GEDDY LEE Home on the Strange (3:45)
Producers: Geddy Lee, Ben Mink, David Leonard
Writers: G. Lee, B. Mink
Publishers: Boge Songs/Zavion Enterprises, SOCAN
Atlantic 300520 (CD promo)
Rush's Geddy Lee made a respectable solo debut last fall with My Favorite Headache, an album that showed why he's such a key component of the venerable Canadian prog-rock trio. His third single, "Home on the Strange," is the album's most spontaneous tune yet. After he fussed over so many details on the record, it sounds as if Lee decided to just jump into playing a song without agonizing over it. The result: a flat-out rock jam filled with plenty of funked-up bass and attitudinal guitars, thanks to some well-used wah-wah effects. Lee also amuses himself further with some oddball lyrics ("He's a Canadian icon/He sleeps with his clothes on"). Guitar and bass aficionados will enjoy figuring out all the nifty grooves that make this track tick, while the everyday fan will give it a thumbs up for its solid, unrestrained energy. Sadly, radio might not pick this up because it defies categorization-too edgy for classic rock, too left-of-center for mainstream-but "stranger" things have happened. Another promising piece from an album-rock icon.