(Photo Courtesy: Grant Martin)
Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart, Geddy Lee During Standing Ovation
Shortly after Jacob Moon's rendition of "Subdivisions" it was time for Alex, Neil, and Geddy to take
to the stage and receive a long standing ovation (if it was all just RUSH fans they would probably
still be standing there). After a few minutes Neil struck a pose like that is enough and faked
leaving the stage which brought laughter and smiles to everyone and not only did he not leave, he
did another rare activity, he was RUSH's public speaker for RUSH on this evening.
Neil kept the laughter going by stating...
First of all -- Premièrement -- Songwriting award? Rush? There must be some mistake! Mais -- même si c'est une erreur, nous en sommes trés fiers et reconnaisants. Alors, si c'est une erreur — ça sera nôtre secret.
If it's true that every song is a story, every song HAS a story, too. These five songs can tell some tales about our history. Les chansons sont les histoires, et les chansons portent des histoires.
Our first five albums were all written "on the fly," as it were, for we hadn't yet learned to insist on a little time for songwriting before making a record. In those years of near-constant touring, we wrote songs in motel rooms, dressing rooms, rental cars, and -- backs to the wall -- in the studio. A Farewell to Kings was recorded in the summer of 1977, away from Toronto for the first time -- in the wilds of Wales, where the sun never shone, and the sheep never shut up. Lyrically, "Closer to the Heart" began with a verse by a friend of ours, Peter Talbot, from a sampler on his grandmother’s wall. It showed a blacksmith at his forge, with the caption, "Mould it closer to the heart." Creér le travail plus près du coeur.
Musically, the song was part of a deliberate expansion in our sound, as we began to bring in keyboards, multiple guitars, and every kind of percussion noisemaker. In the spirit of the times, we also affected stagewear of alarming bathrobes and kimonos -- once described by a critic as "absurdly prophetic robes."
We had retired those robes by the time "The Spirit of Radio" came along, in the summer of 1979. By then we had also finally learned to take some time together just for songwriting, this time in a rented farmhouse near Bayfield, Ontario. Les amis dans la campagne pour écrire des chansons -- luxe, calme, et volupté.
Alex's hobby back then was building radio-controlled airplanes, and flying them over the surrounding hayfields. There were plenty of crashes, and searches for lost wreckage. I imagine farmers around there are still plowing up pieces of those airplanes. That Permanent Waves album was the first we recorded at Le Studio, in the Laurentians in Quebec -- one of many unforgettable projects we worked on in that beautiful place, where I still have a home today. Le Québec est près de mon coeur.
Lyrically, "The Spirit of Radio" was a celebration of the shared effect live radio -- especially music -- can have on the mood of your day. Musically, the song was our first response to the exciting musical changes going on around us in those late '70s. We were slowly channeling the trend toward becoming more concise, more driving, and more direct, while still retaining the stylistic quirks and indulgences that pleased us. Au travail, comme dans la vie, c'est necessaire de s'amuser, n'est-ce pas.
By the time we made our next album, Moving Pictures, songs like "Tom Sawyer" and "Limelight" were concise -- for this band -- driving and direct, with plenty of quirks and indulgences. Moving Pictures was written in Ronnie Hawkins's barn in the glorious summer of 1980, near Lakefield, Ontario (where another one of Alex's planes broke apart high in the sky, and spiraled straight down into the roof of Ronnie's truck). Once again, the album was recorded at Le Studio, Quebec, this time in midwinter. Comme le dit si bien le poète Gilles Vigneault, "Mon pays ce n'est pas un pays, c'est l'hiver."
The success of that album was a great surprise to us, but it is interesting and gratifying to note that as with 2112, once we found our sound, we found our audience.
"Subdivisions" was written during the mixing of our second live album, Exit Stage Left, at Le Studio, in the summer of 1981. Enfin, et toujours, l'été revient.
"Subdivisions" tells a story -- it has a story, and it IS a story -- our story. We grew up in just those neighborhoods, in Toronto and St. Catharines, and felt the yearning expressed in that song -- misfits rebelling against conformity, watching friends settle for the same lives their parents had, in the same subdivisions, while we were searching for something brighter, bigger, wilder. Well, as the saying goes -- be careful what you wish for! Vous savez -- Les anges punissent en répondant aux prières.
We got all that -- bigger, brighter, wilder -- and more, and even now, after almost 36 years together, we are once again embarked upon writing new songs. One big reason for our… unaccountable… longevity is that we have always been involved equally in creating our songs, words and music, and another reason is that we continue to inspire each other, and create music together that pleases us all. Chaqun inspire l'autre, et cette inspiration nous aide a devenir meilleurs.
It should be remembered that a three-piece band cannot be a "democracy" -- it's no good having two "winning" members and one who feels like a loser. We always aim to find consensus -- work that pleases all three of us -- and though it is not always easy, it is surely that quality above all that has brought us here tonight. Nous sommes très, très reconnaissants d'avoir eu l'occasion de partager nos vies avec la musique.
This brought a funny "who could that loser be" face from Alex and another round of laughter!
Mille mercis -- many thanks to the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and to you all.
(Photo Courtesy: Grant Martin)
Neil bids a fond adieu
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Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart, Geddy Lee with the CSHF Statue
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(Photo Courtesy: Grant Martin)
Geddy signing items in the media room...
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(Photo Courtesy: Grant Martin)
Neil signing items in the media room... no, none of us media got any these items
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After the show Howard Ungerleider and Jacob Moon...
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Jacob Moon with Ron Sexsmith...
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Dave Bidini...
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Bev (Rushgirl) and Jill on the Red Carpet
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(Photo Courtesy: Grant Martin)
(Photo Courtesy: Grant Martin)
(Photo Courtesy: Grant Martin)
(Photo Courtesy: Grant Martin)
(Photo Courtesy: Grant Martin)
(Photo Courtesy: Grant Martin)
(Photo Courtesy: Grant Martin)
(Photo Courtesy: Grant Martin)
(Photo Courtesy: Grant Martin)
(Photo Courtesy: Grant Martin)
(Photo Courtesy: Grant Martin)
(Photo Courtesy: Grant Martin)
(Photo Courtesy: Grant Martin)