In this video Tasha and I react to Rush Subdivisions Wanna support the channel? Become a Patron: www.patreon.co... Make a Donation: paypal.me/pool... Get some Merch: teespring.com/... Or Like this video and Share this video.
Man ... this song. This song right here singlehandly got me through the remaining years of school. Rush taught me that it was OK to be different, that nothing was wrong with going against the "norm" and to not simply allow yourself to fall into a certain group to feel acceptance, all the while denying who you truly are within your own self. Rush made it OK to not have to be "cool" to standout on your own which in itself is "cool" too. Thank you Neil, Geddy, and Alex for making me comfortable in my own skin during the most brutal times of a teenager's years.
That's the thing. I was the ultimate outsider in high school, desperate to fit in with a whole bunch of people who would not have me in their clique. And these guys, with songs like this just said "hey, be yourself". Occasionally I'd run into people from high school after graduation and it was remarkable how unremarkable those "cool" people were in the aftermath of their high school glory years. The thing that I didn't get about this song in '82-'84 was the prediction that everyone would fall prey to the pressures of the homogenization, rat races and ticking traps of adult life. And then hoping to go back to the security of the nice manicured lawns and quiet streets away from both cities (bright lights) and country (far unlit unknown) were many of us grew up. A nowhere land devoid of character or history. Only to impose the same anxieties and pressures on our own children. As an adult I kept going back to this song so emblematic of my youth and still finding meaning. I was gratified to find a sort of sequel to this in "Middletown Dreams". We still dream.
Then it will probably make you sick that there is a 7yo little drummer boy on youtube that plays this song perfectly. The things the neil did that were once unheard of are now normal and even easy for child drummers. And so life marches on, humans constantly improving upon previous generations.
@@trenken Haven't seen it but I'm sure he's great. Once in the public sphere and folks can listen/ watch it incessantly, inevitably they will be able to imitate it perfectly. However, the talent to conceive, arrange and play, often years ahead of your peers is what makes this performance, and Peart himself, incredible.
Rush was (and is) always respected and held in the highest regard by other musicians - it was the music critics who took decades to warm to their music. Their record company was all up in their business after Caress of Steel failed commercially, and ordered them to write shorter, more "radio friendly" songs - so they promptly rolled out 2112, over 20 minutes long and taking up an entire album side. If they were gonna fail, they were gonna do it their way and go out in a blaze of glory. Instead it was a smash hit, and the record company gave them carte blanche to do whatever they wanted moving forward, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Been a Rush fan since the mid 80s. For my money, this is Neil’s masterpiece: drums and lyrics that move me like very little else. Every time I hear it, I’m 15 again.
Whoa! Definitely not me ... I grew up near Philadelphia. I’ve received emails for other Scott Hugheses though, including once from a person angrily demanding a refund (unclear what it was a refund for, though).
This is one of my most favorite Rush songs. I love the way a lot of the tracks start at 100 mph and keep going til the end. Mostly, I get goosebumps on how they build and build until the climactic ending crush! It's so utterly mindblowing in its construction, performance and creativity! I'm a drummer and being able to watch Neil play live is a thing of beauty! RIP Neil Peart.
This song was written by Mr. Peart. I can so relate to this song. I loved it since the first time I heard it. Rush is a fantastic band and Mr. Neil Peart was a hell of a lyricist.
Now watch Neil on drum cam play this song! It's subdivisions because he how he divides the parts of his playing- he made the drums sing, accompany and beyond keep time, a driving force (actually in all their music). It's mindblowing. One of my favorite songs by Rush is this one, and I was growing up when they came out. I never knew a band then or since who inspired people to play, air drums and pick up sticks TO learn to play as they. A truly amazing band. Neil Peart, a legend in his time, immortal now. RIP Neil, the best drummer ever!!
Lifetime Rush fan here. Started listening to Rush in 75. I loved them all, but was partial to their old music....until I heard "The Garden". Now I cry every time I hear it.
I enjoy these reviews of rush. I found them in 1983 at age 13 and bought every record they had made and then a lot of their future work. No one else had such depth to their music imo at the time. I relate to these guys, they enjoyed a clean life, no need for heavy drugs etc.
This song more or less encapsulated my experience in high school. I was one of those who didn't "conform" so, I got cast out. Had my friends but they were in the same boat. lol. Rush, and other groups got me through that hellish time in my life, and I'm grateful to Neil for the lyrics and to Geddy and Alex and Neil for the performance and creating this incredible music, which, pushing 60, I'm still listening to today. Its a funny thing, before "Moving Pictures"...Rush was definitely a cool secret kept by a marginal fanbase. Then Moving Pictures came out and suddenly...EVERYONE loved Rush. In a way, I was damned glad for their breakthrough but in another way I was completely contemptuous of people who had the week before considered Rush a "nerd band" suddenly on fire for them. Sigh. In my defense, I was still just a kid. lol.
It's AWESOME to see a lot more of the black community falling in love with RUSH through all these reaction videos these days. Every time I saw Rush LIVE, I was always like..."Where are all the black people?" I just wish it had happened decades ago, because all these new fans will sadly never get to see them LIVE now. :( Big props for spreading their music though! :)
U hit it on the head, Rush is unique in so many ways. Yes, Neil wrote most of the lyrics. The guy was very literate and intelligent (in addition to being a master drummer), and that;s why Rush was regarded as the "thinking man's rock band". Couple that with the unique musical arrangement and writing, and there is a lot to unpack with this band. Their uniqueness, talent, and creativity is why they lasted for 40 years. RIP Neil Peart, u will always be missed and never forgotten.
I have heard this song literally hundreds if not thousands of times since it's release in 1982. I was 12 then. I have NEVER tired of this song as I do other songs that are more popular or have been played on the radio. the drumming composition, lyrics and general mood so reflect the person I was then, the dreams I had and the person I thought I wanted to be. I have seen Rush 49 times and they played this song most of those tours (except the Roll the Bones tour, I believe) and it was always a pleasure to hear. Much as I'm sad that that part of my life is over seeing them, how lucky and blessed I am to have had the opportunity to see them.
Another great reaction video, keep up the awesome work! Best band in the world, would love to watch you cover their entire catalogue lol. Keep the tunes comin'! And yes, I'm sure everyone else has already replied Neil wrote every Rush song from their 2nd album Fly By Night onward.
I love how much you two appreciate how talented these 3 guys are. They are so deep and complex but they make millions of people feel like their music speaks directly to them individually. Love it! Keep doing Rush reactions
Neil WAS the Rush lyricist. Period. And “Subdivisions” is an excellent representation of the neighbourhood in which we all grew up in, although I did get there a little earlier than the Rush guys, when the land looked like the surface of the the moon, only with mud.
genius of Rush being a Prog rock band is their journey changed with every album with themes and musical experiments - the genius of this song is the subject matter and title. They constructed the song by "subdivision' meaning the pulse and notation is broken down by division to fit with meters used . The intro is in odd time 7/8 pulse then shifts to commons time 4/4 and back and forth seamlessly. This album had a heavy Ska influence they one can hear it in guitar and after beats and accompaniment but then lets Alex explore his own style playing. Geddy plays keyboards/foot peel tigers and bass while singing truly is amazing how 3 guys skill Mae this work for 4 decades . There will never be a band like the again in terms of music album concepts and how they got along for so long and put music 1st instead of egos
you also have to watch them perform this one. and just like "Lighted Stage" points out, Neil is the primary writer, but Geddy is the one that sings it and he has to tweak the lyrics so he can sing them.
If there is any lyric to pull out of this remember: Some will sell their dreams for small desires Or lose the race to rats Get caught in ticking traps And start to dream of somewhere To relax their restless flight
Arguably their best song all around, musically and lyrically. I wonder how many people realize how much of it is in seven. And one of the best drum tracks ever recorded by anyone.
It was fun to watch you “youngsters” checking out one of the favorite songs of my high school years :-) Just subbed and can’t wait to watch your other vids!
Growing up as a teenager in a Toronto suburb when this song came out we all identified with this song .. it is simply Rush's best song .. a masterpiece... RIP Neil who wrote this song and all of Rush's other songs ..
Neil wrote ALL the lyrics, with the exception of the first album. Neil collaborated on only a couple of tracks (Tom Sawyer for one), but it's mostly him. All 3 were misfits. Neil the lanky, nerdy reader. Geddy was the outcast due to his religion. Alex was probably the most 'cool' of the 3, but I think due to his ethnic (Serbian) background, he too was singled out (like Geddy), hence they formed a bond in Junior High School, and found music together. Neil remained the brainy one. All 3 devoted their life to perfecting their craft...together! 45+ year friendship that remains to this day (even with the loss of Neil, RIP)
Hey guys- great content on your channel! So to answer your question about Neil's background - in addition to being one of, if not THE greatest drummer of his genre(ever), he was an incredibly complex and well read man. Every major piece of literature that you can think of, plus hundreds of lesser known volumes he rabidly read and understood. All Rush vids you watch should be lyric videos so you can just see his amazing level of writing.. On top of that, while lots of writers/lyricists can write complex stuff, Neil really was an expert at "turning a phrase" - they guy could jsut flat out write in such a way that flowed and message was delievered. Anyway - keep going down the Rush wormhole!
The music is complex, definitely. A further complication that you will encounter if you continue listening to RUSH is that their sound and style evolved quite a bit over the years. Subdivisions is 80s RUSH-heavy on the synth. 70s RUSH is longer songs that are primarily guitar-driven. 90s and beyond did a lot of switching up.
"The sound is so unique," Ma'am, truer words were never spoken. When they achieved commercial success with MOVING PICTURES, there was some pressure on Rush to make the next album something like MOVING PICTURES PART 2. Instead, they chose to do more synthesizer, keep going with different lyrics, and other changes that gave us SIGNALS, the album on which "Subdivisions" was released.
This song effected me as a kid growing up in the projects. Like Neil,I used books and drums to escape poverty and see the world. It’s a parallel, on two ends of a spectrum. The song is basically about not fitting in to a cookie cutter world or in the matter of Rush,the music industry..I love her reaction to the drums btw ❤️
Her reactions to Geddys keyboards are priceless. She goes into a total musical trance. 3:48, 4:36 & 5:19. Totally consumed. So moving to watch. I first saw Rush in 1977. Starting playing drums immediately.
So Neil Peart was so revered as a drummer, DW the company that builds his kit, came upon 1500 year old oaks, and offered them to him for his final tour. These were the last drums he played . you can watch the video here.@0XUw
It’s nice to see some cool normal people on yt, this song means soooo much to me. Hint of Advice on rush, watch live performances of there work, it’s better than studio recordings trust me! Cheers!
Love watching you so into this. More than the drum fills, Neil's signature pattern on the ride cymbal which a lot of drummers will recognize is really front and center in between. If you liked this song, you really need to go right into the next song on the album, The Analog Kid which is another masterpiece showcasing Rush's penchant for Sweeping orchestral bridges filled with emotional resonance, plus a Riff and nasty guitar solo that you wont' want to miss.... In fact, if you like Subdivision, just go get the whole Signals album. It's in my personal Top 10 all time. (all music..not just Rush, though I won't admit how many Rush albums are in that Top-10..let's just say it's more than one. :-) )
Unless I'm mistaken, he wrote all the lyrics from Fly By Night to Clockwork Angels, save Tears and Lessons. I'm sure one of my brothers or sisters will correct me, and I welcome that.
Neil wrote ALL of the lyrics, with very few exceptions. The first album before Neil Joined was penned by Geddy, and one of those songs, Best I Can, appeared on the second album. Because Neil was SO verbose and well-read, Alex and Geddy were happy to free themselves from the task. This decision I think was one that really contributed to what was so incredibly unique about them. As you said, "These are not normal rock lyrics", If Geddy had continued as the primary lyricist, I think they would have been very good, his excellent solo album 'My Favorite Headache' is a testament to his ability to write impactful songs with powerful themes. But Neil's writing within Rush has been indelibly stamped upon the ears and minds of rock fans for over four decades now, and , in his own words, " Everybody got to deviate from the norm. "
If this doesn't bring you back to High School nothing will. This from just a normal kid who might have been kind of weird because I actually liked school. My friends were there and i didn't have to live in a huge city and there wasn't too much of that going on. There was some but not much. Only one High School in town. I actually learned something. Of course that was over 40 years ago though. RIP Neil
My opinion only...this is one of their more laid back songs, or so it would seem. One of the most impactful songs ever. And not technically one of Neil's insane percussion pieces, it IS very complex for all of the band. Peart NEVER stops.
There are a few songs sprinkled in their catalog that Neil did not write the lyrics for. Obviously, he didn't write anything on their debut album since he wasn't a member yet. I believe Geddy wrote the lyrics for "Lessons" from 2112 & "Different Strings" from Permanent Waves. There may be a few others, but those 2 stand out for me. Lyrically speaking, "Different Strings" is a very thoughtful song. You have to offer up Neil's lyrics for Entre Nous from the same album. Who would think that a rock band could have such thoughtful & meaningful lyrics? A "thinking mans bad" for sure...
Probably my favorite of theirs based on lyrics combined with music change ups. However, Trees is incredible as is Closer to the Heart for same reasons. Nice to watch you talk this out and waiting for your lyrical thoughts.
For another kinda complex and awesome Rush song you two should cover is "The Camera Eye" and do the studio version with lyrics for more interesting Neil Peart lyrics. ✌️😎
Reason 643256753 why Rush was soooooo great. They were a 'progressive' band, but they could make it groove like no tommorow. That stop right before the first verse, they drag it right into next month. They were also very into Regee at this time.
So nice to see other African American Rush fans! I've been a long time fan going back to the mid-80's and felt like the only one, which is why this song particularly spoke to me as a teenager. It seems like there are a lot of video like this where people of different races and age groups finally discovering this amazing band. If you want to see how much Rush continued to evolve in their sound throughout the 80's and 90's check out the following: The Big Money: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WQgu0MpnKq8.html Roll The Bones: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mmIynF-59YE.html
No matter how many times I listen to most Rush songs, there is always something new to appreciate, because of that complexity. Neil wrote all the lyrics except for the first album, which was before he joined the band. As far as I understand, all three members contributed to the music itself for their particular pieces, in a very collaborative approach, though Geddy and Alex seemed to have a larger part in the overall musical composition? I am sure there will be some that can keep me honest on that. :) Keep enjoying the Rush train, and really glad you watched and enjoyed the Rush documentary. I find it gives a deeper appreciation for this seemingly pretty unique band in music history. Gah... it makes me sad just to write "history" ...
Darn, another couple reaction video page that I have to sub and listen to... Great stuff, Rush for me is the one and only. My taste runs from big band to metal to some light rock, Rush is Rush... 3 guys making tons of sound... Listen to any of their live stuff especially Exit, Stage Left
