This is very off topic, but I’ve been a fan of Rush since I was about 12 years old. Their Moving Pictures
This is a few thoughts on Geddy Lee’s memoir, My Effin’ Life.
This is part of a series of book reviews I’ve done on my blog. You can see them all under the book reviews tag.
Geddy is Jewish
I might have known this, but I hadn’t really thought about it. The book opens with his thoughts on his parents, who were Holocaust survivors. The chapter of the book looks at his life as a child, memories of parents and sports growing, without a lot of music. The second talks religion and then the book goes into his parents’ journey and meeting in Poland, getting separated into concentration camps and being reunited.
It’s a tough read for me, as I don’t love the WWII era, but it’s also amazing that they met and were reunited. There is some love there. This story must have affected Geddy, and he talks of going back to visit as an older man, taking his Mother with him.
Early Rush
I don’t think I knew how close Geddy and Alex were. They were friends in school, growing up and enjoying the music of the 60s. I didn’t realize how much of an influence some of the early bands (Cream, Yes, Eric Clapton) were for them. I also didn’t realize the forming, breaking, reforming that took place with a different drummer. I certainly didn’t know that the first Rush album was John Rutsey, who quit for various reasons.
The audition for Neil Peart is short, but it’s a fun story.
A Long Marriage
Like Bono, Geddy met his wife in school, and it’s been amazing they are together still. They haven’t had, it appears, as smooth a marriage as Bono, partially from all the travel and distance that Geddy had with the band. He freely admits this, and also talks throughout the book about working on his marriage and getting counseling. An interesting admission.
It also makes me realize I’d have been a poor rock star because I like being at home and spending time with my wife.
The Journeys
It’s interesting to hear about these three musicians growing and changing, being influenced, and partying hard. I saw some interviews at some point and thought these guys didn’t party as much as they were sports fans.
Wrong. They partied a lot, and the book talks about their fondness for drugs, though not with the destruction and wildness (usually) of the Eagles, Motley Crue, Ozzy, etc. They also found themselves influenced by Neil, who loved to read science fiction and fantasy, which influenced their music.
They toured with Kiss and Led Zeppelin, things I hadn’t realized. I think most of my discovery of Rush was after Permanent Waves.
It’s interesting to read how much they are on the road, and at the same time, how few places they went. They were mostly a US/Canada touring band, getting to Europe some, but not many other places. Neil didn’t like Japan, and is the shy one.
I found the book interesting from a fan’s point of view, and I put some of the albums on as I read different parts of the book. I’d forgotten some music, and honestly, didn’t love the albums after Signals (as a 20-ish yr old) and stopped listening to them, but I’ve gone back and found I do enjoy some of the music, though the late 70s-80s remain my favorite era of the band.
If you’re a fan, you might enjoy this book, learning a bit about the artists and their journey.