John Rutsey

I feel that John Rutsey was underrated. I love that first Rush album, even though it's kind of a Zeppelin rip off. Great debut album, though! Rutsey to me sounded like he was influenced by Bonham. On that first album, Rutsey played some very cool, fast fills and his beats were kind of that Bonham-ish rock/funk. He was a solid, simple and basic early 70's rock drummer, although I would say that Peter Criss was a little more talented. I think he died in 2008. Too bad he didn't do music after he left Rush. I heard Rutsey wanted Rush to be like Bad Company, you know simple rock music, but Lee and Lifeson wanted to try more complex material, and hence they got in Peart after that.
 
i feel that no one in this thread so far.....knows anything about RUSH except for Bo. im guessing you havent seen the documentary Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage.
 
i feel that no one in this thread so far.....knows anything about RUSH except for Bo. im guessing you havent seen the documentary Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage.

Well, I guess I've been following them for a while. But a lot of my info comes from their documentary too. What's odd, I didn't discover them until 1978 when my brother brought home "A Farewell to Kings", and then I went backwards to go forwards. Thankfully, there wasn't that much to listen to back then. The hardcore fans of today probably know ALL of their albums. I didn't follow them that hardcore.
 
Rutsey didn't like roadwork.

It wasn't that, as much as he had diabetes.

Although Rush has always said he quit before the tour because his diabetes made touring difficult. But in the movie, it's said he was fired, because management noticed he was getting tempted by drinking and other things, and they realized that drinking+road temptations+ diabetes was a bad combo.

I recall in an interview in the late 80's, Alex said he and John hung out all the time. But in interviews in the 90's, Alex said he hadn't spoken to John in 10 years.

Anyhow, his playing on the first album was pretty good. I enjoy the 1st album a lot, there are some really good songs on it.

But I suspect John wouldn't have lasted in the band even if he had done that first tour.

Geddy was already getting into more prog, and Rutsey was resisting, wanting to stay with the more straight ahead rock.

Geddy apparently wrote the 7/4 section that became song Anthem when Rustsey was still in the band, but John wasn't interested in trying to learn how to play it.

And then there is the story about Rutsey originally wrote all the lyrics for the the 1st album, but then tore them up because he didn't like them, and Geddy had to re-write all the words at the last minute.
 
It wasn't that, as much as he had diabetes.

Although Rush has always said he quit before the tour because his diabetes made touring difficult. But in the movie, it's said he was fired, because management noticed he was getting tempted by drinking and other things, and they realized that drinking+road temptations+ diabetes was a bad combo.

I recall in an interview in the late 80's, Alex said he and John hung out all the time. But in interviews in the 90's, Alex said he hadn't spoken to John in 10 years.

Anyhow, his playing on the first album was pretty good. I enjoy the 1st album a lot, there are some really good songs on it.

But I suspect John wouldn't have lasted in the band even if he had done that first tour.

Geddy was already getting into more prog, and Rutsey was resisting, wanting to stay with the more straight ahead rock.

Geddy apparently wrote the 7/4 section that became song Anthem when Rustsey was still in the band, but John wasn't interested in trying to learn how to play it.

And then there is the story about Rutsey originally wrote all the lyrics for the the 1st album, but then tore them up because he didn't like them, and Geddy had to re-write all the words at the last minute.

It was interesting in the documentary how Alex said that you basically go through high school with people and after you graduate, you never see them again. And I've known he was right. I haven't seen anyone I went to high school with (except for the ones on social media). But the premise makes sense, Rutsey wasn't going to be in the band, I'm not surprised that they didn't remain close buddies.
 
The Rush movie "On A Lighted Stage" is illuminating on the subject.

Rush's early road manager appears, saying that had they taken Rutsey out on tour in the USA back in 1974, "they'd have to bring him home in a box".

The movie also reveals "he had sugar diabetes" and "liked to do things other kids did" and "wasn't taking care of himself", while he is pictured with a bottle of Jack Daniels.

Over years I read snippets about him taking the dismissal from Rush badly, and taking up body-building at one stage.

Certainly he was a major driving force in the early days of the band.

But his drumming on the first album, although solid enough, is clearly not in the same league as his successor in Rush.

Lifeson, again, in the movie says Rutsey was "more into Bad Company", while he and Geddy Lee "were into Yes and Pink Floyd".

Had Peart not joined Rush in 1974, it's pretty certain they'd now just be a footnote in rock history.

Nevertheless it's still a great shame Rutsey passed away so prematurely.

Meanwhile, for any Rush fan - check out "On A Lighted Stage". It's a compelling film.
 
If you watch their live stuff, you can tell that John wasn't particularly a great drummer. He could not keep tempo to save his life. It reminds me of the Pete Best demos that the Beatles made. He had some cool licks, like Pete did, but he couldn't do the fundamental stuff down.
 
Had Peart not joined Rush in 1974, it's pretty certain they'd now just be a footnote in rock history.

Not to get off topic, but yes. This is what drives me nuts when people start bashing Peart and saying "why is he highly regarded when he's not as good on drums as *insert name*?"

It's not just his skills as drummer, it's the whole package Peart brings a band member that helped take Rush from the obscure band they were to where they got to.

Back to Rutsey, it's a shame he died before the band was inducted in to the Rock hall of fame.
 
If you watch their live stuff, you can tell that John wasn't particularly a great drummer. He could not keep tempo to save his life. It reminds me of the Pete Best demos that the Beatles made. He had some cool licks, like Pete did, but he couldn't do the fundamental stuff down.

Yeah, there's footage of a TV appearance on the documentary where he gets the audience clapping at one tempo and then kicks off at a much quicker tempo, and you see the audience getting confused and their clapping getting ragged. But for a young drummer getting a TV slot, that's probably not unexpected, it was probably nerves.

Even if John had been all about the touring and his health had been perfect, I doubt he would have stayed in the band much longer. The musical differences were already pretty evident, and the Lee/Lifeson partnership was really the driving force in the band at that point. They needed someone with a progressive vision, and who didn't mind writing lyrics. Enter Neil Peart.

Not to be harsh on Rutsey, but I don't think we lost any kind of potential luminary to the world of drumming by not having him in Rush all these years. He was an average, serviceable drummer, but in all respects very pedestrian and brown-wrapper. Fortunately we don't have to speculate the other way around.
 
Yeah, from the recordings I thought he was pretty decent. Not particularly unique of the era, but solid and did the job. That live footage told me that nope....he didn't really have the cut.
 
Agree the recordings going around of his live work showed his short comings.
And this is even apparent in a few places on the album.

But at the same time, I can't imagine Peart playing on the 1st album. The whole bluesy-rock vibe would have been an odd fit.

But I suppose if Peart had somehow joined the band earlier, the music on the first would have changed from what is was, as evidence by the radical shift in style on Fly By Night.
 
In defense of Rutsey and a little dig against Peart ( who I respect the hell out of ), I just don't like what Neil played on the live version of "Working Man" from "All The World's A Stage". Too busy and flashy for that song. Rutsey's style suited it much better as long as held the tempo, IMHO.
 
More of a Bonham type right foot than Peart and played similar funky beats. Nice use of the left foot too. Good drummer and completely different animal to Peart. More feel though and he was the influence for Rush's early heavier sound before they started progging everyone to death with Peart. Diabetes is a b*tch. RIP John Rutsey. Please feel free to disagree. In one of my very early bands we covered In the Mood. Definitely deserves to be in the rock and roll hall of fame. An underrrated drummer who I think would have only improved over time.
 
Ooh nice one to cover. Take yourself a friend would also be a blast to play. Rutsey was a great drummer and fit the style they were playing well I think.
 
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