Geddy Lee

I didn't know exactly what to expect, but this was a surprisingly respectful and reflective look back on Geddy Lee's life (so far). Geddy starts right at the beginning with his unusual name, his tragic family background (both parents survived the Nazi concentration camps), and how he wandered into the musical life. Geddy takes a chronological approach to the growth and success of Rush, laying out the circumstances of each album, how the band worked together, and how their music changed over time. What struck me most was how much art came into it for Geddy at least. He gives the sense that he has always been trying to grow and mature as a musician and that the band Rush was also driven by that same motive. There is no secret dishing here, but there is a sense of great friendship and comradery among all those that made up Rush, including families.… (more)

I often don't much care about the lives of the rich and famous. Lee's made some effort to think about what's important about his life, and his honest look at his parents, the holocaust, his relationships with his great friends, his marriage, fatherhood, and loss is what's best about this memoir. He does spend a lot of time traveling album by album through Rush's years. While it's interesting to watch the band develop their art, it can also be a slog of details that I found hard to associate with particular albums later.… (more)

Strictly for fans of Rush, this is a great book. Geddy tells the tale of his life, from his early days in Toronto when his name was Gershon Eliezer Weinrib, referred to at school as Gary Lorne Weinrib, to when he became a rocker and Geddy Lee. The long years of being in Rush, the tours, working on the albums, everything is in here. As he himself says, it is long, he likes to go on. Still, there's enough detail, but not too much, he doesn't dwell on anything too long or get too personal. If you are looking for words on how some of the records were written or made, it is in here. Not every record, but most of them. If you want some great trivia from tours, it is in here too, like the Jack Black Crack appearance. I enjoyed his thoughts on their music, other music and their albums and shows.… (more)