Rush: Visions 12
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Rush: Visions
The Official Biography
by Bill Banasiewicz
Chapter 12
Some time off lowered the tension level considerably. If as Geddy
said, "Rush were now an album by album proposition," the
realisation that this was the case liberated the band. The future
commitments bearing down on the band were no longer much of a
burden. And looking back on the most recent tour showed that as a
playing unit the band had never sounded better.
Added to this was that the more time Rush spent at home, the more
they realised that they were not yet ready to retire. Inactivity
became boring after a while. On February 10 Geddy sang with the
Canadian Artists Against Hunger in Toronto. The name given to all
the famous Canadian musicians was Northern Lights.
So, after a few months at home, they began thinking about a new
album and some more challenges for themselves. Alex, Geddy and
Neil had seen studio production become even more complicated, and
they wanted to work with someone who was totally hooked into all
the latest developments. They would go for the outside input of
someone with wildly different views of how things should be done.
Musically they wanted to move towards more melodic songs since
they felt that in going for a more rhythmic approach they had
strayed from melody. Neil was going for more lyrical complexity.
He wanted to be able to have his writing appreciated on several
levels. In the material that was taking shape in his notebooks
were specific references to things he had done and seen, topics
as profound as atomic bombs and the barriers that divide nations.
With a whole new batch of ambitions the band were ready to start
looking for a new producer, and Gary Moore hooked them up with
Peter Collins. Collins was known primarily as a high-tech singles
producer, and while this may have seemed like an odd choice for
Rush, they wanted somebody who would bring a radically different
perspective to the band. Since Collins was based in England, they
also decided for the first time since 'Hemispheres' to record the
bulk of the album in Great Britain after the initial writing and
arranging work had been accomplished. The band assembled at an
Ontario farmhouse in late February. For three weeks they fitted
together all the ideas they had worked on during their vacation.
They completed work on four songs. A fifth, 'Manhattan Project',
was almost complete but Neil was eager to explore different
Iyrics. All concerned were encouraged by the results. They were
ready to go with 'Mystic Rhythms', 'Marathon', 'The Big Money'
and 'Middletown Dreams'.
Next came a series of dates that were scheduled in Florida to
coincide with baseball's spring training. Four concerts were
booked: two in Lakeland and one apiece in Fort Myers and
Hollywood. This was heaven for Geddy: while they tested their new
material, he could check out exhibition baseball games. Several
players, like his friends Bryn Smith and Bill Gullickson, came
out to see a show. A tour rehearsal in Lakeland on March 10 saw
the band flexing their muscles. They were a little stiff, but
during the four dates the band played loosely. They were clearly
trying to get their musical chops back in form for the new album.
The tour saw the concert débuts of 'Middletown Dreams', and 'The
Big Money'. 'Marathon' and 'Mystic Rhythms' were only played
during soundchecks and without vocals.
A few days later relaxing by the pool in Fort Myers, Neil was
playing air drums as he listened to a Jeff Berlin demo tape. He
had been asked to play on the Jazz Fusion artists' first solo
album. The session date was scheduled for right after the tour.
Alex also had an outside session lined up. He was to play on a
record for the Canadian band Platinum Blonde.
Peter Collins' engineer Jim Barton came down to catch the band in
concert. He wanted to check out how Rush sounded live before they
went into the studio. Jimbo assured Neil that he could make the
drum sound "a hundred per cent bettah!"
Once the outside projects and tour were out of the way, the band
settled back in for another intense writing session. They decided
to try to write a ballad, 'Emotion Detector'. Neil also finished
work on the Iyrics to 'Manhattan Project' and 'Territories'.
After the writing was completed, Rush headed for the Manor
Studios in England, the 1,000 year old Virgin-owned complex that
is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Peter Collins' approach was to
prove both unsettling and invigorating for the band.
Geddy told GuitarPlayermagazine about some of the differences:
"We recorded the bed tracks in a different manner than we ever
have before. In the past, we had been pretty insistent on playing
as a trio and trying to get a performance. Even if we ended up
redoing the bass or guitar, we tried to get something that felt
like a band performance. By doing that, you're sort of at the
mercy of circumstance - you're looking for that magical take . .
. so invariably you end up doing a lot more takes than you need.
And you try to pick the best moments from each one. You start the
sessions with high hopes, and at the end, you have a lot of tape,
trying to pick those magical moments.
"So Peter Collins said, 'Look, I don't work that way. Let's use a
different way and see if it suits you.' He suggested that we use
one piece of tape. On that we laid down a click track."
The track was set up so that the band could then add onto it. It
served as a foundation that everything else would be placed on
top of. They would not have to piece the foundation and frame of
the song together at the same time.
"Step two is putting down a rough arrangement using some very
simple sounds such as a guitar or keyboard, that basically maps
out the entire structure of the song in real time. At that point
we still don't have any drums, bass, or anything like that. I put
down a guide vocal in the spots where there's supposed to be
vocals, and then guide keyboards to fill the sound . . . so we
end up with a lot of care taken in a very good guide instrument
track. Then, once we have all the drum sounds we want, all three
of us start playing on the guide tracks. And after a few run
throughs, when we are at a stage where we want to do a take,
Peter is not concerned with the bass or guitar; he's just
listening to Neil, making sure there is a good drum performance.
"They record the first couple of run throughs, and we get a good
live feel on the drum tracks, plus we have all the other main
parts in rough form. So, in effect, Neil's playing to a full
track. He responded really well to that kind of recording, and I
think he did three or four tracks on the record in one take. That
method seems to make you focus; you say, this is going to be the
take. So, I won't have to look for that mysterious piece of
tape."
This method worked well and all the basic tracks were done within
a couple of weeks. The band were very happy with Peter's
approach. He reminded Neil of the American film actor Edward G.
Robinson. "They have a similarity of stature and air of
authority." Peter became known as Mr Big to the band. He even
smoked cigars.
The next step proved an even more radical change for the band.
Andy Richards was brought in to play on the record and to do
programming work. While guest musicians had contributed on
several tracks in the past, Richards actually became part of the
production team, and along with Jim Burgess he came up with new
sounds for the band to use. Richards, who was involved with most
of the songs on the album, brought extensive experience to the
project. He had been a member of the art rock band, The Strawbs,
and had also been responsible for Frankie Goes To Hollywood's
unique keyboard sound.
Neil later wrote of the experience, "We enjoyed the chance to sit
back and suggest things for someone else to do for a change."
But as time went on, Alex got a little bored and picked up a new
hobby. Since he still wanted to be at the studio, he began oil
painting.
The electronic experiments were not limited to keyboards. Neil
and his drum technician Larry Allen went to a whole batch of
music stores in London and rented as many African and Indian
percussion instruments as possible. They then spent a day messing
around with the drums and sampled the sounds of the ones they
liked the most. The sounds were transferred to Neil's Simmons
drum set, thereby using advanced technology to capture ancient
and even primitive musical instruments. Appropriately these
sounds were used on 'Mystic Rhythms'. For 'Territories' Neil made
his debut as a bongo drummer.
One lesson the band had learned from their difficulties over the
last two records was that albums took longer to record. So to
break up the monotony of staying in one place, they moved to Air
Studios' Montserrat in the Caribbean. They had always dreamed
about recording at the studio having previously made albums
together in the Great White North and England, not exactly hot
spots. While Geddy and Neil were able to take advantage of the
sun, Alex ended up spending most of his time laying down guitar
overdubs. As evidence of the fun that was had by all, the band's
of fice later received an $300 bar tab run up during the visit.
It was back to England for three months for vocals and additional
guitar work. Ironically, the studio, Sarm in London, had no
windows. In August, the band moved to Abbey Road Studios to add
embellishments like the 30 piece orchestra on 'Manhattan
Project', 'Marathon' and 'Middletown Dreams'. The band could not
stop laughing as they watched classical musicians playing their
material, and the same was true at Angel Studios where a 25 voice
choir sang the close to 'Marathon'.
Neil later wrote, "Mr Big wanted us to pull out all the stops on
this album, really make it something different, and special." The
final mixing work was then done.
Geddy headed to New York City to master the album with Bob
Ludwig, and then returned back home to begin work on videos with
Alex and Neil.
Hugh, as always, had been in contact with Neil about the album
cover. They decided to go with another painting. It features a
confused looking boy in a dingy room, holding a remote control to
three television sets that he has his back to. In front of the
boy is an open window, but he is looking not out of the window or
at the sets, instead he is staring at the person holding the
cover. The three sets represent Alex, Geddy and Neil, the boy has
a power window to Rush. But is the boy closing the window to
reality and just living in Rush world?
"It is pretty abstract," said Geddy on Rockline, "I love the
scene of this sort of Billy Bibbot-like character confused as to
his reality. The windows that he's looking out are in a sense
very powerful windows. This is an album of power. We are talking
about different types of power and the way they affect us, and
the way they affect him. The boy is a little shaken as to which
way he should look and which window is his reality."
'Power Windows' is Rush's most accomplished album to date. The
band were able to go beyond their past triumphs and achieve a
staggering advance in every aspect of their performance: playing,
writing and in the sound clarity of the recording.
'The Big Money' is a parable of how power tries to corrupt. While
the song keeps hammering home the theme of monetary success, it
also deals with other sorts of power, in venomous asides, whether
fame or religion. "It's a Cinderella Story... a war in paradise."
Sonically, it shows how the band are advancing to a new musical
age. The influences of the past few years have been absorbed
beyond the point of recognition.
'Grand Designs' to me is about this book. 'Curves and lines - of
grand designs...' can be taken as the book itself, or it could be
the talk of coming out with a grand design. The music is
expansive, echoing the grandeur of unrealised dreams.
'Manhattan Project' deals with the development of the atomic
bomb. But its essential message that once the cat is let out of
the bag it can't be placed back in, can apply to any major
development, whether it be the invention of gunpowder or a big
personal decision. It also marks a return to a more cinematic
style. And, of course, there is the aural pleasure of an
orchestra playing Rush.
'Marathon' is about the endurance one needs to realise those
dreams and ambitions that have already been discussed on the
first two songs. The sense of the Iyrics being addressed at one
person comes through very strongly on the chorus. 'From first to
last/ the peak is never past/ something always fires the light/
that gets in your eyes/ one moment's high/ and glory rolls on by/
like a streak of lightning/ that flashes and fades in the summer
sky.' The message concludes: 'You can do a lot in a lifetime/ if
you don't burn out too fast/ you can make the most of the
distance/ first you need endurance/ first you've got to last...'
Again the song does not end. The result is in question. The music
keeps pace. An inspirational chorus provides the band with
harmonic support as it races through towards the final line.
'Territories' echoes both the band's visit to the Far East, and
the divisions between different cultures and people. Specific
references to the trip in lines such as 'better people, better
food and better beer' which are similar to comments during the
early part of the Japan visit can also be seen as the comments of
all cultural and military invaders. Neil then compares that pride
with the pride of someone who will not be committed to a single
territory. The song is a showcase for Geddy's new bass, a Wal,
and he gets an amazing tone out of it.
'Middletown Dreams' returns to the subject of dreams. It compares
how they inspire some to strive harder to finish the race and
others to imagine they can, an impulse that can lead to success
or in the case of the middle-aged man to a bottle. Neil argues
that this is a very positive song. "The middle-aged man sticks to
his dreams," says Neil, "and they eventually become reality."
'Emotion Detector' can be seen as the shattering of illusions and
dreams. 'Sometimes our big splashes are just ripples in the
poollfeelings running high.'
'Mystic Rhythms' which closes 'Power Windows' is a very different
song for the band. Instead of describing what should be done, it
tries to capture things we feel but can't describe. Musically it
goes after that sense of wonder which occurs when that feeling of
something far beyond us grips our imagination. Neil beats his
electronic primitive drum kit on the choruses to capture an
exotic sound, using African rhythms, while the keyboards play an
Oriental pattern. It is hard to pin down all the musical styles
and elements that are being employed.
The whole record fits together like a puzzle that can be
assembled in many different ways. Pieces can be put together and
the songs have a dream-like relationship between each other. The
Iyrics on the album are filled with Neil's observations of
people's actions, hopes, dreams and failures. At the time, Neil
discussed things that motivate him to write a song: "Scraps of
overheard conversations provide some material, but it's outrage
that really gets my juices tlowing. When I see things that are
wrong around me, that's when I do a lot of the writing."
Peter Collins really came through for the band on the studio end,
giving them sound that delivered on many of their possibilities.
By encouraging them to push for the full emotional content of the
songs without worrying about how they would play them onstage, he
enabled Alex, Geddy and Neil to capture the band's power in
performance. The record has the power of a live show without the
errors that invariably follow. 'Power Windows' is a flawless
record.
But performing this material live would require another change in
the band's set-up. Many of the sounds needed had to be stored on
floppy discs. It was not just a case of the usual massive
preparation the band had gone through in the past; now they would
be dealing with a whole new generation of electronic technology
onstage. "The technology in music has advanced so rapidly," says
Gedd. "There is a synthesizer called an Emulator II which enables
me to sample any sounds, and store them on computer disc. So for
the tour we got a whole bunch of these synths and sampled the
choir sound for 'Marathon' and the strings during 'Manhattan
Project' and other unplayable parts. Jack Secret changes the
discs backstage, but physically Alex and I must trigger them
onstage."
By the third date of the tour in New Haven, Connecticut, on
December 7, 1935, the band had still not got the show into order,
and it was obvious. Geddy's vocals were a little rough, and the
lighting spot cues were off. The sound was not up to the band's
high standard. You could see that they were struggling to play
the very complex material. Some of the stored keyboard parts were
not loaded in time, so they were not available for Alex and Geddy
to trigger. 'Grand Designs' in particular suffered from a
noticeable lack of grandeur.
Cliff Burnstein was at the show and in his customary style he
made no bones about what he thought. In the dressing room after
the concert, he went for the jugular, asking them how long they
had rehearsed. At the soundcheck in Hartford the next day, the
actual process of setting up the gear and making sure it sounded
right took much longer than during tours past. Geddy also
insisted that Jon the soundman record that night's show so that
he could hear how they were coming along.
The concert was a vast improvement over the night before. The
problems were starting to fade. While there were still a few
mishaps, they were much tighter, but the band were still unhappy
with the show.
By the end of January, when the band hit the West coast, they had
mastered the new technology. At the Oakland Coliseum on January
31 everything was right from lights to performance, to sound, to
the crowd. Older numbers from '2112' shone along with brand new
songs like 'The Big Money' and 'Marathon'. 'Mystic Rhythms' was
one of the highlights with inventive use of lasers as Howard made
broad brush strokes with the beams on the dry ice released into
the air. The most amazing thing about this gig was the fact that
Neil had the flu. There was not a person in the audience who
could tell. He played great, but was exhausted after the show.
At a concert in San Diego on February 3 the 'Mystic Rhythms' were
erratic. In the middle of 'Marathon' the sound system went
totally dead, but the lights remained on. Geddy just stood there
shrugging his shoulders. After a few minutes the power came back
on and Geddy said, "Wow, that was weird." Then they did the
entire song over again. About 20 minutes later it happened again.
This time the audience started to boo. When the PA system came
back up, the band dived back into the set. After the show I came
backstage and, with a grave look on my face, apologised to the
band, "I'm sorry guys, I didn't mean to do it, but I was walking
around while you guys were playing and I dropped my baseball and
I ran after it and tripped over this huge wire and pulled it out
of the socket." As the room filled with laughter, I added, "and
the worst part was it happened again." It later turned out that
there was a bad circuit in the hall which could not take all the
power needed to open Rush's live window.
Before the second show in Los Angeles, Neil was very nervous
about the clinic which was to be given on the band's stage. Fifty
students from the Percussion Institute of Technology would
witness the professor's very first drum clinic. Neil shouldn't
have been nervous. For 90 minutes he had the students in the palm
of his hand. He was informative, funny and interesting. He would
explain different drum beats from their original conception to
how they've evolved over time, to how the students could do it,
to an actual demonstration of the pattern in question. 'The
Weapon', 'Tom Sawyer' and 'The Enemy Within' were used as
examples. When he did particularly difficult parts all the
students would start clapping and more than one blush of red
crossed Neil's face. He also showed how important Larry was when
it came to performing. While Neil plays Larry has to physically
change the settings on the Simmons, and mix Neil's sound and be
prepared for any mishap.
By the end of March the band were satisfied enough with their
live sound that they recorded shows at the Meadowlands in New
Jersey, Springfield, Nassau Coliseum and Philadelphia's Spectrum
for use on a possible future live album. The two soldout shows at
the Spectrum were a tour highlight for the band, and may show up
in part on a live album in the future. On May 26, the band closed
its Power Windows Tour with a two-night stand at the Pacific
Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, California. Band and crew were in a
festive mood. At the soundcheck before the final show, Alex,
Geddy and Neil broke into an instrumental version of 'Lakeside
Park'. I had been after them all week to play that song on May 24
in Sacramento.
At the show that night Neil indulged in some humour that nobody
noticed. During the drum solo he did a bit from the Flintstones
theme song. He couldn't believe that nobody had noticed it. So,
with some assistance from Barney, Fred and Bam Bam, their
thirteenth tour of North America was ended.
Beheader!
Thank you thank you thank you!
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