I've (somewhat) solved the mystery of the Exit Stage Left Drum Solo...

[TheAnarchist2112]

So on my youtube channel (Frontiers2112) I posted a video of all the available footage and audio from the Exit Stage Left concert, 3/27/1981.

In the video, there are two clips of the drum solo that I've synced up to the audio of it. The first clip is right before the cowbell section, where Neil is alternating between the floor tom and snare. The second clip, which is longer, is right at the tail end of the cowbell section, but this is where it gets weird. 

In the video, after the cowbell section, Neil starts going up and down the lower rack toms and floor tom, sometimes hitting the china cymbal. However, in the audio, Neil goes back to the snare, and goes between the snare and upper rack toms, not going anywhere near the lower toms. The footage and the audio syncs up again when Neil hits the china cymbal the final time, and he goes to the gong drum. 

So what happened? Why doesn't this sync up?

First of all, Neil's solos change night to night, meaning that no solo is ever the same. However, they all contain a kind of similar structure. Luckily, the audio from March 25th in Toronto is available, which was the night before. I listened to the audio of that drum solo, and sure enough, after the cowbell section, Neil does a part with the lower toms. I also looked at other recordings of shows on the Moving Pictures tour, and it's the same basic structure the entire way through. This also axes out the theory that his solo was pieced together from different nights, because there's no inclination that Neil ever went in that certain direction in his solo that tour. There is no reason for Neil to change the entire structure of his solo for one night of filming and recording, which leads me to believe, for whatever reason, while the band was at Le Studio later that summer when they were re-recording parts for the Exit Stage Left album, Neil re-recorded and subbed in new parts for his solo. 

 

[Rush Didact]

Given the amount of studio editing on that album, it wouldn't surprise me at all. Good find.

[snowdog2112]

On a semi-related note the official Rush youtube channel just uploaded the first two songs from the ESL video in the last 20 minutes. First activity in a year. It may be nothing noteworthy but I wonder if it's a lead up to something interesting. 

[currygoat11]

Hi @snowdog2112
 

WHAT IS GOING ON?

 

This upload on the official Rush Youtube of ESL Limelight from today (Oct 4 2024) has noticeably different audio from the Laserdisc version, definitely different audio from the 2006 Replay [3 DVD/CD Box Set] version which puts guitar as priority over the drums, and it wasn't copied from the StickHits remaster from Apr 2024. 

 

I'm perplexed as to where this audio mix came from?

 

(I do not have a youtube link to the ESL Limelight from laserdisc, but I have a local copy and the audio from the laserdisc rip doesn't hold up to this Rush Youtube upload from Oct 4 2024)

The Rush upload of ESL Limelight from today (Oct 4 2024):
 

 

 

StickHits remaster:
 

 

 

2006 Replay [3 DVD/CD Box Set]