Ten Classic Rock Songs I Surprisingly Like: Limelight (#6)

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I'm trying to keep the sappiness to a minimum by countering it with some FM/classic rock staples that are either overplayed or by bands I'm not noted for liking. And, what do you know, today I have a song that fits both of those categories: an overplayed song by a band I don't like. Here it is. #6: Limelight - Rush My use for Rush is generally limited to making jokes about Geddy Lee's dog whistle-like "voice." I frequently say that I'd rather listen to a cat use a chalkboard for a scratching post. But, having said that, I prefer Rush over Journey. Geddy just sounds like he's trying to be the Canadian hard rock answer to Ethel Merman. Steve Perry sounds like his "family jewels" are perpetually in a vise. Then there's the problem of Moving Pictures, the album from which this comes. Most Rush fans think this is "commercial" and not "the real Rush" (see JJ's comment about the artificial Heart replacement in his Vinyl Madness Countdown this morning). It definitely spawned the most "radio friendly" (translation: not 18-minute prog rock songs) music in their career, with songs like this and "Tom Sawyer" (which, shock, I also like). The song speaks of the inner struggle that a very shy musician (drummer/lyricist Neil Peart) has with fame as a byproduct of one's chosen profession. BTW, I highly recommend Peart's book Ghost Stories, about his cross-continent motorcycle trip following the deaths of his daughter and wife. It's a good read...and you don't have to hear Geddy Lee sing! Limelight Written by Neil Peart, Geddy Lee, and Alex Lifeson Recorded by Rush From Moving Pictures, 1981 I can't pretend a stranger is a long-awaited friend: