Geddy Lee on Rockline for Power Windows
Rockline with Bob Coburn, November 18, 1985, transcribed by Anonymotron42
Bob Coburn: Live via satellite from Hollywood and Toronto, it's Rockline: the show where you ask the questions for the biggest stars in rock 'n' roll. Hello again, I'm Bob Coburn, your host for Rockline, brought to you in part by Budweiser, the King of Beers. Tonight, Rockline is an evening with Geddy Lee of Rush. Geddy is at Q107 in Toronto. I'm here in our Hollywood Rockline studio. And, as always, we have plenty of phone lines, but just one number to remember in the US, and that number is, toll-free, 1-800-222-ROCK, that's 1-800-222-7625. And one number for Canada as well, and that number is toll-free too: 1-800-344-ROCK, that's 1-800-344-7625. Power Windows is an insightful and exhilarating look at life in the Eighties, how we got here, and where we aspire to be. It's one of the best in a long line of quality work by Rush, and Rockline welcomes, from the band, Geddy Lee. Geddy, welcome back to the Rockline.
Geddy: Thanks Bob. How're you doing?
BC: Doing fine this evening, and it's a pleasure to have you here for the full ninety minutes tonight. This sounds like a very rich, layered, and textured album. How long did it take you guys to record this?
Geddy: Well, we spent about four months, maybe a little under four months, actually recording, but we spent about a month-and-a-half to two months...about a month-and-a-half actually writing and preparing the stuff before we got into the studio. So I guess, as far as time devoted, all told, we spent about six months preparing the record.
BC: It sounds like it. The first couple of listens, there's a lot going on in this album. Now, I understand that you did a couple of shows live before you went into the studio. A) Is that true and B) why would you do that?
Geddy: Well, yeah we did; it is true, we did some dates in Florida, coincidentally around Spring Training, which is...
BC: How nice.
Geddy: ...always a good time of the year to be down in Florida, but the reason - the primary reason - is when we write a record, it usually comes after about two months off. And, I mean, it's great to be fresh and to get into the material, but sometimes the problem is that you just don't have your musical chops, you know, your musician stuff together as well as you'd like. So, we like to get two perspectives. One: after having two months off, get into a rehearsal and writing stage and just write, write, write, and see what comes out. And then, we like to stop, go out and do some dates and, you know, the whole routine of preparing for the dates - the rehearsal and the playing - puts you in good playing shape. So then, after you've done those few dates, you come back to write some more songs and, you know, you've got a different sort of attitude to your writing. So you have a tendency to write a little different and, you know, you're a little more fluid in your playing, so we like to have those two perspectives when we're writing material.
BC: That's the way Rush does it. Here's one of results from the LP, Power Windows, "The Big Money" on Rockline. Remember, our numbers are toll-free: in the US 1-800-222-ROCK, in Canada 1-800-344-ROCK. It's Rockline.
["The Big Money" plays]
BC: It's Rockline on the Global Satellite Network. I'm Bob Coburn with Geddy Lee. That is "The Big Money" from Power Windows. Time for our first phone call for Geddy tonight. It's Craig, he's in Syracuse, our station is 95X. Hi, Craig.
[Caller]: Hiya!
Geddy: Hello Craig, how are you doing?
[Caller]: Pretty good. I...first thing I have to say is that you guys are the most incredible band in the world.
Geddy: Well, thank you very much.
[Caller]: Alright, and my question is: I read a few years ago, in a magazine, that you had mixed feelings about all your albums right before you released them, and the only album you really had good feelings about was Caress of Steel, and that was the album that sold, like, the least copies.
Geddy: That's right.
[Caller]: Now that you have a little bit more experience, are you still unsure of your albums before you release them, and how did you feel about Power Windows right before you released it?
BC: Oh, good question!
Geddy: Yeah, it is a good question. Yeah, I think it's real hard not to be unsure about something you've worked on for six months, you know? When we start writing songs, and we go into the studio, we first start recording them, it's really exciting, and you're really into the songs, and you really believe in them. But, as the process goes on, and you go through the day-to-day recording, of working so many hours in the studio, and doing this and that and the other, and all of a sudden it's four months later since you had that idea, and you think about it. "Four months working on eight songs," I mean, it's a long time to spend on the same material. So, as a result, you start losing your perspective, which is why it's so important to have a producer - and a good producer - with you to make sure that he's got his perspective. By time it's all mixed and finished, yeah you are unsure. You know, if you've worked hard, and done your best, and you feel good, and you say "well, I've given it my best shot," but there's no way you can finish a project like that and not have mixed feelings. But, as far as this particular album goes, I think this is one of the more satisfying records we've made, because we were very organized going into it. We had a great production team with Peter Collins and the engineer Jimbo Barton, and we had a really good time. We went to a lot of nice places to record in, and so the whole...the accumulative experience of it was very positive. So, we felt at the end that we'd done our best, regardless of what happened, you know, how well the album did or anything like that, or how it was received. We just felt that "yeah we've done our best shot this time," so...
BC: And we are going to feature several songs off Power Windows tonight. We're just getting started. Thanks for the good call there, Craig, we appreciate it. Our numbers are toll-free. You should call us because we're live. It's 1-800-222-ROCK in the United States, 1-800-344-ROCK in Canada. It's Rockline.
[Commercial break]
BC: It's Rockline on the Global Satellite Network. I'm Bob Coburn; Geddy Lee is my guest for the full ninety minutes tonight. We have another new affiliate we'd like to welcome to the Rockline, and this is a station that we have wanted to carry our show for a long time. We are proud to welcome CHOM-FM in Montreal and all their listeners. Let's hear from you tonight. We have a call from Toronto right now: Q107, that's where Geddy Lee is located this evening. Anna, meet Geddy Lee.
[Caller]: Hi.
Geddy: Hi, Anna.
[Caller]: Hi.
Geddy: How are you doing?
[Caller]: Pardon?
Geddy: How are you doing?
[Caller]: Oh, fine. First of all, I'd like to congratulate you on your new album, 'cause I think it adds still another dimension to Rush, and I love it.
Geddy: Well, thanks very much.
[Caller]: Okay, I have two questions. First of all, the Toronto Grace Under Pressure concert in September of '84 was filmed by a local television network, and I'd like to know what the intentions of that filming were for, like, was it for a video disc, or MTV viewing, or something like that?
Geddy: Well, that was filmed by a local company, yeah, you're right [Geddy and caller both chuckle], and we brought the director in to do it - it was a British director named David Mallet - and it was filmed for release on video cassette, which I believe is sometime in the near future.
BC: Now, we're about to play a live song that was taken from those concerts back in September of '84 up in Toronto, I believe. What was your second question, Anna?
[Caller]: Whether or not Terry Brown will ever produce another Rush album, as far you can see in the near future.
Geddy: Well, that's a difficult question to answer, you know? We're still very good friends with Terry Brown, and we had a great relationship in all the years that we made records together. And, at the time that we decided to venture out into the world of other producers, it was very amiable at that time. So, I mean, it's quite possible. As a matter fact, those concerts in Toronto that you brought up - that were filmed - the sound was produced for those concerts by Terry Brown. So we have worked together since our last record together.
BC: Thanks for the call, Anna, and for being on the show. We'll talk with Joel now. He is in Atlanta; our station is 96 Rock in Atlanta. Hi Joel.
[Caller]: Hi, how're you doing?
Geddy: Pretty good. How are you doing, Joel?
[Caller]: I'm all right. Listen, I wanna tell you real quick that I've been a dedicated Rush fan for four years, and I just think that y'alls music is, just, the best. Geddy, you've got the best voice I've ever heard in the whole world.
Geddy: [Chuckles] Well, thanks very much.
[Caller]: No problem. My question is this: I heard this back in my hometown - 96 Rock in Atlanta - and I wanted to check it out with you. I've been told that Steve Morse of the Dixie Dregs is going to be touring with y'all on your Power Windows tour, coming up in, I guess, towards the end of December, and what I was wondering is: is he going to....what is he going to exactly do for Alex Lifeson?
Geddy: What's he gonna do for Alex Lifeson? I don't know. But, he is going to be touring with us, and his band is gonna be opening the show, I think on the first few weeks of dates. I don't know if he's gonna be on whole tour or not, but him and his band are going to be playing as the opening act on the first leg of the tour.
BC: Thank you for the call, Joel, we appreciate it. We mentioned some live Rush a moment ago. We're going to listen to some right now. This is the flip-side of the single "The Big Money." Rush, recorded live, on Rockline.
["Red Sector A" live version plays]
BC: That is the B-side of the single release of "The Big Money," "Red Sector A" recorded live: Rush. Geddy Lee is my guest for the full ninety minutes tonight. I'm Bob Coburn. We have a call from a gentleman named Noel. He's in DeKalb, Illinois, listening to the Loop: FM 98 in Chicago. Hi.
[Caller]: Hi. Oh, Geddy?
Geddy: Hello there.
[Caller]: Hi. How are you doing?
Geddy: I'm doing pretty good. How are you doing?
[Caller]: We're doing fine. It is Mike and Noel. Mike is a friend of mine, okay, he's right over here.
Geddy: Uh-huh.
[Caller]: We have a couple questions for you. It's a really great pleasure to talk to you.
Geddy: Okay, shoot.
[Caller]: Geddy.
Geddy: Yes, Mike?
[Caller]: Did you get our birthday cards?
Geddy: It's possible. I don't know. I got a lot of birthday cards.
[Caller]: [Chuckles] Okay.
Geddy: If I didn't get it personally, I thank you anyway.
[Caller]: Oh, yeah, no problem. My question is: in concert, how are you gonna get the effect of the choir and the strings for your songs "Marathon," and...
Geddy: That's a very good question.
[Caller]: Yes.
Geddy: Well, they have synthesizers on the market these days, one in particular called an Emulator II, which enables you to sample...you know, it's one of these sampling devices. It enables you to sample sounds, so what we're gonna do on this tour is sample - or take an example of - the choir sound and the string sound and, through the magic of technology, we'll be able to provide those sounds live.
BC: So, they're gonna pull it off, Mike and Noel. Thank you both.
Geddy: We're in rehearsals now, so...
[BC and Geddy laugh]
Geddy: I hope it works, so don't hold me to it if you don't hear it live, but we're gonna give it a shot.
BC: Let's move on now to a call from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It's Dan, listening to C95. Hi, Dan.
[Caller]: Hi.
Geddy: Dan.
[Caller]: Yes, good evening, gentlemen.
Geddy: How're you doing?
[Caller]: I'm alright. Okay, right to the question: okay, of course everyone knows Rush is famous for their lengthy production numbers and thought-provoking lyrics. I was wondering how Rush as a unit comes up with ten-minute epics like "Xanadu" and "Natural Science." Like, are the lyrics written first, or does Neil write around the riffs you and Alex have played around with?
Geddy: Well, for those particular long things that you're talking about, it's sort of a combination of both. You usually need to have the lyric just to...you know, basically we use the lyric as a script, and we use bits and pieces that maybe we've already written, or we write some pieces directly to the lyric if we're trying to evoke a particular mood, or if there's a particular thing that it has to have that it can't be done any other way. So a lot of times it's really a soundtrack for what the song is about.
BC: Thank you for the call, Dan, we appreciate it. Geddy, a gentleman named Hugo would like to talk to you. He's in Fountain Valley, California listening to 95.5 KLOS. Hugo, you're on the Rockline with us.
[Caller]: Hi, Geddy.
Geddy: Hi, Hugo.
[Caller]: Hi. Listen, it's really great to talk to you. Listen, I wanted to know, besides the Manhattan Project, were there any specific events that affected the writing of Power Windows, like events affected some of the songs on Grace Under Pressure?
Geddy: Well, I wouldn't think that directly. Not to my mind, I mean, I might be forgetting something offhand, but nothing as directly as, for example, what the "Manhattan Project" is about - unlike Grace Under Pressure, which was current events oriented in a lot of ways - but nothing that comes to my mind.
BC: So there you go, Hugo, and we thank you for the call. We're going to hear "Manhattan Project" next as a matter of fact. We're really just getting started: an evening with Geddy Lee of Rush tonight on Rockline. Our numbers are toll-free: 1-800-222-ROCK in the United States, 1-800-344-ROCK in Canada. We're talking rock 'n' roll; it's Rockline.
[Commercial break]
[Station Liner]: Hi, this is Pat Benatar and you're listening to Rockline.
BC: And Pat will be on Rockline the first Monday of 1986, so don't miss that show. Right now it's an evening with Geddy Lee of Rush. It seems like on every album that a band records, there's one song that just doesn't wanna get recorded and Geddy, "Manhattan Project" was it for Power Windows, wasn't it?
Geddy: As a matter fact it was. We went through a lot of permutations of that song before we got a melody that our producer and ourselves were happy with. That song sort of went through four rough drafts and, really, the final melody didn't come together 'til after we'd done the bed tracks. So we'd had the basic structure actually recorded, but the melody we were a little unsure of, and Peter Collins, our producer, kept suggesting "well why don't we try...have another look at the melody, have another look at the melody," and do this, do that, and the other. You know, as I said before, just before we got into overdubbing, the melody came out, and we were all real happy with it, but it was definitely a late call.
BC: This is "Manhattan Project," by Rush, on Rockline.
["Manhattan Project" plays]
BC: It's Rockline on the Global Satellite Network. I'm Bob Coburn. We're with Geddy Lee from Rush for the full ninety minutes this evening. We got a ton of phone calls, so let's go back to the phone lines. We have a call from Saint Anthony, Minnesota listening to KQRS in Minneapolis, it's Ken, hi.
[Caller]: How are you doing?
Geddy: Pretty good, Ken. How are you doing?
[Caller]: I'm great.
Geddy: What can I do for you? [Caller is speaking at the same time] Sorry?
[Caller]: Okay, here's the question: so you guys started out as a basic three-piece power trio, and over the course of your albums you've slowly added more and more instruments and effects. Well now, it seems that Rush is about as orchestrated as a three-piece band can get. And the base of my question is, since you are so orchestrated - you can't really add more instruments - and I want to really know what direction you think the band's gonna take on this next couple albums.
Geddy: Well, that's a good question. We really don't know where we're going until we get there. I mean, it sounds...I'm sure that sounds a little vague to you. After we finish making a record, our minds and our bodies are consumed with playing the thing properly on stage, and being able to do good performances. And, throughout the following tour after a record, you know, we concentrate on our playing, our musicianship, and things like that. So we really don't think about where we're gonna end up until it starts getting close to the time and, that way, it keeps our music from being contrived. So, when we get together after having a break, you know, "okay, what are we gonna do? Let's start writing," and it comes out fresh. And we really don't know what we're gonna do, until that time where we get together. So I couldn't really tell you what the direction's gonna be. I can't see us getting any more orchestrated, so it'll either continue on the same lines or, I'm sure, it'll take a left turn or, you know, some kind of bizarre turn.
BC: And, of course, now you're busy rehearsing the songs that you recorded for Power Windows so you can do the upcoming tour, so...
Geddy: Absolutely, we're tryin' to learn them properly, now. [Both laugh] Play them for the people out there.
BC: You gotta learn how to play these songs.
Geddy: That's right.
BC: Thanks for the call, Ken. We'll talk to Steve now. He is in Sacramento. Our station is KZAP. Steve, you're on the Rockline.
[Multiple people]: Hi Geddy.
Geddy: Hey, how're you doing?
[Caller]: Pretty good. My question is about one of the themes that seems to go through your music quite a bit.
Geddy: Okay.
[Caller]: Back on "Something for Nothing," and "Subdivisions," and "The Enemy Within," and kind of deals with not giving in, you know, to security. And on the new album, on a song called "Marathon" also. I was wondering, the song "Middletown Dreams," well the theme is, you know, you're not going to give in to your dreams, and make your dreams come true. And I wondered if, in the song "Middletown Dreams," are these people making their dreams come true, or are they not going to fulfill their dreams at all?
Geddy: Well, you know, I like to take a very positive attitude when I'm singing those songs, and I think that it's important to inject an element of hope in there. So, for me, those are very hopeful lyrics. I see these people as getting out. I mean, in verse two, when that guy gets on the bus, man, he's gonna give it his best to make his goal come true. And verse three: the same thing, you know, "middle-aged Madonna," she's going out there. She's gonna do it so, to me, they are hopeful lyrics, and I like...according to my sense of life, I like to look at those as positive things. The dreams were the motivating factor to get these people out of their little rooms, and out there giving it a shot. So that's what the song says to me but, you know, different people see things different ways, so they might take it a little differently.
BC: Get out there and make those dreams come true. Thanks for the call, Steve, we appreciate it. We're gonna play a Rush classic now. There's so many to choose from, man [chuckles], kind of a problem picking what song. I'm sure you'll agree that this song definitely qualifies as a classic. From the LP Moving Pictures, this is "Limelight" by Rush on Rockline.
["Limelight" plays]
BC: From the Moving Pictures album, that's "Limelight" by Rush. I'm Bob Coburn; we're with Geddy Lee for the full ninety minutes on Rockline tonight. Our next call is from Regina, Saskatchewan. The station is Zed 99. Bob, you're on the Rockline.
[Caller]: Geddy!
Geddy: Bob!
[Caller]: How are ya?
Geddy: I'm pretty great. How are you?
[Caller]: Hey, I'm not bad. I know you've heard this a million times, but you guys are the greatest band of all time.
Geddy: Well, thank you.
[Caller]: And even in Saskatchewan we love you here.
Geddy: Okay, how are you doing, Saskatchewan?
[Caller]: Oh, we're great over here, and we all love ya.
Geddy: Well, thanks.
[Caller]: Okay.
Geddy: You got a question?
[Caller]: Yeah, I do. What were your thoughts behind the cover of the album Power Windows, because it is so abstract.
Geddy: Yeah, it is pretty abstract. Well, you want my personal thoughts?
[Caller]: Please.
Geddy: Well, first of all I love the scene of this sort of Billy Bibbit-like character confused as to his reality, and the windows that he's looking out are in a sense very powerful windows. You know, television...power of television, I mean, this is an album of power. Talking about different types, and the way they affect us, and the way they affect him. So this character has, you know, is just a little...he's a little shaken as to which way he should look here, and which window is his reality. So that's really what it's saying to me. [Transcriber's note: Billy Bibbit is the character played by Brad Dourif in the 1975 film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.]
BC: Thank you for the call, Bob.
[Phone disconnects, then BC and Geddy chuckle]
Geddy: Bye, Bob!
BC: Thanks for being on the show, Bob. Call again anytime, okay? We're gonna talk with Al now, he's in Milwaukee. Our station's WQFM. Hi, Al.
Geddy: Al?
BC: Al, are you there?
Geddy: Al's not here.
BC: That must have been Al that hung up. Thanks for calling, call anytime, Al [chuckles].
Geddy: Bye, Al.
BC: It's Steve's turn, this time around. He's in San Antonio listening to San Antonio's KISS. Hi, Steve.
[Caller]: Hello, Geddy.
Geddy: Hello there. How are you?
[Caller]: I wanted to say that it is really a true honor to speak with you, and we're really looking forward to seeing you in San Antonio when you come in January.
Geddy: Well, great, I'm looking forward to going to San Antonio. I always have a good time in San Antonio.
[Caller]: Alright. My question is: I read Neil Peart's forward in the music book you put out, Complete. [Transcriber's note: The caller is referring to "Thrice Told Tales: Yet Another Rush History," reprinted in Rush: Complete Vol. 1 & 2.]
Geddy: Uh huh.
[Caller]: You know, just "Another Rush History," and it said that two of your most physically and mentally tiring albums to cut were Hemispheres and your debut album. I was wondering what lessons you had learned from those albums and what you do differently now.
Geddy: Well, good question. The big lesson we learned is, you know, preparation, preproduction, and even performing songs on stage ahead of time. Those are the things that we didn't have a chance to do on Hemispheres, and when we went in to do Hemispheres, we didn't have anything written. We just went in the studio. It was like blitzkrieg, you know? "Let's get this album written," which was really a foolish thing to do. So, basically, we learned sort of the Boy Scout motto, you know: "be prepared," and it's really paid off since then. Because the longer you have a chance to look at your material in many different environments - like doing demos, and playing them live - you know, you're getting different angles on the same song. So you're getting a lot of opportunity to perfect something before you actually have to commit it to final.
BC: We're getting some great questions tonight, including yours.
Geddy: Yeah, that's a real good question.
BC: Yeah, thanks for being on the show; we really appreciate it. we're gonna take a brief time out. We got more rock 'n' roll from the new album Power Windows, more telephone time with Geddy Lee. In a sense we're just getting started. Our numbers are toll-free: 1-800-222-ROCK in the United States, 1-800-344-ROCK in Canada. We're live; call now, it's Rockline.
[Commercial break]
BC: It's an evening with Geddy Lee tonight on Rockline on the Global Satellite Network. I'm Bob Coburn. Our numbers are toll-free, in the United States: 1-800-222-ROCK, in Canada: 1-800-344-ROCK. From the latest LP by Rush, Power Windows, this is "Territories" on Rockline.
["Territories" plays]
BC: From the brand new album by Rush, Power Windows, "Territories" on Rockline, on the Global Satellite Network. I'm Bob Coburn. We're with Geddy Lee for the full program tonight. Our next phone call is from Cleveland, Ohio. WMMS is our station. Laura, meet Geddy.
[Caller]: Hi, Geddy, how are you doing?
Geddy: Pretty good, Laura, how are you doing?
[Caller]: Pretty good. Cleveland's always looking forward to Rush coming, as usual.
Geddy: Well great, we always look forward to going to Cleveland. Great audience.
[Caller]: Yeah, they are. I got two questions for you.
Geddy: Okay.
[Caller]: You've always had an elaborate stage show in the past, and what can we expect on this tour? And, how do you determine what songs to play?
Geddy: Well, determining the songs is a very difficult thing, because we have so many records out now, now we're...been around for so long [chuckles]. It's always tough to let a song go, but the fact is, it's always a lot more fun to play the new material, because it's so fresh, and it's more of a challenge to us. So, how we determine it is basically, you know, we put together the same set we had last year, and just start subtracting and adding, and mixing around, and try to bring something we haven't played in a couple of tours. So, we just try to freshen it up, and make a careful blend of stuff from the past plus the new material. And, as how the show will change, this year it's a different light show we've got planned, some different film things for some of the new songs planned. We've improved our laser system and, you know, basically expanding the show that we've been bringing around the country for the last few years. We just keep growing, and adding more stuff, and that's about it, I guess.
BC: Thanks for the call, Laura. Enjoy the concert when they get to Cleveland. They'll be on their way before too long. We have a call now from Burbank, California. 95.5 KLOS is our station in Southern California, and this is Debbie. Hi.
[Caller]: Hi, Geddy, how's it going?
Geddy: Pretty good, Debbie, what's happening?
[Caller]: Oh, nothing much. Okay... [Caller, BC, and Geddy chuckle] It's Burbank.
Geddy: Okay, bye!
[Caller]: [Laughs] Okay, before I go on, I have to say it. You guys did a great job on the album, as always, which wasn't surprising to me at all.
Geddy: Well, thanks.
[Caller]: Uh huh. Okay, I have two questions for you. The first one is: what goal do you hope to achieve in the future, possibly after there's no more Rush, perish the thought but, you know, in the future?
Geddy: Well, that's an interesting question. That's a difficult question to answer, because I don't have a big master plan for myself. I like to do a lot of traveling, and I'd like to stay involved in music after...you know, post-Rush. I enjoy producing a lot and, you know, there's a lot of good of musicians in the world, so I'd like to do some work with other people. I have an interest in film work, too. I'd like to do some film scoring and get involved in films.
[Caller]: Okay, also, how did Alex's involvement with Platinum Blonde come about, and how long does LA have to wait to see Rush?
Geddy: Okay, Alex's involvement with Platinum Blonde: I really don't know. I think...I know Alex is friends with Serge, the guitar player, so I imagine it came through that friendship. And, as to when we'll be in LA, I think January or February. I think February we're gonna be in the LA area so...hope we'll see you there at the concert.
BC: I have a feeling she's gonna be there. Thanks for the call, Debbie. We'll talk with Kelda now. She's in Phoenix, New York. Our station in Syracuse is 95X. Hi, Kelda.
[Caller]: Hi. Hi, Geddy.
Geddy: Hi, how are you doing?
[Caller]: Pretty good, how are you?
Geddy: Oh, great.
[Caller]: Alright, I'd like to say that I love the new Rush album. I like the old ones too, this is a pretty good one.
Geddy: Thank you.
[Caller]: Sure.
Geddy: What can I do for you?
[Caller]: I asked my best guy if I could say this, and he said I could, so...
Geddy: Okay.
[Caller]: [Chuckles] The rose that's going to be sitting on the top of your synthesizers at the concert in Rochester on December 10th is from me.
Geddy: Oh, well, I'll thank you in advance. That's thoughtful.
[Caller]: You're welcome in advance. Okay, my questions are...there's two of them. One: what do you do with your mail...all the mail that you get? Because I've written, like, about fifty letters, and I send, like, a self-addressed stamped envelope with all of them, and a little note that says if anybody, no matter how unimportant, sees this - ever - send it back to me, and I've never gotten one back.
Geddy: Really?
[Caller]: Yeah.
Geddy: Well, where are you mailing it? I mean, there is a designated correspondence address, I believe, that the mail...usually...supposedly, I'm told, most of the mail gets look at. We get a lot of mail, as you can imagine, and it's hard to pay attention personally to all of it, but we do from time to time try to. I know Neil loves writing letters, answers a lot of mail personally. I don't like writing letters as much as he does, so I don't get around to it as often as he does, but somebody should be paying attention to your mail. So, I would check the address make sure you're sending it to the right place.
[Caller]: Okay, the second question is...I'm not really sure how to ask this, but do you...what do you think about...well, how...okay, what do you think about the intensity of...like, you realize, don't you, that Rush has a cult following? It's just this tight little clique of Rush fans all over the world, and they're just maniacs about Rush, all of them. The word "fanatic" doesn't even scratch the surface. What do you think about all this?
Geddy: Well, you know, I've been a fan...and am a fan of bands, myself. So, I know what that feels like, and I know what it feels like to really follow a band for a long period of time, so I can understand it, and I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I mean, it's hard to think of myself in that category. You know, it's hard to think that we've got people out there that are as fanatical as they are about the band, and it's a real compliment. The only thing we try to do is always put on our best performance for those people, so that we don't let them down.
BC: Thank you for the call, Kelda, we appreciate it. We're gonna play some rock 'n' roll now, from the latest LP by Rush: Power Windows. This song's been mentioned a couple of times already tonight. This is "Grand Designs" on Rockline.
["Grand Designs" plays]
BC: It's Rockline on the Global Satellite Network. "Grand Designs" is the name of that song from Power Windows, the latest LP by Rush. We're with Geddy Lee for the entire program tonight. Our numbers are toll-free: in the US 1-800-222-ROCK, in Canada 1-800-344-ROCK. We're talkin' rock 'n' roll. It's Rockline.
[Commercial Break]
BC: And once again Rockline returns on the Global Satellite Network. I'm Bob Coburn with Geddy Lee from Rush. We have a call for Geddy from Seminole, Florida. Listening to 95 YNF in Tampa, we've got Sean on the Rockline. Hi.
[Caller]: Hello, Mr. Lee.
Geddy: Hello, Sean.
[Caller]: First off, I'd like to say - as many others have said - I think that Mr. Peart, Mr. Lifeson, and yourself are just about the finest musicians that I know of.
Geddy: Well, thank you very much. Appreciate it.
[Caller]: My question is: Ever since Fly by Night, it seems that you and Mr. Lifeson have written very few lyrics for songs. Do you plan, in the future, to write any more lyrics, and why have you not written them in the past?
Geddy: Well, we will write lyrics. We do from time to time. The fact is when you have lyricist like Neil in the band, [chuckles] it's very hard to get motivated to write lyrics, and that's about the truth of it. I guess because the brunt of the music falls on our shoulders that that's really what we end up worrying about, and because, you know, Neil is the kind of lyricist he is, we don't really worry about it, but from time to time we have something to say. I think the last thing we wrote, lyrically, was "Chemistry" from the Signals album. But yeah, we probably will write more, and I guess what I'm saying is we're a bit lazy about it when you've got Neil...when you're hanging around with Neil, so we probably will.
BC: When you got somebody that good writing the words, though...
Geddy: Yeah, it's tough.
BC: Did he really work hard on this album, because the lyrics on this record are unbelievable, or was this like falling off a log for him?
Geddy: I wouldn't call it "falling off a log" but, you know, he works hard at everything he does, so this was just another thing he works hard at.
BC: An extension of that, yeah.
Geddy: Yeah.
BC: Thanks for the call, Sean. It's Scott's turn. He's in Bristow, Oklahoma, listening to Rock 100, "The KATT," in Oklahoma City. Hi, Scott.
[Caller]: Hi, Geddy.
Geddy: Hi. How are you doing?
[Caller]: Pretty good. First of all, I want to congratulate you on being named the best rock bass and guitar player for the past five years.
Geddy: Well, thanks.
[Caller]: Okay.
Geddy: Appreciate it very much.
[Caller]: My question is: what exactly is the haunted child from the beginning of "Witch Hunt?"
Geddy: What is the haunted child?
[Caller]: Yeah, what's the meaning of it?
Geddy: Well, I mean that's sort of a...that's more of a description of a sound than anything else. The combination of sounds at the beginning of "Witch Hunt," that's one term we used to describe a particular piano sound, and we used that to evoke sort of a spooky and a sort of mysterious feeling, so I don't think you can really take it literally. You know, it's just part of a montage of sounds that we put together to evoke the mood to set up that song...sort of setting the scene for the atmosphere of the song.
BC: There you go, Scott, Rockline sets the record straight for you. It's Rob's turn. He's in Ottawa, Ontario. CFRA Radio 58 is our station in Ottawa. Rob, this is Geddy.
[Caller]: Hi Geddy, how's it going?
Geddy: Hi Rob, how are you?
[Caller]: Not too bad, yourself?
Geddy: Pretty good.
[Caller]: Good. Just wanted to say congratulations on your new album. It sounds really good.
Geddy: Thanks very much.
[Caller]: I'm wondering, my question is: how did you get involved with "Tears Are Not Enough," and what did you think of the whole production? [Transcriber's note: "Tears Are Not Enough", credited to "Northern Lights" (a supergroup of Canadian artists) appeared on the charity album We Are The World, and was also released as a single.]
Geddy: That's a good question. Basically we got a call...our office got a call from David Foster, and it was forwarded to me, and he wanted me to come down and sing on it, and I was happy to. It was, you know, we were writing Power Windows at the time, and I enjoyed it a lot. It was a nice chance to meet a lot of Canadian musicians that I'd never met before, and it was a real interesting experience: singing ensemble with about fifty other people, which I'd never done before. So the whole day turned out to be a very worthwhile experience for me, and I'm glad it raised some money for a good cause.
BC: Thanks for having us talk about that too, Rob. We appreciate you being on the show. We're gonna go back to the album Permanent Waves, and listen to another Rush classic on Rockline: "The Spirit of Radio."
["The Spirit of Radio" plays]
BC: Yeah, we got "The Spirit of Radio" here tonight on Rockline with Geddy Lee as our guest for the full ninety minutes. We've got time for some more, I hope you do too. Our numbers are toll-free: 1-800-222-ROCK in the US. It's 1-800-344-ROCK in Canada. We're live; call now.
[Commercial break]
BC: It's Rockline on the Global Satellite Network. I'm Bob Coburn with Geddy Lee. Our next phone call's from Little Rock, Arkansas. Our station's Magic 105 in Little Rock. Jeff, you're on the Rockline.
[Caller]: Hey, Geddy.
Geddy: Hi, Jeff. How's Little Rock?
[Caller]: It's pretty good down here. I can't wait for you to come back.
Geddy: Well, we'll be comin'.
[Caller]: Oh that's good. I read a couple of months back that you and Alex were both gonna do solo albums.
Geddy: Uh huh.
[Caller]: And I was wondering that, you know, if that was true, when they would be out, and how they would be different from Rush albums.
Geddy: Well, that's a rumor. It's really not based in any reality. That comes up all the time. People keep saying we're doing solo albums, but we just don't have time to do solo albums, to tell you the truth. But if we were to do solo albums, God only knows what [chuckles] they would sound like. So, nothing imminent in the solo department, I'm afraid.
BC: Somebody told me, Geddy, that during the recording of Power Windows that Alex took up painting, and that he's in quite demand as a painter now. Is there any truth to that?
Geddy: Well I don't know if he's in demand, but he did take up painting, and he did some pretty decent stuff for a guy who's just taken it up. He did a few for a few people around the studio and making the record. Yeah, he's got a real future, but I think he needs some development time, you know?
BC: Well, if the band doesn't work out, you know, he's always got something else he can fall back on.
Geddy: There's always greeting cards.
[Both chuckle]
BC: Thanks for the call, Jeff. We'll talk with Michael in Medford, New Jersey. 94 YSP in Philadelphia is what Michael's listening to. Hi.
[Caller]: How are you doing, Geddy?
Geddy: Pretty good. How are you?
[Caller]: I'm doing fine. Hey listen, a little while back, when you guys were supposedly going out on solo stuff like you were just talking about, I heard Neil was supposed to do a poetry book, and publish something like that, and I never heard of anything coming of it. Was that true, or was it just a rumor?
Geddy: I think it probably was a rumor. I mean, I know that he does a lot of different kind of writing, magazine articles, and I know that he, one day, will probably be writing books, but I don't think there's a book of poetry planned. At least he hasn't told me about it, so I think it's probably another rumor.
BC: Well, if nothing else, we're squelching a lot of rumors tonight.
Geddy: Yeah.
BC: Setting the record straight here at Rockline. We have Miguel on the line. He's in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Our last phone call this evening, listening to 105 FM WXQR in Jacksonville. Hi, Miguel.
[Caller]: Hi.
Geddy: Hi.
[Caller]: What's happening Geddy?
Geddy: Yeah, Hi.
[Caller]: Hi. How are you doing?
Geddy: I'm great. How are you?
[Caller]: Fine. I like the album that you have. The new one [chuckles]...gosh!
Geddy: Thank you.
[Caller]: It's a good album. I like the theme and variation that you have on it. And my question is: what are your goals, and what are your achievements, to create the new sound that you're making now?
Geddy: What are our goals? Well, if I understand you correctly, basically our goals as a band are just to, you know, just to keep getting better as musicians, and as songwriters, and as producers: working with somebody else, and learning more about the art of making records, and that's really it, you know, as far as a musical goal goes.
BC: Thanks for the call, Miguel, we appreciate it. You can contact us through the mail, simply by writing to PO Box S, Tarzana, CA 91356, and we will forward any letter to any of the bands that appear on Rockline, and just help out in any way that we possibly can. For Kelda, who called earlier, that's one way that you could get your letters through to Rush. Geddy, I understand you've come up with a number that you can give us, too, for people that want to write to you.
Geddy: Yeah, we woke up a few people here, and got a phone number for fans that are trying to write to us, and somehow maybe don't have the right address. There's an address: 3050 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, Nevada, Unit 112. I don't have a ZIP Code on that, 'cause the person who was asleep couldn't remember it, but that's our official fan club. So if people wanna get in contact or...I can't promise a personal response, but they'll get some sort of response there.
BC: And at least the letter will get to the right place, so....I want to thank everybody for being on the show tonight, with your telephone calls, and for listening, too. Next week. It's Jim Kerr from Simple Minds, plus very special guest Jon Anderson from Yes. Coming soon: Pete Townshend, Asia, Roger Daltrey, Pat Benatar, and even more stars on Rockline. What a lineup we have for you. Our thanks to our Toronto Rockline production team, especially to Brian Dixon, to everyone at Q107 in Toronto, and of course to you, Geddy Lee from Rush. Thanks for being back on the program again; we do appreciate it.
Geddy: Well, it was a real pleasure. I really enjoyed doing this, and it's great to talk to everybody out there, and I appreciate your phone calls.
BC: Now the Rush tour begins December 4th in Portland, Maine, continues throughout the Northeastern US through the 19th of December. They take a little time off for the Holidays, and then they resume in Pensacola, Florida, and stay on the road for a long, long time. So chances are they're headed your way. Geddy, again thanks for being here. I'm BC and I'll be seeing you in a week.