![]() ![]() "'New vintage' is a good phrase," Lifeson says. As a result, "new vintage" quickly became the buzz term of the Allaire sessions. And I challenged them to write the most screwed-up, complicated instrumental that they had ever written, and they came back with 'The Main Monkey Business' - which they wound up recording live."įrom the earliest days of pre-production, the collective vision of Raskulinecz, recording/mixing engineer Rich Chycki, and of course, the band was to create a record that would nod in the direction of Rush's glorious prog-rock past, pay homage to their influences, and maintain the band's relevance in the current mainstream rock world. I felt we were missing an acoustic-based, modern-day 'Closer to the Heart' with a really catchy chorus - which turned out to be 'The Larger Bowl'. I thought we were missing an up-tempo tune with some weird off-time bits, and a big, kick-ass sing-along chorus - which is 'Far Cry'. The first time I heard some of the tracks, I told them exactly what could be better about them. "It is real easy to love a band, and then be disappointed in their material when you are working on an album," the producer says. He helped them rewrite and arrange material, and tweak their performances. They have everything there - amazing guitars, basses, and synthesizers that the owner had been collecting for years and years and years." Producing LegendsĪlthough Rush has made tremendously successful and classic albums during its existence, the members still looked to Raskulinecz to play the role of a traditional producer. "The energy in the building was so positive, and the gear is great. "Once we got there, we realized there was a great advantage to being at one studio for the whole recording project," says Lifeson. And the band had not moved an inch since they settled in at Allaire. Less than 40 days later, Snakes & Arrows was done. It's a small, private studio, but it's really good-sounding room." "In fact, I had everything already set up, because I was looking forward to being in my own space. "I wanted to use my studio for recording guitars," says Lifeson, who had planned on Peart and Lee doing a few at Allaire, and then resuming the project back in Toronto as soon as possible. "The great Hall at Allaire is the same room we used for Neil's DVD, Anatomy of a Drum Solo. "There really aren't many good drum rooms in Toronto," explains co-executive producer and equipment co-supervisor Lorne Wheaton. ![]() ![]() But I could see something in Neil's eyes, and when he called me up about three weeks before we were to start recording, I asked him point blank, 'Neil, where do you want to do your drums?' He said, 'I really want to go to Allaire.'" "We were all trying to talk him into going somewhere that was a little more convenient for Alex and Geddy, because they were pretty dead set on staying in Toronto. "I got the vibe from Neil that he was very passionate about going to Allaire," explains Raskulinecz. Initially, the plan was for drummer Neil Peart to cut his drum tracks at Allaire Studios in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York, and then return to Toronto to finish the album with Lifeson and bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee. That really struck a chord with us." Love Is In Allaire He didn't think we should give up on those things - just that we should celebrate our original concepts with a modern package. "And he told us that when he heard the bass pedals back then, and the way we wrote a chorus or a bridge, it stayed with him forever. "Nick said, 'I've been a fan since I was 11 years old,'" relates Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson. And while many bands of Rush's stature are content to find a comfort zone and stay there, the Canadian trio opted to try something different for its 19th studio release, Snakes & Arrows (Atlantic), and give the enthusiastic Raskulinecz a chance to push the band to new, and old, heights. The veteran rock act can still fill gianormous arenas almost 40 years after its inception, and consistently moves hundreds of thousands of records without conforming to popular music standards. Or if your memory is as good as ours, think back to a small interview that ran in the May 2006 EQ, where Raskulinecz - who has worked with Foo Fighters, Velvet Revolver, Marilyn Manson, and others - was asked which band he would most like to produce. Sometimes dreams do come true - just ask producer Nick Raskulinecz. The Recording Techniques Behind Snakes & Arrows Rush and Producer Nick Raskulinecz Reveal How They Recorded Snakes & Arrows By Will Romano, EQ, September 2007, transcript provided by Richard Chycki ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |