Rush is a Band Blog: Geddy Lee talks Moog Taurus pedals in new in-studio interview

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

Geddy Lee talks Moog Taurus pedals in new in-studio interview

Clockwork Angels UPDATE - 2/16@1:57PM: Parts 2 and 3 of the interview are now online (part 2, part 3).

Geddy Lee was quoted in this MusicRadar.com article from earlier today pimping the new Moog Minitaur monophonic tabletop bass synthesizer which will be unveiled at the 2012 Winter NAMM show. To celebrate the release, the Moog Music YouTube channel posted the first of a series of 3 videos where they interview Geddy Lee from the recording studio where the band was working on Clockwork Angels. In this first installment Geddy talks about his first introduction to the Taurus sound, how it influenced Rush's song construction back in the '70s, and the Moog Minitaur. Geddy also mentions how much of a fan of the Taurus pedals their producer Nick Raskulinecz is and reveals that they've already used them on a few of the tracks on the new album. You can check out the video below or at this link (thanks Eric).

COMMENTS

#1 - Posted 1/5/12 @1:26PM by John E. [contact]

Sweet ! Moog Taurus slippers. I'm in. How about some Rickenbacker slippers ?

#2 - Posted 1/5/12 @1:35PM by Jimbo [contact]

Are you talking about the experimental Rickenbacker musical kimono from 1978?

#3 - Posted 1/5/12 @1:40PM by Professordrums [contact]

Just the site of the Moog Taurus pedals sitting in the background in the studio being utilized makes me giddy (geddy?) about this new album

#4 - Posted 1/5/12 @3:26PM by Hemisfears [contact]

"We've already used Taurus pedals on a number of songs on this album."

#5 - Posted 1/5/12 @3:53PM by Jaybird [contact]

Sounds like Clockwork Angels could have a "Kingsian" feel to it.

Oh yea!

#6 - Posted 1/5/12 @4:14PM by random_sample [contact]

I'm always excited to hear brand new Rush music, but I'm hoping (I will get shot for this) the rest of the new material isn't as busy as the song Caravan. Out of Caravan and BU2B ,my preference is BU2B ,because I just find Caravan way too busy. That's probably my biggest (if only) criticism of Rush's newer stuff, is that it seems like they try and squeeze TOO many things into a song. There is a "to each their own" thing about this, though, so it's really just my opinion but I ,personally think they peaked in the late 70's and all through the 80's (including the "era" of what some people thought was "too many keyboards") .The ironic thing, to me, is that in that "keyboard era" ,their sound was still more cohesive than on a song like Caravan, where it just sounds to me like way too many things are going on at the same time. Anywayyyyy....
I'm excited to hear whatever they come up with.

#7 - Posted 1/5/12 @5:31PM by hannuFIN [contact]

Hope Geddy used good old analogue synths instead of digital garbage and Neil switched this time to his majestic Tama set up.Yes I'm "just" dreaming..

#8 - Posted 1/5/12 @6:11PM by snowdog2113 [contact]

#3, #4, #5 - They used Taurus pedals on S&A, too. This is not new although they may be using them more than before.

I am unbelievably excited about this new album because I love the 2 new songs and I love S&A but the only thing that makes me nervous is the expectations of some fans. This album is not going to sound like 2112/A Farewell to Kings/Hemispheres. That's just not where they're at and I'm afraid there's going to be a huge backlash when there aren't songs over 10 minutes with long solos. It may seem like overreacting because I haven't seen too much of that here but around the web and in person I've read and heard a lot of assumptions based on wishful thinking. "Dude, they're making a sci-fi album with really long songs, it's going to be like a new 2112!" I think those people are going to be let down. Alex already said that the story part of Clockwork Angels is confined to 5 songs. That still would likely be 20 or more minutes total but it's not an album-long thing.

I'm not trying to discourage anybody but I hope people will judge it for itself. I just think people may be projecting things onto it that won't be there in the end. I'm confident it'll be great, just not great in the way some are wanting. We'll see.

#9 - Posted 1/5/12 @6:25PM by jupeguyowensound [contact]

Doesn't it say somewhere on the Caravan-BU2B cd case that they are parts 1 and 2 of Clockwork Angels? So there's 3 songs to fill in the rest of that story, meaning that there are only 4 songs that are separate from the CA thing.I'm hoping for 5. I think this song that Alex said they nearly finished,scrapped,re-worked then scrapped again DOES make it to the album. I'm thinking Big Al is trying to pull one over on us so that we'll be surprised with an extra track.

#10 - Posted 1/5/12 @6:28PM by jupeguyowensound [contact]

Or was it only the 5.....plus 3 others.....wait now I'm freaking myself out!!!Help!!!!

#11 - Posted 1/5/12 @6:49PM by snowdog2113 [contact]

I don't think we know how many total songs there are yet. We've seen vague ideas like "well, we've got 5 written and we hope to write another 4 or so" type statements but that's been a while.

#12 - Posted 1/5/12 @8:23PM by musicofthespheres [contact]

jupe, I don't know about the CD case, but Neil mentions Part 1 and 2 in the tourbook.

#13 - Posted 1/5/12 @8:41PM by patrush

Moog's rule. Not sure how good the new Rush album will be. If we judge by Caravan & BU2B, it is looking like it will be better than S&A. When I first heard BU2B, I was blown away at how heavy this song was (by Rush standards, to me it sounded as heavy as Cygnus X-1 book I). Then I heard Caravan live with the solo/improv bit they added and was pleasantly surprised. It's looking very good.

#14 - Posted 1/5/12 @8:52PM by Hemisfears [contact]

I know that Taurus pedals were used on S&A but I couldn't really hear them. Maybe they added to the bottom end on a few tracks but I want to hear them like they sounded from 1977-1985.
Clear and up front.

#15 - Posted 1/5/12 @9:00PM by holeinone53575

#7 I would have to disagree on the Tama kit. DW has a much larger sound than the "boxy" sounding Tamas. They are beautiful looking and sounding. But if you are referring to Neil's setup that is due for some modification but I doubt we will see that. I never thought he would switch cymbals. I think the move to Sabian was more financial than artistic.

#16 - Posted 1/5/12 @9:02PM by holeinone53575

I love the Taurus pedals. Great to hear they will be used. Gives Ged so much flexibility.

#17 - Posted 1/5/12 @9:53PM by random_sample [contact]

#8-
I thought about that, too, when I saw comments about the possibility that the next album will sound like Farewell to kings, etc. The closest thing to that, would be things like parts of songs of chords Alex uses that might sound like parts from older albums (like the Hemispheres chord Alex used on Snakes and arrows).
As far as whether the entire next album is part of the same theme or concept, none of their past albums was ever entirely the same story or concept, even 2112 ,Hemispheres....2112 is one side, Hemispheres is one side, the other sides are individual songs with individual themes. I can't see them making ,or even trying to make another Hemispheres or 2112.

#18 - Posted 1/5/12 @11:44PM by patrush

#17 there is no way the album will sound like hemispheres or 2112. At best, it will sound like snakes & arrows. if you look at any rush album, they pretty much sound like the previous one, with some evolution. but you will not find two consecutive albums that sound vastly different. for example, the transition from permanent waves to moving pictures to signals all uses increasing amounts of keyboards, and this is followed by GUP, power windows and HYF all of which have a very large amount of keyboards. So the process is that of continuous evolution. there are rarely drastic changes from album to album in their sound. this one will sound like S&A, I will bet you $20 that it does.

#19 - Posted 1/6/12 @8:30AM by LanceTheShred [contact]

patrush-Couldn't agree more

Clockwork Angels will = S&A's feel with less production

Cleaner, meaner, more defined instrumentals, slightly higher vocals

IMO

Not sure why anyone would think this album would resemble anything from the 2112 / AFTK / Hemispheres era.

I have a funny feeling you will pee a little after the first listen in March-ish...........BRING IT ON!!

#20 - Posted 1/6/12 @8:35AM by Hemisfears [contact]

#17...I'd say that Counterparts sounds a lot different than Roll The Bones.

#21 - Posted 1/6/12 @9:17AM by double-agent [contact]

And Signals sounded A LOT different than Moving Pictures. And to me, S&A was radically different from Vapor Trails. That is what is so exciting about Rush. They are constantly evolving! And always get better!!

#22 - Posted 1/6/12 @10:04AM by More Evil Twin of ByTor

The first time I realized how much of the synth melodies in Xanadu were being done on Taurus pedals, I was blown away. Calling them "bass pedals" is kind of a misnomer, since although they are primarily used to add bass, they can do so much more as Geddy mentions. I'm stunned we don't see these pedals used more often outside Rush. They are such the secret to so many of their songs.

#23 - Posted 1/6/12 @2:56PM by ITheJury [contact]

Great discussion. As doubleagent #21 implies, what one fan (or the band) defines a major change another doesn't. But ff you start with the first album, you *could* argue that patrush's statement basically holds.

Rush / Fly By Night
Exception.

Caress of Steel / 2112

AFTK / Hemispheres

PW / MP
Exception, but patrush and others (and even the band...) may disagree. Somehow to me MP feels quite different - both may have seriously catchy songs, but they're catchy in a different way.

Signals / GuP

PoW / HYF

Presto / RTB

Counterparts / TFE

VT / S&A
Agree with doubleagent - exception. As patrush and Lance said, based on what we've heard of / about Clockwork Angels *it* may be more logically "paired" with S&A. That said, while I mostly enjoy S&A I hope CA will be more different than we think.

#24 - Posted 1/6/12 @3:07PM by lapirata2 [contact]

I thought Presto was completely different from Hold Your Fire. Is there even 1 song from Presto that you think would fit on HYF? Maybe there is, I just can't think of it.

I also find Grace under Pressure to be a lot different than Signals.

#25 - Posted 1/6/12 @3:28PM by snowdog2113 [contact]

What's amazing to me is how many people perceive Grace Under Pressure to have more keyboards than Signals. It's actually stripped back considerably, Signals is far more keyboard heavy. The reason people hear it that way is for other reasons. GUP has an overall production sound that is way more cold than Signals and when you combine that with a brittle and glassy guitar sound and the prominence of Neil's electronic percussion you've got an album that's far more "electronic" sounding than Signals. GUP is much more guitar-driven, though.

#26 - Posted 1/6/12 @3:44PM by lapirata2 [contact]

I agree with your take on GUP completely. "Cold sounding" is a perfect description.

#27 - Posted 1/6/12 @6:20PM by cpb [contact]

#23: I agree completely with your pairings...but how does "Feedback" fit in? (Har.)

#25: That's a good point about the production on GUP (or P/G, if you like). Overall, I think patrush's point stands up. It's true that no song on Presto would fit on HYF - but I think ALL the songs COULD have fit on RTB (and vice versa).

When I think of MAJOR differences, I think of Radiohead going from OK Computer to Kid A, U2 going from Joshua Tree (or Rattle & Hum if you count that) to Achtung Baby, or even Led Zeppelin going from Presence to In Through The Out Door. Those where HUGE changes in direction, whereas Rush always remain true to themselves while experimenting with new playing styles and musical themes. You know...PROGRESSIVE rock! (Fancy that!)

OK, I'm done now. Great discussion, all!

#28 - Posted 1/6/12 @7:41PM by random_sample [contact]

#18-
Probably a little late now, since there is a new thread, but.. Patrush, did you think I was saying I thought the next album was going to sound like 2112 or Hemispheres? Your post was a little confusing, since I was basically saying in my post (you referenced me) that the closest thing would be that maybe some chords would be reminiscent or same as some chords from older albums or some parts of songs might sound like parts from older albums (like the "hemispheres chord" Alex brought back for S&A).
Anyway, I disagree with your statement about albums sounding the same as the previous one. I've found there to be at least a handful of albums that I thought sounded very different from the previous one (which I love about Rush).