The 1976 Rush album made as a ‘screw you’ to their label: “You can’t tell us what to do”Rush was never a band known for compromising all that often. Looking to expand the conceptual side of their sound, Peart thought up unique stories for the second half of their third effort, Caress of Steel, which became mainstream poison for everyone involved. When playing the album to Kiss’ Paul Stanley, Alex Lifeson remembered the ice-cold reaction, saying in Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, “He just didn’t get it. Catching on through word-of-mouth, Rush started to develop a cult following around them, creating a communal atmosphere among fans who latched onto the story about not backing down from people leaning on them. From there, Rush got total creative freedom to do whatever they wanted, with the label never interfering with their direction ever again.