Interviewed in 1999 for Bassist magazine, Rush legend Geddy Lee singled out Freewill from the band's 1980 studio album, Permanent Waves, as a song that helped redefine who and what Rush were as a trio. “The body of the song is not difficult,” said Geddy. “Alex and I wrote that part together and we kind of mimic each other on that. What makes it really interesting is when I lock in with the drums, which leaves Alex free to play around the rhythm with chordal patterns – that's what makes it such a great trio piece.”
Speaking to MusicRadar, guitarist Alex Lifeson said the song was "probably one of the most ambitious pieces of music Rush has ever done." He also revealed that his guitar solo was spontaneous. “Recording it, I didn’t have anything planned; I was just responding to what the other guys did. In a sense, everybody’s soloing at the same time. It’s so frenetic and exciting – Geddy and Neil are all over the place. I was just trying to keep up!”
