Lost in Vegas - RUSH 2112 reaction.

[daveyt]

this girl is really enjoyable to watch! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRsiKBxc9Tg

[LeaveMyThingAlone]

When I first started learning about all these "reaction" you tube channels, the concept sounded so over the top. It seemed so idiotic and very self-serving The idea of watching these channels sounded as appealing as watching the Real Housewives. However, I've come to really appreciate and respect these guys. It's not the "of course they must be smart and must know music because they like Rush" opinion either. As others have mentioned, they are incredibly astute and eloquent in their opinions. There is much more depth to their reviews than any rock critic I've seen or read. Especially the guy always on the right. They are picking up on aspects of Rush's music that shows a lot of depth, understanding, and a great ear for music and the intricacies of it. They have a totally unbiased ear and objective for the music. They understand things going on that took me many multiple listens to pick up on. The things they appreciate about Rush are many of the same things that die hard Rush fans have been on their soapbox about for decades. The emotion of the music, the seamless transitions from one groove to another, the technical chops, the cohesiveness of the 3 of them, etc. I also thought it was super impressive how they were able to understand the lyrical story of 2112 so well with their first lesson.

 

The one thing I would tell them regarding Rush they might not get yet is that, while I appreciate their respect and adoration of Neil's drumming, I think they might be overlooking what Alex and Ged are bringing to the music as a result of their gushing over Neil so much. It always seems to come back to how blown away they are by Neil. (Most are, but they REALLY dig the drummer) lol

Edited August 8, 2018 by LeaveMyThingAlone

[Mosher]

The one thing I would tell them regarding Rush they might not get yet is that, while I appreciate their respect and adoration of Neil's drumming, I think they might be overlooking what Alex and Ged are bringing to the music as a result of their gushing over Neil so much. It always seems to come back to how blown away they are by Neil. (Most are, but they REALLY dig the drummer) lol

Everyone immediately notices the drumming, because most songs are drummed in such a typical rhythm with tempo changes or fills being the only variance. So he stands out immediately. I am surprised they haven't picked up on the bass as exceptional, since most do for the same reason. A rhythm section with only one exceptional cog would really stand out as subpar.

 

Alex has lived in a shadow for a long time, it's good his sense of humor is so keen and his obvious humble pleasure at being incredibly lucky to have live his life is clear. Guitarists are usually the musicians expected to stand out. They get the solos and because they get the solos they get the notoriety. So in many bands the standout musician is the one who solos. I imagine George and Ryan have heard the names of ten times as many guitarists as drummers or bass players. So unfortunately guitarists are expected to stand out. In a band like Rush, this pushes a guitarist back because people get surprised by how the others actually stand out.

 

It's unfair to Alex, because to be able to stand with Geddy and Neil in the same band is proof in itself that he's exceptional. I had a friend once, a musician, that said he felt Alex was the true glue in that band. That everything works so well because of how he makes their rhythms work.

 

I'm not a musician, but in a nutshell I think Alex is the most unnoticed because he's the one subconsciously expected to stand out simply because he plays guitar, and he's forgotten when people are struck by the other standout work.

 

I imagine after more listens they will realize how good the others are.

Or just listen to La Villa Strangiato. He's always good, but he's heavily showcased in his song.

[taurus]

 

I loved this reaction video to 2112. It's this honest, low-key, non-technical approach. You can see him discovering the greatness of "Two-One-One-Two" and witness his revelatory experience he just had

[LeaveMyThingAlone]

The one thing I would tell them regarding Rush they might not get yet is that, while I appreciate their respect and adoration of Neil's drumming, I think they might be overlooking what Alex and Ged are bringing to the music as a result of their gushing over Neil so much. It always seems to come back to how blown away they are by Neil. (Most are, but they REALLY dig the drummer) lol

Everyone immediately notices the drumming, because most songs are drummed in such a typical rhythm with tempo changes or fills being the only variance. So he stands out immediately. I am surprised they haven't picked up on the bass as exceptional, since most do for the same reason. A rhythm section with only one exceptional cog would really stand out as subpar.

 

Alex has lived in a shadow for a long time, it's good his sense of humor is so keen and his obvious humble pleasure at being incredibly lucky to have live his life is clear. Guitarists are usually the musicians expected to stand out. They get the solos and because they get the solos they get the notoriety. So in many bands the standout musician is the one who solos. I imagine George and Ryan have heard the names of ten times as many guitarists as drummers or bass players. So unfortunately guitarists are expected to stand out. In a band like Rush, this pushes a guitarist back because people get surprised by how the others actually stand out.

 

It's unfair to Alex, because to be able to stand with Geddy and Neil in the same band is proof in itself that he's exceptional. I had a friend once, a musician, that said he felt Alex was the true glue in that band. That everything works so well because of how he makes their rhythms work.

 

I'm not a musician, but in a nutshell I think Alex is the most unnoticed because he's the one subconsciously expected to stand out simply because he plays guitar, and he's forgotten when people are struck by the other standout work.

 

I imagine after more listens they will realize how good the others are.

Or just listen to La Villa Strangiato. He's always good, but he's heavily showcased in his song.

 

I totally agree. Rush would never had the longevity they had without Alex being so humble and being able to check his ego. Ego is what dooms most bands and it is usually the lead guitar player whose ego screws it up. I look at Eddie Van Halen who was notorious for making s point of making Michael Anthony’s bass totally irrelevant in about every song. He didn’t allow him to play much outside of the simple beat. Luckily Anthony is another chill low ego guy that went with the flow.

 

Geddy calls Alex an exceptional and underrated guitar player because he can go from the lead player to the rhythm guitar in the background seamlessly. He’s that rare guy that doesn’t need to have the whole world know how great he is. He knows, his bandmates know, and the fans know and that’s good enough for him. He’s such a cool guy

[Digital Dad]

Alex just had the misfortune of turning into a more textural player at a point in history where it became all about the shred.