Rush Tribute: Mereley Players [Paperback]

However, there are some sloppy mistakes, most glaringly on the front cover, where the book is titled "Mereley Players," a pretty glaring misspelling. There are small typos throughout the book, and although it appears exhaustive, I know from personal experience that the two shows I saw Rush perform in Albuquerque for the SIGNALS tour are missing from this book, which makes one wonder about the accuracy of the rest of it. I'm not sure there are sins of commission, but I suspect things might be omitted.

So, the book is admirable and enjoyable and highly recommended, but it not without flaws. For the devoted fan only!

Less-knowledgeable fans (or those new to Rush) will be quoting from this book as a valid reference source... and it's not! I won't go into details, but the true "reigning authorities" have documented pages and pages of factual mistakes in this book. These mistakes are going to be repeated by casual fans for many years as "fact," thanks to the author's ignorance and sloppiness.

As an obsessive fan of Rush for some 20 years, there really isn't anything in this book that I didn't already know. It's also interesting that the "facts" which were new to me weren't supported by a quote from a band member. That makes me think they're not facts at all, but rather some rumour or personal belief that the author is passing forward as an empirical truth. I've found too many errors in this book to begin taking the author at his word; at least, not without a supporting quote from the band.

Oh, and two more things:

1. That is NOT Neil Peart on the "Permanent Waves" album cover, and the burden to proof lies with the author and his supporters to show otherwise. Find a quote that supports this claim and I'll begin to believe it, but for now, there are too many factors which indicate it's not him. I owned a vinyl copy of the album for years and got a good look at the man on the cover; not once did I even begin to suppose that it could be him... and me, with an active imagination and a habit of looking for the "hidden meaning" on album sleeves. Also, given Neil Peart's penchant for privacy, how on Earth do you think he could be talked into posing for the front of the album, and without the other two band members???

2. Geddy Lee, not Neil Peart, wrote the lyrics to "Best I Can." It says so right there in the liner notes. And get yourself an original vinyl copy of the album! The lyrics are all written down inside the LP in Neil's handwriting, but Geddy is credited with creating that song's lyrics. And Neil drew a little picture of Geddy next to this song; that should tell you something!