Words written by quite likely the most intelligent man to ever play the drums in a rock group band....and IMO the best drummer to ever play in a rock group. RIP Professor.
This song was an homage to one of their hometown radio station 102.1, whose Call Statement was "The Spirit Of Radio 102.1", who refused to sell out and go corporate, and played just about every Canadian artists first and then their new albums cover to cover, deep cut city all day and night. They pushed RUSH here at home. If you have the album, check the album catalogue number on the inner section of the vinyl. They asked and received that that number be 1021.
Three geniuses at the peak of their creativity and masters of their art. You really need to watch "Xanadu" from their Exit Stage Left album ,live 1981. It will astound you,no joking it is probably the greatest live recording....period
Neil Peart is the "kid" driving the car and playing the drums in the video. The car is a Red Barchetta, referring to a track on their subsequent album Moving Pictures, an excellent example of how Neil's lyrics, Geddy's vocals, and the instrumental composition come together to tell a story, which you can also find on Exit Stage Left. Cheers from Canada! 🇨🇦 🎤 🎹 🎸 🥁 🎸 🔥 🔥 🔥
Almost all of Rush's lyrics were written by the drummer Neil Peart. He was a prolific reader and writer and one of the greatest drummers to have ever lived. Unfortunately, he died in 2020 of brain cancer, but he will never be forgotten by his fans. His music will forever be burned into our memories because of how deeply he connected to most of us. This song is about the double-edged sword of making music for the radio. It can give creative freedom to the artist and happiness to people listening to it on the radio. But it is also coupled with greedy music publishers that push their own agendas for reasons related to money and cause the artist to sacrifice their vision. The pros and cons of radio. The Pros: "Begin the day with a friendly voice A companion unobtrusive Plays that song that's so elusive And the magic music makes your morning mood Off on your way, hit the open road There is magic at your fingers For the spirit ever lingers Undemanding contact in your happy solitude" The Cons: "All this machinery making modern music can still be open-hearted. Not so coldly charted, it's really just a question Of your honesty, yeah, your honesty One likes to believe in the freedom of music But glittering prizes and endless compromises Shatter the illusion of integrity, yeah." The hand gesture is something that Geddy Lee used to do during a live concert. In the past Geddy would make that gesture when he wanted people to clap during a song. People in the audience loved it and started making the gesture instead of clapping. Later Geddy realized people weren't clapping so he changed it. This music video was released at the 40th anniversary of the album that this song was on, and the gesture was added as an inside joke to Geddy Lee.
@@kippsguitar6539 I thought about mentioning it, but I have grown tired of bringing it up. There must be something about the song that causes people to hear it incorrectly. Either way, it really doesn't change anything about the song's meaning so it's no big deal.
Welcome to Rush, three master musicians from Toronto, Canada They had a 40 plus year career. Geddy Lee Vocals, Bass and Keyboards Alex Lifeson guitar, mandola and later keyboards Neil Peart Drums, Percussion and Main Lyrist Unfortunately Neil Peart passed from brain cancer in January of 2020. Other Songs YYZ live in Rio Working man live in Cleveland Digital Man from the Snakes and Arrows tour Natural Science from the Molson Amphitheatre Toronto Xanadu from Exit Stage Left Usually Rush's videos do not get blocked. I was able to watch this video here in Canada Cheers
Great reaction! Rush is a very unique and talented band. Their drummer Neil Peart is an absolute monster and is considered by many to be one of the best drummers ever. Tom Sawyer is probably their most popular song and is very good so I would recommend that next!
HUGE sound from this Canadian trio...Lyrics of all their music runs deep. Musicianship runs off the charts for all 3 members. It is amazing the sound and energy these guys generate in their live performances...This rabbit hole runs deep.
Donna Halper from the video, was the DJ/Director of Music in Cleveland who first played and then put in rotation RUSH's debut album and single Working Man in the USA. Their listenership thought Working Man was a new single from Led Zepplin called in and kept asking her when the album was going to be released. She kept having it played, and the rest is well history. The band never forgot what she did for them, and every time they were given an award anywhere in the world they asked Donna to come with them right up to and including their entry in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 40 years later. How many bands have done that?
All three of the band members are portrayed as kid listening to the radio. The drummer, Neil Peart, who is arguably one of the greatest drummers to ever grace the planet, also wrote most of Rush’s lyrics. They are insightful, deep and always relevant no matter when they were written. If you’re going to explore, Rush fans will be there to watch your discovery! Nice job and WELCOME to Rush.
The song documented their journey to overcome the constraints attempted to be placed upon them by the music industry to produce more commercial sounds. In the end, Rush won and was able to create their music their way.
This video was released a few years ago, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the album upon which this song appeared, Permanent Waves. Sadly, it was published not long after their drummer / lyricist, Neil Peart, died. He had been diagnosed with brain cancer about a year after he retired in 2015. That's why the early focus of the video is on Peart (as a boy and teenager). Otherwise, the video is brimming with easter egg references to many of the band's other albums. PS - Peart is pronounced p-ear-t, not p-ur-t. In other words, it rhymes with beer, not hurt.
Deep discography here - 19 studio albums over nearly 40 years. Three master musicians who make complex arrangements that flow so well, and lyrics that are articulate and meaningful. Give Tom Sawyer or Freewill a try next. Welcome to Rush!
There's a lot of incredible Rush songs. If you wanna settle in for a minute, go for their masterpiece "2112". If you've only got a short time to check out something kick ass, "The Trees" is one of my favourite songs by any artist, period.
I'm a huge Rush fan since back in the day and have seen them live many times. They are as good live as on their albums. They are amazing. A good place to dip your toe into them is their album Moving Pictures. They were at the peak of their powers and it is considered a masterpiece.
The "stadium walls/concert halls" line is a variation of the famous line by Simon and Garfunkel's The Sound of Silence - "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenement halls".
RUSH is my favorite band for many reasons. The main reason has to be the lyrics. Intelligent lyric writing is very important to me, and it doesn't get any better than RUSH.
The Spirit of the Radio was a dedication to the old days when radio was mostly about the music that reached and touched people from all around the world. It was also a radio station in Canada where they got the name from. Neil Peart, the drummer, was their lyricist. He passed away in early 2020 from a rare brain cancer. The guy was one of the all-time greatest drummers and a lyrical genius. He was also a huge influence and inspiration on my drumming. These three guys made music that bands with 6 or 7 people couldn't make. Great video sir!! 🤘
I believe the kid being inspired by the radio, playing drums, was Neil Peart, the drummer. The story is how radio influenced them, and it also tells a secondary story of gratitude to the radio disc jockeys who helped advance their career. The video was created in (I think) 2020, after Peart died, but it's really a good complement to the song.
Great reaction. Rush is one of those bands that inspired many who have followed them. Sometimes being described as A Musicians band. Neil Peart also wrote most of their lyrics. You should definitely check out more by them. Xanadu live show cases their talent as a 3 man band bringing big sound. It's short on lyrics but based on a 19th century unfinished poem so still pretty interesting. I'd say check anything out by them and you'll be fine lol.
Thanks for the video RIP Neil Peart. I was younger then you when I first heard Rush. Young kids now have no idea of how much radio was apart of our lives back in the 60's and 70's. Rush best Canadian rock band ever.
Welcome to the Rush army. Geddy Lee - Epic Bassist and vocals Alex Lifeson - Highly underrated guitarist Neil Peart (Peer-t, not Pert) - One of the greatest drummer to have ever lived. He was called the Professor, and sadly left us in 2020 due to cancer. Neil announced that he stopped touring at the end of 2015, which effectively ended the band. There is a rabbit hole of Rush to discover. I'd recommend: Anything from their album Moving Pictures, it's that good. "Driven" and the title track of "Test For Echo", title track "Roll the Bones" (this one has a bit of a rap in the breakdown), "Subdivisions", Freewill", and "New World Man". Every single one of these songs is a hit, and you won't go wrong listening to any or all of them.
Welcome to the rush rabbit hole. Over 40yrs of amazing musical compositions and insane synergy between three musicians who have mastered their instruments like nobody's business. I'm sure this journey will only enrich your musical experience and help you gain more subs.
Literally one of the most talented groups to ever make music together. They managed to do a lot of really intricate, progressive things musically, while still managing to make it accessible to practically everyone. That's not the easiest task, but they pulled it off consistently. Lyrics and Drums from Neil are among the best you'll ever hear. Vocals are unusual, but sit amazingly well in this 3-man mix. Alex is one of my favorite guitarists as well for always being about accentuating the music, rather than showing off.
Rush is a personal favorite of mine and they have so many good songs. Tom Sawyer, Closer to the Heart, Limelight, Subdivisions, Fly By Night, Freewill, Working Man, Red Barchetta, the epic 2112... so much good material.
Rush did an excellent one called Closer To The Heart. The studio video with Bubbles from the Trailer Park Boys and the guy from Barenaked Ladies is awesome.
Welcome to the Rush rabbit hole!! 40 yrs of incredible musicianship for you too catch up on!! Enjoy the journey which ever direction you go, I always say start chronology and enjoy the progression and evolution of RUSHHHHHH
Thanks again!😍 not ashamed to say those hand gestures were done by yours truly at a Rush Show if you watch a live version of this song it probably shows this…
The music changes like changing the radio dial changes music stations. Subdivisions is my favorite Rush song. It talks about growing up as the artist that doesn't fit in the mold. Great review.
Literally 40 years of bangers. It doesn't even matter what song you react to, they're all incredible. One thing to note, Neil Peart is the lyricist and it's imperitive you read the lyrics with the songs.
He was so busy playing the keyboards and the bass that all he could do to get the audience to clap is put up that little hand motion with one arm and what's really funny about it is that the audience would do the little hand motion back to him rather than clap so it became an inside joke😂
Brings me back to happier days. Not even close to happy days now. But that song almost brings tears remembering a time when I was. Edit: the trees is a good one. For what it’s worth.
Excellent reaction from a long time Rush fan (from 1976, that's how old I am). I highly suggest Tom Sawyer music video next. It's their most popular song and its likely you've heard it before. It's always a joy to watch the younger generation appreciate just how good this band is.
I was born early '80s, I heard Rush so many times growing up, glad I got the chance to see em perform live before the death of the Professor. Definitely one of the best Canadian band of all time and top tier progressive musicians worldwide for sure. We have a lot of good bands and great singers up here, some are even famous around the globe. Rush is on another level entirely!
Neil Peart “The Professor”(drummer, and lyricist) Geddy Lee (vocalist, keyboardist and base player), Alex Lifeson (guitarist). Three people made all that music. All three were incredible musicians. I started listening to them at the age of 14 in 1976, the 2112 album. They were not played on the radio back then so a girl Rush fan was unheard of. But I introduce Rush to all my bff’s and they introduced Supertramp to me. Another group you need to hear. Enjoy your journey into the minds of Neil, Geddy, and Alex.
Definitely Tom Sawyer next. And if you want to see something awesome, Rush's Geddy Lee played with Yes in 2017 in an Anniversary performance and the video "Yes, Roundabout Live" is on line and several reactors have reviewed it - but the point is that you get to see Geddy Lee on his bass playing with Jon Anderson and Yes in a live performance that is incredible. So yes, do Tom Sawyer, but check out Geddy Lee with Jon Anderson and Yes! Also, if you missed it in this one and you watch the video again later, watch for all of the "2112" drop-ins. 2112 pops up over and over again and it's another great tune by Rush.
Oh man, I really hope you take a dive down RUSH’s rabbit hole cliff!!! They’re absolute legends. Never sold out, never compromised their craft, never lost sight of the magic. Tom Sawyer would be a great track to peep next. Neil Peart (the drummer) wrote the vast majority of their lyrics. He was a unstoppable reader, a student of life, and a hell of a writer. He was also (in my not even remotely humble opinion) the greatest rock drummer ever. Someday another 1 in a billion kid will pick up a pair of sticks and give him a run for his money but his legacy as an artist is written in stone. Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson are absolute masters of their craft but Neil…Neil was special. Both musically and lyrically. He spent his whole career taking everyone to school. R.I.P. The Professor
Great reaction, Cliff! Rush are cool, they will NOT copyright strike you!!! The "hand thing" REALLY represents a fairly long period in one of their songs when the great Geddy Lee has nothing to do with his hands. For once, he's not busy shredding bass or emoting on keys, and so he just sings and makes hand gestures. The unnamed teenage kids shown in this FAN-PRODUCED video grew up to be Rush. The kid inspired by the radio is the drummer Neil Peart. He's also the guy tuning the radio while driving in his "Red Barchetta," which is a reference to another GREAT Rush song. The immeasurably talented Alex Lifeson, the guitarist, is a goofball shown wearing a mask and cracking up his bandmates at the end of the video, which he did a lot. Any Rush reaction will get my attention but a LOT of us will say Xanadu Live Toronto 1981. It's one of the best live rock performances EVER.
This song was about the music industry, the Record companies and Radio stations, , some of the reference points in the video include a lady radio disc jockey in Cleveland that was the first to put one of their songs on Air , the Boat with the Brit flag was when Rock music was banned in Great Britain and ships would go off shore out of British jurisdictions to feed into Great Britain,
The constant changes of feel within the song are meant to represent scanning along the dial of a radio, stumbling across different songs and genres as you go.
As a songwriter, you need to dive down the rabbit hole of Professor ( RIP) Neil, lyrical master genius,. As well as the Professor of Drumming. Seen their Test For Echo Laser Light Tour. 97, Phanomenal light show for out doors. 2112 is the greatest album and a must do. You will love this Band of 3 Legendary musicians worldwide.
The Spirit of Radio is one of their best. This song usually gives me an endorphin rush. Geddy Lee on vocals and bass. Alex Lifeson on guitar. The late Neil Peart on drums (man was a genius, wrote a number of their songs). Try train to Bangkok, you might like it. The 2112 album, the A side is a 20 minute sci fi story.
Great review. You will not be dissapointed by going down the Rush rabbit hole. Rush has been awarded 14 platinum and 3 multi-platinum albums in the US plus 17 platinum albums in Canada. 170+ songs over a 40 year career of this Canadian Trio. I say 170+ as some of their best work are multi-part songs ranging from 7-21 minutes. The Rush army will let you know what songs to pick next period
Great Reaction. The song is about how the band members were inspired by the radio growing up. Also the early success of the band was due to grass roots support gained through the radio and live shows. The Drummer used to practice by drumming along with songs he would hear on the radio, as you saw in the video. The point of the changing styles and melodies, is to reflect the different styles of music you can access through the radio. The guitar parts mimic the sound of changing radio stations and "radio waves" Thanks for this Rush reaction. For more great music by these three virtuoso musicians check out: Working Man - live in Cleveland YYZ - Live in Rio Tom Sawyer Limelight Freewill Many many others. I appreciate your mental health message at the end!
I love how he stops the video right after he says one likes to believe in the freedom of music and then waxes poetic about how right he is not knowing what the next words will be.
The hand signals were because Geddy Lee, used the concert hall's system for his Bass and Keyboards. So the Stage behind him was empty because ha wasn't using amps and spearkers. So to not have the stage unbalanced they added a large number of roticerie ovens cooking chickens behind him to feed the band all the crew/roadies after each nights shows. I've watched a number of videos that rank Neil Peart (Drummer and lyrisist) as tied for the worlds all-time greatest with Keith Moon of "The Who". Look up his live drum solo in Germany and the official video for "Tom Sawyer". The kid was "Neil Peart", the song was inspried by a local Toronto Station that he listened to and was the first station to "air" their first album. The British reference was to when the UK banned "Rock" from radio stations. So people hired boats and lived in them off the coast of England so they didn't violate UK laws but still could provide rock music on the radio to those inclined in the UK. That's where the term "Pirate Radio" came from.
