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 remember that my first Rush album "Permanent Waves" came with my twelve albums for a penny from Columbia House in the summer of 1980. I had a classical music background but was so moved with the musicality and the lyrics that I went album hunting at the local stores and found "Caress of Steel" and ran back and played it again in wonder at the completeness of it and thinking it was brand new - not realizing that it was a much earlier album until later! Such is the timelessness of the Rush experience! This documentary is an awesome, tasteful, and well done work that will truly take the Rush elite on an intimate journey into the lives that produced their insightful lyrics, their cutting edge sounds, and their ability to look inside our humanity. It shows enough of their personal lives to make you feel like one of their friends - but remains private and close. You will cry with their losses and smile with their accomplishments in this first class film. It also warmed my heart to see one of their first legs up into the big time was opening for Uriah Heep, one of my favorite bands as well! When a new rock station in our area started up decades ago and said they would play our call in requests for a month while they perfected their sound and lineup and after a week they put out a request to please limit requests for Rush - that they could not become an "All Rush Station!" Such is the power of this band. From the beginning that first penny was the best that I have ever spent to find such a moving experience over the years. The documentary "Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage" is just what you want if you are a Rush nerd like me. Be careful if you are not one already - watching this may make you become one!

It is about bloody time someone turned the microscope on this band, and this documentary ably rides the line between investigation and glowing tribute. In an attempt to examine what makes Rush a noteworthy band (and why it took 40 flippin' years to gain mainstream acceptance), the filmmakers line up interviews from all walks of music; from Jack Black and Gene Simmons, to Billy Corgan and Trent Reznor.And every phase of the group's evolution is paid attention, be it the humble beginnings in a Toronto suburb or the prog and synth eras of the late '70s and '80s. The many celebrities interviewed shed light on what captivated them when they became fans and what it is that makes Rush so hard to define and properly market.It's a highly watchable documentary and as polished as the power trio is musically proficient. Just incredibly engaging and, most importantly, as comprehensive as they come.9/10

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.