The one concert Geddy Lee called “a dream come true”
Geddy Lee possesses one of the most in-depth and complex understandings of music. He has the ability to take a sound and expand it, adding depth to even the most fleeting ideas. This talent has led to the creation of some of the most exciting prog-rock albums ever made. Rush’s success speaks for itself; whether they are crafting narrative-driven, intricate song odysseys or three-minute radio-friendly snippets, the band seems incapable of producing anything less than excellent.
In order to reach his current level, Lee has had to listen far and wide, developing a broad taste in music that could be applied to the complex sound he created. For instance, he began to understand how to keep a solid rhythm section in the face of chaos by listening to Led Zeppelin, describing John Paul Jones as the band’s key to success.
“The thing that held the whole thing down was John Paul Jones’ bass playing,” he said, “So if you listen to ‘How Many More Times’, I mean, no matter how wild that song gets at times, there’s John Paul Jones just holding it all down in such a fluid way.”
Another huge band that had a significant impact on Lee was The Who. In the same way that they managed to impact a number of listeners, The Who gave people a new perspective on what an album could be. They dismantled the popular mindset that they were a holding place for a haul of songs and instead showed how you could make exciting hits that all connected, providing in-depth narratives and tapping into various parts of human emotion throughout their time as a band.
This is something that Geddy Lee and Rush certainly took from when they made albums in the past, as each of their LPs has a clear tone to it. They have gone into the record wanting to achieve something specific and cohesive, taking from the lessons The Who taught them about creating an album that runs as one piece of work and applying their own definitive prog-rock style to it.
Because of their influence, Geddy Lee took it as a particular honour when the band asked him to play with them for charity. Granted, it wasn’t with the original line-up, but it’s still a gig that Lee looks back on as one of the best he’s ever done.
“A few months ago I was invited to join The Who, or The Who Band as they’re called now, in London for a charity event celebrating The Who’s 50th anniversary,” he said, “And I had the great pleasure to work with the guys and their band, and Roger Daltry and Pete Townshend, and help raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust in England.”
Lee went on to describe the gig as a dream come true, as he took to the stage with one of the bands who helped to shape his understanding of music. “For me, it was a dream come true, even though not all the original guys are there… This was such an important band in my like in making me what I am and what I’ve become. So, it was such a great thrill to be on stage with them and play a song with them.”
