Rush frontman never stopped keeping up with younger bassists
Although he established himself as a musician in the 1970s, Geddy Lee never stopped updating. In several interviews, the vocalist, bassist and keyboardist of Rush revealed his appreciation for musicians and bands that emerged well after him.
One of these cases is Flea. The bassist of Red Hot Chili Peppers had his talents highlighted by Lee on more than one occasion.
In 2019, for example, Geddy put together a playlist for Amazon Music (via Rock and Roll Garage) with 22 songs that influenced his bass playing. One of them was “Give It Away”hit released by chili peppers in 1991, as part of the album Blood Sugar Sex Magic.
When commenting on the choice, the virtuoso multi-instrumentalist of Rush declared:
“He’s a monstrous bass player. Flea He is one of the great contemporary bassists. His influences are very funk-driven, however, he can do anything. In ‘Give It Away‘, it’s like the bass of ‘Come Together’ (Beatles), is like the bass in so many great pop songs. It provides an alternate rhythm for the drums and an alternate melody. He is also working on the lower and upper arms. He’s going back and forth — something I’ve always loved as a bass player. This is a perfect example of that.”
Geddy Lee and Flea
In 2020, Geddy Lee was invited by Rolling Stone USA (via Igor Miranda website) to list his 10 favorite bass players of all time. Amidst classic names like John Entwistle (The Who) It is Jack Bruce (Cream)there it was Flea.
On the occasion, the frontman of Rush highlighted the talents of his colleague Red Hot Chili Peppers this way:
“Flea makes me go crazy. When you talk about a whole generation that started slapping… there are so many. I think it came a little from jazz, a little from R&B. There was a time when that was all we heard. Every bass player used to slap. And there was Flea, who did slap and played everything in between. He was brilliant. He brought sensitivity to that period. He always left it with a rock vibe. And I love the fact that he has so many resources and always experiments with different instruments, different timbres. And he was a pop guy, and yet he sounded aggressive, creative, melodic. It’s unique.”
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
