Geddy Lee – Bass

I waver but I often think that ‘Permanent Waves’ is my favourite Rush album but I think this may be as much nostalgia as objective truth. I bought this piece of vinyl the day it come out in 1980 and still love every second of it. This track ‘Natural Science’ is the longest on the record but, by Rush standards, it’s not as long as some of their earlier epics and comes in at a brief 9:21 including the sound effects at each end. The first section, ‘Tidal Pools’ has no bass in it so the part starts at the 1:58 mark. It’s a highly charged piece with a lot of time changes although there is a basic pulse in there. I think the triplet sections read better and integrate better as 6:8 rather than 12:8 as I am hearing them as 4:4 with triplet crotchets rather than a 12:8 feel. YOu may disagree but, frankly, it doesn’t really matter as long as you are playing the right notes in the right place. There are a couple of clinkers in there (Lee sounds like he is right at the edge of his chops a couple of times and almost trips himself up but the energy is great so he is forgiven) so the dots are ‘as near as’ in one spot (before a 2 bar drum fill). Otherwise, I think it is there.