“I was reluctant, even in Rush, towards the end – I was not playing nearly as many solos. I just wanted to get away from that”: Alex Lifeson on his complicated relationship with guitar solos – and why he cut down on leads in Rush's later years

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Alex Lifeson, founding member of the classic rock band Rush, performs onstage during the Medlock Krieger All Star Concert benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at Saddle Rock Ranch on October 28, 2018 in Malibu, California.

Alex Lifeson’s guitar work defined Rush’s ’70s repertoire – with tracks such as La Villa Strangiato and Working Man encapsulating their six-string-forward approach. However, once the ’80s rolled around, Rush did a 180: guitars took a backseat in favor of synths.

“I was reluctant, even in Rush, towards the end – I was not playing nearly as many solos,” Lifeson says in an interview on Q with Tom Power [via Ultimate Guitar]. “That was part of the way we did things. There was always a spot for a solo, whether we used it as a solo or not. It was there. And I would do a solo.”