Alex Lifeson names Rush’s “first major epic”
Alex Lifeson, one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time, was a crucial part of Rush’s locomoting sound. A prog player at heart, the Canadian’s reach extends far beyond one designated genre and has had a defining impact on everyone from Metallica’s James Hetfield to former Cro-Mags man Parris Mitchell Mayhew.
Taking his cues from the ground-shaking sounds of Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and other axemen who revitalised the instrument in the 1960s, across his career with Rush and outside of it, Lifeson has continued to push himself to new heights. This has created an extensive and compelling oeuvre, including hits such as ‘Tom Sawyer’ and ‘The Spirit of Radio’ to niche Rush instrumentals such as ‘La Villa Strangiato’, one of the trio’s most out-there compositions.
Alongside being such an elemental talent who has dipped his toes into a wider variety of styles than most, Lifeson is also an uber-realist and has always been objective in his readings of Rush’s many different chapters. He once even admitted that the band’s disastrous third album, 1975’s Caress of Steel, was the only time he ever considered quitting the group, as they faced intense fall-out for such an egregious lurch into prog-rock.
However, in a display of his balanced nature, Lifeson maintains that while the album was a critical and commercial failure, it was a significant step in the right direction for Rush creatively. He told Guitar Player in 1980: “It was a very successful album in terms of our own sense of creativity.”
In that same extensive interview, Lifeson also broached the subject of 1976’s 2112, the follow-up to Caress of Steel, which saw them finalise their sound and enter a period of immense creative achievement. A masterful way to respond to the hate the 1975 album invited to many Rush fans, 2112 is one of their finest releases. While it is brimming with highlights, perhaps the standout is the title track, a 20-minute suite that is the longest single song in their catalogue.
Despite ‘2112’ being a technical challenge for Rush to play at the time, Lifeson told the publication that it was a significant moment in their career, as it was their “first major epic” that saw them greatly develop as musicians. It signified the start of their most fruitful chapter.
The guitarist said: “The whole 2112 suite-side one was a real challenge for us. Parts of it were in odd time signature and were very up-tempo. And it was the first time we ever attempted to play for 20 minutes around one concept without breaks. That was our first major epic. It was a challenge to play it properly every night, so it was real important for our development as musicians.”
Listen to ‘2112’ below.
