Neil Peart is an absolute assassin on the drums. You don't even realize what he did until after his work is done. It's an astonishing display of talent and discipline.
@Grib not to worry, I didn't forget. That's what I meant when I mentioned the bass pedals. For Geddy to play both instruments, bass, and piano, he resorts to the pedals for guitar whilst playing the keyboard and singing. Of course, this only happens during the live performances. In the studio, everything is tracked separately.
Alex and Geddy also do synth foot pedals while playing the guitar and base. And Neil plays not only drums but xylophone, glockenspiel, wood blocks, cow bells, tubular bells, wind chimes, and anything else you can hit with a stick.
Neil Peart, one of the greatest drummers ever, had said the drumming in Tom Sawyer was difficult even for him. Check out Limelight from the same studio. Lots of great songs left La Villa Strangiato(epic 9:36 min song ), on from there would be 2112 (another epic song), A Passage To Bangkok, A Farewell to Kings, Closer To The Heart, The Trees, Freewill, Jacob's Ladder, Red Barchetta, Vital Signs, Working Man, Red Sector A.
"There's only 3 of them!" Yeah, that's pretty standard reaction when anyone first hears Rush. The Trees and Freewill are two others I can highly recommend.
What you see in this video is the actual recording of this track for the album. That's why you see Geddy laying down separate tracks for the vocals, but when they play live, they absolutely multitask everything and it sounds exactly like the album. Both Alex and Geddy have Taurus pedals so they can play guitars and keys at the same time
I have seen them live in this almost forgotten northen country of Finland, but hen tey came the first time to Finland , I was in and saw the concert. The reason from the bands perspective was how many albums they have sold in this tiny country. All the tickets were sold on-line in 2 hours... And it was guite close to me to miss it all. Rush was same as all the classical composers... You don't see them very often.
They were not hiding the fact that they did this in multiple takes in the studio. They don’t have to. They’re Rush. They have proven their abilities in their live performances.
Congrats! You have just witnessed the magic of one of the greatest 3 piece bands in Rock n Roll history! Hard to believe they could sound like this with just 3 band members, huh? LOL
One of the best concerts ever. I was like 15. Seeing it live was insane. Neil Peart was a masternind. He didn't see drums, he saw a purpose. He was a monster.
Hell Yeah - now it’s time for LIVE dopeness from this masterful trio of musicians. Yeah, just 3 guys, but seeing them perform onstage is next level/ in Rio with an over the top *AMPED* up crowd, singing, yes singing along to their instrumental classic YYZ. 🤘🏼🎧🤟🏼
Agreed. One of my favorite songs. Here's a link to a decent quality version. ua-cam.com/video/sBCVsVKU4O4/v-deo.html Xanadu (live) would be another good one.
It’s so cool watching a hiphop dude get into RUSH. There’s thousands and thousands of guitarists, bassists, and drummers who owe their love of playing to RUSH. They really were THE musicians for other musicians. All 3 are paragons of prog rock. Never any scandals, never any selling out…just 3 insanely talented people making something very special. When Neil passed away the world lost one of the greatest drummers of all time. But, his lyrics and his legacy are written in stone. Drummers of all ages (myself included) get a little teary eyed every January 7th. Red Barchetta or Limelight are 2 fantastic follow ups to Tom Sawyer. Cheers!
And they never seemed to be about the party animal lifestyle or let fame get to their heads. They were just three guys trying to be the best musicians they could be, and if you listen to them in interviews they’re 3 of the most humble, down-to-earth people out there.
@@terminallumbago6465 Nope, they never let any of the fame get to them. If you watch or read any interviews with any of the bands they toured with over the years it’s always some version of the same statement… ”They were 3 chill ass dudes who were kinda nerdy and worked their butts off to be the best musicians anyone had ever seen. To this day, they’re still 3 chill ass dudes who are kinda nerdy and are the best musicians anyone has ever seen.” Absolute Legends
Subscribed....love the reaction....love the message, thank you, we are here ,for you,also,thanks again, Todd from Ohio....Xanadu live in '81 is slick....
Each one of these guys are God-tier level musicians. (And they are just as good - if not better - live 🤯). Alex Lifeson: guitar and other string instruments. Neil Peart: drums, percussion and lyrics. Geddy Lee: lead vocals, bass, keyboards (yes he does them simultaneously in concert!) Both Alex and Geddy also have the foot pedals you saw to add bass or synth parts when they busy on another instrument. Next up try YYZ live in Rio version or Working Man from the Time Machine Tour in Cleveland.
They play it live with 3 guys. Geddy will simultaneously sing, play bass and play synth with foot pedals. Alex also plays some keys and Neil's kit is ludicrous. They push out the sound. Here's a few ideas. Free Will Subdivisions Limelight Working Man (their first hit- no Neil Peart yet though) YYZ (instrumental) 2112 (epic, at over 20 minutes long)
The drummer Neil Peart, who recently passed away is considered to be one of if not the best drummer music. Without him, there would be no Danny Carry of Tool. You should check out his drum solo live. It'll blow your mind!
You really need to listen to Rush 2112. It changed everything for the band. They went from being told the label may drop them to letting them make whatever they wanted in the future.
@@bongzilla4172 Dude…. I’m probably older than you are. And yes, I stand by my underrated comment. In 40+ years of making music the height of their commercial success was in the 70’s and early 80’s (14 platinum albums) and yet they didn’t even get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame until 2012 (which was a travesty - they were eligible for like 15 years before it happened). I guess you can argue not underrated from the standpoint of platinum albums but my comment comes from a point of their genius was mostly recognized by fellow musicians and some rabid fans. They had their share of haters too. I think it was Getty Lee who said something to the effect of “people either love us or hate us with no middle ground”. That statement is consistent with my experience when talking about Rush with other people through the years. I personally fall in the rabid fan category.
Underrated to the masses maybe. Not to those of us who saw them years ago. If you were to ask some of the hot musicians of today who they listened to during their formative years, you'd hear Rush's name almost every time. I bought a Sony Walkman when they first came out in the early 80's. Along with it I bought 'Moving Pictures' which had also just been released on cassette. I wore that tape out!
I also have to argue against your underrated comment. Anyone in the 70s or 80s that bought popular music most likely owned a Rush album. As for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, they're a total joke with no connection to reality. Just look at the bands that have been left out vs the bands and artists that have been inducted.
I recommend that you download this entire album, “Signals!” And listen closely to the lyrics in every song. Also, put them in context to what was going on in the world during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. We were still worried about Nuclear war with the USSR, there were 2 Germany’s, the Lunar Landing happened not even a generation before, there was an “Oil Embargo” and miles long lines at the gas pump. 52 Americans were held hostage by a country, Iran, that most had never heard of and was half way around the world! Yet we had musicians that could put our thoughts and feelings into songs that would stand the test of time!!
Great reaction, you must watch them in a live video Is really amazing. Geddy Lee plays bass, bass pedal, synth, pedal synth, guitars and vocals. Alex Lifeson plays all guitars and pedal synth. Neil Peart plays drums and percusion also wrote the lyrics of the songs. Thee masters musicians. You must listen Freewill, Working Man live un Cleveland, YYZ and the master piece 2112 a 7 movement song. Again Great reaction
Geddy Lee: Lead vocals, Bass guitar, Keyboard, Bass pedals. Alex Lifeson: Lead guitar, pedals Neil Peart: Percussion extraordinaire, primary lyricist In this video, it looks weird because you can sometimes hear instruments playing that nobody is playing. Geddy plays Bass, keyboards, and pedals, sometimes simultaneously. Well not at the exact same time, but he will play a part on the keyboard, and then switch back the bass, and back to keyboards. All while playing pedal parts. This is basically the music video for the song. It is all they had back then, music videos weren't really a thing yet. It looks like it is a live performance, but it isn't. They are basically showcasing Rush, so sometimes they show Geddy singing, and sometimes playing bass. I hate it when people watch this video because it is confusing. People always look at them and say wait, why do I hear a keyboard but there is no keyboard player? Or where is the Bass player? They basically flash different clips of Geddy doing each one. A contradiction with me is I love this song, but it is not one of my favorite Rush songs like everyone else. People always say, "Oh you have to hear Tom Sawyer!" I would say, "It's good, but you should hear 2112 or Xanadu, La Villa Strangiato, The Garden, Between the Wheels, Vital Signs, Subdivisions. Almost any of their other stuff. 40 years of music." To me the lyrics in Tom Sawyer are basically a bunch of nonsense. **Year Later Edit -- Well not nonsense. It is about something; it just isn't particularly well represented by the lyrics IMO. ** Don't try to put too much effort into decoding them because there really isn't all that much to learn. All their other lyrics though, are amazing. If you think their recorded versions of songs are great, you really need to see them live. They are a band that must be seen live. They refuse to fake it. They play everything live themselves, and you get to watch them do it.
I just saw you did this reaction so I'm back here. I grew up in a town outside Toronto and they lived in the next town and we were playing in the park and heard music coming from the factories and we climbed on the dumpsters to watch in the window and saw them rocking out making the most impressive sounds we had ever heard. They saw us and came out and talked to us about hockey (cause that's what we Canadians do 😂)and they talked about the music they were recording and we talked about their cars. They were so down to earth and humble and when I was older I saw them in 88 and 03 in front of 500,000 crazy Canadians at the SARS relief concert it was Epic to say the least. Peace out ✌️ ☮️
Check out “YYZ Live in Rio” to see how 3 guys make all that music and how Geddy Lee does all he does, except YYZ has no lyrics as it’s instrumental. That however doesn’t stop the audience from singing along!
Watching this and listening to those drums is one of the reasons I struggle to listen to those computer generated beats today! Such a full rich sound. Thanks for the reaction Cliff 🤗👍🏻
I love drums and played for a while when younger. While I love acoustic drums, I still love 808’s, 909’s, etc. I don’t play much acoustic drums anymore, but Roland TD-50KV2 & Superior Drummer 3 with some of the Expansions like Metal Foundry, Death & Darkness, etc, are pretty fun to jam with and you aren’t annoying anyone. 😂
You should check out Working man live in Cleveland from the time machine tour. Many have reacted to it and it makes it through without copyright issues.
If you want to see Rush at their finest, react to "Xanadu" - Live Exit Stage Left. 3 master musicians creating unbelievably complex sound that sounds just like the studio version and doing it live. Geddy sings, plays bass, synth and foot pedals all at the same time, he even plays rhythm guitar in some sections. Alex plays the 6 string lead guitar, 12 string lead guitar and foot pedals. Yes, both have double neck guitars and the transitions are amazing. And then there is Neil... enough said!
Drummer, late great Neil Peart aka "The Professor" stated Tom Sawyer is the hardest to drum out of all Rush's songs because of its complexity of rhythm and timing.
Welcome to RUSH! Badass band! Lifelong fan from day one! Saw them on 18 different tours! RUSH Night was always very special! One of the most intelligent bands you will come across. No dummies in a RUSH crowd. RUSH is special.
"Tom Sawyer" is an amazing song. They hit the ball out of the park with that one. The music, lyrics, tone... all of them complement each other so well. The lyrics have so many layers to them, and the music reinforces the lyrics so well, that the song is a true classic. This was one of only a few songs that once it was released, it was played at every show. Actually, it was even played before it was released (I was fortunate to have heard them perform it pre-release when it was still in the writing process).
My first concert was in 1982 when I was a 15 year old school band drummer was the Signals tour from Rush at the old Rosemont Horizon which is now the All State Arena in Chicago. It changed me in so many ways, I saw music differently.
The most amazing part of Rush is they can pull their music off live And, with just 3 of them!!! ✌ I've see many bands through the years that couldn't!!!👍👍👌👌✌✌😃😃
if you want to understand look them live. Geddy play bass while signing and play foot pedals all at once. Try Xanadu from exit stage left... you'll see how the magic happens live... three master of their craft
Been a subscriber for a while. I know it’s a first time reaction and there’s a lot going on, but rush is a band you could definitely do lyrical breakdowns as well. There’s a few bars in that song for sure!
2 songs to check out #1) roll the bones this song has a little rap in the middle of the song. #2) the garden live this was the last song Neil Piret the drummer wrote. both are amazing songs.
This video documented the recording of the studio track, and it's a nice peek into how most recording is done. The shots where the three of them are in the room together playing are the drums being recorded. They're only concerned with getting a good drum take here; guitar and bass go to tape, but those are primarily for the drummer's reference while playing and are considered "scratch" tracks that won't be kept. The individual shots are recording the keeper takes of the other instruments and vocals, and happened after all the drums were done. Keep in mind, though, that the guys never recorded anything that the three of them couldn't pull off live (at least until their last album, 2012's _Clockwork Angels,_ which they recorded - and performed live - with an orchestra). If you want to see Rush pulling this all off live in 1981, I recommend the live performance of "Xanadu" from the _Exit...Stage Left_ tour. This is the best version I've found on UA-cam: ua-cam.com/video/2byjJkN_nVY/v-deo.html
The individual takes in the video were not necessarily final takes. Geddy actually recorded the bass track with his Fender Jazz bass and not the Rickenbacker seen in the video.
Perfect ensemble and the perfect storm from the genius of three guys from Ontario. Subdivision official vidéo is another great song, also the Big Money official video, Xanadu live, La Villa Strangiato live, YYZ live in Rio. Fun fact YYZ is the code for Toronto Pearson airport
All the band members have certain sound/effect triggers and keys on the floor they can play with their feet. So Geddy could be playing base, singing and play keys with his foot not being used to stand on at the same time. Alex has his own keys and Neil has programable drum pads.
Yes, it is only the three of them. 🤯 Suggestions Xanadu from Exit Stage Left will really show you their multi talented skills and it is one of their masterpieces. Working man live in Cleveland 🤯 Natural Science live in Rio. YYZ live in Rio Cheers 🇨🇦
Rush excelled time changes. In some circles, they are considered the forefathers of Prog Rock because of it. You can see the influences in groups like Tool or Jinjer with the very fast time changes that make a single song sound like multiple ones, but still cohesive at the same time. Great reaction!
Hey there Cliff! Could you check out the group VoicePlay? I recommend starting with their rendition of "The Oogie-Boogie Song" from the Nightmare Before Christmas. They are an accapella group, think the theater kids of accapella, and they never copyright claim videos. Great reactions!
Great reaction and analysis 👏. You should continue with this album, Moving Pictures. Tom Sawyer was the opening song, on the album. You will find most, if not all, of these songs to be "instant Playlist ". See what you think.
Okay, so you picked up on the studio "Layering".....THEN - they go and figure out how to pull it off live AND THEY DO IT. I've personally seen both Geddy and Alex playing two instruments at once....
They lay separate tracks, in the studio, but you should see them do it live. When there are drums, bass, guitar, and singing required, together with synths, Alex and Geddy play taurus pedals to provide the synth and/or bass parts. Everything is triggered live, by one of the three (even Neil, the drummer, triggers some samples, as the other two can get a little busy, at times!) 😊
If you’ve never seen the epic Canadian show the Trailer Park Boys, Alex Lifeson, the band’s guitarist, is at the centre of the plot of the episode “Closer To The Heart.” It features a few of Rush’s songs. It’s a hilarious episode with great music, so I won’t spoil it for you if you haven’t seen it.
Notice that when Alex plays his guitar solo, the song is in 7/4 time - and in the outro, Geddy plays a synth solo - again in 7/4! While both Geddy Lee (bass, synths, vocals) and Alex Lifeson (guitar, synths) are exceptional at multitasking, in this case (as noted by Septic Topix), Geddy uses multitracking for this song, as it was to be used on the "studio" album: You might notice that when Geddy is playing the bass, all three members are visible - along with a few points where he plays a keyboard - but for most of the synth parts and all the vocals Alex and Neil Peart (drums) are not present. Later, after MIDI was made commercially available, the band started using it to be able to keep the full track density in live performances.
When they play live they sound like they are in the studio. Geddy plays synth pedals when he's playing bass and bass pedals when he's playing synth all while he's singing. They are ridiculously talented. When you see them live that is truly when your mind will be blown.
This song came out in 1981 - the year I graduated from high school. I think he is talking about the first gamer boys - the Tom Sawyers of those days, skipping school and spending all their time at the arcade playing games, one of the first of which was called Space Invaders, and the weird sounds are reminiscent of the loud whistles and beeps filling the air.
Rush is an amazing band... classic...also when you read the lyrics you will see there are social messages in their music .. These guys have been around a long time...RIP Neal Pert.
Next you need to react to something Rush did live, Limelight from Exit stage left comes to mind. Its one of their more popular songs that got quite a bit of radio play. I went to this show in late 1981 and it was outstanding.
You have dived into the holy trinity known as rush...Neil peart has been voted as the greatest drummer ever by his group of peers (all professional drummers)...Neil peart is the standard when it comes to drummers (he's actually a percussionist cause he plays anything that gets hit...xylophone, timpani...so on)
In the studio, they could overdub their parts. But live they still did a phenomenal job of covering all that territory with only 3 guys and no pre recorded tracks.
Wellcome to the rush army 3 guys who are geniuses check out xanadu live working man live and la villa strangiato live and wheres my live with neil pearts drum solo...but save 2112 till the last enjoy
I am 53 when I was 12 I heard this song… Ot set me up to love Rock for the rest of my life!!!
Neil Peart is an absolute assassin on the drums. You don't even realize what he did until after his work is done. It's an astonishing display of talent and discipline.
Geddy is a multitasking master. He can simultaneously sing, play keyboards, and play the bass pedals. 🇨🇦🎶🎙🎸🎹
Don't forget actually playing the Bass guitar.
@Grib not to worry, I didn't forget. That's what I meant when I mentioned the bass pedals. For Geddy to play both instruments, bass, and piano, he resorts to the pedals for guitar whilst playing the keyboard and singing. Of course, this only happens during the live performances. In the studio, everything is tracked separately.
@@billdecat855 I knew you didn't forget. People in the Rush camp know their stuff. I just put it there to clarify for the OP.
@@BalokLives also the microphone with his nose.....footage somewhere?!
Doesn't he also have keyboard pedals, and switch according to complexity or if he wants to do a live/jam change up?
Geddy Lee, vocals, bass and keyboards….Alex Lifeson, guitar….Neil Peart, drums and all the lyrics for Rush. Three Canadian icons. R.I.P. NEIL!
Alex and Geddy also do synth foot pedals while playing the guitar and base. And Neil plays not only drums but xylophone, glockenspiel, wood blocks, cow bells, tubular bells, wind chimes, and anything else you can hit with a stick.
Neil Peart, one of the greatest drummers ever, had said the drumming in Tom Sawyer was difficult even for him. Check out Limelight from the same studio.
Lots of great songs left La Villa Strangiato(epic 9:36 min song ), on from there would be 2112 (another epic song), A Passage To Bangkok, A Farewell to Kings, Closer To The Heart, The Trees, Freewill, Jacob's Ladder, Red Barchetta, Vital Signs, Working Man, Red Sector A.
"There's only 3 of them!"
Yeah, that's pretty standard reaction when anyone first hears Rush.
The Trees and Freewill are two others I can highly recommend.
What you see in this video is the actual recording of this track for the album. That's why you see Geddy laying down separate tracks for the vocals, but when they play live, they absolutely multitask everything and it sounds exactly like the album. Both Alex and Geddy have Taurus pedals so they can play guitars and keys at the same time
Sad that the studio (Morin Heights) burned down about a decade ago. Many great songs were recorded there.
I have seen them live in this almost forgotten northen country of Finland, but hen tey came the first time to Finland , I was in and saw the concert. The reason from the bands perspective was how many albums they have sold in this tiny country. All the tickets were sold on-line in 2 hours... And it was guite close to me to miss it all. Rush was same as all the classical composers... You don't see them very often.
Great reaction. Passage To Bangkok - Live by Rush is a must listen. Rock on!
They were not hiding the fact that they did this in multiple takes in the studio. They don’t have to. They’re Rush. They have proven their abilities in their live performances.
Probably the greatest, most talented 3-piece band that ever lived. Or ever will. Great reaction, as usual.
One of the greatest drummers of all time.
Neal set the bar!, its Insain these new drummers!!, but neal pavedn the road !
Congrats! You have just witnessed the magic of one of the greatest 3 piece bands in Rock n Roll history! Hard to believe they could sound like this with just 3 band members, huh? LOL
One of the best concerts ever. I was like 15. Seeing it live was insane. Neil Peart was a masternind. He didn't see drums, he saw a purpose. He was a monster.
“It’s only 3 guys?!?!”
*every Rush Fan cracks knuckles over keyboard*
Hell Yeah - now it’s time for LIVE dopeness from this masterful trio of musicians. Yeah, just 3 guys, but seeing them perform onstage is next level/ in Rio with an over the top *AMPED* up crowd, singing, yes singing along to their instrumental classic YYZ. 🤘🏼🎧🤟🏼
Agreed. One of my favorite songs. Here's a link to a decent quality version. ua-cam.com/video/sBCVsVKU4O4/v-deo.html Xanadu (live) would be another good one.
YES❤
just watched the best song writer , musician, drummer ever!!.....R.I.P NEAL.
It’s so cool watching a hiphop dude get into RUSH.
There’s thousands and thousands of guitarists, bassists, and drummers who owe their love of playing to RUSH. They really were THE musicians for other musicians.
All 3 are paragons of prog rock. Never any scandals, never any selling out…just 3 insanely talented people making something very special.
When Neil passed away the world lost one of the greatest drummers of all time.
But, his lyrics and his legacy are written in stone. Drummers of all ages (myself included) get a little teary eyed every January 7th.
Red Barchetta or Limelight are 2 fantastic follow ups to Tom Sawyer.
Cheers!
And they never seemed to be about the party animal lifestyle or let fame get to their heads. They were just three guys trying to be the best musicians they could be, and if you listen to them in interviews they’re 3 of the most humble, down-to-earth people out there.
@@terminallumbago6465 Nope, they never let any of the fame get to them. If you watch or read any interviews with any of the bands they toured with over the years it’s always some version of the same statement…
”They were 3 chill ass dudes who were kinda nerdy and worked their butts off to be the best musicians anyone had ever seen. To this day, they’re still 3 chill ass dudes who are kinda nerdy and are the best musicians anyone has ever seen.”
Absolute Legends
Geddy Lee and Peart are probably unparalleled on rhythm
Something you almost never see is the drummer is the lyricist. Neil writes unbelievable lyrics
Although in this case, the lyrics were largely done by Pye Dubois and adapted by Neil.
Probably the best drummer ever. RIP Neal Peart.
Agree 👍 💯
Subscribed....love the reaction....love the message, thank you, we are here ,for you,also,thanks again, Todd from Ohio....Xanadu live in '81 is slick....
You need to react to their song "Limelight".
Rush is awesome... God Loves Canadians :)
Each one of these guys are God-tier level musicians. (And they are just as good - if not better - live 🤯).
Alex Lifeson: guitar and other string instruments.
Neil Peart: drums, percussion and lyrics.
Geddy Lee: lead vocals, bass, keyboards (yes he does them simultaneously in concert!)
Both Alex and Geddy also have the foot pedals you saw to add bass or synth parts when they busy on another instrument.
Next up try YYZ live in Rio version or Working Man from the Time Machine Tour in Cleveland.
They play it live with 3 guys. Geddy will simultaneously sing, play bass and play synth with foot pedals. Alex also plays some keys and Neil's kit is ludicrous. They push out the sound. Here's a few ideas.
Free Will
Subdivisions
Limelight
Working Man (their first hit- no Neil Peart yet though)
YYZ (instrumental)
2112 (epic, at over 20 minutes long)
You will enter this Rush phase and NEVER leave, especially if you love lyrics!
Cliff, you gotta check out Rush - 2112. It’s a long one, but it’s storytelling at its finest.
Got me to like and sub. Rush’s catalog is over 4 decades deep. Welcome to the wormhole, it’s deep. MORE RUSH! YYZ LIVE IN RIO
PLEASE react to Rush - Freewill next! It's my personal anthem from them.
The rabbit hole is deep, my friend. 19 studio albums, 167 songs, over 40 years of music. These are the musician's musicians. Let the fun begin! 🤘🤯
3 guys.....Yeah!!!!
Best 3 man band ever!
The drummer Neil Peart, who recently passed away is considered to be one of if not the best drummer music. Without him, there would be no Danny Carry of Tool. You should check out his drum solo live. It'll blow your mind!
You should check out Xanadu from Exit Stage Left in '81. Be prepared to sit back, relax and enjoy an epic musical journey. 🤘
You really need to listen to Rush 2112. It changed everything for the band. They went from being told the label may drop them to letting them make whatever they wanted in the future.
Might be too soon for him to jump into 2112.do you think he's ready? Or should he get a couple more songs under his belt first?
Rush is so underrated. They are amazing musicians!
UNDERRATED?? Probably one of the more known bands to ever be lol. Younger generation might not know who they are, but they surely are not underrated.
@@bongzilla4172 Dude…. I’m probably older than you are. And yes, I stand by my underrated comment. In 40+ years of making music the height of their commercial success was in the 70’s and early 80’s (14 platinum albums) and yet they didn’t even get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame until 2012 (which was a travesty - they were eligible for like 15 years before it happened). I guess you can argue not underrated from the standpoint of platinum albums but my comment comes from a point of their genius was mostly recognized by fellow musicians and some rabid fans. They had their share of haters too. I think it was Getty Lee who said something to the effect of “people either love us or hate us with no middle ground”. That statement is consistent with my experience when talking about Rush with other people through the years. I personally fall in the rabid fan category.
They may not be super mainstream popular but they're definitely not underrated. Everyone who knows them praises them and agrees they're the best.
Underrated to the masses maybe. Not to those of us who saw them years ago. If you were to ask some of the hot musicians of today who they listened to during their formative years, you'd hear Rush's name almost every time. I bought a Sony Walkman when they first came out in the early 80's. Along with it I bought 'Moving Pictures' which had also just been released on cassette. I wore that tape out!
I also have to argue against your underrated comment. Anyone in the 70s or 80s that bought popular music most likely owned a Rush album. As for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, they're a total joke with no connection to reality. Just look at the bands that have been left out vs the bands and artists that have been inducted.
I recommend that you download this entire album, “Signals!” And listen closely to the lyrics in every song. Also, put them in context to what was going on in the world during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. We were still worried about Nuclear war with the USSR, there were 2 Germany’s, the Lunar Landing happened not even a generation before, there was an “Oil Embargo” and miles long lines at the gas pump. 52 Americans were held hostage by a country, Iran, that most had never heard of and was half way around the world! Yet we had musicians that could put our thoughts and feelings into songs that would stand the test of time!!
Check out Rush Working Man Live in Cleveland
You ain't seen nothing yet...Xanadu, the LIVE performance from "Exit...stage left." 1981. It will blow your mind.
:)
Great reaction, you must watch them in a live video Is really amazing.
Geddy Lee plays bass, bass pedal, synth, pedal synth, guitars and vocals.
Alex Lifeson plays all guitars and pedal synth.
Neil Peart plays drums and percusion also wrote the lyrics of the songs.
Thee masters musicians.
You must listen Freewill, Working Man live un Cleveland, YYZ and the master piece 2112 a 7 movement song.
Again Great reaction
Since were on rock/metal Pantera - Domination live in russia is one of the most electric performances i've seen.
Geddy Lee: Lead vocals, Bass guitar, Keyboard, Bass pedals.
Alex Lifeson: Lead guitar, pedals
Neil Peart: Percussion extraordinaire, primary lyricist
In this video, it looks weird because you can sometimes hear instruments playing that nobody is playing. Geddy plays Bass, keyboards, and pedals, sometimes simultaneously. Well not at the exact same time, but he will play a part on the keyboard, and then switch back the bass, and back to keyboards. All while playing pedal parts.
This is basically the music video for the song. It is all they had back then, music videos weren't really a thing yet. It looks like it is a live performance, but it isn't. They are basically showcasing Rush, so sometimes they show Geddy singing, and sometimes playing bass. I hate it when people watch this video because it is confusing. People always look at them and say wait, why do I hear a keyboard but there is no keyboard player? Or where is the Bass player? They basically flash different clips of Geddy doing each one.
A contradiction with me is I love this song, but it is not one of my favorite Rush songs like everyone else. People always say, "Oh you have to hear Tom Sawyer!" I would say, "It's good, but you should hear 2112 or Xanadu, La Villa Strangiato, The Garden, Between the Wheels, Vital Signs, Subdivisions. Almost any of their other stuff. 40 years of music." To me the lyrics in Tom Sawyer are basically a bunch of nonsense. **Year Later Edit -- Well not nonsense. It is about something; it just isn't particularly well represented by the lyrics IMO. ** Don't try to put too much effort into decoding them because there really isn't all that much to learn. All their other lyrics though, are amazing.
If you think their recorded versions of songs are great, you really need to see them live. They are a band that must be seen live. They refuse to fake it. They play everything live themselves, and you get to watch them do it.
Pleasure as always Cliff. Enjoy a 10 min breathwork session and get ya ballls tickled boi
Greatest 3 piece band ever
I just saw you did this reaction so I'm back here. I grew up in a town outside Toronto and they lived in the next town and we were playing in the park and heard music coming from the factories and we climbed on the dumpsters to watch in the window and saw them rocking out making the most impressive sounds we had ever heard. They saw us and came out and talked to us about hockey (cause that's what we Canadians do 😂)and they talked about the music they were recording and we talked about their cars. They were so down to earth and humble and when I was older I saw them in 88 and 03 in front of 500,000 crazy Canadians at the SARS relief concert it was Epic to say the least. Peace out ✌️ ☮️
Check out “YYZ Live in Rio” to see how 3 guys make all that music and how Geddy Lee does all he does, except YYZ has no lyrics as it’s instrumental. That however doesn’t stop the audience from singing along!
Watching this and listening to those drums is one of the reasons I struggle to listen to those computer generated beats today! Such a full rich sound. Thanks for the reaction Cliff 🤗👍🏻
I love drums and played for a while when younger. While I love acoustic drums, I still love 808’s, 909’s, etc. I don’t play much acoustic drums anymore, but Roland TD-50KV2 & Superior Drummer 3 with some of the Expansions like Metal Foundry, Death & Darkness, etc, are pretty fun to jam with and you aren’t annoying anyone. 😂
You should check out Working man live in Cleveland from the time machine tour. Many have reacted to it and it makes it through without copyright issues.
This song is one that when I hear the first notes, I turn it way up - always gets me going!
If you want to see Rush at their finest, react to "Xanadu" - Live Exit Stage Left. 3 master musicians creating unbelievably complex sound that sounds just like the studio version and doing it live. Geddy sings, plays bass, synth and foot pedals all at the same time, he even plays rhythm guitar in some sections. Alex plays the 6 string lead guitar, 12 string lead guitar and foot pedals. Yes, both have double neck guitars and the transitions are amazing. And then there is Neil... enough said!
Drummer, late great Neil Peart aka "The Professor" stated Tom Sawyer is the hardest to drum out of all Rush's songs because of its complexity of rhythm and timing.
It's just three guys. They work it.
Welcome to RUSH! Badass band! Lifelong fan from day one! Saw them on 18 different tours! RUSH Night was always very special! One of the most intelligent bands you will come across. No dummies in a RUSH crowd. RUSH is special.
"Tom Sawyer" is an amazing song. They hit the ball out of the park with that one. The music, lyrics, tone... all of them complement each other so well. The lyrics have so many layers to them, and the music reinforces the lyrics so well, that the song is a true classic. This was one of only a few songs that once it was released, it was played at every show. Actually, it was even played before it was released (I was fortunate to have heard them perform it pre-release when it was still in the writing process).
Try the R30 from rush . It's live their 30th anniversary tour . It will blow your mind
My first concert was in 1982 when I was a 15 year old school band drummer was the Signals tour from Rush at the old Rosemont Horizon which is now the All State Arena in Chicago. It changed me in so many ways, I saw music differently.
Maybe one of the best bands for a PhD in multitasking and music creativity ❤
The most amazing part of Rush is they can pull their music off live And, with just 3 of them!!! ✌
I've see many bands through the years that couldn't!!!👍👍👌👌✌✌😃😃
if you want to understand look them live. Geddy play bass while signing and play foot pedals all at once. Try Xanadu from exit stage left... you'll see how the magic happens live... three master of their craft
Been a subscriber for a while. I know it’s a first time reaction and there’s a lot going on, but rush is a band you could definitely do lyrical breakdowns as well. There’s a few bars in that song for sure!
2 songs to check out
#1) roll the bones this song has a little rap in the middle of the song.
#2) the garden live this was the last song Neil Piret the drummer wrote. both are amazing songs.
Glad you're finally listening to a great progressive rock band. I've been jamming to this tune since middle school.
Whoa, brought back sooo many memories came flooding back into my head! Love this song❤
Yes!!! "The Three Stooges"In da house!!!🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘💪💪💪💪💪
This video documented the recording of the studio track, and it's a nice peek into how most recording is done. The shots where the three of them are in the room together playing are the drums being recorded. They're only concerned with getting a good drum take here; guitar and bass go to tape, but those are primarily for the drummer's reference while playing and are considered "scratch" tracks that won't be kept. The individual shots are recording the keeper takes of the other instruments and vocals, and happened after all the drums were done.
Keep in mind, though, that the guys never recorded anything that the three of them couldn't pull off live (at least until their last album, 2012's _Clockwork Angels,_ which they recorded - and performed live - with an orchestra). If you want to see Rush pulling this all off live in 1981, I recommend the live performance of "Xanadu" from the _Exit...Stage Left_ tour. This is the best version I've found on UA-cam:
ua-cam.com/video/2byjJkN_nVY/v-deo.html
The individual takes in the video were not necessarily final takes. Geddy actually recorded the bass track with his Fender Jazz bass and not the Rickenbacker seen in the video.
Perfect ensemble and the perfect storm from the genius of three guys from Ontario. Subdivision official vidéo is another great song, also the Big Money official video, Xanadu live, La Villa Strangiato live, YYZ live in Rio. Fun fact YYZ is the code for Toronto Pearson airport
Took my whole family to R40 (we are all musicians) and so glad I got to see 3 guys do THAT live! RIP Professor
Now watch them live and be blown away that they still sound exactly the same, provided it's in the same era!
All the band members have certain sound/effect triggers and keys on the floor they can play with their feet. So Geddy could be playing base, singing and play keys with his foot not being used to stand on at the same time. Alex has his own keys and Neil has programable drum pads.
Xanadu live Exit Stage Left should be your next step before 2112 which is mind blowing. You really need to see them live.
Yes, it is only the three of them. 🤯
Suggestions
Xanadu from Exit Stage Left will really show you their multi talented skills and it is one of their masterpieces.
Working man live in Cleveland 🤯
Natural Science live in Rio.
YYZ live in Rio
Cheers 🇨🇦
Rush excelled time changes. In some circles, they are considered the forefathers of Prog Rock because of it. You can see the influences in groups like Tool or Jinjer with the very fast time changes that make a single song sound like multiple ones, but still cohesive at the same time. Great reaction!
Neil Peart MAY be the best drummer of all time... so much talent and a musical genius... its a shame he has passed on, RIP Neil!!!
Hey there Cliff! Could you check out the group VoicePlay? I recommend starting with their rendition of "The Oogie-Boogie Song" from the Nightmare Before Christmas. They are an accapella group, think the theater kids of accapella, and they never copyright claim videos.
Great reactions!
Great reaction and analysis 👏. You should continue with this album, Moving Pictures. Tom Sawyer was the opening song, on the album. You will find most, if not all, of these songs to be "instant Playlist ". See what you think.
I think it is time to really blow Cliff's mind with "2112"
Okay, so you picked up on the studio "Layering".....THEN - they go and figure out how to pull it off live AND THEY DO IT. I've personally seen both Geddy and Alex playing two instruments at once....
Biggest sound you will ever get from 3 people. Watch some of their live work and you will be floored.
They lay separate tracks, in the studio, but you should see them do it live. When there are drums, bass, guitar, and singing required, together with synths, Alex and Geddy play taurus pedals to provide the synth and/or bass parts. Everything is triggered live, by one of the three (even Neil, the drummer, triggers some samples, as the other two can get a little busy, at times!) 😊
You really need to see one of the drummers solos
Rush's musicality and lyrics are phenomenal. RIP Neil.
If you’ve never seen the epic Canadian show the Trailer Park Boys, Alex Lifeson, the band’s guitarist, is at the centre of the plot of the episode “Closer To The Heart.” It features a few of Rush’s songs. It’s a hilarious episode with great music, so I won’t spoil it for you if you haven’t seen it.
Three people doing it hard to believe!
Notice that when Alex plays his guitar solo, the song is in 7/4 time - and in the outro, Geddy plays a synth solo - again in 7/4! While both Geddy Lee (bass, synths, vocals) and Alex Lifeson (guitar, synths) are exceptional at multitasking, in this case (as noted by Septic Topix), Geddy uses multitracking for this song, as it was to be used on the "studio" album: You might notice that when Geddy is playing the bass, all three members are visible - along with a few points where he plays a keyboard - but for most of the synth parts and all the vocals Alex and Neil Peart (drums) are not present. Later, after MIDI was made commercially available, the band started using it to be able to keep the full track density in live performances.
The 3 most talented musicians ever. Transition kings..
Greatest rock band of all time in my book. 🤟
When they play live they sound like they are in the studio. Geddy plays synth pedals when he's playing bass and bass pedals when he's playing synth all while he's singing. They are ridiculously talented. When you see them live that is truly when your mind will be blown.
You gotta hear LimeLight...recorded in same studio as this
This song came out in 1981 - the year I graduated from high school. I think he is talking about the first gamer boys - the Tom Sawyers of those days, skipping school and spending all their time at the arcade playing games, one of the first of which was called Space Invaders, and the weird sounds are reminiscent of the loud whistles and beeps filling the air.
Young people just now figuring it, it's wonderful. Rush is one of the greatest bands ever...
Rush is an amazing band... classic...also when you read the lyrics you will see there are social messages in their music ..
These guys have been around a long time...RIP Neal Pert.
If you want to see an instrumental that the crowd actually sings to try….” YYZ ..Live in Rio “
2112 might be too long for a reaction but amazing. Several songs that tell 1 story.
Next you need to react to something Rush did live, Limelight from Exit stage left comes to mind. Its one of their more popular songs that got quite a bit of radio play. I went to this show in late 1981 and it was outstanding.
Cliff my guy, im so glad you did more Rush, now you have to do YYZ live so you can see a crowd sing an all instrumental song.
That would be Rush yyz live in rio by the way. Have a great day.
That really is awesome, seeing a crowd "sing along" to an instrumental song.
You have dived into the holy trinity known as rush...Neil peart has been voted as the greatest drummer ever by his group of peers (all professional drummers)...Neil peart is the standard when it comes to drummers (he's actually a percussionist cause he plays anything that gets hit...xylophone, timpani...so on)
In the studio, they could overdub their parts. But live they still did a phenomenal job of covering all that territory with only 3 guys and no pre recorded tracks.
They did use pre recorded tracks but everything was triggered by them in real time.
Neil Pèart is my favorite drummer! 🤘
Wellcome to the rush army 3 guys who are geniuses check out xanadu live working man live and la villa strangiato live and wheres my live with neil pearts drum solo...but save 2112 till the last enjoy
My favorite 3 piece band is Grand funk railroad! You should check out Inside looking out live 1969 if you want to see an amazing performance!