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Justin you have to remember Rush stated back in the 70's, they wanted to be a 3 piece orchestra. All 3 of them have triggers, foot pedals synths etc, very talented to pull it all off. I see it as awesome that they do this. As a musician I feel its more skillful than having 5 people on stage!
If, like a DJ, they were just triggering effects I would have a problem with it. But they are adding effects while playing instruments and singing on a virtuoso level. Icing on an already delicious cake. And who doesn't love cake?
I totally agree. They were caught in the trigger era. It happened for a few tours but then they got rid of them or used them very minimally. This is the low point in RUSH in my opinion. Not that it was awful....it just wasn't RUSH the way we knew and loved
Get it...but don't care. It's still their samples that they played there're triggering, and it's nothing that complex they're triggering. Just a matter of they're outta hands. I didn't mind the occasional Ben Mink, but RUSH is Alex...Geddy...Neil...period.
I agree with EM. No surprise that they used triggers - they didn't hide it, it was an enhancement-technology at the time. Whether someone likes it, or not, is a matter of personal taste. There are "fans" that dislike songs from EVERY album, so ultimately, who gives a s**t? Like what you like.
So, they trigger some effects and such. Geddy has played keyboards with his feet while playing bass while singing. Or keyboards while playing bass with his feet while singing. They make no secret about triggers. Alex does a lot as does Neil and it became more predominant as tours went on refusing to add a member to the band. And they wanted to be responsible for everything musically that happened on stage. All it does really is make them more remarkable for ensuring everything is done while playing the complex technical parts they do. I really don't think it can be a criticism, rather a compliment.
They talked a lot about the triggering back at that time and said it would have been easier to bring a keyboard player on the road or just have a tech trigger the samples backstage. Knowing these were enhancements they insisted on doing it themselves. And while you are correct, these are triggering some pretty substantial parts it was all done live while playing their other instruments (and singing). The only time they used a sequencer, Neil would have his headset on. It was all well choreographed BUT there were numerous nights when triggers misfired, wrong samples, bad timings etc. So it was a bit more than just triggering an event. It certainly added to the stress of their performance and wanting it to be as close to perfect as possible with their own hands...and feet ;)
And it's largely the experience (especially the load it put on Geddy of singing, playing keyboards or bass with his hands, and triggering samples) of this tour that led them to decide to take a step back (and for Geddy to dig out the J-bass) with Presto.
They are only 3 people, and sometimes live they probably did play tracks because the music is too much to be really made for a 100% live show. But hey, even if they DID trigger a button to start some synth track, it's still amazing for all of them to play in sync with that. It's probably easier for 3 long-time friends to play in-sync together than for all 3 of them to ALSO have to keep track of the timing of some synthetic track on top of that. I'm in general antipathetic to things like "auto-tune" (horrid mess) or lipsync (puke). But here, it's added because of what it does to the music, without having to have a 4th "member" synth player they SOMETIMES bring on stage for those odd songs. :-D
It's true, they are triggering some samples, but Geddy is triggering samples with his feet while playing bass, while playing keyboard, while singing. He even moves the mic with his nose sometimes! There are some samples, but not in the traditional "they can't do it live Milli Vanilli" way. I never considered it a cheat with Rush. I considered it more of the triggering of special effects.
You know, I honestly don’t care if they are playing, live, or in the studio and triggering sequences, triggering arpeggiators, and or triggering samples. When it comes down to it, it’s simply good music, and it should be enjoyed for the good music that it is. By the way, in the late 70s they were also using pedals to play keyboard parts, so this isn’t just a product of the 80s. I’ve never understood why fans of a group become so critical of a group embracing technology, so that the group can fulfill their artistic vision.
@@Bass17yl Deep down everyone really wants the AC/DC model where they make the same record 12 times or whatever. It's safe and comforting but not very satisfying.
OK so they trigger samples to go for specific sounds! They are still playing the hell out of their instruments at the same time. They also trigger background vocals as well. That is the sound they want in their concert. How does that subtract from their performance? Is there some rule that says they can't? Between them, they only have six arms and six legs! And one vocalist, unless Alex steps in to sing backup. Many great keyboard players have used oscillators, arpeggiators, modulators, and sequencers in their performances, and then turned right around and played complex solos. Dennis DeYoung comes to mind, among others. I can easily sit and perform a Beethoven Sonata. If later I decide to use a sequencer in one of my own compositions and perform it with that technology, I don't feel I owe my audience an explanation or an apology!
During the 2nd chorus the song, you can hear a recording of Geddy saying "rising falling at force ten, we twist the world and ride the wind". In concert, a couple of speakers were set up in the ceiling towards the back of the audience and that recording would circle around the audience. It was a very cool sounding effect! As for the triggering samples..... well yeah. They did that right up through the last concert. It sounds great. To me, it's like "they're not only some of the best on their instruments, but they also simultaneously add in all these other sounds too!"
No hate. By the time Rush hit Power Windows they had decided to no longer limit themselves or their creativity. Prior to that, with just a few exceptions, they basically only wrote and arranged with the idea that it had to be playable live by just the three of them. They had reached a point where they were feeling constrained by that self imposed limitation and had discussed adding another member numerous times, but were so worried about messing with their unique dynamic, their trust in one another as people, writers, and business partners, that they decided against it. So they wrote and recorded what they wanted and would figure out later how to reproduce it live. All this said, while there are samples and sequences used in a lot of mid and late 80’s Rush, if was going to be played live then any sample or sequence needed to be triggered live by one of them without being slaved to time code. This left the element of chance and possible train wrecks on stage if you were not completely on your game and rock solid in your tempos. I much rather have that then see bands with off stage musicians, playing along to tracks, or just pretending to be playing which according to many interviews I’ve seen and heard, is far more common than you might imagine.
I was 19 when I went the night this was recorded at the NEC Birmingham in the UK. I had grown out of listening to prog rock by this time, getting into REM and The Pixies but I couldn't pass up the chance to see Rush live as they'd been my favourite band when I was 14/15
No hate from me, Justin. Yep, hitting a button or a foot pedal or a drum pad, that’s how they did it. I’m not sure how they kept track of it all. I really love this song live and I think it’s because Alex’s parts jump out more than on the record.
I don’t understand why triggering samples is an issue for you, it’s not as if they are doing it because they are average musicians, let’s face it for most of the time they were quite busy playing their chosen instruments, so to do this as well makes them even more impressive in my eyes (who said it was only women who can multitask) also I think having another musician on stage would have ruined the dynamics of the band.
I get what you’re saying, however, using samples is not necessarily easy, lol. In my last band, I played guitar, did backing vocals, and ran the sampler with my feet and hands. Not only do you have to hit the buttons on time (many times without looking) but you have to program the sampler, as well as make sure the rest of the band stays in tempo. Hardest part was remembering which button on which patch you programmed for each sound. This was much harder than you would expect!
And I totally agree with that "They're mostly just using samples by that time" thing. That's why I find older performances like the '81 'Xanadu' one so amazing, because they actually _played_ everything, in realtime. But I also reckon that because of that effort, they deserved things to become easier for them thanks to the ever-advancing technology 🙂
One thing that really sticks out to me about 80's Rush: The vocal melodies are sooo much better than on their older songs, where Geddy very often had only followed the root notes of the chords or a guitar and/or bass riff. They must've made a conscious decision at some point (most likely around 'Signals' and 'Grace...') to put more effort into the vocals, which I reckon is great 😊
I recall watching live video of Rush during their 2112 Tour in New York somewhere. It was in black and white. It was a 40 minute concert similar to ATWAS but the songs were arranged differently. I could hear them triggering pedals of some sort during the song Lakeside Park. So they have been doing some form of it for a long time.
Yeah, I've seen that clip, too. But what Geddy was using there was a pedal synth (like a regular one but with keys that make it playable via foot), and he had to actually play every note properly, as opposed to just kicking one pedal and all the rest then happening by itself (like in _this_ video). An awesome example of this pedal synth action is the 'Xanadu' live clip from '81 in Montreal, where both Alex and Geddy play those synths with their feet while playing double-neck guitars 😀👍
Yes, the synth heavy songs from this era necessitated the extensive use of triggers during live performances. A bit disappointing imo. However, I still enjoy the meat of this song. Thanks Justin.
Oh I get it. I saw Rush 8 times from 79'-87' and the last was the HYF tour and they went from All The World's A Stage Rush to this. Don't get me wrong any Rush is better than no Rush but give me late 70's Rush all day if I had to choose. Fortunately my first child was born in 87' and I moved on to life. Next time I saw them live was 2002 with that first born child. Just me and her. A wonderful experience to share them with her....
Yeah, that's all I noticed, the triggers 😭 I totally missed the cool guitar, ridiculous drumming and bass playing. I should change jobs, if I only knew all I had to do was press some buttons 😭 Jesus Justin. Would love to see you fill in for GED on this😉
How about queen? The whole opera part of Bohemian Rhapsody was a sample when they performed it live. How about Pink Floyd? They had like 10 people on stage and still use samples and triggers. Just saying.
Don't forget, they're still playing the fk out of their instruments here. The samples are just--more. More sound. More layers. You can do more and still make it sound good. Less is not always more. Sometimes more is more.
They're only 3 people,to make that full sound its inevitable.As you know Geddy is singing,playing bass,keyboards and foot pedals sometimes mostly at the same time.as you probably also know that's very difficult to do.
You are correct, BUT. They made there own samples and the drum sound was made with Neil's mouth. He didn't like the sounds the Simmons had. Every sound was custom. Also I believe Neil had to play in sync and didn't have a click all the time. Also, they each triggered different samples through out the song so its not like some d j pushing buttons and then eating lunch til the songs over(lol)....Saying that, the good news is that there sound will change again and the keyboards wont be so prominent in the albums to come. There are a lot of "pleasant" surprises to come. One more 80s album to go....
Rush went into a more clean and articulate sound riding the post punk wave and as experimental junkies tried about every 80s gimmick in their sound. The might be the strangest 80s band in terms of 1980 Permanent Waves to 1989 Presto. 7 studio albums. Lifeson has stated his sometimes disdain of this period. But he still has some amazing texture and sculpting in his sound. And though it's not my favorite period it's still brilliant. Hindsight is 20/20. But Rush always did what they wanted to do. Though this wasn't the pinnacle of band it's far from bad music imo. But by 93 they were back in their roots basically taking Lifeson off the leash so to speak. To me he is the soul of their sound. Geddy and Neil are a rhythm section of a complete feast of sound dexterity and timing. I always hear Lifeson bring the song to life with the other two doing sound gymnastics. He added the moods. And if his hard rocking fire isn't on an album, there isn't much of an edge. Which is the Rush I love best
Just caught your double decker between this and, "Red Sector A.". What's drawing my attention more though is the fact that you actually carried out on the threat to have that shirt printed! I'll buy one from you if you can tell me how to respond to the question, "Who is 'We' and what have you assumed control of?". They might think I'm a communist!!!!! Cool shirt bro!😜
Well, I'd say they're pretty darn busy with their regular duties to spend much extra time with reproducing what they can by just triggering a sample. I mean, you've got bands like Slipknot and Ministry that have a member dedicated to playing keys/samples. Not sure that it's such a bad thing
😆 "You know I'm sure I brought this up before..." Love it, what you said is true though. I love Rush but Hold Your Fire was my least favorite of their albums. I get what your laying down about the triggering and I agree.
I'm with you on the triggers. Up until MP, they prided themselves on writing songs that they could play live (with the occasional modification), but once the synths became more central, they had to make a choice between adding another player on tour or using triggers. They chose triggers. Add in the perfectionist nature of the band, and they relied on them so much that the shows were almost identical from night to night. No room for improvisation or jams because they had to keep all the sequences in the right spot, triggered at the right moment, etc.. While I loved seeing them live, I really prefer bands that get out there and just play live. That extra tensions of "oh, they could mess this up" or "hey, listen to that bit of jamming" along with the ability to mix up the set list from night to night makes the experience better. Watching Queens of the Stone Age in the 2000s, always on the limit, always close to disaster but keeping it right side up, or Them Crooked Vultures doing freewheeling jams that changed from show to show (with only a single album to play from) was amazing. Still loved Rush, but I wish they would have given themselves the freedom to be more creative live, and not get so tied up in perfection (and sequencers).
Kk, but... triggering sounds via keyboard and foot peddals, while playing bass, and singing at the same time in front of thousands of people... I'd rather see that than having a 4th person playing keys for them. Also, I remember that time period well. Sampling and triggering was a very new technology, and as such, It really was a fun and an exciting toy to experiment and broaden the imagination with. A lot of people pushing the limits and finding out how far this thing could go. It's just part of the evolution of music history.
They don't use that many samples. mostly for vocals. They do trigger sequences. There is a difference...but this was the era where they decided to break free from the artificial constraints and play more with technology. It's not like they stick with any one thing for long anyway...
No hate mate. This is the era of electronics and Geddy was very impressed with how technology had evolved. They had in the back stage guys (engineers ) that worked with sounds from the computers timed with keyboards played by Geddys feet.
Yes Rush fans get it. Rush were trigger happy back then. You can obviously see in this song that there are lots of keyboard and other sounds going on while Alex and Geddy are playing their instruments and their feet are nowhere near the pedals. I suspect that Neil is also triggering sounds. Example the jack hammer sound. Triggers were big for them in the 80’s and going forward. But starting in the early 90”s there was definitely less emphasis on keyboards and triggered sounds both in the studio and live.
Sometimes, yes a trigger. But watch these guys feet. The pedal work is ridiculous. And there’s sounds I knew were samples but they were still played by Neil hitting on things that triggered the sounds. It’s not as manufactured as you think. I wish you could have gotten a real live show under your belt.
The whole sequencers and triggers thing was just SO in the air back then, with groups like Pet Shop Boys, Simple Minds, Tears for Fears, etc. I don't begrudge them for pushing into that territory. In a way it allowed them to tackle more complex arrangements than if they'd stayed a pure power trio. But the big downside for me is that they had ceased inspiring *other* musicians the moment they adopted that approach. It wasn't until they reverted back to their power trio ways starting in a few years from here that other musicians looked their way again.
Yup, they were a little trigger happy at this time. No other way to reproduce the sounds from the album live & still be a trio. (An argument against the original arrangements, in my opinion.) Happily, it becomes less prevalent in future years, as synths & sequencers become less prominent.
I get it, cause it's true. Never really liked it. Get the album sound but at a price. Later on they worked around w/o most of it, left it off, or didn't play those songs.
I would not consider it hate, but its like playing a five or six screen bass, you need that extra string to get the sound you need. Yes you are playing the string, but without it you don't get that sound. They did it on Subdivisions, when Neil was the one that said Subdivisions and Alex would pretend to sing the words. There was a live video when Alex almost forgot to press his foot pedal to trigger the words Subdivisions. It was kind of funny like whoops almost forgot. Still love the music.
I know what you mean, all those sound effects that are impossible to duplicate so Geddy had to just hit a button or maybe even someone backstage was triggering it, not sure because as you noticed sometimes those sounds would go off and his hands weren't even on the keyboards. Just yesterday I heard the Spirit of Radio on the radio and it had been a few weeks since I heard it and I couldn't believe how much better it was than this era, no wonder Rush lost a lot of fans at this time, admittedly they almost lost me because I stopped paying attention to when their new releases were coming out, and in the summer of 1990 I just happened to turn on the radio and heard a song that sounded like it could possibly be Rush and really liked it and was thinking but Rush really doesn't sound like that now but then I listened closer and a friend said yeah that's Rush's new song Show don't tell, and I was like are you kidding me, loved it and couldn't get to the record store fast enough to buy it
I'm not sure you're breaking any news on that one. It doesn't make them any less talented. They used to do it all manually and at one point as they're getting older the technology allows them to simplify. Who cares. They had to write and create it all either way. Compare it to today's standards they're doing all of that at the same time as their take caring of their own instruments at an industry top level across the board. I know you like pushing buttons, but consider this one not pushed :-)
you have a good point ,justin,but it still thecnical to press the button at the right time while singing and play bass at the same time, you got to be focus ,but ,yeah a lot of thechno here,compare as today,i rather like that shit, l.o.l
No I totally get it I always thought that they should bring in a fourth but at the same time I looked at it as technological wizardry and during the concerts I would just kind of try to figure out what they're doing with their feet the important parts are live, as long as they never triggered guitar, bass or drums I was okay
choice are, not write the song optimized with all idea they have, or trim down the song live, or have a fourth member to play it live, or trigger all that them self, i think they made the good choice, and by the way Geddy said that nothing is triggered by a tech outside of the stage, they have the mission to trigger all alone, and perso in my proper band im doing it and im so proud to show to people all thing i had pre-programed and that i have to trig at the same time im playing my instrument and sing, just fun and more possibilities! exemple : Attention all planet of the solar federation, we have assume control,
Sweep away some of the back ground noise and crank up the guitar just a bit and that could have been a good metal jam. Rush had lost their way and got in a rut in that era and later they even admitted it. Alex said he was frustrated during that era.
We get it, especially in this era they did some stuff that they could not re-create by playing multiple parks live at the same time, but it was important to them to do the triggering at least which they decided was the best compromise I suppose
Justin, I'm really not sure why you're taking issue with them using triggers all of a sudden. You seemed to really like their live performance of Marathon the other day, NEWS FLASH - they were using triggers on that song too!!! Rush used triggers when playing live for the vast majority of their career. Other bands use triggers ( or sometimes just play along with a backing track and/or use additional musicians) but where Rush differ from the vast majority of other bands is that they themselves do the triggering rather than taking the much easier option of having someone doing it for them off stage,
I love a lot of guitar and bass RUclipsrs who use loop pedals and sequencers to play entire songs by themselves so I certainly have nothing against the triggers here. I've been to EDM shows where they pretty much just play MP3s and wave their arms around for 2 hours, so this is significantly more honest in my opinion. I wouldn't have minded if they'd actually brought a dedicated keyboard player on tours, but in a band where Neil was still The New Guy after 15 years they felt that would be weird.
As they said, their experience of touring with bands with dedicated keyboard players turned them off from bringing in someone, even just to tour. Bringing in a keyboard player would also pretty much mean that everything from then on would have to have keyboards (and older tracks would have to be rethought to give the keyboardist something to do). So they settled on overworking the bassist.
They were obsessed with recreating the studio tracks onstage for a while there. Thus, the triggers. 🤷 A product of the times, and of the perfectionism of all three members of the band
I always loved their use of triggers. In this era, a lot of the synth sequences were literally unplayable by a human. Even in the studio, it was a sequencer. So them deciding to trigger those unplayable sequences live makes sense. What, were they supposed to bring a fourth member on stage just to push buttons that they themselves could push? The strings at the end of Manhattan Project is a long sample triggered by one of them, but no one ever seems to complain about that one.
I actually think that the use of triggers as a supplement to the fact that they are playing their asses off is incredible. Watching Geddy sing, play keys while playing bass notes with pedals, and triggering synth runs while playing tasty, ripping, melodic bass lines is far more impressive that seeing 3 guys splitting the same tasks. It’s not like they aren’t pulling it off in real time. Also, I have to say a younger generation might disagree with you. There are some people out there doing really fantastic stuff with multiple instruments and loop stations. In a very real way these guys laid the groundwork for these trends and people like Trent Reznor pushed it further. I do, however, get where you’re coming from. Even if I disagree.
Regarding the synth sounds, occasional backing vocals, etc. being triggered by one key stroke, foot tap, or drum midi pad hit... I've always been conflicted about their use of them. I like most of what they bring to the performance, but I always felt it was cheating a little (even though it was VERY common with bands that used synths.) I recall a few different interviews with the band in which the subject was brought up, and the general consensus among the three guys was that as long as the sound or sample was triggered by one of them onstage and not by someone offstage that they could justify the use of that technology. I guess they figured that "cheating" with tech to achieve a truer representation of the studio version for the sake of the audience was a necessary evil. You will hear different live versions of their songs where in one version they triggered an effect and another version they just went without. Two examples I can think of off the top of my head: Sometimes in "The Spirit of Radio", Geddy will trigger the piano key bit at the end of the song with his foot (One tap to start, a second tap to end) and others they just ignore that effect. Then, in "Time Stand Still", I've heard them trigger Aimee Mann's voice in the chorus, where other times it's just Geddy playing similar keyboard notes that mimic those words. I guess they get conflicted with using the samples sometimes too!
PS... as a lifelong fan of Rush (as if my username wasn't a giveaway) I just want to say that even though some of your comments sting the ears of my inner Rush fan child, that your "take" and humor (whether critical or otherwise) is the reason I follow your channel. Too many channels just pander to the fans and gush about everything, and you never know it they're being genuine. So, it's enjoyable to see your reaction when you really LIKE something that we love, even if that comes at the cost of hearing a harsh CRITICISM of a thing that we love.
Actually I do agree with this and that’s why this particular period of RUSH I tuned out just do to that fact. I guess the 80’s called for that but when this happened I was already listening to U2, Metallica, Ozzy, Black Sabbath, Beastie Boys etc.
I understand what you're saying, but the way you're saying it sounds like you're saying that that's all they are doing like they are not providing drums Bass and vocals and some keyboards, but just standing there pushing buttons to produce the music. To me, it's just extra. Adding some extra sounds sort of like the video at the beginning. I watch them live to see and hear them play bass, drums, and guitar. They do all of that, and more. That other stuff it's just on top of everything else they are doing. Who cares?
yeah i'm not trying to say that's all theyre doing, that they aren't also singing and playing instruments. Just making a comment/observation about the samples/triggers.
@@JustinPanariello I agree with you about that kind of stuff, and some artists use it to cover up the fact that they don't have the skills to play live.
@@JustinPanariello There are several interviews where the band discusses the use of triggers and how they came to be. The decision seems to have come down to -- did they want to add a 4th or 5th person on stage for tours (e.g., Genesis) to fill out the sound? Their answer was "no" because they didn't want to disturb the dynamic and chemistry they had between the three of them. So, they learned to use triggers, and all three have those responsibilities during the shows. Still freaks me out though that as they're playing some pretty complex parts on the actual instruments a brain has to remember, "Oh yeah, hit this in 3, 2, ....." Especially Neil, since he triggered samples using various foot pedals, little pads spread around and between the toms, and the various "bars" on the MIDI marimba (which would also double as -- SURPRISE!! -- an actual marimba!)
Okay Justin, in re of the triggering comment: "Yes, all three of them share duties triggering specific keyboard type events - mainly a sequencer or sample sound. But they do this in real time while they play their instruments over top of the sounds. And as a three pc band this is needed to reproduce the studio material live. You talk as if they're cheating... there not. It would be if they had someone off the side of the stage triggering the samples / sounds. As a musican yourself I'm sure you have effects pedals that u turn on and off while playing bass.
hitting a pedal that creates a new effect on the sound you're already making with your hands is different than triggering a sample that plays some intricate part. That part was recorded someone by someone in whole with their hands and is now a sample. I don't have a problem with it. Bands especially today do it all the time. At the beginning of most songs for bands today the drummer will trigger Ableton and a whole track will run with all kinds of sequences happening along with a click..for example. It is what it is, i'm just making the observation.
@@JustinPanariello It totally is what it is, but I much prefer this to everyone having to play to a click. Doing it this way there was some room for the tempo to breathe, and it created some really funny trainwrecks on occasion when one of them hit the wrong button.
@@ischmidt Yes, Ian u are right about that. But, from the 38 times I saw them live since 1980, I only saw about 1/2 dozen Train wreaks. Not a bad average.
You're correct, regarding samples. I'm not aware of any long time Rush fans that particularly liked them, at the time. The only thing I can say is that at least they triggered them, rather than some off-stage techie. Neil had numerous triggers on his kit, too, but they tended to be 'blasts' (as in his Frankfurt drum solo, before the final big band video section), which he originally copied from Count Basie (if I remember correctly) but then produced his own, later. To those of us who'd followed them from the mid-seventies, it just 'wasn't cricket'...and wasn't Rush. However, they never stood still, constantly evolving and experimenting. They moved on, which always kept them interesting. I'm just thrilled they finished with Clockwork Angels, as the finale. A fitting and extraordinary end, which is what they (and we) deserved.
Justin wait until you get to the Counterparts album, Rush showed that they can join the grunge era sound as well. This is a heavier album for them. There is not one Rush album that sounds the same as another. That’s evolution baby!
I'm 63 and have been a Rush fan since 1975. I knew the 3 of them were triggering effects live in concert. That's why they couldn't play "Witch Hunt" live in 1981 when I first saw them. "Force Ten" is a killer opening track of HYF. ✌🎼
No hate from me. I believe that's when they realized it was getting to be to much. Although moving forward geddy still used backing tracks of his voice. That never bothered me as much as the keyboard triggers. It never stopped me from seeing them all the way through R40.🤘 Thanks Justin
You're right about the samples and sequencers, the tour before this was when that became possible so the mantra of "can we play it live?" created different kinds songs.
A large number of the rhythmic triggers were keyed through the drum set. The longer melodic keyboards were at least later on done with pedals setup as keyboards. It is hard to see in the SoH videos if they are doing anything with their feet, especially when Geddy is behind the wall of keyboards...
Sorry Brother, no hate from me. Just an explanation. During this period there was a lot of talk within the band about bringing in a 4th member as a keyboardist and they decided against it because they wanted to preserve the trio dynamic. However, they never liked the idea of live backing tracks so they compromised. They used samples but they made it a point to trigger every event themselves. This period was where they where at the height of that and they started moving away from that gradually until by the mid 90's the material they where writing required practically no triggering. I mean, they still did the triggering for these songs but they had a lot more songs in the set that didn't requite it. However, we are now moving into an area where they started doing something I never cared for - triggered backing vocals. Oh boy...
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Justin you have to remember Rush stated back in the 70's, they wanted to be a 3 piece orchestra. All 3 of them have triggers, foot pedals synths etc, very talented to pull it all off. I see it as awesome that they do this. As a musician I feel its more skillful than having 5 people on stage!
You’re right about the samples..I’m not a big fan.
He thought we didn't know about the triggers!🤣
If, like a DJ, they were just triggering effects I would have a problem with it.
But they are adding effects while playing instruments and singing on a virtuoso level.
Icing on an already delicious cake. And who doesn't love cake?
I totally agree. They were caught in the trigger era. It happened for a few tours but then they got rid of them or used them very minimally. This is the low point in RUSH in my opinion. Not that it was awful....it just wasn't RUSH the way we knew and loved
They use triggers all the way to the end.
@Dan You're talking nonsense, they used triggers when playing live pretty much their entire career.
The Rush I know and love includes all their eras.
BTW, don't get triggered.
🙂 Sorry. Had to be said.
Get it...but don't care. It's still their samples that they played there're triggering, and it's nothing that complex they're triggering. Just a matter of they're outta hands. I didn't mind the occasional Ben Mink, but RUSH is Alex...Geddy...Neil...period.
I agree with EM. No surprise that they used triggers - they didn't hide it, it was an enhancement-technology at the time. Whether someone likes it, or not, is a matter of personal taste. There are "fans" that dislike songs from EVERY album, so ultimately, who gives a s**t? Like what you like.
So, they trigger some effects and such. Geddy has played keyboards with his feet while playing bass while singing. Or keyboards while playing bass with his feet while singing. They make no secret about triggers. Alex does a lot as does Neil and it became more predominant as tours went on refusing to add a member to the band. And they wanted to be responsible for everything musically that happened on stage. All it does really is make them more remarkable for ensuring everything is done while playing the complex technical parts they do. I really don't think it can be a criticism, rather a compliment.
You use the term "amazing" a lot. Might I suggest "inconceivable" as a decent alternative? Perhaps in honor of Wallace Shawn?
They talked a lot about the triggering back at that time and said it would have been easier to bring a keyboard player on the road or just have a tech trigger the samples backstage. Knowing these were enhancements they insisted on doing it themselves. And while you are correct, these are triggering some pretty substantial parts it was all done live while playing their other instruments (and singing). The only time they used a sequencer, Neil would have his headset on. It was all well choreographed BUT there were numerous nights when triggers misfired, wrong samples, bad timings etc. So it was a bit more than just triggering an event. It certainly added to the stress of their performance and wanting it to be as close to perfect as possible with their own hands...and feet ;)
And it's largely the experience (especially the load it put on Geddy of singing, playing keyboards or bass with his hands, and triggering samples) of this tour that led them to decide to take a step back (and for Geddy to dig out the J-bass) with Presto.
I think they saw it as a challenge to reproduce their album tracks.
They are only 3 people, and sometimes live they probably did play tracks because the music is too much to be really made for a 100% live show. But hey, even if they DID trigger a button to start some synth track, it's still amazing for all of them to play in sync with that. It's probably easier for 3 long-time friends to play in-sync together than for all 3 of them to ALSO have to keep track of the timing of some synthetic track on top of that.
I'm in general antipathetic to things like "auto-tune" (horrid mess) or lipsync (puke). But here, it's added because of what it does to the music, without having to have a 4th "member" synth player they SOMETIMES bring on stage for those odd songs. :-D
It's true, they are triggering some samples, but Geddy is triggering samples with his feet while playing bass, while playing keyboard, while singing. He even moves the mic with his nose sometimes! There are some samples, but not in the traditional "they can't do it live Milli Vanilli" way. I never considered it a cheat with Rush. I considered it more of the triggering of special effects.
You know, I honestly don’t care if they are playing, live, or in the studio and triggering sequences, triggering arpeggiators, and or triggering samples. When it comes down to it, it’s simply good music, and it should be enjoyed for the good music that it is. By the way, in the late 70s they were also using pedals to play keyboard parts, so this isn’t just a product of the 80s. I’ve never understood why fans of a group become so critical of a group embracing technology, so that the group can fulfill their artistic vision.
I’ve always said, the one thing progressive rock fans seem to complain about the most is their favorite band progressing lol
@@Bass17yl amen!
@@Bass17yl Deep down everyone really wants the AC/DC model where they make the same record 12 times or whatever. It's safe and comforting but not very satisfying.
OK so they trigger samples to go for specific sounds! They are still playing the hell out of their instruments at the same time. They also trigger background vocals as well. That is the sound they want in their concert. How does that subtract from their performance? Is there some rule that says they can't? Between them, they only have six arms and six legs! And one vocalist, unless Alex steps in to sing backup. Many great keyboard players have used oscillators, arpeggiators, modulators, and sequencers in their performances, and then turned right around and played complex solos. Dennis DeYoung comes to mind, among others. I can easily sit and perform a Beethoven Sonata. If later I decide to use a sequencer in one of my own compositions and perform it with that technology, I don't feel I owe my audience an explanation or an apology!
During the 2nd chorus the song, you can hear a recording of Geddy saying "rising falling at force ten, we twist the world and ride the wind". In concert, a couple of speakers were set up in the ceiling towards the back of the audience and that recording would circle around the audience. It was a very cool sounding effect! As for the triggering samples..... well yeah. They did that right up through the last concert. It sounds great. To me, it's like "they're not only some of the best on their instruments, but they also simultaneously add in all these other sounds too!"
No hate. By the time Rush hit Power Windows they had decided to no longer limit themselves or their creativity. Prior to that, with just a few exceptions, they basically only wrote and arranged with the idea that it had to be playable live by just the three of them.
They had reached a point where they were feeling constrained by that self imposed limitation and had discussed adding another member numerous times, but were so worried about messing with their unique dynamic, their trust in one another as people, writers, and business partners, that they decided against it.
So they wrote and recorded what they wanted and would figure out later how to reproduce it live.
All this said, while there are samples and sequences used in a lot of mid and late 80’s Rush, if was going to be played live then any sample or sequence needed to be triggered live by one of them without being slaved to time code. This left the element of chance and possible train wrecks on stage if you were not completely on your game and rock solid in your tempos. I much rather have that then see bands with off stage musicians, playing along to tracks, or just pretending to be playing which according to many interviews I’ve seen and heard, is far more common than you might imagine.
I was 19 when I went the night this was recorded at the NEC Birmingham in the UK. I had grown out of listening to prog rock by this time, getting into REM and The Pixies but I couldn't pass up the chance to see Rush live as they'd been my favourite band when I was 14/15
Probably my favorite song on HYF. BUT that's not saying much.
No hate from me, Justin. Yep, hitting a button or a foot pedal or a drum pad, that’s how they did it. I’m not sure how they kept track of it all. I really love this song live and I think it’s because Alex’s parts jump out more than on the record.
The mix on this emphasizes the guitar and bass over the keyboards a little and I think it really improves the sound.
Yeah... "just hit a button". At the exact time needed while playing bass, singing, playing bass pedals and foot triggers....yeah. simple. Not.
I don’t understand why triggering samples is an issue for you, it’s not as if they are doing it because they are average musicians, let’s face it for most of the time they were quite busy playing their chosen instruments, so to do this as well makes them even more impressive in my eyes (who said it was only women who can multitask) also I think having another musician on stage would have ruined the dynamics of the band.
its not an issue its an observation
I get what you’re saying, however, using samples is not necessarily easy, lol. In my last band, I played guitar, did backing vocals, and ran the sampler with my feet and hands. Not only do you have to hit the buttons on time (many times without looking) but you have to program the sampler, as well as make sure the rest of the band stays in tempo. Hardest part was remembering which button on which patch you programmed for each sound. This was much harder than you would expect!
Example : ruclips.net/video/qb65_2yOAXo/видео.html
And I totally agree with that "They're mostly just using samples by that time" thing. That's why I find older performances like the '81 'Xanadu' one so amazing, because they actually _played_ everything, in realtime.
But I also reckon that because of that effort, they deserved things to become easier for them thanks to the ever-advancing technology 🙂
So, you know we can hear you humming along? To a Hold Your Fire song! A few more listens and you'll be loving the rest of the album. All. Of. It.
One thing that really sticks out to me about 80's Rush: The vocal melodies are sooo much better than on their older songs, where Geddy very often had only followed the root notes of the chords or a guitar and/or bass riff. They must've made a conscious decision at some point (most likely around 'Signals' and 'Grace...') to put more effort into the vocals, which I reckon is great 😊
Arpeggiators were amazing toys to merge into your songs.. they did it well.. then moved on eventually.. like we all did.
I recall watching live video of Rush during their 2112 Tour in New York somewhere. It was in black and white. It was a 40 minute concert similar to ATWAS but the songs were arranged differently. I could hear them triggering pedals of some sort during the song Lakeside Park. So they have been doing some form of it for a long time.
Yeah, I've seen that clip, too. But what Geddy was using there was a pedal synth (like a regular one but with keys that make it playable via foot), and he had to actually play every note properly, as opposed to just kicking one pedal and all the rest then happening by itself (like in _this_ video).
An awesome example of this pedal synth action is the 'Xanadu' live clip from '81 in Montreal, where both Alex and Geddy play those synths with their feet while playing double-neck guitars 😀👍
PS: Some say that that b/w 'Lakeside Park' performance may have been those pedal synths' first appearance on a Rush stage 🙂
Wait till you get to Presto lol. Yowza...
And is there anything wrong with sampling, I think not and 😁🤘RUSH🤘does it so well. Smiles 😃 from Canada 🇨🇦
Yes, the synth heavy songs from this era necessitated the extensive use of triggers during live performances. A bit disappointing imo. However, I still enjoy the meat of this song. Thanks Justin.
Oh I get it. I saw Rush 8 times from 79'-87' and the last was the HYF tour and they went from All The World's A Stage Rush to this. Don't get me wrong any Rush is better than no Rush but give me late 70's Rush all day if I had to choose. Fortunately my first child was born in 87' and I moved on to life. Next time I saw them live was 2002 with that first born child. Just me and her. A wonderful experience to share them with her....
Yeah, that's all I noticed, the triggers 😭 I totally missed the cool guitar, ridiculous drumming and bass playing. I should change jobs, if I only knew all I had to do was press some buttons 😭 Jesus Justin. Would love to see you fill in for GED on this😉
How about queen? The whole opera part of Bohemian Rhapsody was a sample when they performed it live. How about Pink Floyd? They had like 10 people on stage and still use samples and triggers. Just saying.
❤ ❤... ❤
Don't forget, they're still playing the fk out of their instruments here. The samples are just--more. More sound. More layers. You can do more and still make it sound good. Less is not always more. Sometimes more is more.
Love the comments and agree! I always thought it took away from their pure artistry of their respective instruments.
They're only 3 people,to make that full sound its inevitable.As you know Geddy is singing,playing bass,keyboards and foot pedals sometimes mostly at the same time.as you probably also know that's very difficult to do.
You are correct, BUT. They made there own samples and the drum sound was made with Neil's mouth. He didn't like the sounds the Simmons had. Every sound was custom. Also I believe Neil had to play in sync and didn't have a click all the time. Also, they each triggered different samples through out the song so its not like some d j pushing buttons and then eating lunch til the songs over(lol)....Saying that, the good news is that there sound will change again and the keyboards wont be so prominent in the albums to come. There are a lot of "pleasant" surprises to come. One more 80s album to go....
Rush went into a more clean and articulate sound riding the post punk wave and as experimental junkies tried about every 80s gimmick in their sound. The might be the strangest 80s band in terms of 1980 Permanent Waves to 1989 Presto. 7 studio albums. Lifeson has stated his sometimes disdain of this period. But he still has some amazing texture and sculpting in his sound. And though it's not my favorite period it's still brilliant. Hindsight is 20/20. But Rush always did what they wanted to do. Though this wasn't the pinnacle of band it's far from bad music imo. But by 93 they were back in their roots basically taking Lifeson off the leash so to speak. To me he is the soul of their sound. Geddy and Neil are a rhythm section of a complete feast of sound dexterity and timing. I always hear Lifeson bring the song to life with the other two doing sound gymnastics. He added the moods. And if his hard rocking fire isn't on an album, there isn't much of an edge. Which is the Rush I love best
Just caught your double decker between this and, "Red Sector A.". What's drawing my attention more though is the fact that you actually carried out on the threat to have that shirt printed! I'll buy one from you if you can tell me how to respond to the question, "Who is 'We' and what have you assumed control of?". They might think I'm a communist!!!!!
Cool shirt bro!😜
Well, I'd say they're pretty darn busy with their regular duties to spend much extra time with reproducing what they can by just triggering a sample. I mean, you've got bands like Slipknot and Ministry that have a member dedicated to playing keys/samples. Not sure that it's such a bad thing
😆 "You know I'm sure I brought this up before..." Love it, what you said is true though. I love Rush but Hold Your Fire was my least favorite of their albums. I get what your laying down about the triggering and I agree.
I'm with you on the triggers. Up until MP, they prided themselves on writing songs that they could play live (with the occasional modification), but once the synths became more central, they had to make a choice between adding another player on tour or using triggers. They chose triggers. Add in the perfectionist nature of the band, and they relied on them so much that the shows were almost identical from night to night. No room for improvisation or jams because they had to keep all the sequences in the right spot, triggered at the right moment, etc.. While I loved seeing them live, I really prefer bands that get out there and just play live. That extra tensions of "oh, they could mess this up" or "hey, listen to that bit of jamming" along with the ability to mix up the set list from night to night makes the experience better. Watching Queens of the Stone Age in the 2000s, always on the limit, always close to disaster but keeping it right side up, or Them Crooked Vultures doing freewheeling jams that changed from show to show (with only a single album to play from) was amazing. Still loved Rush, but I wish they would have given themselves the freedom to be more creative live, and not get so tied up in perfection (and sequencers).
Kk, but... triggering sounds via keyboard and foot peddals, while playing bass, and singing at the same time in front of thousands of people... I'd rather see that than having a 4th person playing keys for them.
Also, I remember that time period well. Sampling and triggering was a very new technology, and as such, It really was a fun and an exciting toy to experiment and broaden the imagination with. A lot of people pushing the limits and finding out how far this thing could go. It's just part of the evolution of music history.
They don't use that many samples. mostly for vocals. They do trigger sequences. There is a difference...but this was the era where they decided to break free from the artificial constraints and play more with technology. It's not like they stick with any one thing for long anyway...
No hate mate. This is the era of electronics and Geddy was very impressed with how technology had evolved. They had in the back stage guys (engineers ) that worked with sounds from the computers timed with keyboards played by Geddys feet.
Yes Rush fans get it. Rush were trigger happy back then. You can obviously see in this song that there are lots of keyboard and other sounds going on while Alex and Geddy are playing their instruments and their feet are nowhere near the pedals. I suspect that Neil is also triggering sounds. Example the jack hammer sound. Triggers were big for them in the 80’s and going forward. But starting in the early 90”s there was definitely less emphasis on keyboards and triggered sounds both in the studio and live.
Sometimes, yes a trigger. But watch these guys feet. The pedal work is ridiculous. And there’s sounds I knew were samples but they were still played by Neil hitting on things that triggered the sounds. It’s not as manufactured as you think. I wish you could have gotten a real live show under your belt.
The whole sequencers and triggers thing was just SO in the air back then, with groups like Pet Shop Boys, Simple Minds, Tears for Fears, etc. I don't begrudge them for pushing into that territory. In a way it allowed them to tackle more complex arrangements than if they'd stayed a pure power trio. But the big downside for me is that they had ceased inspiring *other* musicians the moment they adopted that approach. It wasn't until they reverted back to their power trio ways starting in a few years from here that other musicians looked their way again.
Yup, they were a little trigger happy at this time. No other way to reproduce the sounds from the album live & still be a trio. (An argument against the original arrangements, in my opinion.) Happily, it becomes less prevalent in future years, as synths & sequencers become less prominent.
I get it, cause it's true. Never really liked it. Get the album sound but at a price.
Later on they worked around w/o most of it, left it off, or didn't play those songs.
I would not consider it hate, but its like playing a five or six screen bass, you need that extra string to get the sound you need. Yes you are playing the string, but without it you don't get that sound. They did it on Subdivisions, when Neil was the one that said Subdivisions and Alex would pretend to sing the words. There was a live video when Alex almost forgot to press his foot pedal to trigger the words Subdivisions. It was kind of funny like whoops almost forgot. Still love the music.
You have to understand that this is 33 years ago and not today. Technology wasn't the same back then
I know what you mean, all those sound effects that are impossible to duplicate so Geddy had to just hit a button or maybe even someone backstage was triggering it, not sure because as you noticed sometimes those sounds would go off and his hands weren't even on the keyboards. Just yesterday I heard the Spirit of Radio on the radio and it had been a few weeks since I heard it and I couldn't believe how much better it was than this era, no wonder Rush lost a lot of fans at this time, admittedly they almost lost me because I stopped paying attention to when their new releases were coming out, and in the summer of 1990 I just happened to turn on the radio and heard a song that sounded like it could possibly be Rush and really liked it and was thinking but Rush really doesn't sound like that now but then I listened closer and a friend said yeah that's Rush's new song Show don't tell, and I was like are you kidding me, loved it and couldn't get to the record store fast enough to buy it
I'm not sure you're breaking any news on that one. It doesn't make them any less talented. They used to do it all manually and at one point as they're getting older the technology allows them to simplify. Who cares. They had to write and create it all either way. Compare it to today's standards they're doing all of that at the same time as their take caring of their own instruments at an industry top level across the board. I know you like pushing buttons, but consider this one not pushed :-)
At least they’re triggering their own shit 😂. But yeah it was heavier on the synth heavy albums by necessity.
you have a good point ,justin,but it still thecnical to press the button at the right time while singing and play bass at the same time, you got to be focus ,but ,yeah a lot of thechno here,compare as today,i rather like that shit, l.o.l
No I totally get it I always thought that they should bring in a fourth but at the same time I looked at it as technological wizardry and during the concerts I would just kind of try to figure out what they're doing with their feet the important parts are live, as long as they never triggered guitar, bass or drums I was okay
Not that I totally hate this era but please please get to presto, we need some changes, I'm guessing you do too, lol
choice are, not write the song optimized with all idea they have, or trim down the song live, or have a fourth member to play it live, or trigger all that them self, i think they made the good choice, and by the way Geddy said that nothing is triggered by a tech outside of the stage, they have the mission to trigger all alone, and perso in my proper band im doing it and im so proud to show to people all thing i had pre-programed and that i have to trig at the same time im playing my instrument and sing, just fun and more possibilities! exemple : Attention all planet of the solar federation, we have assume control,
Sweep away some of the back ground noise and crank up the guitar just a bit and that could have been a good metal jam. Rush had lost their way and got in a rut in that era and later they even admitted it. Alex said he was frustrated during that era.
We get it, especially in this era they did some stuff that they could not re-create by playing multiple parks live at the same time, but it was important to them to do the triggering at least which they decided was the best compromise I suppose
Yep, I here ya.
Rush brought a real string section along for the Clockwork Angels tour. It was fun.
I do know on this song that Neil is hitting those triggers at the end with a foot pedal sounds cool
I like this song, still not one of my favorites, but it’s like a lot of songs from this era, better live than studio.
On another note…. Your videos for this album don’t match the order of the track listing on the actual album. Why? Lol
Yeah i said that in the first video... its cause I did songs from the video and audio version.
Justin, I'm really not sure why you're taking issue with them using triggers all of a sudden. You seemed to really like their live performance of Marathon the other day, NEWS FLASH - they were using triggers on that song too!!! Rush used triggers when playing live for the vast majority of their career. Other bands use triggers ( or sometimes just play along with a backing track and/or use additional musicians) but where Rush differ from the vast majority of other bands is that they themselves do the triggering rather than taking the much easier option of having someone doing it for them off stage,
I dont have a problem with it. Im making an observation.
I love a lot of guitar and bass RUclipsrs who use loop pedals and sequencers to play entire songs by themselves so I certainly have nothing against the triggers here. I've been to EDM shows where they pretty much just play MP3s and wave their arms around for 2 hours, so this is significantly more honest in my opinion. I wouldn't have minded if they'd actually brought a dedicated keyboard player on tours, but in a band where Neil was still The New Guy after 15 years they felt that would be weird.
As they said, their experience of touring with bands with dedicated keyboard players turned them off from bringing in someone, even just to tour. Bringing in a keyboard player would also pretty much mean that everything from then on would have to have keyboards (and older tracks would have to be rethought to give the keyboardist something to do). So they settled on overworking the bassist.
They were obsessed with recreating the studio tracks onstage for a while there. Thus, the triggers. 🤷 A product of the times, and of the perfectionism of all three members of the band
I always loved their use of triggers. In this era, a lot of the synth sequences were literally unplayable by a human. Even in the studio, it was a sequencer. So them deciding to trigger those unplayable sequences live makes sense. What, were they supposed to bring a fourth member on stage just to push buttons that they themselves could push? The strings at the end of Manhattan Project is a long sample triggered by one of them, but no one ever seems to complain about that one.
I actually think that the use of triggers as a supplement to the fact that they are playing their asses off is incredible. Watching Geddy sing, play keys while playing bass notes with pedals, and triggering synth runs while playing tasty, ripping, melodic bass lines is far more impressive that seeing 3 guys splitting the same tasks. It’s not like they aren’t pulling it off in real time. Also, I have to say a younger generation might disagree with you. There are some people out there doing really fantastic stuff with multiple instruments and loop stations. In a very real way these guys laid the groundwork for these trends and people like Trent Reznor pushed it further. I do, however, get where you’re coming from. Even if I disagree.
Regarding the synth sounds, occasional backing vocals, etc. being triggered by one key stroke, foot tap, or drum midi pad hit... I've always been conflicted about their use of them. I like most of what they bring to the performance, but I always felt it was cheating a little (even though it was VERY common with bands that used synths.) I recall a few different interviews with the band in which the subject was brought up, and the general consensus among the three guys was that as long as the sound or sample was triggered by one of them onstage and not by someone offstage that they could justify the use of that technology. I guess they figured that "cheating" with tech to achieve a truer representation of the studio version for the sake of the audience was a necessary evil. You will hear different live versions of their songs where in one version they triggered an effect and another version they just went without. Two examples I can think of off the top of my head: Sometimes in "The Spirit of Radio", Geddy will trigger the piano key bit at the end of the song with his foot (One tap to start, a second tap to end) and others they just ignore that effect. Then, in "Time Stand Still", I've heard them trigger Aimee Mann's voice in the chorus, where other times it's just Geddy playing similar keyboard notes that mimic those words. I guess they get conflicted with using the samples sometimes too!
PS... as a lifelong fan of Rush (as if my username wasn't a giveaway) I just want to say that even though some of your comments sting the ears of my inner Rush fan child, that your "take" and humor (whether critical or otherwise) is the reason I follow your channel. Too many channels just pander to the fans and gush about everything, and you never know it they're being genuine. So, it's enjoyable to see your reaction when you really LIKE something that we love, even if that comes at the cost of hearing a harsh CRITICISM of a thing that we love.
👍👍🙏🙏
Actually I do agree with this and that’s why this particular period of RUSH I tuned out just do to that fact. I guess the 80’s called for that but when this happened I was already listening to U2, Metallica, Ozzy, Black Sabbath, Beastie Boys etc.
I understand what you're saying, but the way you're saying it sounds like you're saying that that's all they are doing like they are not providing drums Bass and vocals and some keyboards, but just standing there pushing buttons to produce the music. To me, it's just extra. Adding some extra sounds sort of like the video at the beginning. I watch them live to see and hear them play bass, drums, and guitar. They do all of that, and more. That other stuff it's just on top of everything else they are doing. Who cares?
yeah i'm not trying to say that's all theyre doing, that they aren't also singing and playing instruments. Just making a comment/observation about the samples/triggers.
@@JustinPanariello I agree with you about that kind of stuff, and some artists use it to cover up the fact that they don't have the skills to play live.
@@JustinPanariello There are several interviews where the band discusses the use of triggers and how they came to be. The decision seems to have come down to -- did they want to add a 4th or 5th person on stage for tours (e.g., Genesis) to fill out the sound? Their answer was "no" because they didn't want to disturb the dynamic and chemistry they had between the three of them. So, they learned to use triggers, and all three have those responsibilities during the shows. Still freaks me out though that as they're playing some pretty complex parts on the actual instruments a brain has to remember, "Oh yeah, hit this in 3, 2, ....." Especially Neil, since he triggered samples using various foot pedals, little pads spread around and between the toms, and the various "bars" on the MIDI marimba (which would also double as -- SURPRISE!! -- an actual marimba!)
Okay Justin, in re of the triggering comment: "Yes, all three of them share duties triggering specific keyboard type events - mainly a sequencer or sample sound. But they do this in real time while they play their instruments over top of the sounds. And as a three pc band this is needed to reproduce the studio material live. You talk as if they're cheating... there not. It would be if they had someone off the side of the stage triggering the samples / sounds. As a musican yourself I'm sure you have effects pedals that u turn on and off while playing bass.
hitting a pedal that creates a new effect on the sound you're already making with your hands is different than triggering a sample that plays some intricate part. That part was recorded someone by someone in whole with their hands and is now a sample. I don't have a problem with it. Bands especially today do it all the time. At the beginning of most songs for bands today the drummer will trigger Ableton and a whole track will run with all kinds of sequences happening along with a click..for example. It is what it is, i'm just making the observation.
@@JustinPanariello It totally is what it is, but I much prefer this to everyone having to play to a click. Doing it this way there was some room for the tempo to breathe, and it created some really funny trainwrecks on occasion when one of them hit the wrong button.
@@ischmidt Yes, Ian u are right about that. But, from the 38 times I saw them live since 1980, I only saw about 1/2 dozen Train wreaks. Not a bad average.
You HAVE to be honest. The truth is Rush had piped in effects. I don't like it any more than you do, but that's what they did. Deal with it!
its fine i'm just making an observation. Like I said I don't care I still like the music just pointing it out.
@@JustinPanariello i was actually talking to your viewers that would criticize you for pointing out the truth! Lol!
@@patrigilligan2112 oh thanks 😂👍
You're correct, regarding samples. I'm not aware of any long time Rush fans that particularly liked them, at the time. The only thing I can say is that at least they triggered them, rather than some off-stage techie. Neil had numerous triggers on his kit, too, but they tended to be 'blasts' (as in his Frankfurt drum solo, before the final big band video section), which he originally copied from Count Basie (if I remember correctly) but then produced his own, later.
To those of us who'd followed them from the mid-seventies, it just 'wasn't cricket'...and wasn't Rush. However, they never stood still, constantly evolving and experimenting. They moved on, which always kept them interesting. I'm just thrilled they finished with Clockwork Angels, as the finale. A fitting and extraordinary end, which is what they (and we) deserved.
Justin wait until you get to the Counterparts album, Rush showed that they can join the grunge era sound as well. This is a heavier album for them. There is not one Rush album that sounds the same as another. That’s evolution baby!
Solid rhythm section. Getting ready to jump into the next decade, and phase...
I'm 63 and have been a Rush fan since 1975. I knew the 3 of them were triggering effects live in concert. That's why they couldn't play "Witch Hunt" live in 1981 when I first saw them. "Force Ten" is a killer opening track of HYF. ✌🎼
No hate from me. I believe that's when they realized it was getting to be to much. Although moving forward geddy still used backing tracks of his voice. That never bothered me as much as the keyboard triggers. It never stopped me from seeing them all the way through R40.🤘 Thanks Justin
You're right about the samples and sequencers, the tour before this was when that became possible so the mantra of "can we play it live?" created different kinds songs.
A large number of the rhythmic triggers were keyed through the drum set. The longer melodic keyboards were at least later on done with pedals setup as keyboards. It is hard to see in the SoH videos if they are doing anything with their feet, especially when Geddy is behind the wall of keyboards...
One of the better songs on the album for sure.
Sorry Brother, no hate from me. Just an explanation. During this period there was a lot of talk within the band about bringing in a 4th member as a keyboardist and they decided against it because they wanted to preserve the trio dynamic. However, they never liked the idea of live backing tracks so they compromised. They used samples but they made it a point to trigger every event themselves. This period was where they where at the height of that and they started moving away from that gradually until by the mid 90's the material they where writing required practically no triggering. I mean, they still did the triggering for these songs but they had a lot more songs in the set that didn't requite it. However, we are now moving into an area where they started doing something I never cared for - triggered backing vocals. Oh boy...