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The National Midnight Star, Number 812
Tuesday, 9 November 1993
Today's Topics:
St. Louis Globe article
Rush Article in Raw magazine
article from metal CD
Geddy Lee Interview, Bass Player Dec. 93
--------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 6 Nov 93 21:43:47 -0600
From: c512052@monad.missouri.edu
Subject: St. Louis Globe article
"The Professor" of rock
Rush's Neil Peart is as much a wiz on world affairs as drums
by Darrell Shoults
St. Louis Globe - Democrat
On or before Monday, April 28, 1986
Whenever the Canadian rock trio Rush performs in concert, you'll see
banners praising "The Professor." The banners are in honor of drummer Neil
Peart; the nickname refers to his excellence on the drums.
But if the sign-makers had a chance to sit and talk to Peart, they
might call him "The Professor" for another reason: Peart is as articulate
a rock star as you're likely to find, given to lengthy explanations for
his actions and feelings, alwasy ready to discuss everything from the
failings of the nuclear protest movement to the problems of corporate
sponsorship of rock tours to resisting the temptations inherent with a
life in rock 'n' roll.
And as lyricist for the group that will perform at the Arena Monday,
Peart often puts his thoughts on vinyl. In years gone by, those thoughts
were often disguised in the symbolism of science fiction or sword and
sorcery, in songs like "2112," "Hemispheres," and "Cygnus X-1." But now,
Peart says, he prefers the straight approach.
"I was never really that enamoured of science-fiction writing," Peart
said during a telephone interview, "but at the time, it was a convenient
vehicle. And using the mythology and symbolism was a phase that I had to
grow out of. And I have; now I can't stand symbolism, either to read it
or write it. I want to deal in issues involving idealism and romanticism,
which I still care about, but I want them to apply to the real world and
what's going on. If you don't move into the real world, you wind up
sitting in a room with no windows, dreaming about a world you weren't born
into.
"It takes a log of maturity to be able to write about the real world,"
Peart added. "I hope I've reached that level of maturity."
On the latest Rush album, "Power Windows," Peart writes about the
challenges of improving your lot in life ("Middletown Dreams"), the
similarities between life and a long-distance race ("Marathon"), the
pitfalls and power of being rich ("Big Money"), and even the start of the
Atomic Age ("Manhattan Project").
"Manhattan Project" is a straight historical retelling of the creation
and use of the first atomic bomb. According to Peart, it was at the same
time simple and difficult to write.
"'Manhattan Project' is almost a documentary and easy enough to
research and write about, but to write about it in short little lines that
rhyme can be difficult. The material has to be accurate, and yet the
lyrics have to be written in such a way that Geddy (Lee, Rush's bassist
and vocalist) can feel comfortable delivering them. They can't be simply
narration.
"There's a judgement there against extremism on both ends, but there's
no blanket anti-nuclear statement. For instance, in the lines that say
'the fools try to wish it away,' there's a statement against the extremism
of the people who would wish for unilateral disarmament, saying: 'This is
causing us a bit of trouble; let's throw it out.'"
Warming to his topic, Peart added: "As a concerned environmentalist,
I object to the knee-jerk reactions of some of the anti-nuclear protestors.
If they saw the forests of North Carolina and Virginia or the Black Forests
of Germany and witnessed how they're being defoliated by the creation of
coal power, by the sulfur being thrown in the air, perhaps they wouldn't
be so quick to spout out the kind of knee-jerk liberalism that prefers
19th-century solutions like coal power."
It's that kind of thinking that goes into Peart's lyrics, which are
fitted to the music of Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson. Peart has been with
the band since 1974, and he's seen the group become one of the most popular
acts in rock 'n' roll. And in those 12 years, Peart has developed some
strong opinions about what's right - and what's wrong - with his business.
For example, Peart takes a dim view of corporate sponsorship of rock
tours. "We've always refused to be involved in such things," he said. "It
compromises you, and unless you resist it at the outset, before long, rock
music will be like auto racing - where everything is tied to the sponsor -
and as soon as you get out of your race car, you have to put on a hat with
the sponsor's name on it. It's hopelessly demeaning and completely lacking
in dignity.
"What's worse is that we could be approaching a time - and it may
indeed be upon us - that groups in a situation like we were 12 years ago,
trying to get their careers started, won't be able to get a tour unless they
can find some big corporation to sponsor them. That's a terrifying situation.
Learning to say no has enabled the members of Rush to keep their
sanity - and their health - despite more than a decade of touring and
recording.
"When you look at the cost in human lives among musicians, when you
look at the drug and alcohol problems in this business, it's terrifying.
And you can't just say it's because they were weak individuals; there are
certainly special pressures and demands that cause people to turn into
alcoholics and drug abusers, or to develop tremendous psychological
problems. I've seen the pressures people put on you, the pressures
inherent in trying to live the artificial life of a 'star.' You can't do
what everybody wants you to do; the cost of such role-playing is the loss
of yourself."
So Rush takes things in moderation, Peart says. They limit the
length of time they'll be on the road and the number of days in a row
they'll do concerts. And they develop interests outside music; in Peart's
case, those interests include reading everything he gets his hands on and
participating in endurance sports. He'll happily tell you about taking
100-mile bicycle rides, for example.
And that's pretty smart. But what would you expect from The Professor?
--------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 93 11:49 GMT0
From: Robert Jones <rjj@cix.compulink.co.uk>
Subject: Rush Article in Raw magazine
(c) 1993 Raw magazine, No 135, Oct 27-Nov 9 1993.
A FARWELL TO BINGS
... and bongs, and widdles and pars, as RUSH ditch the keyboards
and get ready to Rock on their fab newie, _Counterparts_. And that's
not the only shock in store, as GEDDY LEE tells HOWARD JOHNSON about
the fights, rows and general weirdness that enter the equation when
you're a member of the worlds leading Techno Rock Trio ...
It's hard to imagine that 12 years have passed since Canadian power
trio Rush slotted neatly into the stndard "Heavy Rock" bracket.
Nevertheless, the group still boast a hardcore fanbase, and earn
healthy respect from Rock fans of every hue. But on the eve of the
release of _Counterparts_, the bands eight album since '81's _Moving
Pictures_, there's still a faint yearning that Rush will return to the
fray armed wil bell bottoms, kimonos, word and sorcery lyrics and
Alex Lifeson"s Jimmy Page hand-me-down riffs. _Counterparts_, of
course, does noting of the sort. Rush have always been about
progression rather than stagnation. And, secretly, I think that's how
we like it.
"There are moments on _Counterparts_ that are heavier than anything
we have ever done in a long time," says Rush's mild-mannered
vocalist/bassist/keyboardist Geddy Lee, hair cut to shoulder length
and sporting blue, rounded Lennon specs. "But even if we became
really heavy again it wouldn't be like the way we were on _2112_.
Those records were made in a a certain time and place and the only way
we'd be able to recreate it would be accidentally. If we did it on
purpose it would sound like bullshit."
Lee dosn't like bullshit. Fortunately, he's not at all reticent
about discussing the band's past.
"A lot of the early stuff I'm really proud of," he says. "Some of it
sounds really goofy, but some of it stands up better than I gave it
credit for. As weird as my voice sounds when I listen back, I
certainly dig some of the arrangements. I can't go back beyond _2112_
really, because that starts to get a bit hairy for me, and if I hear
"Lakeside Park" on the radio I cringe. What a lousy song! Still, I
don't regret anything that I've done!"
And why should he? Alongside guitarist Lifeson and drummer/lyricist
Neil Peart, Rush have grown old gracefully. Not too many embarassing
moments, a remarkable body of work, plus solid success. By
steadfastly refusing to pay any attention to whims and fads, Rush
have sustained a 20 year career with ease.
"I don't know how to explain it", Lee offers, "I guess our fans are
as weird as we are. And I think that they appreciate the emotion and
creaftmanship that goes into our records.
"Every time I go into the studio to start on a new album I ask
myself the same question: 'Why am I doing this again?'. The only
answer that I can come up with is because of the satisfaction I get
from creating and producing something.
"The three of us are very united in our work ethic. It's in our
nature to want to improve the songwriting. Sometimes you spend ages
trying to make a smooth transition from bridge to chorus in an
emotional way and you'll finally achieve it, only to to find that
you've already done it on a track ten years ago. You can end up
chasing your own tail, so I tend not to look any further back than
the last album."
Because you'd get too depressed?
"I donUt get depressed. I just get startled!"
You won't be startled by _Counterparts_, which seamlessly continues
the linear heritage started by '82's _Signals_ and continued by
_Grace Under Pressure_ and '91's _Roll The Bones_. Sure "Stick It Out"
nods its head a little more frantically than of late, but "Animate",
"Alien Shore" and "Between Sun and Moon" sound like Rush doing what
Rush do best.
All the more surprising then, that Lee reveals that this was the most
fractious album Rush has ever made.
"The title came after the record, which isn't always the way it
works. We're at that period in our lives where we're starting to
question our relationahips with each other. You start to ask 'Why am
I still hanging around with these guys?' To some extent _Counterparts_
is a recognition of how the three of us have grown in different ways of the
past few years.
"There were certainly a lot more fights during these sessions," muses
Lee. "Almost every Monday morning Alex and I would have a full-blown,
in-your-face argument. It was probably a good thing."
Lee doesn't sound too convinced, though.
"You could see it coming on the last tour," he continues. "Both Alex
and I would have our moments, but our fights have always been very
brotherly. When you spend more time apart you develop a stronger
sense of what you like and what you don't like. Our musical vision
certainly isn't as similar as it was, so we'd end up questioning each
other more. When ideas come up that you're not comfortable with, it
either leads to an agreement or an argument. The more confident you
get as a human being, the more likely you are to stand your ground."
So who won this battle? Well once you've listened to the depth of
arrangement on _Counterparts_, you'll probably call it a dead heat.
"Alex is very reactionary," continues Lee. "He must have said 10,000
times that he didn't want any keyboards on the album, so when I
brought my keyboards into the studio there was an immediate
atmosphere. He kept looking at them like they were really
threatening. Now we wrote all the last album on bass, guitar and
drums and added the keys at the end to embelish. That was the only
reason the keys were there - or maybe to help me express myself when
I was painted into a musical corner - but Alex was making assumptions
that I wanted keyboards all over the place. It was a very volatile
situation."
Rush aren't exactly what you'd call a party band. Still, according
to their latest bio, a lot of their inherent humor is cruelly
overlooked. Indeed, Lee assures me that they 'had hours of hilarity'
in the studio when they weren't fighting. Why, then, own up to all
the turmoil on planet Rush?
"It's just a way of tryng to dispel some of our myths," Lee shrugs.
"We're a vert tight knit unit. I think we have the capacity to
alienate people without realizing it. I've been told that coming into
our dressing room isn't the most pleasant of experiences and it
doesn't make me feel good to hear that. I'd like to feel that we were
open and welcoming. We do have this cold, intellectual image and I
can see where it stems from - we were kinda serious when we were
young. It's not the whole picture, although I'm certainly not over
here on a goodwill tour. I'm not working hard to be consider
light-hearted, like U2, but there are a lot of preconceptions about
Rush, some of which are correct and some of which are not!"
One particualr preconception is that Neil Peart rarely tackles
subjects to do with love and sex. "Nobodys Hero" boldly addresses
homosexuality and AIDS, and there's a sneaking suspicion that some of
Rush's audience might find the whole affair somewhat controversial.
Lee is unrepentant:
"If people think that discussing homosexuality is controversial,
then they've been living under a rock. "Nobodys Hero" will probably
polarise people, even though the AIDS issue is only a small part of
the lyrical theme, and peple will probably jump to conclusions.
That's their problem. I don't worry about it, whether it's brave or
foolish or whatever. When things affet you, you talk about them and
it comes out in your music. You let it fly. I never had the slightest
idea that it could be interpreted as controversial until someone
pointed it out to me after we'd finished the record. I guess I've
always worked in the music business, which is very tolerant
environment."
Rush, however has worked as an island within a fast running stream,
never joining the main flow and keeping a healthy distance from the
back-slapping and intermingling:
"We don't live in a very 'music business' environment", claims Lee.
"The main reason why we aren't seen around is due to time. We keep
getting offered a lot of stuff, but we made a decision seven or eight
years ago that time that wasn't Rush time was our own time. It would
be no holiday coming out of a Rush project and bouncing straight into
another one with other people. I need time for familly, for personal
travel, all kinds of interest outside of music. I don't know if that
means we're less obsessed about music than most musicians or that we
just get enough of our ya-yas out in Rush. But, like most things
Rush, that's just the way it is."
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 09 Nov 1993 13:02:52 +0100
From: SP ENNEMA <ennema01@dns.nhl.nl>
Subject: article from metal CD
taken from: Metal CD, volume 2 no 1
RUSH through the years
Since their inception in the Toronto bars in the early seven-
ties Rush have always endeavoured to push the limits and
explore the unknown. Warbler/bassist Geddy Lee reflects on the
band's past chapters and talks about the new 'Counterparts'
album with Mark Blake.
Tracklistings of: Rush, Fly By Night, Caress Of Steel, 2112,
All The World's A Stage.
"I rarely listen to any of our records at home. Only if I'm
in the car and one of them comes on the radio, or when I'm
doing an interview at a radio station and the DJ digs out some
old Rush albums.
Those first three records are tough for me to listen to.
They sound very old, and I do find myself cringing. We still
play 'In The Mood', from the first record, live. It's fun to
do, but we're really taking the piss out of it.
'Fly By Night' was a slight improvement, because by that
time Neil (Peart) had joined (as a replacement for John
Rutsey, who drummed on the first album), and we started to
find a little more of our own direction.
'Caress Of Steel' was very indulgent, and I think we got
completly lost. I can listen to '2112', and of those early
albums I think that still holds up the best. I like the
concept behind it, even if it does seem a little naive now,
and I love the passion that's in that record. I sometimes
think of that as our first real album. Altough I still can't
believe my voice. How could I have sung that high? It was no
wonder I had this reputation as a screecher.
The first live album ('All The World's A Stage') is
unlistenable to me. It just sounds painful; it's too coarse
and crude. I hated it then and I hate it now. It was just a
one-shot deal. We had three nights in which to do it, and
there were no second chances. But maybe that really was the
way it sounded; perhaps my memories of Rush back then are
better than the reality!"
Tracklistings of: A Farewell To Kings, Hemispheres, Permanent
Waves, Moving Pictures, Exit...Stage Left
"'A Farewell To Kings'? I haven't listened to that album in
years. I can't remember the last time I heard it. I heard
'Cinderella Man' on the radio the other week, and I was
pleasently surprised by how good it still sounded. I thought
it was a very cool song. Making that album in Wales was a very
pleasant experience. And we even had an almost-hit single with
'Closer To The Heart'.
'Hemispheres' greatest strength was the music rather than
the lyrics. There's some great instrumental material on that
record, but in retrospect I don't think the marriage of music
and words really works. I think it sounds a bit pretentious.
'Prelude', 'Overture' and 'La Villa Strangiato' I still consi-
der to be great pieces of music. They were such fun to write
and to play live. But fitting the lyrics around some of the
music proved to be a problem. 'The Trees' is probalbly the
best song on the record, maybe beause it was the simplest.
'Permanent Waves' was our first record as real songwriters.
I think before that we'd always been musicians first and
songwriters second. 'Spirit Of Radio' was another hit single
and, again, that opened us up to a much broader audience.
But it's 'Moving Pictures' that I still think of as the
quintessential Rush album, even now. It's passed the test of
time better than anything before. It's our landmark. I love
everything about it, even some of Terry's (Brown) unusual
production techniques. Neil's lyrics had changed quite dramti-
cally. Aside from 'Red Barchetta', the themes were much more
down to earth and less fantasy orientated. It's still our
biggest selling album to date.
I'm not so happy with our second live album ('Exit...Stage
Left'). We overadjusted. Our first live record was too raw,
and this one was too slick. We seemed to have filtered out all
the crowd sounds and tried to create another studio album. At
the time I thought it was grate, but it didn't take that long
for me to realise that we'd blown it."
Tracklistings of: Signals, Grace Under Pressure, Power Wind-
ows, Hold Your Fire, A Show Of Hands.
"It's strange, but we never felt under any pressure to
follow up 'Moving Pictures'. We really had altered the whole
sound of the band by this time, with the use of keyboards. I
think we decided, foolishly in retrospect, to become a four-
piece band and give the keys as much space as the guitar.
Which wasn't fair to Alex (Lifeson). But then again, he agreed
to it, so he only has himself to blame! But song-wise I think
that album has some great moments. I still consider
'Subdivisons' to be one of the best things we've ever written.
The live shows did suffer with me juggling vocals, bass and
keyboars. And we even considered adding a fourth member, but
we just couldn't handle the idea.
'Grace Under Pressure' was a grim experience. It was our
first album without Terry, and working with Peter Henderson we
realised how much Terry had protected us in the past.
Lyrically it was a very dark album, and I think it reflects
the problems we had making it. Now that the painful memories
have subsided I can look back and appreciate some of the good
songs. But it was a dark time.
'Power Windows' was a better experience. Again we were using
a lot of keyboards, but in a different way, We actually
brought in Andy Richards, who was a friend of Peter Collins,
to play the keys. And we ended up using them as aural candy -
going for the headphone thrills- rather than the blanket
sounds we'd had on 'Signals' and 'Grace...'. But it was still
though on Alex. We added the keyboars before his guitar parts,
which did put him under extraordinary pressure.
I think of 'Hold Your Fire' as being more of the same. In
fact it seems now to be a very introspective record, even a
little dark. We worked with the Canadian lyricist Pye Dubois
on 'Force Ten', which was the first time we'd written together
since 'Tom Sawyer' (from 'Moving Pictures'), there were some
cool songs floating around on the album, but I have a few
doubts about it as a whole.
I am relatively happy with 'A Show Of Hands' (Rush's third
live album). As happy as I could ever be. A friend said to me,
15 years ago, that I'd never be satisfied. And, musically
speaking, I think he's right."
Tracklistings of: Presto, Roll The Bones
"I guess 'Presto' was a back to basics album, certainly in
terms of songwriting. It was actually a very satisfying album
to write, because we were going for much simpler ideas. Wor-
king with a new production team of Rupert Hine and Stephen
Tayler was another positive move. Sometimes you have to have
change for change's sake.
'Roll The Bones' was a much more diverse record than
'Presto'. I also think it was a better album. The songs were
so much stronger, and we branched out a little more with our
ideas. If anything, it suffers a little sonically. It was too
smooth and a little subdued in parts, whereas it could have
been a bit bolder, a little more aggresseive. But I still
consider it to be one of our best albums ever."
Tracklisting of: Counterparts
"Many people have commented that this record has a greater
sense of immediacy about it than some of the ablums we've made
before. In one way it's a little less sophisticated, which
probably makes it more accessible than some of what we've done
before. The melodies on songs like 'Stick It Out' are much
more direct. And sound-wise it's bolder and right there in
your face. There are more riffs, more rhythms and a much
stronger groove.
I think some of it was a direct result of our experiences on
the 'Roll The Bones' tour. Some of the songs on that album
sounded much better live than they did on record. When we came
to songwriting and recording for the new record, I think that
all three of us were, sub-consciously or otherwise, trying to
capture some of that live feel in what we were doing.
Again, I think we're moving on and re-visiting old haunts. A
song like 'Nobody's Hero' (which tackles homosexuality, atti-
tudes to Aids and the myth surrounding modern day heroes) is
the most direct thing Neil has ever written. It's like nothing
he's done before. Yet we can also do somthing like 'Leave That
Thing Alone' (an instrumental), which is pure fun, complete
recess, and which I think has become recognisable as one of
the musical trademarks on Rush albums."
RUSH: still on rock's cutting edge
"We've toured with some of the more "alternative" bands
around (VoiVod, Primus). I guess we're lucky because we've
never been in or out of fashion, and that has saved us. If
we'd never progressed after 'Hemispheres' I'm sure we'd be
perceived as one of these creaky old heavy rock bands. I
actually think that hard rock is much more vital now than it
has been for years. In the early '80s everything seemed so
shallow and glammy. I like the attitude of rock bands in the
'90s - groups like Soundgarden who I think are fantastic. And
attitude always wins points with me
RUSH factfile
Rush played their first major gig as support to the New York
Dolls in Toronto in 1973.
Donna Halper, a disc jockey with Cleveland-based radio
station WMMS, helped to get the band signed to Mercury Records
in 1974.
Original Rush drummer John Rutsey was replaced in July 1974.
Peart's previous jobs had included selling T-shirts in Lon-
don's Oxford Street.
Rush won the Most Promising Group category at the annual
Juno Awars in February 1975.
The band's first major US tour was in March 1975 as support
to Aerosmith and Kiss.
In June 1976 Rush sold-out three nights at Toronto's 4,000-
seater Massey Hall.
Rush once insisted on having a carpet placed in the centre
of the stage whenever they played live. When British hard
rockers UFO supported the band on a US tour in 1976, they
nailed a pair of slippers to the carpet as a pre-gig prank.
The sleeve shots on '2112' are now legendary in rock
circles, featuring as they did the band wearing satin kimonos
and, in guitarist Alex Lifeson's case, lip gloss.
The band played their debut UK gig at Manchester Free Trade
Hall on June 2 1977.
In January 1978, Rush's 'Closer To The Heart' single (taken
from 'A Farewell To Kings') peaked in the US charts at No 77.
In an interview in 1978, NME journalist Miles accused Rush
of being 'crypto-fascists'.
Legendary dance troupe Pan's People put in one of their most
distinguished performances dancing to Rush's 1980 single
'Spirit Of Radio' on BBC's Top Of The Pops.
Rumour has it that Rush drummer Neil Peart was one of the
many figures pictured on the back cover of the band's 1980
album 'Moving Pictures'.
Rush guested on the track 'Battlescar' by fellow Canadian
hard rockers Max Webster. The song appeared on their 1980
album 'Universal Juveniles' and was later released as a
single.
Ben Mink, of Canadian soft rock outfit FM (no relation to
the UK band of the same name), played violin on the song
'Losing it', from the Rush's 1981 album 'Signals'.
'Time Stand Still', from Rush's 1987 album 'Hold Your Fire',
featured a guest vocal from singer/songwriter Aimee Mann.
Rush's Wembley Arena show on their 1987 UK tour found
frontman Geddy Lee changing the chorus of 'Temples Of Syrinx'
from 'We are the priests of the Temples Of Syrinx' and singing
'We are the plumbers who have come to mend your sink'.
Rush US 'Presto' tour featured such stage props as a gigan-
tic top hat and gigantic bunny rabbits.
Drummer Neil Peart's 'relaxing' hobbies include endurance
cycling.
The 'rap' on the title track of Rush's 1991 album 'Roll The
Bones' was, in fact, by Geddy Lee, although his voice was
afterwards altered beyond recognition in the studio.
Neil Peart: A crazy kinda guy?
"Neil Peart's image is nothing like the reality. He's actu-
ally a fun guy, believe me! It's just that he's a very private
person, and while he does do interviews, he won't travel great
distances to do them. You have to go to him.
I'm sometimes asked if he finds himself under great pressure
as a drummer and lyricis, but the pressure from the rest of us
is nothing compared to the pressure he puts himself under. He
is the most driven human being I have ever met in my life. His
ideas about wahat are expectd of him as a musician and a
songwriter are higher than you could ever imagine. But he does
have his lighter side. Alex and I have grown up with him, so
we just view his intense side as being a little eccentricity.
No more than that."
(pictures: 1: - O, look a camera
Group foto, with some really dumb expressions
2: - the make-up and the lip gloss years
group foto, they're wearing kimonos
3: - big flares and long songs
live shot, around 2112
4: - on the road again
photo in tourbus (Alex is wearing Adidas shoes)
5: - kimono my house
live shot, Alex playing his double-neck
6: - Geddy and UFO's Pete Way - "You got stung by a wasp
andwant me to suck the poison out? You got stung
Where?!"
Pete Way is only wearing a shirt and his underpants.
7: - Rush on the Bar
Picture of the Hammersmith Odeon, I think the same
picture is also in a tourbook
8: - group foto
around Power Windows
9: - Alex and Geddy
10: - Alex playing guitar (live)
11: - Geddy playing bass (live)
12: - Neil behind his drum kit (Exit...Stage Left era)
13: - Geddy with a baton (outside shot)
14: - live shot (Presto)
)
album review:
rush - counterparts
London Listings guide Time Out once described a Rush concert
at Wembley Arena as being packed with chemistry students: a
cruel but fair assumption. Now the band find themselves
middle-aged, gobsmackingly gifted, but faced with the problem
of how to avoid being perceived as over the hill techno-bores,
especially in an age when musical virtuosity comes a poor
second to attitude and gut reaction.
Ever since 1989's shaky 'Presto' album, Rush seem to have
been keeping their more grandiose leanings in check. And while
they drop their guard on occasion, 'Counterparts' (their 15th
studio outing) is the band's most direct and unfussy record to
date.
At times it's aking to seeing Albert Einstein pretending to
struggle with a CSE maths paper. For there are moments when
you marvel at the simplicty of the songs and wonder exactly
when drummer Neil Peart is going to launch into one of his
wrist-spraining fills. Of course he does eventually; but the
opening song, 'Animate', slips in with a 1-2-3-4 countdown
which, while hardly Joey Ramone, is followed up with one of
Alex Lifeson's most fortright guitar riffs and a Geddy Lee
vocal more passionate and less grating than of old. Followed
by 'Stick It Out' - all spooky bass rumble and chirpy chorus -
it sets a tone for the rest of the album.
'Cut To The Chase' suggest a smattering of 'Moving
Pictures'-era tension in its interplay between the three
players but the tempo is more subdued. In fact there are
momentary bursts of brilliance within the songs (rather than
individual tracks) that muscle into the consciousness ahead of
the rest, setting a high standard on Peart's lyrically
scathing 'Nobody's Hero' that lasts through 'Between Sun And
Moon', 'Alien Shore', and 'Double Agent'. Although the simple
touch does get left in the locker room on 'Leave That Thing
Alone', an instrumental flip-out (a la 'YYZ' and 'La Villa
Strangiato') which lets you know that they still show of and
will do if and when the next tour reaches your town.
Yet the most revealing moment actual comes with 'Cold Fire',
a song containing a cynical, humorous lyric of the mystery of
personal relationships and the battles of the sexes. A
generation weaned on the band's star trekking '70s period of
their cold scientific stance in the last decade might consider
such affairs of the heart unlikely subject matter for Rush.
Not so. It's taken them more than 20 years, but 'Counterparts'
suggests that the school swots are finally playing truant and
have landed themselves girlfriends. So they were (original in
italics) human after all.
**** (out of *****) Mark Blake
(picture: Rush's Alex Lifeson: finally playing truant and
found himself a girlfriend
a close up of Alex (Face only))
There's also a real cool advertisement, a 3 by 4 block with
pictures:
rush I don't know falling rocks
the new album what this is (traffic sign)
counterparts (some candy)
a kind of bread whiskey glass an alarmclock
with ice and some on a rock
lemonade
a famous guy Limited edition two black ankles
(I don't know cd with with some
who) special juwelry
(Cary Grant?) ** Deluxe packaging
another kind of wooden horse (?) CD case-front
bread
HOW MANY WAYS DO WE HAVE TO SAY IT?
** (Cary Grant was mentioned by: J.Screaton@sheffield.ac.uk, but I
don'tknow if it is the same advert, so it could be someone else)
In the same magazine there's also an interview with Peter Collins,
if someone wants a electronic copy of it, email me at
ennema01@hio.tem.nhl.nl
SP
ennema01@hio.tem.nhl.nl
"Open, open, open moet het zijn", The Scene.
(You all know what that means, don't you? :-)
----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1993 01:36:34 -0600 (CST)
From: "David Bell" <dbell@merle.acns.nwu.edu>
Subject: Geddy Lee Interview, Bass Player Dec. 93
"Geddy Lee: Still Going!"
By Karl Coryat
_Bass Player Magazine_, Dec. 1993 pp.40-48
>> How many bands have made 19 records in 19 years, have a huge following
that almost ensures platinum sales for each new album, and sell out the
biggest arenas whenever they come through town?
Rush. That's about the only band that matches the description. But if
you think Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer Neil Peart have
merely learned to cash in on a tried-and-true multimillion-dollar formula
year after year, you're dead wrong. Although they're as heavy as a
locomotive, Rush changes direction like a hummingbird; each record explores
new territories and redirects the band's sonic and musical focuses, without
compromising the distinctive Rush style. Even though it's been a while
since their envelope-pushing epics of the '70s, it's nice to see a veteran
band alive and well rather than decaying into nostalgia and nothingness.
Take, for example, _Counterparts_. The latest Rush record is sparser yet
bigger-sounding than their last few efforts, an approach only hinted at on
1992's _Roll the Bones_. Ten years ago, the band's lyrics heralded the
promises of digital information and the space shuttle; this year, they
lament AIDS and homelessness. [<--Can anybody explain that one??-DB] It's
clear Rush is in tune with the 90's.
Yet one thing has been true all along: despite the throngs of lay
listeners who've stuck with Rush throughout the years, this is a
_musicians'_ band. An steady two-decades-long stream of ambitious
bass-driven songs have made Geddy Lee perhaps the most admired bassist in
the land. He was Bass Player's first Bassis Of The Year in 1991, and this
year he won in our Reader's Poll's Rock category. (Meanwhile, Rush was voted
Favorite Band and Neil Peart named Favorite Musician Who Doesn't Play Bass.)
Maybe that's why, when he came to New York for a string of press interviews
in support of _Counterparts_, Geddy gave Bass Player the first shot.
BP: How do you account for your enduring popularity with bassists?
GL: I guess because the music we do always seems to be "players' music" no
matter how hard we try to make it anything else.
BP: So you're always trying to expand you're audience?
GL: I don't know if I'd say that. We're always trying different musical
approaches, and we try to emphasize different aspects of the rhythm. But it
seems no matter how hard we try, we can't leave the music uncomplicated.
Somehow, the "player" sides of our personalities always sneak into the
crafting of our records, and I think that's what appeals to a lot of young
musicians.
BP: When you're working on a new record, do you specifically try to write a
hit single?
GL: We never try to write a single because we don't know how to do it--and
I guess our history proves that out. We;ve never had a "hit single" in
conventional terms. We don't try to write anything but _songs_, and how
they come out depends only on where we happen to be at, musically and
lyrically, when we write them. Some songs seem to suit a more conventional
approach, so we try to make those into classic tunes, both melodically and
structurally. Other songs seem to require a bit more lunacy, so we don't
bother with anything conventional.
The key for us is to make a record with lots of variety. That could be
our bane, but it's also what makes, I think, an interesting album
overall--to have a bit of everything. Because of that, we sometimes get
criticized for not having a cohesive record. But at the end of the day it
keeps the music interesting to make, and it offers people something
interesting to listen to. That's our theory, anyway, and I guess we'll live
and die by it.
BP: What are your feelings about _Counterparts_?
GL: I'm pretty pleased with it. I think it's the best-sounding record
we've done in quite some time. There was a large emphasis on getting it to
sound a particular way, and I think we were successful at that. Musically,
there are moments I am very happy with, while other moments could have
turned out differently. I'm pleased with the melodies and the melodic
structures, and I think we were successful at trying a few different things.
I can't look back at our stuff and say, "I'm happy with this record," or
"I'm happy with that record"--it's always a track-by-track thing. Ten years
ago when we finished an album I'd love everything about it. I guess after
so many years of making records, I now allow myself the luxury of being able
to criticize myself. It no longer breaks my heart to wish something had
turned out differently--I still appreciate that it was successful on a
certain level.
BP: Have you ever been unhappy with an album immediately after recording
it?
GL: Yes--I wasn't happy with _Grace Under Pressure_. But it was a no-win
situation in that case because that album was extremely difficult to make.
We went through tremendous turmoil and pressure making it, and I don't think
I _could_ have liked it given the circumstances. As soon as the record was
done, I wanted to get away from it--and I've rarely listened to it since,
because it's attached to too many difficult memories.
BP: Ten or tweleve years ago, Rush had a certain amount of mainstream
visibility you don't have now--yet your fan base is still huge.
GL: It's like we're a big cult band. Our mainstream visibility comes and
goes, depending on the particular album and the whims and vagaries of TV and
radio exposure.
BP: Would you rather be in the position you're in now or be more visible?
GL: I'm quite happy where I am, because I can make the music I love to
make, and I have a tremendous amount of freedom with it. We're able to go
on big tours, and if we want to do a big production, that's possible because
our shows always do well. I'm sure a lot of bands would love to have a
loyal following that's always interested in whatever they happen to be up
to. I'm very appreciative of our fans--especially the Bass Player readers,
who have been incredibly loyal.
BP: Do you ever feel as if you're just going through the motions?
GL: Not when I'm writing, and not when I'm recording. Sometimes I feel
that way when we're playing, though. Halfway through a long tour, there are
times when I do find myself going through the motions--and that's a
dangerous position to be in. So we try to stop that from happening; we
organize our tours so we don't have too many performances in a row without a
day off. That helps to keep us from doing "automatic" performances--we
never get too slick, where we could do it blindfolded.
BP: Will there be a tour with a big production for the new record?
GL: Probably. It's in our nature to do it.
BP: What steps do you go through to make the album?
GL: We used pretty much the same approach we've used on the last few
albums: what we call "boy's camp." For about two months, we go away
somewhere to write, do preproduction, and rehearse. The only thing we did
differently this time was we did a lot of the writing digitally; rather than
go to tape, we used a software program from Cubase Audio. We write with a
drum machine, just to get the arrangements fairly together, so when Neil
goes to play to a song he has something fairly organized. But we had an
_enormous_ amount of technical problems, so parts of the writing process
went very slowly. By the time we got to the rehearsal stage, Neil was a
little short on time, and when we started to go through things with our
producer, Neil was under the gun to get his parts together. He went through
a massive rehearsal period; he works tremendously hard and it's incredible
to witness.
After two months of that, we started recording. We transferred over the
demo versions onto the 24-track, and Neil played to the demos. At that
point, as always, he had his parts worked out to a T--99% of his parts were
worked out, and he has about a 70% success rate at getting the entire take
in one try. Neil did 11 drum tracks in two-and-a-half days. We're big
believers, more and more, in rehearsing before we record--especially in
terms of the "bed" [basic] tracks, because it seems the more you rehearse
the faster the recording goes. Rehearsing also enables you to focus more on
the performance when you know exactly what you're going to play; that way
the production team can concentrate on making sure the performances are
spirited and not stale.
Basically, all of the bed tracks were done in about a week. That left
some time for Alex to do guitars and for me to play around with vocal ideas.
We don't like to mess around when it comes time to record--we like to get in
there and get it done.
BP: Why did you go back to Peter Collins as your producer?
GL: We recorded our last two records with Rupert Hines; they turned out
great, and working with him was a fine experience. But this time we wanted
to get away from the English sound we've had lately--a smaller, more layered
sound. We listened to some of the records that have been made in America
over the last few years, and they a bigger, bolder, more exciting sound, and
that was the direction we wanted to take. At the same time we didn't want
to work with a producer who wasn't a "song" person. It would have been easy
to grab an engineer and say, "Let's make a record." But if you do that,
you're cheating yourself out of the extra objectivity a non-engineer
producer can bring to a project--someone who keeps his focus on the songs
and the performances and who isn't caught up in the technology.
We enjoyed working with Peter before [on Power Windows and Hold Your
Fire], but back then he was primarily a pop producer, which was foreign to
us. Since then he's been living living in the U.S., and he's been working
with a large number of heavy bands whose music has more to do with ours, so
we were intrigued. We;ve always kept in touch and were looking for an
opportunity to work together, and we decided to try it this time. I'm glad
we did.
Since we had a certain sound in mind for the record, Peter helped us to
go on a search for the right engineer. We listened to hundreds of tapes
trying to find the right guy. And, for the first time, we used one engineer
to do the recording and another to do the mixing. We wanted to bring in
someone fresh--a "mixologist"--and see how it benefitted the record, just
for our own education. It worked great.
The recording engineer ended up being a South African named Kevin "The
Caveman" Shirley. His name says it all; we were after bold and organic
sounds, and he was the man for the job--he has brilliant miking technique
and a great ear for natural recording. When it came time to record my bass,
I had all of these amps lying around. He pulled out an Ampeg head someone
had resurrected from the garbage, plugged it into some Trace Elliot cabinets
I had, and went out there and insisted on EQing the amp himself. He cranked
the shit out of it and miked the cabinets in a way only he knows. I also
had a DI going through a Palmer speaker simulator into the console. I used
a mix of the two; when we wanted a more in-your-face bass sound, with less
air and distortion, I would use just the DI track. On one, "Animate," I
used just the amp, which got the sound really pumping and funky.
Kevin also talked us into using techniques we hadn't used in years. He
had Alex play in the studio instead of the control room, to get that natural
resonance happening between hus guitar and amp. He also got Alex to bypass
all of his effects--just his guitar straight into Marshalls and other amps.
And on every track he had me use my early-'70s Fender Jazz Bass, which I
hadn't played in years.
BP: Why the Jzz?
GL: Peter first suggested it when we were discussing the record early on.
We were talking about the sound we wanted, and he told me it might it might
be a good idea to a bass without active pickups, to get a more aggressive
sound. I thought it was a great suggestion--and I like changing basses
every couple of years, anyway. So I started to use it when we were writing.
Alex, who does all of the engineering during the writing stage, got a great
sound from the bass and I was happy with the direction we were going with
it. From then on, there was no turning back.
We were really after _size_ when we made this record. Rather than use
the SSL console to record all of the instruments, we used an old Neve
console; almost all of the things that required decent bottom end went
through the Neve. We always had the old technology and the new technology
running simultaneously. We walked that line all the way through the record,
even on the final mixes.
The mixing was done by an Australian engineer named Michael Letho, who
brought in a different kind of sophistication and put everything into its
proper hifi perspective. All of the tracks were mixed to DAT, but one tune,
"Everyday Glory," ended up being an analog-tape mix. For the last few years
I've mixed only to digital, because I figured it was just a better tape
recorder. But certain songs have a heavier midrange content, and on
playback the analog recorder softens the midrange a bit, giving it a more
likable sound. It's not as efficient-sounding in terms of the top and
bottom end, but it's nicer to listen to.
BP: How did you approach the bass playing? Did you write more songs on
bass?
GL: Many of the songs were written on bass, and a lot of them began with
just bass and vocals. I tried to use a much more rhythmic approach this
time. I've enjoyed listening to Primus, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and
Soundgarden--bands that have a more active rhythmic role coming from the
bass. That's a direction we started going on _Roll the Bones_: trying to
use a bit funkier approach to rock and trying to make it more
groove-oriented. As a bass player, I wanted to push myself in that
direction, also.
When I try to lock into a more repetitive, groove-like thing, I've found
it's not about playing fewer notes--there are still the same number of notes
per bar--but there is less of a _variety_ of notes per bar. I had great fun
doing the _Counterparts_ bass tracks because of it; I felt like I was
learning something all over again, and I was able to use things I already
knew but applied in a different way. And I got a lot of support from Neil
in that direction; he got right into it as well. I'm looking forward to
playing these songs live. Of our last five or six records, this one will be
the most fun to play live.
BP: How do you come up with a set list these days?
GL: It gets harder and harder every time. Coming up with the set list for
this tour is going to be a nightmare. I imagine, because we're coming up on
the 20th anniversary of our first record, we'll try to include as many songs
from as many albums as possible. It remains to be seen whether we'll pull
it off.
BP: As a bassist who plays a lot of notes, how do you make your parts fit?
GL: I think the bizarre nature of our music allows for more notes. First
of all, we have a hyper-active drummer, so it makes for a busier rhythm
section. When you think of Rush, you don't think of a sedate rhythm
section. I have to say, though, that over the last couple of years, Neil
has learned more than ever how to exercise restraint. He listens a lot more
to the vocals now, and he tries to stay out of the way. He also has more
respect for how important it is to give freedom to the vocal line, and he
understands there's a time and a place to do the things he does. We try to
hold the "chops" side of our music in reserve and save it for the
appropriate moment. But we always allow for that moment to exorcise those
demons, and when the moment comes, we let it rip. That way, if there's a
tune that's a little more reserved and we get frustrated about not being
able to smoke on our instruments, we can think, Hey--there's _this_ song
coming up and we can play like maniacs then.
BP: You must occasionally hear tapes by young players whose bass playing
really is excessive. How would you convey to a player like that the idea of
taste?
GL: I would tell him to figure out what's the essential thing that's
selling the song--what is the _heart_ of the song? Is it the vocal
performance? The guitar part? The rhythm section? The lyrical concept?
In every tune, there's something that _makes_ the song, and every other part
has to serve that element. If you're having trouble figuring out when to be
busy or what's wrong with the arrangement, try to boil it down to the one
element that makes the song potentially great and build your arrangement
around that.
BP: Over your career, what qualities do you think you've developed most?
GL: I guess it would be knowing when to groove and bite my tongue--when to
stay out of my own way. Sometimes I view my job as being the element that
keeps the rhythm section smooth, that tries to make it feel groove-oriented.
Early in our history, the groove wasn't so important; a lot of the stuff we
wrote was intentionally herky-jerky, with shocking changes of meter and
things like that. But over the last few years, we've been trying to make
music that has a little soul to it, and I view my role as smoothing out any
rhythmic things that are uncomfortable--to make the rhythm section sound
more fluid and glued-together.
BP: Do you agree with players who say the groove is sacred?
GL: Yes, but it also depends on where you are--what stage of development
you're at and what kind of music is turning you on at the moment. Sometimes
it's not the groove you're going for; it's more _math_. At some point you
have to appreciate that certain musicians get turned on by playing with the
math, and that's okay.
BP: There are people who'd say that kind of music isn't as valid.
GL: It's perfectly valid. If _you_ think it's valid, it is, and that's all
that counts. But that doesn't mean anyone else is going to like it! You
may or may not make a living at it, and you may not turn on anyone else
besides yourself. If you're going to play with math, do it because you love
to do it--not because you expect anyone else to dig it. But if you want to
make music that comes from any other part of your body than your head, you
have to serve the groove.
BP: What have you been listening to in recent years that's made you
appreciate the groove more?
GL: I think it's just happened. I've been listening to a lot of different
things--like old blues records that really don't have much of a groove. I
wouldn't say there's one thing that's made me want to play in the groove; it
just feels like a natural place to arrive at as a musician.
I like an incredible variety of stuff these days. Les Claypool's playing
really turns me on; I think he's got a great sense of rhythm. I also like
Dean Garcia, who plays in Curve. he's got these zooming bass parts that fly
around and are very interesting melodically, and there's a lot of passion to
his playing.
BP: Do you find it easier, now that you're playing more groove-oriented
bass lines, to sing and play at the same time?
GL: Yes, to a certain degree. But I still have to go through that process
of training myself separately. I first make sure I've got the bass part
down, so I'm not struggling. Then I start singing, and it just takes
practice--doing it over and over again. Eventually, I get locked in.
BP: How do you get your voice ready for a show?
GL: On our last tour, I noticed I had to spend at least 20 minutes warming
it up. I don't do it in a brutal way, as I used to do when I was younger;
it's more of a stretching exercise, like what you do before you play tennis
or whatever. I start by singing scales, very easily. Then I sing to a
tape, without vocals, of three or four of our songs with parts in different
ranges. That way I warm up in a more realistic and less boring way than
singing only scales. Warming up makes a tremendous difference, and when I
hit the stage my voice is open. What I gain in the front end of the show I
lose in the back end, because after two hours my voice is tired. But I feel
a lot more comfortable going into the show, because I have much more
control.
I don't like to warm up for recording, though. Funny things happen to
your voice when it's not warmed up, and sometimes if it's not fully open it
has an appealing character you want to capture on tape.
BP: Why does Neil write all of your lyrics?
GL: For one thing, Alex and I are lazy. Neil has done such a good job over
the years, we feel as though anything we came up with would be crummy. But
if we have ideas for songs we jot them down and see if Neil can use them.
BP: You used to write lyrics.
GL: I wrote all of them years ago, but that was mostly out of necessity. I
didn't know what the hell I was doing. It was like how you got into a
band--four guys would get together and someone would say, "Okay you play
bass, you play guitar...." That was what it was like for me: "You're the
singer, so you write the lyrics." Our lyrics in those days, though, were
meaningless--they were just teenage angst words, that sort of thing. Now,
when I try writing lyrics, I find I have a lot of things I want to say, but
they always come out sounding a little naive. So I turn them over to the
prof and let him polish them up.
BP: How much do you involve Neil in the writing of the music?
GL: A lot. Alex and I do the bulk of the writing, but Neil's ear is
invaluble to us. He comes in and tells us if something's wrong or if one
part could be used somewhere else; he makes great suggestions. In the same
way, we act as a soundingboard for his lyrics, and he and I work closely
ironing out the meter of the words. As a singer, I get pleasure out of
working with him because if I'm having a problem getting emotional value out
of a line, he doesn't hesitate to change something. Up until the point when
we're recording the final vocal, he listens to how I'm singing the lines and
makes suggestions for changes. There's no ego involved; he's a consummate
professional and he accommodates me as much as he can without compromising
the intent of the song.
BP: Some of Rush's strongest tunes are your instrumentals. Would you ever
consider doing an all-instrumental record?
GL: We get more and more people responding to our instrumentals, but I
don't think so--we always have to be shooting off our mouths about
something. The instrumentals are great fun to do, though, and they're easy;
recording them is like recess for us. We always try to save one slot per
album for an instrumental; the one on _Counterparts_, "Leave That Thing
Alone," turned out particularly well.
BP: You were taking piano lessons a while back. Did you keep up with them?
GL: No I didn't. I wish I had, but I got busy and one thing led to
another. With that instrument, you have to be _very_ dedicated--especiall
an old dog like me. I found I had to be extremely disciplined, but my life
was too busy and I started losing the ability to practice the way I wanted
to. I hope it's something I can pick up again when things slow down.
Also, my motivation has gotten away from keyboards and back to bass, so I
can focus more on playing bass. When I was in the keyboard mode I found I
was taking my bass playing for granted; I went through a period when I
didn't grow that much. Now that I've narrowed my focus, I think it's helped
my playing.
BP: Where do you want your bass playing to go?
GL: I just want to get better--to be able to groove better. My ultimate
goal is to be able to have all of these abilities at my disposal--where I
can fit into any musical circumstance and draw upon any necessary style.
I've always liked playing aggressive music, but it would be nice to get a
combination of groove and dexterity and still maintain a melodic sense.
BP: In your off time do you work on your playing, or do you just want to
get away from it?
GL: To a large degree I walk away from music. After spending seven months
touring, I can't even look at my bass. A lot of the musical development I
do is in the course of a tour--that's the greatest opportunity to improve.
Not only am I playing regularly, but there's a lot of dead time when I'm
sitting around, and that's good time to work on my chops.
BP: What do you do in your off time?
GL: All kinds of stuff. I travel, I play tennis, I go to art galleries,
and I go to ball games. And I spend a lot of time with my family. My wife
and I have taken up cycling; we try to stay active.
BP: How would you like the Rush saga to end?
GL: I don't know. Hopefully it won't be because there's a million people
out there saying, "Go away!" Instead, I'd like the decision to come from
us. I'd like it to be a situation where the three of us look at each other
and say, "You know, it's been great. See ya." I don't know how long we can
go, and we don't think about it anymore--we just take it one album at a
time. I have a feeling we'll know when when it's time to pack it in, but
hopefully there are still a few records left in us.
BP: After so many years of continued success, what's kept you from resting
on your laurels?
GL: It's just not interesting to keep doing the same thing from record to
record. I'm always looking back on our last album and thinking, I'm not
happy about this, that, and the other thing. I guess as long as you keep
being unhappy in one way or another with something you've just completed, it
gives you somewhere to go.
We always feel as if there's a better record in us, so every time we go
into the studio, we try to make that perfect record. But we haven't made it
yet, so I guess we'll keep trying. <<
Phew. That was slightly painful, but I'm OK. Any notes of thanks will
be appreciated as I nurse my aching typing fingers back to bass playing
strength. Please excuse any typos, of course.
Personally, I think it was a pretty good interview. I particularly
enjoyed Geddy's analysis of himself and the other guys as constantly
battling to keep their musicians' "demons" in check. Whole new twist on
"counterparts" eh? Now I'll always imagine Geddy as he's playing through
something like "Bravado", "God, this is boring. Can't wait to play YYZ
next..." Anyhow, too bad there wasn't much specific Cp content. Perhaps
the author didn't have access to a preview copy. Oh well. I hope you
enjoyed reading it.
--David Bell
dbell@merle.acns.nwu.edu
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Copyright (C) 1993 by The Rush Fans Mailing List
Editor, The National Midnight Star
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End of The National Midnight Star Number 812
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