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Baker's Dozen

A Flash Of White Heat: John Stanier Of Battles' Favourite Albums
Kiran Acharya , September 17th, 2015 08:40

With Battles' new LP La Di Da Di out, the drummer with the highest cymbal in rock takes a journey through hardcore, hip-hop and baroque and reveals his 'never-leave-home-without-it security blanket record' for Kiran Acharya

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Rush - Fly By Night
I'm pretty sure the song 'Fly By Night' is one of the first rock songs I remember hearing on the radio. My friend's much older brother wrote the name Rush on my jeans with a marker. Even though this is only their second record, and the first with Neil Peart, it's still a sign that something drastic is about to change.

I like how this still has the original 'fake Led Zeppelin/Bad Company' style that the first record had, but it's also the first dabble into Peart lyrics and more complicated songs. I love that it's a reminder that Rush was once really a heavy blues rock band. They instantly transformed, they immediately found their voice, and every record after this perfected it more and more.

I realise they're an acquired taste, and there are definitely people who love them and people who hate them. I'm not in any great rush - no pun intended - to turn people on to the band. I don't really care. They're my all-time favourite band, period. It's not really my duty to convince people of their awesomeness.