If you were to ask me who is my favorite band on this planet and in the history of music, I would answer Rush without any hesitation. For many years I have been a devout fan of Rush and even did my high school senior project on the importance of their music.
Now for this recommendation I decided to actually go outside the Rush catalog and will be recommending Geddy Lee’s solo release, “My Favorite Headache.” Recorded in 2000, “My Favorite Headache,” was released when Rush was on hiatus due to Neil having gone through some personal tragedies in his life with the loss of his wife and daughter. During the break Geddy decided to continue to write music and collaborated with different musicians in the making of this album. Since 1974 Geddy had been playing with Neil and Alex, actually Alex and Geddy had know each other since teenagers, so stepping out and doing a solo album was a bit of a shock.
Although this is not a “Rush” album I think one can hear some similarities, especially in how the instrumental compositions are written. I find Geddy’s writing style to reflect his keen sense for writing melodies, which can definitely be heard in Rush’s entire discography. Lyrically Geddy does a tremendous job as well on this album by writing some very catchy and thoughtful lyrics. I would say that this album mirrors Rush’s, “Test for Echo,” which happens to be the last Rush studio album before the band’s hiatus.
The album begins with the title track and features Geddy’s unmistakable bass playing that provides a burst of fast grooving energy as the drumming picks up pace and the guitar parts come booming into the picture. This is definitely one of the more heavy sounding songs off the album and one that could have easily appeared on a Rush album. Now the second song, “The Present Tense,” opens with a strong chord punching riff and then transitions into one of Geddy’s uplifting verse sections containing these sweet sounding bass melodies.
Looking at the middle of the album you see quite a few well written tracks that all convey a unique and pleasant sounding identity. “Runaway Train,” is one of my favorite tracks off of the album. The full guitar chords used in the beginning create this massive sounding explosion as the bass tracks in the background pull you along this ever evolving musical landscape. Geddy’s vocal delivery is exceptional when pertaining to how his voice compliments the instrumental structures. Another song worth mentioning is, “The Angel’s Share,” which is an acoustic piece that is perfectly layered. I think the production value on this album is a major reason as to why the music comes across so profound.
The final part of the album is just as interesting with more well crafted and impressively recorded songs. I believe, “Still,” is one of the most powerful cuts off this album along with, “Grace to Grace.” There are both unique songs with dynamic compositions, however, they harmoniously compliment the album’s overall identity.
As a fan of Rush you would like Geddy to be playing with Alex and Neil, but I do believe that this solo album released during the band’s hiatus before they made, “Vapor Trails,” allowed Geddy to offer fans a great glimpse into his musical mind. After listening to this album you find a new found respect for what Geddy has done in Rush by realizing his sharp ear for writing such phenomenal music. If you have not listened to, “My Favorite Headache,” you are really missing a gem right here. The music still holds up today, because any music written with substance and integrity can withstand the test of time.
I do know that there is a special Record Store Day vinyl version of "My Favorite Headache" that came out recently. Hopefully they see the demand for this album and decided to press more vinyl copies, but if you somehow find it at your local record store...get it! I know I am going to be searching!
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