By Ramiro Burr
Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson was only 13 when he bought his first album, the
Rolling Stones' "Big Hits: High Tide and Green Grass," in March 1966.
"I really liked the Rolling Stones at that time, I thought they were really
cool," Lifeson said. "I thought it had some great songs on it, 'Last Time,'
'Satisfaction,' things like that.
"And the cover was so cool. It was a photograph of them, they were standing
in a line and they looked so cool for that time."
Like most of his school friends in his hometown of Toronto, Lifeson was also
into the Beatles.
"The next album I bought was 'Magical Mystery Tour.' It was such an
innovative record for the time and that's what everyone was listening to. It
was such a departure."
Many an aspiring musician was inspired by those '60s rock legends. And,
after a career spanning more than 30 years, it's a safe bet that Rush has
influenced more than its share of bands. The group performs tonight at
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.
Rush's primal influences were the inspiration for the band's latest CD,
"Feedback," which features covers of classics by the Who, Cream, Buffalo
Springfield and the Yardbirds. To be released Tuesday, the eight-song CD
marks the first time the group has recorded material by other artists.
The tracks include Blue Cheer's cover of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues,"
the Yardbirds' "Heart Full of Soul" and "Shapes of Things" and the Who's
"The Seeker."
"All those groups back then were awe-inspiring for us," said Lifeson, who
spent hours trying to learn the tunes in his parents' basement. "It's funny
how back then, those songs seemed so complex and hard to master. Now, when
we started listening to some of them and getting ready to record our
versions, some of them seemed overly simple, even out of tune in some
cases."
While hindsight can provide clarity, it doesn't diminish the enthusiasm of
young boys following their heroes, listening to and exchanging albums.
"This was the stuff we listened to all the time, night and day, living and
breathing it all," he said. "We would go to somebody's house where they had
lots of records. Like John Rutsey, the original drummer in the band had two
older brothers who were real music fans.
"So they had loads of albums at their house. They had their own little
record player down in the recreation room, so you could go there and listen
to music all day long, or all night, or the weekends."
The first live concerts also leave lasting impressions.
"The first concert that I went to had to have been the Who. Actually
Herman's Hermits were headlining and the Who were opening. And we went to
see the Who and they were amazing.
"It was a huge crowd that was there for Herman's Hermits. There were young
girls that were screaming for Herman's Hermits and they didn't really know
who the Who were. I went with my friends and we were there for the Who and
we left halfway through Herman's Hermits' set."
Ultimately, it was the guitar that fascinated Lifeson.
"I loved the guitar and how it sounded and how many different sounds it
could have. My brother-in-law, who is 16 years older than me, had studied
some flamenco guitar when he was younger. He would lend me his guitar, and
he'd play sometimes. The sounds of the instrument were awe-inspiring to me.
"I remember those summer nights, just lying in bed and you'd hear the
crickets outside and the radio would be turned down low, just listening to
music. It was really special."
Like all young bands, the first years for Rush were tough, requiring nonstop
hustling. Then came the moment when all seemed possible.
"I think that was after we released 'Moving Pictures' because we had worked
very hard. From '74 until about '78-'79, we were severely in debt. Those
early tours were costly and we weren't making very much money at all.
"I remember a period in '76 where we didn't get paid for eight months - we
were on such a small salary anyway. And I had a pregnant wife and a son and
we lived in an apartment and barely made the rent. We had savings that we
went through. They were tough times.
"There are no guarantees in the music business that you're going to make
money, but I'm glad we stuck it out."