Geddy Lee on His Relationship with Alex Lifeson: "I Don't Have Another Friend Like That"

"That'll never change"

BY Megan LaPierrePublished May 18, 2022

Rush are really delivering on the heartfelt, adorable content this week: after saying Primus did the band proud with their Toronto tribute show, Geddy Lee is offering further praise, speaking to the quality of the friendship he's found with Alex Lifeson.

In a new interview with Classic Rock, Lee covered a range of topics — from the ups and downs of the band's sprawling career, to their recent beer collaboration — but easily got the most wholesome when discussing his friendship with his former bandmate.

"We recently went out to dinner, just the two of us, and we sat down, looked at each other and we did a high five," the bandleader recalled. "And it was just like I was 16 again, driving my mother's car with Al next to me — we were laughing in seconds."

He added: "I don't have another friend like that in my life. That'll never change."

And they've certainly been through a lot over their four decades of friendship, having recently opened up about keeping late drummer Neil Peart's illness a secret inside a "bubble of grief." Lifeson also shared his struggles with coming to terms with the end of Rush when they retired in 2015, admitting that he didn't feel ready to leave it at the R40 Tour.

Interviewer Philip Wilding brought up the fact that, although it was unintentional, the band's final album — 2012's Clockwork Angels, their 20th LP — was a good note to leave off on.

"Al and I were just talking about this the other night: how, from a personal chemistry, writing vibe, it was the happiest collaboration we'd had since we were kids," Lee said. "From a songwriter's point of view, it's probably the most accomplished piece of work we did in our entire history."

That may be true, but his appearance on Murdoch Mysteries ranks pretty high in the CanCon canon, too.

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