3 drummers Geddy Lee said he would like to play with

Geddy Lee had the chance to work for four decades with Neil Peart, who is considered by millions of fans the greatest Rock and Roll drummer of all time. The chemestry between them and Alex Lifeson was crucial to make Rush one of the most influential bands in the world.

But as any musician, he also would like to jam with other artists he admired and he once revealed which other the drummers he would like to play with. “The drummers I’d like to play with are varied. Personality-wise they may not all be easy to get along with, but of course, the ones I respect the most.” he said.

3 drummers Geddy Lee said he would like to play with

Phil Collins (Genesis)

“When Phil Collins played drums in the early Genesis days, he was just one of my heroes,” he said in an interview with That Metal Show in 2015. He has also praised him in his autobiography, saying he was one the greatest drummers in Rock music.

“In his prime, Phil Collins was one of the greatest Rock drummers you could find. So he can do whatever the hell he likes, but with that brilliant and powerful gated drum sound he recorded for ‘In the Air Tonight,’ he inadvertently set a bad example for imitators to overuse! It was a sign of the times, for sure. Just like the twangy guitar was back in the day for Speedy West. Every period has a sound that becomes its signature cliché,” Geddy Lee said in his autobiography “My Effin’ Life”.

Geddy Lee has been a huge fan of the early era of Genesis since he was a teenager in Canada. He frequently tells the story of when he and some friends went to see the British band open for Lou Reed and, like most of the audience, left after their set was over because they were not fans of the American musician. “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.”

Geddy Lee continued:

“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. They far outnumbered the Lou Reed fans at that show and the show was late. I don’t even think all their gear arrived. Their light show didn’t arrive 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 told Sirius XM’s Classic Vinyl Influences in 2013 (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage).

Barriemore Barlow (Jethro Tull)

“Great drummer that used to play with Jethro Tull that I admired,” he told That Metal Show. Barriemore Barlow was a member of the band from 1971 to 1980, being part of classic albums like “Thick as a Brick” (1972), “Living in the Past” (1972), “Too Old to Rock N’ Roll: Too Young to Die!” (1976) and “Songs From the Wood” (1977). His latest album with them was “Stormwatch” in 1979 and later he recorded with Robert Plant on “The Principle of Moments” (1983), Yngwie Malmsteen on “Rising Force” (1984) and Jimmy Page on “Outrider” (1988).

Geddy Lee is a huge fan of Jethro Tull and said recently that they should have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame long before Rush was. His favorite album by them is “Thick as a Brick” and he already said they are the best band he ever saw playing live. “There are a lot of bands that come to mind but the first band of course is Jethro Tull. I mean, I love Jethro Tull so much. They were so inspirational to me and I talk about this in the book. About how our careers were elongated and we had another chance after Neil’s tragedies to come back on the road.”

Geddy Lee continued:

“I mean, their staging was elaborate, their music was complicated and they had a great sense of humor. They would interrupt a song to read the news, you know. They had all kinds of Monty Phyton episodes on their shows. (Me and my friend Oscar heard ‘Thick as a Brick’ so many times when we were young) that we could even recite the whole album. So the fact that they are not in the Hall of Fame is just plain wrong. The fact that we are there before them is just plain wrong. So I hope they will correct that one day,” Geddy Lee said during spoken-word to promote his book “My Effin’ Life” in 2023 (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage).

Ginger Baker (Cream)

Cream was another band that he was lucky enough to see live in Canada while he was still a teenager. He had the chance to see Ginger Baker, Eric Clapton, and Jack Bruce perform in 1968. Since his friends did not want to go, it ended up being the first concert he attended alone in his life. As he has said multiple times, it was a life-changing moment.

“Cream sort of changed my life. They blew my mind and I remember they were coming to Toronto. I couldn’t get any of my friends interested to go see them. They were playing at Massey Hall and I went down and bought a ticket and I went by myself. I just had to see them, they were such an important band to me. Jack Bruce’s bass playing was just out of this world. Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, I mean they were the ultimate trio. The most influential band in my entire career in many ways.”