The iconic bassist Geddy Lee describes as one of “the most creative people in rock”
Given the fact that world-class bassists are actually quite challenging to come by, it holds a lot of weight whenever one esteemed player praises another. Most minds immediately go to Paul McCartney when thinking of major players, but Rush legend Geddy Lee is undoubtedly one of the best in the business. What is particularly interesting about Lee, however, is that his career took an unexpected path when he decided to take up a role no one else wanted.
“Back in my day, nobody chose to be the bass player,” Lee once explained, claiming that the bass player was always the last role up for grabs, which would be settled after a vote. “That’s how I became a bass player,” he explained. “I was voted in”. For some, the reluctance to embrace the instrument would significantly stall any kind of progress. For Lee, however, it was as natural as breathing.
The four-string instrument quickly became Lee’s raison d’être and a dynamic addition to Rush’s sound, bridging the gap between Neil Peart’s skilled drumming and Alex Lifeson’s fierce licks. Although he largely found his way on instinct, he found mentorship in guitar legends like McCartney, along with Motown pioneer James Jamerson and The Who’s John Entwistle.
He also appreciates American jazz fusion bassist Jeff Berlin, whose work on Gradually Going Tornado “blows me away”. As someone whom Lee once called “my favourite right now” and a bassist who possesses “a remarkable talent”, Lee regards Berlin as one of the best and most reputable bassists out there, who has remained one of his all-time favourites since as early as 1980.
However, when it comes to completely untouchable talent, Lee points to a different bassist who is “very, very different” from any other player out there. Lee only began to truly appreciate the work of Primus’ Les Claypool when they started touring with Rush. During this time, Lee was immediately stricken by “how wacky they were” and “how creative and adventurous” a player Claypool was.
The camaraderie that unfolded revealed to Lee that Claypool was actually unlike anybody else. “Nobody plays like Les,” he told Rolling Stone, adding that they had an unrelenting intrigue for one another’s playing that saw Claypool ask lots of questions about Rush and their songs, while Lee was equally as interested in “how he was playing, and how he got that rhythmic style”.
Even more profound is that Claypool actually influenced Lee’s style and encouraged him “to push the boundaries of my rhythmic abilities”. As a result, the tour with Primus ended up being “transformational” due to the “wonderful exchange of respect” that they both enjoyed. “To this day, he’s a dear friend,” Lee concluded. “I love his playing, I love his attitude, and I just think he’s one of the most creative people in rock.”
