I was an angsty 14yo when this came out on the radio in 1982. It was the first song that ever spoke to me, that "got me." I ran over to a friend's house to tell him about this cool new song by this new band. Lol. He went over to his dad's record collection, pulled out 2112 and put side A on the turntable. Thus began my fandom with Rush.
When Rush finally got inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame, (It's criminal it didn't happen sooner) Dave Ghrol (and the Foo Fighters) mention adamantly how Neil had written most of their lyrics. The induction is well worth a watch and reaction. You'll enjoy watching.
I was just saying the same thing the other day about Dave Matthews Band just being inducted into the R&R Hall of fame. If they want to call this a memorial then they should go ahead and do that, but I don't understand what their criteria for prioritizing these things.
La Villa Strangiato - a 9-minute instrumental journey that will validate these three guys as among the very best rock musicians. You’ve stumbled onto something genuinely special here: three guys who worked together and were great friends; and three guys who developed a fiercely loyal base of fans. Enjoy everything they have to offer to its fullest ✌🏻
So many hours spent in arcades in the late 70s and early 80s. Other great games of the era - Tail Gunner, Robotron, Joust, Asteroids, Galaga, Q-bert, Defender. A friend of mine was so good at Robotron that the arcade owner would sometimes turn the power off in the whole arcade (then blame it on a "fuse going out") because he could play from opening to closing on 1 quarter. He had so many extra lives built up he could go grab food. We (his friends) weren't great, but played well enough not to waste all the lives by the time he got back.
@@MrVvulf Galaga! I have a retro game set, basically just controllers and a small console, plays all the old Atari games, it has Tempest, Galaga, and hundreds of others. Not much time to play these days, but it's there.
Just singing and playing bass is hard enough. Especially the riffs he is playing. Add in keyboards and foot pedals. The multi tasking by all band members is insane. Try Xanadu Exit Stage Left. The most unbelievable performance by a 3 piece ever. Multi tasking at its peak!
try it: RUSH In 4K - "Best Outro Ever" - La Villa Strangiato / Working Man - Cleveland ... this is how they were ending a concert at 50 year old. still playing at the top of their game... look at this you will be blown away. two iconic songs from them.
Geddy & Alex lived 5 miles from me in the 70"s! They were our high school band! Neil was the reader, poet who crafted the lyrics. The song writing was equally attributed to all three members!
If you're going down the Rush rabbit hole, you have to do 2112, the animated version. It was their break through record that was recorded in 1976. The record company was insisting that they needed a hit single, instead they gave them a 20 minute song that Neil wrote the lyrics for based on the novel called "The fountain head"....It's an amazing song!
I prefer versions of the song that don't have any visual interpretations. The visuals in that video are good, but for me it's best when the music and lyrics paint the picture. I have my own vision, I don't want someone else's.
I grew up in a town just north of Toronto and they lived in the next town. We were playing in the park and we heard music coming from the factories and we climbed on the dumpster and watched them through the window. They saw us and came out and talked to us for about a half hour. We talked about hockey (cause that's what Canadians do😂) we talked about the music they were working on and their cars. Alex and Geddy gave us guitar picks and Neil gave us drumsticks they were so down to earth and humble talking to a couple of kids and answering all our questions. They told us they were the band Rush and to listen for them. I was lucky enough to see them live twice in 88 and also at Sarstock in 03 in Toronto front of 500,000 crazy Canadians. Closer to the heart is another must. Great reaction and Peace out Cliff 🙏 ☮️ ✌️
I was 13 in the suburbs when I heard this and it changed my life. I desperately needed to have this confirmation in my life, and I knew I would be a Rush fan forever. I saw them on ten different tours and wish it could have been more. You want different sounds from them? Listen to Natural Science and Countdown. Keep going down the rabbit hole!
A fellow Southsider from Chicago I listened to the radio station WXRT and I was introduced to Rush. Interestingly some 50 years later I rediscovered them and their brilliance. Sadly I never got to see them perform live, a mistake. RIP Neal, we shared the same birth year;
Geddy Lee plays the bass, keyboard (synthesizer, organ, piano), pedals (like organ pedals, it's a keyboard on the floor), and, of course, he sings! And hello! I married a southsider and lived there myself for a few years. Red Barchetta is another great one from Rush.
Welcome to the subdivision where I grew up…Willowdale. This entire video brings back memories. With a 40 year catalogue…be careful, u go down this rabbit hole u might not make it back out! But then again who would want to!
Rush is an amazing group. I saw them in Houston and it was one of my favorite concerts ever. You either instantly love them or instantly hate them. There is no in between. My favorite is La Villa Strangiato. No words, just music. Alex Lifeson’s solo on this one is gut wrenching. Also, they went to Florida on tour and just happened to watch a space shuttle launch. Wrote “Countdown” and dedicated it to all the astronauts and NASA. It paints a very vivid picture of their experience. ✌🏻❤️from Texas
I started paying more attention to this band after doing gardening work at Neil's daughter and wife's cemetery plot in Toronto back in the day. Neil Peart, greatest drummer and fellow Hamiltonian
next one from Rush - Red Sector A ( audio with lyric ) = song about holocaust . Geddy Lee parents was survive to holocaust . Neil Peart deep lyric . 😎👍🎶🎶
Great reaction! "Subdivissions" is one of the Rush songs that I thought you woulld really enjoy and identify with the lyrics. Rush has ton of great music and this is definately a deep rabbit hole but I bet you will like several of their songs. I have watched several of your other reactions as well but Rush is my favorite band so I am really glad you are checking out more of their stuff. Neil Peart wrote several different kind of songs on many different subjects. Everything from fantasy to science fiction, nature, science, history, philosophy, poilitics, love, self reflection, friendship and even humor. Believe it or not he even wrote a song with a section of rap in it ("Roll The Bones" from the album of the same name). Several of his songs are particularly clever. He wrote one song called "Anagram (For Mongo)" that is made up almost entirerly of anagrams. For that one you should definately have the lyrics out when you listen for reference. I think it is amazing that you offer a support system for those that are dealing with problems and may need someone to talk to. It is very refreshing to see someone giving back in that way and I am sure it has helped many people. With that in mind I think "The Pass" from Rush's 1989 album Presto is a song that you would really appreciate. It deals with teenage depression and suicide. Unfortunately Neil experienced a lot of loss in his life. For example In 1997 Neil lost his nineteen year old daughter in a car cash and the following year he lost his wife of twenty three years to cancer. Part of his process of accepting it and moving on was traveling, writing books and writing song lyrics. His lyrics have helped me ( and I am sure countless others) get through several difficult times over the years.
Over more than 40 years the group went through a wide range of musical influence and style while still always sounding like Rush. They are a genre of their own. You will get a lot of requests for songs from their earlier classic era. But their later music is just as good and even more .... polished. For a gritty and fun song from their synth era try Between the Wheels.
Now that you've heard their 3 biggest songs from their 3 biggest albums.... its time to watch them do it live. Xanadu live in Montreal 1981 Is the place to start. With double necked guitars alex plays 6 & 12 string and foot pedals. Geddy sings, plays keys & foot pedals, bass & 6 string. While Neil plays an orchestra worth of drums and percusion.
Great song. This came out when I was a Junior in high school and was very poignant. Another Rush you must watch is YYZ Live in Rio. The crowd participation is like nothing you’ve seen before.
Yes welcome to the expanding RUSH rabbit hole over 40 years of great music. From 3 great musicians, 3 great friends, and most importantly 3 great persons. Neil is rated as one of the best drummers of all time (#1 in my opinion, but always listed in the top 3 of any list i have ever seen). He was also a published author (he wrote & published 7 nonfiction books) and as you discoved he wrote the vast majority of their lyrics. His lyrics were normally deeply layered and thought provoking, which i think you have started to see. Geddy Lee the lead singer is also considered a great bass player, and also played keyboards. He would have to frequently swtich between them while singing. Alex Lifeson played both Electric and Aucostic guitar as well as pedals. Alex has been criminally underrated for years. One of the best guitarist ever but rarely gets the recognition that others due, one because he was not flashy and the music of RUSH was layered and did not feature the guitar as heavily as other bands. His peers always respected him and knew how good he was. In fact once during an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine Eddie Van Haln was asked What's its like to be the worlds greatest rock guitarist? His answer was I have not idea go ask Alex Lifeson. They were a band in ever aspect. Their music was layered. Neil would write the lyrics Alex and Geddy would write and arrange the music. A true colabartion in song writing and production.
I'm sure your metrics will show how many Canadians have now jumped on board! RUSH's prog rock can take you on quite a journey. Glad to see you're enjoying them, they're a home-town band I grew up on! For some fun lyrical journeys, try FREEWILL, THE TREES, RED BARCHETTA. For an insane performance with no lyrics, search for YYZ LIVE IN RIO.
Grew up listening to Rush. Good to watch you hearing this for the first time. It’s almost vicariously experiencing it myself again like I did as a teen.
1982, 19 yrs old. Grew up with this song. Grew up on the streets you see in the video. Not sure if it is Mississauga or Oakville. Always hangin' out Yonge Street, doing the Arcade thing, and wondering if we looked old enough to get in to see the rippers. What a time to grow up.
We live on Vancouver Island but we would take the ferry to Vancouver and hang out on Granville street in the early 80s and do the exact same things you said.😅 lotsa things for young teens to take in.
When this first came out in 1982, I was 10, and this song was my gateway to RUSH. It is still my absolute favorite song by the group. The video shows Alex Lifeson saying "Subdivisions," but Neil Peart's voice said the word. If you really want to see and be amazed, watch any of their songs live from any of the concerts they recorded. Watching Geddy Lee juggle the keyboards and bass and sing is astounding! Also, these guys were dear friends. There is a video of them having dinner together that is hysterically funny and shows how much they love each other. Rest in Peace, Professor...Neil Peart!!!
This is one of my favorite RUSH songs. A great song for the music alone but the words......wow. A story that is true for people of all ages. One of the reason some don't like RUSH is because they are too 'heady". The Professor (Neil Peart) has a unique way of writing and telling a story or a thought. I suggest you listen to the entire 2112 album - which is when they turned their fame into fortune. Just a small trivia update. The Beatles and Rolling Stones are the No1 and No2 groups with the most consecutive gold / platinum albums. RUSH is No 3. Not bad company.
Enjoying your Rush journey - would love to hear you react to another favorite 3-piece band of mine that gets no love in the reaction world, King's X. They're fantastic, and should have been huge....they keep going though. Give their song "In The New Age" a spin sometime, or if you want excellent ballad-type stuff, "Summerland" or "Goldilox." You won't regret it!
Oh man, when that beat drops, you feel it in your soul - great choice, as a lyricist, I know you're gonna love this one. Always a blast to hang out with you on this musical journey - peace and love from Canada☮ Oh, and just noting that when you see Geddy playing the keyboard and singing, he's also playing bass with his feet 😎
I think this song speaks to where a lot of musicians come from. A lot of them are loners, introverts. To get to the top of their game like this, they have spent a LOT of time with instruments in their hands, not out partying.
Love this. I was around 16 when this came out and was one of those kids that spent Friday and Saturday nights down on Yonge St in Toronto (street shown in video). That was before the city cleaned it up and it was still fun. So many arcades too.
Niel will blow your mind time and time again, both with the poetry of his lyrics and that he makes it possible to sing them to music. He expanded the vocabulary of a lot of kids as they grew up listening to Rush.
All the guys in Rush grew up in the suburbs and all of them felt like they didn't fit in. I have a couple for you. The Trees official music video Entre Nous from the Snakes and Arrows tour. Love your reactions. ❤ Cheers from the Canadian prairies
The album "Signals" which this song is off of marks a change in the direction of the band's sound -- mainly, the synthesizer in this album becomes front and center instead of being a supplement in prior albums. Yes, there's a few songs that are heavy synth in their past discography like "Xanadu" but for the most part, Rush brings a bit more synth sound from this album onward. It's 1982... and the New Wave sound in the post-punk era is in full swing and Rush is completely onboard.
To me, this song is a cycle that many have lived, myself included. As a teen, suburb and high school life was rote, programmed, routine, boring - young people want to get into the action and live a little: "suburbs have no charms to soothe the restless dreams of youth". So like a moth you're drawn to the light and life of the city: "the timeless old attraction, cruising for the action". And after living that lifestyle for the young adult years, one begins to mature, to tire of selling "their dreams for small desires", losing "the race to rats" and getting "caught in ticking traps". Remembering the "lighted streets on quiet nights" of childhood, one yearns for the simpler, slower pace of a more sedated environment, a quiet peaceful place to raise one's children... who will grow up to seek its escape. For more Rush, the ultimate is all seven chapters of 2112.
Everyone here in the comments have said it all. Rush were and still are major influencers in Music and live music standards. They are awesome. Cheers Cliff.
This one has been making the rounds on a lot of channels and has been kicking ass for years. The band had never gone to South America until much later in their career. Those fans thought they would never play in their country, literally waiting their entire lives to see their favorite band. It just wasn’t going to happen. Until it did. Those Brazilian fans went bananas! Impressed the band big time with their live energy and RUSH filmed a series of concerts to be packaged as RUSH in RIO. The song I’m suggesting is YYZ live in Rio. Very famous concert video. It gives you a good idea of what RUSH was like live. This one is guaranteed bad ass! You will never lack for song suggestions if you ask us lifelong fans or any of the fans for that matter. It’s a very cool group of people. No dummies in a RUSH crowd, I like to say. They had a long career and have a sizable catalog to discover, so that will be a fun ride for you. All very high quality, that’s what blows people away. RUSH is special is the simplest way to put it. The number 2112 is in your future. 😉👍
Neil's lyrics really shaped me as i grew up listening to them. He wrote them all separately while alex and geddy came up with the music. Geddy would read through the lyrics and pick the ones that talked to him. Then he would pair them with the music they had come up with.
Rush classic "Roll the bones".... the drummer raps on this one 😁👍👍 Neal is amazing. I saw them perform 3 times, different decades... I've spent as much time playing Rush since 1978, as the time I've slept 😂
Lovin' the Rush journey....Maybe check out a live version of Rush - YYZ..It's an instrumental only song, but so so good..I won't put the link here, but this is the title of the video - RUSH In Rio HD - "YYZ" - Live In Brazil 2002 - Audio & Video Remaster - 1080p 60fps
Dude, nice to see you enjoy Rush! I was 15 when 2112 came out. That made me love Rush forever! Saw them multiple times. Definitely do 2112, the whole side of the album. I gave you Chickenfoot, Soap on a rope" way back when and you won't be disappointed in this epic piece of music, and story!
I see you have not done the band Disturbed "The sound of Silence" Studio version. This is considered the greatest cover song of all time and the amount of views shows that.. Originally done in the 60's by Simon and Garfunkel. They were considered some of the best song writers and lyricist. I guarantee you will get goosebumps.
Geddy, the bassist plays keyboards while with his feet he plays the standard bass lines on a Moog Taurs Bass Pedal Synthesizer. When you add lead vocals to his list of chores it makes him one of the busiest guys in a band. Love them all, especially Neil Peart the drummer. But as a bassist I favored Geddy Lee. Not trying to leave Alex Lifeson the guitarist out, he had the difficult task of trying to fit leads into interweaving melodies with constantly shifting time signatures. Love this band ever since the early 1970s .
Geddy will play a pedal bass too while he's playing synth. Alex plays pedal synth at times too. It's one of the reason their songs sound so full in live performances.
Xanadu if you want to see all three of them really multitask, there are more guitar necks than players in that one and Neil has just about every percussion instrument on the planet in his ginormous kit and uses them. 😊
When playing live the guitar player & the bass player would each play their own foot pedals (assigned to mimic & trigger other instruments) to cover overdubs from their studio recordings. As an example, when Geddy (bass player) is playing keyboards he (or Alex) would play the bass guitar parts with his feet, or vice versa. Whatever part in the song was easiest to play with their feet they would assign that instrument to the foot pedals. They made a point of trying to stay true to the studio recordings when playing live. They also wrote & recorded their songs with this in mind - If we can't do it justice live, we're not putting on the studio recording.
Thanks for the thoughtful reactions. Cliff, do a Rush song called "Between the Wheels". It is from their 1984 album called "Grace Under Pressure". The music is cutting-edge Industrial Prog Metal. It is dark and biting. Definitely keep the lyrics pulled up when you listen to/watch the vid. The live versions are great, but I LOVE the original studio version (ala lyric video). It's just perfection and Geddy's vocals are incredible. On the other hand, on the live versions, the light-show is incredible! So choose whichever you want to do but listen to that song!
![Rush - Natural Science [REACTION & ANALYSIS]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/_Sx2qf5jwzY/mqdefault.jpg)
![Rush - Natural Science [REACTION & ANALYSIS]](/img/tr.png)
I was an angsty 14yo when this came out on the radio in 1982. It was the first song that ever spoke to me, that "got me." I ran over to a friend's house to tell him about this cool new song by this new band. Lol. He went over to his dad's record collection, pulled out 2112 and put side A on the turntable. Thus began my fandom with Rush.
Many consider Neil to be the best drummer of all time. He has a couple online solos that will leave you speechless
As a lyricist it’s a play on the word subdivision, a neighborhood on the edge of a city, and a subdivision, a division between groups of people.
Neil was a genius 🙏
Please do YYZ live in Rio..its AMAZING
And La Villa Strangiotto from Rio🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I agree!
No... he's not ready. Save the best for last.
@@danbardos3498 Alex's rant is the best.....my backup band🤣🤣🤣🤣
Studio first, then dive into live performances
Rush are masters of time changes and time signature changes.
I only put Yes above Rush in the Progressive Rock Genre.
For great time changes do YYZ next ( just make sure to call it Y-Y-Zed ! 🙂)
When Rush finally got inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame, (It's criminal it didn't happen sooner) Dave Ghrol (and the Foo Fighters) mention adamantly how Neil had written most of their lyrics. The induction is well worth a watch and reaction. You'll enjoy watching.
I was just saying the same thing the other day about Dave Matthews Band just being inducted into the R&R Hall of fame. If they want to call this a memorial then they should go ahead and do that, but I don't understand what their criteria for prioritizing these things.
Alex Lifesons acceptance speech at the HOF is by far the best acceptance speech I've ever heard.
And I thought I was going to be able to go 5 minutes without having to hear Dave Grohl's name being mentioned
La Villa Strangiato - a 9-minute instrumental journey that will validate these three guys as among the very best rock musicians.
You’ve stumbled onto something genuinely special here: three guys who worked together and were great friends; and three guys who developed a fiercely loyal base of fans. Enjoy everything they have to offer to its fullest ✌🏻
Too soon man. Why are you trying to throw him into the deep end? 😅
The video game the kid's playing towards the end is "Tempest" . They had it in the arcade in our mall. One of my favorites!
Ha should have read your comment before I posted mine
So many hours spent in arcades in the late 70s and early 80s. Other great games of the era - Tail Gunner, Robotron, Joust, Asteroids, Galaga, Q-bert, Defender.
A friend of mine was so good at Robotron that the arcade owner would sometimes turn the power off in the whole arcade (then blame it on a "fuse going out") because he could play from opening to closing on 1 quarter. He had so many extra lives built up he could go grab food. We (his friends) weren't great, but played well enough not to waste all the lives by the time he got back.
@@MrVvulf Galaga! I have a retro game set, basically just controllers and a small console, plays all the old Atari games, it has Tempest, Galaga, and hundreds of others. Not much time to play these days, but it's there.
Can't tell you with words what Rush has meant to me ❤ Since 1982 ✨️
Just singing and playing bass is hard enough. Especially the riffs he is playing. Add in keyboards and foot pedals. The multi tasking by all band members is insane. Try Xanadu Exit Stage Left. The most unbelievable performance by a 3 piece ever. Multi tasking at its peak!
Rush: Natural Science.
Live is best!
bass , guitar, and keyboards..drummer plays percussion as well at the sametime ... dude watch meals drun solo live ...best drummer ever
try it: RUSH In 4K - "Best Outro Ever" - La Villa Strangiato / Working Man - Cleveland ... this is how they were ending a concert at 50 year old. still playing at the top of their game... look at this you will be blown away. two iconic songs from them.
The best intro ever is amazing too...
I saw them on the “Subdivisions” and “Grace under Pressure” tours in Toronto and Detroit. Incredible performances. RIP Neil.
Geddy & Alex lived 5 miles from me in the 70"s! They were our high school band! Neil was the reader, poet who crafted the lyrics. The song writing was equally attributed to all three members!
@@sgj8929 yup. I went to Geddy's high school. Same thing they played that high school
@@Karen_in_Canada Hello Willowdale! I'm Thornhill!
Rush "Natural Science" Freewill" "YYZ" "Time Stand Still" Some of their greats.
I recommend their song 'Working Man'.
We love having you around, too! This is my favorite Rush song. It speaks to me on so many levels.
If you're going down the Rush rabbit hole, you have to do 2112, the animated version. It was their break through record that was recorded in 1976. The record company was insisting that they needed a hit single, instead they gave them a 20 minute song that Neil wrote the lyrics for based on the novel called "The fountain head"....It's an amazing song!
I prefer versions of the song that don't have any visual interpretations. The visuals in that video are good, but for me it's best when the music and lyrics paint the picture. I have my own vision, I don't want someone else's.
@@MrVvulf
You make a good point, some people definitely get distracted by watching videos
I grew up in a town just north of Toronto and they lived in the next town. We were playing in the park and we heard music coming from the factories and we climbed on the dumpster and watched them through the window. They saw us and came out and talked to us for about a half hour. We talked about hockey (cause that's what Canadians do😂) we talked about the music they were working on and their cars. Alex and Geddy gave us guitar picks and Neil gave us drumsticks they were so down to earth and humble talking to a couple of kids and answering all our questions. They told us they were the band Rush and to listen for them. I was lucky enough to see them live twice in 88 and also at Sarstock in 03 in Toronto front of 500,000 crazy Canadians. Closer to the heart is another must. Great reaction and Peace out Cliff 🙏 ☮️ ✌️
I was 13 in the suburbs when I heard this and it changed my life. I desperately needed to have this confirmation in my life, and I knew I would be a Rush fan forever.
I saw them on ten different tours and wish it could have been more.
You want different sounds from them? Listen to Natural Science and Countdown. Keep going down the rabbit hole!
Rush
Lime light
Spirit of radio
Neil writes the lyrics, they all write the songs. Minor point. Been loving all of your reactions. Rush songs: Limelight, YYZ.
Love this one. I grew up in a suburb outside of a city. This song always connected with me.
A fellow Southsider from Chicago I listened to the radio station WXRT and I was introduced to Rush. Interestingly some 50 years later I rediscovered them and their brilliance. Sadly I never got to see them perform live, a mistake. RIP Neal, we shared the same birth year;
From this same album, Losing It is also great storytelling.
Free will is one of their best songs. Grand design is an underrated deep cut.
One of my top five! The lyrics tell the story, of so many of us.
Take care Cliff. You should be much higher in the subscriber's column. I wish you well. Thanks for the Rush! Cheers. 😎
Geddy Lee plays the bass, keyboard (synthesizer, organ, piano), pedals (like organ pedals, it's a keyboard on the floor), and, of course, he sings! And hello! I married a southsider and lived there myself for a few years. Red Barchetta is another great one from Rush.
Welcome to the subdivision where I grew up…Willowdale.
This entire video brings back memories.
With a 40 year catalogue…be careful, u go down this rabbit hole u might not make it back out!
But then again who would want to!
My favourite lyrics written for the song "Freewill". " If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice." Genius.
Rush is an amazing group. I saw them in Houston and it was one of my favorite concerts ever. You either instantly love them or instantly hate them. There is no in between. My favorite is La Villa Strangiato. No words, just music. Alex Lifeson’s solo on this one is gut wrenching. Also, they went to Florida on tour and just happened to watch a space shuttle launch. Wrote “Countdown” and dedicated it to all the astronauts and NASA. It paints a very vivid picture of their experience.
✌🏻❤️from Texas
I started paying more attention to this band after doing gardening work at Neil's daughter and wife's cemetery plot in Toronto back in the day. Neil Peart, greatest drummer and fellow Hamiltonian
next one from Rush - Red Sector A ( audio with lyric ) = song about holocaust . Geddy Lee parents was survive to holocaust . Neil Peart deep lyric . 😎👍🎶🎶
The bassist is not only playing keyboard and bass, he is also playing Tarus pedals. Those are all really talented guys. RIP Professor Peart
This song is about Alex & Geddy being bullied in school. Neil was a loner, which is how he touched on this. It’s a little autobiographical.
40 plus years of greatness! RUSH was three of the best to ever do it!
Neil Peart drum solo. Live at Frankfurt.
Great reaction! "Subdivissions" is one of the Rush songs that I thought you woulld really enjoy and identify with the lyrics. Rush has ton of great music and this is definately a deep rabbit hole but I bet you will like several of their songs. I have watched several of your other reactions as well but Rush is my favorite band so I am really glad you are checking out more of their stuff.
Neil Peart wrote several different kind of songs on many different subjects. Everything from fantasy to science fiction, nature, science, history, philosophy, poilitics, love, self reflection, friendship and even humor. Believe it or not he even wrote a song with a section of rap in it ("Roll The Bones" from the album of the same name). Several of his songs are particularly clever. He wrote one song called "Anagram (For Mongo)" that is made up almost entirerly of anagrams. For that one you should definately have the lyrics out when you listen for reference.
I think it is amazing that you offer a support system for those that are dealing with problems and may need someone to talk to. It is very refreshing to see someone giving back in that way and I am sure it has helped many people. With that in mind I think "The Pass" from Rush's 1989 album Presto is a song that you would really appreciate. It deals with teenage depression and suicide.
Unfortunately Neil experienced a lot of loss in his life. For example In 1997 Neil lost his nineteen year old daughter in a car cash and the following year he lost his wife of twenty three years to cancer. Part of his process of accepting it and moving on was traveling, writing books and writing song lyrics. His lyrics have helped me ( and I am sure countless others) get through several difficult times over the years.
Over more than 40 years the group went through a wide range of musical influence and style while still always sounding like Rush. They are a genre of their own. You will get a lot of requests for songs from their earlier classic era. But their later music is just as good and even more .... polished. For a gritty and fun song from their synth era try Between the Wheels.
Their lyrics are so f’ing relatable. They’re just fire! 3 best friends just making the best music ever!
Now that you've heard their 3 biggest songs from their 3 biggest albums.... its time to watch them do it live. Xanadu live in Montreal 1981 Is the place to start. With double necked guitars alex plays 6 & 12 string and foot pedals. Geddy sings, plays keys & foot pedals, bass & 6 string. While Neil plays an orchestra worth of drums and percusion.
Great song. This came out when I was a Junior in high school and was very poignant.
Another Rush you must watch is YYZ Live in Rio. The crowd participation is like nothing you’ve seen before.
Yes welcome to the expanding RUSH rabbit hole over 40 years of great music. From 3 great musicians, 3 great friends, and most importantly 3 great persons. Neil is rated as one of the best drummers of all time (#1 in my opinion, but always listed in the top 3 of any list i have ever seen). He was also a published author (he wrote & published 7 nonfiction books) and as you discoved he wrote the vast majority of their lyrics. His lyrics were normally deeply layered and thought provoking, which i think you have started to see. Geddy Lee the lead singer is also considered a great bass player, and also played keyboards. He would have to frequently swtich between them while singing. Alex Lifeson played both Electric and Aucostic guitar as well as pedals. Alex has been criminally underrated for years. One of the best guitarist ever but rarely gets the recognition that others due, one because he was not flashy and the music of RUSH was layered and did not feature the guitar as heavily as other bands. His peers always respected him and knew how good he was. In fact once during an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine Eddie Van Haln was asked What's its like to be the worlds greatest rock guitarist? His answer was I have not idea go ask Alex Lifeson. They were a band in ever aspect. Their music was layered. Neil would write the lyrics Alex and Geddy would write and arrange the music. A true colabartion in song writing and production.
I'm sure your metrics will show how many Canadians have now jumped on board! RUSH's prog rock can take you on quite a journey. Glad to see you're enjoying them, they're a home-town band I grew up on!
For some fun lyrical journeys, try FREEWILL, THE TREES, RED BARCHETTA. For an insane performance with no lyrics, search for YYZ LIVE IN RIO.
I love that you're getting into Rush. You need to check out working man live in Cleaveland. And Neil Peart drum solo
Grew up listening to Rush. Good to watch you hearing this for the first time. It’s almost vicariously experiencing it myself again like I did as a teen.
1982, 19 yrs old. Grew up with this song. Grew up on the streets you see in the video. Not sure if it is Mississauga or Oakville. Always hangin' out Yonge Street, doing the Arcade thing, and wondering if we looked old enough to get in to see the rippers. What a time to grow up.
We live on Vancouver Island but we would take the ferry to Vancouver and hang out on Granville street in the early 80s and do the exact same things you said.😅 lotsa things for young teens to take in.
When this first came out in 1982, I was 10, and this song was my gateway to RUSH. It is still my absolute favorite song by the group.
The video shows Alex Lifeson saying "Subdivisions," but Neil Peart's voice said the word.
If you really want to see and be amazed, watch any of their songs live from any of the concerts they recorded. Watching Geddy Lee juggle the keyboards and bass and sing is astounding! Also, these guys were dear friends. There is a video of them having dinner together that is hysterically funny and shows how much they love each other.
Rest in Peace, Professor...Neil Peart!!!
This is one of my favorite RUSH songs. A great song for the music alone but the words......wow. A story that is true for people of all ages. One of the reason some don't like RUSH is because they are too 'heady". The Professor (Neil Peart) has a unique way of writing and telling a story or a thought. I suggest you listen to the entire 2112 album - which is when they turned their fame into fortune. Just a small trivia update. The Beatles and Rolling Stones are the No1 and No2 groups with the most consecutive gold / platinum albums. RUSH is No 3. Not bad company.
Enjoying your Rush journey - would love to hear you react to another favorite 3-piece band of mine that gets no love in the reaction world, King's X. They're fantastic, and should have been huge....they keep going though. Give their song "In The New Age" a spin sometime, or if you want excellent ballad-type stuff, "Summerland" or "Goldilox." You won't regret it!
Brilliant musicians.
Oh man, when that beat drops, you feel it in your soul - great choice, as a lyricist, I know you're gonna love this one. Always a blast to hang out with you on this musical journey - peace and love from Canada☮ Oh, and just noting that when you see Geddy playing the keyboard and singing, he's also playing bass with his feet 😎
Agreed
Rush is at least tied for the greatest Touring Rock band ever. IMHO
🎶🎶🎵🎶🔥🔥🔥💯✌️☮️🕊️🇺🇸🇨🇦
I’ve seen a lot of great live bands over the years. Rush was always the best live!
Rush is my favorite bands’ favorite band. Neil Peart is my favorite drummers’ favorite drummer.
Well said
For story telling, Red Barchetta and The Trees..... then when you are ready for a REAL adventure, there is the 20+ minute 2112 side A :)
I think this song speaks to where a lot of musicians come from. A lot of them are loners, introverts. To get to the top of their game like this, they have spent a LOT of time with instruments in their hands, not out partying.
dude u have to watch these songs live
For a trip....2112...it was a concept album...have to do entire album in 1 sitting......or red barchetta
Love this. I was around 16 when this came out and was one of those kids that spent Friday and Saturday nights down on Yonge St in Toronto (street shown in video). That was before the city cleaned it up and it was still fun. So many arcades too.
the line = xanadu live stage 81, top 3 lines in metal ever ! weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
You must hear them live
Niel will blow your mind time and time again, both with the poetry of his lyrics and that he makes it possible to sing them to music.
He expanded the vocabulary of a lot of kids as they grew up listening to Rush.
4:46 geddy plays bass on a foot pedal while he plays keys.
Watch Xanadu live and 2112 (twenty one twelve) the graphic novel version. Early Rush. My teenage years
Love this one!
All the guys in Rush grew up in the suburbs and all of them felt like they didn't fit in.
I have a couple for you.
The Trees official music video
Entre Nous from the Snakes and Arrows tour.
Love your reactions. ❤
Cheers from the Canadian prairies
The album "Signals" which this song is off of marks a change in the direction of the band's sound -- mainly, the synthesizer in this album becomes front and center instead of being a supplement in prior albums. Yes, there's a few songs that are heavy synth in their past discography like "Xanadu" but for the most part, Rush brings a bit more synth sound from this album onward. It's 1982... and the New Wave sound in the post-punk era is in full swing and Rush is completely onboard.
My fav Rush tune. ❤
To me, this song is a cycle that many have lived, myself included. As a teen, suburb and high school life was rote, programmed, routine, boring - young people want to get into the action and live a little: "suburbs have no charms to soothe the restless dreams of youth". So like a moth you're drawn to the light and life of the city: "the timeless old attraction, cruising for the action". And after living that lifestyle for the young adult years, one begins to mature, to tire of selling "their dreams for small desires", losing "the race to rats" and getting "caught in ticking traps". Remembering the "lighted streets on quiet nights" of childhood, one yearns for the simpler, slower pace of a more sedated environment, a quiet peaceful place to raise one's children... who will grow up to seek its escape.
For more Rush, the ultimate is all seven chapters of 2112.
Everyone here in the comments have said it all. Rush were and still are major influencers in Music and live music standards. They are awesome. Cheers Cliff.
This one has been making the rounds on a lot of channels and has been kicking ass for years. The band had never gone to South America until much later in their career. Those fans thought they would never play in their country, literally waiting their entire lives to see their favorite band. It just wasn’t going to happen. Until it did. Those Brazilian fans went bananas! Impressed the band big time with their live energy and RUSH filmed a series of concerts to be packaged as RUSH in RIO. The song I’m suggesting is YYZ live in Rio. Very famous concert video. It gives you a good idea of what RUSH was like live. This one is guaranteed bad ass!
You will never lack for song suggestions if you ask us lifelong fans or any of the fans for that matter. It’s a very cool group of people. No dummies in a RUSH crowd, I like to say. They had a long career and have a sizable catalog to discover, so that will be a fun ride for you. All very high quality, that’s what blows people away. RUSH is special is the simplest way to put it.
The number 2112 is in your future. 😉👍
👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽Rush❤️❤️❤️. Love hanging with you Mijo. Miss Karen❤️❤️❤️👵🏼 Gmaw
Neil Peart, the drummer, wrote the song lyrics and they all wrote the songs. They were an extremely collaborative band.
Recomendations: Natural science, Nobody's Hero, Drive, Resist, One little Victory, Far Cry. 👍🏽
In case you were curious they were cruising Yonge street in Toronto.
Neil's lyrics really shaped me as i grew up listening to them. He wrote them all separately while alex and geddy came up with the music. Geddy would read through the lyrics and pick the ones that talked to him. Then he would pair them with the music they had come up with.
It took me a long time to really get this song. Basically I had to leave the suburbs and city to see life in a small town
Rush classic "Roll the bones".... the drummer raps on this one 😁👍👍
Neal is amazing. I saw them perform 3 times, different decades... I've spent as much time playing Rush since 1978, as the time I've slept 😂
Yeah this Band has Grown on Millions. Gazillions actually. LoL ❤
Lovin' the Rush journey....Maybe check out a live version of Rush - YYZ..It's an instrumental only song, but so so good..I won't put the link here, but this is the title of the video - RUSH In Rio HD - "YYZ" - Live In Brazil 2002 - Audio & Video Remaster - 1080p 60fps
Dude, nice to see you enjoy Rush! I was 15 when 2112 came out. That made me love Rush forever! Saw them multiple times. Definitely do 2112, the whole side of the album. I gave you Chickenfoot, Soap on a rope" way back when and you won't be disappointed in this epic piece of music, and story!
Need to checkout 2112. The full album.
Another great point on Geddy Lee’s versatility. Plays bass, sings, plays synths with hands and feet (!).
“Xanadu” live fro Exit Stage Left.
I see you have not done the band Disturbed "The sound of Silence" Studio version. This is considered the greatest cover song of all time and the amount of views shows that.. Originally done in the 60's by Simon and Garfunkel. They were considered some of the best song writers and lyricist. I guarantee you will get goosebumps.
Neal played deums and qrote most of the lyrics
Alex played guitar and midi and moog pedals.
Geddy plays bass keyboards, and midi and moog pedals
Working Man live in Cleveland is awesome too. ❤
1977....rush....closer to the heart.....or revisit one you've done but a live version.
Geddy, the bassist plays keyboards while with his feet he plays the standard bass lines on a Moog Taurs Bass Pedal Synthesizer. When you add lead vocals to his list of chores it makes him one of the busiest guys in a band. Love them all, especially Neil Peart the drummer. But as a bassist I favored Geddy Lee. Not trying to leave Alex Lifeson the guitarist out, he had the difficult task of trying to fit leads into interweaving melodies with constantly shifting time signatures. Love this band ever since the early 1970s .
I'm sorry i didn't even realize this was a new channel or I would have subbed 5 videos ago lol. Blessings in the new year Cliff.
Geddy will play a pedal bass too while he's playing synth. Alex plays pedal synth at times too. It's one of the reason their songs sound so full in live performances.
Rush. La Villa Strangiato.
NASTY!!! Indeed sir
Xanadu if you want to see all three of them really multitask, there are more guitar necks than players in that one and Neil has just about every percussion instrument on the planet in his ginormous kit and uses them. 😊
The next Rush song should be Trees. The lyrical content will blow your mind, and the music is just Rush so obv it's good lol
Xanadu, YYZ, Trees, The Necomancer, Fly by Night, 2112 the whole album!
When playing live the guitar player & the bass player would each play their own foot pedals (assigned to mimic & trigger other instruments) to cover overdubs from their studio recordings. As an example, when Geddy (bass player) is playing keyboards he (or Alex) would play the bass guitar parts with his feet, or vice versa. Whatever part in the song was easiest to play with their feet they would assign that instrument to the foot pedals. They made a point of trying to stay true to the studio recordings when playing live. They also wrote & recorded their songs with this in mind - If we can't do it justice live, we're not putting on the studio recording.
Thanks for the thoughtful reactions. Cliff, do a Rush song called "Between the Wheels". It is from their 1984 album called "Grace Under Pressure". The music is cutting-edge Industrial Prog Metal. It is dark and biting. Definitely keep the lyrics pulled up when you listen to/watch the vid. The live versions are great, but I LOVE the original studio version (ala lyric video). It's just perfection and Geddy's vocals are incredible. On the other hand, on the live versions, the light-show is incredible! So choose whichever you want to do but listen to that song!
Between the Wheels is one of my faves.
YYZ - Live in RIO!!!! The most hype crowd ever! Singing to an instrumental!