WHITFIELD CRANE
He came to fame in the 1990s with hard rockers Ugly Kid Joe, but when it comes to prog, the singer likes everything about Rush.
“I’m not really a prog guy. King Crimson’s pretty cool, Tool’s okay, Mastodon… But mainly for me, it’s Rush. Certain bands are like a smell – they can take you right back to your childhood. Black Sabbath does that to me, Van Halen, AC/DC, and Rush do too.
I grew up as a latchkey kid on a street called Lois Lane [in Palo Alto, California]. My mom still lives there, but my dad was out of the picture. I was friends with the guy next door, and after school I’d go over and he’d play me music by all these bands. He showed me 2112 and, I know now it’s a concept record, but back then it just took me on a journey. I was like, ‘No way! What is this? Music is outlawed?! Holy fuck!’ We were smoking a lot of pot, and we really went inside that record. Pink Floyd’s The Wall is an archetypal masterpiece, but 2112 is my favourite concept album.
Then, you know how it is when you become a fan of a band – you go back through their catalogue. Moving Pictures, Fly By Night was amazing, Caress Of Steel, Permanent Waves.
I did see them once or twice in the 90s, I can’t remember the album or tour but it was at the Oakland Coliseum in Northern California. Now, I was very familiar with air guitar – at home I had a giant mirror and a tennis racket. But when I went and saw Rush, I’d never even conceived – who would? – that an entire [audience of] 20,000 humans in a room would be playing air drums! Particularly on Tom Sawyer – I’d never played air drums before, and I saw that, pleasantly, I wasn’t the only person affected by Neil Peart like that.
I’m not claiming I’m a musician, but some drummers have got the chops but are very mechanical – kind of click-tracky and a little soulless. But that dude swings. He’s magical.
And he wrote all the lyrics. Geddy – what an interesting voice, what a storyteller and what a relationship with the drummer. Rush’s music is way beyond my skillset, but it still gives me solace.
And they’re from Canada – the nicest people per capita. They gave us Jim Carrey and Rush. Thank you, Canada – Rush is the shit!”
“Rush’s music is way beyond my skillset, but it still gives me solace.”