RUSH - Cygnus-X1.Net

BILL.B: The thing I find fascinating about Rush is that, each of the albumsget better, they progress on musically and lyrically, they justkeep getting better. And like, since 1976 each album has just beensteps above the previous one.NEIL.P: Well, I think we were lucky in a sense, that we had a long road togo. I don't mean that with any false humility. But when we firststarted out we weren't that good as musicians, or that good as song-writers and had so much to learn, that it was easy for us to learn.So first of all, we had the the enormous school of technique toprogress through, and that probably took us right on up toHemispheres and even a bit into Permanent Waves, that we were stilllearning our instruments, as individuals. We were learning ourinteraction as musicians, We were learning how to write songs, howto create moods, how to create textures, how to affect people inall the different ways that its possible to make your musiccommunicate with people. And all of that period, that long period,was all of that and once we reached that period where we wereconfident in our technique as musicians, as songwriters, asarrangers, all of that, the whole school of what being a musicianis about, really. Then we could get into the process of refinement,and thats the turning point I think, that the Spirit Of Radiorepresents.Someones always telling us that something else we did was betterand why don't we do that again. Well, the answer is self-evident ofcourse to any thinking person, that we already did it,why would wewant to do it again, and its necessary for us to keep growing andchanging to be doing anything at all really. But you can't explainit to those kind of people, they still literally want to hear uswrite a whole album of Working Man, or a whole album again of 2112or whatever their particular favourite era is. Hemispheres too,again, I was just saying how proud I am of that album, and its adefinitive album of its type, but its still behind to me, you know,its, not something thats a part of my personal life right now, I'msaying how you kinda disconnect yourself from something once itswritten and recorded and especially when you stop playing. it live.BILL.B: Its so close, you guys jam in the afternoon you know. I guess I'mon the inside, I get a rare opportunity you know ••••GEDDY.L: Well, its a real release for us, because the tedium of a tour, youknow there's so many things that are planned out and the same everyday, as you well know, you've been on the road. But most people Iguess, don't realise that, so much is repeated day after day, youknow, soundcheck, show, this'n'that and all the things in between,that, I don't know how some musicians feel, but myself, I find itvery frustrating because I want to ••. you know, you're playing every-day so you're sharp, technically, you can play, you're at yourbest playing ability, but all you're playing are things that you'veplayed the night before or whatever. And, to have half hour whenyou just let it all go, you know, is wonderful. Those jams, i thinkare very important for our mental well-being on the road. You know,I don't really like jamming with other musicians, I find it ... you,know you always end up playing the similar kind of things, unlessyour jamming with a couple of people that are really outside anda~e taking you into an interesting area. I used to enjoy jammingwith Max Webster a lot, because we sort of knew each others stylea little bit.c '7