It may be more work to play as a trio -- at least one member, in this case Geddy Lee, has to multi-task -- but the benefit for a band like Rush is that there are far fewer problems for the Human Resources Department.

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They only have to maintain the spirits, the chops and the appearances of three people, whereas Kansas has to round up six or seven guys to make it look fully legit.

That's partly why Rush is one of the few bands from that mid- to late-'70s period of "corporate rock" that has remained intact. Rush formed in 1968 and built its reputation as a touring band. By the mid- to late '70s it was starting to fit the FM mold along with the likes of Boston, Foreigner and Styx.

These bands -- combining the hard rock of an Aerosmith with a hint of Floyd -- came along in the '70s like shiny new toys, challenging more established radio acts like Elton John, Wings, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton and the Eagles.

"When you got into the mid-'70s, the bands were so distinctly different," says George Taylor Morris, senior program director for classic rock at XM Radio. "Journey and Boston and Kansas and REO Speedwagon had a real American sound, but it was one level above in production. It was crisp and clean and had something dynamic about it. And they were catchy tunes."

"When I first got into radio in 1977 [WYDD at the tail end of 'free-form radio'], Journey's 'Infinity' album was No. 1 ... and it was both Journey and Boston who earned the initial tags of being 'corporate rock' or 'corporate radio' bands in the late '70s," says Sean McDowell, longtime DJ at WDVE-FM. "The public began to read about radio consultants 'tweaking formats' and everyone hated the thought of rock radio even having a format."

Those bands, among the stalwarts of the classic rock format, dominated radio in the '70s and early '80s, crowding out punk and New Wave.

"Radio listeners were trying to figure out new artists like Elvis Costello and the Pretenders and The Clash back then, but Boston, Journey, Styx and Foreigner were already established, so that's all you heard on rock radio," McDowell says. "Though there were a few consultants who actually cared about the product, many of them did tremendous damage to rock radio back then, but it wasn't because of Boston or Journey or Styx. Those were just the 'bands of the day.' People liked them. And people make fun of those bands today, but they sold gazillions of concert tickets and albums back then."

While young fans made them stars, the critics, most of them raised on '60s rock, held their nose. The Rolling Stone Record Guide dismisses Styx as "pomp rock" and writes off the Journey catalog as sharing a "unifying blandness."

"It's a matter of who's giving them respect," Morris says. "People who go the concerts know every word and jump up and down. [The critics] never signed on to this."

Here's a look at where the '70s powerhouses are today:

JOURNEY

	Members of the band Journey: From left, Steve Perry, Jonathan Cain and Neal Schon. Click photo for larger image.

Breakout song: "Lights" in 1978.

Peak years: 1978-86.

Last album: "Generations" (2005).

Concept: The San Francisco band, founded by two former members of Santana, started as a progressive rock band and took off as the slickest of corporate rock bands with the addition of choirboy crooner Steve Perry.

Personnel issue: They're burning through singers like "Spinal Tap" drummers. After Perry started going solo in the mid-'80s, the band split in '87 and re-formed in '96, but bad blood over Perry's need for a hip replacement forced his departure. Sound-alike Steve Augeri stepped in in '98 but had voice problems and was replaced by Jeff Scott Soto in 2006.

Status: Soto has now departed, and Journey is out of action in 2007, just when the "Sopranos" finale upped the band's cachet. Says McDowell: "I can't believe of all the songs 'The Sopranos' final episode could have ended with, they picked Journey's 'Don't Stop Believin'."

BOSTON

	Members of the band Boston: Brad Delp, left, Doug Huffman, Tom Scholz, Jim Masdea, David Sikes and Gary Pihl. Click photo for larger image.

Breakout song: "More Than a Feeling."

Peak years: 1976-78, '86.

Last album: "Corporate America" (2002).

Concept: "Just another band out of Boston" but with a super-charged, space-age guitar-rock sound thanks to home studio wizard and MIT engineer Tom Scholz.

Personnel issue: It starts with a serious shortage of productivity -- only five albums in the course of 26 years. Singer Brad Delp departed for a while in the early '90s, then, on March 9, he committed suicide, just as Boston was about to rev up.

Status: Boston will sign off for good with a tribute show Aug. 19 in its hometown with Scholz, Beatle Juice (Delp's Beatles cover band), Sammy Hagar, Godsmack, Cheap Trick and others.

FOREIGNER

Breakout song: "Feels Like the First Time."

Peak years: 1977-84.

Last album: "Mr. Moonlight" (1995).

Concept: Formed in New York by Mick Jones (an A&R man) and Ian McDonald (King Crimson) as a hooky and highly produced hard-rock band with New Wave-y keyboards.

Personnel issue: Creative differences first sent singer Lou Gramm off to a solo career in 1987. He was replaced by Johnny Edwards for a while. Gramm rejoined Foreigner at various times in the '90s, during which time he also battled a brain tumor.

Status: Jones is the sole original member of the touring Foreigner, fronted by Kelly Hansen and featuring drummer Jason Bonham. The Lou Gramm Band is pursuing power ballads and Christian music.

KANSAS

	Members of the band Kansas: From left, Steve Walsh, Robby Steinhart, Kerry Livgren, Dave Hope, Rich Williams and Phil Ehart. Click photo for larger image.

Breakout song: "Carry On, My Wayward Son."

Peak: 1977-82.

Last album: "Somewhere to Elsewhere" (2000).

Concept: Formed in Topeka, Kan., with a sound that married British-style prog with Midwest boogie, plus fiddle.

Personnel issue: Guitarist Kerry Livgren and bassist Dave Hope's conversion to born-again Christianity led to the departure of singer Steve Walsh in the early '80s to form Streets. He was replaced by John Elefante. Walsh re-formed a different Kansas in 1985 with Dixie Dregs guitarist Steve Morse. They all reunited in 2000 for "Somewhere to Elsewhere," which didn't go anywhere, and toured in 2006.

Status: Kansas is on tour, celebrating the 30th anniversary of "Point of Know Return." There is also an acoustic side project called Native Window. Livgren leads Proto-Kaw, the precursor to Kansas.

STYX

	Styx will play the Post-Gazette Pavilion on July 7 with REO Speedwagon and Def Leppard. Click photo for larger image.

Breakout song: "Lady."

Peak: 1975-83.

Last album: "Big Bang Theory" (2005).

Concept: Formed in 1970 in Chicago and defined by bombastic art-rock, still cherished by the comic likes of Cartman and Adam Sandler.

Personnel problem: Creative differences appeared while working on "Kilroy Was Here," leading to solo records by singers Dennis DeYoung and Tommy Shaw in 1984. Shaw formed Damn Yankees with Ted Nugent in 1988 but also returned to Styx in the mid-'90s. DeYoung's Broadway tendencies during the '90s led to replacement Lawrence Gowan.

Status: Styx will play the Post-Gazette Pavilion with REO Speedwagon and Def Leppard on July 7. DeYoung, now 60, tours with former Styx guitarist Glen Burtnik as "Dennis DeYoung and the Music of Styx." A solo record is in the works.

REO SPEEDWAGON

Breakout song: "Ridin' the Storm Out."

Peak: 1977-88.

Last album: "Find Your Own Way Home" (2007).

Concept: Formed in Champaign, Ill., as a Midwest hard-rock band that gravitated toward power ballads like "Keep on Loving You" in the '80s.

Personnel issue: The band's first three albums in the early '70s featured three different vocalists. Singer Kevin Cronin joined the band in '72, then left, and returned in '76 for a heyday marred by increasingly bad haircuts. Hot guitarist Gary Richrath left in 1988, along with drummer Alan Gratzer.

Status: REO, with Cronin and guitarist Dave Amato, has flipped back and forth between county fairs circuit and Live Nation sheds. Things are looking up with a new record and tour with Styx and Def Leppard.

GENESIS

Breakout song: "Follow You Follow Me."

Peak: 1980-87, '91-92

Last album: "Calling All Stations" (1997).

Concept: Formed in England in 1966, Genesis is really two bands: the revered Peter Gabriel-led art-rock band that lasted until 1974, and the Phil Collins-led pop-rock band that headlined stadiums in the '80s.

Personnel issue: After Gabriel's departure, Genesis auditioned 400 singers before finding its singer behind the drums. The "corporate rock" side emerged with "Duke" in 1980. Collins left in '96 for a successful solo career, replaced by Ray Wilson for "Calling All Stations."

Status: Gabriel turned down a recent invitation from the band to perform "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway." Collins, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks are on a summer tour that will stop in Pittsburgh Sept. 9.

QUEEN

Breakout song: "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Peak years: 1975-84.

Last album: "Made in Heaven" (1995).

Concept: Formed in England in 1971 as a glammy hard rock band with an operatic flair.

Personnel issue: Gay icon Freddie Mercury died of AIDS in 1991, soon after the release of "Innuendo."

Status: After a decade of quiet, Brian May and Roger Taylor popped up with Bad Company's frontman for the 2005 tour Queen + Paul Rodgers in 2005. The Queen legacy now will be tested with a new studio CD.

ELO

Breakout song: "Can't Get It out of My Head."

Peak years: 1975-81.

Last album: "Zoom" (2001).

Concept: Formed in 1971 in Birmingham, England, as a Beatle-esque rock band with lush orchestral backup.

Personnel issue: Most people are lucky to name one member -- Jeff Lynne -- though power-pop geeks will be able to come up with Bev Bevan. After the band's commercial decline in the early '80s, Lynne became more known as a producer and the Traveling Wilburys. Bevan tried to do an ELO II in 1991.

Status: Lynne released "Zoom" in 2001, with help from George Harrison and Ringo Starr, but wasn't able to generate much interest. Most recently, he remastered the old catalog and produced the latest record for Muddy Wilbury, aka Tom Petty.

'70s ARENA ROCKERS ...

of a slightly different stripe:

Aerosmith: The bad boys from Boston, defining the modern power ballad with "Dream On," broke before the corporate rock takeover and remain vital and remarkably intact.

Ted Nugent: When he isn't on stage, the Motor City Madman can still be found blasting liberals and chasing wild boars with a bow and arrow.

ZZ Top: The Texas trio, on the cutting edge of facial hair, once headlined three straight nights at the Civic Arena. They're touring the United States in July with the Pretenders and Stray Cats, and we wish they'd come here.

Peter Frampton: People loved his way so much after "Frampton Comes Alive," he actually headlined Three Rivers Stadium. These days, the golden locks are gone, and he's settling for smaller venues and a recent Grammy for rock instrumental.

Fleetwood Mac: The 2004 reunion tour was a winner, even without Christine McVie. Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks are currently touring solo.

The Eagles: The new album is still 28 years in the works. And as you read this, they sold 100 more copies of "Greatest Hits."

The Doobie Brothers: Those songs still sound great on the radio, don't they? The Doobies, led by Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons, are in the midst of an extensive U.S. tour.

Bob Seger: The Detroit dad came out of retirement for "Face the Promise" last year and launched his first tour in 10 years. A live CD/DVD is in the works.

Alice Cooper: School's out and the man with the guillotine is on the Psycho-Drama Tour with a new album planned for 2008.

Kiss: The Alice disciples -- lead by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons -- have a few shows planned for the Midwest this summer. The Kiss Army became the first group of fans to protest at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year.

Van Halen: The hair band pioneers, recently inducted into the Hall of Fame, top the list of all-time dysfunctional bands. Stay tuned, because there is surely more insanity to come.