Found this on my adult daughter's Spotify playlist and it certainly made me feel some kind of way. We used to put headphones on her mom's tummy and play Rush and Iron Maiden etc. and she'd get excited and kick. Such a good memory.
Nice Job. The beauty of many Rush songs is that the meaning is always open to your own interpretation. You make it what your mind/heart says it is.....and THAT is true genius....IMO.
This tour was my first time seeing them live so this album holds a special place in my heart. So many great songs on Presto, including Presto. It glides a long but keeps reminding you to stay grounded in the moment. Even as Geddy sings that he's not one to believe in magic, it feels magical. Great talent and this is my first time watching one of your reactions. I'm a sub now and I'll be looking at your other reactions. Thanks for this one, take care 🎉❤
I love this song; the lyrics especially, but also the slowdown in the 'I'm not one to believe in magic' part. There is also a good live version of this from the Time Machine tour in 2011.
Ghost of a chance is the other song you were referring to where Neil talks about not believing in astrology, religion, or supernatural phenomena. Free will also touches upon this and Mystic Rhythms. I think it’s something that Neil was fascinated in as far as other cultures beliefs, and he tried to leave a window into expressing that some things are unknowable. Another theme from Neil‘s writing also permeates this I believe which is the realities of a traveling musicians, life, and the choices you have to make with your personal relationships. As he talks about taking off on the plane, looking out over the homes and wondering what someone else is doing. That kind of life puts pressures on people and forces them to make compromises which I imagine would be amazingly difficult at times. At least that’s what I’m reading between The lines is being reflected here as it is also mentioned in other Rush songs. cheers!
He picked the theme back up in Faithless on the Snakes and Arrows album and BU2B on Clockwork Angels. The philosophical nature of the lyrics is what drew me to become a Rush fan.
Neil was a master percussionist and lyrist. I agree with you that Neil was one of the best at playing percussion with emotion. I think the fact that he wrote the lyrics helped him accent and amplify the emotion of the song..
Great song from 1989… Some have said the songs meaning is about seeing the things in the world you wish you could magically fix or change. Great reaction and review. Long live the mighty RUSH! 👊🏻
80's era Rush rules. All Rush eras are fire, but as far as conveying the lyrics through the music with pure atmosphere, nothing beats 80's era RUSH. I call it the goosebump era.
This is a beautiful song and it does sound magical. These lyrics are a bit more cryptic. Flying away to go on tour thinking about his family and already missing them. More heat than light, he is more passionate and emotional than he seems at times. Second sight, I do think Neil did get visions of the future at times. Lovely reaction. Cheers
Thanks for reacting to this, its one of my favorite Rush songs. Neil was such a great lyricist, he was able to write about issues that were personal to him, but he didnt make it all about himself, he was able to write in such a way to make it universal so anyone could relate to it. That being said, this song I think is one of the most difficult to pin down concerning its meaning. For me, it fits into the entire albums discussion of trying to distinguish between reality and illusion, especially in the present but also how the past may be distorted by our present biases. I think this song speaks to the real authentic spiritual magic of life and our relationships, but also about not confusing the "real" magic with the "fake" magic that gets conjured up. You mentioned you found it difficult to follow along with the lyrics while trying to process the music at the same time. That is something that I will forever miss - buying a new Rush album, putting it on, opening the album jacket, and reading the lyrics while listening for the first time, processing it all....and those were truly magical times
Three lines in this song... "I had a dream of the open water I was swimming away out to sea So deep I could never touch bottom" Neil on several songs throughout Rush's lifespan refers to swimming away from the shore and not feeling bottom. This stems from a childhood incident he had where he was swimming to a platform in the middle of a lake. When the water got above his head he couldn't stay afloat to breath. One of his friends jumped in and saved him. Neil remained in contact with this friend through the years.
I've often mentioned that childhood incident as a part of the backstory on 'Limelight,' but I never really thought of the lyrics here also relating to it; thank you for sharing.
@@lindaward5376 I'm getting older and my memory keeps slipping. Things I could recall with no effort can no longer be grasped no matter the effort. I believe Neil makes reference to not feeling bottom on a Counterparts song along with one or two others. Geez, I just heard the song less than two weeks ago. Maybe it was a Clockwork Angels song. I don't know.
I only heard this story about him after he died. Apparently some other kids thought what was happening was funny & refused to help, so his friend had to step in. It went part of the way to explaining why Neil didn't trust strangers & was quite the introvert. BTW, you got a sub & a dono. Love your "Hello Kitty" calendar too.
By the way, your channel is great! The observations are keen and the depth of your analysis is awesome. Even as a longtime fan of Rush and knowing this song well, you've provided some new aspects to consider.
1994 Niel said as I was listening to the radio, as I remember, he said he uses his drum patterns like how he uses his words. so maybe that's why u hear his expression and annunciation ect., to make the drums be spirited to say the least. always a good tune for the right mood, have a blessed day take care
I radiate more heat than light. Metaphors for having a warm heart more than being enlightening. Neil in his infinite lyrical grace when he was properly both warm and enlightening.
Presto, Amazing. I'm so happy for You to find RUSH. It's a life long love. It has been for me. Try Limelight. (studio) . Or Available Light. Thanks again. I'm so happy to see this reaction.
Such an underrated album by both fans and non-fans alike. This is one of my favorites. The songs have such a great sound and each have an awesome message for all of us. Having been a fan as an 11 year old wearing out his older sister's copy of Moving Pictures when it came out, Presto was one of the few albums I loved on the first listen through. The other was Hemispheres.....
Hi 'Flowers', another great video my friend. Presto is another one of RUSH' SUPERB ABSOLUTE TREMENDOUS MASTERPIECE songwriting: words & music. This beautiful song is even better in performance during the Time Machine tour. If you're still reading, I think the song you were referring to was Ghost of a Chance. That song would come on their next collection, ROLL THE BONES in 1991.
I really REALLY think you will love "Turn The Page" from their Hold Your Fire album that was released just a couple of years before the Presto album. The studio version is 🔥🔥🔥
I have heard many interpretations of this song and they're all right as far as I'm concerned. This includes yours Jessie. I always thought this was a song about one going back and seeing mistakes they have made knowing you cannot go back to fix them. However the purpose of the song is to recognize we all have made irreparable mistakes and Neil is simply empathizing with others. Just knowing you're not alone is therapeutic.
I have a rare interview with Geddy from this time where he says the song is about the unexplainable "magic" of things/situations and how we shouldn't try to explain everything, just enjoy the moment for what it is!
It’s not just an underrated song but an underrated album. It’s the 13th studio album and a departure from the synth sound and more singer, guitar based. Some love it some hate it.
Magic is not imaginary. A seed contains all the information it needs to turn into a tree when it joins to the earth. That is real magic. That we are made of star dust is more than just a poetic thought. “The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.” - Carl Sagan..... Back to the track... I most certainly agree that Neil Peart knows how to drum with feeling. He was the Sleep Token drummer I think? Maybe different lyrics would be easier to read while you listen. Finally, for me, the "second sight" is called the edit button. I need it all the time.💓
All of remasters of Rush are not changes in content musically or lyrically, it's a process of going back to the original master recordings, which are very high resolution, but are analog recordings, so there is background "noise" even so, but far better than the final tape, cd or vinyl records could achieve back in the day. Todays vinyl is even far superior due to improved media and transfer techniques if one gets the high quality vinyl records that are much thicker with deeper grooves, or even double LP's where one record is stretched over two, doubling gap area between grooves allowing for more dynamic range without noise bleed-over between grooves, as well as modern digital media that is cleaner, higher fidelity and dynamic range. So they use the original master reel-to-reel analog tapes and are able to transfer a "higher definition" audio and they can also clean up or filter out any analog background hiss or static when transferred to consumer level media, digital or physical, of today. So you can get "remasters" from recording decades ago that are as good as something recorded with high definition audio standards of today, or at least much closer to today's quality. In other words, what you hear from remasters is merely a sound quality that is far better and a simile might be like listening to music with a couple of cheap PC speakers compared to HQ headphones costing hundreds of dollars.
I believe Geddy agrees with you. He said it was one of his favorites (from their entire catalog) when introducing The Pass before playing it for one of the shows they filmed on that tour.
Magic is only Natural Science that we just don't understand yet. If you were to go back in time a thousand years with all your modern gadgets you would have appeared to be a Magician. But yes Magic can also be contained within Emotions like Love, and what is Love really but Electrical and Chemical reactions within 2 lovers bodies, reactions brought about by just being close to someone who you fancy. So Love is Magic. And Magic is Science, and ALL of it is really all the same ONE thing.
Also, I think the narrator is saying essentially, I don't have all the answers, I'm more angry than gracious, I'm not your role model, I'm still figuring out life, but I could be wrong
'Available Light' - also, from this record - is a powerhouse of a song
Found this on my adult daughter's Spotify playlist and it certainly made me feel some kind of way. We used to put headphones on her mom's tummy and play Rush and Iron Maiden etc. and she'd get excited and kick. Such a good memory.
I once heard a similar story in relation to Pink Floyd.😊
The bridge in this song is a masterpiece. I remember hearing it the day the record was released and being absolutely floored. Still blows me away.
Me too, brother!
You were trying to recall the song "Ghost of a Chance".
Nice Job. The beauty of many Rush songs is that the meaning is always open to your own interpretation. You make it what your mind/heart says it is.....and THAT is true genius....IMO.
This tour was my first time seeing them live so this album holds a special place in my heart. So many great songs on Presto, including Presto. It glides a long but keeps reminding you to stay grounded in the moment. Even as Geddy sings that he's not one to believe in magic, it feels magical. Great talent and this is my first time watching one of your reactions. I'm a sub now and I'll be looking at your other reactions. Thanks for this one, take care 🎉❤
This album has so many hidden treasures. Other examples: “Show Don’t Tell”, “The Pass”, “War Paint”, or “Anagram (For Mongo)”.
Available Light is also a hidden gem that I kinda ignored for years.
I love this song; the lyrics especially, but also the slowdown in the 'I'm not one to believe in magic' part. There is also a good live version of this from the Time Machine tour in 2011.
Great summer of ‘89 album!Great memories!
Ghost of a chance is the other song you were referring to where Neil talks about not believing in astrology, religion, or supernatural phenomena. Free will also touches upon this and Mystic Rhythms. I think it’s something that Neil was fascinated in as far as other cultures beliefs, and he tried to leave a window into expressing that some things are unknowable. Another theme from Neil‘s writing also permeates this I believe which is the realities of a traveling musicians, life, and the choices you have to make with your personal relationships. As he talks about taking off on the plane, looking out over the homes and wondering what someone else is doing. That kind of life puts pressures on people and forces them to make compromises which I imagine would be amazingly difficult at times. At least that’s what I’m reading between The lines is being reflected here as it is also mentioned in other Rush songs. cheers!
Thanks for the background. I like Neil more now.
He picked the theme back up in Faithless on the Snakes and Arrows album and BU2B on Clockwork Angels. The philosophical nature of the lyrics is what drew me to become a Rush fan.
“Totem” from Test for Echo has this song’s vibes. 😎 and it’s another great record 🤘
Neil was a master percussionist and lyrist. I agree with you that Neil was one of the best at playing percussion with emotion. I think the fact that he wrote the lyrics helped him accent and amplify the emotion of the song..
Great song from 1989… Some have said the songs meaning is about seeing the things in the world you wish you could magically fix or change.
Great reaction and review. Long live the mighty RUSH! 👊🏻
Great reaction, Jessie!
This song is one of Geddy’s best as a vocalist and has always struck me as a song that should receive more credit.
This whole album deserves lot more credit.
80's era Rush rules. All Rush eras are fire, but as far as conveying the lyrics through the music with pure atmosphere, nothing beats 80's era RUSH. I call it the goosebump era.
This is a beautiful song and it does sound magical.
These lyrics are a bit more cryptic. Flying away to go on tour thinking about his family and already missing them.
More heat than light, he is more passionate and emotional than he seems at times. Second sight, I do think Neil did get visions of the future at times.
Lovely reaction.
Cheers
The focus on the music or the lyrics are why Rush songs are so good to listen to again and again, you will hear things you missed the first time.
This song always makes me happy 😊
I've always loves the production on this song and album. Thanks!😊
Thanks for reacting to this, its one of my favorite Rush songs. Neil was such a great lyricist, he was able to write about issues that were personal to him, but he didnt make it all about himself, he was able to write in such a way to make it universal so anyone could relate to it. That being said, this song I think is one of the most difficult to pin down concerning its meaning. For me, it fits into the entire albums discussion of trying to distinguish between reality and illusion, especially in the present but also how the past may be distorted by our present biases. I think this song speaks to the real authentic spiritual magic of life and our relationships, but also about not confusing the "real" magic with the "fake" magic that gets conjured up. You mentioned you found it difficult to follow along with the lyrics while trying to process the music at the same time. That is something that I will forever miss - buying a new Rush album, putting it on, opening the album jacket, and reading the lyrics while listening for the first time, processing it all....and those were truly magical times
The way I've always listened to Rush since 1981 is pay attention to the music first - then dive into the lyrics
My son was also born in 1989.... Thanks for putting my perception of you into sobering perspective!
Three lines in this song...
"I had a dream of the open water
I was swimming away out to sea
So deep I could never touch bottom"
Neil on several songs throughout Rush's lifespan refers to swimming away from the shore and not feeling bottom. This stems from a childhood incident he had where he was swimming to a platform in the middle of a lake. When the water got above his head he couldn't stay afloat to breath. One of his friends jumped in and saved him. Neil remained in contact with this friend through the years.
thank you so much for sharing this with me
I've often mentioned that childhood incident as a part of the backstory on 'Limelight,' but I never really thought of the lyrics here also relating to it; thank you for sharing.
@@lindaward5376 I'm getting older and my memory keeps slipping. Things I could recall with no effort can no longer be grasped no matter the effort. I believe Neil makes reference to not feeling bottom on a Counterparts song along with one or two others. Geez, I just heard the song less than two weeks ago. Maybe it was a Clockwork Angels song. I don't know.
I only heard this story about him after he died. Apparently some other kids thought what was happening was funny & refused to help, so his friend had to step in. It went part of the way to explaining why Neil didn't trust strangers & was quite the introvert.
BTW, you got a sub & a dono. Love your "Hello Kitty" calendar too.
By the way, your channel is great! The observations are keen and the depth of your analysis is awesome. Even as a longtime fan of Rush and knowing this song well, you've provided some new aspects to consider.
1994 Niel said as I was listening to the radio, as I remember, he said he uses his drum patterns like how he uses his words. so maybe that's why u hear his expression and annunciation ect., to make the drums be spirited to say the least. always a good tune for the right mood, have a blessed day take care
He also started out on piano I gather. Makes sense in hindsight.
@@kevinmcfarlane2752 thankyou I didn't know that. have a happy holiday day well wishes to u and yours
I radiate more heat than light. Metaphors for having a warm heart more than being enlightening. Neil in his infinite lyrical grace when he was properly both warm and enlightening.
Hmmm, I always read this to mean he radiates more anger than wisdom…🤔 Thoughts?
@@MJS-ONit means whatever you want it to mean man.
I took that line to simply mean he has more passion than answers...
Presto,
Amazing.
I'm so happy for You to find RUSH.
It's a life long love.
It has been for me.
Try Limelight. (studio) .
Or Available Light.
Thanks again. I'm so happy to see this reaction.
Yes, please do Available Light next!!
Such an underrated album by both fans and non-fans alike. This is one of my favorites. The songs have such a great sound and each have an awesome message for all of us. Having been a fan as an 11 year old wearing out his older sister's copy of Moving Pictures when it came out, Presto was one of the few albums I loved on the first listen through. The other was Hemispheres.....
It was underrated by me at the time but in recent years my evaluation improved. That happens with me sometimes. 🙂
I think this song is sometimes underrated.
The album has a lot of sleeper tracks. My favorite is Superconductor.
Agree
The reason it's underated is because it's one of Rush's cheeezier songs. 1000 more Rush songs better...like "BU2B" off Clockwork Angels album.
Many rush songs are underrated, too many to count.
Sending you good vibes.
beautifully romantic song about ..love in its purest form and what it would say to humanity if it was in human form
Hi 'Flowers', another great video my friend. Presto is another one of RUSH' SUPERB ABSOLUTE TREMENDOUS MASTERPIECE songwriting: words & music. This beautiful song is even better in performance during the Time Machine tour. If you're still reading, I think the song you were referring to was Ghost of a Chance. That song would come on their next collection, ROLL THE BONES in 1991.
I really REALLY think you will love "Turn The Page" from their Hold Your Fire album that was released just a couple of years before the Presto album. The studio version is 🔥🔥🔥
I have heard many interpretations of this song and they're all right as far as I'm concerned. This includes yours Jessie. I always thought this was a song about one going back and seeing mistakes they have made knowing you cannot go back to fix them. However the purpose of the song is to recognize we all have made irreparable mistakes and Neil is simply empathizing with others. Just knowing you're not alone is therapeutic.
This is an amazing album!
I have a rare interview with Geddy from this time where he says the song is about the unexplainable "magic" of things/situations and how we shouldn't try to explain everything, just enjoy the moment for what it is!
It is always more than that❤ Greetsiel from germany
It’s not just an underrated song but an underrated album. It’s the 13th studio album and a departure from the synth sound and more singer, guitar based. Some love it some hate it.
Magic is not imaginary. A seed contains all the information it needs to turn into a tree when it joins to the earth. That is real magic. That we are made of star dust is more than just a poetic thought. “The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.” - Carl Sagan..... Back to the track... I most certainly agree that Neil Peart knows how to drum with feeling. He was the Sleep Token drummer I think? Maybe different lyrics would be easier to read while you listen. Finally, for me, the "second sight" is called the edit button. I need it all the time.💓
All of remasters of Rush are not changes in content musically or lyrically, it's a process of going back to the original master recordings, which are very high resolution, but are analog recordings, so there is background "noise" even so, but far better than the final tape, cd or vinyl records could achieve back in the day.
Todays vinyl is even far superior due to improved media and transfer techniques if one gets the high quality vinyl records that are much thicker with deeper grooves, or even double LP's where one record is stretched over two, doubling gap area between grooves allowing for more dynamic range without noise bleed-over between grooves, as well as modern digital media that is cleaner, higher fidelity and dynamic range. So they use the original master reel-to-reel analog tapes and are able to transfer a "higher definition" audio and they can also clean up or filter out any analog background hiss or static when transferred to consumer level media, digital or physical, of today. So you can get "remasters" from recording decades ago that are as good as something recorded with high definition audio standards of today, or at least much closer to today's quality.
In other words, what you hear from remasters is merely a sound quality that is far better and a simile might be like listening to music with a couple of cheap PC speakers compared to HQ headphones costing hundreds of dollars.
"Radiate more heat than light" might be, "I get more angry than happy".
The Pass on this album is the best song from this album…. In my opinion… great review
I believe Geddy agrees with you. He said it was one of his favorites (from their entire catalog) when introducing The Pass before playing it for one of the shows they filmed on that tour.
Ghost of a chance my dear
😊😎
While your listening to this album please check out Scars, one of my favs from this album. 😊 Ghost Of A Chance
For another relationship song, a sort of opposite of Ghost of a Chance, is Cold Fire off of Counterparts. I'm sure you'll dig that. 🙂
Magic is only Natural Science that we just don't understand yet. If you were to go back in time a thousand years with all your modern gadgets you would have appeared to be a Magician. But yes Magic can also be contained within Emotions like Love, and what is Love really but Electrical and Chemical reactions within 2 lovers bodies, reactions brought about by just being close to someone who you fancy. So Love is Magic. And Magic is Science, and ALL of it is really all the same ONE thing.
You’re probably thinking of Ghost of a Chance 😎
Also, I think the narrator is saying essentially, I don't have all the answers, I'm more angry than gracious, I'm not your role model, I'm still figuring out life, but I could be wrong
i think the other song you are thinking of is GHOST OF A CHANCE
Ok sweetheart I'm going to educate you pull up Rush Hemispheres and listen to the whole album
Damn, you’re 35 years old? Would have thought early twenties at most.
You're 35 ? I figured early 20s . . .
These are the embarrassing ugggh years for Rush.