Music / Fly by Night

The second studio album from Canadian Progressive Rock band Rush, released on February 15, 1975 through Mercury Records. Fly by Night is notable for two big things: The band changing their sound from the standard Rock fare of their debut album, and bringing in a little drummer by the name of Neil Peart. As such, the album is the first major Growing the Beard moment in the band's discography; the influence of Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple is still obvious on this album, but the band is already beginning to establish a bit of its Signature Style here, particularly on the epic "By-Tor & the Snow Dog". Peart would later come to regard some of his lyrics on this album as an Old Shame, however (notably "Anthem").

Tracklist

Side One

1. Anthem (4:26)
2. Best I Can (3:24)
3. Beneath, Between & Behind (3:00)
4. By-Tor & the Snow-Dog (8:37)
   1. At the Tobes of Hades
   2. Across the Styx
   3. Of the Battle
      1. Challenge and Defiance
      2. 7/4 War Furor
      3. Aftermath
      4. Hymn of Triumph
   4. Epilogue

Side Two

5. Fly by Night (3:20)
6. Making Memories (2:56)
7. Rivendell (5:00)
8. In the End (6:51)

Tropes

• Classical Mythology: One need merely look at the movement titles to see that it is an influence on "By-Tor & the Snow Dog".
• Epic Rocking: "By-Tor & the Snow Dog", the band's first song to crack the 8-minute mark. "In the End", at 6:51, also qualifies.
• Heavy Mithril: "By-Tor & the Snow Dog" and "Rivendell".
• Name and Name: "By-Tor & the Snow Dog".
• Self-Referential Track Placement: The last song of the album is called "In the End".
• Song Style Shift: "In the End" opens with an acoustic segment before transitioning to a hard rock style.
• Uncommon Time: Lampshaded by the movement title "7/4 War Furor". Peart's willingness to play in unusual meter signatures may have been one of the things Lee and Lifeson liked about him; their first drummer, John Rutsey, hadn't been so fond of them.

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