Tom Sawyer vs. Cuts Like a Knife?

Prog-rock yelping vs. soft-pop overemoting?

Geddy Lee vs. Bryan Adams!!!!

While contemplating your crucial vote, please enjoy the following review of the new Rush album, irrelevant to some, raison d'etre to most of Tampa Bay.

By the way, Rush plays Ford Amphitheatre in Tampa on June 16. That sucker's gonna sell out -- 20,000 dudes air drumming their asses off!!!

Rush
Album: Snakes & Arrows (Atlantic)
In stores: Now
Why we care: Five years after its last album — and 30 years after its artistic height — Rush sees its new disc debut at No. 3 on the Billboard charts. Crazy, huh? Of all the ’70s prog-rockers, Rush was the most accessible, three dudes with high-concept dreams and school-bus hooks. Neil Peart is a folk legend, like Paul Bunyan with drumsticks.
Why we like it: Peart, the band’s lyricist, has gone through hell, losing a wife and a child. As a result, the songs, both political and personal, are angry and self-indulgent, complex and brutally simple. The playing remains over-the-top as always: singer Geddy Lee’s vocal is still elastic, Alex Lifeson’s guitar is still prickly, Peart’s pounding is still spellbinding.
Reminds us of: Air drumming to Tom Sawyer in 6th grade
Download these: Far Cry and The Larger Bowl
Grade: B-