Before and After

This track is notable for its dynamic structure — it begins as a soft, acoustic-tinged ballad before erupting into a heavy rock section, then returning to the quieter mood. This kind of light-to-heavy dynamic would become a hallmark of Rush's progressive era.

The contrast between the gentle verses and the heavy middle section showed the band's ambition to move beyond simple verse-chorus structures. It's often cited by fans as the earliest sign that Rush had bigger musical ideas than standard hard rock would allow.

The band self-produced their debut and managed to capture a real sense of drama in the transitions, something that would be refined considerably once they began working with Terry Brown on subsequent albums.