GEDDY LEE - My Favorite Headache / ALEX LIFESON - Victor

September 11, 2024, 4 weeks ago

(Victor)

Greg Prato

Rating: 8.0

review hard rock rarities rush alex lifeson geddy lee

GEDDY LEE - My Favorite Headache / ALEX LIFESON - Victor

In the late '90s/early 21st century, two-thirds of Rush decided to embark on solo albums: 1996's Victor (Alex Lifeson's effort) and 2000's My Favourite Headache (Geddy Lee's release). 

With alt-rock still being all the rage at the time, both albums included input from several artists from the genre – I Mother Earth's lead vocalist Edwin and Primus bassist Les Claypool guesting on Victor, and Soundgarden/Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron providing laying down the beat on My Favourite Headache. And in 2024, both albums were reissued in various formats.

Musically containing a few unmistakable Rush-isms, lyrically both are quite different from Lifeson and Lee's main band – as Neil Peart obviously did not provide lyrical input (and in the case of Victor, vocally as well). Listening back today to such ditties as “Don't Care,” “Start Today,” and especially “The Big Dance” will certainly transport you back to the style of music that was popular on mainstream rock radio and MTV during the late '90s. 

And concerning My Favourite Headache, picture a more quirky Rush, and you're not far off from what such tunes as the album-opening title track and “Grace To Grace” sound like. And for vinyl collectors, you're in luck – both titles are now available in limited edition LP versions, which are sure to please your turntable.


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