Rush : Tom Sawyer
On February 12, 1981 Rush released Moving Pictures, the Ontario trio's finest 40 minutes. Here they found the perfect balance between flashy prog rock instrumentalism and accessible, radio-friendly tunefulness. Opener "Tom Sawyer", an FM radio hit in the US, is the perfect example. It also showcases Geddy Lee's interest in Mini Moog, Oberheim Polyphonic and Taurus pedal synthesizers. How he managed to play all of those and the bass is onstage is one of the reasons Rush had become such a huge concert draw.
Asked about his guitar solo on "Tom Sawyer", Alex Lifeson says
I winged it. Honest! I came in, did five takes, then went off and had a cigarette. I'm at my best for the first two takes; after that, I overthink everything and I lose the spark. Actually, the solo you hear is composed together from various takes
"Limelight" was an even bigger radio hit. It's drummer Neil Peart's take on the band's fame, according to Geddy Lee.
Limelight was probably more of Neil's song than a lot of the songs on that album in the sense that his feelings about being in the limelight and his difficulty with coming to grips with fame and autograph seekers and a sudden lack of privacy and sudden demands on his time ... he was having a very difficult time dealing with. I mean we all were, but I think he was having the most difficulty of the three of us adjusting; in the sense that I think he's more sensitive to more things than Alex [Lifeson] and I are, it's difficult for him to deal with those interruptions on his personal space and his desire to be alone. Being very much a person who needs that solitude, to have someone coming up to you constantly and asking for your autograph is a major interruption in your own little world.
Moving Pictures would peak at US#3. It has been certified quadruple platinum, the biggest selling album of their career.
No comments:
Post a Comment