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June 2 - June 9, 2002 |
No Rush job
Rock veterans take their time with new CD
By Kerry Doole
Originally Published: 2002-05-26
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Geddy Lee, Neil Peart and Alex Lifeson
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Veteran rockers Rush failed to live up to their name in delivering their new CD, Vapor Trails. The five-year gap between studio albums is the longest of their 30-year plus career, but the delay came from a tragic situation.
During that period, Rush drummer/lyricist Neil Peart was hit with a crushing double loss. His teenage daughter was killed in a car crash, and his wife succumbed to cancer a year later. The very future of Rush was jeopardized, but they've overcome adversity to create one of their strongest records yet.
That's saying something, given a body of work now standing at a phenomenal 22 albums. Rush remain the most internationally successful Canadian rock band ever, having notched the incredible album sales figures of more than 35 million. No wonder the walls of the Cabbagetown home of their record label and management company (Anthem/SRO respectively) are totally covered with platinum sales awards.
That's where Tandem interviewed guitarist Alex Lifeson prior to Vapor Trails' release. The amiable axeman spoke candidly about the life and times of Rush, and he's clearly gratified at the continued interest in the band.
For conventional bands, such a long absence from the spotlight could be fatal. Not Rush. They've never been dependent on hit singles or mass radio play, but their large audience has remained loyal to the cause. "I think we are the longest-running cult band," Alex observes. "We have done very well live and have great fans." Summer arena dates are already selling out, and first single "One Little Victory" has raced up rock airplay charts.
Once it was determined Rush still had a future, the members assembled for an intense 13 months spent recording and mixing Vapor Trails. For the first time, they weren't on a strict clock, as Lifeson explains.
"Geddy [Lee - bassist/singer] came off working his solo record, and he said he found it very valuable not to have deadlines. In the past, we'd always been very strict and organized, allotting a certain time for writing, basic tracks, overdubs, mixing. This record was going to take as long as it was going to take and it was going to be true to what we were feeling."
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