The Rush vocalist, bassist and keyboardist Geddy Lee is a huge Progressive Rock fan and already said that one of the bands that helped to shape Rush’s sound was Genesis. The love for the British band started when he was a teenager and he even had the chance to see them playing live in Canada when he was young. Over the decades he talked about the band and revealed some of his favorites tracks from them. Rock and Roll Garage selected the two Genesis songs that Geddy Lee said that are some of his favorites of all time.
The 2 Genesis songs that Rush’s Geddy Lee said are some of his favorites
“The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway”
Talking with Sirius XM show “Classic Vinyl Influences” back in 2013 (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage) , Geddy listed the 10 songs that were big influences to him and one of them was “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” from the Genesis album of th same name released in 1974.
“I got into Genesis early, a friend of mine turned me on to them. (It was) right around the time they were doing ‘Nursery Crime’ and ‘The Musical Box’, those early Genesis records. Much more than the later records for me, those early ones were amazing because they were concept albums and they were so intricate.”
“They had beautiful moments, complex moments, Peter Gabriel‘s voice in the sense of showmanship. I remember when they came to Toronto to play the first time. They were opening for Lou Reed if you can believe that.”
“All these massive Genesis fans came to the show and they far outnumbered the Lou Reed fans at that show and the show was late. I don’t even think all their gear arrived. They light show didn’t arrived in time. So they came onstage and they played their set. And we were still blown away to hear. I think they opened with ‘Watcher Of The Skies’. After their set we all left (laughs). Poor Lou Reed had to come in when people were basically leaving. I felt bad for him but it’s just a strange mismatch,” Geddy Lee said.
“The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” was the last album to feature Peter Gabriel as the vocalist. Phil Collins became the singer afterwards.
“Watcher Of the Skies”
In an interview with Guitar World back in 2014, Geddy Lee revealed that the song “Watcher Of The Skies” from the album 1972 album “Foxtrot” was also one of his favorites. “This is a very strange, ominous tune from very early Peter Gabriel-era Genesis. The time signature was completely odd. It was a little like Yes. But darker and much more theatrical.”
“The music wasn’t about people stepping out and doing bluesy solos. They were taking a high level of musicianship and weaving it into the guts of the song, playing with layers of melody, odd time signatures and strange guitar riffs. What fascinated me was how these intricate parts all supported one another — and the song,” Geddy Lee said.
Both songs that Geddy Lee likes had the same Genesis members involved: Peter Gabriel (Vocals), Steve Hackett (Guitar), Tony Banks (Keyboards), Phil Collins (Drums) and Mike Rutherford (Bass).