Rush's Alex Lifeson: The Complete 1985 "Power Windows" Interview
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- Опубликовано: 21 сен 2024
- This 1985 interview with guitarist extraordinaire Alex Lifeson was done on the afternoon of December 18, 1985. At the time, Rush was touring in support of their "Power Windows" album. Later that evening, they headlined the Pittsburgh Civic Arena, with the Steve Morse Band opening.
As you’ll hear, Alex and I focused a good portion of our conversation on a track-by-track breakdown of his playing approach, guitars, effects, and amps on the "Power Windows" album. In addition, Alex talks about the current tour and offers some excellent advice on how guitarists can expand their playing and make more innovative use of effects devices. I hope you enjoy this conversation!
Portions of this interview were transcribed for my April 1986 article in Guitar Player magazine, "Alex Lifeson of Rush: The Evolving Art of Rock Guitar."
For more of Alex's insights, check out our in-person "Grace Under Pressure" interview from May 1984: • Rush’s Alex Lifeson: T...
If you enjoy this unique recording, be sure to check out the other historic, guitar-intensive interviews on the Talking Guitar RUclips channel.
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Thanks to engineer/producer Nik Hunt for filming the intro and enhancing the sound of the 38-year-old master tape. For more than 150 other guitar-intensive podcasts, interview transcripts, and articles, visit Talking Guitar magazine at jasobrecht.sub.... #rush #alexlifeson #geddylee #neilpeart #jasobrecht #talkingguitar #nikhunt #guitarplayermagazine
This podcast is copyright 2024 by Jas Obrecht. All rights reserved.
As a guitarist who was totally influenced by Lifeson, I really appreciate you posting these interviews on the technical aspects from the guitarist perspective.
Power Windows is the best Rush album. I don’t care what anyone says. And I’m a Caress of Steel fan, Hemispheres prog freak and appreciate what Moving Pictures is. PW is a masterpiece.
It's great, and so are Signals and Grace Under Pressure, but Moving Pictures was their finest hour in my opinion. Power Windows was their last great album - it's all a gradual downhill slide from there. Each one has fewer hooks than the one before it and by Vapor Trails, the hooks are gone forever.
100%
110%
🤦@@humanbeing2420
I think pretty much the same. I also include HYF and Presto as Rush masterpieces
ALEX always had astonishingly PURE tone. I remember his CLEAN sounds on chords were just beautiful .
PW is my favourite Rush album. It was when I really got up & payed attention to Rush. The soundtrack of my life!
What a wonderful surprise. Thank you for this most appreciated gift. 🙏😎
Great questions! Very interesting to hear about all the gear . Awesome job!
Thank you for posting these.
This tour was the first concert I ever saw in December of 1985 at the Capital Center in Maryland
An interesting and cool interview!! Thank you!
I had that issue. Thanks for the post.
I came on the Rush bandwagon on Power Windows. It’s still my favorite album just for the sentimental value . It was the first Rush Tour I saw. I’ll never forget it.
Thank you for this interview. Although it may be old, it's still valid. I love hearing what equipment was used for Alex's parts. Also, Alex and Geddy are about the nicest gentlemen around.
What a treat! Thanks for sharing this. My first Rush show was 2 days before this interview at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. 9th row, center!
Guitar Player was *the* guitar magazine back then and the issues with Alex were always my favorites.
Power Windows came out when I was 15. The positivity in Rush’s music and lyrics…the thought and expertise that went into those songs…I can only say that it inspired me and thousands of other fans to live a little better and reach for our potential.
I went on to guitar school (MI in Hollywood) and scratched out a good life playing and teaching music. Without Alex, I feel like I might’ve become a drunken golf pro.
Thanks again for sharing. I certainly will sign up for your paid Substack. Merry Christmas, all! 🎅🎄🎸😎👍😇
Thank you, Lance!
It’s cool to hear things like -this was the first album he used a Jazz Chorus 120 on since AFTK……Which was clear on Xanadu and Madrigal. It’s a very special amp and by far the best clean chorus/dimension effect ever made. Also the info on 224 lexicon reverts, dimension D , Loft delay ….etc.
Great job back then getting these little details. Will be fun to go throw on the monitors and listen again for these textures and sounds.
One thing I’ll add that is not mentioned enough is Andy Richards’ keyboard and Sequencer contributions to the album. He really was a 4th member on this. Look it up. …..He was hired on this and HYF and I feel a big contributor to these records. Alex mentions they wanted to keep the “band” just the 3 of them and could pull off taking the sounds on road with midi and samplers….but for 2 albums Rush had a world class keyboard master named Andy Richards.
Love hearing the enthusiasm about the process. What Rush did, performance and studio recording, for such a long time was amazing. It never gets old to hear.
Awesome Interview! Merry Christmas Jas!
9:45 and 10:15 his amps. 15:30 studio amp volumes 34:50 his old delay times.
Hi Jas, thanks for putting this out. I remember reading your interviews in GP, especially the Power Windows interview. You had glasses then.
thanks for posting... so love to hear what he was thinking and how smart he was with his arrangements
This is great to listen to. Thanks for uploading.
Thanks for posting this!
Alex, and all the guys from Rush for that matter, seem like nice fellows. These are very cool to hear as an avid Rush fan and guitar player.
GREAT interviewer. Very rare skill. Most don’t how to listen, when to speak, never step on responses etc. It’s shocking how bad many of the biggest utube interviewers are nowadays. Guys w million followers, total dogshit skills and sound torqued on adderall or something. Not conducive to good interviews. You sir are a good one, thx
Thank you. Kind of you to say so.
thank you so much Jas and happy holidays to you and have a fantastic new year!
Great interview
Great stuff, thx
FUCKING GOLD WOW!
10:12 LMAO
Grand Designs one guitar basically? No......