This song is based on a series of nightmares Alex Lifeson(the guitarrist) had and it's divided in sections, as you correctly mentioned ...one of the most brilliant instrumentals of all time! Next, Try XANADU live off the EXIT STAGE LEFT concert in 1981! Mind-blowing!
This was recorded "Live" without an audience This song is a series of dreams Alex had This was the 1st time they were able to play it through in one take
You simply must do Xanadu '81 Live from Exit Stage Left. Long super-atmospheric instrumental intro, intriguing lyrics, masterful performance. Alex's guitar solo at the end of the song gives me goosebumps every time I see it. Widely considered the finest rock performance ever recorded. It is simply magical!
From the Rush archives website. Titles and time where each section begins: I. "Buenas Noches, Mein Froinds!" 0:00 II. "To Sleep, Perchance To Dream..." 0:27 III. "Strangiato Theme" 2:00 IV. "A Lerxst In Wonderland" 3:16 V. "Monsters!" 5:49 VI. "The Ghost Of The Aragon" 6:10 VII. "Danforth And Pape" 6:45 VIII. "The Waltz Of The Shreves" 7:26 IX. "Never Turn Your Back On A Monster!" 7:52 X. "Monsters! (Reprise)" 8:03 XI. "Strangiato Theme (Reprise)" 8:17 XII. "A Farewell To Things" 9:20
The times you linked are off a bit in this video. My favorite Alex solo ever is A Lerxst In Wonderland, which starts at 5:49 of this video. And Strangiato Theme starts at 3:16 with the preceding To Sleep Perchance to Dream ending around 3:15. I think you inadvertently split up Buenas Notes Mein Froinds, which actually is the entire intro solo starting at 00:56. No worries; what a killer song, eh?
Alex only really stands/returns to his 'station' when he has to implement a guitar effect change or when he's got to play a part on the pedals ... it's a good rule of thumb for anyone watching - if he's at his mic and pedalboard, he's doing something other than just playing the guitar straight.
The album version is a fraction tighter and boosted so you can hear every little detail. Ive listened to it thousands of times. Covered it in bands. The thing with Rush is, once you know the idiosyncracies of each song, it is such a pleasure to hear them execute it so flawlessly. What a Rush!
I love your reactions! This song was inspired by a dream/nightmare of Alex's. A very difficult and complex song. This video shows them playing it straight through for the first time (that's why they are smiling at each other towards the very end) on a closed stage with no audience. Up until this point they had to record in sections. This song is off their album Hemispheres released in 1978. This song inspired numerous up and coming prog/rock musicians. In interviews they talk about how proud they were when they finally mastered it. Though this song is in my top 10 for RUSH, you really shine reacting to lyrics. So... please check out Natural Science - featuring some of Neil's best lyrics.
If you'd like to see a few performances where the depth of Neil's lyrics really shines through, here are my suggestions: Freewill, Exit Stage Left; Red Sector A, Grace Under Pressure Tour; The Pass, Live In Rio; Ghost Rider, Live In Rio - also be sure to read Neil's same-named best-selling book; The Garden, Clockwork Angels Tour. 🎤 🎹 🎸 🥁 🎸 🐐 🐐 🐐
No offense intended but this is so incorrect. Like so many things Alex chose to do, he chose to do something different than everyone else was doing with his pick scrapes too. Instead of going up and down the the wound strings, he chose to do it on the 3 higher frequency, unwound strings. Try to listen to it objectively - it's not the typical deeper frequency scratchy sound on the lower 3 strings, it's a smoother, high frequency sound, I don't know, almost glistening, especially when he combined it with his cry baby wah wah (see 2112 or By tor for fine examples of that). As a guitarist in a former Rush cover band, I know of what I speak...
As others have mentioned, this is based on a series of nightmares that Alex was having. You nailed it when you said the song was ephemeral. It was supposed to be. You also picked up on the different parts. Here that are: I: "Buenas Noches, Mein Froinds!" II: "To sleep, perchance To dream..." III: "Strangiato theme" IV: "A Lerxst in Wonderland" (Lerxst was Alex's nickname) V: "Monsters!" VI: "The Ghost of the Aragon" VII: "Danforth and Pape" VIII: "The Waltz of the Shreves" IX: "Never turn your back on a Monster!" X: "Monsters! (Reprise)" XI: "Strangiato theme (Reprise)" XII: "A Farewell to Things" (This is a play on the name of their previous album... A Farewell To Kings.) BTW... as you listen to the song, it takes you through all the phases of falling asleep, starting of a nightmare, trying to push it aside, only for it raise is ugly head and the abrupt ending is like that moment when you wake up in a cold sweat to realize it was only a dream.
Rush did a series of taped performances on a soundstage (at Seneca College in Toronto) for both the Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres albums. So live recording, but not in front of an audience.
For me, Rush's best lyrics are The Trees, Bravado, Red Sector A, Witch Hunt and for us Rush fans, the one that moistens our eyes the most The Garden (such a profound outlook on life).
U picked one of Rush’s most iconic pieces that is an instrumental And your breakdown of everything was as flawless as how they play, really enjoy your reactions
They tried, but were unable, to perform this song all in one take when they recorded it for the album (Hemispheres). It had to be recorded in three sections. To promote the album, they performed the shorter numbers (Circumstances, The Trees, and La Villa) live on a soundstage, which is what you see here. So they wrote the parts, recorded it in sections, then learned how to play it all in one go. It’s been a staple of their live set on and off ever since.
Great job. You just reacted to the best version of my all time favourite song by anybody. That Alex solo/band instrumental after the main theme is musical perfection in every way. It’s amazing to think this is only 3 men playing this song in its entirety for the first time after struggling so much before that. No lyrics required. One additional fun fact, this is their official music video. Until this day and including their album recording, they had written a song they couldn’t play which caused them a great deal of stress and ultimately steered them to writing simpler songs for future albums. On this day, they booked a music hall to record their music video and were determined to play the song in one take but were prepared for a tough day since they hadn’t done it yet. This video is their first attempt of the day, and their long day finished 10 minutes after it began.
You're right. The song is comprised of the following sections (based on Alex' nightmares). Times are from the studio version: "Buenas Noches, Mein Froinds!" (0:00-0:26) "To sleep, perchance To dream..." (0:27-1:59) "Strangiato theme" (2:00-3:15) "A Lerxst in Wonderland" (3:16-5:48) "Monsters!" (5:49-6:09) "The Ghost of the Aragon" (6:10-6:44) "Danforth and Pape" (6:45-7:25) "The Waltz of the Shreves" (7:26-7:51) "Never turn your back on a Monster!" (7:52-8:02) "Monsters! (Reprise)" (8:03-8:16) "Strangiato theme (Reprise)" (8:17-9:20) "A Farewell to Things" (9:20-9:37)
I'm pretty sure this is a performance video and not a LIVE performance. I have heard Geddy discussing the fact that when they were recording the track, it was just too difficult to do all the way through in one take. I have also seen RUSH perform this song in concert on a few occasions and it is always a shortened version. That doesn't change the fact that this is an incredible song and performance. "Xanadu", from EXIT STAGE LEFT, can't be too far away! ☮️
What Alex is doing during that last solo is a simple pick scrape. Take the edge of the pick and run it across the wound strings to give a "scraping" sound. And yes, this is a live version, not in front of an audience, recorded for the promotional video of the album Hemispheres.
Ok, this seems to be news to many, but Alex rarely resorted to the typical pick scrapes. His are not scratchy or scrapy in nature, they are smoother and much higher in frequency than usual because he sent his pick up and down the G, B and high E strings for a much different effect. Speaking of Hemispheres, the 1st solo in that song provides more than a couple of examples of this if you are able to listen closely.
This performance was in 1978, Geddy and Alex would have been just 25 years old and Neil 26 years old. Brilliant, all 3 of them! And yes, Rush was one of Tool's influences. Great reaction!
Listen to rush songs such as "2112" "fountain of lamneth," "the necromancer," "xanadu," or "cygnus x-1" to find the amazing rush lyrics you are looking for. I love your reactions. you are easily one of the most insightful and vigilant music listeners I've watched. You really can pick apart these songs well on just a first listen. Love the videos
This was their first standalone instrumental. For this album, the music videos were them actually playing as opposed to dubbing in the studio version. This is sort of a "live studio" version. And it was followed up by many more instrumentals over the years. "YYZ" is another one that's incredibly popular. It was always a treat when they put out another instrumental.
Sohum, great reaction! You should also hear the studio version, just to take a further deep dive into the song. It has a different beginning (you'll like it)! By the way, each section has a unique title, based on a nightmare that Alex LIfeson had. Here are the section titles: I. "Buenas Noches, Mein Froinds!" 0:00 II. "To Sleep, Perchance To Dream..." 0:27 III. "Strangiato Theme" 2:00 IV. "A Lerxst In Wonderland" 3:16 V. "Monsters!" 5:49 VI. "The Ghost Of The Aragon" 6:10 VII. "Danforth And Pape" 6:45 VIII. "The Waltz Of The Shreves" 7:26 IX. "Never Turn Your Back On A Monster!" 7:52 X. "Monsters! (Reprise)" 8:03 XI. "Strangiato Theme (Reprise)" 8:17 XII. "A Farewell To Things" 9:20
A lot of people will recommend live versions of songs... that's great... but please always listen to a live version of them playing the song within a few years of its release. Hearing a band play a song 35 years later doesn't give the same experience... it's still good - sometimes great - but I think the fresher version is the early one. The studio version of Spirit of Radio next?
When you can play La Villa you have become a master musician! Been listening to this song for 45 years certainly once a week at least and it never gets boring as it is so musically dense and complex. Bit like classical music.
As others have said this is a live performance with no audience and based on a series of nightmares that Alex Lifeson had. The first part is him falling asleep and then going through the different parts of the nightmare. The abrupt ending is him waking up. Xanadu from Exit Stage Left is a must. Another masterpiece. Three geniuses in one band Cheers
The thing about Rush is that when you think that you have figured it out...they change it up. I have been listening to them for over 40 years. (RIP Neal)
“Neil is stealing the show right now”. Alex : I beg to differ. That solo shred right into some nice palm muting. Just beautiful Btw, this is a live performance. No canned video. Nothing as good as 70’s Rush in my opinion.
Also known as volume swells. And not done by Alex with the volume pot(entiometer) on the guitar but with his foot on a volume pedal on his pedal board. (Granted the volume pedal has another potentiometer in it too).
In the beginning, where you said you were hearing 5 instruments, yes you were. Both Alex and Geddy play synth's with foot pedals. And the 'strange' technique that you commented on by Alex, is called a pick slide. You use the edge of the pick and drag it along the texture of the lower strings. It makes an interesting kind of sound. Cheers.
It would be helpful if these guys doing Reaction Videos would at least read up on the "background" of the song. He was actually "close" in his attempt to figure out what Rush was shooting for in the single greatest rock instrumental of all time.
th-cam.com/video/EndaI-okEIc/w-d-xo.html Try this live version of Natural Science from 1997. You will be impressed. And by the way, live Rush is always better than not. They are one of the best live bands there was.
![Rush - Limelight [GEN-Z REACTION]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/c5PN2RjZVqk/mqdefault.jpg)
This song is based on a series of nightmares Alex Lifeson(the guitarrist) had and it's divided in sections, as you correctly mentioned ...one of the most brilliant instrumentals of all time! Next, Try XANADU live off the EXIT STAGE LEFT concert in 1981! Mind-blowing!
This was recorded "Live" without an audience
This song is a series of dreams Alex had
This was the 1st time they were able to play it through in one take
Neil's lyrics are deep and moving, but they also are master musicians
You simply must do Xanadu '81 Live from Exit Stage Left. Long super-atmospheric instrumental intro, intriguing lyrics, masterful performance. Alex's guitar solo at the end of the song gives me goosebumps every time I see it. Widely considered the finest rock performance ever recorded. It is simply magical!
th-cam.com/video/RTwLi35hGvE/w-d-xo.html
Agreed… it will blow his mind
Yes, definitely Xanadu live! ‘81
Absolutely one of their finest.
You will like Natural Science. Very interesting lyrics.
From the Rush archives website. Titles and time where each section begins:
I. "Buenas Noches, Mein Froinds!" 0:00
II. "To Sleep, Perchance To Dream..." 0:27
III. "Strangiato Theme" 2:00
IV. "A Lerxst In Wonderland" 3:16
V. "Monsters!" 5:49
VI. "The Ghost Of The Aragon" 6:10
VII. "Danforth And Pape" 6:45
VIII. "The Waltz Of The Shreves" 7:26
IX. "Never Turn Your Back On A Monster!" 7:52
X. "Monsters! (Reprise)" 8:03
XI. "Strangiato Theme (Reprise)" 8:17
XII. "A Farewell To Things" 9:20
The times you linked are off a bit in this video. My favorite Alex solo ever is A Lerxst In Wonderland, which starts at 5:49 of this video. And Strangiato Theme starts at 3:16 with the preceding To Sleep Perchance to Dream ending around 3:15. I think you inadvertently split up Buenas Notes Mein Froinds, which actually is the entire intro solo starting at 00:56. No worries; what a killer song, eh?
Congrats! This is live RUSH.
You will notice that as Alex is plucking…he’s also playing the peddles.
Welcome to the RUSH Family!!!
RIP Neil❤
Alex only really stands/returns to his 'station' when he has to implement a guitar effect change or when he's got to play a part on the pedals ... it's a good rule of thumb for anyone watching - if he's at his mic and pedalboard, he's doing something other than just playing the guitar straight.
The album version is a fraction tighter and boosted so you can hear every little detail. Ive listened to it thousands of times. Covered it in bands. The thing with Rush is, once you know the idiosyncracies of each song, it is such a pleasure to hear them execute it so flawlessly. What a Rush!
I love your reactions! This song was inspired by a dream/nightmare of Alex's. A very difficult and complex song. This video shows them playing it straight through for the first time (that's why they are smiling at each other towards the very end) on a closed stage with no audience. Up until this point they had to record in sections. This song is off their album Hemispheres released in 1978. This song inspired numerous up and coming prog/rock musicians. In interviews they talk about how proud they were when they finally mastered it. Though this song is in my top 10 for RUSH, you really shine reacting to lyrics. So... please check out Natural Science - featuring some of Neil's best lyrics.
I highly suggest your next RUSH reaction should be the live version of Xanadu; it'll blow your mind seeing the live performance.
This is quite simply a masterpiece, one of the greatest rock instrumental pieces ever
If you'd like to see a few performances where the depth of Neil's lyrics really shines through, here are my suggestions:
Freewill, Exit Stage Left;
Red Sector A, Grace Under Pressure Tour;
The Pass, Live In Rio;
Ghost Rider, Live In Rio - also be sure to read Neil's same-named best-selling book;
The Garden, Clockwork Angels Tour.
🎤 🎹 🎸 🥁 🎸 🐐 🐐 🐐
Alex is rubbing his pick up and down a string.
The winding of the string against the pick makes a squelching sound
No offense intended but this is so incorrect. Like so many things Alex chose to do, he chose to do something different than everyone else was doing with his pick scrapes too. Instead of going up and down the the wound strings, he chose to do it on the 3 higher frequency, unwound strings. Try to listen to it objectively - it's not the typical deeper frequency scratchy sound on the lower 3 strings, it's a smoother, high frequency sound, I don't know, almost glistening, especially when he combined it with his cry baby wah wah (see 2112 or By tor for fine examples of that). As a guitarist in a former Rush cover band, I know of what I speak...
@@chrismarkle2740 If you say so.
What I said was essentially true,
but thanks for the clarification.
As others have mentioned, this is based on a series of nightmares that Alex was having. You nailed it when you said the song was ephemeral. It was supposed to be.
You also picked up on the different parts.
Here that are:
I: "Buenas Noches, Mein Froinds!"
II: "To sleep, perchance To dream..."
III: "Strangiato theme"
IV: "A Lerxst in Wonderland"
(Lerxst was Alex's nickname)
V: "Monsters!"
VI: "The Ghost of the Aragon"
VII: "Danforth and Pape"
VIII: "The Waltz of the Shreves"
IX: "Never turn your back on a Monster!"
X: "Monsters! (Reprise)"
XI: "Strangiato theme (Reprise)"
XII: "A Farewell to Things"
(This is a play on the name of their previous album... A Farewell To Kings.)
BTW... as you listen to the song, it takes you through all the phases of falling asleep, starting of a nightmare, trying to push it aside, only for it raise is ugly head and the abrupt ending is like that moment when you wake up in a cold sweat to realize it was only a dream.
Rush did a series of taped performances on a soundstage (at Seneca College in Toronto) for both the Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres albums. So live recording, but not in front of an audience.
For me, Rush's best lyrics are The Trees, Bravado, Red Sector A, Witch Hunt and for us Rush fans, the one that moistens our eyes the most The Garden (such a profound outlook on life).
I love playing this song on guitar. After the last chord, the silence is deafening. I feel a void. 🎉
U picked one of Rush’s most iconic pieces that is an instrumental
And your breakdown of everything was as flawless as how they play, really enjoy your reactions
They tried, but were unable, to perform this song all in one take when they recorded it for the album (Hemispheres). It had to be recorded in three sections. To promote the album, they performed the shorter numbers (Circumstances, The Trees, and La Villa) live on a soundstage, which is what you see here. So they wrote the parts, recorded it in sections, then learned how to play it all in one go. It’s been a staple of their live set on and off ever since.
Great job. You just reacted to the best version of my all time favourite song by anybody. That Alex solo/band instrumental after the main theme is musical perfection in every way. It’s amazing to think this is only 3 men playing this song in its entirety for the first time after struggling so much before that. No lyrics required. One additional fun fact, this is their official music video. Until this day and including their album recording, they had written a song they couldn’t play which caused them a great deal of stress and ultimately steered them to writing simpler songs for future albums. On this day, they booked a music hall to record their music video and were determined to play the song in one take but were prepared for a tough day since they hadn’t done it yet. This video is their first attempt of the day, and their long day finished 10 minutes after it began.
Both Alex & Geddy are playing synthesizer parts in this song, with their feet, on taurus pedals! Amazing!
It really helps to know the parts of this song going in. Same with 2112 when you get there.
You're right. The song is comprised of the following sections (based on Alex' nightmares). Times are from the studio version:
"Buenas Noches, Mein Froinds!" (0:00-0:26)
"To sleep, perchance To dream..." (0:27-1:59)
"Strangiato theme" (2:00-3:15)
"A Lerxst in Wonderland" (3:16-5:48)
"Monsters!" (5:49-6:09)
"The Ghost of the Aragon" (6:10-6:44)
"Danforth and Pape" (6:45-7:25)
"The Waltz of the Shreves" (7:26-7:51)
"Never turn your back on a Monster!" (7:52-8:02)
"Monsters! (Reprise)" (8:03-8:16)
"Strangiato theme (Reprise)" (8:17-9:20)
"A Farewell to Things" (9:20-9:37)
I'm pretty sure this is a performance video and not a LIVE performance. I have heard Geddy discussing the fact that when they were recording the track, it was just too difficult to do all the way through in one take. I have also seen RUSH perform this song in concert on a few occasions and it is always a shortened version. That doesn't change the fact that this is an incredible song and performance. "Xanadu", from EXIT STAGE LEFT, can't be too far away! ☮️
What Alex is doing during that last solo is a simple pick scrape. Take the edge of the pick and run it across the wound strings to give a "scraping" sound. And yes, this is a live version, not in front of an audience, recorded for the promotional video of the album Hemispheres.
Ok, this seems to be news to many, but Alex rarely resorted to the typical pick scrapes. His are not scratchy or scrapy in nature, they are smoother and much higher in frequency than usual because he sent his pick up and down the G, B and high E strings for a much different effect. Speaking of Hemispheres, the 1st solo in that song provides more than a couple of examples of this if you are able to listen closely.
There is not one cruise in my car that I don’t listen to this song… you hear every genre in music in this…. Masterpiece!!
It was live, but no audience
This performance was in 1978, Geddy and Alex would have been just 25 years old and Neil 26 years old. Brilliant, all 3 of them! And yes, Rush was one of Tool's influences. Great reaction!
Those are pick slides giving this scratchy sound. Alex is going bonkers in the 2nd solo. 🎉
Listen to rush songs such as "2112" "fountain of lamneth," "the necromancer," "xanadu," or "cygnus x-1" to find the amazing rush lyrics you are looking for. I love your reactions. you are easily one of the most insightful and vigilant music listeners I've watched. You really can pick apart these songs well on just a first listen. Love the videos
the spirit of radio and Xanadu Live from exit stage left should be your 2 next track.. welcome to the rabbit hole you'll never come back
This was their first standalone instrumental. For this album, the music videos were them actually playing as opposed to dubbing in the studio version. This is sort of a "live studio" version. And it was followed up by many more instrumentals over the years. "YYZ" is another one that's incredibly popular. It was always a treat when they put out another instrumental.
Brilliant! A peek inside the mind of Lerxst.
Sohum, great reaction! You should also hear the studio version, just to take a further deep dive into the song. It has a different beginning (you'll like it)! By the way, each section has a unique title, based on a nightmare that Alex LIfeson had. Here are the section titles:
I. "Buenas Noches, Mein Froinds!" 0:00
II. "To Sleep, Perchance To Dream..." 0:27
III. "Strangiato Theme" 2:00
IV. "A Lerxst In Wonderland" 3:16
V. "Monsters!" 5:49
VI. "The Ghost Of The Aragon" 6:10
VII. "Danforth And Pape" 6:45
VIII. "The Waltz Of The Shreves" 7:26
IX. "Never Turn Your Back On A Monster!" 7:52
X. "Monsters! (Reprise)" 8:03
XI. "Strangiato Theme (Reprise)" 8:17
XII. "A Farewell To Things" 9:20
A lot of people will recommend live versions of songs... that's great... but please always listen to a live version of them playing the song within a few years of its release. Hearing a band play a song 35 years later doesn't give the same experience... it's still good - sometimes great - but I think the fresher version is the early one.
The studio version of Spirit of Radio next?
You might like to try "Xanadu, Exit Stage Left"..... just 3 guys playing a little ditty live with a small bit of multitasking
When you can play La Villa you have become a master musician! Been listening to this song for 45 years certainly once a week at least and it never gets boring as it is so musically dense and complex. Bit like classical music.
As others have said this is a live performance with no audience and based on a series of nightmares that Alex Lifeson had.
The first part is him falling asleep and then going through the different parts of the nightmare. The abrupt ending is him waking up.
Xanadu from Exit Stage Left is a must. Another masterpiece.
Three geniuses in one band
Cheers
The thing about Rush is that when you think that you have figured it out...they change it up. I have been listening to them for over 40 years. (RIP Neal)
This was the encore song for the only Rush show that I saw in early 1980. Not that my memory is that good, but Set List FM knows these things.
Rather than delirious, think of it as a dreamscape... or a series of dreamscapes.
Instrumental=No Vocals.
This is a live recording in a studio. The guys did three of the four songs from Hemispheres like this.
Rush at there best!!!!
Never turn your back on a monster 😂
Not distinguished parts but distinct or distinguishable. ❤🇨🇦
The sub-title, *An Exercise In Self Indulgence, * says it ALL....
“Neil is stealing the show right now”. Alex : I beg to differ. That solo shred right into some nice palm muting. Just beautiful
Btw, this is a live performance. No canned video. Nothing as good as 70’s Rush in my opinion.
The guitar technique is called pot shots where you turn the volume down, hit the note, and turn it back up.
Also known as volume swells. And not done by Alex with the volume pot(entiometer) on the guitar but with his foot on a volume pedal on his pedal board. (Granted the volume pedal has another potentiometer in it too).
This is one of several great instrumentals by RUSH! YYZ is another, watch the live version from Rio!
I will just say the live version of this song from Rush in Rio is fun.
No need for vocals. The instruments speak the words😊😊😊😮😮
What Neil did was choking the cymbals.
So..research how long it took the dolts at rock HoF to put these brilliant music makers into their hall..ffs...
In the beginning, where you said you were hearing 5 instruments, yes you were. Both Alex and Geddy play synth's with foot pedals. And the 'strange' technique that you commented on by Alex, is called a pick slide. You use the edge of the pick and drag it along the texture of the lower strings. It makes an interesting kind of sound. Cheers.
Tool is the spawn of Rush. And they're far from the only one.
It would be helpful if these guys doing Reaction Videos would at least read up on the "background" of the song. He was actually "close" in his attempt to figure out what Rush was shooting for in the single greatest rock instrumental of all time.
th-cam.com/video/EndaI-okEIc/w-d-xo.html Try this live version of Natural Science from 1997. You will be impressed. And by the way, live Rush is always better than not. They are one of the best live bands there was.