Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Talk ‘R40′, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Future of Rush

[EagleMoon]

The rule became: You had to go out and buy an instrument that you couldn’t really play and bring it to the jam. I got an accordion in a pawn shop, and a flute. “Ler” [Primus guitarist Larry LaLonde] had a clarinet, Les played drums—everybody just tried other things, and it was a riot. We taped these, and I have no idea what happened to those recordings! There was a really good one in Berlin, we jammed in the back parking lot area. There are some cool pictures from that.

 

Anybody here seen any of those pictures?

 

Theres one I've seen that's been floating around. Might be in the band pictures section. I can't post pictures at the moment or I would go look.

[foghorn-leghorn]

Grohl's speech at the induction seemed pretty heartfelt to me. He sounded very much like a RUSH fan.

 

Loved the acclimation during the nomination reminder. It just went on and on and on and on. And rightly so.

 

The reactions of those at the RUSH table were also priceless

 

I thought Alex was close to tears when the applause wouldn't stop, while his wife (As usual) was laughing her head off.

 

Geddy seemed proud of the fans while his wife was gobsmacked.

 

As for the "New guys", Neil seemed as proud as a peacock while his wife seemed pleasantly stunned.

[Geddy's Soul Patch]

Grohl's speech at the induction seemed pretty heartfelt to me. He sounded very much like a RUSH fan.

 

Loved the acclimation during the nomination reminder. It just went on and on and on and on. And rightly so.

 

The reactions of those at the RUSH table were also priceless

 

I thought Alex was close to tears when the applause wouldn't stop, while his wife (As usual) was laughing her head off.

 

Geddy seemed proud of the fans while his wife was gobsmacked.

 

As for the "New guys", Neil seemed as proud as a peacock while his wife seemed pleasantly stunned.

I think I read in an interview that Geddy said all three of them were tearing up a little bit

[andreww]

I think the wives have always been very aware of their popularity. The guys a rock stars and the wives have probably been to more shows than any of us. Standing ovations are obviously nothing new. What made that night special was that some of the greatest musicians in history, all who received applause when introduced, were so evidently blown away by the reception that Rush received. I think they all realized for the first time that this was something that the fans wanted, even demanded, for many years. The RRHoF is a load of crap, an excuse to put on a tux and make a ton of money. But for the fans of Rush it was far beyond that. It was redemption for all the years of bad reviews, being uncool, and believing so deeply in something that the masses just never understood. It was at that exact moment that this dawned on the guys, and I think if they had understood this before that night Alex's speech probably would have been a little more serious. Nonetheless, good on them and good on the fans!

[MMCXII]

I think all the speeches were perfect!

-Serious Neil took care of business and thanked the crew etc.

-Passionate Geddy acknowledged the fans

-Funny Alex addressed the snub like so many were hoping they would. But he did it in a way that you can't criticize.. Because he didn't really say anything.. But still got his point across loud and clear. Alex's speech was genius.

Edited November 25, 2014 by MMCXII

[EagleMoon]

I was looking at their early years tour schedule the other day and all I could think about was their wives. The boys must have been gone for like a year at a time. Must have been weird to try and raise kids like that.

[Segue Myles]

When I saw Foo Fighters live in 2011, in between bands a tonne of Rush songs were being played by the dj.

 

No doubt exists is my mind that the Foos respect and love Rush. I was so excited when I heard them beig played!

[MMCXII]

 

Love the guy saying,"HOLY FUKK!! ...HOLY FUKK!! "

[Lorraine]

I was looking at their early years tour schedule the other day and all I could think about was their wives. The boys must have been gone for like a year at a time. Must have been weird to try and raise kids like that.

And even when they were home they were emotionally MIA and in the studio. Yes, I think about that a lot, and that's why these women have my admiration. I would never have been able to do it.

[MMCXII]

I was looking at their early years tour schedule the other day and all I could think about was their wives. The boys must have been gone for like a year at a time. Must have been weird to try and raise kids like that.

And even when they were home they were emotionally MIA and in the studio. Yes, I think about that a lot, and that's why these women have my admiration. I would never have been able to do it.

 

Not even for the Gedster..? ;)

[fish89]

That video is incredible...(I can't believe it's the first time I'm getting around to seeing this)!

 

As awesome as the response from the entire crowd was...they know the love their fans have for them.

 

What I find incredibly cool from the video was seeing guys like Dave Grohl, Chad Smith, and Tom Morello going crazy and the elation and genuine happiness on their faces!

 

That must be an incredible feeling to see the passion and love that their own peers have for their work. Just awesome. :haz:

 

I definitely dug the fact Morello stood up for Rush. He was more primarily there for Public Enemy, but he had some very nice things to say about Rush after the induction. The quote on another thread from Sebadoh's lead guy (the one about the three greatest musicians in the world being in one band) is actually a modification of something Morello said regarding Rush at the RRHOF Induction. Rage, in general, seems to have a high degree of respect for Rush. Along with Morello's words, you have Commerford in Beyond the Lighted Stage, and Zack Dela Rocha apparently has had a say in Rage occasionally covering Working Man live.

 

Chad Smith, like any drummer with half a brain cell, gets Peart is good, I am sure.

 

The one that I don't totally buy, though, is Grohl. I will admit that I like the fact Grohl has come out in favor of Rush and I think he and Hawkins have done a nice job of playing tribute, but until very recently all of Grohl's musical love seemed to be directed at Jon Bonham. Grohl just strikes me as a musical opportunist. I don't doubt he had some love for Rush prior, but I find it awfully suspicious that his public accolades came after Colber, I Love You Man, the documentary, etc. But maybe he was just living in the Rush closet for a long time. Maybe he realized it was safe to come out...

 

Regardless, I totally agree that it was very cool to see some well known musicians give it up for Rush along with the fans.

 

I think Taylor Hawkins is the big Rush fan, and Dave is just coming along for the ride.

 

I suspect that as a drummer, Grohl has always at least greatly respected Rush. I'm watching his series on HBO, now, and he seems like someone who is passionate about a lot of very disparate types of musicians.

 

Just from the interviews I've seen, Taylor seems the most enthusiastic. I don't mean to say that Dave doesn't like Rush, but I think Taylor is the bigger fan.

 

I think you might be right. And, again, I don't doubt that Grohl had a degree of respect for Rush or that he is/was a fan on some level. I just question the timing of his blatant Rush fandom. Either way, if he did really just jump on the bandwagon, it only helped the band achieve a higher level of notoriety.... but we all know that those of us who have been driving the wagon for decades sometimes roll our eyes at the late comers who are old enough to know better.

 

Heard Foo Fighters on Howard Stern this morning (replay from earlier in the week. Taylor made some comment along the lines of "When we were in high school all we wanted to do was play Rush songs and smoke cigarettes"

[Narps]

That video is incredible...(I can't believe it's the first time I'm getting around to seeing this)!

 

As awesome as the response from the entire crowd was...they know the love their fans have for them.

 

What I find incredibly cool from the video was seeing guys like Dave Grohl, Chad Smith, and Tom Morello going crazy and the elation and genuine happiness on their faces!

 

That must be an incredible feeling to see the passion and love that their own peers have for their work. Just awesome. :haz:

 

I definitely dug the fact Morello stood up for Rush. He was more primarily there for Public Enemy, but he had some very nice things to say about Rush after the induction. The quote on another thread from Sebadoh's lead guy (the one about the three greatest musicians in the world being in one band) is actually a modification of something Morello said regarding Rush at the RRHOF Induction. Rage, in general, seems to have a high degree of respect for Rush. Along with Morello's words, you have Commerford in Beyond the Lighted Stage, and Zack Dela Rocha apparently has had a say in Rage occasionally covering Working Man live.

 

Chad Smith, like any drummer with half a brain cell, gets Peart is good, I am sure.

 

The one that I don't totally buy, though, is Grohl. I will admit that I like the fact Grohl has come out in favor of Rush and I think he and Hawkins have done a nice job of playing tribute, but until very recently all of Grohl's musical love seemed to be directed at Jon Bonham. Grohl just strikes me as a musical opportunist. I don't doubt he had some love for Rush prior, but I find it awfully suspicious that his public accolades came after Colber, I Love You Man, the documentary, etc. But maybe he was just living in the Rush closet for a long time. Maybe he realized it was safe to come out...

 

Regardless, I totally agree that it was very cool to see some well known musicians give it up for Rush along with the fans.

 

I think Taylor Hawkins is the big Rush fan, and Dave is just coming along for the ride.

 

I suspect that as a drummer, Grohl has always at least greatly respected Rush. I'm watching his series on HBO, now, and he seems like someone who is passionate about a lot of very disparate types of musicians.

 

Just from the interviews I've seen, Taylor seems the most enthusiastic. I don't mean to say that Dave doesn't like Rush, but I think Taylor is the bigger fan.

 

I think you might be right. And, again, I don't doubt that Grohl had a degree of respect for Rush or that he is/was a fan on some level. I just question the timing of his blatant Rush fandom. Either way, if he did really just jump on the bandwagon, it only helped the band achieve a higher level of notoriety.... but we all know that those of us who have been driving the wagon for decades sometimes roll our eyes at the late comers who are old enough to know better.

 

Heard Foo Fighters on Howard Stern this morning (replay from earlier in the week. Taylor made some comment along the lines of "When we were in high school all we wanted to do was play Rush songs and smoke cigarettes"

That's cool. I am a big Stern fan (have been since his DC days) and used to have the channel and watched it all the time until Time Warner took it away. John Hein is a big rush fan if I am not mistaken but they usually don't speak well of Rush on the show generally from what I recall....

[Ged Lent's sis]

Interesting that Randy Newman was there to take in that unique reception — which should go down in the Hall of Fame Hall of Fame (HoFHoF).

 

Does anyone remember his appearance on Letterman back in the latter's NBC, Late Night days, on which the former commented that his son had moved on from whatever it was he had previously liked to listening to RUSH, said with at least a hint of ironic derision? At least that's clearly how Letterman took it, as he laughed at the recognition of Newman's delivery ("Rush" being the punchline).

 

Given Neil's appearance for drum solo week(s) and Newman's being inducted and visually present in the archives for that ovation, I'd say the boys have come an awfully long way (though I doubt Newman likes them any more now than he did then).