Most technically challenging live song

[Tom Sawyer]

SoR? Maybe Xanadu?

[KillerInstinct]

Circumstances sounds pretty tough live

[Joshua]

Probably something off of Power Windows. Anything where they're tap-dancing on the pedals, hitting triggers, switching from bass to synth, etc.

[WIDE-ANGLE WATCHER]

Xanadu is a technically challenging no doubt....but they have play it and aced it many times. Same with Natural Science.

 

I believe that Hemispheres ( Cygnus X-1 Book II ) may be the most technically challenging song that they have ever played live (Hemispheres Tour and Permanent Waves Tour). That may be why we haven't heard it, in it's entirety, since.

 

Neil has commented that Tom Sawyer is "So damn hard to get it right".

[mong82191]

I'd say either Natural Science or La Villa

[danielmclark]

I'm thinking La Villa. I know they tend to go a little off-script intentionally with that song, but I don't think I've ever heard it very close to the album in certain parts - especially Alex.

[King Whompus]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say 2112. I've heard a couple times where they have gotten off beat. Just seems hard to stay together in that song imho.

[Weakly Criminal]

Hemispheres.

 

Live or otherwise, it's their most complex work.

[EveryNerveAware]

I would guess La Villa since it took them so long just to do the studio recording as told in the documentary. I still find it amazing they can pull that song off live, with all the time changes, when it took them weeks in the studio before they finally gave up and recorded in segments.

[losingit2k]

QUOTE (Weakly Criminal @ Aug 7 2010, 10:24 PM)

Hemispheres. Live or otherwise, it's their most complex work.

Most definitly!

 

[worthog]

Superconductor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.....hehehe

[Mr. Not]

YYZ or LVS

[rcbassist39]

.....rivendell ..........

[priest_of_syrinx]

QUOTE (Weakly Criminal @ Aug 7 2010, 09:24 PM)

Hemispheres. Live or otherwise, it's their most complex work.

I'm pretty sure this is the correct answer.

[RUSHHEAD666]

QUOTE (Weakly Criminal @ Aug 7 2010, 08:24 PM)

Hemispheres. Live or otherwise, it's their most complex work.

Yep, "Hemispheres Side One"

[Rendclaw]

Without a doubt its Hemispheres. Even listening to bootlegs of them doing it back in 1978 they struggled with it in parts.

 

I was just happy they did a few bars of it for the R30 tour in that medley. I was thinking about this when I was eating dinner and watching R30 on my DVR.. sometimes I think they break out the old stuff just to show people they can still do it.

[metaldad]

La Villa

[Merely Space]

Another vote for Hemispheres. Listening to them talk about it in the DVD bonus features makes me sure this is it.

[Weakly Criminal]

QUOTE (RUSHHEAD666 @ Aug 8 2010, 03:01 AM)

QUOTE (Weakly Criminal @ Aug 7 2010, 08:24 PM) Hemispheres. Live or otherwise, it's their most complex work. Yep, "Hemispheres Side One" Oh shoot, Iwas talking about The Trees. ----------------------------------------------------- LVS is a strong second for sure.

[Ted Barchetta]

The entire Hemispheres album is technically the hardest to play live, but anything from Power windows or Hold your fire are difficult to replicate live with all those triggers, synth patches and odd percussion bits.

[Peart 2112]

Hemispheres, I'm listening to the Desert Passage boot and I can tell that it's hard as hell for them to play.

[psionic11]

QUOTE (Ted Barchetta @ Aug 8 2010, 04:01 PM)

The entire Hemispheres album is technically the hardest to play live, but anything from Power windows or Hold your fire are difficult to replicate live with all those triggers, synth patches and odd percussion bits.

Case in point -- Turn the Page. Geddy's bass line while singing, the different synths, Alex's solo... all fall short live.

 

Hemispheres at least could be reproducible on each instrument because it's pretty much straightforward on each instrument, albeit complex because there are so many fluid and expressive parts and not just a bunch of repetitive and/or mechanical lines so common in today's poor 'music'.

 

But the complex arrangements of synths and guitar tones and drum sounds that is Signals to Hold Your Fire? I much prefer the studio albums, especially given that A Show of Hands falls so short of the sonic/musical adventure of the studio productions from their great synth era... Songwriting and adventure were tops in that era.

 

Live is for rock angst, like punk and metal and indie and acoustic and drum circles. And other spontaneous stuff, like jazz solos and stand-up comedy.

 

Studio >> live, usually.

[Maples Oaks and Porcupine Trees]

I'll cast my vote for Hemispheres.