I could never get past Geddy's awful caterwauling. All 3 are are/were incredible musicians though. A little too "80's" of a sound for my personal tastes, so I'll put Primus and Nirvana ahead of Rush for best power trios of all time. Different styles of music, but no less epic of trios 🤘
I remember how people used to say this era of rush (early to mid 80s) was when Alex's role was minimized in favor of the keyboards, but it overlooks how creative Alex was being. I remember a phrase "Alex Lifeson disease" for any guitarist who wasn't driving a song with constant leads and power chords. But those textures and landscapes he made are far too creative and unique to disparage.
I agree. Hold your Fire was maybe the highpoint of Lifeson's "minimization" but those albums are master classes in guitar texturing and truly original ideas.
Alex Lifeson 🎸🐐 is totally innovative in the 1980’s! The shame of it is our Rush Buddies ( the fan that only liked early Rush) got negative and some even left. They missed the Guitar 🎸 GOAT’s 🐐 transformation into uncharted territory (Oops … I almost forgot Rush Buddies wanted the same old same old guitar driving the song and doing a huge solo in every song). Actually it allowed RUSH to cross lines into other races and attract different people who never would’ve listened to them if RUSH never consistently changed or evolved. Marketing Geniuses!!! We see this in all the reactions that are done today. Minorities love RUSH even today’s female. Benefits of being Progressive!!! Had to lose some to get more!!! 🧖🧖🏻♂️🧖🏻
His playing and his parts were still fantastic. I think that, if anything, he was mixed a bit too low. Plus, as the '80s progressed, he moved from humbuckers (all the Gibsons and then the "Hentor" Strats) to those super thin sounding Evans single coils. He probably did it to cut through that thick keyboard mix. But his playing was always amazing.
Two things: Between the Wheels is one of Rush's greatest lesser known songs. The solo in Limelight gets a lot of praise (and rightfully so) but I think Alex's solo in this song is one of his best - the emotion in it is astounding.
Tremendous song, terribly dark in a good way. A friend of the band's passed away while they were recording GUP, and Neil took it to heart. "You know how that rabbit feels...."
Totally agree, but as good as the solo in Limelight is, it's not even in my top ten. Between the Wheels, La Villa Strangiato (both of them), A Passage to Bangkok, YYZ, Xanadu, Different Strings, The Garden, Cut to the Chase, Digital Man, The Weapon, Marathon, Mission, Open Secrets... I could go on.
Man, Ian, Thanks for that. I get so carried away, I don't really like to edit, and I know so few will watch the whole thing... but I kinda like doing it this way even if the YT gods don't reward my efforts lol!
Grace Under Pressure is such an amazing guitar album. It's synth heavy and Alex is sometimes drowned out a bit, but then he'll just bust out with something spectacular. Give Kid Gloves a listen too.
@@christianwilliamson9752 “Afterimage” is a fantastic solo. As a bassist, “Red Sector A” is one of the few guitar songs I can play on guitar. I’ve always found it to be one of Alex’s most haunting solos despite being fairly minimalist by comparison to his whole body of work.
As a lifelong Rush fan, this breakdown was spectacular. Please do more Rush. Please do one of the VH "what makes these all a hit" style for them. Would be amazing.
@@johng2880 Two of the greatest albums of all time! I was lucky enough to be a teenager during Rush’s incredible and lengthy career apex. I saw those guys every time they were in AZ. Literally both albums came out from the time I was a freshman through senior. No matter how many times I saw them, my mind was always blown that so much music was coming out of those 3 gents. The albums are brilliant- and yet so distinct from one another. We were definitely fortunate to be young fans during their reign. On top of that, getting to know how super down to earth and cool these guys were (documentaries & recent footage) was like getting to appreciate their music all over again. And hey i love ZZ Top. Apples & oranges. But Rush… Rock royalty even though they couldn’t care less about awards, they wrote and played for themselves and their huge numbers of loyal fans. They were original and brilliant. Miss seeing them walk out on stage. Those were some amazing times. 😎🎸
I feel like Alex gets undervalued a lot, being called the "Ringo" of the band, but he brings exactly what's needed and really delivers that sound that is so unique to Rush. I don't think there another guitarist that could bring that to this band!
As a lifelong Rush fan, I still maintain that this is one of the best written guitar solos ever. And the album one of the most underrated pieces of work from the eighties, but then it's taken me forty years and a load of higher education to realize it
I’ve been to dozens of concerts. There is no band that sounds like rush. By far the loudest band I’ve heard. The energy and dynamics are unreal. Neil’s drumming you can feel it in your whole body when seeing them live. RIP Neil.
i can't believe i been sleeping on rush for many decades. i always respected them but i just don't know why i never dug deeper. i was a fool and i am at least wise enough to know that now.
I was a big Rush fan since I was in high school, but I mostly listened to A Farewell to Kings, Hemispheres, Permanent Waves, and Moving Pictures. It stayed that way for decades. One night I put Grace Under Pressure on and I was asking myself why I've been such an idiot for so long by ignoring their synth heavy albums. I spent the better part of a year listening to GuP, Power Windows, Hold Your Fire, and Signals, over and over. Rush's synth era is now some of my favorite music ever, and I can't believe I slept on it for so many years. Amazing stuff!
Dude. I am so happy. I had sent out a note some time back asking your to do a video on Alex and Rush. One of my favorite bands ever. You are Awesome for doing this... I love all your react / lessons but this one is the best
Being a RUSH fanatic..this made me subscribe , great analysis. Please do Natural Science. The musicianship of RUSH is unparalleled and on top of the mountain.
I love seeing your passion in combination with your incredible knowledge and skill. I could listen to you discuss Rush for days. Would love to hear your thoughts on the Lifeson chord, it’s a guitar thing.
Just googled it. It's F#11.... Specifically, an F# ma barre chord with the open first 2 strings playing the 4 and b7. This totally makes sense. It's floaty & it sustains. This is def one of those chords that you "find, " love it, and then you make sense of it. THANKS!!
He had to compete with Neil's drums, Geddy's bass, and Geddy's synthesizers, especially in the 80s. He did it brilliantly. He has his own sound that is unmistakably his. He's one of my favorite guitar players ever. He always played the right thing at the right time. Plus, he's an outstanding human...all three of them were.
I love how they put Alex's tone right upfront. The story goes that back when this came out, Alex was really at odds with how his guitar tone was placed in the mix - secondary, even tertiary to the synths. But here, it's so heavily upfront and makes the sound so much more huge. These guys have been my musical heroes since I the age I realized that musical heroes were a thing. They were/are literally my first musical gods.
Geddy's voice may be an acquired taste, but RUSH was unequivocally the greatest trio in the history of rock. Few bands ever change their sound over the span of a long career, much less 3-4 times over four decades. Consider a concert with Anthem, Xanadu, Middletown Dreams, Bravado and One Little Victory. That sample set list covers a lot of ground....
Rush’s extramusical stuff is extremely entertaining. There’s one where Neil is dressed as a cop and looks EXACTLY like Tom Hanks. Yes, My Dinner With Rush is amazing.
Finally!! So glad you picked this one. I’ve been looping this the last week or so because there’s just one moment in this version where Geddy does a slide down the neck that he’s never played on any other version and it’s just perfect. It’s those moments in live versions that keep you coming back to listen again and again. Love to see you breakdown more of their stuff. The pool is deep.
@@Guitargate Sorry, it’s from your version of the song but from the one linked below and the moment is at 04:26 just as they cut from Alex to Geddy. Even though he only played it once it just resonates for me. Let me know why you think that one slide is so cool for me. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LeixtQwHfBA.html
Old school Canuck here, ironically was geeking out on the 30 year Germany Tour songs today! This might be one of the best videos I've ever seen on RU-vid. Love your enthusiasm Man, God Bless!
Don't think you'd get may people arguing against Rush being the greatest 3 piece rock band in the world. It's great to see you dissecting Alex's guitar work. He is a powerhouse guitarist but then, you could spend hours analysing Geddy Lee in his own right. A master bassist and multi-tasker extraordinaire. Neil needs no introduction. He is the greatest rock drummer in history as far as I'm concerned. Add all those 3 guys together with over 40 years+ experience & you end up with untouchable rock gods.
Thoroughly enjoyed this reaction. That is such a powerful song musically and lyrically. They match the tone with the darkness of theme of the lyrics. Had my guitar out and trying to follow along. Again, thoroughly this RUSH reaction. Please!!!! Do more RUSH.
As a proud Canadian, I am so glad you finally got to one of the best three-piece bands ever, Michael. Three incredible musicians in their own right and you didn't have a chance to touch on Geddy's bass-line. What a great break down and I'm not even a guitarist. If you want to continue down the Rush rabbit-hole - Working Man live from Cleveland in 2011 (here on RU-vid) is one of the best live performances ever.
Peart...incredible Geddy....great Lifeson...good i wouldn't give it "3 incredible" musicians. Look...i LOVE this fucking band. LOVE. but Lifeson is not a guitar god.
You are everything that a teacher aspires to be; a true educator in every sense of the word. The world is better for having people like you in it. Cheers.
This was fun to spend so much time focusing on Alex’s solo because, try as I might, every time he solos I get dragged away into the solo Geddy is playing in bass and he’s rarely just echoing the guitar solo. He’s off on his own and his bass playing is the most exciting part of this band, for me. Always has been.
@@Guitargate Dude, I sense a theme. The parts of the band and then the sum of those parts that create the whole. Uniquely, with this band the sum of the parts isn’t necessarily greater than the individuals, just equal in a different way. God, I miss them. Seeing every tour since A Farewell To Kings except two just doesn’t feel like enough. Being at the last Toronto show that became the R40 dvd was a privilege.
"The Greatest Power Trio of all time?" is your tag time. Absolutely agree and no other trio rivals. But next in line is King's X. Period. These two are the highest in the order for me.
Wow what a great coincidence. I've been following your channel for about a year and was wondering when you were going to cover my favorite band, and you happened to start with my favorite song. Awesome work!
@@Guitargate Also btw you did an exceptional job of vocalizing exactly what I've always loved about Alex Lifeson, and it's one of the things that inspired me the most to pick up the guitar when I was a teenager: no one sounds like him, especially his work throughout the 80s. It's got a certain flow that seems so free but is also so tightly wrapped into what the rest of the band is doing, and that's not even getting into tone. Sorry to nerd out, but it's really great to see someone I respect in the field break down the essence of one of my all-time favorite players.
Nerdy is never a bad thing. As long as its something that interests us and something we're truly passionate about. I've never been a big Rush fan. But I love watching you disect music. You really are very gifted and knowledgeable about music and the theory of which it's based around. I wish we could just start the greatest band ever, and set out to change this old world, for the better. 🤣 I don't know why we don't. But you've probably already are doing what you wanna do, in this life. Working towards the foundation foundation of your own personal dreams. So, I salute you, my brother and will always support what you are doing. Thanks for these awesome videos and sharing your incredible knowledge. My hats off to you Michael.
Thanks Alex! I would love to be in a band again once I don't have an infant. The good news is, we've called it at 4 kids and the baby is almost 2 so i'm feeling closer!
I hope your night of digging into Rush included Dan Rather's Big Interview, with Geddy. It is an absolutely amazing 40 minute interview that takes place in Geddy's home. The interview took place after the band stopped playing, but before Neil's passing.
24.06 ‘the dog’s bollocks’… I’ve NEVER heard that said by an American before. It’s good to see some classic British vernacular making it to the US. Describing something as ‘the dog’s bollocks’ means it’s good
Awesome video brother! Rush is Rush man. There's music, and then there is RUSH! Lucky enough to have seen them 15 times from 1987 when I was in fifth grade up to 2 times in 2015 on the final R40 tour. They played this rock masterpiece the last time I saw them in Boston. So damn heavy and great! Your video on this taught me some things, thank you-avoid the thirds! Have been jamming to this one for years all pumped up to go play and get it perfect! Great video Michael, and please do more videos on them help their legacy go on. Some suggestions for other tunes- Different Strings and Losing it are very interesting. Neither song has a guitar solo(Losing It has an electric violin solo!)but they're both slower dramatic tunes and so Rush and I would love to hear your take on them!! Analog Kid, Animate, Headlong Flight(open E tuning FYI)The Larger Bowl has one of my fave Big Al solos ever and The Garden which is the last song on their last album and is so moving(and fitting)CHEERS my friend and thanks again for finally getting to some RUSH!!!!!
I saw Rush live on their 40th anniversary tour at the SAP Center about 5 years ago. I remember how huge they sounded, a true arena rock group. My favorite part of the show was seeing a man, in his 50s or so, in front of me jumping up and down hollering with tears of joy as The Spirit Of Radio was finishing, he was feeling it! Rush fans get just as loud as the band also. My favorite part about Rush is they're serious musicians that never take themselves seriously and just have fun. 🤘
Fortunate to have seen them once. Been listening most of my life (older brothers were fans), loved Exit Stage Left for so long - wore out the cassette!
Go see a tribute band. There are some amazing ones. Seeing Rush live was life changing for me. It validated my absolute live for the band. It is an overwhelming experience if you love their music.
I saw them every tour from permanent waves to power windows and then saw twice more in the 2000’s. Fantastic band live!!! Cried like a baby when I heard The Professor died.
I have watched many of your breakdown videos. I don't play guitar(no ear for it-lol) nor do i understand a lick of music theory. But your amazing-thanks for doing this. Awesome analysis once again!
Surprised to see him doing Between the Wheels - always loved the guitar work on this song, especially the solo. If it weren’t for the disappointment departure of Signals which was synch heavy, I always felt that Grace Under Pressure would have been a much bigger album. Nice analysis- I don’t understand it all but always find it interesting to listen to a great teacher!
I love how Alex uses open strings to make it sound bigger than it is. Triumph is the only other trio that comes close (is it a Canadian thing?) ... but it's not really close. Three virtuosos in one band doesn't even seem fair.
I have been looking for a good Lifeson breakdown for a long time, and this didn’t disappoint. Thank you, Sir. I’d love to see more on this band and their unique sound.
Never clicked on a video faster. Watching you dig it makes me dig it even more. Love the breakdown of the solo too, you explained something about it I never considered and as usual - you are RIGHT ON it. Killer. Lifetime member of Guitargate and damn proud of it. I learn something everyday now. And that's cool.
Michael, what an amazing video. Lifelong fan of Rush here. I only know enough theory to be dangerous, so the breakdown of both the song, and Alex's playing is immensely helpful! I'm betting you're getting tons of suggestions for other Rush tunes, and I hope you explore more of them going forward.
First time watcher, love your enthusiasm! I watch a LOT of reaction/analysis videos, and am a huge fan of Rick Beato, by comparison although he's amazing at his analytical nature, your enthusiasm AND technical summarizations of what's going on, is super engaging, thank you for this (from someone who is lucky to pick out a C-Chord, it's nice to get the "feel" of what's going on as well as some of the musical "why" interpretations! Great job, looking forward to your future Rush analyses! Driven, from Test for Echo, might be a good "thread of style" one to consider, of course there are so many.
Back in the day you Had to do at least a few songs from RUSH!! Only thing was nobody could play the drums except two brothers last name Jordan from a town next to us! It was a pleasure listening and trying to play Geddys parts, he also is a friggin beast ! Playin keys with his feet playing bass and singing for fuck sake!! Sorry but these guys were quite scary indeed!! All you young guys Need to play this!! It's a right of passage, music that reminds you of how intense passion can become!! Peace brother
What a great song to choose! Between The Wheels was great on record, but has taken on such a huge, crushing vibe live in the last 15 years. People that skipped the "synth era" of Rush really missed out. Great video as always, brother!
I've seen this band live more than any other - so glad now I did. Have been a fan since All the World's a Stage. I was about 12 years of age and air-guitared for hours to Alex in my bedroom as a kid. One of the main inspirations for me eventually getting into playing guitar. A phenomenal band and fantastic people!
WOW! Rush for me has always been deep. I was one of few in my circles who actually liked them. Not your typical rocker roller band, everything was calculated. The way Ive always heard it going down in my head was Geddy sets the tone, tempo and energy with his voice then backs it up with bass and keys... Then everyone else job was to add variations and harmonics..Whatever the case it was pure beauty in the ears!!! I think Rush is when I knew I was meant for a little more than just "listening" to music!
They may just be the greatest power trio ever. Not a stereotypical "good time" rock and roll band, intellectual, mystical and deep and they will take you on a journey as far away as you are willing to go. Such an enormous, complex and "thick" sound, it makes you kind of go "how can this be coming from just three guys"? They are awe inspiring.
As a guy who has studied and lauded the name of Alex Lifeson forever, thank you so much for this breakdown!!! Honestly, no guitarist gives me chills more!!! Even over EVH, and that’s not an insult to Eddie. It’s just the way Alex’s sound makes me feel!!! From one lifelong guitarist to another, check out the live version of Big Money from Rio. If people ask me what makes Alex special, I show them that solo. It’s insane!!!!
Michael, what a brilliant, thoughtful, accurate and emotional review you gave to "Between the Wheels" by Rush. I can count on two hands the number of RU-vid comments I've ever made...just had to complement you on a brilliant review. Bravo sir!
Just found this channel have no idea what your talking about I don't play any music ? But I love that you go over the band and the songs then show how to play it.
The positivity of the switch to major for the chorus instead of sticking to minor is HUUUUGE in Between the Wheels. What a switch. Just out of left field and BZZZT brain fries, no drugs required. Out there stuff, and totally positive for the song. Just bonkers songwriting, but what a song. I hadn't thought about this song in a long time and it just came up, and SURPRISE, here you are, talking about it a year ago lolz. Love you man, you do good work. Please keep it up. Also, thank you for reminding me that this was an incredible song and guitar solo.
Great video and super analysis! Thanks! Perhaps one of their lesser known tunes, "Between the Wheels" is a veritable masterpiece. If there were a Mt. Rushmore of rock music, Rush's countenance would be prominently chiseled in it face. No better trio in rock history.
Not sure how I missed this video earlier, but thanks for a great reaction and analysis. I love Alex's big sound in this performance. This song is better live than the original studio recording. The whole band is on fire. Also love those keyboard "stabs" Geddy plays at the end.
Neil used a click only when there was a sequenced or fast arpegiated keyboard part that he needed to sync with, otherwise no click. "Grace Under Pressure" is one of the best mixed and mastered recordings of all time, clean, crisp, a sonic masterpiece. RIP Neil...
Loved your JamPlay triad/jam band video, your hybrid picking rhythms were a bonus! Cool that you are into the dead and rush. As a fan of both, I've noticed there sometimes isn't cross over between the two fan groups.
The studio version of Between The Wheels has all the little nuances that you may not hear in the live version......but you know that, of course! GREAT TUNE
Alex kinda chumps bits of the solo here so listen to the album version solo and you'll hear the genius and you'll have a better chance to learn the solo correctly.
Is There a better “ big sounding “ power trio you say? Well how about fellow Canadians TRIUMPH?!! Pretty dam close I’d say !!! Love your channel Mike!!! 👌
Dang I miss them. Yes, no question about it, the greatest power trio of all time. The Professor used to say that doing percussion for Rush was like doing mathematics while running a marathon.
Yes, best band ever. 🤙🏼 So glad you finally got around to Rush! So much material to cover. I’d love to hear you go over Alex’s playing from Hemispheres on. Even as a drummer I enjoy your videos very much.
