That would be the conventional party line from dudes who've gone so deep into "YYZ" drum solos and stereotyping movies like "I Love You, Man" they've lost perspective.
Don't tell that to Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson, though. She totally digs the work of Geddy Lee, Neil Peart and Alex Lifeson and has since shared her fandom with her sisters.
"I am into Rush," Wilson tells HuffPost Canada Music. "We are into Rush now. We watched that documentary 'Beyond The Lighted Stage.' I found it so completely great I took it on the road and me and [Heart singer] Ann and [other Wilson sister] Lynn watched it on our tour bus and we're like, 'Oh my god, we get it! We understand where it comes from now.'"
Conditions were right for the Wilson sisters to get behind the band responsible for such classics as "Tom Sawyer," "Subdivisions" and "Limelight." Both Heart and Rush were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this year, have deep, historic Canadian music connections and the band shares a professional connection with the Toronto prog rock trio.
"I wanted to check 'em out because they were so tight with our producer Ben Mink," says Wilson. "He's one of Geddy Lee's oldest dearest friends from back in the day in the '70s, so we kind of ended up hooking up with them more recently and I wanted to check 'em out again because of him and because Rush is kind of one of those bands that are kind of like a dog whistle that only men can hear."
It's not like Heart were unaware of Rush's work, it's just that they've now decided to take things to the next level.
"I've always liked a lot of their songs on the radio over the years, but I've never felt compelled to pick up their albums," says Wilson. "But now I want to pick up their new one. We've become Rush fans."
Some of the things that have made the Wilsons pro-Rush go beyond the trio's musical skills, however. Rush have a cheeky side, what with Geddy having recorded songs in the past with Bob and Doug McKenzie and band members appearing on trashtastic show Trailer Park Boys. It's that sense of fun the Wilsons can get behind.
"They've got this incredibly cool, complex, it's thinking man's rock," starts Wilson. "But it's also got a big tongue-in-cheek sense of humour, like when they're basting their rotisserie chickens on their backline and they've got their washing and drying going [on stage]. And the movie 'I Love You Man,' too, was just hysterical."
There's also another gratifying reason for Heart to get behind Rush. As pioneering gals-who-rock, for decades the band have bucked traditions and expectations in a male-dominated musical field. Standing up for Rush is just another example of crossing those boundaries.
"We're always going around trying to destroy stigmas as it is," says Wilson. "So we might as well add that one to it."
Heart perform July 23 at Molson Canadian Amphitheatre in Toronto, Ontario.
Ann And Nancy Wilson Of Heart
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Open Image ModalAnn and Nancy on stage in 2011. (credit:Courtesy of Sue Wood)
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Open Image ModalAnn: "To our mother, this [1942] letter from our dad asking for her hand in 'eventual marriage' was the most romantic thing she owned." (credit:Courtesy of the Wilson family archives)
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Open Image ModalAnn: "Nancy and me in our parents' car in Taiwan. Our dad was stationed all over the world, and we followed." (1956) (credit:Courtesy of the Wilson family archive)
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Open Image ModalNancy: "Our mom and dad on the way to a Marine officers' ball. He was dashing; she was gorgeous." (1960) (credit:Courtesy of the Wilson family archives)
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Open Image ModalAnn: "On a camping trip with 'the Big Five' plus one more. Mama, Nancy, me, Lynn, Grandma Dustin and Dotes." (1956) (credit:Courtesy of the Wilson family archives)
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Open Image ModalNancy: "This is Ann and me, performing for our friends." (1966) (credit:Courtesy of the Wilson family archives)
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Open Image ModalNancy: "Another one of 'the Big Five': Ann, Dotes, Mama, Lynn and me -- this time with our dog Trumpie. Taken when we we were living in Bellevue, Washington." (1970) (credit:Courtesy of Roger Keagle)
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Open Image Modal"Ann: Michael Fisher and me on a train in Japan." (1976) (credit:Courtesy of Kelly Curtis)
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Open Image ModalHeart backstage with Queen in 1978. (credit:Courtesy of Kelly Curtis)
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Open Image Modal"Nancy: On the wing of our first plane. Roger, Steve Fossen, Howard Leese, Michael Derosier, Ann and me." (1979) (credit:Courtesy of Kelly Curtis)
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Open Image Modal (credit:Neal Preston)
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Open Image Modal"Nancy: March 25, 1980. I am on the way to Elton John's 33rd birthday party at Le Dome. A billboard with our album cover on it looked down over the restaurant." (credit:Courtesy of Kelly Curtis)
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Open Image ModalAnn Wilson backstage before a show. (1980) (credit:Neal Preston)
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Open Image ModalThe Wilson sisters and horse Winny. (1980) (credit:Roger Ressmeyer/CORBIS)
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Open Image ModalWith Bernie Taupin. (1980) (credit:Roger Ressmeyer/CORBIS)
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Open Image ModalAt Studio 54 with Kelly Curtis. (credit:Marcia Resnick)
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Open Image ModalAt Studio 54 with Elton John. (credit:Marcia Resnick)
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Open Image ModalNancy: "Shooting some footage of our fans in Orlando, Florida. We are on tour with Cheap Trick." (1980) (credit:Neal Preston)
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Open Image ModalNancy: "At the Hannah Dustin statue in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Hannah was the orignal axe woman of the family." (credit:Courtesy of Julie Bergman)
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Open Image Modal (credit:Roger Ressmeyer / CORBIS)
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Open Image ModalPictured here with Sue Ennis. (credit:Roger Ressmeyer/CORBIS)
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Open Image Modal (credit:Roger Ressmeyer/CORBIS)
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Open Image Modal"Nancy: In 1979 our dad had a debilitating stroke, but his love of music never waned. He always loved to hear us play." (1984) (credit:Courtesy of the Wilson family archives)
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Open Image Modal (credit:Courtesy of Kelly Curtis)
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Open Image ModalNancy Wilson on her wedding day in 1986. (credit:Courtesy of the Wilson family archive)
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Open Image ModalAnn and Nancy met Hilary Clinton in Portland, Oregon. From left to right: Barb Hoyt, Ann holding her daughter Marie, Nancy, Clinton, Sue Ennis and Frank Cox. (credit:Courtesy of Eric Johnson)
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Open Image ModalNancy and her husband Cameron carrying their two sons, Billy and Curtis in 2000. (credit:Courtesy of the Wilson family archive)
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Open Image ModalThe family on tour. From left to right: Ann's daughter Marie, Ann, Nancy, Gretch Gove, Ann's son Dustin and their sister Lynn. (credit:Courtesy of Eric Johnson)
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Open Image ModalNancy's new husband Geoff, Nancy, Kelly Curtis and Ann. (2012) (credit:Courtesy of S. Anderson)
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