Most Rush fans of a certain intellect (and given the band’s nature, one might assume that would be the majority) have probably concluded by now that if Rush are to continue it will be in a considerably different guise to the band that traversed North America for the R40 tour. However, assumption being the mother of all fuck-ups, entitlement and lack of grasp on reality means that there are still those who blindly hope for another extended world tour.
So no doubt they’ll scour drummer Neil Peart’s seventh book to find the answer. Far And Wide is another road book, this time covering the band’s last tour and Peart’s motorbike travels between the 35 dates.If you’ve dipped into Peart’s writings before, you’ll know what to expect. Lavish photos, lush travelogue and some humorously penned insight into life behind the scenes with Rush.
It is absorbing and brilliant. However if you’re one of those with blind faith in the band’s continued existence (for the record this writer thinks we’ll get another album and some one-off live events) perhaps give Peart’s climactic chapter a miss. His admission that it is now time to “tend his garden” may just leave you a sobbing wreck.
