Rush’s Alex Lifeson: The Complete 1984 “Grace Under Pressure” Interview

A Track-By-Track Journey Through a Beloved Album

On May 24, 1984, the beloved Canadian band Rush came to San Francisco to perform for three nights at the Cow Palace. Their new album, Grace Under Pressure, was climbing the charts, and I welcomed to opportunity to meet with Rush’s guitarist, Alex Lifeson, on the afternoon before their first performance.

To my ears, Alex’s taut, textural style perfectly framed and mirrored bassist Geddy Lee’s impassioned vocals and drummer Neil Peart’s lyrics, which expressed his concerns about the ecology, breakdowns in international communication, the specter of nuclear war, personal paranoia, and other subjects trending in the news. Alex’s solos throughout the album travelled in uncommon directions, blending chorused tones, unique vibrato bar passages, and uncommon note and chord choices.

Recorded over a four-month period, Grace Under Pressure marked Rush’s departure from their co-producer Terry Brown. After auditioning dozens of others, they hired Peter Henderson, who’d worked with Jeff Beck and with Paul McCartney at Abbey Roads Studios. He gave Alex a freer hand with the guitar parts, which led to Grace Under Pressure’s appealing and distinctive sounds. Before meeting in a hotel room that Monday afternoon, Alex and I agreed to focus the interview on a track-by-track journey through the album. I hope you enjoy it! Here’s the link:

Rush’s Alex Lifeson: The Complete 1984 Grace Under Pressure Interview

Portions of this interview were transcribed for my August 1984 article in Guitar Player magazine, “Alex Lifeson Playback: The Making of an Album.” If you enjoy this unique recording, be sure to check out the many other historic, guitar-intensive interviews on the Talking Guitar YouTube channel. Thanks to engineer/producer Nik Hunt for enhancing the sound of the 39-year-old master tape.

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