From the infamous “Starman” of 2112 to the brain’s floating hemispheres to a boy randomly banging his head, Hugh Syme has been on hand to bring musical dreams to life of Rush fever.
Working closely with the late drummer and lyricist Neil Peart for years, Syme’s work has become synonymous with the Canadian trio, who have recently given a new twist and reinterpreted some of their classic albums, including the an eighties classic. Moving pictures.
“I love the triple game on the sleeve with the words Moving Pictures,” said frontman Geddy Lee Classic skirt in 2010. “You have the images that were literally shot from the building, then the elderly couple who were in tears because they dropped their shopping basket, and finally the film crew in the back takes a moving picture . Again, it all has to do with our sense of humor.
“We were very aware that it was time to move away from the fantasy and sci-fi elements that have always been part of how we wanted to look.”
Below, Hugh Syme looks back at the making of the icon Moving pictures a work of art.
When I first heard that it was going to be the title Moving pictures?
I remember exactly where I was: I was sitting at my friend Gail’s house in St. Catharines, Ontario when Neil called me with the album title. I also remember my immediate determination about the direction of the cover.
which was it
Men in red overalls actually moved pictures. Additional layers and triple meanings follow.
Did you spend a lot of time in Le Studio while the band was working on the album?
Deborah Samuel and I went to take pictures of the band for the album. We stayed in the studio guest house for about three days. We also sat in a paddle boat for two hours while Deborah photographed Neil sporting his red Tama kit on a raft in the middle of a nearby lake for a Tama advert.
A private and relentless drum solo that rolls through the surrounding Laurentian mountains. That was a good day! Although the highlight of this trip to Morin-Heights was being asked by the band to play PPG synthesizers witch hunt.
In the end they settled on two concepts for the record: literally moving pictures and making movies. Was there ever any doubt as to what the actual coverage would be?
No, that order made sense to me. The three moved actively moving pictures to the front [on the back] It pauses while we show a movie set in an overview for context.
(Image credit: Mercury Records)
Who came up with the idea of using the government building as a background?
I did it. A happy and timely coincidence. I remember driving north on University Avenue in Toronto and being struck by the Houses of Parliament in Queen’s Park, whose architecture consisted of three distinct arches, each supported by three columns, and the three arched windows on the mezzanine.
You have to keep in mind that at the time the concept of “Three” was emerging as a recurring motif for the band, and I thought, “Well, there’s no harm in asking.” And to my delight, there was no hesitation, approval, or payment. Simply that we are shooting on Sundays when the Parliament is not in session.
For the new edition, I redesigned the cover and re-illustrated some of the songs. How was it?
To all the 40th anniversary box sets, happy. It has always been a pleasure and a personal challenge for me to reacquaint myself with Neil’s lyrics and reflect on the themes of each song with today’s skills and mindset. It was a pleasure and a privilege then, as it still is all these years later.
Is that really Neil in the middle of the back photo, or is it just a myth?
I love a good mystery don’t you?
(Image credit: Universal)
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