The Book Club- Review: Geddy Lee's 'My Effin' Life'
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- Опубліковано 24 сер 2024
- Join Pete Pardo, Grant Arthur, and Ralph Tamborra for a review of Geddy Lee's new autobiography, 'My Effin' Life'. #geddylee
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We had a great time that weekend! 🤙🏼
I'm not usually an audiobook guy, but since Geddy was reading this one I decided to give it a shot and it was excellent. To hear his various emotions as he's telling the different stories really contributed to the power
My favorite story was when Robert Plant forced Geddy and Alex to get out after Neil's tragedies and the advice he gave them.
“Clockwork Angels” could be our favorite Rush album. However, we saw that particular tour in Dallas, which happened to be the only time I saw them and they did not disappoint. Felt honored to be able to do that. That being said, I have Parkinson’s and it’s difficult to focus and read. I plan on getting the audiobook version which Geddy narrates himself, it’s easier for me to focus. I’ll keep you posted.🎧🙏🏻
My least favourite.
Saw the Toronto show at Massey Hall. It was amazing night. Love Geddy. ✌️❤️🇨🇦🇨🇦
You also have a window into just how astounded Geddy was with Neil's intelligence, (genius level I would add) his lyric writing and depth of concepts he came up with for songs. Not to mention being the bassist and working musically so intimately with him as the drummer. Who better to elaborate on what a dynamic and original musician Peart was.
Well done review, gents!
PS - A quick note about what Pete said at the end of this episode. Most people do not even read one book a year and a lot of people have not read a book since high school. Books are like kryptonite to them! I recently saw a graph that said if you read just one book a year, you've read more than 46% of the population!
I would also recommend everybody read Neil's many books. My favorite is Roadshow. Neil really opens up in his books as well and I feel like I knew him a lot better because of it. Neil is surprisingly humble considering his accomplishments.
Geddy addressed the issue of the Ric in an interview in Bass Player magazine. He had difficulty getting the tone he wanted out of the Ric. The only way he could get close to the sound he wanted was by having a really high action, which means the strings are farther away from the fretboard. This has an impact sound, playability and tuning of the instrument. It is more difficult to play a bass with a high action than it is to play a bass with a low action. Another issue was, that Ric's of that era had really fat necks which made them ergonomically harder to play, unless you had Chris Squire Bear Man hands. Geddy eventually gave up on the Ric because it was really difficult to play. Roger Glover of Deep Purple abandoned the Ric, as well. Like Glover said, it was too hard to play. Glover played a Gibson Thunderbird bass when he was with Rainbow. Glover currently plays a Virier bass.
Wild... I've a had five different 4001 basses and they all played like butter w/nice thin necks. Those 80's and 90's basses had heftier necks. I miss my '71 4001 and should have never sold it
The audiobook is a must have as Geddy is the narrator. A perfect companion piece to the physical book. Reading along with him is very powerful. 👍🏻
Not much for audiobooks but that sounds awesome.
@@JeffReams
Yes, Alex Lifeson narrates some of it as well.
Juuuust finished it this morning. Great read. He lived in the same neighborhood my wife grew up in.
Only autobiography I got little teary-eyed at the end.
Bill Milkowski's JACO bio had the same effect on me...I bought Geddy's book as Xmas gift tome. I need to get on it.
I'm not even a Rush fan, but I really want to check out that book! I've heard so many good things about it. By the way, I love seeing Ralf, Grant, and you together. The chemistry is so strong between you guys and it was awesome seeing how passionate you guys got talking about Geddy's new book!
Excellent book. I like the idea of this show, and I look forward to hearing about more books!
I got the book the first week it came out and I really enjoyed it. What surprised me was how three guys so close can be so different especially how Alex just went along with things like Geddy getting replaced, turning down the guitar and turning up the keyboards. Tragedy was a big part of it, the death of his father when he was 12, Neil's first wife and daughter and Neil's cancer and his Moms death just recently. TRIVIA: Geddy skipped going to see a big name act coming to Toronto to see how bad Rush was without him (which they were), the show he skipped, The Jimi Hendrix Experience...
Saw the book tour in Boston. It was fabulous. I very much enjoyed the book. Got the hard copy and listened to Geddy narrate the audio. Highly recommended!
I thought the book was tremendous. I've dug Rush since 1980 and I've long found Geddy to be an articulate and thoughtful guy. Love his voice and bass playing. His life story is definitely worth the read.
Thank you for review guys. I need to pick his autobiography book up still. I heard good things about his bass book too. Coca year’s Hemispheres through Signals - didn’t think that was going on from the guys that stayed in their hotel rooms instead of partying with Kiss and Rush fans! One thing I find hard to believe that they were smoking pot for Caress of Steel - joking!! Clockwork Angels has grown on me too on repeat spins!
Listened to it awhile back. So effin good! Was so cool having Ged in my headphones telling his life story. Can't recommend it enough!
Great Job covering an excellent book. I listened to the audiobook which I never do but so glad I did. Loved the early life segments. Felt myself tightening up near the end knowing the tragedies that were coming. Thoroughly enjoyable discussion. Thank you guys!
An excellent episode on an excellent autobiography. I loved every word of it and have been a fan since Moving Pictures.
Lindy Young, my friend and former band mate of 14 years, is very happy and satisfied about the bang on words about him and his time in the band.
A great read.
THis video made me order the book before I was even finished watching! I had it on the backburner in my mind for a while, and listening to you all made me just go ahead and buy it. Thanks, guys! PS: The weird thing is that I'm not even that much of a Rush fan, but I love them as people. I really like a bunch of their songs, but I'd probably be satisfied with a "greatest hits" collection to be honest. But as people, they fascinate me, and I'm always rooting for them to succeed. I love them. I'm in my 60's so I certainly heard them on the radio and saw them on MTV etc. But I started really liking them MUCH later, when I was in my 50's for some reason. I must have seen some interviews, and got hooked. And then the documentary sealed the deal, when that came out.
I`m waiting for the paperback version to come out. I do most of my reading on buses, in cafeterias or on break at work. And hauling around a hardcover book everywhere, in all sorts of weather, isn`t an option. I`m very much looking forward to reading this. Every review I`ve heard has been excellent
I also greatly enjoyed this. There was a fair amount of overlap between this and Martin Popoff's RUSH trilogy of books that came out during the pandemic, but Geddy fills in many personal tidbits within the historical facts as they occurred. The one piece that Martin was unable to reveal was the actual end of the band with the R40 tour and how Neil really had to be actively coerced into participating in that. He had been really over the touring life for a long time, thus the exploring on bicycles and then motorcycles while on tour. I actually vividly remember a quote from him in 1989, promoting 'A Show of Hands' saying that that album was likely the end of the band. He liked the symmetry of the trilogy of four albums/one live album cycles they went through, so I guess we are very lucky that the other guys somehow got 25 years more of participation from him.
One thing I'm pretty certain of is that I think Geddy was much more controlling of the organization than even he let on in this. In the 80's Popoff book there was a quote from someone in the organization that after 'Moving Pictures', they really cleaned house with Vic Wilson being bought out and Geddy actually taking control of the road crew, stage production and what-not. He even admits to micro-managing issues with the truckers and production crews in the book. It seems unnecessary and felt like after they hit it big, with Moving Pictures it kind of became the "Geddy Lee project".
I saw the book tour in Seattle and it seemed like Geddy spent half the show defending the use of keyboards in the band and the 80's period in general. I felt kind of bad about that, as I think the 80's is their most dynamic and creative period. Krist Novoselic was the host of the show and you could tell he really had a pretty big blind spot of the band's catalog between 'Signals' and the more recent Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters producer) albums.
Its so satisfying to read a book that is so honest and it really does feel as Geddy is telling it from the heart without any shouting etc.
Amazing read
Great show guys Thank you
I just finished Geddy's book last week. Informative, insightful and entertaining. I was with Rush from the very beginning growing up in NE Ohio, the band broke in the states on WMMS-FM in Cleveland. Other than Todd Rundgren, I've seen these guys in concert more than anyone. AMAZED at the music and the complexity of the music played live by three guys!
The book really was a window into the band's history and the behind the scenes workings of developing songs, their personal lives and the close relationship Geddy, Alex and Neil had. Very solid read!
Grant is right. At 13 years old, I came in after "Permanent Waves" was out for a while. I first heard "Spirit of Radio" on the radio. Then, "Moving Pictures was released soon after. After buying that, it seemed like in no time "Exit Stage Left" was released. So, those three albums were a quick foundation for me, and everything else fell into place later.
VERY COOL AND INTERESTING COVERSATION ABOUT GEDDY. THANK YOU GUYS !
I’m digging the Geddy Lee TV series where he visits other bassists.
Where can I watch that?
Great Read, an insightful page turner for sure. The ebb and flow is gorgeous, one paragraph tears fall and the next your gut hurts from laughter .
...my wife bought this for me for Valentine's Day...can't wait to get into it. That starts today...
Great show , great book ! Geddy is my hero ! As a bass player he is my #1 .
Been a fan for so long. I knew they enjoyed pot. I mean…A Passage to Bangkok… But, was genuinely surprised by the cocaine use and the super intimate admission of his struggles within his marriage. He’s just such an “open book.” NPI.
I love the book. Thanks to my 2 older brothers I was listening since the debut, and if I had a nickel for everytime my one brother would say THERE's ONLY THREE GUYS IN THIS BAND!! I could of bought a new 10 speed haha. I watched your episode Grant, and it was one of my favorites!!:)
Cool trio discussing a book on cool trio. But especially Geddy, who got kicked out of band(!) and got back in. The bookstore I was just in had his Big Beautiful Book of Bass but as with many of their post Caress of Steel shows this one sold out. Very few if any musician autobiographies I'd rather read.
Great to see two new shows added to SoT. Looking forward to more
Fantastic book. One of the best music bios I've ever read....and I should know I've read a few!! (Little Monty Python tribute).
My son got me this book for think past Christmas. Great Book got me back into reading. I haven't read a book in years. But since reading Geddy Lee's book I've 📚 read 2 more in just over a month. I've been a Rush since I was 16 i am now 63.
just bought it because of this review.
Fantastic idea gentlemen!
When I read the book I dove right in. Reading one or two chapters everyday until I got to the last chapter. I paused for several days as I knew the book was almost over. I didn't want it to end.
Love the book shows! This book is a standout as far as rock biographies go and I hope Geddy will keep writing because he's good at it. Also... the last book that Neil wrote will be out in February and every book Neil wrote is worth reading.
Great show guys! This book is most definitely in my queue to pick up.
Great show idea! Love it!
I am glad I had read Martin Popoff’s Rush books first. This is a great book that is about Geddy’s life and weaves into Rush’s history, but I did not feel the need for him to be exhaustive about any album or tour.
I was pleasantly surprised to learn that one of Geddy‘s best friends growing up was the son of jazz piano legend Oscar Peterson. That. Is. Heavy. Oscar Peterson is effing royalty in the jazz world and yet, Geddy and Oscar Jr both supposedly felt like outcasts because of their race and religion. Even royalty seems to need to walk on egg shells sometimes.
There's plenty of irony in Geddy's life story, not least the fact that he would not even be here were it not for the Nazis.
That's nuance !
I am half way through the book and I am thoroughly enjoying it. Well written…it’s funny, interesting, heavy and always engaging. I had heard a little about the drug years previously and it’s no surprise as pretty much every band that came up in the 60s, 70s and 80s were involved in drugs at some point. The reason it’s less known with Rush is that they didn’t let it consume their lives or affect their performances and music. They weren’t destroying hotel rooms and smothered in groupies and scandal. But it is interesting and fun to hear those stories. I am looking forward to the rest of the book🤘
I'm halfway through it right now, great stuff!
The definitive book not only on Geddy but Rush's career. Far superior to Martin Popoff's books on the subject (Popoff's tendency to overshare his frankly irrelevant personal opinion on the albums really got grating after a while, particularly in book 3).
Wow I'm so glad somebody else said this. No offence to Martin but his writing style put me off those books a lot as well.
Ricky:Play I Like to Rock
Alex:Thats April Wine
Ricky:Then play that Diane Sawyer song
As far as the day by day recording details mentioned about the Beatles and such, the super deluxe versions of some of the Who albums have that same thing. Fascinating.
The audio book is so good too.
This book was just incredible!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Listened to the entire audiobook and the first few chapters were a real surprise, and deeply, deeply moving. Overall a great book from a man who has given me so much musical pleasure during his time in Rush. He doesn't lack self esteem though, and a little more humility wouldn't have gone amiss...as well as a bit more wisdom. He's smart but not particularly wise, as his thoughts on Covid show...
I agree with Ralfus, a fascinating read and an important read. I thoroughly loved this book about a musician and band that has been a big part of my life. I also loved "The Lives of Brian" by Brian Johnson. Another autobiography, his life before AC/DC and his childhood was just as fascinating as this book was for me. I feel very fortunate to have read both books in the last year. 😁
Look forward to more book review shows !
Yeah, Brian Johnson's book, ends when Back In Black comes out so it's all pre fame. Great read.
@@countralfus6408 Exactly, I really like that aspect of it.
It's amazing he n his siblings were ever born
Outstanding show guys. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Love to see this series stretch out to non-music books too. I know you’re a Stephen King fan Pete!
Until I read this book I had no idea that Geddy's other best friend was THE Oscar Peterson's son, Oscar Jr. So cool 😎
Someone gave me a copy of Geddy's book for Christmas 🎁 & I haven't been able to put it down! 📕🤘
Great book. Just finished last week.
Not a Rush fan but this book is on my list to read. Perhaps we can get a review on the Sly Stone book which was a fun read?
Read Geddy's book, very good, very detailed and very interesting. Call me nieve but I was a little surprised how many drugs they took! I didn't think they would have been that into it. Given the times though it wasn't unusual I guess.
By the way,, in responce to Grant and what he said about the Beatles and so much being said about them ~ I think there is so much still to say about them if you like their music. And while I agree that there are so many books {perhaps too many} written about them, every so often, an interesting one pops up. I agree with him about that Mark Lewisohn one about their sessions {I remember reading it back in 1992 ~ I still reference it now !} being brilliant, and there are many others. For him, I'd recommend David Rowley's "Beatles for Sale" {it's in the same vein as Revolution in the Head and A Hard Day's Write} and a fascinating one that I read recently called "Riding So High" by Joe Goodden, about the band and drugs. When I first saw it, I wondered if it could be any good. After all, what more can be said about the Beatles and drugs, right ?
It is marvelous. Not what one would think.
Great review…I am definitely buying it.
Regarding their drug use, I remember in that 80’s Rush book Visions, they made it seem like Rush were choir boys….studying French after shows, etc. In recent years though, there were clues that Rush enjoyed to indulge just like any rock star in their day. Is it really a surprise they enjoyed their weed/hash with songs like Passage to Bangkok?
The dope shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, but I was disappointed to learn that a band who were so steadfastly original and committed to their own, unique vision in their music, seemingly cast that aside when it came to cocaine and followed the crowd into the biggest cliché in rock. When Geddy mentions how his wife and her fashion designer friends were also experimenting with the drug, it all starts to sound a bit 'middle-class dinner party'. His argument that it helped with gruelling touring schedules doesn't quite stack up when you consider how many of his equally hard working contemporaries (Harris, Young, Anderson, Barre, Simmons, Stanley, Sheehan et al) were managing perfectly well without it.
@@seethroughhead505 It was the Eighties, I think a lot of people in arts, entertainment, film, music and fashion industries were into the cocaine lifestyle, it seems to be very prevalent at the time and even if there were people not indulging it was certainly all around them.
@@jimmycampbell78 Absolutely and Geddy says the same in the book. I just find it hard to reconcile the band I always thought of as 'specialist' and 'different' and such a trendy, cliched lifestyle.
The Book Club -- great idea!
I like it the book review crew.
I haven't cracked my copy open yet but I've read nothing but good things about it.
Fantastic Pete really brilliant review again.
I just finish reading this book, amazing book highly recommended if you haven’t read it
Bob Spitz "The Beatles" is my favorite Beatles book. 5 star.
The audio book was here on YT until today. Apparently wasn't legal. I listened to over 4 hours of it, of a 7 hour audio book. I'll buy it now.
got the audiobook on release day. excellent bio from the greatest bassist of all time 👍 his chapter about his parents is powerful.... and topical considering Jews are still persecuted and face violent terror attacks, daily... the Hollywood and international celebrity cult are Jew hating/pro-Hamas evil.... his pride in his parents and his heritage is inspiring.
Are u a throll.
I've got the audio book, plan on starting it tomorrow.
I really enjoyed the book and this show though Alex recently on Eddie Trunk said some things in Geddy's weren't accurate. Did like the story of Billy Preston .
Any Beatles books by Mark Lewisohn are going to be definitive. Ian MacDonald's 'Revolution in the Head' is superb too.
100 pages in, so far so great! Thanks for your thoughts on the book.
Its a fantastic book.
It really is a good read.
Very cool.
I thought about possibly getting the audio book where Ged actually reads it I think?
Get the actual book for the photos... it is a must have!
@@GrantsRockWarehaus 🤠 ya. I think better choice.
pete's right. everyone should love reading, eh? ~
Excellent book! If you are of a certain age, you may like Ronnie Howard’s autobiography. Great stories of his life.
Ralph music metal
They had such a huge following by Moving pictures, they could have shaved their heads and wore shiny spandex by that point, and the hardcore fans would still be there.
Probaly wait for the paperback
Geddy - Canadian Jew , Alex - Canadian Serbian and Neil Perth - Canadian Canadian🙂
Alex isn't Jewish?
❤
Ricks look cool, and that's about it. The old one's have design flaws.
I just can't listen through Clockwork or Snakes. Not there for me.
What does the word "effin" mean?
It's a cleaner way of saying 'f*%cking'...
The word Fuck is refferred to as the F-Word generally, so "Fucking" would be F-Word with an "ing", F-ing ..effin'
😂😂😂 I thought this question was just a joke😂😂😂
F if I know?!? 🤷♂