Guitarist Alex Lifeson didn't think he or his Rush bandmates, Geddy Lee and Neil Peart, would ever make music as a group after the tragic loss of Peart's wife, Jackie Taylor, and his daughter, Selena Taylor, in 1997 and '98, respectively.
"We didn't think or hope to be at it again," Lifeson said during a telephone interview from Columbus, Ohio. "But in 2001, Neil gave Geddy and me a call, and we went back into the studio to see how it was going to feel."
The result was a new Rush album, the band's 17th studio recording, "Vapor Trails."
"The sessions started off very slowly," Lifeson said. "And as we got more comfortable with what we were doing, it blossomed and grew."
"Vapor Trails" continues Rush's trademark progressive-rock evolution. This time around, however, there are no keyboards, as there have been on past albums. "We wanted to return to the basics with this album," Lifeson said. "I spoke with Geddy about that and he was keen to the idea. It was a conscious effort to downplay the keyboards this time. We all agreed that an organic approach to the music would be a good thing this time around."
"Vapor Trails," the band's first studio album since 1996's "Test for Echo," debuted in the Top 10 of Billboard's Top 200 album chart, peaking at No. 6 in June.
Rush — Lifeson, drummer Peart and bassist/keyboardist/vocalist Lee — will perform in the Delta Center tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are still available at the Delta Center box office.
Lifeson said that after 17 studio discs, and being away from the scene for a few years, the band felt some pressures, although Rush did release the live 1998 album "Different Stages." "First and foremost, we didn't want to repeat ourselves with 'Vapor Trails,' " said Lifeson, who cited the Dave Clark Five, the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys as some of his musical influences. "We wanted something new and fresh for us and our audience.
"But our goal, as it has been since we started the band, was to do our best. We still want to be the best musicians we can be."
Rush has been together since 1968. Lee and Lifeson formed the band with drummer John Rutsey and released a self-titled album in 1974. The album featured the tune "Working Man," which is still a crowd favorite today.
Peart climbed aboard the Rush schooner in 1975 and has been hitting the drums and writing the lyrics ever since.
In addition to the 17 studio albums, Rush has released four live albums and four compilations.
"I've been in this band since I was 15," Lifeson said. "It's my life, and it's pretty much all I know."
However, the guitarist said he found different ways to occupy himself during the band's downtime. He composed and recorded the main title to the syndicated science-fiction TV show "Andromeda" and has been producing some up-and-coming Canadian artists. "I enjoy watching these groups develop in the studio. And I like being a part of that development."
The group's members have all been involved in other projects — Lifeson released his first solo album "Victor" in 1996, Lee released his first solo album "My Favorite Headache" in 2000 and Peart has produced two Buddy Rich tribute albums, "Burning for Buddy I" and "II," in 1996 and '97. But the three musicians are now unconditionally zeroed in on Rush.
"There is still so much work to do," Lifeson said. "Last year we were focused on recording the new album. Then the months following the release, we were intent on getting our live production rehearsals started. It was so exciting leading up to the first show (which was in Hartford, Conn., on June 28), even though Geddy and I were bogged down doing press from morning until night. Now, we're focusing on the tour."
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