$UPER THANK$!!! Thanks for watching my videos! Please SUBSCRIBE to my channel!! I appreciate it! Check the Description for Amazon Affiliate Links to VINYL/DVDs/Books and other cool products related to this video! Check the description for a link to Camilla's TH-cam channel!
Quintessential Rush. This song showcases everything great about the band. Time changes, musicianship, great lyrics. I love Geddy's vocals on this track. 3 people did this!!! Still amazes me... On a personal note, my wife and I had an outdoor wedding under a large gazebo. It rained. She walked down the aisle to the intro of this song, and it was like the clouds parted and we had musical sunlight for a few minutes.
The truly astounding things about these albums is something that most people just don't ever reference, because the demands of a band in today's touring Market and promotional opportunities is very different from back in the day. You have to remember that these albums were being recorded almost two per year with an unending tour schedule in between so the materials being written in hotel rooms, or on Long driving tracks in their little RV across endless miles with no real relief in sight. The furnace of creativity was clearly cranked to 10 and they were earning each fan in real time, show by show, album by album.
My favorite song of all time. Not just Rush song. I love Geddy's vocal performance, and the way he sings against the bass line. Masterful. This was the 2nd(!) take. I'll take the studio version every time.
I think the fact that they were able to reproduce this in a live setting and not lose anything in the music is absolutely amazing. The 1981 live version is just mind blowing. Everything is there; every guitar and bass part and all of Neil's toys.
The birds at the start of Xanadu were not meant to be there. The album was recorded at Rockfield in South Wales, UK and part was recorded outside. The birds just happened to be there and the band and producer (Terry Brown) liked it so they left it.
Xanadu will always have a high placement on my favorites list; Rick Beato no less calls it Rush's best song, best of anything is really in the ear of the listener. For me, I have always enjoyed how great the live version from Exit Stage Left sounds. Great review, looks like you really enjoyed this one.
@@sovereignbrehon Oh yes, Mr. Beato breaks it down very well and gives his reasons as to why he believes it to be their best song. I love his breakdown videos, very informative.
Crunchy bass goodness! You can hear such fine detail in this recording that you can't ever hear in any of the live versions. Geddy's vocals are at their prime in this version too. All the rest is great too, Neil, Alex, - top notch good stuff for making a happy brain.
This epic song, around the time I heard this sensational album in 1977, gave me more details on how the band became so much more cohesive and functional - like a great mechanical watch that has been well-oiled. I've listened to it hundreds of times and, to this day, I'm still amazed at the beauty and inspiration that made this absolute Rush classic. 45 years later, Xanadu brings magic and enchantments to this very different and somewhat devastated world. Thank you, Justin. 🙏🏻🕊️ 🇧🇷
Basically poetry in the words and the music. I know this is basically 11 minutes long, but it never feels like it to me. It passes by in a blink yet feels timeless.
Still loving the daily Rush reactions. Thanks very much Justin. Been short on time to add comments but wanted to say thanks again. I look forward to your videos each day. Cygnus X-1 takes a few listens to really process. I am keen to see how you react.
They experimented with atmospheric effects and multi-part compositions in By-Tor and expanded on them with songs from Caress of Steel, but this album is where all of that experience comes together and they master it with a firm grip. 2112 is a long composition, but it's a bit lighter on the prog and more focused on rock. They stuck with their strong points on that album, but this album is where they expanded again and had the skill and expertise to master it. Xanadu is one of their highpoints. Very proggy and atmospheric and intense and grand and sweeping.... it's like a feather in their cap. There's songs and compositions out there that will prove to be timeless, and I think this is one of them.
Definitely My favorite Album . They are already playing tight , this is the beginning of the phenomena known as RUSH IMO . Don't get me wrong Love2112 too ,Hell I love listening to RUSH Period. Great review !
Rush always exploring different sounds never boring and doing their on thing. I have a photo of the guys recording outside shirts off in the sun making music. Awesome band!
Great review. This is one of my favorite songs. Definitely my favorite off this album. The first side just feels like they have jumped into the deep end with their song structure and musicality. Led Zeppelin like is way in the review mirror at this point.
Great reaction! This is one of their song that is better live than the studio! Especially the Exit Stage Left version!! As someone below said… you gotta admire a great band when your live versions are better then the recordings… but then.. this is RUSH!! That’s what they do!! Be well and God bless… from Texas!!
This is one of my favorite songs by Rush. It’s just so fun and interesting. When first getting into rush, this was the 4th album I purchased (moving pictures, test for echo, and 2112 were the first ones). This album is what solidified them as my favorite band, and this song had a lot to do with it. Also this one was a blast to play live!
This is the rare Rush tune that I prefer the ESL live version over studio. I liked how they enhanced the intro with the deep synth bass and other synth sounds on the live version and Alex's guitar is more "crunchy". Juts a great Rush epic
Alas, they are becoming the well oiled machine that is Rush. Greater than the sum of their parts for sure. Neil's lyric writing and painstaking drum parts surrounded by Geddy and Alex's musical genius is something to behold. Great review sir.
In like '84 or '84 in h.s. in English Literature I did a report on Samuel Taylor Coleridge and then at the end played Xanadu on my little boom box. I still remember all the bored looks on every girl's face. Only the two metal head kids in the back loved it lol. BTW Justin I was digging how locked in you were at about 8:00-9:30.
This was a groundbreaking song in prog rock/metal. IMHO, it really raised the bar for what prog could be. Don't get me wrong, contemporary prog bands (Kansas, Yes, et al.) were producing some fantastic work (this album was released in the same year that Yes released "Going for the One" and Kansas released "Point of Know Return", and there are a few other memorable prog albums released in '77), but Xanadu just had everything you'd want in a prog song, and despite its 11 minute length, I'd call it tight and focused with no filler. I know that Neil has said he wished that his recording career started with Moving Pictures, but just this song alone makes me happy it didn't.
Da Big Enchilada. It's impossible to overstate what a leap forward this song was. "Xanadu" owes a lot more to bands like Yes and King Crimson than Led Zeppelin and Thin Lizzy. Sure, it owes a debt to "2112" and "The Fountain of Lamneth", and in some ways can be seen as a more condensed version of those epics, but here we finally have Rush Mark II in its full glory. Neil's percussion and the synths are opening new possibilities for the band, plus Alex's guitar riffing and solos now sounds like himself, and not warmed over Jimmy Page. Can't wait til you get to the Exit... Stage Left version which is basically part of a side-long suite.
Rewatch the exit stage left version when you can. It really is one of my favorite live versions of any song and any band. I know people talk about Neil's drumming all the time and I find this song to be one of the most creative from a drumming perspective.
Xanadu is certainly a fan favorite and my personal favorite. Best live version is on ESL. It contains all the essential Rush elements - melodic, heavy, progressive, complex, synthesizers, lots of different percussion, great bass and guitar (both 6 and 12 string)and of course great playing by all three. The lyrics are based on the poem "Kubla Khan" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Live Geddy and Alex would perform this song using double necks and Neil played everything but the kitchen sink. Xanadu was played live every few tours since its release including on the final tour in 2015. A masterpiece!
I distinctly recall the first time hearing this tune, it was another one of those WTF moments, they were releasing music no other band was even coming close to, they had the balls to put it out there, unfortunately, only the minority got it back then, it took quite a while for the masses to catch up lol Who puts out difficult, different music like this?? = RUSH Such a different world back then musically
I don’t want to say that we used to skip school, smoke weed all day, and listen to this album over and over and over in my friend’s basement, but…or was that Pink Floyd “Animals”? …shoot, the seventies all kind of run together.
I’m sure it’s been mentioned, but in case it hasn’t been… Cygnus X-1: Book I is the first part of a two-part song. Part 2 (Book II) is track 1 of the next album, Hemispheres. I believe Hemispheres to be the best album in general RUSH ever recorded. The song is about the black hole of Cygnus X-1 (the first black hole mankind ever discovered) and one man’s journey into it and then through it to the other side.
The only difference between this and the live version is the live version had a longer intro and some different fills. To think that the live and studio version is the same in caliber is remarkable to explain how good they are live. Btw way look at your video. The effect of the sound of wind blowing in the beginning and your hair moving from breeze was a good special effect…lol
People go on and on about the live versions but I've always preferred this more. Don't know if it's your thing but I'd like to hear you break down the songs a bit more, like talk about the instruments, the parts that stood out to you, etc
@@youtoo2233 exit stage left 1981 which is the one most do reactions to. There is something in the recorded version that Geddy’s voice sounds sped up. The live version his voice sounds more full and natural. Plus watching them pull off The live performance is always impressive.
@@youtoo2233 I didn’t say it WAS sped up. I said it SOUNDS that way. That’s why I like the live version better. His voice is better to my taste in the live version. The recorded version is still great.
So it's well known that Rush struggled with getting airplay on FM radio back in the day. Here is an example. I used to work for a classic rock radio station that had promotion where they were going to play "every song in their library A to Z". Well when they got to the X's the ONLY song they could play was Xanadu. They didn't play it because the Program Director didn't like the into. SMH. And we got complaints! I remember playing this song in a band in high school and watching the drummer's girlfriend trying to tap her foot to the 7/4 part in the intro. That was one of the beauties of Rush: write a part in 7/4 but you can't tell it's in odd time unless you count it out. FYI, Rick Beato has a video out on why this is Rush's greatest song.
What do RUSH have in common with Iron Maiden? Answer: SAMUEL TAYLOR COOLRIDGE! Based on KUBLA KHAN poem inspired by the name of Coolridge’s Florida home called: XANADU! Of course one of Iron Maiden’s biggest hits is the RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER !
Hey Justin, just going back over your Rush reactions a few months past, seeing a few that I missed, like this one. I have Exit Stage Left on CD and you're right, this is not the best version of Xanadu and I do prefer the studio version off of Farewell to Kings, of which I also have the remastered CD. But I have the 1998 live album release Different Stages, and it's a three disk set. On the first disc, it goes in chronological order, they have a live version of Xanadu, from their concert at the Hammersmith Odeon, in London, February 20th, 1978. It is much better live version in my humble opinion. But, as you know, Rush has at least a half a dozen Live recorded albums and several of them have live performances of Xanadu that are better than the performance from Exitt Stage Left. I don't know why Xanadu, and a few other songs, people always suggest the versions from exit stage left. Yes, some of the songs done on that album are the best of their live performances that were recorded. They were all great performances on yhe Exit Stage Left album, but some of the songs on that album they have on other live albums, and then performances are much better.
the exit stage left version is better imho. Which is typical because a lot of their live stuff is better than studio. For example cygnus x-1 is way better live on their different stages album.
It seems you are getting used to Geddy s voice I am a major Rush fan the first time I heard his voice I thought what the hell is that . He sounds like a chicken under water.
$UPER THANK$!!!
Thanks for watching my videos! Please SUBSCRIBE to my channel!! I appreciate it!
Check the Description for Amazon Affiliate Links to VINYL/DVDs/Books and other cool products related to this video! Check the description for a link to Camilla's TH-cam channel!
Quintessential Rush. This song showcases everything great about the band. Time changes, musicianship, great lyrics. I love Geddy's vocals on this track. 3 people did this!!! Still amazes me...
On a personal note, my wife and I had an outdoor wedding under a large gazebo. It rained. She walked down the aisle to the intro of this song, and it was like the clouds parted and we had musical sunlight for a few minutes.
The truly astounding things about these albums is something that most people just don't ever reference, because the demands of a band in today's touring Market and promotional opportunities is very different from back in the day. You have to remember that these albums were being recorded almost two per year with an unending tour schedule in between so the materials being written in hotel rooms, or on Long driving tracks in their little RV across endless miles with no real relief in sight. The furnace of creativity was clearly cranked to 10 and they were earning each fan in real time, show by show, album by album.
They worked that way to gain a fan base worldwide and it continues to grow to this day!!! Incredible
That, or the record company they worked for was supplying them with songs.
Perfectly explained 👌
@@magicsinglez LMAO NO.
My all time favourite rush song,followed by la villa strangiato & the camera eye.farewll to kings is a fantastic album.
My favorite song of all time. Not just Rush song. I love Geddy's vocal performance, and the way he sings against the bass line. Masterful. This was the 2nd(!) take. I'll take the studio version every time.
My favorite too…just truly an epic masterpiece!
@@jakunsman After being exposed to 2112, and being completely captivated by it, hearing Xanadu sealed the deal for me.
The lyrics to this were paraphrased by Peart from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Kubla Khan.
I think the fact that they were able to reproduce this in a live setting and not lose anything in the music is absolutely amazing. The 1981 live version is just mind blowing. Everything is there; every guitar and bass part and all of Neil's toys.
The birds at the start of Xanadu were not meant to be there. The album was recorded at Rockfield in South Wales, UK and part was recorded outside. The birds just happened to be there and the band and producer (Terry Brown) liked it so they left it.
A masterpiece of musical composition.
Now watch the live version again and see just how fucking good they are 🤘
Watching the Xanadu performance on Exit Stage Left years ago, I was blown away. I had no idea a band could play like that, particularly Peart.
Xanadu will always have a high placement on my favorites list; Rick Beato no less calls it Rush's best song, best of anything is really in the ear of the listener. For me, I have always enjoyed how great the live version from Exit Stage Left sounds. Great review, looks like you really enjoyed this one.
I just watched Beato's vid on Xanadu and LOVED IT!
@@sovereignbrehon Oh yes, Mr. Beato breaks it down very well and gives his reasons as to why he believes it to be their best song. I love his breakdown videos, very informative.
Crunchy bass goodness! You can hear such fine detail in this recording that you can't ever hear in any of the live versions.
Geddy's vocals are at their prime in this version too. All the rest is great too, Neil, Alex, - top notch good stuff for making a happy brain.
I remember in high school playing this over and over again learning to play drums, and guitar to this. It's SOOOO fun to play!
This epic song, around the time I heard this sensational album in 1977, gave me more details on how the band became so much more cohesive and functional - like a great mechanical watch that has been well-oiled. I've listened to it hundreds of times and, to this day, I'm still amazed at the beauty and inspiration that made this absolute Rush classic. 45 years later, Xanadu brings magic and enchantments to this very different and somewhat devastated world. Thank you, Justin. 🙏🏻🕊️ 🇧🇷
One word for this song.....EPIC. So many musical triggers going off in my brain. Nice word to use... Sick.
Amazing how quickly they went from The Necromancer to this. A quantum leap forward indeed.
It’s amazing how quick they went from “hey now baby” to this.
And then a year later you have the magnum opus that is hemispheres
Basically poetry in the words and the music. I know this is basically 11 minutes long, but it never feels like it to me. It passes by in a blink yet feels timeless.
Right on, Justin. Listen and love! You do a fine job. Your "spiel" is just right. It is JP.
Still loving the daily Rush reactions. Thanks very much Justin. Been short on time to add comments but wanted to say thanks again. I look forward to your videos each day. Cygnus X-1 takes a few listens to really process. I am keen to see how you react.
And Rush is born!!!!
More accurately, they came of age.
With this song Rush is saying to the world « we are here! ». They way they perform this song live is epic. Thanks, keep on!
I absolutely love that ENTIRE album. Start to finish 👍
They experimented with atmospheric effects and multi-part compositions in By-Tor and expanded on them with songs from Caress of Steel, but this album is where all of that experience comes together and they master it with a firm grip. 2112 is a long composition, but it's a bit lighter on the prog and more focused on rock. They stuck with their strong points on that album, but this album is where they expanded again and had the skill and expertise to master it. Xanadu is one of their highpoints. Very proggy and atmospheric and intense and grand and sweeping.... it's like a feather in their cap. There's songs and compositions out there that will prove to be timeless, and I think this is one of them.
Quite simply, a masterpiece.
What’s really amazing is a recorded this song on there 2nd take.
Definitely My favorite Album . They are already playing tight , this is the beginning of the phenomena known as RUSH IMO . Don't get me wrong Love2112 too ,Hell I love listening to RUSH Period. Great review !
Rush always exploring different sounds never boring and doing their on thing. I have a photo of the guys recording outside shirts off in the sun making music. Awesome band!
“Yeah, that was sick. That was pretty sick”. Ha. You’re hooked now
Great review. This is one of my favorite songs. Definitely my favorite off this album. The first side just feels like they have jumped into the deep end with their song structure and musicality. Led Zeppelin like is way in the review mirror at this point.
definitely no more zeppelin
Loved your reaction Justin! “That was sick” I hate to say this but it never gets old. Unlike myself
A masterpiece!
masters at their craft.
Eleven minutes of enjoyment for your ears!!
Those Taurus pedals sound so amazing on this song. Geddy the prolific multitasker.
Great reaction! This is one of their song that is better live than the studio! Especially the Exit Stage Left version!! As someone below said… you gotta admire a great band when your live versions are better then the recordings… but then.. this is RUSH!! That’s what they do!! Be well and God bless… from Texas!!
This is one of my favorite songs by Rush. It’s just so fun and interesting. When first getting into rush, this was the 4th album I purchased (moving pictures, test for echo, and 2112 were the first ones). This album is what solidified them as my favorite band, and this song had a lot to do with it. Also this one was a blast to play live!
This is the rare Rush tune that I prefer the ESL live version over studio. I liked how they enhanced the intro with the deep synth bass and other synth sounds on the live version and Alex's guitar is more "crunchy". Juts a great Rush epic
Alas, they are becoming the well oiled machine that is Rush. Greater than the sum of their parts for sure. Neil's lyric writing and painstaking drum parts surrounded by Geddy and Alex's musical genius is something to behold. Great review sir.
Opening guitar riff was the first guitar riffi ever learned by ear. RUSH was it for me
Xanadu is definitely on my top five Rush opus'. Timeless.
At 3:17, nice touch of Doppler effect. Kind of takes the mind to something otherwordly.
The first really great Rush song, in my opinion. One of my favourites.
In like '84 or '84 in h.s. in English Literature I did a report on Samuel Taylor Coleridge and then at the end played Xanadu on my little boom box. I still remember all the bored looks on every girl's face. Only the two metal head kids in the back loved it lol. BTW Justin I was digging how locked in you were at about 8:00-9:30.
The GREATEST RUSH MASTERPIECE EVER!
This was a groundbreaking song in prog rock/metal. IMHO, it really raised the bar for what prog could be. Don't get me wrong, contemporary prog bands (Kansas, Yes, et al.) were producing some fantastic work (this album was released in the same year that Yes released "Going for the One" and Kansas released "Point of Know Return", and there are a few other memorable prog albums released in '77), but Xanadu just had everything you'd want in a prog song, and despite its 11 minute length, I'd call it tight and focused with no filler. I know that Neil has said he wished that his recording career started with Moving Pictures, but just this song alone makes me happy it didn't.
Neils playing is great here , using real percussion instruments, Chimes , triangles, wood blocks , bells all around his set
Hell yeah
They are now REALLY sounding like Rush!
Da Big Enchilada. It's impossible to overstate what a leap forward this song was. "Xanadu" owes a lot more to bands like Yes and King Crimson than Led Zeppelin and Thin Lizzy. Sure, it owes a debt to "2112" and "The Fountain of Lamneth", and in some ways can be seen as a more condensed version of those epics, but here we finally have Rush Mark II in its full glory. Neil's percussion and the synths are opening new possibilities for the band, plus Alex's guitar riffing and solos now sounds like himself, and not warmed over Jimmy Page. Can't wait til you get to the Exit... Stage Left version which is basically part of a side-long suite.
Rewatch the exit stage left version when you can. It really is one of my favorite live versions of any song and any band. I know people talk about Neil's drumming all the time and I find this song to be one of the most creative from a drumming perspective.
Xanadu is certainly a fan favorite and my personal favorite. Best live version is on ESL. It contains all the essential Rush elements - melodic, heavy, progressive, complex, synthesizers, lots of different percussion, great bass and guitar (both 6 and 12 string)and of course great playing by all three. The lyrics are based on the poem "Kubla Khan" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Live Geddy and Alex would perform this song using double necks and Neil played everything but the kitchen sink. Xanadu was played live every few tours since its release including on the final tour in 2015. A masterpiece!
I distinctly recall the first time hearing this tune, it was another one of those WTF moments, they were releasing music no other band was even coming close to, they had the balls to put it out there, unfortunately, only the minority got it back then, it took quite a while for the masses to catch up lol
Who puts out difficult, different music like this?? = RUSH
Such a different world back then musically
this is arguably the best song Rush ever did.
I’ve seen ‘reactors’ saying, ‘this is really amazing’ 50 seconds in when the music hasn’t even started yet.
Not to be confused with Olivia Newton John's hit from about the same era.....I still remember playing her Pinball Machine.
I don’t want to say that we used to skip school, smoke weed all day, and listen to this album over and over and over in my friend’s basement, but…or was that Pink Floyd “Animals”? …shoot, the seventies all kind of run together.
I’m sure it’s been mentioned, but in case it hasn’t been…
Cygnus X-1: Book I is the first part of a two-part song. Part 2 (Book II) is track 1 of the next album, Hemispheres. I believe Hemispheres to be the best album in general RUSH ever recorded.
The song is about the black hole of Cygnus X-1 (the first black hole mankind ever discovered) and one man’s journey into it and then through it to the other side.
As a curiosity, in your spare time, hear the Xanadu cover that Dream Theater did on the 40th year anniversary edition of this record
The only difference between this and the live version is the live version had a longer intro and some different fills. To think that the live and studio version is the same in caliber is remarkable to explain how good they are live.
Btw way look at your video. The effect of the sound of wind blowing in the beginning and your hair moving from breeze was a good special effect…lol
Fastest 11 minutes of my life every time I listen to it.
The age-old caveat: be careful what you wish for....
Rick Beato says this is their best song. I still like “a farwell to kings” better. I think this is the best album side in history. Great reaction!
Here is my Reaction to RUSH La Villa Strangiato (Hemispheres Studio Version) out today!! --> th-cam.com/video/4KdOUjfvXyY/w-d-xo.html
That was side 1 now for side 2
Here is my Reaction to RUSH Circumstances out today!! --> th-cam.com/video/1rOdECKDsxI/w-d-xo.html
Please watch Xanadu Exit Stage Left Live if you haven’t. Best live performance ever!
That was my first time hearing Xanadu, I reacted to it, on my channel check it out!
Justin you need to see this song VISUALLY…please check out the OFFICIAL VIDEO ON VEMO! IT IS SPECTACULAR I PROMISE!
The white satin robes!
Here is my Reaction to RUSH Closer To The Heart (studio version) out today!! --> th-cam.com/video/UMAeucGpK-s/w-d-xo.html
Here is my Reaction to RUSH Madrigal out today!! --> th-cam.com/video/qe-g2nOn7Mg/w-d-xo.html
Rick Beato thinks this is Rush’s best song…, it’s epic live. Exit Stage Left & R40 versions are the best.
Here is my Reaction to RUSH Cinderella Man out today!! --> th-cam.com/video/iPlfThNuivg/w-d-xo.html
People go on and on about the live versions but I've always preferred this more. Don't know if it's your thing but I'd like to hear you break down the songs a bit more, like talk about the instruments, the parts that stood out to you, etc
Geddy’s voice is stronger in the live version.
@@ljcalhoun which live version? They had many
@@youtoo2233 exit stage left 1981 which is the one most do reactions to. There is something in the recorded version that Geddy’s voice sounds sped up. The live version his voice sounds more full and natural. Plus watching them pull off
The live performance is always impressive.
@@ljcalhoun no it wasn't sped up, he just sang higher pitch in the 70's
@@youtoo2233 I didn’t say it WAS sped up. I said it SOUNDS that way. That’s why I like the live version better. His voice is better to my taste in the live version. The recorded version is still great.
Here is my Reaction to RUSH Cygnus X1 Book1 The Voyage out today!! --> th-cam.com/video/0NkOPrM0nRU/w-d-xo.html
So it's well known that Rush struggled with getting airplay on FM radio back in the day. Here is an example. I used to work for a classic rock radio station that had promotion where they were going to play "every song in their library A to Z". Well when they got to the X's the ONLY song they could play was Xanadu. They didn't play it because the Program Director didn't like the into. SMH. And we got complaints!
I remember playing this song in a band in high school and watching the drummer's girlfriend trying to tap her foot to the 7/4 part in the intro. That was one of the beauties of Rush: write a part in 7/4 but you can't tell it's in odd time unless you count it out.
FYI, Rick Beato has a video out on why this is Rush's greatest song.
What do RUSH have in common with Iron Maiden? Answer: SAMUEL TAYLOR COOLRIDGE! Based on KUBLA KHAN poem inspired by the name of Coolridge’s Florida home called: XANADU! Of course one of Iron Maiden’s biggest hits is the RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER !
Hi Justin, yes this is an epic song by "The Holy Trinity" but I prefer the live version (ESL) anyway keep on Rushin, ha ha....
Hey Justin, just going back over your Rush reactions a few months past, seeing a few that I missed, like this one.
I have Exit Stage Left on CD and you're right, this is not the best version of Xanadu and I do prefer the studio version off of Farewell to Kings, of which I also have the remastered CD.
But I have the 1998 live album release Different Stages, and it's a three disk set. On the first disc, it goes in chronological order, they have a live version of Xanadu, from their concert at the Hammersmith Odeon, in London, February 20th, 1978. It is much better live version in my humble opinion.
But, as you know, Rush has at least a half a dozen Live recorded albums and several of them have live performances of Xanadu that are better than the performance from Exitt Stage Left.
I don't know why Xanadu, and a few other songs, people always suggest the versions from exit stage left. Yes, some of the songs done on that album are the best of their live performances that were recorded. They were all great performances on yhe Exit Stage Left album, but some of the songs on that album they have on other live albums, and then performances are much better.
the exit stage left version is better imho. Which is typical because a lot of their live stuff is better than studio. For example cygnus x-1 is way better live on their different stages album.
Math tricks!
Finally, someone who doesn’t react to the stinkin’ live version.
It seems you are getting used to Geddy s voice I am a major Rush fan
the first time I heard his voice I thought what the hell is that . He sounds like a chicken
under water.
Here is my Reaction to RUSH Cygnus X1 Book 2 Hemispheres out today!! --> th-cam.com/video/VLMg7oqL6BQ/w-d-xo.html
Here is my Reaction to RUSH The Trees out today!! --> th-cam.com/video/DNzWzL8cius/w-d-xo.html