I love watching band documentaries and I’ve really been filling my boots recently. Here’s one I enjoyed. ‘Beyond the Lighted Stage‘ brings the career of Canadian band Rush to life. Let me just (perhaps sadly, perhaps not?!?) admit right now that I have never been a Rush fan. In fact, it’s a credit to the film that I now just might seek out a few Rush albums. Well… ’70s albums. No matter how good this documentary, I’m still to be convinced about the ’80s synth albums!
So… this is a review of a Rush documentary by someone who knows nothing about Rush. Okay… I knew they were a prog rock band. I knew the individual band members’ names. I knew Geddy Lee had a big nose and could play incredible bass. I thought Rush were a pretty light, keyboard-centric rock band. But I honestly hadn’t really heard anything by them. There were a couple of occasions during the documentary where I had moments of song-recognition. But on the whole… nothing. So am I the ideal, or worst person to comment on this film? Hmmmm. I think I might just be perfect. 🙂
There’s certainly an unusual amount of ‘home-filmed’ archive footage. This lends an essence of authenticity to this documentary above and beyond the usual cash-in. I should Wikipedia why and how some of this footage exists… that would be the right sort of thing to do when writing a review. But, as a friend of mine said recently after making a truly bizarre sweeping statement. – “Life’s too short for research”. Ha ha! Anyway… you don’t want Wikipedia’d nonsense. You want my honest, expert opinion.
The first think that hits you in the face is the sheer level of musicianship on display in this band. The three members are superhuman. Geddy Lee, on bass, is an animal. Basslines that make me re-evaluate what breakfast cereal I eat in the morning. In fact… I actually eat breakfast cereal last thing at night. So I actually eat supper cereal. Hmmm. …and his vocals, while not quite to my taste, are undoubtedly superb. Alex Lifeson must be one of the most underrated guitarists of all time. I have been a fan of the guitar, and the guitar hero, all my life and yet I rarely see Mr Lifeson make an appearance in any top-ten lists. Well… I tell you… Alex Lifeson has some chops. Oh yes… he has a whole butcher’s shop full!!!
I used to read ‘Rhythm‘ magazine at my old drummer’s house. It’s not a porn mag… it’s a mag about drumming! Neil Peart was a regular in the pages of that magazine. So I have more knowledge of the type of drums Mr Peart uses than the average man on the street… and yet I still hadn’t really heard him play. Well… let me say now that he certainly lives up to the reputation of ‘consummate drumming professional’ – ‘The Drummer’s Drummer’. Amazing tom rolls that remind me of Maiden’s Nicko. And above all, a well-read drummer who writes the band’s lyrics. Bats away the drumming clichés! So…. huge Kenny Everett thumbs up to the musicians of Rush.
Elements of the narrative of Beyond the Lighted Stage chime with my own life. There’s a discussion of how ‘local’ bands were ignored by the locals (essentially Canadian bands in Canada). American bands would play Canada… hear Rush, and think they were the greatest thing since sliced bread. The locals of course still thought “but they’re just a local band”. People not seeing the bigger picture.
I used to play in a band that would routinely blow signed, touring bands off the stage. They would genuinely approach me afterwards and ask what record label we were signed to and where we were playing next. I would answer “we’re not signed”… and watch their jaws drop. That’s ‘local band syndrome’. It’s like a disease. But the cure for this disease is building up enough of a following that the generals in charge of the ‘power of music’ can no longer ignore you. This, unfortunately, is trickier now than ever before. I once watched an interview with someone… I can’t remember who – some old rock star… and he said that if you formed a band in the ’60s and played your instruments relatively well…. you would be signed. You would be famous. This is no longer the case. If watching these band documentaries tells me anything it’s that the game has changed completely. It will be interesting to watch a documentary in 20 years time about a band making it big today. The documentary will probably feature more about social networking, public relations, home recording and luck than it will licking Jack Daniels off a hooker’s tits in a LA studio. Horses for courses I suppose. It’s just a shame my ‘childhood’ memories of great rock are being struck over the head with a shovel and buried along with all the great albums.
This documentary, ‘rock’umentary if you will… shows Rush veering into Spinal Tap territory on more than one occasion. They are obviously highly aware of this as I’m sure I spotted a tiny Stonehenge monument perched on one of Geddy Lee’s keyboards. The usual ‘talking heads’ pop up to offer their ‘expert’ opinion… but it’s nice to see a few more unfamiliar faces (and no Lars Ulrich!).
Beyond the Lighted Stage is an excellently edited and expertly put together film. I’ve seen some pretty muddled and amateurish efforts in my time and this isn’t one of them. At times it is a window into the world of the care-free millionaire musician – but there’s enough heartbreak featured to bring the brick of real life careering towards that fragile glass.
Verdict.. I have been won over by the entity that is Rush. I enjoyed this film. What more is there to say… it’s nice to see three ‘normal’ blokes who make excellent, technical music. This is not a film of sex, drugs and rock and roll. This is a film of oxymorons. A band with adoring fans and the wealth, fame and ability to do whatever they want in life. A band that is completely unknown to the population at large. Alex Lifeson sums it all up beautifully “A million monkeys typing on a million typewriters may eventually produce the complete works of Shakespeare. But who the hell’s going to clean those typewriters?”. Geddy Lee: “We’re getting into a weird area here… monkey defecation.”
The most beautiful day of the year so far. Straight blue skies. No clouds. No breeze. Still. Sitting on a bench and reading a book. Drinking Amstel. Felt the need to enter my studio and listen to a record… just for a bit… to get out of the rays. The vinyl is spinning the perfect album for this day. I even have the window open – a very rare occurrence in a room that is all about keeping sound in!
I love comedy. I’ve never hidden the fact that comedy is extremely important to me. I believe a laugh is good for the soul. And I’ve also made it quite clear that I believe comedy and music are intrinsically linked. Rhythms and repetition. Whether it be Hancock or The Office, good comedy is timed to perfection and is difficult to make look easy. In fact I’d go so far as to say that great comedy is an art, and should be considered just as worthy of praise as Sgt Pepper or OK Computer. A comedy series I hold aloft as one of the greats is Seinfeld. Bar the final episode, I often use Seinfeld as an example of a near perfect comedy. You’ll hear ‘experts’ telling you that it didn’t really warm up until season 4. Well, I’ll have none of it. Some of the finest episodes were very early on, and in my opinion, they were necessary to enable the show to progress. For the show to be labelled the ‘show about nothing’ it at least had to have once been the ‘show about nothing’. Parking in a multi-story car park. Waiting for a seat at a restaurant. Classic episodes. I could watch Seinfeld on a never ending loop – indeed at times I feel like I have! It’s that good. Yet… very few people in the UK have even heard of it. Such a shame.
Over the last couple of years I have been listening to a lot of music online. Streaming the 010100101010000111111s. But recently I have taken a step back from the new, the fresh, the vital and I’ve been basking in the dusty, spinning black circles of music history. I actually think it’s having a positive influence on my own recorded output as I’ve been putting a nostalgic bent on the new Eleventh Hour tracks – but more on that another day!
Still a lovin’ the vinyl. I’ve just stuck on Abbey Road. Thought I’d type while I listen. I do love Come Together. For me an example of why Ringo Starr is one of the greatest drummers of all time. A very much underrated musician and the butt of almost all Beatles-related gags. But anyone who’s anyone appreciates Ringo’s contribution. Understated and sublime. I’ve always been a fan of the drums… I think my own music is dominated by the drum kit and the ‘sound’ of the drum kit. I don’t think songwriters pay enough attention to drum patterns. They are often happy enough to just put some chords over a drum loop. That may work just fine for dance music… but if you’re trying to capture the attention of a headmusickid you have to give them something that excites! I remember first hearing the Buzzcocks… specifically the Peel Sessions album. Fantastic drumming. Likewise when Caught by the Fuzz by Supergrass first slapped me square in the jaw. The drums can not only ‘make’ a song but they can define a band.
I am devouring new music. I have spent a few years avoiding too many new sounds so that my own albums exist in their own bubble, unaffected by outside interests. But now, I unwrap new music. CDs! I still buy a few CDs! Stick that in your pipe and smoke it!
Context… context is important to a review. To set the scene. I am ironing. Not just any ironing. This is ironing on the scale of the conquest of Everest. If and when I finish I will be honoured to the highest level. I expect a telegram from the Queen!!!
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