On this episode of “The Conan and Jordan Show”, Conan and Jordan are joined by Geddy Lee for an in-depth conversation on RUSH and the audio intricacies that Jordan appreciates with their music. Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/conan.
Chapter 1: What iconic song introduces The Conan and Jordan Show?
Well, that iconic song can only mean one thing. It's the Conan and Jordan Show. And I'm joined, of course, I'm Conan O'Brien. I think that shouldn't have to be said. And I'm joined by my enemy, my friend, my frenemy, a man I loathe, a man I love, Mr. Jordan Schlansky. Yes, hi. You've been in my employ for how many years now, Jordan? Decades. Okay. Nice.
Chapter 2: Why is Jordan Schlansky obsessed with music mastering?
And you bring up that iconic song, Tom Sawyer by Rush, that starts our show. I would like to point out that longtime listeners of our show may have noticed something a little different today in that our engineer Eduardo graciously played my preferred mastering of that song. This is not the readily available mastering that any fool would get on a streaming service these days. Any fool?
Okay, I have put a lot of time and money into seeking out the best version of all of my favorite music. I have bought probably 20 versions of that album on various media. Great. Well, better that than have your kids go to college. Yeah. These are hobbies. We all have our hobbies. OK. OK. These are benevolent pursuits. You spend your money on various hobbies.
I believe you have a collection of guitars.
Yeah. No, they were all given to me. I understand. Well, that's impressive. That's cool when you just know famous people that give you guitars. Yes. Well, we can all aspire to that. So this is a special cut to the chase. This is a what's different about this pressing of that song. OK. Like all of us, I like music.
Some say the language of music is older than the word language itself. Music is a great unifier, much like food. OK, when we all disagree on so many things, we all appreciate music. I go one step further. I like to have the best version of music to listen to. I like my music to sound as good as possible. Back in the 70s, when you were growing up, you might have called me a hi-fi guy.
OK, so for any given music, I'd have a different term for you now, but this goes out to families. So I'm not going to do it. So, again, I'm going to try and get you to the point rather than taking us to. Well, this is a radio show.
We talk. That is our that is our venture here. We are here to talk different about this. You interrupt my talking, but that's the whole point. What's different about this pressing? OK, there are many back in the day before things were standardized.
Going back to the day. I just want to know what's different about this.
Yes. This is a spoken word program. Is that correct? Yeah. OK, so I am speaking words. All right. That is what I was told the assignment was. All right. I'm here to complete the assignment. All right. Today, we're going to spend, I don't know, a half hour talking about the difference. Guess what?
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Chapter 3: How does Geddy Lee feel about his fans' attention to detail?
Yeah.
This is not, this is not punchy stuff. This is a slow burn.
No pun intended. I did not mean to rush you.
Yeah.
You got something? Do I have something? Yes. Okay. Okay. I have a little. I guess this is more important than what I was talking about. I think you're going to agree that it is. Okay. I have a special guest for you today.
Okay.
He's joining us right now. All right. Let's get him in here. I think this is a big moment. There he is, Geddy Lee.
Oh, yes.
What do you mean? Oh, yes. This is your God. Geddy, how are you? Great to see you. I can't believe I just bring Geddy into the conversation and you go, oh, yes. Freak.
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Chapter 4: What were some recording innovations during Rush's early years?
Lovely. And first of all, let me thank you, Getty, because you are an iconic musician. You're a big deal. And for you to join our ridiculous show is very cool. And so thank you so much for doing that. The reason I wanted you to join is I... I talked to Jordan. We've traveled the world together. We have a famous relationship.
I think 40% of the time, Jordan is trying to talk to me about you, your music. And it's very flattering, but I thought you should come together now and you should talk to Jordan because Jordan claims that this pressing is much better of superior quality. Can you hear the difference, Geddy?
I'm learning so much today. I can tell you from Jordan just listening to you guys talk about this stuff. There was a time I could hear the difference. I couldn't swear to hear the difference today because I'm a little bit older and my hearing isn't what it used to be. But audiophiles know far more about that quality of sound than the guys that actually make the records, I think.
Isn't that incredible? Jordan is basing his whole life. It's like a religion to him that this is the only version that can be played. You, Geddy Lee, can't hear the difference.
I understand. Nevertheless, I appreciate what he's done. And now I want to hear his work in the best way possible. It's really honoring him and his bandmates.
OK. OK.
All right. So I like a dynamic version. Now, my favorite recording or mastering of moving pictures was actually an original Dutch vinyl record. And there is a famous digital rip of that online. And I requested permission to play it on air and I was unable to obtain that permission. Are you feeling are you feeling at all unsafe right now?
Are you feeling that you're in the presence of, I don't know, a madman, someone who.
I'm very impressed. And I understand that the Rush fans are quite nerdy, as I am myself. And this is sort of living proof of that. If you know the Dutch pressing of one of our records, if that doesn't qualify for nerdism, I don't know what that is.
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Chapter 5: Does Rush plan to release more live concert footage?
Okay, well, I just want to wish you a happy birthday, Jordan. Thank you very much. Thank you for being a fan. Thank you. I really appreciate it, and hopefully we will get to meet on a... a more human level than through the Zoom machine.
With maybe security present. Yeah. It's also my bar mitzvah today, Getty. So if you want to say a word about that. Okay, yes. Getty Lee, thank you so much. It's very kind of you to call in and our regards to your bandmates and to all the good people in Toronto. That's one of my favorite towns in the world. So thank you. Thank you, Conan.
It's great to be here. It's nice to meet you too. Likewise. Big fan. Take care.
Take care, Getty Lee. Thank you very much.
Thank you.
What an incredibly nice guy. That was a really nice treat that he could drop in here. How did it feel? Had you spoken with Geddy Lee before?
I met him a few times. He's incredibly well-spoken. He's enjoyable when you listen to him speak in interviews, just the way he forms words. Those are called sentences, yeah. Yeah, but the way he puts words together in particular. Yeah, that's a sentence. He's a verb. He's an adjective. The man's very intelligent, well-spoken. I enjoy listening to people like that. I don't know.
I mean, I listen to him. He seemed like a nice, smart guy, but I think I'm just as intelligent.
I make words, too, and put them into sentences.
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Chapter 6: How does Geddy Lee handle fan requests and interactions?
He came within a sixth.
He came within a sixth.
What kind of scale are we on right now? If I got within a sixth of Bridget Bardot, I'd be fucking happy. Now you listen to me, you son of a bitch. What I'm saying is- You ingrate. We just arranged. You know what it costs for us to get Geddy Lee on the phone? Nothing. $600,000.
What I'm saying is the man likes wine. OK, he has a preference for French wine. My I have a preference for Italian wine. Nevertheless, there are things that we could connect on. Should either of us want to? I don't want to. I don't want to. No, stop saying that. No offense to them. And I enjoy listening to his music and I enjoy listening to him speak.
But I don't make any pretense that him and I would ever go hang out. Nor would I. I'm an introvert. I fear human interaction. I avoid it.
You have a radio show with me.
Yeah, I have one human being here and some nice gentleman over here, but I'm not talking to large quantities of people.
Okay. First of all, you're saying that if you passed a cafe... If you're walking, strolling along. Right. You were strolling along and you passed a cafe and Geddy Lee was sitting there and he happened to remember you. And he said, oh, Jason. And you went, what's Jordan? Yeah. And he said, have a seat. Let's share a bottle of French wine. You wouldn't join him.
OK, first of all, of course, I would be polite. Secondly, if I walk by, wouldn't you be honored if I walked by and he didn't recognize me and he was sitting there? I would absolutely not approach him either before or after this experience. OK, I would give the man his space. I have no interest. It doesn't do anything. I'd rather go home, put my headphones on at 3 a.m.
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Chapter 7: What does Conan think about Jordan's fan interactions?
Yeah, I do it regularly as part of my career.
No, no, no, no. As a fan.
Yeah, I do. I'm a huge fan of the show. I was happy to work on it for so long because I was a fan of it. But I'm going to say very clearly, I have no interest in famous people simply because they're famous.
Yes, you do. You must sometimes when you and I are walking around together be thinking, oh my God, this is Colin O'Brien.
That thought does occur to me based on situations that happen around me. But I don't reject you or accept you simply because you're famous. I don't seek out famous people. I don't feel any more exhilaration talking to a famous person than a non-famous person. Liar! Now, there are some famous people that I am infatuated with that I've never met.
OK, Neil Diamond, Tristan Rogers from General Hospital in the 1980s. Jesus, what a list.
There are certain. What a list. Neil Diamond, Tristan Rogers from General Hospital?
I can count on one hand the amount of famous people I was very interested to meet. John Williams, I've met him a number of times. Of course, the famous composer. He was a big one for me. Neil Diamond, I never had the chance to meet. John Ritter, I did meet. Wonderful guy. He was wonderful.
He was on my list.
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