The decade in which I was born has given me a strange perspective on its music. I discovered pretty much all of the 70’s sounds – from prog rock to punk to disco – well after they came into the world. It wasn’t until the late 80’s that I discovered what I was missing. I would characterize the decade as one where budding genres leaped off their inspiration pads and came to fruition. For the month of February, Mental Jukebox will feature some of these gems with a different 70’s song each day. #28DaysOf70sSongs
Rush is one of the most polarizing bands of all time. They have some of the most loyal fans. They also have some of the biggest naysayers. The naysayers say Geddy’s voice is atrocious. The lyrics don’t belong in rock music. Too much technique, not enough soul. While I’ve sometimes had these same gripes, it hasn’t stopped me from admiring this band. I adore this band. My brother and I got our first taste of Rush by borrowing cassettes at the town library. We heard Signals, Moving Pictures, Exit… Stage Left, Permanent Waves and Grace Under Pressure. And we were hooked. But no album was more addicting than 2112. A concept album that expanded my imagination and rocked hard all at once. One of the least heralded songs from that record is “Lessons”.
The funny thing about Geddy’s voice is his unusually high notes are pushed to the max on this song, yet it isn’t overblown. It feels like his vocal demeanor hits its sweet spot on “Lessons” more so than most songs. This is a true rock & roll song that would garner more interest in Rush if rock fans gave it a listen. “Lessons” has always been overshadowed by the mainstream’s limited view of Rush: “YYZ”, “Tom Sawyer”, “Spirit of Radio”, “Limelight” and the like. But, it’s the song that reminds me why I love Rush so much. Lee, Peart and Lifeson all have their moments here – there are some nice drum fills, guitar hooks and bass lines in there, but the three friends are totally locked in and in sync.
“Sweet memories. Flashing very quickly by. Reminding me and giving me a reason why.”