Relating to Rush

Regarding Dennis Hunt’s review of the band Rush at the Forum (“Does Rush Still Have It? Yes, No,” Feb. 5): Rush’s live performances differ from those of the artists that Hunt maintains “rock harder” simply because their material is much more complex and must be performed with precision, a manner that could be interpreted as “businesslike” by someone who is not a fan of or doesn’t understand complex music.

Yes, Rush’s concert lacked spontaneity. So does a Mozart recital. Art must be confronted on its own terms in order to be understood and appreciated. For Hunt to complain that Rush’s music doesn’t rock as hard as the Stones’ is as if a literary critic were to complain that James Joyce’s writing is not as direct as Ernest Hemingway’s. While pointing out this difference would be of some value to readers, for a critic to then dismiss Joyce’s writings as being inadequate because of it would be idiotic.

HYAM R. SOSNOW, Sherman Oaks