These guys just know how music was meant to be played.

Firstly,don't mention The Beatles in the same breath as Rush..The Beatles are/were a POP band-NEVER a Rock band...this documentary is simply superb especially for a life long fan like me-very first gig-and Rush gig ever-Feb 13th 1978..De Montfort Hall,Leicester,England-and 116 times since.i was 17..i can't fault it apart from the mistake in that The Fountainhead was the inspiration for 2112 when it was Anthem-no idea how that managed to sneak through....

I only "discovered" RUSH 3 short months ago. Before seeing this documentary, I was aware of the few RUSH songs I'd heard on radio - but I would never have name checked them as a great rock band.In the short time since then (a period during which I have picked up almost all their CDs), RUSH has displaced the Beatles as my favourite band of all time. I assure you that's no small feat - I remain one of the most avid Beatles fans you will ever encounter. This said, if you love the Beatles, you won't necessarily love RUSH - and unlike the almost universally appealing Beatles, RUSH's music seems to be a love it or hate it affair.RUSH has many different styles and eras to their vast repertoire of songs, and their level of musicianship is without parallel. It's rarely "conventional" rock, but that's what makes it so interesting.To date, Rush has 24 gold records, 14 of which are platinum (3 multi-platinum). That places them third behind The Beatles and The Rolling Stones for the most consecutive gold or platinum albums by any rock band. Amazingly, they've achieved that distinction with comparatively little radio support. This documentary provides insights into how word-of-mouth made that happen one fan at a time.A key strength of this documentary is highlighting the significance of Neil Peart's lyrics as well as it does. I appreciate the written word, and never have I come across musicians whose artistry fuses music and lyrics so well.This film (and RUSH's music generally) is highly recommended to anyone who appreciates intelligent lyrics, highly crafted musical artistry and exceptionally good music.

Saw the premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival last night. A theater full of Rush fans guarantees that if the film faltered it would get immediate feedback. Not the case here at all. What us rabid Rush fans have been waiting for all these years has finally happened: a serious piece of film that accurately details the background of the band and their rise from obscurity to, as Geddy says "not mainstream, but OUR stream", with the ups and downs along the way. Everything is covered, from their struggle for a recording contract until their first stateside 'fans' Donna Halper from WMMS in Cleveland and Cliff Burnstein of Mercury Records helped them out, the early years w/ John Rutsey (someone who up until now was just a name - seeing and hearing him made me appreciate his early contributions to the group), the triumphant release of 2112 that gave them their independence, all the way to Neil's tragic loss of his daughter and wife years ago that almost spelled the end of the band.Peppered w/ interviews from other musicians who you would not typically think of as Rush fans (Trent Reznor, Billy Corgan, etc.) as well as those who absolutely fit the bill (Jack Black, Les Claypool, etc.) you see that their influence is not just musical but spiritual - not one of these people, except for maybe Mr. Claypool, play like Rush, but they all relate how their admiration for the band fueled their own push to be better musicians and hold onto their integrity.As you would expect, my only complaint is that it's not long enough. But that's what DVD extras are for. :) All in all a hearty thumbs-up! Be sure to catch the TV premiere in late June over at VH1/VH1Classic!And one last thought - this has solidified the growing position among us hardcore fans that it's irrelevant if they ever get into the R&R Hall of Fame. That's a popularity contest that the band has never cared for and nor do I.