Geddy Lee Reveals The Goofy Song Rush Wrote

Geddy Lee, the frontman of Rush, was intimately involved in every aspect of the band’s journey, encompassing their most influential highlights and the missteps that fans, and even the trio themselves, would prefer to overlook.

One of their most vibrant creations is “Double Agent” from the album Counterparts in 1993, showcasing a bold and stadium-oriented composition by the group.

Interestingly, despite the fact that Rush’s 1991 album, Roll the Bones, is considered one of their finest and brought them into contemporary soundscapes, Counterparts gives off a vibe as if it’s stuck in the rock and hair-metal era of the previous decade.

Geddy Lee, ever the self-critic, even humorously labels “Double Agent” as one of the “goofiest songs” ever penned by the Canadian prog legends. 

“I think it’s an interesting little piece of lunacy”

During the world radio premiere of Counterparts, Geddy shared insights into the creation of “Double Agent”, describing it as a deliberate venture into self-indulgence. Interestingly, this track emerged as one of the final additions to the album.

After meticulously constructing a series of heavily structured songs, each note carefully considered and refined, the band felt the need for a departure from their usual approach.

Lee explained, “This is a song we just wanted to kind of get our yah-yahs out and just have a bit of a rave”.

In reflecting on the outcome, Lee humorously acknowledged, “Really, it’s one of the goofiest songs I think we’ve ever written, but I’m quite happy with the result. In its own way, I think it’s an interesting little piece of lunacy.”

Nearly dropped after Caress of Steel

Despite being one of the most triumphant bands of their time, Rush encountered its fair share of setbacks on the path to success. One particularly glaring misstep in their journey was the release of the album Caress of Steel in 1975.

This album marked the band’s early attempt to establish the distinctive prog-rock formula that would later become synonymous with their name. However, the world wasn’t prepared for the avant-garde direction Rush was heading.

The critical and commercial response to the ill-fated record was far from favorable, positioning it as one of the most egregious failures in the band’s discography. The album’s reception was so disappointing that there were serious discussions within their label, Mercury, about the possibility of severing ties with Rush altogether.

This turbulent period underscored the challenges of pioneering a unique musical style, demonstrating that even for a band as successful as Rush, experimentation comes with its risks and uncertainties.

Caress of Steel was “weird as hell”

Nevertheless, Mercury persevered through the challenges posed by Caress of Steel, and the band’s subsequent release, 2112, emerged as a resounding response to the earlier negativity. 

Today, it is celebrated as one of the group’s most remarkable achievements. Despite the fact that Caress of Steel marked the beginning of a fruitful new phase for Rush, the band members remain pragmatic about the peculiar nature of that particular record.

In a retrospective interview on Classic Albums, the late drummer Neil Peart characterized “Caress of Steel” as “weird as hell”.

He went on to explain his attachment to the record, “There was a certain gelling that took place in 1976 between us. And Caress of Steel, I can say now was weird as hell, but we loved it so much.”