Rush - Brains & Brawn
Hit Parader Salutes The 70s International Metal Masters
Hit Parader, November 2007, transcribed by pwrwindows
Rush has always been a "different type of hard rock band. For more than 30 years this legendary Canadian power trio - comprised of bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee, drummer/lyricist Neil Peart and guitarist Alex Lifeson - has blazed a trail unlike any other band on the contemporary music landscape. With their penchant for creating complex, multi-layered rock opuses and putting on some of the greatest stage shows in rock history, Rush has certainly made their mark on the hard rock world. Today, with the release of their latest disc Snakes & Arrows, Rush have further established their artistic identity in the 21st Century - while steadfastly holding on to many of the concepts and philosophies that made them one of the previous century's most hallowed acts. Recently we discussed Rush past, present and future with the ever-informative Mr. Lee.
Hit Parader: How do you view Rush's state-of-musical-mind in 2007?
Geddy Lee: I think we're in a very good state. We went through a very tough period of few years ago. There were things that happened in our personal lives that made us wonder if Rush would ever work together again. For a long time Neil understandably just didn't have any desire to think about music. But after a while, he began to realize that music was still something he loved, and from that point on we began to move forward. We haven't stopped since. Now, with Snakes & Arrows we’ve created an album that represents something truly special to us.
What can you still add to Rush's creative spectrum?
Each album we've ever done has had very individual elements, but when you look at it as a whole, it's still very much a Rush album. One of the things we never set out to do is top ourselves or mimic what we’ve done in the past. When we get together to make music, that's exactly what we do. It's a creative process that yields a variety of results. Some may be instantly familiar to Rush fans while some others may not. Taken as a whole, however, they represent the culmination of who and what we are.
Over the last few discs you've started to co-produce your own albums. Why?
We've come to the realization that nobody knows what Rush is supposed to sound like better than we do. We've worked with some great producers over the years, but we've come to rely on our own opinions as much as anyone's. On this one we co-produced with Nick Raskulinecz, and it worked out very well.
As you look back over Rush's career, how do you see the band's music having changed?
Whatever changes have taken place have all been part of a fairly natural evolutionary process. I can't think of a time that we ever went out of our way to try and fit into any particular trend that was sweeping through the rock world. We've maintained a true belief in what we've done, and feel our fans have appreciated that.
Rush has been around for nearly 35 years, does that fact amaze you?
In some ways it definitely does. Sometimes it seems like we just started out yesterday, and at other times it seems like we’ve been around even longer than that. But we still have a great passion for music and a great passion for this band. Over the years we've learned how to pace ourselves, when to take breaks, and how to keep everything fresh and exciting.
Do you still enjoy touring as much as you ever did?
We love playing together, but staying away from home, your family and your other duties can become tougher as you get a little older. It's not like when you're 21 and you can't wait to throw your gear in the back of a van and just head out to wherever the road takes you. These days a tour takes so much planning that it's truly a labor... of love.
You used to record every live show. Do you still do that?
We've always tended to record shows, more for our own edification than anything else. So we've had a catalog of live shows going back quite a long time. With music like ours, it's important to keep a monitor on things to hear how a song sounds and what we perhaps can do better. It's easy to start playing certain parts of songs too quickly when you’re on stage.
In addition to your love for music, your passion for baseball has been well noted; you even sang the Canadian national anthem at the 1994 all-star game. Do you collect baseball memorabilia?
As a matter of fact I've got quite a collection of rare autographed baseballs. The most valuable ones I have include a ball that has the signatures of both Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth. I also have a ball signed by Ty Cobb, and I recently picked one up that was signed by Cy Young.
Those are all stars of baseball’s past. Do you collect items from today's stars as well?
I have some, but I think I'm more attracted to the items from the stars from an earlier era. I've been lucky to get to know quite a few of today's players and it's great that some of them have as much respect for Rush as I have for baseball.
What other hobbies do you have?
I've always had a passion for photography, but recently I haven't worked with my cameras as much as I have in the past. My other passion is travel. I like to combine those two interests by going on nature safaris all over the world. In recent years my family and I have been to East Africa and Nepal, and those were amazing trips. When you can take photographs of wildlife in their natural environment, it's just an incredible experience.