Fly by Night is the second studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in February 1975 on Mercury Records. It was the first Rush album to showcase elements of progressive rock for which the band has become known. It was also the first to feature lyricist and drummer Neil Peart.
In March 1974, the original Rush line-up of guitarist Alex Lifeson, drummer John Rutsey, and singer and bassist Geddy Lee released their self-titled debut album. In the following four months, however, Rutsey fell ill following complications with diabetes and had to sit out from some gigs while the group continued with a replacement, Jerry Fielding. Rutsey rejoined the group for a month of club dates before Lifeson and Lee decided it was best for Rutsey to leave due to the difficulty in managing his health on tour and musical differences between them. Lee recalled: "We were guilt-ridden at first, but we realised that it's just the way it had to be. He wasn't happy and we weren't happy".
Rush auditioned five drummers, the fourth of which was Neil Peart of a local band named Hush. The three played along to "Anthem", a song mostly written while Rutsey was in the group that Rush later recorded for Fly by Night. Lifeson and Lee were so impressed with Peart's style they felt embarrassed for the fifth drummer who had prepared by writing charts to their songs to follow. Peart joined on July 29, 1974, the day of Lee's birthday, two weeks before the band's first US tour kicked off on August 14 at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, opening for Uriah Heep and Manfred Mann. By the end of their year the group had written new material for a follow-up album.
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