Geddy Lee, the bassist of Rush, has finally gone solo. Rush has dominated the progressive rock genre for nearly 30 years, and Geddy's first solo record to date shines. On this record, absent are the fellow Rush members as the audacious Geddy Lee takes over both the writing and the music. Most tracks on this CD were written by Geddy Lee and Ben Mink.

    Upon first listen, I had originally passed his solo effort, "My Favorite Headache," as conservative and uninspired. As prolific as the band Rush was, as for they have more albums than I can count with my fingers, maybe it was time to stop recording gracefully. Furthermore, I had condemned this record as just another member of a famous rock band attempting to go solo. Only two songs on the whole disc resemble anything fast paced, as the remainder of the tracks languish in middle-tempo hell.

    Yet, upon subsequent listens, Geddy Lee's music started to make sense. On this CD, every track is layered together beautifully and his writing is flawless. You can tell that Geddy has spent some time on this one as each track is mixed together with a precision rarely heard from the current rock bands. His new group plays extremely tight and they harmonize with one another skillfully. He even has some electronic beeps and noise to give his craft a fresh sound. Many will comment that Neil Peart, the usual writer of Rush, did not write the lyrics and will hold an unfair grudge against Geddy Lee. I did not have a problem listening to Geddy talk about Nihilism, imperfections, and of course- love.

    The complainants about this CD are minimal. As wonderful as this CD is, it rarely goes for the jugular. He conservatively attacks the music and though there are adequate leads, they are restrained. Absent are the usual "Rush" aggressive virtuoso tactics, which are reminiscent of Lifeson's guitar work. Even though there are not many moments of gratuitous playing, the music is excellent. Geddy proves to the listener that he is more than a Rock Icon, and after thirty years he can still produce well crafted music that does not remain in a past era.