Alex L1feson: His guitar playing has become one of Rush's most recognizable features. the thraa musketeers Legendary Trio Complete New Album And Prepare For International Tour. of 'producer for the next Rush opus, sort out what we want to do. by Kerry Doole another lengthy interview with yet Signals was a transitional album for eddy Lee looked as though another rock scribe, and then a chat us. We were groping in the dark. It he'd just pitched nine in­ with a couple of young Canuck fans was about expanding the horizons nings of his beloved base­ who had crossed the Atlantic just of the band and the sound, and the G ball. Rush was nearing the for this chance to rub shoulders next album will be a little closer to end of a major European ! our when with their heroes. what we were really pointing to on we caught up with the band in the Selling out Wembley for four Signals." cavernous bowels of Wembley straight nights is reason enough for It is this penchant for Arena, the London venue reserved anyone to wear a smug, se lf­ progression, this commitment to for the upper echelons of the rock satisfied sm ile, but Geddy Lee's change, that sets Rush apart from heirarchy. mind was already on the next the heavy-metal mainstream, and It is a measure of Lee's class and album, scheduled for early 1984 the new album should further sever dedication to his craft that at the release. any ties to that genre. Most bands gig's conclusion he found time for "All we're doing is thinking about . that have survived a decade in the serious discussions on the choice the next project! We're still trying to crazy rock and roll zoo are content 36 to crank out facsimiles of the sound thought it was the most wonderful out on a solo record is that we're that brought them success, but record anyone could ever make, but not frustrated. Many bands feel they Rush is made of sterner stuff. it was our least successful. It was have to do solo LPs because a lot "We've never made a blueprint," our third, and, after a few months, of their ideas aren't being used. claimed Geddy. "We really don't listening back we all thought 'what They feel their own identity is being know what the next album will a weird record,' and it was! swallowed up by the band, but we sound like until we've gone in and "It was another transitory record, feel our identity ;s the band!" written the material. We write the with lots of experimentation, just Despite a Rush work schedule material and whatever comes out like Signals. After Caress Of Steel that would have weake'r souls dictates what the sound of the next we did 2112, which was a very solid, reaching for the Valium or LP will be . We try for it to be very positive record. We were very Benzedrine, Geddy Lee recently natural. We lock ourselves up and pleased with it, but I don't think we found time to produce the debut see what comes out. It's a natural could have made it without the album of promising Toronto group evolution." album before. All those steps are Boys Brigade, a project he found 'Locking ourselves up' in Rush's necessary to help you arrive at a stimulating. case means taking off to the Great certain point. The way our band "Aside from the fact that I love White (cottage country) North near works is like that; we go through the band and they're a great bunch their Toronto homes where they phases of experimenting, then of young musicians, the main can write and rehearse without the locking in on something." reason for accepting the project distractions of city life . Easier to For Lee, listening to the early was to put myself in a position I'm play baseball up there too! Next Rush albums is "like looking at your not expected to be in. I don't want stop is Montreal's famed Le Studio, drawings from Grade 6; you can to be restricted or pigeonholed to but at presstime the identity of the appreciate where you were at the producing just heavy rock groups." new Rush producer was still time, but you also see the naivete." The outside interests of individual unknown. Initial reports had The members of Rush have talked Rush members should not be mentioned English studio whiz-kid for some time about making records viewed as threats to the future of Steve Lillywhite (XTC, Joan outside of the band. Nothing the band, simply because the three Armatrading, U2), but that didn't concrete has yet emerged, but the guys get along so well together, work out. The fact that he was even desire remains. "Being in the same both personally and professionally. considered indicates that the more band for so long, you miss out on Still friendly after all these years, adventurous, contemporary sound the education of playing with Geddy Lee descritied being in Rush permeating Signals is to be others. I would like to make a as "more than being married. I continued. record with a bunch of people. Not spend more time with the guys in GOing back into the studio is an a 'Geddy Lee Solo Record' - just the band than with my wife. It's annual ritual for Rush now, and it another record with different ridiculous! The amazing thing is no longer fills Geddy Lee with musicians. The reason we've never that we're still not sick of each dread. " I've been worried that the had a major urge to get something other."O creative juices will dry up ever since I wrote my first song. I thought then, 'That's it! That'll be the last thing I write!' But you get confidence as you go along. We know we can go in and write a record . We don't know how good it's going to be , but we know something is going to emerge because we've done it 10 times before. " It's not until it's all said and done that you can look back and see how good it is. That's a drawback in being part of a band. You're really excited when you go into a studio, but by the time you've finished, you don't know what you've done anymore. It's not until six months later that you can really hear a record." Looking back, Lee admitted to mixed feelings about Signals, an album that did indeed signal a chang ing Rush sound, even producing a once unthinkable by­ product, a hit single, New World Man. " I was very positive about the direction of Signals, but I wasn't sure if we hit the mark because it was new, and we were putting ourselves into a different area. Now, with this much time gone by, I think there are moments when we got what we wanted, and others where we obviously were in a transitory state." Only once did Rush ever feel completely satisfied with an album. "When we did Caress Of Steel , we Geddy Lee: "We're always trying to expand this band's horizons." 37 .