The Summary Judgment Review:
Title: Contents Under Pressure: 30 Years of Rush at Home and Away (Book)
Author: Martin Popoff
Publisher: ECW Press
Publication Date: 6/28/04

Rating: 4 Skulls
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    • Reviewed by Requiem (12/10/05):
    Martin Popoff is back, this time scribbling about Canadian prog rockers Rush. If you were to really spew forth the entire Rush story, I'm sure it would take 1,000 pages or more to truly scratch the surface. But here, in a 236-page affair, Martin briefly covers the history of the band, hence the meat and potatoes of their albums and their tours.

    The book does a great job bringing you through album to album, with quotes from the band on the given album or tour. There is much discussion about the recording process, the experience with the producers, and what they were striving for at the time. Each album is picked apart, often song by song, and put under the microscope for a detailed evaluation. Also included is a list of bands that played alongside Rush on the given tours and a commentary about each tour. The book is chock full of great color and B&W photos, giving a visual history of the band's style throughout the years.

    The only downfall would come to the non-Rush fan, or inexperienced Rush fan, as they would get lost in a sea of details. Therefore, Contents Under Pressure will prove to be a great read for the Rush fanatic, or the Rush fanatic to be. Those inexperienced ones looking for an easy to read story about the band will be faced by many speed bumps when the nerdy details are discussed. Martin Popoff once again amazes with his profound knowledge and enthusiasm for the rock world and its innovators.
    4 out of 5

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