Michael Hann at The Guardian recently spoke with Rush frontman Geddy Lee for an in-depth career-spanning feature Following is an excerpt from the story.

"La Villa Strangiato" (An Exercise in Self Indulgence) - (1978)

“That was a song where I would have to say our ideas exceeded our ability to play them,” Lee says of the nine-and-a-half-minute, 12-part instrumental suite that set new standards for bands hoping to go widdly woo on their instruments at great length. “We thought: ‘We’re going to write this long piece and then we’ll just record it live off the floor and boom!’ But it was really difficult. It was beyond us. I included it here because it surprised me how popular that song was among our fans. They just love it when we go into that crazy mode. Yes, it is an indulgence, but it seemed to be a pivotal moment for us in creating a fanbase that wanted us to be that way.”

Rush’s commitment to noodling made them the dream band for an audience that was overwhelmingly male. 

“There’s no getting around that,” Lee says. “We would joke about it backstage. ‘See any girls in the front row?’ ‘No. Some attractive boys. A lot of ugly boys.’ When things started changing – and they did – we noticed: ‘There’s girls in the front row’. Or there’d be a sign in the back: ‘Mythbusters: Girls who love Rush.’” 

Lee sighs, and laughs. “But we were too old to take advantage of it by that point.”

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Geddy Lee's Big Beautiful Book Of Bass is a 408-page book that profiles his love of all things bass and his personal collection of vintage electric bass guitars, dating from the 1950s to the 1980s. All editions of the new book are available for order at Rush Backstage now.

"It's not surprising that sooner or later I’d dive down the proverbial rabbit hole into the world of vintage bass guitars." - Geddy Lee

Order the Big Beautiful Book Of Bass in three editions: Ultra Limited, Luxe Limited and Standard. The Ultra and Luxe Limited Editions are available only through Rush Backstage in limited quantities.

Ultra Limited Edition Exclusive $950

This leather-bound, 408-page hardcover book is hand numbered and limited to 250 copies, and signed by Geddy Lee. The book comes in a customized slipcase, which is exclusive to the limited editions. The book comes enclosed in a custom BBBofB silver tolex briefcase, reminiscent of certain guitar cases. Immaculately printed and bound, this will be a handsome addition to coffee tables across the world.

"Because we know many collectors will not want to take their books out of the shrinkwrap, we are also including a FREE copy of the Standard Edition book along with this ultra edition."

Included with this Ultra Limited Edition are the following items:

- Silver Tolex Case with secret compartment
- Behind-the-scenes Mini Booklet
- Two custom Geddy Lee guitar picks from Dunlop
- Glossy photograph, signed by Geddy Lee (8’ x 9.5”)
- Printed Setlist from R40 Tour, with Geddy’s basses for each song
- Immaculately reproduced Vintage Fender Hang Tag
- Full set of Rotosound Swing Bass Strings (same gauge and scale as Geddy uses) in custom vintage style box
- Guitar polishing cloth with BBBofB Skull logo
- Free bonus BBBofB Standard Edition

Luxe Limited Edition $450

This Luxe Edition leather-bound, 408-page hardcover book is hand numbered and limited to 900 copies, and signed by Geddy Lee. The edition also comes in a customized slipcase, which is exclusive to the limited editions. Immaculately printed and bound, this will be a handsome addition to coffee tables around the world.

Included with this Luxe Limited Edition are the following items:

- Custom BBBofB fabric book bag
- Behind the scenes mini-booklet
- Two custom Geddy Lee guitar picks from Dunlop

Standard Edition $75

The standard trade edition is a 408-page hardcover book showcasing Geddy Lee's impressive collection of personal bass guitars.

On January 18th, Rush In Rio will be released on a 4 LP, 180 gram vinyl edition. Pre-order now at Rush Backstage.

Rush In Rio was originally released in 2003 on CD and DVD, but has never appeared on vinyl... until now. This set is presented in a heavyweight gatefold jacket and comes with a code that allows the music to be downloaded digitally.

Tracklisting:

Side A:
"Tom Sawyer"
"Distant Early Warning"
"New World Man"
"Roll The Bones"

Side B:
"Earthshine"
"YYZ"
"The Pass"
"Bravado"

Side C:
"The Big Money"
"The Trees"
"Freewill"
"Closer To The Heart"

Side D:
"Natural Science"
"One Little Victory"
"Driven"
"Ghost"

Side E:
"Secret Touch"
"Dreamline"
"Red Sector A"
"Leave That Thing Alone"

Side F:
"O Baterista"
"Resist"
"2112"

Side G:
"Limelight"
"La Villa Strangiato"
"The Spirit Of Radio"

Side H:
"By-Tor And The Snow Dog"
"Cygnus X -1"
"Working Man"
"Between Sun & Moon"
"Vital Signs"