Geddy Lee is one cool cat. He comes across as one of the most confident and genuine people I have ever heard speak. I feel so fortunate to have grown up listening to Rush and having them as a part of my musical life.
I saw Rush at the Colonial Tavern in Toronto in the very early 70s. There were just a couple of people in the audience at lunchtime munching on hamburgers and drinking beer. I had never heard of the group but as soon as they opened up and Geddy started singing you just knew they were going to be big.
Nice guys like Geddy are what manhood is actually all about. A male has to be a DECENT HUMAN to have an opportunity to be a MAN. Criminals, bigots, roid boys, Trump punks: None are men. Too selfish and hateful.
20:15 .. I LOVE that he corrected himself "When the Germans came in, I should say the Nazis"... there is a major difference and that is lost on many, including at that time.... Shows his deep intellect.
Born and raised in Toronto, RUSH concerts at Maple Leaf Gardens in the 80s and 90s were a thing of magic. Those days are forever etched in my mind. I've had the pleasure of seeing Ged walking down Toronto streets and have met Alex twice randomly and he's fking hilarious ( of course ) and just a sweet guy. Saw Ged the other day at Massey Hall for his book tour and Alex surprised everyone and walked out on stage to interview him. I think everyone in the theatre was teary eyed. We love our guys forever. I hope they do get out there and play again, it IS what they do.
I met Alex lifeson in a guitar store here in Texas several years ago, I didn't recognize him at first and just began jamming along with him for about 20 minutes. He was as friendly and as down to earth as could be and I have been a huge fan ever since.
My first Rush concert was Hemispheres tour in 78 at Maple Leaf Gardens. Saw them in all of the Houston tour dates from then on. Never saw a bad show.....ever!
My first Rush concert was on the Presto tour in Toronto on May 16th 1990. After the concert, I felt like I was walking on air. I was also at the My Effing Life show at Massey Hall. The story of Rush is not just the story of a great band, it is the story of 3 friends and their lifelong journey together.
The first word that comes to my mind when I think about Rush is: Professionals. You know, there are a lot of successful bands who seemed to prioritize the sex and drugs rather than the rock and roll. Rush, besides being insanely talented musicians, worked their asses off for 4 decades to give their fans the best possible product, both in the studio and on the stage. Those of us who love rock music are the better for it.
Geddy Lee is an amazingly normal guy...given his other-world level of talent. Thanks for doing this interview. Best of luck in the future for Geddy and Alex. RIP Neil.
@@GreedRuinsEverything For starters, you have ZERO right to declare what he or anyone else is supposed to do with their legitimately earned resources. Take your leftist garbage back to where it belongs....in the ashes of ruined nations littering the graveyards of history.
@@GreedRuinsEverythingHe gave most of his prizes baseball collection to the Negro Baseball Hall of Fame, so I'm sure he does way more than that and you.
@@GreedRuinsEverything -- That's sad that you're so jealous of a musician of all people, who happened to beat the odds and actually made some money, because most musicians are flat broke. Perhaps you are one of them which would explain your jealousy.
We talked about that and a lot of people don’t know but Neil would write lyrics and pass them to Ged/Al, who then either interpreted them or got help from the man because ya gotta have the right amount of weird to bad ass in the ratio. If he had to Geddy would make changes, and then get it approved. That’s why they need to be Lee/Lifeson. RUSH is gone. Can’t replace that.
I saw Rush at the Colonial Tavern in Toronto in the very early 70s. There were just a couple of people in the audience at lunchtime munching on hamburgers and drinking beer. I had never heard of the group but as soon as they opened up and Geddy started singing you just knew they were going to be big.
@youropionmattersnot Me too. They transcend all my expectations both musically and performing live. Was a big shock when Neil took ill but they honoured him when they all decided before he passed they would retire the band. Remember the line they once sung “H 2 O, no flow without the other” What a trio.....................what a band. They certainly enhanced my time on this planet and profoundly educated me in many ways. Three very special human beings.
I'm 57 and feel like a teenage kid watching this interview. He is someone I would be over the moon just to shake his hand. Just listened to all rush as a teenager through Moving pictures, Naming them all in order, all tunes. Just love Rush.
Such a great band. No hate, drug issues or drama. Just 40+ years of exceptional music and value to their fans. My favourite Geddy quote pertains to how much he knew he owed his mother growing up and how he wanted to prove he was a hard working professional and not an ‘effin lunatic.
They did drugs in the late 70's and early 80's, but realized it would prevent them becoming the best musicians they could be, and could also destroy their personal lives, so they quit. _A Passage to Bankok_ is all about drugs: _Wreathed in smoke in Lebanon_ _We burn the midnight oil_ _The fragrance of Afghanistan_ _Rewards a long day’s toil_ _Pulling into Katmandu_ _Smoke rings fill the air_ _Perfumed by a Nepal night_ _The Express gets you there_
Geddy is so down to Earth, it's minb-blowing! You'd think a man with his talent, accomplishments, and influence would be super big-headed. Nope. So humble, kind, and greatful. As were/are Alex and Neil.❤
I am 61, but began playing bass guitar and double bass at the age of 15 years old and studied it at college after high school. I laughed when he said, “bass players are human too”. I remember the last time that I was personally complimented for my bass playing; it was 1997. I was in an alt rock band, playing in a bar near Grant, Michigan (north of Grand Rapids), at a nice bar out in the middle of nowhere. In the back of the dance crowd, there was this older couple dancing. Nothing unusual, they were holding each other, looked like a farming couple. At one time during the night, the wife came up to me and said, “I wanted to say that you are a good bass player”. I’ll never forget it to this day. We bassists do not get compliments very often.
I met Geddy in KC years ago. He is the sweetest guy you would want to meet, as was Alex. Very gracious and engaging... made me love my favorite band even more. The musical talent he has is astounding.. long live Geddy Lee.
His parents' love story is amazing. We only remember that people died in the camps. The horror is so overwhelming that it's easy to forget that people also LIVED in the camps.
I just realized that Geddys brief summary, almost matter-of-fact manner, of how his parents met would indeed make a spectacular book and/or movie all by itself! Hollywood, get on it!! Just make sure Lee/Lifeson do the soundtrack.
I just bought a copy of My Effin Life and a bass guitar for my daughter for Christmas. It would be a dream to get her bass signed by Geddy. She is so inspired by Rush and I know she will be so excited this Christmas.
@@prestachuck2867 Toronto winters are mild compared to those in several other Canadian cities, e.g. Edmonton or Winnipeg (aka Winterpeg). In Ottawa winter temperatures are typically about 10 C lower than in Toronto. Lake effect keeps Toronto warmer.
My God, how touching... what an incredible, romantic, and tragic story.... Auschwitz.... RUSH was so impactful in my life, in such a positive way over the last 40 years or more, even... This makes it even deeper. Thanks for sharing, Geddy. God bless you and your family.
Alex lifeson is incredible at filling the space above the drums and bass. And an amazing guitarist all around. He is very underrated. But it makes sense because geddy and neil are basically gods😂
Just finished listening to his audiobook. I didn't know anything about Geddy or Rush except that he was a fellow Canadian and now I'm a big fan of both at 54. Great book, life!
Geddy is such a genuine incredible person!! I am such a fan of the whole band . I grew up listening to the music but only now am learning about the men behind it . Just amazing!!
I think it’s so cool the Geddy kept all those small things for memories. The smallest souvenir can hold so many memories. Buying a Rush shirt at the show is much more special than ordering a shirt online. It’s very difficult to part with such sentimental items.
Man, I wish I still had my Subdivisions concert white T-shirt from their concert in Detroit (me in the front row!!). I’m keeping an eye out for a knock off. 3/4 length sleeves (black). “So many memories” 🎶
Geddy's mom, like many holocaust survivors, did an audio history recording which can be found online. I've listened to several over the years, including hers, and I recommend it. Geddy covers the subject in his book, but his mother covers her own story in such depth, it is really well worth listening to. My memory is that it is in three parts, it is pretty lengthy, but maybe on your next long car trip or break it up a bit and listen now and then.
I’ve listened to her podcast and what an incredible,gracious and strong woman she was. How her Mother kept the Family alive is extraordinary and incredible! I was moved by her stories and how she survived loosing so much blood by the hands of the Angel of Death Dr. Mangele! Her stories were powerful and inspiring.
Yes, I would most definitely love to hear about that from her perspective. After all… she was there and lived her days moment by moments in a state of uncertainty. I couldn’t imagine. I’ve been in combat with two 12 plus month trips to Iraq, my first one being the actual invasion. One thing about being a soldier is that you at least have that confidence in knowing you are armed, and that you have several other dudes who are as well. Plus, you have 105mm and 155mm long range artillery assets as well as OH-58 reconnaissance helicopters, F-18 fighter bombers fitted with 500 pound J-DAM guided munitions, A-10 thunderbolts with 30mm Gatling guns that can place a single round a square inch apart, hence the legendary sound of BRRRRRRRRRRT coming from the sky, then echoing, thus hearing it once again per burst But to be detained in a concentration camp… you have none of that. Hope is all you have to go on, as you helplessly wait being completely defenseless. Not a good situation at all And I like calling her “Geddy’s mom” as if it’s her name 😆
What an amazing interview! Being a Toronto teenager in the 70's, Rush was "the" band. Seeing them play 2112 live after it had just hit the record stores was such a thrill. Thank you Alex, Geddy and Neil.
I had to shed a tear when he talked about Neil,my brother is suffering for the same illnes rigth now and the outcome will be the same😢 Have just started to read Geddy's book
Bass players ARE human to, and one is also an historically brilliant vocalist!!! Rush is part of my growing up and a part of my f'n life lol. My high school Levi's jean jacket had the giant 2112 star on the back - I made it. Seen them 4 times but I know many have seen ALL their shows. I'm so attracted to the technical part of the music and for that reason, there's a strange ability for me to instantly memorize it (yes, I'm a girl lol). I too am so grateful we can hear these stories and enjoy from afar the GeddyAlex friendship. SO miss Neal. I lost my best friend of several decades, a 2nd close friend and then my boyfriend all within 4 months. Your parents fell in love to bring us a prodigy. 🍷
@@raymondduck6492I wonder if my dad found mine in his house somewhere and auctioned it off - and you ended up with mine hahaha... probably too small for ya lol.
Amazing interview. I went from a non Rush fan to a huge Rush fan to now more of just a fan that loves parts of their catalogue & cringe about some of their catalogue. That said, they're such great human beings & monster musicians. They released two perfect albums in "Moving Pictures" & "Permanent Waves"...
My top 4 are Rush, Fly By night, 2112 and Hemispheres. I like Moving Pictures, but I think musically I moved on after that, but now I am going back and appreciating the music of my younger years. I would love to see Geddy and Alex tour with Danny Carey from Tool. Danny reminds me a lot of Neil.
Yup, and Subdivisions is one of my top three. I’ve been a huge Rush fan since 1981 and still cringe at some of their songs. No shame in that. They liked to experiment and any scientist will tell you that experiments often don’t work out the way you expected. But it is Rush’s constant evolution that is a major reason I love them. Some bands sound the same album after album after album and you wonder, “Aren’t they bored? Are they getting any better? Is this just a chore for them?” I never feel that way about Rush.
As a lifelong fan, I can now say that "A Farewell to Kings" through "Moving Pictures" are the albums that are lights out start to finish. No duds. The earlier albums and other 80s albums are mostly ok, but there are tracks I definitely skip. The 90s and beyond lose me completely. Always respected them for constantly pushing forward though, and Neil's passing hit me harder than any musician death I can think of.
Geddy is an amazing musician and a class act as a person. His story on how his parents met is chilling. I've seen RUSH twice. The most precise band in history. Great interview. Thank you.
Geddy is demonstrating what intense curiosity looks like…he is continually learning through his desire to seek out and listen to others. This demonstrates humility and is so powerful. We all need to listen and learn vs declare and defend.
I have been a fan since the early 80’s and saw them a few times. But never really knew much about them as people. And every time I see them in interviews it makes me like them all the more. Mainly because they are so normal and down to earth, and clearly have a genuine appreciation for every part of their journey.
Thank you for this early christmas present!! I remember inviting my brother to a Rush concert ( Time Machine) and afterwards he spited me for not convincing him earlier that Rush was such a magnificent band.
Love you Geddy. I appreciate your music. It was tough for me as a kid growing up getting bullied and stuff but your music kept me focused on something enjoyable that made my life more bearable. Love you guys to the day and I'm almost 61
What impresses me most about Geddy and Rush is how good they are in concert! I’ve been to a lot of rock concerts and some bands sucked live. But RUSH are such great musicians that they actually elevated in concert both times that I saw them!
I heard Rush for the first time on the radio one summer evening in 1975 when I was sitting on the front porch smoking a joint with my best friend at the time. The song was "Working Man" and I was absolutely blown away by the bass player who I learned later was a young Jewish man from Canada named Geddy Lee. At the time I was a drummer in my Jr. High band but I was so impressed with not only the band but also the bass player that I decided then and there that I was going to play bass. Soon after I quit playing drums and transitioned to playing bass and I've never looked back. I've always admired Geddy Lee, not only as a bass player but also as a man. I admire his humility, his grace, and his sense of humor and I always will.
Saw Rush 2x. In Boise May 15, 1984 and then again April 5, 2011 in Louisville. The second time I was blown away by the length of time played (two separate concerts really, with a 10 min break in the middle) and the quality. The first time I was about 10 feet off the stage and mostly just remember them being really loud. I couldn’t hear my car start when I left the building and headed home. Both times took were amazing experiences though. Thanks for all the great music! My favorite album is Moving Pictures.
My best memories of high school with friends gathering and listening to Rush', concert road trips in 1979. Sharing albums, buying albums. Building large speakers on our own, to crank it up".... yes Rush was our groups favorite
Wow when Sir Paul says you should hit the road you know you are royalty! Geddy Lee you are truly a great person and of course a master of your craft! Neil will always be shining down of you and Alex. It would be great to see you play again!
From a Gary to Geddy your one of the most talented musician of all time! No one touches your talent on bass, keyboards, and singing! You are the definition of Unique and RUSH is not RUSH without your playing and vocals! To quote the movie: I LOVE YOU MAN! Alex and Neil as well!! This is my essay to people who may not know RUSH or who Neil was professionally and his contributions to the art of drumming and lyrical writing! Enjoy! RUSH is THE PERFECT EXAMPLE of the fluidity of MASTERING TIME SIGNATURES! I play drums and there are a few things that you need to know about Neil Peart’s ( pronounced PEER-T) character: First he writes the lyrics so he knows in advance what TYPE of song it’s meant to be ie ballad, driver, etc. Second he COMPOSES on the drums… like a carpenter who looks at a set of blueprints before building the object. Neil lays out a SKETCH in his mind of the VOICES of the drumset and builds the song from there. He is also a great LISTENER knowing when NOT to step over Geddy’s singing or Alex’s solos! Finally, he had perfect timing and fluidity of time changes. He said himself that it’s not about COUNTING the time signatures as much as fluid motion to change the tempo without counting: in other words it should FLOW! He hates repeating the same drum patterns in the same song meaning if he plays a fill one way the first time around he will play it differently the second time around. IE. Rolls down the toms the first time around and triplets or quads (all four limbs) the second time around. In short there will NEVER be another like him on planet earth 🌍 🌏 🌎! REST IN PEACE PROFESSOR! With heart felt admiration and sincerity! Gary
Rush has been a staple of my life and my kids lives for a very long time and they will and continue to be in our lives the band is really exceptionally powerful and I go back to the man time and time again when I need to really be inspired kind of on the level when I go back to staying and listen to Sting I think there's some album some artists that are universal that are part of one's life and Russian sting have been part of my life and my kids lives and now there are 36 and 37 years old yet the music remains fresh is over because rush really I wish Kelly and everybody's a very best they deserve nothing but the best because they've given the best God bless you
There are gold stories in geddy's archive, It Is lovely to go into that journey from one of the most talented band... I miss RUSH Kind regards from México
To Geddy, Alex, and Neil: I am so happy I got to see Rush perform around 2014 in California; my first time seeing them even though I had all their records. The show moved me to tears! I was playing "air bass", "air guitar", and "air drums" and felt like a part of them - that's how effin awesome they are on stage. RUSH! 🎉 💯 Percent! RIP Mr. Neil Peart!
Geddy is amazing! Rush .. my favorite band. Geddy's memoir my first audio book. He had me laughing and crying. Incredibly tio! Alex so underated. Neil I still shed tears. I met his mom in Florida while doing my laundry in Dunedin. She was a sweet woman. Love and miss the live shows. Peace Love and Music
Geddy is a guy I really look up to. First off, but not most importantly, I'm a bassist. Way more than that is how he's humble and soft spoken, but also assertive. He doesn't get angry, he doesn't yell over you, but he is going to get his point across. And you don't interrupt him, not only because of who he is, but because you're genuinely interested in what he has to say. That's not just as an observation from this interview, but something I've noticed over SO many interviews I've listened to.
Just finished the book -- so insightful to his personality and the band as a whole. So fortunate to have only missed 2 tours since Power Windows in '86 (one due to logistics, the other to stupidity). I sure hope Ged & Al find a way to play a few shows because I will be there, wherever they are.
You know you’ve made it, when the trolls just can’t resist commenting on something they don’t know or care anything about.😂I love the attention and activity Geddy and Alex have been receiving. It makes up for the lack of ongoing or current Rush in my life.🤘🖖✌️🎸🥁🎹🎤🥇🇨🇦🎼👍👌
I couldn’t interview Geddy. Because I would be such a fawning fanboy I would make a fool out of myself. How can this guy be any cooler - articulate, smart, worldly, humble. Same thing to say about Neil and Alex. The stars truly aligned when this band formed. Wow.
The frist time I heard rush .it was free will I heard. Tom sawyer .subdivision is what everyone in high school was going through. Finish high school in 1985 now I'm 57 and still love being a bassist. From the age of 15 till now. I'm happy to say. I lived in the days of Rush.and was young
The text book in my college Phych class pointed out that human memory is actually a pretty inaccurate way of determining how past events happened. Of course, I may be remembering that incorrectly...
Typing this halfway through the interview.... There's so much to love about Geddy & Rush. I've seen them a bunch of times, like most on this thread. But what I really love about Geddy is his love of baseball. He has a fantastic collection of baseballs, and his knowledge of baseball stats is unbelievable! He's a real fan!
I saw Rush at the Colonial Tavern in Toronto in the very early 70s. There were just a couple of people in the audience at lunchtime munching on hamburgers and drinking beer. I had never heard of the group but as soon as they opened up and Geddy started singing you just knew they were going to be big.
In my 65 years of life....i was blessed to see these guys in 1975 and 78.My friend saw them in Chicago at Comisky Park in about 1980 i think.He gave me about 20 pictures of Rush playing,with the score board in the background.And just one picture of Foghat's Lonesome Dave.I had three of the pictures blown up to 8 x 10s of Alex, Neil and Geddy.Neil had his black chrome Slingerlands....Geddy and Alex had their Gibson and Rickenbacher double necks.I only saw them twice....but i did see them in their youth.They even did a Beatles tune....Neil was my mentor as i played drums for years.I had a large black Big R ...Rogers double bass 8 piece kit with roto toms with 9 Paiste cymbals modeled after Neils massive kits.RIP Neil...!!!!
between the three of them, and the incredible strength in depth of pure creativity that is rush, somehow they pick you up and embrace you ,make you part of their life, without exclusion,the music is but a vehicle ,some of their stuff hits home more than others,its so reassuring to hear geddy comparing "memories" and the lack of, or interpretation of his past ,we all try to forget some events ! either by choice or deterioration, but what an effin life ! what an effin band, 😇👍👍thanks for sharing .
17:55 What a nice easy going guy, while being at the top of the game too. I've also heard nothing but good, from others who have had the opportunity to meet McCartney.
