Who knew that a Funko Pop! album could be so darn catchy? Apparently, Rush did, as their 1982 live album
Exit... Stage Left has been given the Pop! treatment. The Canadian rockers were well-known for their epic live shows, and this album captures that energy perfectly.
So if you're looking for some good old-fashioned rock 'n' roll, be sure to check out the new
Funko Pop! Albums: Rush - Exit... Stage Left Funko Pop! Album Vinyl Figure. The pop figure is now available for pre-order at the links below - click to jump or scroll to continue reading!
Regarding exit strategies, few bands have executed theirs as flawlessly as Rush. The Canadian power trio's 1981 live album Exit... Stage Left is a masterclass in how to go out on top, delivering two discs' worth of virtuosic musicianship, witty banter, and some of the band's most beloved songs.
From the opening bars of "The Spirit of Radio" to the final notes of "Working Man,"
Exit... Stage Left is a tour de force that cemented Rush's reputation as one of the most incredible live acts in rock history.
More than 40 years later, the album remains an essential part of any Rush fan's collection.
Exit... Stage Left Funko Pop! Album from Rush is now available for pre-order at the links below (click to jump!) It's expected to be released in January 2022.
On September 18, 1968, guitarist Alex Lifeson, bassist and vocalist Jeff Jones, and drummer John Rutsey came together in the Willowdale neighborhood of Toronto, Canada, to form a rock band that would later be called Rush.
The teenagers, who rehearsed for weeks on end, managed to perform live for the first time, playing a set full of covers of Cream, Jimi Hendrix, and other icons of the time.
But soon after this historical performance, Jones left. In his place came a young man named Geddy Lee.
It took a long time for the aspiring stars to establish themselves.
The first single came out in 1973 - a cover of "Not Fade Away." The following year, "Rush," the debut album, came out.
Soon after, Rutsey, who suffered from diabetes and disliked the extensive traveling required to tour, decided to leave the band.
In his place came the phenomenal Neil Peart, taking over the drumsticks and thus forming the mythology of Rush as we know it today.
Peart, who, besides being a unique drummer, was also an outstanding composer of immense creativity, brought to Rush's musical spectrum notions of science fiction, fantasy, and dystopia.
Gradually, the trio left the Led Zeppelin influences behind and carved out the prog metal sound that established Rush as one of rock's legendary bands.
These five decades of Rush mark one of the most fascinating and surreal journeys in rock history.
Lee, Peart, and Lifeson built a considerable fan base, allowing the albums to become classics and best sellers. The musicians also played sold-out shows in the four corners of the planet.
Despite all the success, it must be said that the peculiar world of Rush has always been a thorny one for the unconverted.
Those who dislike the trio and avoid them at all costs say that their sound is too intricate (and therefore overblown and pretentious) and that the "nerdiness" of the themes addressed in the songs is beyond any common sense.
Even with their legion of fans, Rush has always wandered into the mainstream by the wayside.
But in 2010, part of the perception about the trio changed after the documentary
Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, directed by Sean Dunn and Scot McFadyen, was shown.
The film shows the struggles and the glories of the band's long career while also taking the opportunity to humanize the band members.
Thus, the fans learned what motivated Geddy Lee, Neil Peart, and Alex Lifeson, materializing and evidencing the protagonism that the three had in one of the central moments of rock history.
