“Nobody had the courage”: The song Geddy Lee thinks no one was brave enough to make
Geddy Lee has never shied away from making complicated music, and that’s a huge part of the appeal of his band, Rush. For a trio to produce such a powerful sound that manages to weave different sections, rhythmic patterns and time signatures together seamlessly is an incredible achievement, and it’s all down to the brilliance of Lee and his two bandmates, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart, who fit together as an ensemble in the most complimentary fashion.
The band may have been seen as titans of progressive rock, taking the genre to new heights throughout their golden period in the ‘70s and ‘80s, but their roots as a group lie elsewhere. Lee’s earliest influences lie in classic rock acts from the 1960s, with The Who, Cream and Jeff Beck being among those that encouraged his direction as a teenager who was finding a fondness for the bass guitar, but there was one act that stood head and shoulders above the rest for him.
Lee’s lifelong love for Led Zeppelin is hardly surprising, with several elements of their sound having been translated into the work of Rush, but his adoration of the British rock group goes much deeper than just having been influenced by them. Having been an obsessive from the earliest years of the group, recalling in interviews that he ran home from the record store with his copy of their self-titled debut and allowed the record to transport him to another world.
His love for the band saw the band attempt to play a number of covers of tracks like ‘Communication Breakdown’ and ‘Livin’ Lovin’ Maid’ during their early years playing in small bar venues. Rush had always wanted to sound exactly like Led Zeppelin, but they would eventually develop their sound to be much more varied and adventurous without needing to directly copy their heroes.
You could possibly argue that Led Zeppelin themselves were a precursor to Rush, with their occasionally complex songs and sprawling structures, but something that Led Zep were able to do was execute the simple stuff much better than their peers. Things may have been impressive when they brought style and panache into their work, but when the band simply rocked out, they were an unstoppable force, and Lee was ultimately bowled over when he saw the band for a second time during their Led Zeppelin IV tour.
Speaking to Louder Sound about his experience seeing the band at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Lee said: “If I’m not mistaken, they opened with ‘Black Dog’, and I remember being completely blown away by its heavyocity.” While he may have been stunned to the point where he was no longer able to form real words, it’s understandable that hearing a song with that amount of power in a live capacity would completely stun someone.
“It’s a great riff song,” he continued, “but to have the confidence to play that fucking riff and just let it draw out, and then Robert Plant steps up and does his lyric thing back and forth. I mean, nobody did that. Nobody had the courage to do that.” It’s one of the boldest opening tracks from Led Zeppelin’s catalogue, and that’s coming from a band who specialised in writing exceptional opening tracks for their albums, but hearing ‘Black Dog’ live is sure to kickstart any show with a bang.
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