MY FAVOURITE HEADACHE

O.K. I've always wondered what a Rush member solo record would sound like, and; lo and behold, here it is. "My Favorite Headache" is class (!!!!!) rock and roll. It's rougher and rawer than most of Rush's (at the time; more) recent releases, like "Counterparts" and that near-snore "Test For Echo", yet possessed of a (harped on it a million times; will harp on it a million more if need be) polished, clean-unto-organic production. This is a really good record, because the songs (written by Lee and Ben Mink-violinist/guitarist for K.D Lang and FM) are ACTUALLY well-done. Geddy writes all the lyrics himself, and I can't help but wonder if he took some lessons from Neil. His bass playing is aggressive as hell, and he pares back on the synthesizers and keyboards (though "Still" is quite piano-based). In fact, the whole of the record sounds like a Rush jam session; loose, rough, carefree, with Matt Cameron and Jeremy Taggart sounding oddly like Lee's bandmate (ring any bells?). Mink and Lee know their way around a fretboards or two and both play up a storm. It's refreshing to hear Lee in this context, I might add. Now; I'm not giving this disc 5 stars because I'm obsessed with Rush, or a fanboy. I know that I've given several Rush CD's 5 stars, but the reason for that is simple: They touched me emotionally and spiritually. That's what this disc does.