The Band Geddy Lee Tried To Emulate In The Early Days Of Rush

The Power trio Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee, and Neil Peart came together in 1974 after going through several lineup changes to form one of the all-time favorite rock bands, Rush. They developed their music by being inspired by science fiction, fantasy, and philosophy. Their sound was more in the bluesy hard rock in their earlier years and then developed into progressive rock.

The band continued to show progress and release material that was always new to fans. Both critics and fans appreciated their instrumental skills, and their work paid off as they are the 88th on the list of best-selling albums in the US by selling over 40 million albums until 2005. They received Grammies, Junos, were inducted to Canadian Music Hall of Fame and topped it off by being inducted to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.

What Were The Band’s Earlier Years Like?

As a band that changed their sound gradually over the years, their first inspirations encouraging them to step into the industry are quite important. In a 2020 interview with Rolling Stone, Geddy Lee spoke about their earlier years and mentioned one of his first inspirations in the rock and roll industry.

He stated that Cream was a huge inspiration for him as a young bassist but not only that. After forming Rush, they all were significantly influenced by Cream and would play their songs. In the earliest days of Rush, the band tried to be like Cream, and Lee can proudly admit it.

Here is how he spoke about Rush’s early days:

“Cream was far and away from my favorite band when I got old enough to appreciate rock music, and I was getting more and more into rock. Cream was such an influence on early Rush and me as a bass player. We would do our own version of ‘Spoonful.’

We would play in the coffeehouses and the high-school dances and all that stuff. We really tried to emulate Cream in the earliest days of Rush, so there was a real bond to Jack Bruce’s playing for me.”

Cream was not a band with a long tenure in the rock and roll scene, but their voices were heard and considered influential. They were formed by a trio Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton, and Ginger Baker, in 1966. They only released four albums a year after another and inspired musicians worldwide.