sick of the word "middle" well before you reach the middle of the book. I can't believe someone would waste 206 pages trying to prove the theory that Rush's primary appeal was to middle-class men.

No, duh! Why don't you spend 206 pages relating all the evidence that the sun is bright or that oranges are orange?
It would serve about the same obvious purpose.

The notion that songs like "Freewill" are written with a "detached quality" and that the "subject speaking through the lyrics takes on the position of a neutral, objective, invisible observer" is laughable and ludicrous! The lyrics of "Freewill" are clearly written from a subject who strongly advocates Freewill.

This author presents himself as a highbrow writer justifying his appreciation for middlebrow values. In reality, I think it is a middlebrow writer deperately trying to appear as highbrow, and failing miserably.

This book reads like a thesis. I got through the first couple chapters and had enough. I thought it would be interesting reading about the history of the band, but it wasn't. Some of the "facts" claimed are not true. Very dry and boring, unless you are a music major.

This book is not about the rock band RUSH. It is some college professor's thesis trying to intellectually analyze the meaning of almost every rush song. I sent it back after reading 3 pages.