Geddy Lee said he still struggles to explain Rush’s longevity, and confirmed that he was still considering returning to action, although he hadn’t started work.

The band came to an end after drummer Neil Peart’s retirement in 2015, and his death in January 2020 drew a line under any prospective reunion. Frontman Lee looked back on their five-decade career in a new interview with the National Post.

“That’s a hard question for me to answer,” he replied when asked about the secret to their longevity. “[W]e always went our own way; we weren’t afraid to laugh at ourselves – that sense of humour was definitely something we made sure was present in our live shows.” He added that the “camaraderie we had for so many years” had been a major contributing factor. “[W]e really were very close friends. Alex [Lifeson] and I still are. I think that struck home with a lot of fans. People like to see long marriages and long relationships, people who work together without acrimony. Maintaining that civility and friendship, I think appealed to people because everyone wishes to be in that kind of situation.”

Lee reissued his only solo album, 2000’s My Favorite Headache, last year, and said he’d recently enjoyed listening to it again. “I’m very proud of it – it’s a very intricate record, a deep record, and a lot of love and passion went into it,” he reflected. “It did get me thinking that one day I’d like to take that on the road, so you never know. But I have no firm plans to do anything right now. It’s not a time when one can plan much.”

He said he regularly played bass “to keep my fingers juiced” but wasn’t going any further. However, he noted: “Time goes by way too fast. A lot has happened in my life and I’ve been incredibly fortunate. But one can’t keep looking back. You still have to get on with your life and do new things.” He continued: “As my friend… used to say, ‘It’s time to make new mistakes’.”

 

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