Rush bassist, singer and keyboardist Geddy Lee was influenced by many different artists, but Hard Rock and Progressive Rock were his biggest inspirations, something that was reflected in the music the band released throughout their career. The biggest and most influential Prog Rock bands emerged in the United Kingdom in the late 60s and in the following years, conquered the world with their experimentation. During his career, Geddy has talked about many of those bands and artists. One of them was Phil Collins, who first achieved fame as the drummer of Genesis before becoming a star on his own. What is Geddy Lee's opinion on Phil Collins Geddy Lee admires Phil Collins especially as a drummer and even said he was one of the greatest ones from Rock and Roll. "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". The Rush frontman also mentioned Collins as one of his heroes when asked by That Metal Show in 2015 which drummers he would like to jam with. "Phil Collins played drums in the early Genesis days, he was just one of my heroes. (He is one of the) guys who would be cool to jam with," he said. Although he likes Phil Collins, Geddy’s favorite era of Genesis is the one with Peter Gabriel on vocals, since it is the most Progressive Rock period, which inspired Rush tremendously. As he told The Quietus in 2012, the album “Nursery Crime” (1971) is one of his favorites of all time. “Well I was a big fan of Genesis and Peter Gabriel. That was when I first discovered the notion of a ‘concept’ and that it could be an adventurous and lively place and not dull at all." He continued: "It is a very playful and compelling record. I fell in love with the sound of it. I was totally entranced by it and wanted to know how they had done it. This is part of the roots of Rush. The creation of a flexible concept. The parallels are obvious,” Geddy Lee said. That was the first album to feature Phil Collins as the band's drummer and also the guitarist Steve Hackett. It had songs like “The Musical Box” and “Harlequin”. Geddy Lee went to a Lou Reed show just to see Genesis open and left after their set https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjYEyENr6c8&pp=ygUcd2F0Y2hlciBvZiB0aGUgc2tpZXMgZ2VuZXNpcw%3D%3D There were many unusual concert bills in the 1970s, and when Lou Reed toured Canada in 1973, Genesis was his opening act. That was the first time Geddy Lee had the chance to see the band perform. But since he did not like the Velvet Underground frontman’s music at the time, he left after their set. “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. 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." He continued: "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). "Watcher Of The Skies" is one of his favorite Genesis tracks. Geddy once explained to Guitar World he liked so much because of the odd time signatures which showed how good the were. “The time signature was completely odd. It was a little like Yes, but darker and much more theatrical.” That track was part of the band's 1972 album "Foxtrot". His late bandmate Neil Peart was also a big fan of Phil Collins as a drummer and that era of Genesis as Rock and Roll Garage already showed. Curiously, Phil Collins’ son Nic, who toured with Genesis during their final shows, was once challenged by Drumeo to learn how to play Rush’s “2112,” and he managed to deliver a really good version.
