3 virtuosities,,playing like no band will ever play again. Rest in Peace,Professor on the drum kit,Neil. Neil Peart wrote 99.9% of the lyrics for Rush. The place...Xanadu..was a place of immortality,to find it,hidden in the caves of ice,in the Himalayas...granted that person immortality.. But after a 1,000 years of solitude,he who had immortality...found it wasn't paradise..and left those caves of ice. And yes...this is 1 complete song.
Mark, I saw the Farewell to Kings tour when I was 14. My first rock concert and first Rush show. That one was better, haha! Yes, I was completely thrown into the "spin cycle" that night! My young (drummer) mind was totally blown! :)
I'm with you all the way. His playing is so diverse yet somehow always packed full of soul and emotive. The whole band just gets under your skin and, dare I say it, closer to the heart.
Stop being diverse. Music fans always like to decide who they think is best.. Eddie’s the goat we all know it. Lifeson is amazing.. stop comparing and just enjoy, different strokes for different folks bud.
Easy there Tim, even Petrucci? Of course Rush was a big influence to Dream Theater. But yet, I'm going to have to agree:). Alex was the most underrated guitar player of all time. Yet, he kept up with the best drummer and bassist of all time. What does that say? There will never be another band like these guys, RIP Neil...
Side note... The Drummer is Neil Peart RIP. He is and was regarded as one of the greatest drummers who ever lived. He holds a nickname amongst drummers "The Professor." He also wrote most of the lyrics for their songs. Check out one of his drum solos. Very different. He builds music rather than just show boating. He was a musician, and orchestrator, not just a drummer. Alex is a singular guitarist who never really tried to emulate anyone else. Underated. A giant lost amongst giants. And Geddy Lee... As a kid I couldn't stand his voice, but I learned to appreciate it. His ability to juggle instruments while singing is insane. But his bass playing... The man actually traveled the world researching the bass guitar, it's origins, and similar instruments throughout history. He wrote a book about it. It's fantastic.They are such a unique band. I'm not a huge Rush fan, but over the years I've learned to appreciate their musicianship. They are insane. Also of note, the industry never helped them. They toured constantly. Building a global fan base as a progressive rock band, with no help from the media. They were even over looked and shit on my rolling stone magazine for decades. They are legendary.
I've heard it said that drummers play to metronomes and metronomes play to Neal Peart. He was a master of percussion... I can't call him a drummer. I played bass in my youth so couldn't help but be awed by Geddy Lee; he played things on bass that I struggled to master, and he did it while singing and playing keys with his feat. He's mind-boggling.
You got that right, to say they were sh** on be the media is actually an understatement. Rolling Stone damed near vomited and diaerrheaed all over ever new album that came out.. They tried everything they could to get Rush out of the rock business, but their music transcended Rolling Stone’s influence. Those were the same bastards tha kept them out if the R&RHOF forsomamy years. They stupidly put up a poll on their site in 2012 suggesting the band for the last position that year. They were so confident that actually added Rush as a possibility. thinking Rush isn’t popular enough to win such a poll. They were right that Rush never had mass appeal, but they didn’t account for how dedicated Rush fans are and would actually take their time to vote for Rush. Rush ended up winning over 25% of the total vote! Theh couldn't ignore them at that point and Rush was innducted. Out of the entire class of 2013, Heart was the only other actual rock band inducted. The other indctees included artists like Randy Newman??? Is that rock music? Donna Sommers?? I thought she was disco, which I never considered as a rock genre. At least Rush shined that night as they got the loudest and longest standing ovation at over 2 minutes and included rock legends like Dave Grohl, Tommy Morello, Chad Smith and many others. No band was ever more deserving.
They’re both playing moog Taurus pedals with their feet. So when you hear synth sounds while they’re both playing guitar that’s what you’re hearing. Pretty amazing concentration
If you listen carefully you can discern the difference between Geddy’s bass and the synth bass of the pedals. It allows him to play both parts at once. Amazing
The poem/song is a Cautionary Tale. A young guy finds a map to a mythical place, Xanadu, that promises immoratality. He sets out to find it. Finds the paradise & its immortality. But after years enjoying it, he finds it becomes ordinary & unchanging. And not being able to leave, a monotonous, eternal, prison. It's a great, "Be careful, what you wish for, you just might get it," story.
RUSH is very different than any band you will react too. First off they have talent beyond belief. Second and something even more rare in music. …They had ethics, front to back, beginning to end.
I think that the one sound you were wondering about in the beginning was when Alex was using a volume pedal to control the notes he was playing on the guitar. He was a master at that.
Xanadu is the name of a paradise in the poem "Kubla Khan," by British poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He had been reading a book about the Mongol Empire and fell into a drug (opium) induced dream about being in paradise. When he woke up, he started writing down the lines of a poem that came to him from the dream, but was interrupted by a visitor. After the visitor ("a person from Porlock") left, he was unable to recall the rest of the poem and it remained unfinished. The lyrics of this song come virtually directly from the poem .."In Xanadu did Kubla Kahn a golden pleasure dome decree, etc."
I would like to add that the song is about a traveller who becomes trapped in what had thought would be paradise. Contrast the wordplay between the first and second halves of the song. Also the sounds you were asking about are volume swells on the guitar.
@@seanweatherford1251 I would also add that the volume swells were done with a foot pedal. Alternatively I’ve seen it done on the guitar as well. Alex loved the pedals. And the bottom of Geddy’s double neck is a six string guitar
@@generoberts9151 I love Pink Floyd, but does David Gilmore stretch the strings like that? I don't remember hearing him do that. I love him but he is very different. I should say he stretches the strings, but I don't think he intentionally goes beyond the note and back. The Garden R40 live in Dallas is another example of Alex doing that.
My formal introduction to RUSH was in 1978 when they warmed up for Blue Oyster Cult. After that show, the next day my brother went out & bought A FAREWELL TO KINGS that had just come out. Xanadu is on that record so I have been listening to it for 45 years. I have seen them perform it probably 10 times out of the 15 times I have seen them They are my favorite rock band even to this day. Neil was my inspiration to become a drummer & I was happy to be able to learn & perform some of their catalog with my bands. Cygnus X-1 (on Farewell) is neck & neck with Natural Science as my fave songs by the guys. They are legends & the memories came rushing back thanks to you ..... much appreciated.
The keyboards you hear when Geddy is playing bass is from him using pedals with his feet at the same time. Moog Taurus pedals are what they were called and you could assign sounds to each one like the synth keyboards of the time.
Not exactly. The Taurus pedals and Oberheim were analog synths so there was no MIDI technology of sending different pedals on the Taurus to different patches in the Oberheim. It was essentially the voltage control of the Taurus note, via diodes that allowed the signal to go from the Taurus pedals to the Oberheim but not vice versa, triggering the corresponding voltage controller in the Oberheim that triggered the oscillator / patch. C on the Taurus equaled C on the Oberheim, and so on up the scale.
The sound you wondered about at the beginning is a guitar and Alex is using a volume pedal and bringing in the sound after the picking so you don't hear the attack
The studio version, released in 1977, of this is the same as the live version except it's a bit shorter. They expanded the opening section for this 1981 live version. By the way, guys, Rush recorded the studio version in 1 take.
The singer/bass player Geddy Lee has a 4 string bass on the top neck and a 12 string guitar on the bottom. On the first verse you can see Geddy is singing playing bass and also Moog Taurus bass pedals-kind of a mini synthesizer. You can see his right leg moving. In the opening of the song the sound Alex is getting is achieved with a Morely volume wah pedal to give it a violin sound. Alex also has a set of Moog Taurus bass pedals. And yes this is all one song. Neil used wood blocks tuned cowbells 3 or 4 sets of wind chimes, triangle's bell tree, glockenspiel, tubular bells with crotale cymbals on top of tubular bells, vibraslap. The glockenspiel is like a xylophone.
The vibraslap was never used live. A glockenspiel is a glockenspiel; a xylophone is a xylophone. They are only alike in the sense that they are chromatic percussion instruments.
And these dudes are such humble, down-to-earth, funny guys. Watch some of their interviews. They just wanted to make music and make people happy. The fame never went to their heads. "Limelight" is one of their best songs - it is about how uncomfortable they were and how difficult it was to become famous.
RusH was composed of 3 compulsive perfectionist, and genuine good people that do not have any ego trips that have lead to the demise of many successful bands. Truly GREAT musicians that are also truly great friends.... Resulting in some of the cleanest, tightest most amazing music ever made.
Xanadu is from a poem called Kubla Kahn that was written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Coleridge was a bit of a philosophy nerd and Xanadu was a mythical paradise from the poem. The studio edition is similar but this was their masterpiece version.
The studio version is just like it! They always sounded just like the studio versions live just bigger. One of the bands I saw live over and over again!
Thank you for the reaction, ***you guys noticed more than many others*** who have reviewed Xanadu.! Did you notice that both Geddy and Alex used Moog Taurus foot pedals connected to the keyboards while simultaneously playing guitar and bass? In this video when Geddy would sing at the middle stage mic stand, away from his keyboard's mic stand, a second set of Moog Taurus foot pedals where placed there so he could sing, play bass and also play / stomp the foot peddles. What blew my mind, back in the day on Rush's Grace Under Pressure concert tour, was Geddy that sometimes had to play bass with one hand, keyboards with another, sing all while he was standing one leg playing while also Moog Taurs foot pedals. I was lucky and saw two of the P/G shows. One could say the sue of Moog Taurus foot pedals was the secret sauce when it came to making such an expansive sound. Also, Neil used MalletKat Express drum pads to trigger sampled effects or sounds back then but on this track, If I am not mistaken, his kit was analog with a truck load of mics placed all around his kit. So to put Xanadu in perspective Geddy played 4 different instruments and sang simultaneous at some points in the song. Alex played 12 string guitar and 6 string guitar while playing simultaneously Moog Taurus foot pedals. Often it looks like Alex is stomping his effects triggers when in some cases he is also play the foot pedals. And Neil...percussionist / drummer / song writer, and the glue which held the band together while providing concepts to enabling every band to member to expand their creative talents. Yes, it has been said often, they sound like a six, seven or more piece band. Hopefully I've shed some light some light on how that was accomplished with their unique style. Again thank you for the reaction, ***you guys noticed more than many others*** who have reviewed Xanadu. Best wishes to you both and family,
RusH was composed of 3 compulsive perfectionist, and genuine good people that do not have any ego trips that have lead to the demise of many successful bands. Truly GREAT musicians that are also truly great friends.... Resulting in some of the cleanest, tightest most amazing music ever made.
That sound from the beginning you were talking was the guitar. He was using a volume pedal w/ some delay to get that sound. They both also are playing keyboard pedals with their feet throughout the song.
Ok, so what the song is about: as others have mentioned, it's an allusion to the Coleridge poem. In the song, our protagonist studies occult teachings to learn the location of the mythical lost city of Xanadu. He finds his way there and partakea of their lifestyle, becoming, like its residents, immortal. It then picks up a thousand years later and our hero is desperately unhappy, wanting to die, and waiting for the end of the world to free him from existence. It's laid out pretty explicitly in the lyrics.
As a lifelong Rush fan, welcome aboard. You're watching three of the absolute best to ever approach their instruments, working together as one, all driven by an unreal level of creative story telling. Absolute gods of their instruments - ask any drummer about Neil Peart, ask any bassist about Geddy Lee, and ask any guitarist about Alex Lifeson, and they'll all know about the greatness. They're weird, they made kooky music, but they also made a lot of heavy headbangers, but always how they wanted to do it without any care of what radio play they might get. They played in a bunch of weird time signatures, had crazy long songs, many of which had multiple 'movements' within them, and their fans are the most loyal fanbase I've ever encountered in my life.
Brother! I feel _exactly_ the same way. Been on a kick of reacting vids of all three lately. Saw a gal listening to Rush actually say, "There's something wrong with the beat... It's got no fourth part! A beat has four parts!". and I realized just how musically deprived the lady was. She'd never heard a waltz, for Bob's sake! Or the guys who know everything there is to know about hip-hop or classical but have zero rock experience. It's always a joy of watching them get their faces melted by those three.
Not to mess with such a perfect Trinity.... but it occurred to me there are two others worthy of same mention. First, the Beatles in their incredible Rubber Soul through Abbey Road days which sparked the creative explosion for everyone who followed. Second, the Who during their Tommy-Who's Next-Quadrophenia run of incredible compositional work that rocked severely.
@@Itelkner Eh, I'd pretty firmly categorize the Beatles as "pop". I mean, they're the greatest pop singers who ever lived, and their creativity and artistry is top-notch. They just didn't... rock... much.And the Who is amazing. But if I'm honest with myself, they just don't rise to level of the other three.
By far, one of the best performing live bans. They don't miss a beat. They give you your money's worth. I saw them live for Signals tour, Presto, and twice roll the bones. The talent is undeniable. It's difficult to comment on their videos because there is so much going on. You will have to watch it 4 or 5 times to get a full appreciation. . . .
It's funny that you say that they "don't miss a beat". There are a couple of instances here where they aren't fully synchronized, and as much as I love this version, it still sound a bit jarring. By the way, I wouldn't bother putting any other band under this kind of strict scrutiny, but this is Rush, so a higher standard applies. This same band, however, did not make those mistakes a couple of years later. I missed my town's show of this tour (May 12, 1981), but saw them in every other subsequent tour until '91or '92. Last time I saw them was at MSG in 2007 or so. Went straight from work still in jacket and tie. They still rocked.
The Drummer is Neil Peart, who sadly passed away a few years ago. Considered by many to be one of the best rock drummers ever. He wrote nearly all the lyrics for all their songs. Rush was iconic in many ways. One of the best "Jam" bands. I suggest La Villa Strangiato, and if your interested in the story telling that Peart was so famous for, 2112 was a great album. If your looking for suggestions for other great bands along this vein, I endorse Queensryche: Operation Mindcrime. Geoff Tate, their lead singer is an incredible talent.
To answer your question on the bass guitar: the other neck is simply an electric guitar. Geddy uses it from the moment the guitar solo of Alex began, so theres no bass til the end (only maybe bass pedals played by Alex). And the "rich" sound simply comes from their ability to play multiple instruments at one time. Geddy plays pedal synths sometimes WHILE playing bass and Alex sometimes does bass pedals while Geddy is on the keyboard, so in a way they ARE 5 people. They are not called "The best band in the galaxy" for nothing. Hope that helped a bit. Greets from Germany and stay safe!
All band members had all of their limbs fully engaged. I only saw them live once, in January 1980. Below, is the set list. It doesn't get much better than this (2 pages) drive.google.com/file/d/1Qk3a2hhpnGtQ8OWrTWqy6UHvezo6jzSZ/view?usp=drivesdk drive.google.com/file/d/1QjAJy7MD1HCwtn-JY2AVVPjDunivQ_tC/view?usp=drivesdk
Yeah that's great for a first time reaction,but from a technical standpoint, I'd go with YYZ from exit stage left. This version put Peart on "the map" as a virtuoso percussionist. My opinion only.
Alex played the intro on the guitar with Geddy adding in a few sounds from the synthesizer and Neil some percussion. This group was freaking awsome. I was hooked from the first note of 2112. From there I went back and listened to the 3 albums prior. It made me cry when Neil passed
Ah Rush, the world's smallest orchestra! Gotta love Ged playing keys, pedals, bass and singing. You guys do great reaction videos. Your background as musicians, engineers and music lovers really helps you provide great insights. You can see in your faces the appreciation you have for the musicianship, and production of the songs you review.
So Rush is one of the few bands that sound even better live despite their legendary studio output. Saw them live on this tour in 1979 at the Rochester, NY War Memorial Arena and that concert is still in my top five all-time. The talent of these three gentlemen is absolutely mind boggling.
In Xanadu did Kubla Kahna stately pleasure dome decree--Brush up on your Samuel Taylor Coleridge poems gentlemen, this is a classic journey. Remember ONLY THREE DUDES!!
Alex on guitar is playing the 'enveloped' notes at the introduction. In this instance he is doing it manually, using the guitar's volume control. He turns his guitar's volume pot low, slightly before he strikes the note, then brings the volume up after striking the note...there's no perceived 'attack' on the string with his guitar pick. It makes it sound like a bowed instrument (violin, viola, cello, bass violin). There are guitar pedals which can create the same 'enveloped' effect, but he's doing it old school.
You don't even understand what you are actually seeing. Three of the baddest men on the planet. Best drummer to ever live. The best bass player on the planet and Alex he's up there with David Gilmore. . All the top players
The opening ‘synth’ like sounds you were hearing are actually Alex on guitar using a volume pedal to softer the attack and decay of each note. He is a master at it, as he is with almost any other guitar style or effect. He can and does do it all! One of the greatest percussion performances I’ve ever seen live. It seems trivial to just call it drums!
I’m 52. Since the 1980’s I’ve seen Rush live more times than I can count. I feel sorry for anyone who could have seen Neil live who missed the opportunity. Words fail him. He was godlike in his prime.
Everyone who listens to Rush allows question the three piece … but they do it live all the time. It was amazing seeing them 35+ times … Thanks Rush .. Love ya.
I envy you Sam, I saw them around a dozen times from 1974 to 2006 or so and understand why you would want to see them again and again: they were consistently great every time I saw them, the set list changed over time and the shows got longer with more to play but my favorite is always the 2112 tour, seeing it live as it happened was one of my most favorite musical memories going back to 1964. RUSH Forever!
I have seen Rush 9 times the first time they played my high school for an assembly. I have seen them perform this song 3x and by far this was the best version live. 3 guys sounding like 5 all goats!!!! Canada Rocks!!!!
I see Rush, I click!! So very glad you're continuing down this rabbit hole. 3 of the most talented, masterclass musicians in one group!! I can attest, after seeing them 9 times, to their ability to reproduce their 'studio' sound live, each and every time - and often times, make it sound better than their studio version! This song would be one such example! How they achieve this is through the epitome of multi-tasking. Guitarist, Alex Lifeson, while shredding on his axe will also play foot pedals. Bassist/vocalist extraordinaire Geddy Lee will play foot bass while playing keys, or just bass, with foot keys...all while singing. And finally, master percussionist, The Professor, Neil Peart (RIP), doing his multi-part thing behind the kit...with precision & authority. We can also thank him for all the lyrics. You will not be disappointed in anything these guys do! Next up: 2112 (there's a great lyric/graphic novel video of their 20+ minute epic); La Villa Strangiato (10+ minute instrumental - official video is a live reproduction of the studio)
Xanadu is a paradise of immortality but also a curse of immortality. Hence the reason he escaped these caves of ice. This is the single best live performance ever recorded by any band in history!
That sound on the guitar in the beginning you were asking about is Alex Lifeson striking a string with the volume rolled all the way back (silent) and then rolling the sound up for a second so you can hear the note before rolling it back down to silence. He does this on each note he plays to make that melody. If you want to hear a really great example of this technique, listen to "Cathedral" (instrumental) by Van Halen on their Diver Down album.
1977 album A Farewell to Kings. It is approximately eleven minutes long, beginning with a five-minute-long instrumental section before transitioning to a narrative written by Neil Peart, which in turn was inspired by the Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem Kubla Khan
In the opening the keys you hear are the Tarus Bass Pedals but the other sound was the guitarist doing swells on the guitar using the volume knobs to get the swelling sound for the notes.
The Tales Of Kubla Khan was an epic poem written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge..(Xanadu is a part of this)..Neil (drummer/lyricist)was a big reader and many of the lyrics for this are featured in the poem
Alex has a 12-string top and a 6-string bottom and Geddy has a 4-string bass on top and a 12-string guitar on bottom (which he plays at the end of the song).
Prelude is Alex Leifson on Guitar with a footpedal and Geddy Lee with the Rickenbaker doubleneck bass while playing Moog pedals & Synth. the late great Neil Peart " The Professor" on percussion and the Lyricist. He's you favorite drummer's favorite drummer.
Excluding their very first album, Rush albums in the 70s contained long epic songs. "Xanadu" is from their 5th album "A Farewell to Kings" released in 1978. The story of the song was inspired by this poem en .wikipedia .org/wiki/Kubla_Khan
Geddy Lee is playing a foot peddle keyboard while he plays the bass, then switches to a regular keyboard, then back to bass. Amazing to see this perfect timing done live in concert. Try their song LA Villa Strangiato next.
Along with Neil hopping up and down to hit all the various percussion instruments and drums. Between Neil and Geddy’s various “jobs” within the song, I’d say Alex had a pretty easy go of it just playing guitar!😀
Musical prodigy, meets musical prodigy, meets musical prodigy...who also happens to be the greatest lyricist ever...and they are/were also three of the most sincere, genuinely nicest people on the planet.
67 yr old, there is GREATNESS in all genres and Rush is in that exalted God Level, but I digress - - - I'm responding to ur comment about the masters of time changes. I feel ur Ready but still a little early for this Band "Dream Theater " and the song "Dance of Eternity " off their many Masterpieces- Scenes from a Memory! That one song has 104 time changes! The composition, the musicianship is mind blowing for even Jazz or Classical guys. Enjoy.
When you were asking at the start "who was playing that, guitar or keyboard, it was the guitar. Alex was layering effects as well as using a volume foot pedal. He was ahead of his time in layering his sound to fill the spaces, as he fills both lead and rhythm guitar.
Yes u guys!!! My boys my 60 year old self Would not know my life with out them. Oir three Canadian masters. Gosh we got three hour concerts. They are such friends joked around while Playin THAT! U got 45 yrs of tunes to cover. Now 2112 is 24 mims 5 parts.... of awesomeness!! Great reaction Cheers
You must remember with Rush you must be a deep reader of books; many of the songs reference some book that Neil Peart has read and incorporated into his lyrics. To fully appreciate Rush and their music you must read. Xanadu is a fictional paradise hidden in the Himalayas.
You may or may not know this but both of them are playing keyboards as well with their feet. They have foot pedals but you can't see them. They both take turns doing various parts of different songs playing keyboards with the foot pedals. The sounds in the beginning of the song where Alex's guitar
Xanadu is like the lost city of Atlantis(pronounce like zanadu) this sounds exactly like the album. The only difference is when Neil has to go from triangles, chimes, bells, gongs, to drums, they slow it down slightly… the lead guitarist also plays foot pedal chords, which help give it that rich sound I saw them in concert in 1991 during the roll the bones series, I’ve never seen so many air drummers in my whole life😂 and still it’s so unbelievable the sound that comes out of the three of them… they also always had an actual working washer and dryer as they have been a working band for 5+ decades because of the length of their songs not fitting on the radio…. As always peace, love joy, and hope to you and yours. On a sidenote, I’m still proud of the season our Giants had ….
The various appliances are because Alex used to have these huge Marshall stacks behind him, and Geddy thought it made the stage look unbalanced. So he started adding things to the other side of the stage, partly to balance it and partly to try to make Alex and Neil laugh. They've had a mini laundromat, a videogame arcade, and on one tour a rotisserie (with a stagehand coming out to baste the chickens every so often). The laundromat concerts usually ended with the guys taking T-shirts out of the dryers and throwing them into the audience.
Greatest three person band ever! And to this almost 57 year old, THE BEST BAND EVER. They were truly incredible, especially live. Unbelievable. And this album is what sucked me in back in the eighth grade. You should hear the two songs that bled into this in order to get the full effect. It was side 3 of this album, Exit, Stage Left.. Broon's Bane is the quick intro that goes into The Trees, which ends going into Xanadu.....A truly EPIC album side. Great album all around, but that's my favorite side. And Xanadu refers to a euphoric place in the past... like paradise
According to sources, the list of instruments that Neil Peart plays in this song includes a glockenspiel, which is sort of like a xylophone with metal bars instead of wood. I believe it can be heard at 5:06-5:15. I don't hear it at any other time.
He’s also playing foot pedals that you can’t see the bottom of his bass guitar is a six string guitar Rush is one of the top five bands up there with zeppelin Pink Floyd enjoy guys
This was almost identical to the studio version, and by the way, the sound in the beginning was the guitar, and Alex was using a volume pedal to make that sound come in gradually with every note to make it almost sound like a keyboard.
You are right about the beginning, you are hearing the guitar. It's a pedal effect and there's keyboard and the bass is two bass guitars. And the guitar solo at the end deserves a very focused listening to. Thanks guys.
Both guitarists play synth and synth-bass with their feet btw... watch closely and you can see. oh.. that 'sound' you hear.. is not a keyboard. It's Alex on the guitar using his volume knob. (Pluck the string while the volume is off, then turn up the volume while it's vibrating.. sounds kinda like a violin) He also has a volume pedal so he can the volume with the knob on the guitar or with his foot.
Yes this is one song. It's the same almost exactly as the record version. Xanadu was the English name of Chinese leader Kublai Khan's summer palace. He was the one Marco Polo visited in the the late 13th century.
Enjoyed your reaction! The lyrics for this song were taken from/inspired by a poem called Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, written in 1797. Coleridge famously had an opium-induced dream and so began writing down his vision, but was later interrupted by a knock on the door. When he returned to the poem, he couldn't recall the rest of the dream. Glad you're exploring the Triumvirate that is Rush. 😊 Thank you for keeping their music alive. It is an absolute pleasure to watch others discover the "World's Most Famous Underground Band" and be as amazed as we all were when we first heard them, too. I think most fans are still in shock that they will never again play together but your willingness to dive into their music lets us know their music lives on. Thank you, gentlemen. Peace to you and yours.
If you're referring to the "Keyboard Sound" in the beginning being guitar, yup Alex was using a volume pedal to create volume swells with the guitar. Volume down->play note->volume up then down again and repeat.
The thing I absolutely love about Rush is these guys genuinely loved each other’s company and had a shared sense of humor. I saw this tour in 1981 and had third row seats. We just got lucky I guess. The show sold out so fast they added a second.
This is my favourite version of this song. I was lucky enough to see the Exit Stage left tour in 1981. So amazing!! The sound you are wondering about in the intro is Alex using a foot volume pedal with reverb and delay effect. If you watch close you can see his foot moving up and down as he fades the guitar notes in and out. Such a cool effect. He does that on a few different Rush Songs (Rivendell, Bytor and the Snow dog, La Villa Strangiato..) Alex plays 6 and 12 string guitar as well as Moog bass pedals.... Geddy sings, plays bass, plays bass pedals all at same time sometimes, and keyboards. and Neil just plays an entire percussion section. These guys are incredible!! no tracks no loos no overdubs. Just 3 extremely talented musicians!!! I love this band so much. RIP Neil😥😥
Geddy Lee the singer /Bass / Keyboard player has foot pedals under the keyboards so that when he is playing the keys with his hands he can still play the bass with his feet and visa versa he can play keys with his feet while playing bass with his hands All three are masters of their craft. You should check out 2112 or La Vila Strangiato
3 virtuosities,,playing like no band will ever play again.
Rest in Peace,Professor on the drum kit,Neil.
Neil Peart wrote 99.9% of the lyrics for Rush.
The place...Xanadu..was a place of immortality,to find it,hidden in the caves of ice,in the Himalayas...granted that person immortality..
But after a 1,000 years of solitude,he who had immortality...found it wasn't paradise..and left those caves of ice.
And yes...this is 1 complete song.
I'm 63 and have seen countless "live" performance videos...I have NEVER seen one better than this one. Simply terrific.
It's awesome but Genesis Seconds Out double live album from Paris 74 is something else 👍
@@thomasdutton3150 I have seen it, from '77 (the quality of the video was so-so) and it was excellent.
@@mkg59 I stand corrected 77. Marvellous on vinyl
Mark, I saw the Farewell to Kings tour when I was 14. My first rock concert and first Rush show. That one was better, haha! Yes, I was completely thrown into the "spin cycle" that night! My young (drummer) mind was totally blown! :)
If you think it's good there you should have seen them in person. I saw them live over 20 times just phenomenal
You can have your Page, Clapton, Eddie or even a Petrucci... in my book nobody beats Alex Lifeson.
Sadly I never saw Rush live, I have seen Clapton live...watching paint dry. Ray Cooper was on percussion and carried him.
I'm with you all the way. His playing is so diverse yet somehow always packed full of soul and emotive. The whole band just gets under your skin and, dare I say it, closer to the heart.
Stop being diverse. Music fans always like to decide who they think is best.. Eddie’s the goat we all know it. Lifeson is amazing.. stop comparing and just enjoy, different strokes for different folks bud.
They're all different. They do different shit. But I gotta agree with my brother here, Eddie is the GOAT.
Easy there Tim, even Petrucci? Of course Rush was a big influence to Dream Theater. But yet, I'm going to have to agree:). Alex was the most underrated guitar player of all time. Yet, he kept up with the best drummer and bassist of all time. What does that say? There will never be another band like these guys, RIP Neil...
Side note... The Drummer is Neil Peart RIP. He is and was regarded as one of the greatest drummers who ever lived. He holds a nickname amongst drummers "The Professor." He also wrote most of the lyrics for their songs. Check out one of his drum solos. Very different. He builds music rather than just show boating. He was a musician, and orchestrator, not just a drummer. Alex is a singular guitarist who never really tried to emulate anyone else. Underated. A giant lost amongst giants. And Geddy Lee... As a kid I couldn't stand his voice, but I learned to appreciate it. His ability to juggle instruments while singing is insane. But his bass playing... The man actually traveled the world researching the bass guitar, it's origins, and similar instruments throughout history. He wrote a book about it. It's fantastic.They are such a unique band. I'm not a huge Rush fan, but over the years I've learned to appreciate their musicianship. They are insane. Also of note, the industry never helped them. They toured constantly. Building a global fan base as a progressive rock band, with no help from the media. They were even over looked and shit on my rolling stone magazine for decades. They are legendary.
I've heard it said that drummers play to metronomes and metronomes play to Neal Peart. He was a master of percussion... I can't call him a drummer. I played bass in my youth so couldn't help but be awed by Geddy Lee; he played things on bass that I struggled to master, and he did it while singing and playing keys with his feat. He's mind-boggling.
Eh? Alex gone too? !!!!! I missed that one. I agree, vastly underrated guitarist.
@@steveb6386 Alex is still with us.
You got that right, to say they were sh** on be the media is actually an understatement. Rolling Stone damed near vomited and diaerrheaed all over ever new album that came out.. They tried everything they could to get Rush out of the rock business, but their music transcended Rolling Stone’s influence. Those were the same bastards tha kept them out if the R&RHOF forsomamy years.
They stupidly put up a poll on their site in 2012 suggesting the band for the last position that year. They were so confident that actually added Rush as a possibility. thinking Rush isn’t popular enough to win such a poll. They were right that Rush never had mass appeal, but they didn’t account for how dedicated Rush fans are and would actually take their time to vote for Rush.
Rush ended up winning over 25% of the total vote! Theh couldn't ignore them at that point and Rush was innducted. Out of the entire class of 2013, Heart was the only other actual rock band inducted. The other indctees included artists like Randy Newman??? Is that rock music? Donna Sommers?? I thought she was disco, which I never considered as a rock genre.
At least Rush shined that night as they got the loudest and longest standing ovation at over 2 minutes and included rock legends like Dave Grohl, Tommy Morello, Chad Smith and many others. No band was ever more deserving.
They’re both playing moog Taurus pedals with their feet. So when you hear synth sounds while they’re both playing guitar that’s what you’re hearing. Pretty amazing concentration
If you listen carefully you can discern the difference between Geddy’s bass and the synth bass of the pedals. It allows him to play both parts at once. Amazing
The intro violin sounds are guitar using delay and volume swells.
You have witnessed the ultimate triumvirate!
The poem/song is a Cautionary Tale. A young guy finds a map to a mythical place, Xanadu, that promises immoratality.
He sets out to find it. Finds the paradise & its immortality. But after years enjoying it, he finds it becomes ordinary & unchanging. And not being able to leave, a monotonous, eternal, prison.
It's a great, "Be careful, what you wish for, you just might get it," story.
RUSH is very different than any band you will react too. First off they have talent beyond belief. Second and something even more rare in music. …They had ethics, front to back, beginning to end.
Each of the members are easily one of the top ten players of their instruments. Legendary status as a band and individually.
I’m always amazed by great most legendary were at such a young age …. Writing timeless classics in their late teens early 20s
I think that the one sound you were wondering about in the beginning was when Alex was using a volume pedal to control the notes he was playing on the guitar. He was a master at that.
Xanadu is the name of a paradise in the poem "Kubla Khan," by British poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He had been reading a book about the Mongol Empire and fell into a drug (opium) induced dream about being in paradise. When he woke up, he started writing down the lines of a poem that came to him from the dream, but was interrupted by a visitor. After the visitor ("a person from Porlock") left, he was unable to recall the rest of the poem and it remained unfinished. The lyrics of this song come virtually directly from the poem .."In Xanadu did Kubla Kahn a golden pleasure dome decree, etc."
I would like to add that the song is about a traveller who becomes trapped in what had thought would be paradise. Contrast the wordplay between the first and second halves of the song.
Also the sounds you were asking about are volume swells on the guitar.
@@seanweatherford1251 I would also add that the volume swells were done with a foot pedal. Alternatively I’ve seen it done on the guitar as well. Alex loved the pedals. And the bottom of Geddy’s double neck is a six string guitar
@@generoberts9151 ...and I would like to add that nobody bended sound like Alex. I love it when he bends notes out of tune and back.
@@BalokLives Only one that I would put on his pedestal besides him in that skill is David Gilmore.
@@generoberts9151 I love Pink Floyd, but does David Gilmore stretch the strings like that? I don't remember hearing him do that. I love him but he is very different. I should say he stretches the strings, but I don't think he intentionally goes beyond the note and back.
The Garden R40 live in Dallas is another example of Alex doing that.
My formal introduction to RUSH was in 1978 when they warmed up for Blue Oyster Cult. After that show, the next day my brother went out & bought A FAREWELL TO KINGS that had just come out. Xanadu is on that record so I have been listening to it for 45 years. I have seen them perform it probably 10 times out of the 15 times I have seen them They are my favorite rock band even to this day. Neil was my inspiration to become a drummer & I was happy to be able to learn & perform some of their catalog with my bands. Cygnus X-1 (on Farewell) is neck & neck with Natural Science as my fave songs by the guys. They are legends & the memories came rushing back thanks to you ..... much appreciated.
The keyboards you hear when Geddy is playing bass is from him using pedals with his feet at the same time. Moog Taurus pedals are what they were called and you could assign sounds to each one like the synth keyboards of the time.
Not exactly. The Taurus pedals and Oberheim were analog synths so there was no MIDI technology of sending different pedals on the Taurus to different patches in the Oberheim.
It was essentially the voltage control of the Taurus note, via diodes that allowed the signal to go from the Taurus pedals to the Oberheim but not vice versa, triggering the corresponding voltage controller in the Oberheim that triggered the oscillator / patch.
C on the Taurus equaled C on the Oberheim, and so on up the scale.
The sound you wondered about at the beginning is a guitar and Alex is using a volume pedal and bringing in the sound after the picking so you don't hear the attack
The studio version, released in 1977, of this is the same as the live version except it's a bit shorter. They expanded the opening section for this 1981 live version. By the way, guys, Rush recorded the studio version in 1 take.
Yeah, when Rush showed up at a studio they meant business. There was no playing around
The singer/bass player Geddy Lee has a 4 string bass on the top neck and a 12 string guitar on the bottom. On the first verse you can see Geddy is singing playing bass and also Moog Taurus bass pedals-kind of a mini synthesizer. You can see his right leg moving. In the opening of the song the sound Alex is getting is achieved with a Morely volume wah pedal to give it a violin sound. Alex also has a set of Moog Taurus bass pedals. And yes this is all one song. Neil used wood blocks tuned cowbells 3 or 4 sets of wind chimes, triangle's bell tree, glockenspiel, tubular bells with crotale cymbals on top of tubular bells, vibraslap. The glockenspiel is like a xylophone.
The vibraslap was never used live.
A glockenspiel is a glockenspiel; a xylophone is a xylophone. They are only alike in the sense that they are chromatic percussion instruments.
And these dudes are such humble, down-to-earth, funny guys. Watch some of their interviews. They just wanted to make music and make people happy. The fame never went to their heads. "Limelight" is one of their best songs - it is about how uncomfortable they were and how difficult it was to become famous.
RusH was composed of 3 compulsive perfectionist, and genuine good people that do not have any ego trips that have lead to the demise of many successful bands.
Truly GREAT musicians that are also truly great friends.... Resulting in some of the cleanest, tightest most amazing music ever made.
Well mostly Neil Peart. The other guys were fine but Neil was not used to it at the time. He wrote the song.
Xanadu is from a poem called Kubla Kahn that was written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Coleridge was a bit of a philosophy nerd and Xanadu was a mythical paradise from the poem. The studio edition is similar but this was their masterpiece version.
The studio version is just like it! They always sounded just like the studio versions live just bigger. One of the bands I saw live over and over again!
Saw Rush five times during the 80's & 90's, never a bad show.
Thank you for the reaction, ***you guys noticed more than many others*** who have reviewed Xanadu.! Did you notice that both Geddy and Alex used Moog Taurus foot pedals connected to the keyboards while simultaneously playing guitar and bass? In this video when Geddy would sing at the middle stage mic stand, away from his keyboard's mic stand, a second set of Moog Taurus foot pedals where placed there so he could sing, play bass and also play / stomp the foot peddles. What blew my mind, back in the day on Rush's Grace Under Pressure concert tour, was Geddy that sometimes had to play bass with one hand, keyboards with another, sing all while he was standing one leg playing while also Moog Taurs foot pedals. I was lucky and saw two of the P/G shows. One could say the sue of Moog Taurus foot pedals was the secret sauce when it came to making such an expansive sound. Also, Neil used MalletKat Express drum pads to trigger sampled effects or sounds back then but on this track, If I am not mistaken, his kit was analog with a truck load of mics placed all around his kit. So to put Xanadu in perspective Geddy played 4 different instruments and sang simultaneous at some points in the song. Alex played 12 string guitar and 6 string guitar while playing simultaneously Moog Taurus foot pedals. Often it looks like Alex is stomping his effects triggers when in some cases he is also play the foot pedals. And Neil...percussionist / drummer / song writer, and the glue which held the band together while providing concepts to enabling every band to member to expand their creative talents. Yes, it has been said often, they sound like a six, seven or more piece band. Hopefully I've shed some light some light on how that was accomplished with their unique style. Again thank you for the reaction, ***you guys noticed more than many others*** who have reviewed Xanadu. Best wishes to you both and family,
Thank you so much. Best wishes to you and your family as well. Have a great weekend!!
And thanks for all the great info.
Great comment 👍 thanks.
RusH was composed of 3 compulsive perfectionist, and genuine good people that do not have any ego trips that have lead to the demise of many successful bands.
Truly GREAT musicians that are also truly great friends.... Resulting in some of the cleanest, tightest most amazing music ever made.
Seen them quite a few times always amazed that much sound from 3 people!!!!
I love Alex's transition from top to bottom neck at 8:11.
" The three travelers, men of Willowdale " - lyrically and musically unmatched. "It's everything" - yes indeed sir, yes indeed.
Both Geddy and Alex are also playing Taurus Pedal Sythesizers with their feet!
That sound from the beginning you were talking was the guitar. He was using a volume pedal w/ some delay to get that sound. They both also are playing keyboard pedals with their feet throughout the song.
Alex is also playing synthesizer with Moog Taurus pedals while playing guitar:)
Ok, so what the song is about: as others have mentioned, it's an allusion to the Coleridge poem. In the song, our protagonist studies occult teachings to learn the location of the mythical lost city of Xanadu. He finds his way there and partakea of their lifestyle, becoming, like its residents, immortal. It then picks up a thousand years later and our hero is desperately unhappy, wanting to die, and waiting for the end of the world to free him from existence. It's laid out pretty explicitly in the lyrics.
As a lifelong Rush fan, welcome aboard. You're watching three of the absolute best to ever approach their instruments, working together as one, all driven by an unreal level of creative story telling. Absolute gods of their instruments - ask any drummer about Neil Peart, ask any bassist about Geddy Lee, and ask any guitarist about Alex Lifeson, and they'll all know about the greatness.
They're weird, they made kooky music, but they also made a lot of heavy headbangers, but always how they wanted to do it without any care of what radio play they might get. They played in a bunch of weird time signatures, had crazy long songs, many of which had multiple 'movements' within them, and their fans are the most loyal fanbase I've ever encountered in my life.
This sounds almost exactly like the studio version. Rush, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd are the three greatest ever.
Brother! I feel _exactly_ the same way. Been on a kick of reacting vids of all three lately. Saw a gal listening to Rush actually say, "There's something wrong with the beat... It's got no fourth part! A beat has four parts!". and I realized just how musically deprived the lady was. She'd never heard a waltz, for Bob's sake! Or the guys who know everything there is to know about hip-hop or classical but have zero rock experience. It's always a joy of watching them get their faces melted by those three.
"The Holy Trinity.."
Not to mess with such a perfect Trinity.... but it occurred to me there are two others worthy of same mention. First, the Beatles in their incredible Rubber Soul through Abbey Road days which sparked the creative explosion for everyone who followed. Second, the Who during their Tommy-Who's Next-Quadrophenia run of incredible compositional work that rocked severely.
@@Itelkner Eh, I'd pretty firmly categorize the Beatles as "pop". I mean, they're the greatest pop singers who ever lived, and their creativity and artistry is top-notch. They just didn't... rock... much.And the Who is amazing. But if I'm honest with myself, they just don't rise to level of the other three.
@Itelkner can't forget about the outstanding work of Yes, either. But my three best are the same.
By far, one of the best performing live bans. They don't miss a beat. They give you your money's worth. I saw them live for Signals tour, Presto, and twice roll the bones. The talent is undeniable. It's difficult to comment on their videos because there is so much going on. You will have to watch it 4 or 5 times to get a full appreciation. . . .
#Facts 🤔
I saw them on the Hemispheres tour, then again at a Texas Jam, IMHO, they smoked all the other bands!
It's funny that you say that they "don't miss a beat". There are a couple of instances here where they aren't fully synchronized, and as much as I love this version, it still sound a bit jarring. By the way, I wouldn't bother putting any other band under this kind of strict scrutiny, but this is Rush, so a higher standard applies. This same band, however, did not make those mistakes a couple of years later. I missed my town's show of this tour (May 12, 1981), but saw them in every other subsequent tour until '91or '92. Last time I saw them was at MSG in 2007 or so. Went straight from work still in jacket and tie. They still rocked.
The Drummer is Neil Peart, who sadly passed away a few years ago. Considered by many to be one of the best rock drummers ever. He wrote nearly all the lyrics for all their songs. Rush was iconic in many ways. One of the best "Jam" bands. I suggest La Villa Strangiato, and if your interested in the story telling that Peart was so famous for, 2112 was a great album. If your looking for suggestions for other great bands along this vein, I endorse Queensryche: Operation Mindcrime. Geoff Tate, their lead singer is an incredible talent.
To answer your question on the bass guitar: the other neck is simply an electric guitar. Geddy uses it from the moment the guitar solo of Alex began, so theres no bass til the end (only maybe bass pedals played by Alex). And the "rich" sound simply comes from their ability to play multiple instruments at one time. Geddy plays pedal synths sometimes WHILE playing bass and Alex sometimes does bass pedals while Geddy is on the keyboard, so in a way they ARE 5 people. They are not called "The best band in the galaxy" for nothing. Hope that helped a bit. Greets from Germany and stay safe!
All band members had all of their limbs fully engaged. I only saw them live once, in January 1980. Below, is the set list. It doesn't get much better than this (2 pages)
drive.google.com/file/d/1Qk3a2hhpnGtQ8OWrTWqy6UHvezo6jzSZ/view?usp=drivesdk
drive.google.com/file/d/1QjAJy7MD1HCwtn-JY2AVVPjDunivQ_tC/view?usp=drivesdk
Next RUSH reaction needs to be “YYZ LIVE IN RIO”, it’s an instrumental that showcases their individual talents.
Yeah that's great for a first time reaction,but from a technical standpoint, I'd go with YYZ from exit stage left. This version put Peart on "the map" as a virtuoso percussionist. My opinion only.
Geddy once said their music was like 3 solos that worked together.
Alex played the intro on the guitar with Geddy adding in a few sounds from the synthesizer and Neil some percussion. This group was freaking awsome. I was hooked from the first note of 2112. From there I went back and listened to the 3 albums prior. It made me cry when Neil passed
The geeks of rock they were the geeks of rock, and made fun of my other bands, and look at them now. Amazing I’ve seen them three times.
Ah Rush, the world's smallest orchestra! Gotta love Ged playing keys, pedals, bass and singing. You guys do great reaction videos. Your background as musicians, engineers and music lovers really helps you provide great insights. You can see in your faces the appreciation you have for the musicianship, and production of the songs you review.
So Rush is one of the few bands that sound even better live despite their legendary studio output. Saw them live on this tour in 1979 at the Rochester, NY War Memorial Arena and that concert is still in my top five all-time. The talent of these three gentlemen is absolutely mind boggling.
In Xanadu did Kubla Kahna stately pleasure dome decree--Brush up on your Samuel Taylor Coleridge poems gentlemen, this is a classic journey. Remember ONLY THREE DUDES!!
The standard of musicianship from these three men was astounding. Where Rush led the likes of Muse eventually followed, nearly 30 years later.
Alex on guitar is playing the 'enveloped' notes at the introduction. In this instance he is doing it manually, using the guitar's volume control. He turns his guitar's volume pot low, slightly before he strikes the note, then brings the volume up after striking the note...there's no perceived 'attack' on the string with his guitar pick. It makes it sound like a bowed instrument (violin, viola, cello, bass violin). There are guitar pedals which can create the same 'enveloped' effect, but he's doing it old school.
The sound in the beginning was Alex on his guitar with foot pedals. And it's all one song.
You don't even understand what you are actually seeing. Three of the baddest men on the planet. Best drummer to ever live. The best bass player on the planet and Alex he's up there with David Gilmore. . All the top players
Xanadu is the legendary mythical land of paradise.
That's exactly how it's done on the studio album just live
The opening ‘synth’ like sounds you were hearing are actually Alex on guitar using a volume pedal to softer the attack and decay of each note. He is a master at it, as he is with almost any other guitar style or effect. He can and does do it all! One of the greatest percussion performances I’ve ever seen live. It seems trivial to just call it drums!
"Volume swells" to be a technical bastard!
It's all guitar, with a return pedal,,at the intro 🏴🤘
RUSH is literally unapproachable as far as anyone else out there - that have attempted to follow in their steps. Incredible, live.
I’m 52. Since the 1980’s I’ve seen Rush live more times than I can count. I feel sorry for anyone who could have seen Neil live who missed the opportunity.
Words fail him. He was godlike in his prime.
Geddy's playing a 4string bass on top and a 12 string guitar on bottom.
Rush is EPIC!
Everyone who listens to Rush allows question the three piece … but they do it live all the time. It was amazing seeing them 35+ times … Thanks Rush .. Love ya.
I envy you Sam, I saw them around a dozen times from 1974 to 2006 or so and understand why you would want to see them again and again: they were consistently great every time I saw them, the set list changed over time and the shows got longer with more to play but my favorite is always the 2112 tour, seeing it live as it happened was one of my most favorite musical memories going back to 1964. RUSH Forever!
I have seen Rush 9 times the first time they played my high school for an assembly. I have seen them perform this song 3x and by far this was the best version live. 3 guys sounding like 5 all goats!!!! Canada Rocks!!!!
I see Rush, I click!! So very glad you're continuing down this rabbit hole. 3 of the most talented, masterclass musicians in one group!! I can attest, after seeing them 9 times, to their ability to reproduce their 'studio' sound live, each and every time - and often times, make it sound better than their studio version! This song would be one such example!
How they achieve this is through the epitome of multi-tasking. Guitarist, Alex Lifeson, while shredding on his axe will also play foot pedals. Bassist/vocalist extraordinaire Geddy Lee will play foot bass while playing keys, or just bass, with foot keys...all while singing. And finally, master percussionist, The Professor, Neil Peart (RIP), doing his multi-part thing behind the kit...with precision & authority. We can also thank him for all the lyrics.
You will not be disappointed in anything these guys do!
Next up: 2112 (there's a great lyric/graphic novel video of their 20+ minute epic); La Villa Strangiato (10+ minute instrumental - official video is a live reproduction of the studio)
And have Chicken Rotisseries and Washing machines in the backgroup (well in later tours)
Xanadu is a paradise of immortality but also a curse of immortality. Hence the reason he escaped these caves of ice. This is the single best live performance ever recorded by any band in history!
5:18 not keyboards folks, that was Bass pedals foot synth that Geddy is playing while he play bass guitar at the same time.
That sound on the guitar in the beginning you were asking about is Alex Lifeson striking a string with the volume rolled all the way back (silent) and then rolling the sound up for a second so you can hear the note before rolling it back down to silence. He does this on each note he plays to make that melody. If you want to hear a really great example of this technique, listen to "Cathedral" (instrumental) by Van Halen on their Diver Down album.
Ahh there ya go. Great Live RUSH Choice
1977 album A Farewell to Kings. It is approximately eleven minutes long, beginning with a five-minute-long instrumental section before transitioning to a narrative written by Neil Peart, which in turn was inspired by the Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem Kubla Khan
In the opening the keys you hear are the Tarus Bass Pedals but the other sound was the guitarist doing swells on the guitar using the volume knobs to get the swelling sound for the notes.
told you kkkkkkkkkk, hey test for echo, afterimage, time stand .... rush is a machine mind
The Tales Of Kubla Khan was an epic poem written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge..(Xanadu is a part of this)..Neil (drummer/lyricist)was a big reader and many of the lyrics for this are featured in the poem
Alex has a 12-string top and a 6-string bottom and Geddy has a 4-string bass on top and a 12-string guitar on bottom (which he plays at the end of the song).
This is the correct answer
Prelude is Alex Leifson on Guitar with a footpedal and Geddy Lee with the Rickenbaker doubleneck bass while playing Moog pedals & Synth. the late great Neil Peart " The Professor" on percussion and the Lyricist. He's you favorite drummer's favorite drummer.
Xanadu is just a song about a fantasy area somewhere in the world. It's a fictitious tale.
That sound is the guitarist slightly rolling his volume on each note
Excluding their very first album, Rush albums in the 70s contained long epic songs. "Xanadu" is from their 5th album "A Farewell to Kings" released in 1978. The story of the song was inspired by this poem en .wikipedia .org/wiki/Kubla_Khan
Geddy Lee is playing a foot peddle keyboard while he plays the bass, then switches to a regular keyboard, then back to bass. Amazing to see this perfect timing done live in concert. Try their song LA Villa Strangiato next.
Along with Neil hopping up and down to hit all the various percussion instruments and drums. Between Neil and Geddy’s various “jobs” within the song, I’d say Alex had a pretty easy go of it just playing guitar!😀
He travelled far to find eternal life at Xanadu , a thousand years went by and Xanadu became his prison...
Musical prodigy, meets musical prodigy, meets musical prodigy...who also happens to be the greatest lyricist ever...and they are/were also three of the most sincere, genuinely nicest people on the planet.
The bass player Geddy Lee plays the keyboard with his hands at the same time he is playing bass with his feet
Best Band Ever!
67 yr old, there is GREATNESS in all genres and Rush is in that exalted God Level, but I digress - - - I'm responding to ur comment about the masters of time changes. I feel ur Ready but still a little early for this Band "Dream Theater " and the song "Dance of Eternity " off their many Masterpieces- Scenes from a Memory! That one song has 104 time changes! The composition, the musicianship is mind blowing for even Jazz or Classical guys. Enjoy.
When you were asking at the start "who was playing that, guitar or keyboard, it was the guitar. Alex was layering effects as well as using a volume foot pedal. He was ahead of his time in layering his sound to fill the spaces, as he fills both lead and rhythm guitar.
Its Rush.....there's 20 of them. I miss them so much...God bless you Mr Peart
Yes u guys!!! My boys my 60 year old self
Would not know my life with out them. Oir three Canadian masters.
Gosh we got three hour concerts. They are such friends joked around while Playin THAT!
U got 45 yrs of tunes to cover. Now 2112 is 24 mims 5 parts.... of awesomeness!!
Great reaction Cheers
You must remember with Rush you must be a deep reader of books; many of the songs reference some book that Neil Peart has read and incorporated into his lyrics. To fully appreciate Rush and their music you must read. Xanadu is a fictional paradise hidden in the Himalayas.
@2:18 "That's a lot of sound coming from three people..." Buckle up fellas, you ain't heard nuthin' yet!
You may or may not know this but both of them are playing keyboards as well with their feet. They have foot pedals but you can't see them. They both take turns doing various parts of different songs playing keyboards with the foot pedals. The sounds in the beginning of the song where Alex's guitar
Xanadu is like the lost city of Atlantis(pronounce like zanadu) this sounds exactly like the album. The only difference is when Neil has to go from triangles, chimes, bells, gongs, to drums, they slow it down slightly… the lead guitarist also plays foot pedal chords, which help give it that rich sound I saw them in concert in 1991 during the roll the bones series, I’ve never seen so many air drummers in my whole life😂 and still it’s so unbelievable the sound that comes out of the three of them… they also always had an actual working washer and dryer as they have been a working band for 5+ decades because of the length of their songs not fitting on the radio…. As always peace, love joy, and hope to you and yours.
On a sidenote, I’m still proud of the season our Giants had ….
The various appliances are because Alex used to have these huge Marshall stacks behind him, and Geddy thought it made the stage look unbalanced. So he started adding things to the other side of the stage, partly to balance it and partly to try to make Alex and Neil laugh. They've had a mini laundromat, a videogame arcade, and on one tour a rotisserie (with a stagehand coming out to baste the chickens every so often). The laundromat concerts usually ended with the guys taking T-shirts out of the dryers and throwing them into the audience.
One of the best Rush songs ever!🎸🥁💣🔥
Greatest three person band ever! And to this almost 57 year old, THE BEST BAND EVER. They were truly incredible, especially live. Unbelievable. And this album is what sucked me in back in the eighth grade. You should hear the two songs that bled into this in order to get the full effect. It was side 3 of this album, Exit, Stage Left.. Broon's Bane is the quick intro that goes into The Trees, which ends going into Xanadu.....A truly EPIC album side. Great album all around, but that's my favorite side.
And Xanadu refers to a euphoric place in the past... like paradise
According to sources, the list of instruments that Neil Peart plays in this song includes a glockenspiel, which is sort of like a xylophone with metal bars instead of wood. I believe it can be heard at 5:06-5:15. I don't hear it at any other time.
He’s also playing foot pedals that you can’t see the bottom of his bass guitar is a six string guitar Rush is one of the top five bands up there with zeppelin Pink Floyd enjoy guys
This was almost identical to the studio version, and by the way, the sound in the beginning was the guitar, and Alex was using a volume pedal to make that sound come in gradually with every note to make it almost sound like a keyboard.
You are right about the beginning, you are hearing the guitar. It's a pedal effect and there's keyboard and the bass is two bass guitars.
And the guitar solo at the end deserves a very focused listening to. Thanks guys.
Both guitarists play synth and synth-bass with their feet btw... watch closely and you can see.
oh.. that 'sound' you hear.. is not a keyboard. It's Alex on the guitar using his volume knob. (Pluck the string while the volume is off, then turn up the volume while it's vibrating.. sounds kinda like a violin) He also has a volume pedal so he can the volume with the knob on the guitar or with his foot.
Yes this is one song. It's the same almost exactly as the record version. Xanadu was the English name of Chinese leader Kublai Khan's summer palace. He was the one Marco Polo visited in the the late 13th century.
Enjoyed your reaction! The lyrics for this song were taken from/inspired by a poem called Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, written in 1797. Coleridge famously had an opium-induced dream and so began writing down his vision, but was later interrupted by a knock on the door. When he returned to the poem, he couldn't recall the rest of the dream. Glad you're exploring the Triumvirate that is Rush. 😊 Thank you for keeping their music alive. It is an absolute pleasure to watch others discover the "World's Most Famous Underground Band" and be as amazed as we all were when we first heard them, too. I think most fans are still in shock that they will never again play together but your willingness to dive into their music lets us know their music lives on. Thank you, gentlemen. Peace to you and yours.
Alex and Geddy have been best friends since grade school.
I think Rush's biggest accolade is being in a band that long together and remaining tight friends.
The best thing to come out of Canada by far!!! Thank You for this! Genius!!!
If you're referring to the "Keyboard Sound" in the beginning being guitar, yup Alex was using a volume pedal to create volume swells with the guitar. Volume down->play note->volume up then down again and repeat.
The thing I absolutely love about Rush is these guys genuinely loved each other’s company and had a shared sense of humor. I saw this tour in 1981 and had third row seats. We just got lucky I guess. The show sold out so fast they added a second.
This is my favourite version of this song. I was lucky enough to see the Exit Stage left tour in 1981. So amazing!! The sound you are wondering about in the intro is Alex using a foot volume pedal with reverb and delay effect. If you watch close you can see his foot moving up and down as he fades the guitar notes in and out. Such a cool effect. He does that on a few different Rush Songs (Rivendell, Bytor and the Snow dog, La Villa Strangiato..)
Alex plays 6 and 12 string guitar as well as Moog bass pedals.... Geddy sings, plays bass, plays bass pedals all at same time sometimes, and keyboards.
and Neil just plays an entire percussion section. These guys are incredible!! no tracks no loos no overdubs. Just 3 extremely talented musicians!!! I love this band so much. RIP Neil😥😥
RUSH IS A THREE MAN ORCHESTRA. 🥁☮☘
Geddy Lee the singer /Bass / Keyboard player has foot pedals under the keyboards so that when he is playing the keys with his hands he can still play the bass with his feet and visa versa he can play keys with his feet while playing bass with his hands All three are masters of their craft. You should check out 2112 or La Vila Strangiato
I have no words to express my appreciation and respect for these guys!
Astounding!
Alex is doing what we guitarists call volume swells in the beginning.
The best three man band ever. Over 40 years creating music, 17 + albums and over 160 songs to explore. Enjoy the ride!
one of a kind band, 1981. masterpiece,🤘🤘🤘
It was mainly the guitar you heard in the beginning with a little keyboard. Alex was able to make his guitar sound like a synth.