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4:52 - I love how Rush lets the keyboard backing track and the guitar play for a few seconds after the guitar solo also like in Available Light too! Cool
I watched the video of this song shortly after Neil passed and the final shot of Neil as the song faded out was haunting and sad....R.I.P. Neil..we all miss you...
A song that can resonate with anyone who has endured a loss. Yes, the synths and guitar are very much in sync on this album. But I do think Alex elevated himself to a new level on this album. He was always great at shredding and atmospheric effects and melody and rhythm (both jack and master of all trades), but here you see him substituting a lot of chord work in place of shredding during his leads. This pops up a lot in later albums too. He's starting to show that he has as much interest in fuller sounds as he does in blistering leads. I think Signals gave them the experience they needed to make this album. It doesn't sound like a change of direction for them like Signals did, it sounds more natural, like they always did this style of music.
The analog techniques Geddy is referring to are not playing techniques but programming techniques. Things like attack-decay-sustain-release parameters, filter sweeps, etc… Digital keyboards like the DX7 (which I believe had just been released around the same time) used different parameters to program with that were a bit counter-intuitive.
One of Geddy’s jobs in the group was to oversee the final mixing of their albums. Mixing an album is like making a cake. You might want to add more chocolate, but it will make it too sweet. There is only so much room for sweetness in a recipe. I think the analog synths that he had been using (OBX, Moog,etc) would just take a big block of the sound up and he couldn’t use as much of them as he would’ve liked to. When the PPG Wave synth came along, it was a much more subtle and dynamic sounding keyboard, which allowed him to use more synth sounds without filling up a giant section of the soundscape. As many have mentioned, including Justin, that point is up to interpretation. Geddy was still a young guy when this came out and was still being influenced by the new music of the time, which was synth heavy. Maybe it would’ve been better for him to explore a synth heavy album as a solo project. I don’t know.
Alex has spoken at length about the fight for sonic territory as 80’s developed and the keys gradually took over. He struggled to weave his way through which is also why his playing evolved as you have also noted. But that’s the story of this band: searching, questioning, discarding, growing. Fascinating journey.
The official beginning of the electronic drums era. In addition to pads, Neil triggered sounds with his left foot while also playing a complex hi-hat pattern. The coordination required to this was absolutely insane for the time. Nobody in rock was doing this sort of thing yet.
Neil wasn’t using pedal triggers yet. He and then-drum tech Larry Allen created a tiny Simmons-esque pad he mounted between his 12" and 13" closed toms to trigger sounds. You can see it in one of his highly prized Zildjian posters: i.pinimg.com/originals/09/2a/95/092a9572e292e6b7552ebe6e8b25436a.jpg
I was never a really big fan of this song for years, but the day that Neil died the opening lyric immediately popped into my head. “Suddenly you were gone from all the lives you left your mark upon.” Indeed.
Signals synths: like canola oil - heavy and visually murky; oozing across the foundation. GUP synths: like water - sits up higher and definitely clearer. Add Neil's balsamic beats and mix well.
As per Wikipedia: The track was dedicated to Robbie Whelan, a friend of the band who worked as an assistant engineer on some of Rush's earlier albums, most notably Moving Pictures and Signals, who was killed in an automobile accident in 1983. The song deals with the loss of a friend and the emotional aftermath that follows.
I still don't care much for this song. Like I've said in previous comments, this is the start of an era where, for the first time, I didn't like every song on their albums. But, here and there, they still managed to come up with some GREAT ones!
This song and Losing it hits on so many levels with the band and what Neil went through. A harbinger or foreshadowing of what was yet to come. It's just weird that Neil wrote these songs before his personal tragedies happened and also towards the end when his body could not stand touring anymore.
It had nothing to do with what was to come, was about something that already happened, one of their buddies that worked at Le Studio died in a car crash, this song was about him !
@@kevindohn6776 I already know that. He still wrote it and it would also affect him again in the future. Same thing with losing it..that was also him being affected. Both songs were about someone else or a state of being. They both became an all encompassing reality for him later on. HE became those songs.
I think Afterimage has quickly grown on me as one of my top favs from Grace Under Pressure. I think of Neil all the time when I listen to this song. Partly to the music video when we see him do his drum solo. RIP Neil Peart. The greatest Canadian drummer I’ve ever heard of.
This is a great song. Probably just need to hear it a few more times. Red Sector A also a great song with powerful lyrics. Thanks for the reaction, Justin!
I think the thing is that Alex’s guitar sound is also much glassier than on past records, and combined with the sparkling synth sounds it gives the album a very different feel. That becomes more pronounced on Power Windows.
Justin, I think you nailed the review, from a "looking in the rearview mirror" perspective. Interesting enough, Grace Under Pressure was the first Rush album that I got into. I was 16 at the time and wasn't really a "70's rocker" type. I liked Talking Heads, The Police Duran Duran and more of the New Wave bands, so I would've never found Rush, if they had just kept making Moving Pictures over and over. Later, I did get into their older albums, but this one bridged the gap for me. Also, I get the feeling (at least during this time of Rush) that Geddy might have been the more dominate in the group, as far as their direction and he was really into keyboards in the early 80's. Alex wasn't, and it's obvious from some of the interviews that I've read that he wasn't particularly happy with where the guitar sat on Grace Under Pressure, Hold Your Fire and a couple more.
RIP Neil Peart. This song got a lot of play after his death. I gravitate to this song whenever I'm remembering those who have passed. Their impressions live on in my memory and in all those whom they have touched.
Good analogy Justin, as I said in a early comment to me it's a wall of sound which was great live, there are some cool imaginative videos they also did on this album. Geds synths ppg wave 2, Roland juno 8, Tr 808, Oberheim obxA. I still have all the tour books 🤣
I couldn't listen to this song for over a year after Neil's death because of the first line - Suddenly you were gone, from all the lives you left your mark upon. It is in my top 5 All Time RUSH songs
That's my favorite album in the last 5 years. I wasn't I huge fan in the 80's. I was more into permanent wave but now I really appreciate and understand a lot better the melodic and electronic ish sound of this album. And afterimage is one of my favorite musics
Love the lyrics but wasn’t a huge fan of this song at first but it grew on me and love it now. Kid Gloves, Body Electric, Red Lenses and Between the wheels are my favorites on this album.
Yup, the guitar and keyboards are definitely one. Well said. It's what I was trying to express in the comments for the previous video. They created an ultra-dense, bulletproof wall of sound on this album. I thought it was an interesting change even back then. I don't recall being repelled by it in the least even though it was such a massive departure from the previous album. The other thing, again, is that the lyrics are SO raw and direct (they are about a friend of Neil's - a sound engineer for the band - who died in a car accident while P/G was being recorded) and the simplicity and repetition of the words and phrases used really captures that state of grief/shock within someone is who is unable to process a catastrophe which makes so little sense to him. I love that you dug into the info on the keyboard sounds. They really shaped the character of this entire album. Oh, and if you missed Alex on this tune, he'll be back and in fine style.
As soon as you said I can't hear Alex, he plays a riff opposite of the keyboards. I like the wall of sound approach with keys and lead guitar together. Then Alex gives us one of his most soulful guitar solos. To me, it brings emotions of anger and sorrow. Emotions that are hard to express verbally when dealing with the death of a close friend or family member. My eyes water up every time I hear this song. RIP Neil Peart!
I can't listen to this song today without getting a bit misty, it means that much. I got this album on release day. It's probably the most overlooked Rush song, thanks for taking a look at it. Miss you Neil!
Check out the music video for this one. It hits different and eerie with Neil's passing. The other music videos for this album are worth watching for comedy reasons, FYI.
Love the razor edge sounding guitar on this and its blend with synths which kind of serves the way a second guitar might. My description of this album is white hot.
I realize that you've already heard "Red Sector A" as I type this, but it's never too late for some info about the song. Geddy's parents were both Holocaust survivors (I think Alex' parents might have had brushes with the Nazis, too) and the song paints the bleak picture of that human experience, where there is both hope and hopelessness, fight and submission, physical pain, anger and devastating loss. The mood and tempo of the song really drive home the emotional highs and lows for me, and I wonder if other listeners feel that also. As a side trivia note: The title comes from the V.I.P. area at Cape Canaveral where they watched the Columbia shuttle launch. I can see Neil at the launch noting the sign and jotting it down in his always-at-hand journal for possible later use. Perhaps he used the launch site name for the prison area in the song as a subtle irony about human nature: on one end of the spectrum, we're exploring, innovating, learning and creating. On the other end, we cruelly imprison, dehumanize, torture and murder. It would not be unlike Neil to think that way.
Analog: warm, Digital: cold. That about sums up the tonality of the synths, but it is a bit of an oversimplification. Keep in mind that back then, it wasn’t just about hitting keys and playing the keyboards, but it was also about programming the sounds and exploring the range of possibilities within the new technology as it came along. There was an avalanche of technological progress with synths back during the 80’s that slowed down dramatically thereafter, and then MIDI opened up new avenues thereafter as well.
There are several parts of this track where Alex is playing against or over top of the keys. I think you are right for the opening verse. But in the pre-chorus, chorus, bridge and following verses (where the staccato eighth note part comes in) the guitar is well-balanced or out front. For me, Subdivisions is a song where the guitar is totally lost. In that sense, Geddy's comparison of keyboard qualities and textures and how the guitars interact with them is spot on. I am guessing the impact of that opening statement is what you remember most after one listen. As always, more listens will reveal new things.
I actually think the interplay between Alex's guitar and Geddy's synth playing is what makes this song so strong (particularly in Alex's approach)...and what they came up with really fits well with the lyrics. I don't think Alex's guitar was lost here at all.
The idea that one of Rock's best bass players was not playing bass probably turned off a lot of fans..especially those balking at the synth-heavy era Rush. I however love this track. The vocal-guitar call and response in the chorus. The chord heavy solo... Alex being one of the few that can turn a rhythm guitar part into a solo. Plus the emotion and the expression of loss. That high note Alex strikes at the end has such a cry in it.
Looking at you rock out, I think it will grow on you. This all-chords solo is amazing and somehow intuitive to play. Precise selective strumming gives the same chord many melodic flavors especially over a drone bass. The interlude... 30 seconds of a 2 chord vamp I could listen to all day.
I know this song is about a specific friend of the bands. I lost my mom this last January and made the mistake of listening to this song. The line, "I tried to believe but you know it's no good/this is something that just can't be understood" I cried my eyes out. Even this video, I have a lump in my throat and can't watch the rest of this video...
You nailed it!! I LOSE ALEX, during the synth era. That’s why it doesn’t appeal to me as much! I really enjoyed picking out each instrument and listening. I have a harder time doing that from here thru the late 80’s, so I just checked out until the 90’s when they kinda return to their bass, drum and guitar roots. Be well and God bless.. from Texas!!
This is the album Geddy switched to the Steinberger headless bass. I think Alex went to a Strat from his mostly Gibson legacy sound and Neil began incorporating electronic drum pads as part of his kit. There's a lot of emotion in this song if you ever watch the music video, written about the recent and raw loss of a friend.
I believe that this is the first album where Neil used eDrums. They haven't figured prominently yet, but they will in the upcoming song (as you have already heard). Like so many other drummers of the times, Neil got some of the classic Simmons hex pads, which he also used on the tour. While they might seem primitive by today's standards, they still have a classic look, and some really good drummers in the 80s managed to do some pretty impressive things with them (perhaps one of the most notable being Bill Bruford in King Crimson, Anderson-Bruford-Wakeman-Howe, and Yes). Although I like these two songs, I think that the best songs on this album are yet to come--especially Red Sector A, The Body Electric, Kid Gloves, and Red Lenses. All that said, in some ways, for me, this album is to Power Windows (the next album) the way Caress of Steel was to 2112.
Geddy used both a PPG and analog synths in this and other songs on P/G. The PPG has the more bell like tones that are more transparent. The synth that was overwhelming the guitar was probably the oberheim and taurus pedals. They share the same tonal range as the guitar. This particular song has tons of synth though... so I generally agree with your assessment.
I think after prog-ing out10 years Rush wanted to do something different but of the time. (80's) So a lot more synths and spacious guitar. This period sounds like U2 or Big Country influenced. This was my introduction to Rush and then I checked out their earlier stuff. This is so 80's but still I love it because the compositions are great.
This was many years before that loss. Those losses came between Test For Echo and Vapour Trails. The “you” in this song was a friend, and the lyrics are still quite poignant and personal.
I was always confused why Alex like this album better than signals. He talked like Signals had no guitar and this was a straight rock album when it is actually more keyboard sounding. Whatever as his work on both albums is still insanely good. I should know it if it has a name since my son is addicted to guitar and bass.....whatever it is called, the way Alex plays a lot of the solos on this album, like here in Afterimage, sounds so good to me. More chord based solos rather than a million individual notes. He has a few on this record.
I was really listening to The Fixx in the early-mid eighties and Moving Pictures was okay, but I didn’t like much of Signals at all on first listening, but Grace Under Pressure arrived perfectly in synch with my musical taste at the time.
I do like this song alot but it took me a few listens. Yeah, everything is so bright and shiny including Alex's guitar so much so you can't tell the difference that much between the guitar and synth and that I don't like.
This whole album seems to have a have a darker tone to it, more personal than other records but still awesome nonetheless, afterimage is my favourite off this album.
Though I wasn't a big fan after my first listen, I grew to love this track and is now one of my all time favourites. Think Alex's guitar work on it is really strong, and for me stands out as a big feature of the track (likewise with Between the Wheels)
Justin, I think most Rush fans would agree with you (and Alex) that the mix of the keyboards and guitar are more enmeshed on GUP than on previous albums. As a matter of fact, this period of Rush caused some "infighting" between Geddy and Alex for the next several records that was finally (partially) resolved by the 'Presto' album (1989). Does that mean Alex is kind of "lost" for a few years? Yes and no. He has his moments in the studio, however, where Lerxst shines is in concert. "Afterimage" continues with the MTV era because it's more of a video single. Here's the link: ua-cam.com/video/aalJT3GS_m8/v-deo.html
Yes, the synth sound is different, and better imho than Signals. But listen back closely to the guitar sound - it’s quite different too. It’s very, very “wet & edgy” and cuts through the synth in a way it didn’t on Signals; Subdivisions for example. Alex changed everything from Signals to GUP looking for a way to give the guitar a better place in the mix; and personally I think he nailed it. Yes, he can match the synth perhaps but in a way where the guitar edginess sits out or on-top of the synth and you can hear it’s cracklings and fade - it just sounds “moist” to me; like the sound is dripping out of the amp. He used highly customized Fenders (Hentors lol) with G&K (Gallian Krueger (sp?)) amps for this and the next record or two. And when he solos it leaps out so crisp and sharp - we all thought it was very very dramatic and cool 😎 at the time. And I still like it. Plus this is a great track - one of their most emotional as it was about the loss of a friend recording engineer.
IMO Moving Pictures and Permanent waves were the pinnacle of Rush albums. I was not a big fan of synth heavy songs. I just wish they would have stayed with the guitar rock formula for one more album. Lol That being said my favorite songs from GUP are Red Sector A Enemy within and Between the Wheels with beautiful Alex solo.😁
Alex really came to hate the synth era. I'm not a musician per se, but with Geddy doing keyboards and bass, he sort of co-opted one of Alex's jobs as the synths kind of became the "rhythm guitar" of these songs often leaving Alex in the background just playing a single riff over and over until his solos.
I like this one a lot, but I couldn't really tell you why - there are a lot of things that I generally don't like in other songs that somehow just work here. Shame I'm not a musician, I might be able to figure it out. Perhaps I just like shiny!
When you get to Red Sector A... lyrics. MUST have lyrics. That song is all about the lyrics. The music is phenomenal, but the images and story being relayed will bash you across the face if you don't catch on to them soon enough.
I use to like this album, but it doesn't hold up well. The record before this, "Signals", and the one after this, "Power Windows", are superior records. The best song on this album, IMO, is "The enemy within". It has that galloping Geddy Lee bass line in it that always works well for him. The absence of Terry Brown on this record is very prevalent.
I appreciate a lot of people's love for this album but I can't share that love. Next to Test For Echo this is my least favourite Rush album. A combination of being too keyboardy and none of the songs grabbing onto me like most of the songs on Power Windows. I'll check back in a week when you start reviewing that album. Cheers!
This is a top 10 Rush song for me, and it's the first Rush song I listened to after learning of Neil's passing. (FYI, the music on your reaction is coming through muddy and low end heavy...)
The conflict they ran into was when utilizing the latest synth tech they didn’t leave enough room for Alex to have an equal voice musically. He became much more of a rhythm player and the synths filled his normal space. To me the synths were too prominent and they started to sound like a lot of the 80’s bands that weren’t as musically talented, and they lost a segment of their fan base as a result, including their long time producer Terry Brown.
Yes, the synth difference between 'Signals' and 'Grace Under Pressure' is the switch from analog to digital ones (except for the Moog Taurus pedals). Which had also happened in the music of the band Saga around the same time, who also are Canadian; Their keys player Jim 'Happy' Gilmour had actually been PPG's distributor for Canada (while that company was German, if I remember correctly). And not to forget: MIDI had just been introduced at that time, too! By the way, there seems to be something wrong with this song's audio!? ... I'm just being an arse, sorry! 😄 😉
you're not wrong. This is my biggest regret in doing Rush's discography, especially since i really love this album. I didn't know/realize that the files I used were so terrible quality... I swear it didn't sound that bad when I was listening to it, but it came out the other end sounded just terrible. Real injustice. I was on a deadline getting these videos out, I didn't just take the time to redo it and make it right. Again biggest regret cause I ended up loving this album.
@@JustinPanariello - Yes I know, Justin. You were saying that in one of the videos, too. I was just teasing you. For which I feel rather bad now, because it led to you wasting your time on writing your long reply! My apologies, mate! And knowing what went on, I was okay with the bad audio, too. My focus was on your reactions, and "yay" for some cat action, too! 😊 Have a great weekend, you and your Loved Ones! 😀🙌💚☀️🌈🎵🍀🦋🌻
Loosing Alex's sound might have to do with your ears getting older. I find that the high end of the guitar really stands out on this album, the usual dynamic range of "rock" guitar (Red Barchetta) is replaced by piercing crisp single notes and sustained chords that actually sound like the PPG. But I had the advantage of hearing it on tape and vinyl a lot, this album really suffered from CD conversion which is odd considering that it's their first DDD process.
I noticed that yesterday as well. I'm hoping what he's listening to isn't this bad and that it's just what's being broadcast. So much sound is being missed since the GUP review started
yeah sorry I know the sound for this album sucks. idk why. What I listen to sounded GREAT..it was not this bad quality. The same thing happened to my Exit Stage Left videos idk why. Going through the same process I do for all my videos... sucks.
@@zimmyfan617 yeah sorry I know the sound for this album sucks. idk why. What I listen to sounded GREAT..it was not this bad quality. The same thing happened to my Exit Stage Left videos idk why. Going through the same process I do for all my videos... sucks.
@@JustinPanariello It's no big deal as long as what you're hearing and reacting to is the true version. I'd hate to think that the worn out cassette sound was your first impression of the album. Most of us in here have heard these songs thousands of times so the reaction is more entertaining than the audio version that comes across. 👍
This IMO is the best song on the album, songs started to become a bit too choppy. Biggest disappointment on first listen, when it came out was waiting for Alex to solo in the middle section a la The Weapon, and he doesn't.
Afterimage is a good song but is my least favorite on the album. Perhaps it’s not the weakest song on the album, just happens to be my least favorite. Yes, the keys on this album are very different. I don't think Geddy plays any bass on the song. Just a synth bass. I do like the lyrics and the emotional story behind them. Afterimage was only played live on the GUP Tour in 1984 and only played on the first part of the tour. It was replaced by Kid Gloves.
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Thanks for watching my videos! Please SUBSCRIBE to my channel!! I appreciate it!
Check the Description for Amazon Affiliate Links to VINYL/DVDs/Books, Bass gear, Music gear, and other cool products related to this video! If you want to support the channel you can Super Thanks, direct Paypal or Venmo, hit our Mailing Address or our Amazon Wishlists... ALL IN THE DESCRIPTION! Check the description for a link to Camilla's UA-cam channel! Thank you everyone!
"Suddenly, you were gone
From all the lives you left your mark upon"
Afterimage - Rush
RIP Neil Peart. Miss him so much
4:52 - I love how Rush lets the keyboard backing track and the guitar play for a few seconds after the guitar solo also like in Available Light too! Cool
Very emotional 😭 song!!!
Goosebumps every time I listen!!
Probably one of my top 5 Alex solos... I've been waiting for you to get to this one.
One of Rush’s best songs!! So emotional ❤
I watched the video of this song shortly after Neil passed and the final shot of Neil as the song faded out was haunting and sad....R.I.P. Neil..we all miss you...
love this song
A song that can resonate with anyone who has endured a loss. Yes, the synths and guitar are very much in sync on this album. But I do think Alex elevated himself to a new level on this album. He was always great at shredding and atmospheric effects and melody and rhythm (both jack and master of all trades), but here you see him substituting a lot of chord work in place of shredding during his leads. This pops up a lot in later albums too. He's starting to show that he has as much interest in fuller sounds as he does in blistering leads. I think Signals gave them the experience they needed to make this album. It doesn't sound like a change of direction for them like Signals did, it sounds more natural, like they always did this style of music.
The analog techniques Geddy is referring to are not playing techniques but programming techniques. Things like attack-decay-sustain-release parameters, filter sweeps, etc… Digital keyboards like the DX7 (which I believe had just been released around the same time) used different parameters to program with that were a bit counter-intuitive.
One of Geddy’s jobs in the group was to oversee the final mixing of their albums. Mixing an album is like making a cake. You might want to add more chocolate, but it will make it too sweet. There is only so much room for sweetness in a recipe. I think the analog synths that he had been using (OBX, Moog,etc) would just take a big block of the sound up and he couldn’t use as much of them as he would’ve liked to. When the PPG Wave synth came along, it was a much more subtle and dynamic sounding keyboard, which allowed him to use more synth sounds without filling up a giant section of the soundscape. As many have mentioned, including Justin, that point is up to interpretation. Geddy was still a young guy when this came out and was still being influenced by the new music of the time, which was synth heavy. Maybe it would’ve been better for him to explore a synth heavy album as a solo project. I don’t know.
Alex has spoken at length about the fight for sonic territory as 80’s developed and the keys gradually took over. He struggled to weave his way through which is also why his playing evolved as you have also noted. But that’s the story of this band: searching, questioning, discarding, growing. Fascinating journey.
my fev treck in this album is
Between the wheels ;0
ill wait
The official beginning of the electronic drums era. In addition to pads, Neil triggered sounds with his left foot while also playing a complex hi-hat pattern. The coordination required to this was absolutely insane for the time. Nobody in rock was doing this sort of thing yet.
Neil wasn’t using pedal triggers yet. He and then-drum tech Larry Allen created a tiny Simmons-esque pad he mounted between his 12" and 13" closed toms to trigger sounds. You can see it in one of his highly prized Zildjian posters: i.pinimg.com/originals/09/2a/95/092a9572e292e6b7552ebe6e8b25436a.jpg
Yes! Welcome to one of my favorite songs from Rush! First heard it off their Rush Chronicles dvd 🤌🏾(count down to Test for Echo 🕐)
I was never a really big fan of this song for years, but the day that Neil died the opening lyric immediately popped into my head. “Suddenly you were gone from all the lives you left your mark upon.” Indeed.
Signals synths: like canola oil - heavy and visually murky; oozing across the foundation. GUP synths: like water - sits up higher and definitely clearer. Add Neil's balsamic beats and mix well.
As per Wikipedia: The track was dedicated to Robbie Whelan, a friend of the band who worked as an assistant engineer on some of Rush's earlier albums, most notably Moving Pictures and Signals, who was killed in an automobile accident in 1983. The song deals with the loss of a friend and the emotional aftermath that follows.
Oberheim synth is the greatest keyboard made.
One of my favorite Rush songs.
Great video for this song...
I still don't care much for this song. Like I've said in previous comments, this is the start of an era where, for the first time, I didn't like every song on their albums. But, here and there, they still managed to come up with some GREAT ones!
This song and Losing it hits on so many levels with the band and what Neil went through. A harbinger or foreshadowing of what was yet to come. It's just weird that Neil wrote these songs before his personal tragedies happened and also towards the end when his body could not stand touring anymore.
It had nothing to do with what was to come, was about something that already happened, one of their buddies that worked at Le Studio died in a car crash, this song was about him !
@@kevindohn6776 I already know that. He still wrote it and it would also affect him again in the future. Same thing with losing it..that was also him being affected. Both songs were about someone else or a state of being. They both became an all encompassing reality for him later on. HE became those songs.
I think Afterimage has quickly grown on me as one of my top favs from Grace Under Pressure. I think of Neil all the time when I listen to this song. Partly to the music video when we see him do his drum solo. RIP Neil Peart. The greatest Canadian drummer I’ve ever heard of.
This is a great song. Probably just need to hear it a few more times. Red Sector A also a great song with powerful lyrics. Thanks for the reaction, Justin!
I think the thing is that Alex’s guitar sound is also much glassier than on past records, and combined with the sparkling synth sounds it gives the album a very different feel. That becomes more pronounced on Power Windows.
Justin, I think you nailed the review, from a "looking in the rearview mirror" perspective. Interesting enough, Grace Under Pressure was the first Rush album that I got into. I was 16 at the time and wasn't really a "70's rocker" type. I liked Talking Heads, The Police Duran Duran and more of the New Wave bands, so I would've never found Rush, if they had just kept making Moving Pictures over and over. Later, I did get into their older albums, but this one bridged the gap for me. Also, I get the feeling (at least during this time of Rush) that Geddy might have been the more dominate in the group, as far as their direction and he was really into keyboards in the early 80's. Alex wasn't, and it's obvious from some of the interviews that I've read that he wasn't particularly happy with where the guitar sat on Grace Under Pressure, Hold Your Fire and a couple more.
RIP Neil Peart.
This song got a lot of play after his death. I gravitate to this song whenever I'm remembering those who have passed. Their impressions live on in my memory and in all those whom they have touched.
Alex hated the keyboard. he complained of having to look where to go where to play. so he hated keyboards
One of my favorite deep tracks!
Man, really good analysis on this one, Justin! I think another reason the synths sound so different is that the Moog sound is completely gone.
Good analogy Justin, as I said in a early comment to me it's a wall of sound which was great live, there are some cool imaginative videos they also did on this album. Geds synths ppg wave 2, Roland juno 8, Tr 808, Oberheim obxA. I still have all the tour books 🤣
"This just can't be understood" 3:27 and then the intermezzo flying through space
Wait until you hear the synths and keys on Power Windows. They start approaching Disney territory!
PPG Palm Product Gmbh. German company. Made from 1981-1987. There's a Wiki on it.
Suddenly you were gone
From all the lives you left your mark upon
Wow! Memories flooding back. Love it! Where is the Cat that loves Rush?!
I couldn't listen to this song for over a year after Neil's death because of the first line - Suddenly you were gone, from all the lives you left your mark upon. It is in my top 5 All Time RUSH songs
I freaking love this song!
That's my favorite album in the last 5 years. I wasn't I huge fan in the 80's. I was more into permanent wave but now I really appreciate and understand a lot better the melodic and electronic ish sound of this album. And afterimage is one of my favorite musics
This is one of the best, if not the
best album of 1984…
completely different from Signals.
I love this record.
Best song ever.....
Love the lyrics but wasn’t a huge fan of this song at first but it grew on me and love it now. Kid Gloves, Body Electric, Red Lenses and Between the wheels are my favorites on this album.
wow, same.
Between the Wheels is so good that I automatically think of this album when rank top 5 Rush albums in my head. Killer track.
@@raskolqqq There are many really good tracks on GUP but Between the Wheels is clearly the stand-out.
Always loved this song and the video is great too!
Yup, the guitar and keyboards are definitely one. Well said. It's what I was trying to express in the comments for the previous video. They created an ultra-dense, bulletproof wall of sound on this album. I thought it was an interesting change even back then. I don't recall being repelled by it in the least even though it was such a massive departure from the previous album. The other thing, again, is that the lyrics are SO raw and direct (they are about a friend of Neil's - a sound engineer for the band - who died in a car accident while P/G was being recorded) and the simplicity and repetition of the words and phrases used really captures that state of grief/shock within someone is who is unable to process a catastrophe which makes so little sense to him. I love that you dug into the info on the keyboard sounds. They really shaped the character of this entire album. Oh, and if you missed Alex on this tune, he'll be back and in fine style.
The 16? Measures they take setting* up the guitar solo, With atmospheric chord strikes, gets me every time…
As soon as you said I can't hear Alex, he plays a riff opposite of the keyboards. I like the wall of sound approach with keys and lead guitar together. Then Alex gives us one of his most soulful guitar solos. To me, it brings emotions of anger and sorrow. Emotions that are hard to express verbally when dealing with the death of a close friend or family member. My eyes water up every time I hear this song.
RIP Neil Peart!
Another masterpiece!
I can't listen to this song today without getting a bit misty, it means that much. I got this album on release day. It's probably the most overlooked Rush song, thanks for taking a look at it.
Miss you Neil!
Check out the music video for this one. It hits different and eerie with Neil's passing. The other music videos for this album are worth watching for comedy reasons, FYI.
Love the razor edge sounding guitar on this and its blend with synths which kind of serves the way a second guitar might. My description of this album is white hot.
I realize that you've already heard "Red Sector A" as I type this, but it's never too late for some info about the song. Geddy's parents were both Holocaust survivors (I think Alex' parents might have had brushes with the Nazis, too) and the song paints the bleak picture of that human experience, where there is both hope and hopelessness, fight and submission, physical pain, anger and devastating loss. The mood and tempo of the song really drive home the emotional highs and lows for me, and I wonder if other listeners feel that also. As a side trivia note: The title comes from the V.I.P. area at Cape Canaveral where they watched the Columbia shuttle launch. I can see Neil at the launch noting the sign and jotting it down in his always-at-hand journal for possible later use. Perhaps he used the launch site name for the prison area in the song as a subtle irony about human nature: on one end of the spectrum, we're exploring, innovating, learning and creating. On the other end, we cruelly imprison, dehumanize, torture and murder. It would not be unlike Neil to think that way.
The PPG Wave was a wavetable synthesizer from the 80s.
Analog: warm, Digital: cold. That about sums up the tonality of the synths, but it is a bit of an oversimplification. Keep in mind that back then, it wasn’t just about hitting keys and playing the keyboards, but it was also about programming the sounds and exploring the range of possibilities within the new technology as it came along. There was an avalanche of technological progress with synths back during the 80’s that slowed down dramatically thereafter, and then MIDI opened up new avenues thereafter as well.
There are several parts of this track where Alex is playing against or over top of the keys. I think you are right for the opening verse. But in the pre-chorus, chorus, bridge and following verses (where the staccato eighth note part comes in) the guitar is well-balanced or out front. For me, Subdivisions is a song where the guitar is totally lost. In that sense, Geddy's comparison of keyboard qualities and textures and how the guitars interact with them is spot on. I am guessing the impact of that opening statement is what you remember most after one listen. As always, more listens will reveal new things.
I actually think the interplay between Alex's guitar and Geddy's synth playing is what makes this song so strong (particularly in Alex's approach)...and what they came up with really fits well with the lyrics. I don't think Alex's guitar was lost here at all.
The idea that one of Rock's best bass players was not playing bass probably turned off a lot of fans..especially those balking at the synth-heavy era Rush. I however love this track. The vocal-guitar call and response in the chorus. The chord heavy solo... Alex being one of the few that can turn a rhythm guitar part into a solo. Plus the emotion and the expression of loss. That high note Alex strikes at the end has such a cry in it.
Looking at you rock out, I think it will grow on you. This all-chords solo is amazing and somehow intuitive to play. Precise selective strumming gives the same chord many melodic flavors especially over a drone bass. The interlude... 30 seconds of a 2 chord vamp I could listen to all day.
I always liked this song(not loved, just liked). Now it makes me think of Neil who would have been 69 on the 12th of this month.
I know this song is about a specific friend of the bands. I lost my mom this last January and made the mistake of listening to this song. The line, "I tried to believe but you know it's no good/this is something that just can't be understood" I cried my eyes out. Even this video, I have a lump in my throat and can't watch the rest of this video...
You nailed it!! I LOSE ALEX, during the synth era. That’s why it doesn’t appeal to me as much! I really enjoyed picking out each instrument and listening. I have a harder time doing that from here thru the late 80’s, so I just checked out until the 90’s when they kinda return to their bass, drum and guitar roots. Be well and God bless.. from Texas!!
This is the album Geddy switched to the Steinberger headless bass. I think Alex went to a Strat from his mostly Gibson legacy sound and Neil began incorporating electronic drum pads as part of his kit. There's a lot of emotion in this song if you ever watch the music video, written about the recent and raw loss of a friend.
As a teenager, I tried SO hard to like this record. I just couldn't. There are some good moments, but I have to put GuP at the bottom of my list.
I believe that this is the first album where Neil used eDrums. They haven't figured prominently yet, but they will in the upcoming song (as you have already heard). Like so many other drummers of the times, Neil got some of the classic Simmons hex pads, which he also used on the tour. While they might seem primitive by today's standards, they still have a classic look, and some really good drummers in the 80s managed to do some pretty impressive things with them (perhaps one of the most notable being Bill Bruford in King Crimson, Anderson-Bruford-Wakeman-Howe, and Yes).
Although I like these two songs, I think that the best songs on this album are yet to come--especially Red Sector A, The Body Electric, Kid Gloves, and Red Lenses. All that said, in some ways, for me, this album is to Power Windows (the next album) the way Caress of Steel was to 2112.
Geddy used both a PPG and analog synths in this and other songs on P/G. The PPG has the more bell like tones that are more transparent. The synth that was overwhelming the guitar was probably the oberheim and taurus pedals. They share the same tonal range as the guitar. This particular song has tons of synth though... so I generally agree with your assessment.
Alex intentionaly went with a more chord based solos.
He said he was tired, of the play as fast as you can thing.
Great reaction.
I think after prog-ing out10 years Rush wanted to do something different but of the time. (80's) So a lot more synths and spacious guitar. This period sounds like U2 or Big Country influenced. This was my introduction to Rush and then I checked out their earlier stuff. This is so 80's but still I love it because the compositions are great.
The lyrics to this song were especially poignant for the band when Neil lost his daughter and wife in the space of a year.
This was many years before that loss. Those losses came between Test For Echo and Vapour Trails.
The “you” in this song was a friend, and the lyrics are still quite poignant and personal.
@@markmilner842 That doesn't change the fact that the lyrics took on extra significance (see the artwork for Different Stages).
I was always confused why Alex like this album better than signals. He talked like Signals had no guitar and this was a straight rock album when it is actually more keyboard sounding. Whatever as his work on both albums is still insanely good. I should know it if it has a name since my son is addicted to guitar and bass.....whatever it is called, the way Alex plays a lot of the solos on this album, like here in Afterimage, sounds so good to me. More chord based solos rather than a million individual notes. He has a few on this record.
I think it may be a PPG Wave 2.3. Others in Geddy's keyboard list: , Yamaha DX7, Moog Little Phatty Stage II, Roland Fantom-X7
I was really listening to The Fixx in the early-mid eighties and Moving Pictures was okay, but I didn’t like much of Signals at all on first listening, but Grace Under Pressure arrived perfectly in synch with my musical taste at the time.
PPG wave digital synth.
I do like this song alot but it took me a few listens. Yeah, everything is so bright and shiny including Alex's guitar so much so you can't tell the difference that much between the guitar and synth and that I don't like.
This is the one song I immensely enjoy, but cannot listen to anymore as wife not yet dead a year.
Different Stages CD had the intro lyrics written
This one gets the fast forward whenever the Rush catalogue is on shuffle. Only two or three I like from this one.
This whole album seems to have a have a darker tone to it, more personal than other records but still awesome nonetheless, afterimage is my favourite off this album.
Though I wasn't a big fan after my first listen, I grew to love this track and is now one of my all time favourites. Think Alex's guitar work on it is really strong, and for me stands out as a big feature of the track (likewise with Between the Wheels)
Justin, I think most Rush fans would agree with you (and Alex) that the mix of the keyboards and guitar are more enmeshed on GUP than on previous albums. As a matter of fact, this period of Rush caused some "infighting" between Geddy and Alex for the next several records that was finally (partially) resolved by the 'Presto' album (1989). Does that mean Alex is kind of "lost" for a few years? Yes and no. He has his moments in the studio, however, where Lerxst shines is in concert.
"Afterimage" continues with the MTV era because it's more of a video single. Here's the link: ua-cam.com/video/aalJT3GS_m8/v-deo.html
"The keyboards, it's not even a real instrument." -Alex Lifeson
😂
Yes, the synth sound is different, and better imho than Signals.
But listen back closely to the guitar sound - it’s quite different too. It’s very, very “wet & edgy” and cuts through the synth in a way it didn’t on Signals; Subdivisions for example.
Alex changed everything from Signals to GUP looking for a way to give the guitar a better place in the mix; and personally I think he nailed it. Yes, he can match the synth perhaps but in a way where the guitar edginess sits out or on-top of the synth and you can hear it’s cracklings and fade - it just sounds “moist” to me; like the sound is dripping out of the amp. He used highly customized Fenders (Hentors lol) with G&K (Gallian Krueger (sp?)) amps for this and the next record or two.
And when he solos it leaps out so crisp and sharp - we all thought it was very very dramatic and cool 😎 at the time. And I still like it.
Plus this is a great track - one of their most emotional as it was about the loss of a friend recording engineer.
IMO Moving Pictures and Permanent waves were the pinnacle of Rush albums. I was not a big fan of synth heavy songs. I just wish they would have stayed with the guitar rock formula for one more album. Lol That being said my favorite songs from GUP are Red Sector A Enemy within and Between the Wheels with beautiful Alex solo.😁
Neil's drums seemed to be turned way down too. You almost have to strain to hear him when we never had to on previous records. Love your reactions!
This is what pissed off Alex why are keyboards taking up my space in the song Geddy like using OBX and PPG
Alex really came to hate the synth era. I'm not a musician per se, but with Geddy doing keyboards and bass, he sort of co-opted one of Alex's jobs as the synths kind of became the "rhythm guitar" of these songs often leaving Alex in the background just playing a single riff over and over until his solos.
He doesn't hate it lol, he's proud of those tunes
I like this one a lot, but I couldn't really tell you why - there are a lot of things that I generally don't like in other songs that somehow just work here. Shame I'm not a musician, I might be able to figure it out. Perhaps I just like shiny!
When you get to Red Sector A... lyrics. MUST have lyrics. That song is all about the lyrics. The music is phenomenal, but the images and story being relayed will bash you across the face if you don't catch on to them soon enough.
I use to like this album, but it doesn't hold up well. The record before this, "Signals", and the one after this, "Power Windows", are superior records. The best song on this album, IMO, is "The enemy within". It has that galloping Geddy Lee bass line in it that always works well for him. The absence of Terry Brown on this record is very prevalent.
I appreciate a lot of people's love for this album but I can't share that love. Next to Test For Echo this is my least favourite Rush album. A combination of being too keyboardy and none of the songs grabbing onto me like most of the songs on Power Windows. I'll check back in a week when you start reviewing that album. Cheers!
This is a top 10 Rush song for me, and it's the first Rush song I listened to after learning of Neil's passing. (FYI, the music on your reaction is coming through muddy and low end heavy...)
Wow!!!! What a shame😏😏😏
I appreciate the lyrics of this song, butnit was not one I listened to much back when this album was new.
The conflict they ran into was when utilizing the latest synth tech they didn’t leave enough room for Alex to have an equal voice musically.
He became much more of a rhythm player and the synths filled his normal space. To me the synths were too prominent and they started to sound like a lot of the 80’s bands that weren’t as musically talented, and they lost a segment of their fan base as a result, including their long time producer Terry Brown.
I said it a frw days ago. Forget about Alex, where did Neil go?
Yes, the synth difference between 'Signals' and 'Grace Under Pressure' is the switch from analog to digital ones (except for the Moog Taurus pedals). Which had also happened in the music of the band Saga around the same time, who also are Canadian; Their keys player Jim 'Happy' Gilmour had actually been PPG's distributor for Canada (while that company was German, if I remember correctly). And not to forget: MIDI had just been introduced at that time, too!
By the way, there seems to be something wrong with this song's audio!?
... I'm just being an arse, sorry!
😄 😉
you're not wrong. This is my biggest regret in doing Rush's discography, especially since i really love this album. I didn't know/realize that the files I used were so terrible quality... I swear it didn't sound that bad when I was listening to it, but it came out the other end sounded just terrible. Real injustice. I was on a deadline getting these videos out, I didn't just take the time to redo it and make it right. Again biggest regret cause I ended up loving this album.
@@JustinPanariello - Yes I know, Justin. You were saying that in one of the videos, too. I was just teasing you. For which I feel rather bad now, because it led to you wasting your time on writing your long reply! My apologies, mate!
And knowing what went on, I was okay with the bad audio, too. My focus was on your reactions, and "yay" for some cat action, too! 😊
Have a great weekend, you and your Loved Ones!
😀🙌💚☀️🌈🎵🍀🦋🌻
I don't think Alex liked being replaced by the synth.
Loosing Alex's sound might have to do with your ears getting older. I find that the high end of the guitar really stands out on this album, the usual dynamic range of "rock" guitar (Red Barchetta) is replaced by piercing crisp single notes and sustained chords that actually sound like the PPG. But I had the advantage of hearing it on tape and vinyl a lot, this album really suffered from CD conversion which is odd considering that it's their first DDD process.
How is it 8bit sound quality? Reactions are solid, but that NES sound.
I noticed that yesterday as well. I'm hoping what he's listening to isn't this bad and that it's just what's being broadcast. So much sound is being missed since the GUP review started
yeah sorry I know the sound for this album sucks. idk why. What I listen to sounded GREAT..it was not this bad quality. The same thing happened to my Exit Stage Left videos idk why. Going through the same process I do for all my videos... sucks.
@@zimmyfan617 yeah sorry I know the sound for this album sucks. idk why. What I listen to sounded GREAT..it was not this bad quality. The same thing happened to my Exit Stage Left videos idk why. Going through the same process I do for all my videos... sucks.
@@JustinPanariello It's no big deal as long as what you're hearing and reacting to is the true version.
I'd hate to think that the worn out cassette sound was your first impression of the album. Most of us in here have heard these songs thousands of times so the reaction is more entertaining than the audio version that comes across. 👍
This IMO is the best song on the album, songs started to become a bit too choppy. Biggest disappointment on first listen, when it came out was waiting for Alex to solo in the middle section a la The Weapon, and he doesn't.
❤ ❤... ❤
Afterimage is a good song but is my least favorite on the album. Perhaps it’s not the weakest song on the album, just happens to be my least favorite. Yes, the keys on this album are very different. I don't think Geddy plays any bass on the song. Just a synth bass. I do like the lyrics and the emotional story behind them. Afterimage was only played live on the GUP Tour in 1984 and only played on the first part of the tour. It was replaced by Kid Gloves.
until you go into 3:28 then im drifting away
Yes, yes, yes... the keys overtake the guitar.