1984 RUSH
Grace Under Pressure
ALEX LIFESON RECALLS THE MAKING OF THE BAND’S “REALLY DIFFICULT” 10TH ALBUM
By Richard Bienstock
[from left] Rush’s Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart and Geddy Lee work on the music video for “The Body Electric.” Lifeson is playing his Hentor Sportcaster, which is referenced in our Lifeston/Lerxst feature on page 32
NINETY-EIGHTY-FOUR saw Rush release their 10th studio album in as many years. But while the trio — guitarist Alex Lifeson, bassist, keyboardist and singer Geddy Lee and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart — were firmly established as rock superstars, they were also in some ways operating as a newborn act, exploring uncharted, sometimes, uneasy rock territory.
Following the massive mainstream success of 1981’s Moving Pictures, which spawned now-classic singles like “Limelight,” Freewill” and “Tom Sawyer,” the band took a hard turn on the next year’s Signals, which pushed synthesizers to the forefront, relegating Lifeson’s guitar to a less central and more supportive role.