A really cool hidden detail in this song, that initial rhythm that makes up the first bit of the song is actually YYZ in morse code. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the song is based off of the Toronto Pearson International Airport, which has the call sign of YYZ. Keep up the great reactions!!
No way! So much modern music has crazy disjointed passages like that, that it never occurred to me that there may be meaning behind it. Thanks for the info!
On one of their returns from touring, the cockpit door was open, and Neil picked up on the Morse code that was being tranmitted - YYZ or the airport code for Pearson Intl. Airport in Toronto, Canada, aka hom. They always commented it was a great day when they saw YYZ on their luggage - it meant they were returning home. While this one is great, take a look at the live version of YYZ on their Rush In Rio album. The energy of 50,000 fans singing to an instrumental - you can just feel it. Rush is one of those bands that can't be categorized, and truly need to be experienced to appreciate. Welcome to the Rush rabbit hole... may your eyes widen in wonder and amazement of your journey!
@@PrymalChaos tis true… alex was flying a plane when geddy and neil heard the yyz transponder sound for toronto airport (yyz) and thought that was a neat rhythmic sound
Also, Geddy Lee is the keyboard player. He often uses foot pedals to play synths while playing bass, but there are also many songs (like Tom Sawyer) where he will play the keyboard if there is no bass line going on. If you watch the live performance of Turn the Page from A Show of Hands, you can see Geddy playing the keyboard, bass, and singing all at once. It's a great performance.
In the live version from Rio, the crowd is singing along. Yes you heard that correctly. The crowd is singing along to an instrumental song without lyrics 🤘😊🤘
While playing the keyboards, he plays the basslines with pedals. Listen to the parts where there's keyboards, and you'll hear the basslines suddenly become rather simple.
Xanadu is a great example of that. While they Exit Stage Left is the most famous live version of it, there are some newer live versions that show better they playing the foot synth
Now that you've listened to the studio version analytically, treat yourself to this piece "Live In RIO!" with the pleasure centres of your brain. You're welcome.
The first part of the song is Morse Code for YYZ which are the call letters for Toronto international Airport. Alex Lifeson the guitarist is also a licensed pilot and was flying them back to Toronto from Le Studio in Quebec. Both Geddy and Neil heard the code and it stuck with them. The guys always liked seeing YYZ on their luggage as it meant they were heading home to their families.
With RUSH you really have watch their live performances ... It's amazing to see and hear these 3 guys pull it off making all these sounds live on stage !
Yeah, even though everyone and their dog has reacted to it, the Rush Xanadu Live video still blows my mind as to the level of musicianship and skill shown.
To understand Rush fully, you have to watch them live. It’s truly incredible how they make the sounds they do live. I think most long-term Rush fans would suggest that you watch Xanadu live in Montreal 1981, it will blow your mind.
OMG!!! YOU MUST WATCH THIS *LIVE!!!* *Rush in Rio - YYZ* 💜💫✌🏼🎵 The audience actually SINGS along to a song that has no lyrics!!! They also go nuts!!! It's EPIC!!! *RUSH RULES!!!*
Check out anything live from their 1988, A Show of Hands concert. I remember renting the VHS (I'm showing my age) and it blew my mind. I was 17 and struggling to learn the bass, and this just melted me. Cheers!
Yes, we come a long way from rentals. Please be kind and rewind. Or service charge applies, lol. Blockbuster had dedicated rewinders at the cashier’s desk. You comment took me on a trip. 😅 yes Great album! Closer to the heart ❤️ had a great extension here if recall .
Why I pop into your channel infrequently is a question I've got to answer really damn soon. You're the only reactor I sub to that comes up with theories of playing music then proves them. Great reaction (review?) Prymal!
Thanks Dean! I'm sure it comes down to the vast range of genres I cover. I know not every video will be for everyone. And that's ok! Thanks for watching.
I do believe that it's going to be *very* interesting, once you've gotten out of their 'mid' career stuff, and introduced yourself to the early, more complex, yet nuanced era of songwriting and musicianship. From the second album *"Fly By Night",* right up to *"Hemispheres".* (their sixth album). Songs like the amazing 20 minute epic *2112,* and/or the instrumental masterpiece that is *"La Villa Strangiato"* would be (a couple) of my suggestions. There are many others, but I just stick with the two for now. 🙂
Another great reaction. I believe that Alex Lifeson's greatest guitar solo is on La Villa Strangiato. So much feeling. His second greatest solo is on Freewill, but also because the other instruments are showing off with equal proportion.
Got my sub for going on the rush journey! Please do La Villa Strangiato (studio is great, live from "exit stage left" is hands down the best.... Same with Xanadu)
Geddy Lee is the bass and keyboard player, they are only a 3 piece group. YYZ is the Toronto Internationa Airport code, and the starting riff follows the rhythme of the Morse code of YYZ
Others have mentioned, and I wholeheartedly agree, you should watch Xanadu live in Montreal from 1981. You will really get the orchestrative/progressive side of Rush.
During the tour supporting this album, I think in 1981 or 1982, Peart breaks loose for a drum solo in the middle of this song. They released a live album, Exit Stage Left, that includes such a version of YYZ; in that recording his solo in the middle of the song is about 3 minutes of pure drum clinic. I do love that they show their sense of humor joking about YYZ being a name for marijuana and poking fun at themselves for wearing kimonos on stage in their early years. Yes, the song is based off the airport and was originally written by Lee and Peart when returning home from a world tour; Lifeson added his parts in later and included the Asian flair to his riffs to accentuate the foreign lands they'd visited.
It is Neil's noodling at the end of phreases where as you said sounds simple until you listen more closely. I listened to Time Out a lot. Playing in 5/4 is easy compared to when the pianist and drummer are in different time signatures. Joe Morello was amazing and does not get enough credit. Rush does this at the end of Limelight La Villa Strangiato will likely show up soon to listen to. And then realize it was recorded in 1978.
Brubeck was amazing. Saw him and his recent quartet play in 2009 (a few years before he passed away) at the University of North Texas, along side the One o'clock Lab Band and the UNT choir and orchestra. Simply amazing!
Absolutely. You could never get Rush by listening once. You could listen to one of their songs several times and pick up something different every time. By the way the intro of this song is done in Morse code. For yyz. And Geddy is playing bass and the synth you hear he's playing with his foot. You need catch the live version off exit stage left.
I discovered Rush earlier this year even though I had heard something in the past. Thanks to Spotify I was able to listen to almost all the albums, thanks to RUclips I was able to see them live, to know their history, to hear other musicians say that they have been influenced by them. Rush are simply the best progressive rock trio ever !!! I await other reactions from you, because you are smart !!
Keep in mind it's three guys. You talked about Alex's use of pinch harmonics in your Tom Sawyer video. He's trying to fill in a vast amount of sonic range. So is Geddy (who was primarily influenced by Chris Squire), who is attempting to use the bass as a contributing lead instrument. And listen to Neil and think a little Steward Copeland influence... The challenge Rush had in later years was the competition of the synth taking on a greater role, which was to the chagrin of Alex. So these guys were balls to the wall on pushing the contribution of their respective instruments to the overall sound. Still amazing to me that three people can make such a sound.... If you really want to listen to Rush, go back and then go forward in their catalogue. You'll hear how they "progressed", then tightened up their sound. Amazing how it happened in conjunction to the advent of "punk". I suggested "Natural Science" off Permanent Waves. Then maybe go to La Villa Strangiato. It's off my favorite Rush album - Hemispheres. A dense and powerful prog rock masterpiece.
Wow! Yeah that makes perfect sense! Everything about their individual sounds that stands out as being a little different definitely plays into the fact that they are a three piece. Excellent insight! Thank you.
The "tapping" section is played using one fretting hand. ruclips.net/video/vphIMhRQtvA/видео.html The only Lifeson riff I know of (and I'm quite certain) that uses a two-hand tap (just once) is in the first guitar solo in Natural Science (Permanent Waves album). ruclips.net/video/1Ze8Wf3PS2U/видео.html
Please do Xanadu (from the exit stage left concert) and Working Man (live in Rio) these are just mind blowing performance... the first one to see them in their prime in their 20's... the second to see them still in their prime in their 50's... the best 3 man band ever
You would think he does a lot of taps, hammer-in’s and pull offs, but if you see him live he picks a lot of it. The spirit of the radio is a perfect example. Ever since it released and I as a teen trying to learn it on guitar, I thought and used the tap method, but seeing him play live I was astounded he didn’t tap it…🙂
Enjoyed the two Rush reactions that you did. Appreciate your musical impressions. I am a Rush fan from back in the 70's, and particularly enjoy their earlier material. Geddy Lee's voice had a little bit more screech and resonance in their early work. Such a unique voice. Only saw them in concert once, in January 1980. A Rush favourite of mine is; Working Man/Finding My Way From their first live album (the first Rush album I purchased) All The World's A Stage. Actually the song is Finding My Way as the meat in a sandwich with Working Man as the bread on either side including a Neil Peart drum solo. Other favourites; Xanadu, 2112 and Time Stand Still :-)
First of all - love all your reactions - long-time subscriber, but infrequent commenter. As many have said - listen to Rush live. I remember watching them play "Hemispheres" live - Geddy was playing bass, keyboards (pedals) and singing all at once while keeping different times with each of them. But, if you were to listen to Hemispheres (which is an investment in time - 18 plus minutes - just the song, mind you, not the album), you should probably listen to Cygnus X1 by Rush (a mere 10 minute journey). The reason? Well, Hemispheres' full title is Hemispheres - Cygnus X1 Book II. So, from a chronological standpoint, you should do book 1 before you do book 2. If you're into Dream Theater-style prog stuff - both of these songs are epic journeys. Cygnus X1 is from the Farewell to Kings Album (1977), whereas Hemispheres is from the Hemispheres Album (1978). If you want to find the roots of prog metal - these two songs.... Oh - and the newer remaster of their 1981 performance of Xanadu in Montreal - it really shows the versatility and virtuosity of all three members. Two double-neck guitars/bass, keys, pedals, drums, chimes, bells. ruclips.net/video/2byjJkN_nVY/видео.html And then, for fun, you could jump forward 3 decades to 2011, and watch their live version (from Cleveland) of Villa Strangiato - yes, they were all near 60 years old, and still heavily in their prime. Another instrumental - epic, virtuoso performance. ruclips.net/video/Z3zlRdksakI/видео.html
Hey Steve! Thanks for sticking around! I'm starting to think of Geddy as an octopus, much like Danny Carey from Tool. All 4 limbs have a mind of their own.
Late comment here but re your discussion of Alex's solos; Basically the default way they put a solo together seems to be that Alex would improvise in the studio for a whole bunch of takes - something he is very good at - and then Geddy and Neil would splice together one solo made up of their favourite bits, which he would then learn and play as single take. And in fact his live solos are always very close to the studio version, which indicates they are strongly composed.
You really should do La Villa Strangiato live, so you can see it. The one from the Time Machine Tour (2011) - ruclips.net/video/Z3zlRdksakI/видео.htmlsi=gmyDKksIeuOwNI00 - has become my favourite 'visually' live version. It's both brilliant and fun, as they play around with something they'd been playing for over 30 years. Of course, the studio version, from Hemispheres (1978), is difficult to surpass, as is the 1981 live audio version (Exit Stage Left album), but you don't get to see them on those.
Want to see how Geddy pulls off the keyboard + bass in this, check out YYZ live in Rio version. Hell, just watch it to see what a truly amazingly engaged audience looks like.
The Moog Taurus pedals (basically synth organ pedals) were brought in early on to help fill the sonic gaps when live. They wanted to remain a three-piece, so Geddy (mostly) and Alex learned to play them. They often played simple parts or played bass tones when Geddy played the keyboards. They were used as MIDI triggers as well. The synth tone with the sweeping envelope filter at the start of Tom Sawyer is the Taurus. Check out Xanadu live from 1981 Exit Stage Left Tour for some multi-tasking madness. Geddy plays bass, keyboards, pedals, and 12-string electric, while singing of course. Cheers.
"The synth tone with the sweeping envelope filter at the start of Tom Sawyer is the Taurus." PLEASE STOP. It is the Resonant Sweep patch on an Oberheim.
you have so much more Rush to listen to - both earlier music (Working Man, Fly by Night, The Necromancer, La Villa Strangiato, Freewill), as well as other 80's (Digital Man, The Weapon, Big Money, Turn the Page), and newer (Show Don't Tell, Scars, Available Light, Dreamline, Animate, Stick it Out, Driven).... Better yet - just listen to it all, and join them on their journey through time... Keep in mind the first album was a different drummer. I would also say initially skip over the live albums, but only so you can go back and appreciate the musicianship of these 3 amazing people.... I was fortunate enough to see them live every tour (except 1) since 1991. The only single word to describe each show was simply "Amazing."
I was surprised to hear you make the comparison between Rush & Band-Maid. Expect the unexpected from both bands. It goes a lot further than that in my opinion. There are a lot of historical similarities between the two (Band-Maid's is still being written). They are really close friends with no egos involved. They are incredible musicians who are always challenging each other to be better. They know the fans are as important as the music they produce. They were both on the chopping block from their record labels if things didn't turn around quickly. Rush released 2112, Band-Maid released the video Thrill. Due to this, they were both able to follow their own paths. Rush played for 40+ years together without any internal strife due to their close friendship. They never had the mainstream media success as other bands, even though they sold out wherever they played live. (almost 35+ years before being inducted into RRHOF) , but they always seem to be Top 10 when it comes to music polls. When they retired in 2015 the torch was passed to Band-Maid. With the globalization of music as it is today, I won't be surprised if Band-Maid are on those Top 10 lists in 30 years from now (and possibly RRHOF?). Just the thoughts from a guy with too much time on his hands these days ! Cheers !
I think you're totally on to something there. Both have extremely devoted (sizable) cult followings and are renowned for their diversity and technical proficiency.
If you enjoyed this one La Villa Strangiatto would be right up your alley. How can you go wrong with the subtitle, An Exercise in Self-Indulgence?? Mind melter
You really need to set aside the time to do a full breakdown on 2112, Side 1 It is one whole completely interconnected song, that has been broken down into separate parts for radio play, but it is one song.
Hi, Corey. While waiting for "The Story of One Sky", I'm checking out some of your other reactions. The ex-Mr Snarky Tart is a well-known drummer, so I acquired an appreciation for skilled drumming. Among my favourites are Billy Cobham and Neil Peart. Rush is an awesome live band! If you ever have a chance to see them, go!
Watch the R40 tour videos. Last before The Professor passed, RIP Neil, and even after 40 years, just awesome. So glad I took the wife and kids. Never imagined it would be the last.
I have most of Rush Albums which i have built over the years and have certain albums i do like and certain Tracks which i listen on a regular basis and also listen to other artists of rush and also Like a Young Bass Player Called Ellen Plays Bass who is 10 at the present time and a young Female Drummer Called Yoyoka Soma who has been playing drums since 2 years old and now about 12 years old and is the best at her age in the world and does many Covers and have worked with Ellen also and if you like Rock & metal Bands you will like these two and Yoyoka has done this I think of Many songs. and have around 30 + in my Selection of Rush and lots of Progressive Bands mainly from the 70s Chris Tredwell Birmingham UK
Rush is one of my favorite non-metal bands and is on my personal top 10 (mostly metal bands in that list but Rush is just that good lol) I loved YYZ so much on guitar hero that I learned it on a real guitar ☺️ tri-tones in the beginning got me hooked immediately lmao
There is no tapping, but a lot of hammer on/offs in the guitar solo, but the reason it sounds peculiar is the modes he chose. Phrygian/ Phrygian Dom. or Spanish Phrygian.
@@PrymalChaos me too. If you want to listen to what he thinks is his best solo listen to the studio version of Limelight. It took a week or so to learn the notes of that solo and basically play it. It took me two years before I could play it and it sounded right.
@@cameronfowler7361 thanks for the tip! I can’t even play my own songs sometimes. I have this acoustic fingerpicking folky song I’ve been noodling around with for like, 2 years. It’s not all that complicated but now that it’s time to record it, it’s driving me crazy, the dynamics, the flow of the arpeggiated notes, the transitions between each part, it all has to be flawless because every little blemish stands out like crazy. Also 2 years of just noodling the parts willy-nilly has made it really difficult to adapt it to a metronome now. The struggles of being a guitarist huh. 😂😂
And if you think for 2 seconds that this band isn't the most Geeky, that they themselves haven't gone through every note, that there is an entire big fandom around every song. Then you ain't getting it.
Looks to me like he's picking and tapping the strings with left hand fingers - lots of live versions on here and they play the song pretty much the same as the record. This video was released in 2021 for the 40th anniv of the Moving Pictures album. There are tons of Rush easter eggs in the video, the signs, the license plates, street names etc. A great live version is from the Rio show in 2003, it's a must see. Their opus instrumental is La Villa Strangiato from 1978. They played it most every show, it's about 10 min long and one of the best is the Time Machine tour in 2011, was the first song on the encore after nearly 3 hour show.
I don't know that you are correctly identifying things in Rush's music. You are calling out the high hat when Neil is primarily playing the ride cymbal. In another video, you talked about how Neil plays with a thick-sounding snare when in fact he plays with some of the tightest drums with some of the cleanest recordings ever for a drum kit. In the Tom Sawyer video and here you talk about Lifeson's guitar solo backward in the track. One thing about Rush is that even in their studio recordings they do things that they can honestly reproduce live, so while it might sound backward, I assure you that it's Alex just playing something unique the way he always does. Alex is just one of the most underrated guitar players in rock music. He sometimes gets overlooked because Geddy and Neil are also so damn good at what they do. Geddy is the keyboard player. Life he plays foot pedals and the bass sometimes at the same time.
Hey mate! I appreciate your feedback. My attitude toward making these videos isn’t “I’m the expert and I’m gonna explain to you why you love this music” it’s more a case of “I’m on a journey of musical discovery and I need your help to navigate through it” One of the advantages of being a life long fan of a band is that you know all of the music intimately, whereas I on the other hand am at a distinct disadvantage of hearing everything for the first time. Also calling out what I hear in real time without a safety net so to speak. 😄 which is why I always appreciate people not only helping me out with general band knowledge, but also practical factual corrections. I’m certainly not a skilled drummer (know my way around a kit by virtue of playing guitar in bands for years) The drummer in my band would also call into question the ‘realism’ of the patterns I program for scratch tracks etc. haha. However I should be capable of telling a ride from a hi-hat in most cases. However I think the point I was making about Alex’s solos was more along the lines of - his phrasing sounds the way reversed guitar solos sound. Meaning the way he attacks licks and phrases his runs is just so other worldly that it sounds the way regular solos sound if they have been reversed. I would never mean to imply that the track actually was reversed. Outside of that I hope you enjoyed watching from the perspective of witnessing a new Rush fan being born.
Love that you loved it and the vid is cool, but you did yourself a dis-service by not doing "Live at Rio". You must check that out and it wouldn't hurt too much to give it it's own review but understandable if not. But pleeease check it out either way. You will enjoy it.
New to this channel, since you're now reacting to prog, and were talking about Dream Theater already, I think you'll react to Ayreon songs somewhere in the future ;)
Perhaps you should correct that. A bit of context. My first gig was Alice Cooper in 1977 my last was Be'lakor in Melbourne 2022. From your YYZ review I suspect Ne Obliviscaris would resonate, as would Be'lakor. Really enjoyed your Rush review and wish I could play guitar as well as you😀
Kevin Moore was the one who wrote Pull Me Under, Their only "Hit" song. I also wish he would have continued to work with Dream Theater. They would be a different band today... Kevin Moore was also on DTs first record, "When Dream And Day Unite" from 1989, so he was on 3 DT albums. If you're not familiar with it, check it out. They have a different singer on that album. Rush is the Shit... What more can be said?
You are using the term „polyrhythm“ wrong on both of your first two Rush reactions. You are referring to syncopated phrases and/or time signature changes. That‘s not what polyrhythms are.
Yeah. I wouldn’t be surprised. Counting rhythms is something I’m working on getting better at (slowly), I’m mostly a guitarist and shamefully never really spent enough time on stepping outside conventional rhythms. So to my ears when something as syncopated and complex as Rush or say, Tool makes it’s way into my ears, in the moment I lose count and just assume everyone is playing a different rhythm. Thanks for the correction! Rhythm is not my strong suit, but I’m certainly interested in changing that!
If your looking into how some artists have had to learn How to play... try a blind guitar player... He has now passed away (RIP) Check out the band, playing in the movie Roadhouse, with Patrick Swayzee.
who's the keyboard player???? that's hilarious...... it's freaking geddy, dude. all the synths and keys AND bass and some of the moog pedals are ALL geddy. when they play live, both alex and geddy will operate the moogs. both having them in the pedal boards. for this song ,geddy plays the lead keyboard parts while comping bass tones with the moogs. there was always a constant interplay going on live with all the various pedals and instruments.
A really cool hidden detail in this song, that initial rhythm that makes up the first bit of the song is actually YYZ in morse code. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the song is based off of the Toronto Pearson International Airport, which has the call sign of YYZ. Keep up the great reactions!!
No way! So much modern music has crazy disjointed passages like that, that it never occurred to me that there may be meaning behind it. Thanks for the info!
In this particular video it's also showing the Morse dashes and dots for YYZ while the bell is chiming at the start.
On one of their returns from touring, the cockpit door was open, and Neil picked up on the Morse code that was being tranmitted - YYZ or the airport code for Pearson Intl. Airport in Toronto, Canada, aka hom. They always commented it was a great day when they saw YYZ on their luggage - it meant they were returning home.
While this one is great, take a look at the live version of YYZ on their Rush In Rio album. The energy of 50,000 fans singing to an instrumental - you can just feel it. Rush is one of those bands that can't be categorized, and truly need to be experienced to appreciate. Welcome to the Rush rabbit hole... may your eyes widen in wonder and amazement of your journey!
First bite? I had an EL&P feeling? Wrong? Tarkus ruclips.net/video/5ORQjNga9UU/видео.html
@@PrymalChaos tis true… alex was flying a plane when geddy and neil heard the yyz transponder sound for toronto airport (yyz) and thought that was a neat rhythmic sound
Also, Geddy Lee is the keyboard player. He often uses foot pedals to play synths while playing bass, but there are also many songs (like Tom Sawyer) where he will play the keyboard if there is no bass line going on. If you watch the live performance of Turn the Page from A Show of Hands, you can see Geddy playing the keyboard, bass, and singing all at once. It's a great performance.
This. You need to watch a live version of them. Watch YYZ again, but Live in Rio. You'll understand even more.
Ahhh. That's insane! I guess that explains why that synth part is all single notes. It's all footwork!!
In the live version from Rio, the crowd is singing along. Yes you heard that correctly. The crowd is singing along to an instrumental song without lyrics 🤘😊🤘
While playing the keyboards, he plays the basslines with pedals. Listen to the parts where there's keyboards, and you'll hear the basslines suddenly become rather simple.
Xanadu is a great example of that.
While they Exit Stage Left is the most famous live version of it, there are some newer live versions that show better they playing the foot synth
Now that you've listened to the studio version analytically, treat yourself to this piece "Live In RIO!" with the pleasure centres of your brain.
You're welcome.
The first part of the song is Morse Code for YYZ which are the call letters for Toronto international Airport. Alex Lifeson the guitarist is also a licensed pilot and was flying them back to Toronto from Le Studio in Quebec. Both Geddy and Neil heard the code and it stuck with them. The guys always liked seeing YYZ on their luggage as it meant they were heading home to their families.
What he said!!!!!!
That's absolutely awesome!
With RUSH you really have watch their live performances ... It's amazing to see and hear these 3 guys pull it off making all these sounds live on stage !
Yeah, even though everyone and their dog has reacted to it, the Rush Xanadu Live video still blows my mind as to the level of musicianship and skill shown.
@@geoffrollins6529 My dog still asks for it! 😂
To understand Rush fully, you have to watch them live. It’s truly incredible how they make the sounds they do live. I think most long-term Rush fans would suggest that you watch Xanadu live in Montreal 1981, it will blow your mind.
"Who's the keyboard player?" Dude, you're adorable!
The part you mentioned about the hi-hat is actually the ride.
OMG!!! YOU MUST WATCH THIS *LIVE!!!*
*Rush in Rio - YYZ*
💜💫✌🏼🎵
The audience actually SINGS along to a song that has no lyrics!!! They also go nuts!!! It's EPIC!!!
*RUSH RULES!!!*
Check out anything live from their 1988, A Show of Hands concert. I remember renting the VHS (I'm showing my age) and it blew my mind. I was 17 and struggling to learn the bass, and this just melted me. Cheers!
Yes, we come a long way from rentals. Please be kind and rewind. Or service charge applies, lol. Blockbuster had dedicated rewinders at the cashier’s desk. You comment took me on a trip. 😅 yes Great album! Closer to the heart ❤️ had a great extension here if recall .
Great reaction! Your just scratching the surface with Rush! It just gets better.
The guitar solo is worth learning. That last phrasing is picking the lead note and then legato approach in between the main picked notes.
Why I pop into your channel infrequently is a question I've got to answer really damn soon. You're the only reactor I sub to that comes up with theories of playing music then proves them.
Great reaction (review?) Prymal!
Thanks Dean! I'm sure it comes down to the vast range of genres I cover. I know not every video will be for everyone. And that's ok! Thanks for watching.
The guitar solo on this tune sounds like the epitome of Allan Holdsworth's influence on Lifeson during this era.
I do believe that it's going to be *very* interesting, once you've gotten out of their 'mid' career stuff, and introduced yourself to the early, more complex, yet nuanced era of songwriting and musicianship. From the second album *"Fly By Night",* right up to *"Hemispheres".* (their sixth album).
Songs like the amazing 20 minute epic *2112,* and/or the instrumental masterpiece that is *"La Villa Strangiato"* would be (a couple) of my suggestions. There are many others, but I just stick with the two for now. 🙂
Really enjoyed your reaction.
Thanks! Are you SURE you are not Geddy Lee?
More Rush!! Really like your reviews ! Try The Weapon Live in 1984. Really different and so cool. 😊
Another great reaction. I believe that Alex Lifeson's greatest guitar solo is on La Villa Strangiato. So much feeling. His second greatest solo is on Freewill, but also because the other instruments are showing off with equal proportion.
Got my sub for going on the rush journey! Please do La Villa Strangiato (studio is great, live from "exit stage left" is hands down the best.... Same with Xanadu)
Geddy Lee is the bass and keyboard player, they are only a 3 piece group.
YYZ is the Toronto Internationa Airport code, and the starting riff follows the rhythme of the Morse code of YYZ
Others have mentioned, and I wholeheartedly agree, you should watch Xanadu live in Montreal from 1981. You will really get the orchestrative/progressive side of Rush.
During the tour supporting this album, I think in 1981 or 1982, Peart breaks loose for a drum solo in the middle of this song. They released a live album, Exit Stage Left, that includes such a version of YYZ; in that recording his solo in the middle of the song is about 3 minutes of pure drum clinic. I do love that they show their sense of humor joking about YYZ being a name for marijuana and poking fun at themselves for wearing kimonos on stage in their early years. Yes, the song is based off the airport and was originally written by Lee and Peart when returning home from a world tour; Lifeson added his parts in later and included the Asian flair to his riffs to accentuate the foreign lands they'd visited.
It is Neil's noodling at the end of phreases where as you said sounds simple until you listen more closely.
I listened to Time Out a lot. Playing in 5/4 is easy compared to when the pianist and drummer are in different time signatures. Joe Morello was amazing and does not get enough credit. Rush does this at the end of Limelight
La Villa Strangiato will likely show up soon to listen to. And then realize it was recorded in 1978.
I swear sometimes I feel like these musicians deliberately go out of their way to make it more difficult for themselves! And I love it.
@@PrymalChaos They did, they wanted it to be a challenge to play.
Brubeck was amazing. Saw him and his recent quartet play in 2009 (a few years before he passed away) at the University of North Texas, along side the One o'clock Lab Band and the UNT choir and orchestra. Simply amazing!
Absolutely. You could never get Rush by listening once. You could listen to one of their songs several times and pick up something different every time. By the way the intro of this song is done in Morse code. For yyz. And Geddy is playing bass and the synth you hear he's playing with his foot. You need catch the live version off exit stage left.
Thanks Alan! Rush becomes more of a mystery the more I look into them. 😃
Geddy plays the bass and the keyboards as well as handing the vocals. I would suggest that you watch the live version of YYZed from Rio, Brazil, 2003.
I discovered Rush earlier this year even though I had heard something in the past. Thanks to Spotify I was able to listen to almost all the albums, thanks to RUclips I was able to see them live, to know their history, to hear other musicians say that they have been influenced by them.
Rush are simply the best progressive rock trio ever !!! I await other reactions from you, because you are smart !!
Bass platyer and vocalist Geddy Lee plays keyboards as well. Geddy usses foot pedals to play synth during the parts that have both bass and keys.
Keep in mind it's three guys. You talked about Alex's use of pinch harmonics in your Tom Sawyer video. He's trying to fill in a vast amount of sonic range. So is Geddy (who was primarily influenced by Chris Squire), who is attempting to use the bass as a contributing lead instrument. And listen to Neil and think a little Steward Copeland influence...
The challenge Rush had in later years was the competition of the synth taking on a greater role, which was to the chagrin of Alex.
So these guys were balls to the wall on pushing the contribution of their respective instruments to the overall sound. Still amazing to me that three people can make such a sound....
If you really want to listen to Rush, go back and then go forward in their catalogue. You'll hear how they "progressed", then tightened up their sound. Amazing how it happened in conjunction to the advent of "punk". I suggested "Natural Science" off Permanent Waves. Then maybe go to La Villa Strangiato. It's off my favorite Rush album - Hemispheres. A dense and powerful prog rock masterpiece.
Wow! Yeah that makes perfect sense! Everything about their individual sounds that stands out as being a little different definitely plays into the fact that they are a three piece. Excellent insight! Thank you.
The intro to the song. Neil is playing crotales, there are a percussion instrument!
Oh cool! I'm gonna look that up!
The "tapping" section is played using one fretting hand.
ruclips.net/video/vphIMhRQtvA/видео.html
The only Lifeson riff I know of (and I'm quite certain) that uses a two-hand tap (just once) is in the first guitar solo in Natural Science (Permanent Waves album).
ruclips.net/video/1Ze8Wf3PS2U/видео.html
Please do Xanadu (from the exit stage left concert) and Working Man (live in Rio) these are just mind blowing performance... the first one to see them in their prime in their 20's... the second to see them still in their prime in their 50's... the best 3 man band ever
You would think he does a lot of taps, hammer-in’s and pull offs, but if you see him live he picks a lot of it. The spirit of the radio is a perfect example. Ever since it released and I as a teen trying to learn it on guitar, I thought and used the tap method, but seeing him play live I was astounded he didn’t tap it…🙂
Enjoyed the two Rush reactions that you did. Appreciate your musical impressions. I am a Rush fan from back in the 70's, and particularly enjoy their earlier material. Geddy Lee's voice had a little bit more screech and resonance in their early work. Such a unique voice. Only saw them in concert once, in January 1980. A Rush favourite of mine is;
Working Man/Finding My Way From their first live album (the first Rush album I purchased) All The World's A Stage. Actually the song is Finding My Way as the meat in a sandwich with Working Man as the bread on either side including a Neil Peart drum solo. Other favourites; Xanadu, 2112 and Time Stand Still :-)
FYI.
It's "Y-Y-Zed...". Rush is Canadian.
'YYZ' is the call sign for the main airport in Toronto.
There are incredible live versions of this song and they are just as good, if not better than the original.
First of all - love all your reactions - long-time subscriber, but infrequent commenter.
As many have said - listen to Rush live. I remember watching them play "Hemispheres" live - Geddy was playing bass, keyboards (pedals) and singing all at once while keeping different times with each of them. But, if you were to listen to Hemispheres (which is an investment in time - 18 plus minutes - just the song, mind you, not the album), you should probably listen to Cygnus X1 by Rush (a mere 10 minute journey). The reason? Well, Hemispheres' full title is Hemispheres - Cygnus X1 Book II. So, from a chronological standpoint, you should do book 1 before you do book 2. If you're into Dream Theater-style prog stuff - both of these songs are epic journeys. Cygnus X1 is from the Farewell to Kings Album (1977), whereas Hemispheres is from the Hemispheres Album (1978). If you want to find the roots of prog metal - these two songs....
Oh - and the newer remaster of their 1981 performance of Xanadu in Montreal - it really shows the versatility and virtuosity of all three members. Two double-neck guitars/bass, keys, pedals, drums, chimes, bells. ruclips.net/video/2byjJkN_nVY/видео.html
And then, for fun, you could jump forward 3 decades to 2011, and watch their live version (from Cleveland) of Villa Strangiato - yes, they were all near 60 years old, and still heavily in their prime. Another instrumental - epic, virtuoso performance. ruclips.net/video/Z3zlRdksakI/видео.html
Hey Steve! Thanks for sticking around!
I'm starting to think of Geddy as an octopus, much like Danny Carey from Tool. All 4 limbs have a mind of their own.
Forget the HI HAT - The RIDE PATTERNS are incredible...
Late comment here but re your discussion of Alex's solos; Basically the default way they put a solo together seems to be that Alex would improvise in the studio for a whole bunch of takes - something he is very good at - and then Geddy and Neil would splice together one solo made up of their favourite bits, which he would then learn and play as single take. And in fact his live solos are always very close to the studio version, which indicates they are strongly composed.
You really should do La Villa Strangiato live, so you can see it. The one from the Time Machine Tour (2011) - ruclips.net/video/Z3zlRdksakI/видео.htmlsi=gmyDKksIeuOwNI00 - has become my favourite 'visually' live version. It's both brilliant and fun, as they play around with something they'd been playing for over 30 years. Of course, the studio version, from Hemispheres (1978), is difficult to surpass, as is the 1981 live audio version (Exit Stage Left album), but you don't get to see them on those.
You gotta listen to the live version of this in Rio!
Need to watch the Live in Rio vid. Legato but all picked. Underated at times but technically soooo good.
Want to see how Geddy pulls off the keyboard + bass in this, check out YYZ live in Rio version. Hell, just watch it to see what a truly amazingly engaged audience looks like.
You don't just listen to rush. If you want to listen to Rush you listen to them LIVE
The Moog Taurus pedals (basically synth organ pedals) were brought in early on to help fill the sonic gaps when live. They wanted to remain a three-piece, so Geddy (mostly) and Alex learned to play them. They often played simple parts or played bass tones when Geddy played the keyboards. They were used as MIDI triggers as well. The synth tone with the sweeping envelope filter at the start of Tom Sawyer is the Taurus. Check out Xanadu live from 1981 Exit Stage Left Tour for some multi-tasking madness. Geddy plays bass, keyboards, pedals, and 12-string electric, while singing of course. Cheers.
I’m building up to that. EVERYONE is recommending Xanadu. I’m really excited.
"The synth tone with the sweeping envelope filter at the start of Tom Sawyer is the Taurus."
PLEASE STOP.
It is the Resonant Sweep patch on an Oberheim.
you have so much more Rush to listen to - both earlier music (Working Man, Fly by Night, The Necromancer, La Villa Strangiato, Freewill), as well as other 80's (Digital Man, The Weapon, Big Money, Turn the Page), and newer (Show Don't Tell, Scars, Available Light, Dreamline, Animate, Stick it Out, Driven).... Better yet - just listen to it all, and join them on their journey through time... Keep in mind the first album was a different drummer. I would also say initially skip over the live albums, but only so you can go back and appreciate the musicianship of these 3 amazing people.... I was fortunate enough to see them live every tour (except 1) since 1991. The only single word to describe each show was simply "Amazing."
Thanks for the suggestions!
Okay, while Alex uses tons of hammer ons, he does not tap!!!
They arrive home Toronto YYZ
There is a separated bass track of this track floating around in YT. Incredible.
I was surprised to hear you make the comparison between Rush & Band-Maid. Expect the unexpected from both bands. It goes a lot further than that in my opinion. There are a lot of historical similarities between the two (Band-Maid's is still being written). They are really close friends with no egos involved. They are incredible musicians who are always challenging each other to be better. They know the fans are as important as the music they produce. They were both on the chopping block from their record labels if things didn't turn around quickly. Rush released 2112, Band-Maid released the video Thrill. Due to this, they were both able to follow their own paths.
Rush played for 40+ years together without any internal strife due to their close friendship. They never had the mainstream media success as other bands, even though they sold out wherever they played live. (almost 35+ years before being inducted into RRHOF) , but they always seem to be Top 10 when it comes to music polls. When they retired in 2015 the torch was passed to Band-Maid.
With the globalization of music as it is today, I won't be surprised if Band-Maid are on those Top 10 lists in 30 years from now (and possibly RRHOF?).
Just the thoughts from a guy with too much time on his hands these days ! Cheers !
I think you're totally on to something there. Both have extremely devoted (sizable) cult followings and are renowned for their diversity and technical proficiency.
Also, Geddy was really inspired by Yes, hence the choice of Bass early in his career.
Perhaps the "live" version (in Rio) would be more informative for you! Thanks for your reaction! 👍✌
That’s not the high hat, that’s riding the bell on a ride cymbal.
If you enjoyed this one La Villa Strangiatto would be right up your alley. How can you go wrong with the subtitle, An Exercise in Self-Indulgence?? Mind melter
Welcome to Rush. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into👍👽 Have fun over the next, I don't know, 40 years🤘
"I'm sorry, you guys want to hear that solo again" the biggest LOL I've had a long time; before the "SOLO"
😂😂
La villa strangiato is an instrumental work of art
Now check out "To Defy the Laws of Tradition" 1st track off Frizzle Fry by Primus.
You will note the the guitar solo has a MIDDLE EASTERN SCALE INFLUENCE on the NOTE INTERVALS...
You really need to set aside the time to do a full breakdown on 2112, Side 1 It is one whole completely interconnected song, that has been broken down into separate parts for radio play, but it is one song.
Alex was very, VERY much into Alan Holdsworth at this time; the legato phrasing and timbre is derived from that in many ways.
watch YYZ from "Rush in Rio" - live. Watch him play it (Lifeson).
You need to watch the live in Brazil video of YYZ!!!
Hi, Corey. While waiting for "The Story of One Sky", I'm checking out some of your other reactions. The ex-Mr Snarky Tart is a well-known drummer, so I acquired an appreciation for skilled drumming. Among my favourites are Billy Cobham and Neil Peart. Rush is an awesome live band! If you ever have a chance to see them, go!
Oh I certainly will!
Rush retired when The Professor passed R.I.P.
Watch the R40 tour videos. Last before The Professor passed, RIP Neil, and even after 40 years, just awesome. So glad I took the wife and kids. Never imagined it would be the last.
Gotta see the Live in Rio version to really appreciate this :)
I have most of Rush Albums which i have built over the years and have certain albums i do like
and certain Tracks which i listen on a regular basis and also listen to other artists of rush and
also Like a Young Bass Player Called Ellen Plays Bass who is 10 at the present time and a young
Female Drummer Called Yoyoka Soma who has been playing drums since 2 years old and now
about 12 years old and is the best at her age in the world and does many Covers and have worked
with Ellen also and if you like Rock & metal Bands you will like these two and Yoyoka has done this
I think of Many songs. and have around 30 + in my Selection of Rush and lots of Progressive Bands
mainly from the 70s
Chris Tredwell Birmingham UK
Rush is one of my favorite non-metal bands and is on my personal top 10 (mostly metal bands in that list but Rush is just that good lol) I loved YYZ so much on guitar hero that I learned it on a real guitar ☺️ tri-tones in the beginning got me hooked immediately lmao
Now that youve done Tom Sawyer and YYZ might as well do the rest of Moving Pictures 😸
Haha. I'm in that same predicament. I wanna just punish Rush in my own time, but I also want to react to more of their stuff, so I need to be patient.
That note you are referring to is called a drone. Common in Scottish music.
This was nominated for a Grammy in 1981 and lost to a much more popular and critically-accepted song by the Police.
There is no tapping, but a lot of hammer on/offs in the guitar solo, but the reason it sounds peculiar is the modes he chose. Phrygian/ Phrygian Dom. or Spanish Phrygian.
Btw - he doesn’t flip the tape and learn the solos backwards. He is just badass
He just hears phrasing differently and I love that!
@@PrymalChaos me too. If you want to listen to what he thinks is his best solo listen to the studio version of Limelight. It took a week or so to learn the notes of that solo and basically play it. It took me two years before I could play it and it sounded right.
Also for some different sounding stuff give Marathon, distant early warning, vital signs, witch hunt , and spirit of radio a listen
@@cameronfowler7361 thanks for the tip! I can’t even play my own songs sometimes. I have this acoustic fingerpicking folky song I’ve been noodling around with for like, 2 years. It’s not all that complicated but now that it’s time to record it, it’s driving me crazy, the dynamics, the flow of the arpeggiated notes, the transitions between each part, it all has to be flawless because every little blemish stands out like crazy. Also 2 years of just noodling the parts willy-nilly has made it really difficult to adapt it to a metronome now. The struggles of being a guitarist huh. 😂😂
@@PrymalChaos I feel your pain.
You call it hubris knowing a band by one track, and here's the fun part - you can listen and enjoy many songs, it is kinda the point.
And if you think for 2 seconds that this band isn't the most Geeky, that they themselves haven't gone through every note, that there is an entire big fandom around every song. Then you ain't getting it.
I love when they get tied up, Alex has ‘The Bag’ drawn on the sack over his head. Only RUSH fans get that inside joke! 😆
Now watch the live in Rio version and prepare to have your mind blown
Have you done pantera?
Looks to me like he's picking and tapping the strings with left hand fingers - lots of live versions on here and they play the song pretty much the same as the record.
This video was released in 2021 for the 40th anniv of the Moving Pictures album. There are tons of Rush easter eggs in the video, the signs, the license plates, street names etc. A great live version is from the Rio show in 2003, it's a must see.
Their opus instrumental is La Villa Strangiato from 1978. They played it most every show, it's about 10 min long and one of the best is the Time Machine tour in 2011, was the first song on the encore after nearly 3 hour show.
Awesome! Yeah I'm gonna have to look at some live stuff to get a feel for how they work!
You need to try this song live from Rio
They have to be Canada's Best band ever. Besides The Tragically hip but I could be wrong. They might have others hidden North of the Border
Rush is best enjoyed live, trust me. "YYZ Live in Rio" is a real treat.
I don't know that you are correctly identifying things in Rush's music. You are calling out the high hat when Neil is primarily playing the ride cymbal. In another video, you talked about how Neil plays with a thick-sounding snare when in fact he plays with some of the tightest drums with some of the cleanest recordings ever for a drum kit. In the Tom Sawyer video and here you talk about Lifeson's guitar solo backward in the track. One thing about Rush is that even in their studio recordings they do things that they can honestly reproduce live, so while it might sound backward, I assure you that it's Alex just playing something unique the way he always does. Alex is just one of the most underrated guitar players in rock music. He sometimes gets overlooked because Geddy and Neil are also so damn good at what they do. Geddy is the keyboard player. Life he plays foot pedals and the bass sometimes at the same time.
Hey mate! I appreciate your feedback. My attitude toward making these videos isn’t “I’m the expert and I’m gonna explain to you why you love this music” it’s more a case of “I’m on a journey of musical discovery and I need your help to navigate through it”
One of the advantages of being a life long fan of a band is that you know all of the music intimately, whereas I on the other hand am at a distinct disadvantage of hearing everything for the first time. Also calling out what I hear in real time without a safety net so to speak. 😄 which is why I always appreciate people not only helping me out with general band knowledge, but also practical factual corrections. I’m certainly not a skilled drummer (know my way around a kit by virtue of playing guitar in bands for years) The drummer in my band would also call into question the ‘realism’ of the patterns I program for scratch tracks etc. haha. However I should be capable of telling a ride from a hi-hat in most cases.
However I think the point I was making about Alex’s solos was more along the lines of - his phrasing sounds the way reversed guitar solos sound. Meaning the way he attacks licks and phrases his runs is just so other worldly that it sounds the way regular solos sound if they have been reversed. I would never mean to imply that the track actually was reversed.
Outside of that I hope you enjoyed watching from the perspective of witnessing a new Rush fan being born.
Do yourself and watch yyz live. Well , really any live rush is great
Rush In Rio. That's it!
the solo allways takes me to vibe of desert camels sand
Egyptian mythology
You are not far off. Alex used a MIDDLE EASTERN SCALE as his influence...
Love that you loved it and the vid is cool, but you did yourself a dis-service by not doing "Live at Rio". You must check that out and it wouldn't hurt too much to give it it's own review but understandable if not. But pleeease check it out either way. You will enjoy it.
New to this channel, since you're now reacting to prog, and were talking about Dream Theater already, I think you'll react to Ayreon songs somewhere in the future ;)
And to think this song lost the Grammy to "Behind My Camel", by The Police. Pure politics. Not even Sting's mother remembers "Behind My Camel".
Greatest band to never tour Australia.
Have you discovered Ne Obliviscaris? Try And plague flowers the kaliedescope live or studio
I have seen the name around but have not heard them.
Perhaps you should correct that.
A bit of context. My first gig was Alice Cooper in 1977 my last was Be'lakor in Melbourne 2022.
From your YYZ review I suspect Ne Obliviscaris would resonate, as would Be'lakor.
Really enjoyed your Rush review and wish I could play guitar as well as you😀
Kevin Moore was the one who wrote Pull Me Under, Their only "Hit" song. I also wish he would have continued to work with Dream Theater. They would be a different band today... Kevin Moore was also on DTs first record, "When Dream And Day Unite" from 1989, so he was on 3 DT albums. If you're not familiar with it, check it out. They have a different singer on that album. Rush is the Shit... What more can be said?
Watch the live version for your answers.
And, if you want to go on a car ride, check out Red Barchetta
I liked your 2 reactions to Tool. Give us some more off of Fear Inoculum!?!
You are using the term „polyrhythm“ wrong on both of your first two Rush reactions. You are referring to syncopated phrases and/or time signature changes. That‘s not what polyrhythms are.
Yeah. I wouldn’t be surprised. Counting rhythms is something I’m working on getting better at (slowly), I’m mostly a guitarist and shamefully never really spent enough time on stepping outside conventional rhythms. So to my ears when something as syncopated and complex as Rush or say, Tool makes it’s way into my ears, in the moment I lose count and just assume everyone is playing a different rhythm. Thanks for the correction! Rhythm is not my strong suit, but I’m certainly interested in changing that!
If your looking into how some artists have had to learn How to play... try a blind guitar player... He has now passed away (RIP) Check out the band, playing in the movie Roadhouse, with Patrick Swayzee.
ruclips.net/video/hyflyJjJrf4/видео.html
Oh Jeff Healey was a legend!!
All 3 of them have solos in YYZ.
who's the keyboard player???? that's hilarious...... it's freaking geddy, dude. all the synths and keys AND bass and some of the moog pedals are ALL geddy. when they play live, both alex and geddy will operate the moogs. both having them in the pedal boards. for this song ,geddy plays the lead keyboard parts while comping bass tones with the moogs. there was always a constant interplay going on live with all the various pedals and instruments.
Middle Eastern influenced lead
there are plenty of live videos, just watch one and see how he does it.
Who is the keyboard player? You have a 1 in 3 shot of getting it right...
😂 I have now been educated.
It's the ride symbol not high-hat in that part 😉
Good ears. I’m by no means a drummer, but I should have picked that up. 😄🤟
Hahahahaha.....wait til you hear Xanadu, or La Villa Strangiato.