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Who's Hot, and Letters Who's Getting Feedback from our readers Listings Hotter The most complete guide to rock Veteran rockers are being chal on the road, plus: radio and TV lenged by a horde of newcomers; listings, Top 20, radio airplay a look at both factions charts, video game news, more I Who's Hot Circus Word Find Jefferson Starship, Foreigner, Jour Puzzling game for fans ney, Supertramp, J. Geils Band -(Steven Dean Pastis) -(Philip Bashe, Richard Hogan) Front Pages 55 Who's Getting News from the rock & roll scene Hotter -(Lisa Robinson) Men at Work, Stray. Cats, Adam Movie Eye Ant, Loverboy and Joe Jackson In-focus looks at Tootsie, Sophie's 10 Pat Benatar -(Philip Bashe) Choice and That Championship Season Stage Pass -(Fred Schruers) The first lady of rock _headlines the Garden, plus: Peter Gabriel in Photo Journal concert Up-to-date reports on your favor -(Andy Secher) ite ro·ckers "Datelihe: Rock & Roll," a flash -(Richard Hogan) back of rock history. This month, Song Lyrics il Includes hits by Kiss, Saga, Led March 1972: Yes Zeppelin and the Who -(Philip Bashe) 50 Sammy Hagar Thanks to Three Lock Box, this may be his breakthrough year Lo'ngplayers -(Dan Hedges) 61 Reviews of the new LPs by Bob 16 Ozzy Osbourne & Seger, Sammy Hagar, Yoko Ono, Black Sabbath the English Beat, After years of feuding, Ozzy and more his old band reach an uneasy -(John Swenson, George Arthur) truce. Will they be working to Stars' gether again? 74 Back Pages -(Richard Hogan) Instruments Inside information on the rock scene Stanley Clarke -(Lou O'Neill Jr.) il Aerosmith The Return to Forever bassist still How they're doing after the long uses Alembic Circus (ISSN 0009-7365) is pub- sabbatical -(John Stix) , lished monthly by Circus Enter -(Dan Hedges) prises Corporation, 419 Park Ave Test Reports nue South, New York, N.Y (212) The Epiphone Special guitar and 685-5050. Return postage must Van Halen the Alembic Spoiler bass accompany all unsolicited manu i5 -(John Stix, Barry Lipman) scripts, drawings and photographs. A pictorial look at the premier U.S. Entire contents Copyright© 1983 by heavy band Circus Enterprises Corporation. All Electronic Drums rights reserved. Reproduction or They're coming of age in the '80s use without permission of editorial i8 David Lee Roth -(John Stix) or pictorial matter in any form is prohibited. Printed in U.S.A. Sub o Please send free OMNI data. Poster ., I Guitar Clinic scription rates $19 for 12 issues; Jimmy Page's hammering heroics if mailed outside the U.S., add Name ______-(Arlen Roth) an additional $6.00. Second class Rush . postage paid at New York, N.Y and Circus Magazine goes face to face at additional mailing offices. POST Address ______Tech Trek with Geddy Lee ., I MASTER: PLEASE SEND FORM New products from the music 3579 TO CIRCUS MAGAZINE, PO. Clty ______Stat.e..e ______Zlp' ___ -(Philip Bashe) factory #277 BOX 265, MT MORRIS, ILL 61054.
CIRCUS/5 Face to face with Rush's Geddy Lee
o by Philip Bashe
Neil Peart's lyrics, says Lee, have become less wordy but use Rush's most recent LP, 'Signals,' was "a velY difficult album more imagery. Earlier lyrics, he feels, were too specific. to make," says Lee. The recording took 10 weeks.
t first derided by critics as far?" He was greatly relieved when the CIRCUS: When did you come to the anachronisms from the late questioning returned to the music. . decision that it was' time to simplify . '60s, Rush seemed to skip the Music has always been the first Rush's music? A '70s entirely and head di priority for this most image-less of rock LEE: Just after Hemispheres, which rectly into the '80s, especially with groups, and it's part of Rush's appeal. was the last side-long concept fhat we their most recent album, Signals (Mer "Image is not really important," con put together. We were real pleased cury). It's been three yeaTS. now since tended Lee. "If there's an image for this with it, but we thought, O.K., now they left behind the side-long suites band, it comes from the music." we've gotten the knack of doing this, and elaborate arrangements of such CIRCUS: The Rush of the '80s is and it would be silly to do it again. We records as 2112 and A Farewell to markedly different from the Rush of decided it was time to work on other Kings. The new model Rush is sparser, the '70s: The songs are more concise, aspects of the band, like being able to more melodic-and more effective. you no longer sing in such a high key, construct beautiful melodies and being Circus Magazine recently spoke at etc. These changes are most apparent able to write things that get a point length with Geddy Lee about Rush's on Signals, which many are calling across in a shorter period Of time. change in direction and more modern your best rec'ord to date. Do you see it CIRCUS: Was it a case of at first sensibility. The reserved bassist! expanding your audience? just trying to increase your musical vocalist gladly discussed musical in LEE: I don't know. I always have a vocabularies and then reaching a point q;uiries, but was typically reticent to real difficult time guessing; it seems where it was no longer necessary to tl\lk about his offstage life; like the the more I know about the band and prove your virtuosity via long songs other members of Rush (guitarist Alex the music business, the less I know. and solos? Lifeson and drummer Neil Peart), he The album is a little different. I'm sure LEE: Yeah. You go . through many steadfastly protects his privacy. Asked it's going to bring in people who how far outside 'Ibronto, Canada he weren't hip to the band before, and According to Lee, Alex Lifeson (1'.) has lives, Lee paused uncomfortably and maybe it'll lose some of the more hard broad musical tastes, "from Pat Metheny asked, "Do I really have to say how core heavy-metal fans. to Martha and the Muffins."
42 CIRCUS "The music we're LEE: No, we just bring our road crew with us. making now is still CIRCUS: Alex is supposed to be a complicated, but in pretty good cook. Did he make any GIANT FULL gourmet dishes for the band and a much more subtle crew while you were putting Signals COLOR POSTERS way."-Geddy Lee together? LEE: You know, he hasn't cooked for us in quite a while-that's a bone of only st.ages: At first, your goals are simply contention right now (laughs). He did to become a better musician, and so make us some fine breakfasts while we $3.50 you tend to think, "Well, I guess that were writing the album, though. each means I have to play a little harder CIRCUS: The music you're present and make my music more compli ly making seems to be the result of a cated." more relaxed, confident attitude in the The music we're making now is still band; you're commercially successful, complicated, but in a much more subtle you don't have to tour as much as you The 8eetles 138 way. once did- CIRCUS: Do you think some of the LEE: Yeah, but we still do! Although early Rush albums, which contained you're correct-we're certainly more those lengthy, complex pieces, went relaxed, and we have achieved an over the heads of some of your audi amount of success that allows us to be ence? more relaxed in the way we do LEE: I'm sure they sometimes did, things-I'm not sure if Signals had although they weren't jazz-rock or any that type of feel because of that. thing like that. They were still within . '"~ CIRCUS: Because you all have a rock framework, and even though 1(j families-and you appear to be pretty c they were complex, I'm sure that with <>: family-oriented people-have you had repeated listenings people understood. Alex Lifeson and Lee above: Rush work as a democl'Clcll, sailS the bassist. "We to try to achieve more of a balance Jim Morrison 139 It just depended upon how much the discuss everllthing." between your career and your home person listening wanted to put into life? Is that important to you? them ... or how much brain power they idea. There's argui~g that goes on from varied. But yes, that style of music LEE: Yes, it's very important. At one had (laughs). time to time-we're human beings certainly influenced us on Signals. point it was·the band, and nothing else CIRCUS: Along with the musical but it's usually resolved. CIRCUS: Was it an easy album to really mattered. simplification, there's also been a CIRCUS: Has there ever been a make? CIRCUS: Does maintaining that change in Neil Peart's lyrics; they've time when you were completely baffled LEE: No! It was a very difficult balance help you retain your enthu become less wordy and more direct, yet by a Peart lyric? album to make. It took us a long time siasm for playing? there's more imagery than before. LEE: Usually I'm pretty much in to get a real feel for each tune, because LEE: Definitely. At this point, al LEE: That's another area we're mov synch with him, but there are times they're all so different from one an though it is still exciting, we have to ing into. We got to the point where our when I don't grasp the point he's trying other. We had to live with those songs pace ourselves so that it stays exciting. lyrics were so literal that they left little to make, or maybe I don't agree with longer to get a fresh perspective on 'Ib stay on the road for six, eight to the imagination. Sometimes it's nice the point he's trying to make. them, and we experimented a lot be months would kill it for us, because we to talk in images instead of being so CIRCUS: Many of Peart's lyrics de fore finally settling on one thing. have kids back home and they're grow descriptive and telling the listener ex cry the potential evils of modern tech CIRCUS: Has there ever been a ing up. actly what we mean. nology. How do you feel about modern record that's come together relatively But the band is still important to us, CIRCUS: You have a unique situa technology in music? In some cases, painlessly? and we want to keep it that way. For us tion in Rush, where Peart the drum can't it be used as subterfuge for a lack LEE: Permanent Waves. It was real to keep doing this as long as we can, it mer writes the words but you sing of ability? simple; I don't know why. It was just always has to be fun. That's why we them. Do you discuss the lyrical con LEE: That's true, but you can't look one of those sessions you dream about; make sure we get home and have tent first? Is it necessary for you to at it that way. There are always going everything felt good. It just clicked. enough time there, so that when we do fully comprehend his meaning? to be people who are less proficient at CIRCUS: You tend to rehearse in come back on the road to playa show, LEE: No, I don't have to understand using the technology at hand. I think some rather pastoral areas of Canada. we really want to play that show; that it exactly, but I do have to get a picture you have to look at the positive aspects: What is it about the countryside that it's not just another date on a long list of it that I can relate to. I can't sing how much expression it's bringing into you find so conducive to writing and of dates. something that I have no feeling for. the hands of the people who normally rehearsing? . CIRCUS: Rush are fortunate in that · ------MAIL TO: CIRCUS MAGAZINE, DEPARTMENT 8M2, We discuss every lyric before it's re would not be able to express it. LEE: Well, it's not really so much all of you seem to share similar values. 419 PARK AVE. SOUTH, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10016 corded, just as we discuss every bit of CIRCUS: On Signals, you use syn that there are trees and such, it's just It'd be a problem if two members NAME ______music to make sure it's the right thing. thesizers more than ever before; they that there are a lot less people around wanted to spend more time with their Everything we do is discussed by the fill up spaces that normally would be than at home, and the phone isn't families and another insisted that ADDRESS, ______group. filled by Alex's guitar. It sounds as if ringing every five minutes. That's the more time be allocated to the group. CllY______STATE ______ZIP ______CIRCUS: Sounds like you have you've been listening to techno-rock main reason we go away. It's nice to get LEE: I think that's been the most quite a democracy. groups such as Ultravox. away from the constant barrage of important aspect of keeping Rush go _138 _140 _143 __ 146 __ 149 LEE: Yeah, one of the few working LEE: Yes, we have been, although decisions that you have to make and ing. It also helps when there are only __ 139 _141 _144 __ 147 __ 150 ones (laughs). We hash it out and see not just Ultravox. Alex is in a whole having everybody on your back. You three of you; it's a lot less chaotic trying _142 _145 __ 148 want to be alone and be able to concen who's making sense. other world; his record collection to reach conclusions if it's only between YES, RUSH ME THE POSTERS t HAVE CHECKED. Number of posters __ x $3.50 = $___ . CIRCUS: What if you come to a ranges from Pat Metheny to Martha trate on writing. three people. I'll tell you, we're really Add $1.50 for Postage and Handling. Total enclosed = $ Do NOT Send CIRCUS: Do your families accom stalemate? and the Muffins-pretty broad scope lucky. 0 Cash. Enclose Check or Money Order ONLY (Canadian Residents: payment in U.S. LEE: Then we just pass on the whole there. I think everybody's tastes are pany you? currency.) (NY residents add 8.25% sales tax.) M
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