Man, I am shocked I don't see more comments about your ability to just pick up a bass and play the lines after just hearing them. That's an amazing ability.
80's is the synth era of Rush. Geddy plays keys and bass. If the song calls for bass and keys at the same time, the less complicated line will be played on foot pedals live. Example, if the keys are musically complicated, Geddy may play a simple bass line on the foot pedals. Hope you react to Digital Man, just love that bass line
This is 80's Rush when they were in their synth/new wave pop era. As you delve into their catalog, you will notice different phases. The following song on this album "Analog kid" has some of the most melodic bass lines you will hear, and it's played while Geddy is singing. You will love it.
This song showcases Neil’s abilities as a lyricist as much as his drumming. This song spoke to me in my teens and cemented me in being a massive Rush fan.
As addressed in the handful of documentaries made about Rush, they never appealed to mainstream music critics, especially including Rolling Stone Magazine. Instead, they had to build their fan base one show at a time, especially given how little airplay their complex (and frequently long) songs received. Rush accordingly attracted the type of fans who - themselves - felt like outcasts, never part of the in-crowd. This song - which appeared on the band's 9th of 19 studio albums, Signals - spoke directly to people who felt as though they were different from the popular crowd and/or rebelled against a cookie-cutter future envisaged for them by their families (and by society at large). I was 14 years old when this song was released, in 1982. I lived in a suburban city located 60 miles west of Toronto, in a new subdivision. I felt just as I described above. I would come to embrace my less conventional self and thrive in my chosen profession thanks, at least in part, to the neurodiversity that prevented me from "fitting in" in primary and secondary schools. But I wasn't 'there' yet in 1982, when this song was released. Upon first hearing, it spoke to me like no other music ever had. It made me a lifelong fan. It still does, over four decades later.
My earliest years were in the inner city, low income neighborhood. My father was a bus driver and my mother stayed home. When i was 8, we moved from the city to a suburb in So Cal. This song was written for me and my generation. All the houses looked similar, there was no culture as I knew it, and the closest movie theater was 30 minutes away. We were 30 miles from the city, and it took my father 30 minutes to get to work the first year. By the 5th year, after hundreds of homes were built, he left at 4:30 am to miss the 2 hour drive and then would take a nap for an hour once he arrived. The suburb I moved into was less than 15,000 and is now 200,000. Growing up there, you were either in the in-crowd or an outsider. Each group of houses was in a subdivision and as a youth we were subdivided into groups that thought the same, dressed the same, spoke the same etc...
Neil Peart writes all the lyrics and Geddy Lee plays both the bass and keys at the same time using the foot pedals.Luv your reactions Church please review Malignant Narcissism live from there Snakes & Arrows tour.You will get to see Neil Peart drummer solo. Best drummer ever.RIP Neil Peart. Concentrate on the incredible music that this 3 man band produces. You can always do lyrics later.Neil has great lyrics. Church they only made 19 Albums.😮
Just to be fair, Alex and Neil had their triggers/pedals too. We even saw Alex on the keys during the Clockwork Angels Tour. So, while Geddy played the lion's share of the synth parts, I think it's fair to say that they formed a cohesive, orchestral unit, contributing as necessary to get the job done every night.
Neil wrote the lyrics, but all 3 of the them were nerdy/ misfit kids. Neil in the more traditional - marches to the beat of his own drummer- way (sorry, couldn't resist 😁). While Geddy and Alex were kids of WWII European refugees who were caught between 'old country' and 'new world' cultures. Geddy, especially, had it rough. His family was Jewish, (had survived the concentration camps) and they faced a lot of prejudice.
The drummer, Neil Peart, writes 95% of the lyrics. He is an author, poet, and one of the best drummers ever. Geddy Lee sings, plays bass, and keys. Watching him live switch from bass to synth or he might play peddle synths is amazing. Rush's albums stretched from 1974 to 2012. This is from 1983... I guess early middle. A better description would be post progressive and the beginning of the synth era.
I'm not sure how long this has been out, but to answer a couple of your questions, Geddy Lee is the lead singer and also plays bass and keyboards. Neil Peart, the drummer while he was still with us, wrote most of their lyrics. I'm not a big fan of drum solos, but a solo he did in a concert in Lyon is nothing short of a masterpiece and show why I belive he is the best drummer ever.
Geddy Lee : Keyboads, Bass Guitar, Main Singer Real name : Gary Lee Weinrib (Jewish heritage) His parents met in a nazi concentration camp when they were kids. Alex Lifeson : Main Guitarist Real name Aleksandar Živojinović (Serbian heritage) Neil Peart : Drum, Percusion, Composer, Lyricist Real Name : Neil Ellwood Peart
It's also a play on words in how you are subdivided into cliques or groups in High School which can cause the alienation that is discussed. Later in the song, after people move into the city and sell their dreams for small desires, and as they mature they start to long for the quaint notions of the suburb life that they rejected in their youth, so the song comes full circle...Poetry.
Subdivisions (1982) was conceived right after their seminal Moving Pictures album, and began a journey to integrate more synth to reflect the times/music trends of early 80’s, so this was 10 yrs into the career. Inspiring testimonies of your youth and wonderful parents- God bless you all🙏 Couple suggestions for you that will rivet you to your chair: 1- Limelight, from Moving Pictures, but their live version remastered here: m.ua-cam.com/video/_15-8d-XvrA/v-deo.html 2- Red Barchetta also from Moving Pictures (proper pronunciation “bar-ketta”, which means “little boat” in Italian, this live version from their R30 tour (30yr anniversary!). m.ua-cam.com/video/rMPdKmyYg9Q/v-deo.html&pp=ygUbcnVhaCByZWQgYmFyY2hldHRhIHIzMCB0b3Vy Both are top shelf, gold standard Rush songs. You’ll see their energy and talents didn’t miss a step as they aged, and I believe they actually improved! Crazy guitar solo in Limelight(Alex’s fav!), and yup, more harmonics to begin and end Red Barchetta, while Geddy RIPS the bass. The hair on my back raises every time I listen to these, and I get sense of melancholy (good sadness) from their musical approach, and of course because of the nostalgia. Was too young to see the exit stage left show(‘81, my hometown, Montreal!), but I did see R30 in Montreal and Ottawa shows. Stellar performances! Enjoy brother Church Boy and may ye be, ever blessed!
💯 I love reaction channels, but I strongly dislike when a reactor will choose a live version of a song for their first time ever hearing it. The studio version is almost always the version the band wants the song to be remembered by. Live sound is in my opinion far inferior to studio sound. Live, you're at the mercy of the acoustics of the room and of the sound guy who may work for the venue, not the band. Also, most live versions that I see are of the band after they've played the song a thousand times and that passion just isn't still there like when the song was new.
Neil was a philosopher and it really comes out in his lyric writing. This song is a reflection of what he observed. For the time period of the 80's this song really reflects how most of us felt no matter where we lived and that makes it resonate.
This song meant a lot to teenagers at the time. It really spoke to a lot of people who were at the margins of the high school cliques. This was the first song that Alex and Geddy really argued about. RUSH were moving more toward synthesizers and shorter songs and Alex found he couldn't hear his guitar in the mix. Alex had to really change how he played to find that space. You will probably notice that if you dive into their earlier discography.
I've been a musician since I was 8, started playing guitar at 13 and Rush has been an influence on me since 1978. For me it's the time signature changes that triggers my dopamine and Rush in that aspect delivers. In this song they keep switching from 7/8 to 4/4. I can't wait to see you react to one of Power Windows album's song more precisely to Manhattan Project. Alex guitar play on that album is massive in my opinion.
Even more than most Rush songs, the drums just drive this song, to me, they are almost the main melodic line even more than the synths with how Neils inserts phrasing into each section instead of just playing a beat that Alex and Geddy can play over..
CB, buddy, I think you're ripe for their entire discography, chronologically. Four songs per week and you should be done in a year. 90% bangers, 9% good, 1% bad. Rush album, Finding My Way... And don't look back. 🎉🍁🔥❤️🇨🇦
Going into the city to escape the boredom of living in the subdivision. Neil's lyrics always carried a lot of weight and could apply to many aspects of life. Another good one is Limelight where the lyrics are almost autobiographical of his difficulties in dealing with fame and recognition
Studio versions like this should be reviewed first, then the live ones. With the exception of Xanadu. Check out the live version of this from Exit Stage Left tour. This is the best live performance of any band. IMO and many others. Geddy Lee on Bass, synths, Vocals and Pedals. And watching them perform this is just awe inspiring! I know you already reviewed a live version of this, but it’s not the same. At least review it on your own. You’ll be doing yourself a favor.
Now that you have reviewed a small number of Rush songs (La Villa Strangiato, YYZ, Tom Sawyer, Working Man, Witch Hunt, Xanadu, Natural Science, Leave That Thing Alone, and Spirit of the Radio), I would like your next reaction to be to "Freewill" and, in particular, I'd like you to comment on the complexity and quality of Rush's compositions (time signature changes, repeating musical themes, etc.) and Neil's deeply-philosophical lyrics. I personally think their works from 1974 through 1983 were the greatest outpouring of creativity of any rock band. For me, the men of Rush were the Mozarts of modern rock music.
This has to be one of my favorite synth era Rush songs. This song is about their childhood growing up in the suburbs of Toronto and how the cookie cutter, conformist way of life lacks any sense of inspiration. Geddy plays bass, synths, and sings, all at the same time. Geddy is the man!
Clean and dirty bass is Geddy switching from keyboards to bass. Marathon live in Cleveland showcases it magnificently, along with the usual dexterity of all three. Oh, and you get more than one key!
Yesss pleeease, Church Boy… Marathon live, but I’m partial to the version from their live album “A Show Of Hands” in 1989, which has incredible video footage.
Churchboy is still missing most of RUSH's Greatest song. Please do the studio versions of all of these songs. Closer To The Heart, Fly By Night, Working Man, The Trees, Lakeside Park, Limelight, Bastille Day, 2 1 1 2 , Red Barchetta, Passage To Bangkok
There was actually a lot of tension within the band, Geddy and Alex specifically, over the dominance keys and synths were used in the albums during this time. Alex felt the guitar was being placed on the back burner while Geddy lobbied for the keys and synths. All I care about is they worked through it and continued to amaze us for decades more....
A couple of weeks ago you commented on the power of music to make one cry. If you want a Rush song that’ll make you cry listen to The Garden live. It was Neil Peart’s final song.
This is the song that intrigued me to the point I went down the Rush music rabbit hole, just recently. (I was a child of the '80s, so I like their keyboard era. I also like how Geddy's voice mellowed and matured during that era). Anyway, you may want to watch the music video that goes with this song, because it does a great job telling the story in the visual sense. (Geddy sings, plays bass and also plays keyboards). As for the lyrics, I feel like this song likely resonated with teenagers in the '80s, who felt misunderstood.
AHHhhhh... "Subdivisions" by RUSH!!! Firstly, THANK YOU for doin' THIS PARTICULAR TRACK!!! Geddy Lee is the one who is doing the synthesizer/keyboard track work while playing the bass/foot-pedals AND SINGING (Jesus, HE IS MULTITASKING SOOOO MUCH). Alex is the one doing the background vocals (Subdivisions part)... & Neil is... being NEIL PEART... THE GREATEST DRUMMER OF ALL TIME!!!! Check out their catalog of hits songs, OR RUSH'S documentary on UA-cam (RUSH: BEYOND THE LIGHTED STAGE) for more information on the band, their origin story, their influences, etc. By the way, I subscribed AGAIN. I look forward to many more reactions from your channel in the future!!!! Peace, Love, & Liberty. MIC DROP 🎤.
To answer your question, this album was released after Moving Pictures. Your comparison of the projects to the hood is spot on. I grew up in a hood on the outskirts of Houston in the 70s and 80s. A suburb is an intentional (usually affluent) community that is an escape from the city. The outskirts are just kind of where they stopped building. Regarding your comments on the mindset of those communities -- yes, it took me probably 20 years to shed the baggage that I'd been brainwashed with. Now that i have, I've never felt happier, freer, or more confident. I don't remember hearing this song till I was an adult, but I instantly identified with every single syllable of these lyrics.
Another great Rush reaction. Thank you for doing these. If you want to hear some killer bass listen to Freewill studio version. The jam section is insane 👍
Geddy is playing keys. The Signals album followed Moving Pictures. I'm really enjoying your discovery of Rush; it takes me back to when I discovered them in high school.
You should see how Neil tunes his drums in Frankfurt, (all 30 of them). No joke, he is surrounded with 2 kits - electric and standard. 🔥🔥🔥 Thanks for sharing a part of your life with us!. That's love. ✌
They're talking about not fitting in. Not being part of the "cool" kids. Most of us felt like that as we were teenagers trying to find our way through the teenage years.
Tuned drums, yes 100% and these guys spent more time on sound quality than most and it shows. As a drummer (back in the day of course) I wouldn't buy a pair of drum sticks unless I could 'tune them' in matched pairs from music shops. Very simple process but first they have to be exactly straight (roll them on glass to check) then proceed to 'tune them.' Hold one drumstick at a time between thumb and forefinger roughly about 4" from the butt end and at the tapered shank flick it with your finger. The stick must be by your ear to hear the tone. A matched pair are a third of an octave from one another. Higher pitch (heavier/more dense) for right hand (if right handed) and the other (lighter/less dense) for left hand. They last longer too. Kind of hilarious but my nephew took up drumming many years ago and for Christmas one year I bought him 3 pair. His Dad, my younger brother... Sat there grinning from ear to ear (he played drums too as well as our older brother) but seeing his son get these from his uncle was priceless. My nephew heard about this (technique) but hadn't been accustomed to it at the time so when he opened the package he was beaming. I also wood burned his name on each of them. Just like we did it in the old days about 40 years ago. Why? Because it matters. Great review again!! Love to hear stories that relate to how our souls are what they are.
Neil the drummer is also the Lyricist conceptual mind behind theme of albums this song was a personal journey as teen growing up in the mundane life in suburbia and captured this in words at some point everyone can related truly one of his traits was being monster musician but connecting with audience in life experiences
This song really resonated with me as an outcast youth growing up in the suburbs of Toronto. Definitely not the projects! The main theme was feeling isolated and trapped and just wanting to break free of the societal structure. I’d ride my bike for hours in the woodland ravines and out of town to find a spot to just watch nature. Fall asleep to Rush songs soothing my crazy ADHD brain. Self-expression through art and creative endeavours become an outlet for me, until I had kids and then had to conform to feed my family. Computer work. 😑 Not the struggles of the projects, but I think anyone’s biggest challenge feels the same inside when, in their youth, they have no world context to see, though trapped, how privileged they were in their gilded prison - I did get to visit Chicago on a school trip and we rode the locked, never-stop busses through the projects - an eye-opener for sure…
I'm of the opinion that Neil Peart repeats not a single fill in this song. He was so good. And the sentiment of this song is truly real. Nice analog keys on this as well. That's a big part of why the keys sound so good. I'm sure Peart is pushing the tempo at times also. He really drives this thing into orbit as the song progresses. I'm probably exaggerating, but Peart kept it all interesting, that's for sure.
Neil always uses themes and repeats them with increased "flair" as the song progresses. I believe to create more tension and give their songs a feeling that "more is coming". Their songs usually build like a crescendo
it's from their 1982 album Signals the 9th out of 19 studio album... My suggestion song to you, The garden from the Clockwork Angels Tour... the last song of the last album... a beautiful message about the essence of life... where they portrait our life as a garden that we nurture
This is about living in a suburb in an aeea that was planned. I lived in a suburb, but it founded as a beach town was before the grids and homogeneous designs of 70s-90s towns. There is usually very little to do there. If you don't fit in, you get excluded and possibly bullied. They were outsiders being nerdy musicians. The official video explains both the lyrics abd you see how they play the song. One tinyvdetail in the video is that they are playing ti the studio track, but at one point you see Geddy switch from bass to keys and he quickly reaches his right hand back to mute the strings. He would need to do that live, but it isn't necessary here. 1982. Their 8th studio album.
This is from the Album Signals from 1982. Geddy Lee is lead vocals bass and keyboards. If you watch a live video,both Alex(guitars) and Geddy have bass pedals to augment the bass when the keyboards are used...\
This was the first release off signals and the opening synthetic riff said it all. A new era for rush was born. Purest cringed, open minded listened to what Neil did with the song and as he built the rythyms and patterns from the sublime simple to an uncontrollable fevered pitch at the end as only he could do, collectively we knew we were gonna be ok! It had the MTV style video. Ushered in millions of new fans and here you are keeping it alive. Awesome.
Rush's lyrical progression (almost all Neil), was a little atypical. They started being driven by more sci-fi, fantasy and philosophical themes. It wasn't until the Mid-80's where Neil finally pivoted to more auto-biographical themes for their songs..
If you notice the 7/4 has a different feeling as normal. It's actually a poly signature. It's actually written 4/4 3/4, 4/4 3/4, and you can feel the slight drag in the 3/4 once you count it that way. If you listen to the Red Bruschetta interview with Neil, he explains why he enjoys writing in poly signatures because he is an entertainer and if he plays simple signatures he doesn't feel like he's entertaining.
This is a great song about identity and youth aspirations. Wanting to break free from what is expected of you to live the life you want to live but then also the curse of getting that reward and wishing you are back on your comfortable habitat . Listen to the entirety of their last album “ clockwork angels” because the entire concept album is the story of a young man who does just that. It is a great magnum opus swan song and to me, their best album ever.
IIRC, this song was written about Neil’s teenage daughter. She was struggling in the suburban world she was living in, and he was commenting on it. Their earlier work was more fictional and grandiose. Sadly, she was killed in a car wreck several years later. This song was powerful for me, because it came out during my first year of high school. I also grew up in the suburbs, and it felt like he wrote the song about me and my world. It’s definitely not harder than living in the hood or the projects, but nobody knows that until they get out. It’s all they’ve ever known and it’s oppressive for some.
THIS WAS WHEN RUSH CHANGED WITH THE 80'S , MORE SYNTH ADDED BY GEDDY , THIS IS WHERE I STARTED LOSING INTEREST WITH THE BAND.... IT'S LIKE NEW WAVE GOT BIG AROUND THIS TIME AND THEY WENT FROM PROG ROCK MONSTERS TO NEW WAVE PROG. THEY CUT THERE HAIR AND SHOULD HAVE STAYED ON THE PATH THEY WERE ON.... YOU'VE SEEN A FEW VIDEO'S 2 , 2 LIVE WHERE GEDDY PLAYS THE KEYBOARDS.. WHO DO YOU THINK???? TO MUCH KEYS FOR MY TASTE...CHECKOUT CIRCUMSTANCES OFF THE RUSH ALBUM HEMISPHERES , THANKS FOR THE JOURNEY... LOVE IT AND PLEASE STAY ON THIS PATH.
@@bf5175 Exactly, WTF-OVER! Especially when they're not even a real true die-hard RUSH fan in the first place. So, no matter how loud they wanna yell I wouldn't listen to any "Fly By Night" fan who's only "In The Mood" when it suites them. As far as I'm concerned people like that are in "The Twilight Zone" "Driven" by a "Malignant Narcissism," right? Just saying... Blah,ha!! 😂🤣 +Peace & Rock n' Roll 4 Your Soul My Friend+ 🤘😜🤘
I absolutely love your Rush reactions Brother! I'll watch every one you put out. I first saw Rush in 1978 and saw every tour after that, and was at their final show. 53 shows in total.... Their music helped ironically enough lead me to Jesus.... Prayers up ❤️🙏
Great reaction! I am really enjoying your comments and interpretation as well as how you personlly relate what you heard to your life. This song is from the signals album which I think came out in 1982. Their musical style evolved a lot over time and had many different influences. Rush songs from different eras can almost sound like they are from a different band but there is always a certain flavor and musicality that makes their music unmistakably Rush. Neil Peart writes the lyrics. He is extermemy well read and self educated.
Great seeing how a newbie Rush fan reacts to songs spanning 5 decades of brilliance by 3 GOATs....!!!! I bought my first Rickenbacker in 1984 to "try" to sound like Geddy, still struggling 40 years later...!!! Time to kick it up a notch, time for "Headlong Flight" off of their final, and some would argue, best album "Clockwork Angels". I was lucky enough to see them live 79 times, but you have to listen to the Studio Version of Headlong Flight to really hear Geddy's brilliance, enjoy.. ua-cam.com/video/EA-yqCCbTF4/v-deo.html
Church Boy, loving your reaction to Rush. Great message of your upbringing your parents did a great job. Rush has some of the greatest songs and lyrically & musically. Mission, Freewill, Closer to the Heart, Anthem, Freewill, Jacob's Ladder, Limelight, Grand Design, Middletown Dreams, Territories, Witch Hunt, Enemy Within, Entre Nous, Between the Wheels & Big Money.
Man, I am shocked I don't see more comments about your ability to just pick up a bass and play the lines after just hearing them. That's an amazing ability.
He’s got an excellent ear, and I would say perfect pitch to be able to call out the key they’re in.
It’s cool to see someone who really knows music appreciate them. I mean how can you not?
Hear Hear, I thought the same thing.....
Agreed!
Kinda like Justin Panariello. If you’re a Rush fan, you’ve probably seen him. Great to watch musicians react to Rush.
80's is the synth era of Rush. Geddy plays keys and bass. If the song calls for bass and keys at the same time, the less complicated line will be played on foot pedals live. Example, if the keys are musically complicated, Geddy may play a simple bass line on the foot pedals. Hope you react to Digital Man, just love that bass line
Came here to say this.
Also Alex plays foot pedals live as well.
@@leemiracle6840 Not to mention his huge pedal board.
This is 80's Rush when they were in their synth/new wave pop era. As you delve into their catalog, you will notice different phases.
The following song on this album "Analog kid" has some of the most melodic bass lines you will hear, and it's played while Geddy is singing. You will love it.
A band that was able to reinvent themselves over and over without alienating any of their fans.
RUSH WORLDS GREATEST 3 PIECE ORCHESTRA🥁🎸🎸🎙🎶🎵🎼
R.I.P.NEIL PEART YOU ARE MISSED RUSH ON😊
This song showcases Neil’s abilities as a lyricist as much as his drumming. This song spoke to me in my teens and cemented me in being a massive Rush fan.
Your parents raised you in the projects AND got College educated? Bravo to them!
As addressed in the handful of documentaries made about Rush, they never appealed to mainstream music critics, especially including Rolling Stone Magazine. Instead, they had to build their fan base one show at a time, especially given how little airplay their complex (and frequently long) songs received. Rush accordingly attracted the type of fans who - themselves - felt like outcasts, never part of the in-crowd. This song - which appeared on the band's 9th of 19 studio albums, Signals - spoke directly to people who felt as though they were different from the popular crowd and/or rebelled against a cookie-cutter future envisaged for them by their families (and by society at large).
I was 14 years old when this song was released, in 1982. I lived in a suburban city located 60 miles west of Toronto, in a new subdivision. I felt just as I described above. I would come to embrace my less conventional self and thrive in my chosen profession thanks, at least in part, to the neurodiversity that prevented me from "fitting in" in primary and secondary schools. But I wasn't 'there' yet in 1982, when this song was released. Upon first hearing, it spoke to me like no other music ever had. It made me a lifelong fan. It still does, over four decades later.
I love how Rush earned the title "biggest cult band in the world".
My earliest years were in the inner city, low income neighborhood. My father was a bus driver and my mother stayed home. When i was 8, we moved from the city to a suburb in So Cal. This song was written for me and my generation.
All the houses looked similar, there was no culture as I knew it, and the closest movie theater was 30 minutes away. We were 30 miles from the city, and it took my father 30 minutes to get to work the first year. By the 5th year, after hundreds of homes were built, he left at 4:30 am to miss the 2 hour drive and then would take a nap for an hour once he arrived. The suburb I moved into was less than 15,000 and is now 200,000.
Growing up there, you were either in the in-crowd or an outsider. Each group of houses was in a subdivision and as a youth we were subdivided into groups that thought the same, dressed the same, spoke the same etc...
You can never go wrong with a Rush drum solo.
Literal 'Housing Subdivisions' and also the Societal Subdivisions we fall into - 'cliques'. Jocks, Nerds, etc.
Yes--it has a double meaning. I always loved that about the song, and sometimes I even think of this as I drive through the suburbs.
@@proudmoon3 À double entente, bien sûr!
Neil Peart writes all the lyrics and Geddy Lee plays both the bass and keys at the same time using the foot pedals.Luv your reactions Church please review Malignant Narcissism live from there Snakes & Arrows tour.You will get to see Neil Peart drummer solo.
Best drummer ever.RIP Neil Peart.
Concentrate on the incredible music that this 3 man band produces. You can always do lyrics later.Neil has great lyrics.
Church they only made 19 Albums.😮
Just to be fair, Alex and Neil had their triggers/pedals too. We even saw Alex on the keys during the Clockwork Angels Tour. So, while Geddy played the lion's share of the synth parts, I think it's fair to say that they formed a cohesive, orchestral unit, contributing as necessary to get the job done every night.
Neil wrote the lyrics, but all 3 of the them were nerdy/ misfit kids. Neil in the more traditional - marches to the beat of his own drummer- way (sorry, couldn't resist 😁).
While Geddy and Alex were kids of WWII European refugees who were caught between 'old country' and 'new world' cultures. Geddy, especially, had it rough. His family was Jewish, (had survived the concentration camps) and they faced a lot of prejudice.
The drummer, Neil Peart, writes 95% of the lyrics. He is an author, poet, and one of the best drummers ever. Geddy Lee sings, plays bass, and keys. Watching him live switch from bass to synth or he might play peddle synths is amazing.
Rush's albums stretched from 1974 to 2012. This is from 1983... I guess early middle. A better description would be post progressive and the beginning of the synth era.
Neil writes all the lyrics. He was an avid reader and put as much into words as he did with his drum parts.
I'm not sure how long this has been out, but to answer a couple of your questions, Geddy Lee is the lead singer and also plays bass and keyboards. Neil Peart, the drummer while he was still with us, wrote most of their lyrics. I'm not a big fan of drum solos, but a solo he did in a concert in Lyon is nothing short of a masterpiece and show why I belive he is the best drummer ever.
Geddy Lee plays all the keys as well as the bass. Neil Peart writes all the lyrics.
Geddy Lee : Keyboads, Bass Guitar, Main Singer
Real name : Gary Lee Weinrib (Jewish heritage) His parents met in a nazi concentration camp when they were kids.
Alex Lifeson : Main Guitarist
Real name Aleksandar Živojinović (Serbian heritage)
Neil Peart : Drum, Percusion, Composer, Lyricist
Real Name : Neil Ellwood Peart
It's also a play on words in how you are subdivided into cliques or groups in High School which can cause the alienation that is discussed. Later in the song, after people move into the city and sell their dreams for small desires, and as they mature they start to long for the quaint notions of the suburb life that they rejected in their youth, so the song comes full circle...Poetry.
Subdivisions (1982) was conceived right after their seminal Moving Pictures album, and began a journey to integrate more synth to reflect the times/music trends of early 80’s, so this was 10 yrs into the career.
Inspiring testimonies of your youth and wonderful parents- God bless you all🙏
Couple suggestions for you that will rivet you to your chair:
1- Limelight, from Moving Pictures, but their live version remastered here:
m.ua-cam.com/video/_15-8d-XvrA/v-deo.html
2- Red Barchetta also from Moving Pictures (proper pronunciation “bar-ketta”, which means “little boat” in Italian, this live version from their R30 tour (30yr anniversary!).
m.ua-cam.com/video/rMPdKmyYg9Q/v-deo.html&pp=ygUbcnVhaCByZWQgYmFyY2hldHRhIHIzMCB0b3Vy
Both are top shelf, gold standard Rush songs. You’ll see their energy and talents didn’t miss a step as they aged, and I believe they actually improved!
Crazy guitar solo in Limelight(Alex’s fav!), and yup, more harmonics to begin and end Red Barchetta, while Geddy RIPS the bass. The hair on my back raises every time I listen to these, and I get sense of melancholy (good sadness) from their musical approach, and of course because of the nostalgia.
Was too young to see the exit stage left show(‘81, my hometown, Montreal!), but I did see R30 in Montreal and Ottawa shows. Stellar performances!
Enjoy brother Church Boy and may ye be, ever blessed!
YESSSS! My favorite Rush song. Glad he’s not doing a live version.
💯 I love reaction channels, but I strongly dislike when a reactor will choose a live version of a song for their first time ever hearing it. The studio version is almost always the version the band wants the song to be remembered by.
Live sound is in my opinion far inferior to studio sound. Live, you're at the mercy of the acoustics of the room and of the sound guy who may work for the venue, not the band. Also, most live versions that I see are of the band after they've played the song a thousand times and that passion just isn't still there like when the song was new.
Neil was a philosopher and it really comes out in his lyric writing. This song is a reflection of what he observed. For the time period of the 80's this song really reflects how most of us felt no matter where we lived and that makes it resonate.
To me the drum and cymbal sound is the greatest on this record. The way they recorded them is fantastic. The toms are so resonant
I like your dad. You were blessed.
👍🙏
The best gift a dad can give to his kids is to truly believe in the concept of self-determinism.
Your family testimony is inspiring. Your parents did you right. Good people there.
This song meant a lot to teenagers at the time. It really spoke to a lot of people who were at the margins of the high school cliques. This was the first song that Alex and Geddy really argued about. RUSH were moving more toward synthesizers and shorter songs and Alex found he couldn't hear his guitar in the mix. Alex had to really change how he played to find that space. You will probably notice that if you dive into their earlier discography.
All the guys in Rush grew up in the suburbs and All of them felt like they never fit in. They all quit high school early to play music.
The "CLEAN BASS" is bass pedals. The "DIRTY BASS" is his bass guitar.
I've been a musician since I was 8, started playing guitar at 13 and Rush has been an influence on me since 1978. For me it's the time signature changes that triggers my dopamine and Rush in that aspect delivers. In this song they keep switching from 7/8 to 4/4. I can't wait to see you react to one of Power Windows album's song more precisely to Manhattan Project. Alex guitar play on that album is massive in my opinion.
Even more than most Rush songs, the drums just drive this song, to me, they are almost the main melodic line even more than the synths with how Neils inserts phrasing into each section instead of just playing a beat that Alex and Geddy can play over..
I was also born in the projects, when I was ten, we moved out, at nineteen Rush became my favorite group.
CB, buddy, I think you're ripe for their entire discography, chronologically. Four songs per week and you should be done in a year. 90% bangers, 9% good, 1% bad.
Rush album, Finding My Way... And don't look back. 🎉🍁🔥❤️🇨🇦
the video for this song shows the canadian suburbs they came from
I like when people say that they don't know who wrote a song. Neil did all lyrics.
Geddy plays bass, keys, pedal bass, pedal samples
They have a pretty good variety of musical styles over the years, but they always sound like RUSH, aways unmistakable, always unique.
I love that you have the Red, White and Blue flying.
Going into the city to escape the boredom of living in the subdivision. Neil's lyrics always carried a lot of weight and could apply to many aspects of life. Another good one is Limelight where the lyrics are almost autobiographical of his difficulties in dealing with fame and recognition
Studio versions like this should be reviewed first, then the live ones. With the exception of Xanadu. Check out the live version of this from Exit Stage Left tour. This is the best live performance of any band. IMO and many others. Geddy Lee on Bass, synths, Vocals and Pedals. And watching them perform this is just awe inspiring! I know you already reviewed a live version of this, but it’s not the same. At least review it on your own. You’ll be doing yourself a favor.
Agreed. I was not a fan of Xanadu until I discovered the liveversion on UA-cam. Now it's my favorite Rush song.
Agreed.
So much of ESL was “fixed” in the studio though. It’s hard to know what is actually live.
Dude you should definitely check out Neil’s solo from Frankfurt
Now that you have reviewed a small number of Rush songs (La Villa Strangiato, YYZ, Tom Sawyer, Working Man, Witch Hunt, Xanadu, Natural Science, Leave That Thing Alone, and Spirit of the Radio), I would like your next reaction to be to "Freewill" and, in particular, I'd like you to comment on the complexity and quality of Rush's compositions (time signature changes, repeating musical themes, etc.) and Neil's deeply-philosophical lyrics. I personally think their works from 1974 through 1983 were the greatest outpouring of creativity of any rock band. For me, the men of Rush were the Mozarts of modern rock music.
This has to be one of my favorite synth era Rush songs. This song is about their childhood growing up in the suburbs of Toronto and how the cookie cutter, conformist way of life lacks any sense of inspiration. Geddy plays bass, synths, and sings, all at the same time. Geddy is the man!
Clean and dirty bass is Geddy switching from keyboards to bass. Marathon live in Cleveland showcases it magnificently, along with the usual dexterity of all three. Oh, and you get more than one key!
Yesss pleeease, Church Boy… Marathon live, but I’m partial to the version from their live album “A Show Of Hands” in 1989, which has incredible video footage.
I was a freshman in high school when this song was released, and I felt like the lyrics were written with me specifically in mind.
Churchboy is still missing most of RUSH's Greatest song. Please do the studio versions of all of these songs.
Closer To The Heart, Fly By Night, Working Man, The Trees, Lakeside Park, Limelight, Bastille Day, 2 1 1 2 , Red Barchetta, Passage To Bangkok
I agree, but with the exception of Xanadu live from exit stage left.
Jacob’s ladder too.
WOW,........ really?? Limelight, 2112 'Graphic', W.man .... OK. not really the rest.
You may as well copy paste their entire discography lol it’s pretty much all golden.
@@scottlaughlin9897ha, I was just typing the same response
You have a good ear for their little details 😁
There was actually a lot of tension within the band, Geddy and Alex specifically, over the dominance keys and synths were used in the albums during this time. Alex felt the guitar was being placed on the back burner while Geddy lobbied for the keys and synths. All I care about is they worked through it and continued to amaze us for decades more....
A couple of weeks ago you commented on the power of music to make one cry. If you want a Rush song that’ll make you cry listen to The Garden live. It was Neil Peart’s final song.
This is the song that intrigued me to the point I went down the Rush music rabbit hole, just recently. (I was a child of the '80s, so I like their keyboard era. I also like how Geddy's voice mellowed and matured during that era). Anyway, you may want to watch the music video that goes with this song, because it does a great job telling the story in the visual sense. (Geddy sings, plays bass and also plays keyboards). As for the lyrics, I feel like this song likely resonated with teenagers in the '80s, who felt misunderstood.
AHHhhhh... "Subdivisions" by RUSH!!! Firstly, THANK YOU for doin' THIS PARTICULAR TRACK!!! Geddy Lee is the one who is doing the synthesizer/keyboard track work while playing the bass/foot-pedals AND SINGING (Jesus, HE IS MULTITASKING SOOOO MUCH). Alex is the one doing the background vocals (Subdivisions part)... & Neil is... being NEIL PEART... THE GREATEST DRUMMER OF ALL TIME!!!! Check out their catalog of hits songs, OR RUSH'S documentary on UA-cam (RUSH: BEYOND THE LIGHTED STAGE) for more information on the band, their origin story, their influences, etc. By the way, I subscribed AGAIN. I look forward to many more reactions from your channel in the future!!!! Peace, Love, & Liberty. MIC DROP 🎤.
Actually, the Subdivisions line is Neil, but they made Alex do it for the video.
When Geddy plays keyboards he is using Taurus pedals for the bass. The dirty bass is him actually playing bass.
Good call.
I'm always amazed at your excellent ear and ability to immediately replicate the tune.
Geddy..sings, bass, keyboards..and childhood friends with alex on guitar. And of course the awesome Neil
To answer your question, this album was released after Moving Pictures.
Your comparison of the projects to the hood is spot on. I grew up in a hood on the outskirts of Houston in the 70s and 80s. A suburb is an intentional (usually affluent) community that is an escape from the city. The outskirts are just kind of where they stopped building. Regarding your comments on the mindset of those communities -- yes, it took me probably 20 years to shed the baggage that I'd been brainwashed with. Now that i have, I've never felt happier, freer, or more confident.
I don't remember hearing this song till I was an adult, but I instantly identified with every single syllable of these lyrics.
You have just started very deep rabbit hole of songs you never get to hear on the Radio, Try Natural Science studio version next
Another great Rush reaction. Thank you for doing these. If you want to hear some killer bass listen to Freewill studio version. The jam section is insane 👍
Geddy is playing keys. The Signals album followed Moving Pictures. I'm really enjoying your discovery of Rush; it takes me back to when I discovered them in high school.
You should see how Neil tunes his drums in Frankfurt, (all 30 of them). No joke, he is surrounded with 2 kits - electric and standard. 🔥🔥🔥
Thanks for sharing a part of your life with us!. That's love. ✌
They're talking about not fitting in. Not being part of the "cool" kids. Most of us felt like that as we were teenagers trying to find our way through the teenage years.
Tuned drums, yes 100% and these guys spent more time on sound quality than most and it shows.
As a drummer (back in the day of course) I wouldn't buy a pair of drum sticks unless I could 'tune them' in matched pairs from music shops. Very simple process but first they have to be exactly straight (roll them on glass to check) then proceed to 'tune them.' Hold one drumstick at a time between thumb and forefinger roughly about 4" from the butt end and at the tapered shank flick it with your finger. The stick must be by your ear to hear the tone. A matched pair are a third of an octave from one another. Higher pitch (heavier/more dense) for right hand (if right handed) and the other (lighter/less dense) for left hand.
They last longer too.
Kind of hilarious but my nephew took up drumming many years ago and for Christmas one year I bought him 3 pair. His Dad, my younger brother... Sat there grinning from ear to ear (he played drums too as well as our older brother) but seeing his son get these from his uncle was priceless. My nephew heard about this (technique) but hadn't been accustomed to it at the time so when he opened the package he was beaming. I also wood burned his name on each of them.
Just like we did it in the old days about 40 years ago. Why? Because it matters.
Great review again!! Love to hear stories that relate to how our souls are what they are.
Neil the drummer is also the Lyricist conceptual mind behind theme of albums this song was a personal journey as teen growing up in the mundane life in suburbia and captured this in words at some point everyone can related truly one of his traits was being monster musician but connecting with audience in life experiences
This song really resonated with me as an outcast youth growing up in the suburbs of Toronto. Definitely not the projects! The main theme was feeling isolated and trapped and just wanting to break free of the societal structure. I’d ride my bike for hours in the woodland ravines and out of town to find a spot to just watch nature. Fall asleep to Rush songs soothing my crazy ADHD brain. Self-expression through art and creative endeavours become an outlet for me, until I had kids and then had to conform to feed my family. Computer work. 😑 Not the struggles of the projects, but I think anyone’s biggest challenge feels the same inside when, in their youth, they have no world context to see, though trapped, how privileged they were in their gilded prison - I did get to visit Chicago on a school trip and we rode the locked, never-stop busses through the projects - an eye-opener for sure…
Love how fellow musicians really appreciate the craftmanship of the Triumphant Trio, RUSH. RIP Professor!
This song was about Neil growing up in the suburbs being constantly picked on and bullied for not being “cool” and being a nerd.
I'm of the opinion that Neil Peart repeats not a single fill in this song. He was so good. And the sentiment of this song is truly real. Nice analog keys on this as well. That's a big part of why the keys sound so good. I'm sure Peart is pushing the tempo at times also. He really drives this thing into orbit as the song progresses. I'm probably exaggerating, but Peart kept it all interesting, that's for sure.
Neil always uses themes and repeats them with increased "flair" as the song progresses. I believe to create more tension and give their songs a feeling that "more is coming". Their songs usually build like a crescendo
it's from their 1982 album Signals the 9th out of 19 studio album... My suggestion song to you, The garden from the Clockwork Angels Tour... the last song of the last album... a beautiful message about the essence of life... where they portrait our life as a garden that we nurture
This is about living in a suburb in an aeea that was planned. I lived in a suburb, but it founded as a beach town was before the grids and homogeneous designs of 70s-90s towns. There is usually very little to do there. If you don't fit in, you get excluded and possibly bullied. They were outsiders being nerdy musicians.
The official video explains both the lyrics abd you see how they play the song. One tinyvdetail in the video is that they are playing ti the studio track, but at one point you see Geddy switch from bass to keys and he quickly reaches his right hand back to mute the strings. He would need to do that live, but it isn't necessary here.
1982. Their 8th studio album.
This is from the Album Signals from 1982. Geddy Lee is lead vocals bass and keyboards. If you watch a live video,both Alex(guitars) and Geddy have bass pedals to augment the bass when the keyboards are used...\
Thank you!!!!!!! This is one of my favorite RUSH songs!!!!
This was the first release off signals and the opening synthetic riff said it all. A new era for rush was born. Purest cringed, open minded listened to what Neil did with the song and as he built the rythyms and patterns from the sublime simple to an uncontrollable fevered pitch at the end as only he could do, collectively we knew we were gonna be ok! It had the MTV style video. Ushered in millions of new fans and here you are keeping it alive. Awesome.
Some of Neil Peart's most iconic drumming.
There's a great video of the guy who prepped Neil's drums. It's fascinating.
Your father was right and kudos to him for telling you that.
Neil would have been very pleased that his lyrics made you reflect that is all a writer can ask for
You get it!!! Welcome to the RUSH rabbit hole! Check out the live 81" Xanadu. You can really SEE them do their thing. Enjoy!!
THIS!!!!!!
Rush's lyrical progression (almost all Neil), was a little atypical. They started being driven by more sci-fi, fantasy and philosophical themes. It wasn't until the Mid-80's where Neil finally pivoted to more auto-biographical themes for their songs..
Music is one of Gods gift.
Geddy plays keys, bass, foot pedals, and sings. This song is from 1981.
1982.🙂
@@Stevedrums741 thank you. Hard to keep all the dates straight.
You, sir, are awesome. So understanding and empathetic And an astute musician. Love that you love Rush. 🇨🇦
The music video really gives the lyrics context. Geddy is playing the keys.😊
If you notice the 7/4 has a different feeling as normal. It's actually a poly signature. It's actually written 4/4 3/4, 4/4 3/4, and you can feel the slight drag in the 3/4 once you count it that way. If you listen to the Red Bruschetta interview with Neil, he explains why he enjoys writing in poly signatures because he is an entertainer and if he plays simple signatures he doesn't feel like he's entertaining.
Signals from which this song comes is album number 8 released in 1982 after the first album was released in 1974
The official music video for this is very descriptive for the answers you’re looking for.
This is a great song about identity and youth aspirations. Wanting to break free from what is expected of you to live the life you want to live but then also the curse of getting that reward and wishing you are back on your comfortable habitat . Listen to the entirety of their last album “ clockwork angels” because the entire concept album is the story of a young man who does just that. It is a great magnum opus swan song and to me, their best album ever.
IIRC, this song was written about Neil’s teenage daughter. She was struggling in the suburban world she was living in, and he was commenting on it. Their earlier work was more fictional and grandiose.
Sadly, she was killed in a car wreck several years later.
This song was powerful for me, because it came out during my first year of high school. I also grew up in the suburbs, and it felt like he wrote the song about me and my world.
It’s definitely not harder than living in the hood or the projects, but nobody knows that until they get out. It’s all they’ve ever known and it’s oppressive for some.
Not about her at all. She wasn't even in school yet when this song was released.
It was his experience - in fact, all of theirs.
@@incensejunkie7516 Hmm. I wonder where I got that? I've thought that since my youth. Ah well, wrong again... it happens.
My favorite song all time from my favorite band all time. 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
Time to listen to Roll the Bones. I think you'd like the "experimentation" it brings to the Rush experience.
Great reaction & reflection on the song. Rush are great musicians but Your parents are GOATS.
THIS WAS WHEN RUSH CHANGED WITH THE 80'S , MORE SYNTH ADDED BY GEDDY , THIS IS WHERE I STARTED LOSING INTEREST WITH THE BAND.... IT'S LIKE NEW WAVE GOT BIG AROUND THIS TIME AND THEY WENT FROM PROG ROCK MONSTERS TO NEW WAVE PROG. THEY CUT THERE HAIR AND SHOULD HAVE STAYED ON THE PATH THEY WERE ON.... YOU'VE SEEN A FEW VIDEO'S 2
, 2 LIVE WHERE GEDDY PLAYS THE KEYBOARDS.. WHO DO YOU THINK???? TO MUCH KEYS FOR MY TASTE...CHECKOUT CIRCUMSTANCES OFF THE RUSH ALBUM HEMISPHERES , THANKS FOR THE JOURNEY... LOVE IT AND PLEASE STAY ON THIS PATH.
Don't type in all caps dude. It makes you seem like a narcissist who think their words are more important than other people's.
@@bf5175 Exactly, WTF-OVER! Especially when they're not even a real true die-hard RUSH fan in the first place. So, no matter how loud they wanna yell I wouldn't listen to any "Fly By Night" fan who's only "In The Mood" when it suites them. As far as I'm concerned people like that are in "The Twilight Zone" "Driven" by a "Malignant Narcissism," right? Just saying... Blah,ha!! 😂🤣 +Peace & Rock n' Roll 4 Your Soul My Friend+ 🤘😜🤘
Love that you've become such a Rush fan from a musicians perspective. I'm really curious how you'll react to Tool.
I absolutely love your Rush reactions Brother! I'll watch every one you put out. I first saw Rush in 1978 and saw every tour after that, and was at their final show. 53 shows in total.... Their music helped ironically enough lead me to Jesus.... Prayers up ❤️🙏
Your dad sounds like a great man. Your solid upbringing comes across on your channel. Keep it up!
Neil wrote the lyrics, although Geddy would sometimes change some lyrics to fit it with the music.
Great reaction! I am really enjoying your comments and interpretation as well as how you personlly relate what you heard to your life. This song is from the signals album which I think came out in 1982. Their musical style evolved a lot over time and had many different influences. Rush songs from different eras can almost sound like they are from a different band but there is always a certain flavor and musicality that makes their music unmistakably Rush. Neil Peart writes the lyrics. He is extermemy well read and self educated.
Your dad sounds like a good man. You know another song that you may like is roll the bones.
Great seeing how a newbie Rush fan reacts to songs spanning 5 decades of brilliance by 3 GOATs....!!!! I bought my first Rickenbacker in 1984 to "try" to sound like Geddy, still struggling 40 years later...!!! Time to kick it up a notch, time for "Headlong Flight" off of their final, and some would argue, best album "Clockwork Angels". I was lucky enough to see them live 79 times, but you have to listen to the Studio Version of Headlong Flight to really hear Geddy's brilliance, enjoy.. ua-cam.com/video/EA-yqCCbTF4/v-deo.html
This album is after Moving Pictures, 1982.
Neil had a full-time drum tech that would actually sit on stage during the concert so that he can make tuning changes on the fly
Great story about your family. Good parents there.
Geddy is singing about his experience of life when he was a teen....
Your dad was awesome!
Church Boy, loving your reaction to Rush. Great message of your upbringing your parents did a great job. Rush has some of the greatest songs and lyrically & musically. Mission, Freewill, Closer to the Heart, Anthem, Freewill, Jacob's Ladder, Limelight, Grand Design, Middletown Dreams, Territories, Witch Hunt, Enemy Within, Entre Nous, Between the Wheels & Big Money.
You are now RUSH ARMY. Welcome brother.