Favorite Lifeson Solo

I think Rush have always adapted amazingly well to whatever the musical climate is at that point. 'Grace Under Pressure' isn't a favourite of mine- I only really like 'Distant Early Warning', 'Red Sector A' and 'Between The Wheels', the rest I can live without- but they had moved with the times, IMHO, and I give them credit for that.

E-Dub wrote: Blacksword wrote: Melomaniac wrote: Red Sector A.  Not only is his solo amazing, the entire guitar work in that song is great ! Definitely. I think GUP is a great guitar album generally. When I started a 'definitive Lifeson performance album' thread about a year ago, I chose Grace Under Pressure as being my personal favorite. There's something so cold in Lifeson's delivery that works perfectly in the harshness of Grace Under Pressure. I find it to be a pretty raw album, and Lifeson's playing is a reflection of that.And anyone who says Lifeson is overrated, well all I have to say (and to quote Monty Python) is, "I f*rt in your general direction!!" E

It's a 'cold' album, and when I first heard it back in 1984 I didn't like it at all. I wanted all Rush albums to sound like Moving Pictures. I remember reading peoples comments in Heavy Metal magazines at the time. People were saying Rush had sold out and were trying to be U2 etc. It took me a year or so of growing up to realise that GUP is a 'stand out' Rush album, comprised of very emotional music, which cleverly DOES sit well alongside other more mainstream music of the time, without actually resembling it at all. Rush were very good at that in the 80's.

schizoid_man77 wrote: staunchally wrote: White Shadow wrote: schizoid_man77 wrote: Lifeson is an average pentatonic playing classic rock guitar player. I think we overblow his talent way me then what it really is!   La villa strangiato, probably one of his best for such a poor range. back that up with examples because he definately uses many different modes and scales like Phrygian and locrian.  I forget what one(s) is/are in locrian but I read somewhere that La Villa is in phrygian.   I don't know if schizoidman77 meant to be taken so literally, but he is largely correct. Lifeson did start to stretch a bit about '77. He plays Aeolian in La Villa and I agree it's pretty good but he doesn't quite have the chops to pull it off completely. He's trying to play like Al Dimeola and his technique isn't quite up to par.   I don't mean any of this as a put down, I like Alex and technique isn't everything. These are just observations. He can be a bit sloppy and "hides" behind loads of effects.   That being said my favorite solo is "Red Barchetta".   I love how he stresses the notes on his solo's, and plays with different picking techniques, but seriously, I cant even listen to working man anymore because his solo is so sloppy. The effects are a major thing to, He seems to be empowering his guitar behing millions of different kinds of distortion to keep his guitar as powerful as possible. I find this very disrespectful.

Disrespectful? To whom?
Lifeson is all about creating textures and a wall of sound to make the band sound bigger than a three-piece. Course he uses effects that's what he's chosen to create his style.
 He creates atmosphere and also endeavours to play both lead and rhythm.
It's all about imagination and not technique. He's been FAR more influential than than the likes of Petrucci and virtually patented his early 80s chorus and arpeggio sound.
One only has to listen to a track like The Trees or Red  Barchetta to see Lifeson's superior imagination at play. The way he evokes "hatchets, axe and saw" In The Trees and  the "mechanical music,adrenalin surge" rush of pistons pumping on classic motor car, amongst a plethora of tracks and examples, is truly cinematic and something one doesnt see that often amongst more celebrated, and might I add less imaginative, technicians


Edited by Tony R - September 27 2007 at 10:51

he has so many great ones, but i would probably go with la villa strangiato

ProgShine wrote: proggy wrote: I read somewhere that one of his favorites was Chemistry. Ho can anyone say he is overrated. I think he is underappreciated . Agree

Me too! He is, if anything totally 'underated' I dont know why this should be. His style and sound are unique. He can shred with the best of the metal heroes, play beautiful acoustic guitar, and come up with very memorable classic riffs.

I was talking to a 'rock fan' at work recently and he said he thought Lifeson was the 'weakest link' in Rush, which really bugged me. Lifeson is one of three very integral memebers. None of them could be replaced, and the Rush formula preserved.

Working Man is better Live nowadays anyway. The solo on R:30's Working man is amazing.

Blacksword wrote: Melomaniac wrote: Red Sector A.  Not only is his solo amazing, the entire guitar work in that song is great ! Definitely. I think GUP is a great guitar album generally.

Red Sector A.  Not only is his solo amazing, the entire guitar work in that song is great !

Blacksword wrote: neo eric wrote: About "overrated"..I hope everyone assumes that we're always talking about and presenting our OPINIONS, since not many do believe in rights and wrongs - considering the taste in such issues.Hence it's not (IMO) wrong to use "overrated".   The 'O' word is not popular around here. You may wish to find a more descriptive way to express your dissaproval of something.

YYZ