Geddy Lee says Rush brought a new level of playing into the studio during the making of the band’s just-released album, Clockwork Angels. In an interview conducted by the Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, hosted by FMQB, Lee said the group’s most recent tour had a key impact on the sessions. “We don't leave much room for jamming or a momentary burst of inspiration,” said the singer-bassist, “but we did on this last tour, and we noticed that we kind of went to a really fun and interesting and a little bit dangerous place some nights. We just kind of elevated the thing into a new zone of intensity. Furious was the best way to describe it."
Corgan later asked Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson about the impact Rush has had on other musicians. “It's a wonderful compliment to have passed along something,” Lifeson said. “The role of teacher is quite an honorable one. We like to take chances. We like to push ourselves. We try to do all those things that so many musicians aspire to, you know, that freedom to do what you want and the way you want to do it.”