Fly by Night is the second studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released on February 14, 1975, by Mercury Records.

Peart took over as Rush's primary lyricist, and the abundance of fantastical and philosophical themes in his compositions contrasted greatly with the simpler hard rock of the band's debut album.

In March 1974, the second Rush line-up, consisting of guitarist Alex Lifeson, drummer John Rutsey, and singer and bassist Geddy Lee, released their self-titled debut album.

[3] 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.

[3][4] Fly by Night was recorded during the last week of December 1974 and mixed in early January 1975 at Toronto Sound Studios during a gap in touring.

[5][4][6][7] Lifeson said it took around five days to record and once the mixing had finished, the group packed their cases and travelled to Winnipeg, starting their Fly By Night tour on January 15.

[9] The band wanted each song on Fly by Night to show a different side to their writing and playing, which resulted in an album of varied styles.

A Rolling Stone article reasoned this shift in roles to the "massive" difference in the lyrical styles between their first album and Fly by Night which contains more literary themes and references.

"Anthem" originated by Lifeson and Lee while Rutsey was still in the band and features a heavier sound with more complex arrangements than previous Rush tracks.

[3] The eight-minute "By-Tor and the Snow Dog" is arranged in eight distinct sections and marked a key point in the development of the group's songwriting.

[9] On the original vinyl release, the chimes at the end continue into a locked groove, and thus plays indefinitely on manual record players.

Lifeson proceeded to write a tune on his acoustic guitar, and had a fully arranged piece by the time the band had entered the studio to record.

Though Simon praised Lifeson's "more than competent" guitar work and Peart's drumming, she criticised Lee's "mediocre" voice for sounding too similar to Robert Plant.

[28] Fly By Night was remastered for vinyl in 2015 by Sean Magee at Abbey Road Studios as a part of the official "12 Months of Rush" promotion.