Which decade boasts the best of Alex's writing

[JohnnyBlaze]

So much of what inspires a musician comes in the formative years when you are a kid, growing up, and trying to find a voice thru an instrument because life and school and dealing with older people is so damn uncomfortable ..

 

There is that great video of Alex when he was a teenager sitting around a table with his parents, and talking about music and the guitar ... And no matter how much you love your parents, there is a sense of rebellion that runs thru every great rock guitarist - rebellion and youthful energy in finding yourself ..

 

All of that culminated in the 70s with Alex

 

And in the 80s, it became quite the opposite - all of a sudden, Alex is attempting to fit in and tailor his style to what was going on at that time in music .. Granted, he may have genuinely enjoyed it, but still, when a rock guitarist trades rebellion for conformity, it's over

Another perspective is that Alex reacted to the 80s music without necessarily conforming. He's always been reacting. They all have. But who knows if Alex truly conformed to anything?

[RUSHHEAD666]

Easily the 70's in my opinion.

 

Is this a trick question thread?

 

Duh

[LeaveMyThingAlone]

Easily the 70's. Neil and Geddy get most of the accolades, but Alex carried the band from 2112 to Permanent Waves. Just some incredible guitar work in that era

[EagleMoon]

I swing back-and-forth between the 70s and 80s.

[greg2112]

While the 70s material is great, the EARLY 80s (PW through Signals) I believe embodies his most complex, varied and tasteful work. Edited March 23, 2016 by greg2112

[Entre_Perpetuo]

I'd have to say the seventies. There was just as strong material on the 80s albums, but it was obviously not coming quite as much from Lerxt due to the focus on synths. The nineties were a bad time for writing in general, and while the 00s and 10s picked up the pieces a bit writing wise, the scars (no pu--okay, pun intended) still show in places (but CA is near flawless in that area...IMO). 70s definitely though.

[Digital Dad]

The 80's!!!!

Now... does his stuff on Permanent Waves count as 80's or 70's? That's crucial... that album was conceived and recorded in the 70's, but released and hit the general public in the 80's.

Anyways, I counted it as 80's in my vote.

Wow...Finbar. He was a cool cat.

 

Yes, it's somewhat strange to see posts by some of the regulars from 10 years ago that haven't posted in years. Wonder what they have been up to.

 

Well anyways I liked his post above. I hope he appreciates it in absentia.

[Wil1972]

The 80's for sure. He was on fire with albums like MP, Signals, GUP and PW. IMO, he knew that the keyboards were starting to become the center piece of the band and that meant he had to rethink what used to be so natural to him. This process created some of the most innovative guitar work ever produced in my opinion.

 

I agree.

[BassMasterGeneral]

The 70's.

 

2112, CoS(specifically The Necromancer) AFWTK, and Hemispheres all show off some damn incredible playing.

[Sky Douglas]

Geddy writes on guitar too. Is there a riff by riff list of who wrote what?

[Empty Mindless Spectre]

70's without hesitation. No doubt Alex created some awesome stuff in the 80's, but nothing in modern music history compares to what he gave us in the 70's.