10 Bands To Listen To If You Love Led Zeppelin
6. Rush
Considering how treasured and distinctive Canadian progressive rockers Rush became since starting in the late ‘60s, you might think that they initially drew from genre predecessors like Genesis, Yes, and Jethro Tull. While such comparisons certainly became more apt as the threesome carried on, their earliest recordings owed much to another seminal act: Led Zeppelin.
Indeed, 1974’s eponymous first sequence (as well as 1975’s Fly by Night and Caress of Steel) blatantly embodied the blues and hard rock stylings of their English brethren. That’s not to say that the trio didn’t do enough differently to stand out on their own, but it’s impossible not to hear the connection on gems like Working Man, Bastille Day, and Rivendell.
In a recent chat with Classic Rock magazine, bassist/vocalist/keyboardist Geddy Lee reflects: “They were a huge, huge influence on us. We wanted to be them instantly. . . . We tried a number of Zeppelin songs when we played in the bars, but we felt we couldn’t pull them off”.
Naturally, their landmark fourth record, 2112, was a successfully deliberate attempt to move toward a truly idiosyncratic and intricate formula. Nevertheless, Rush’s subsequent records bore enough resemblances to make them applicable recommendations, too.