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Does Anyone Here NOT Like Xanadu?


Lorraine
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Geddy said the lyrics where kind of goofy (paraphrasing)...you need to take issue with him.

That would be my take as well. Great music, with a well-intended, but somewhat sophomoric lyrics. Classic RUSH!

 

The lyrics are just a paraphrasing of Kublai Khan by Coleridge.

and you could do better i'm guessing?

Not at all. I was just challenging the idea of the lyrics being sophomoric.

I'm guessing you are spoiling for a fight. You wanna go?

no way man, you'd drop kick a brotha...or at least think in your deluted mind that you did/could.
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Remember on the S&A documentary? It showed Alex, after he had returned to the studio from a few days away, sitting at a computer with his guitar and looking at what looked like to me graphs of music so he could figure out his guitar parts. What was that all about?

 

I don't recall that part- graphs of music...was it sheet music? Could have been he was studying a change in time signature, or the breakdown of notes in a riff from one measure to the next...I don't know.

 

I don't know that's what it was - graphs - it is what it looked like to me. I always wondered what he was doing and trying to figure out with his guitar by studying it. Whatever "it" was.

 

Lorraine, I think that bit of footage was showing Alex actually composing with the computer, using recording software. The images on the screen are actually sound files, like the one below.

 

Lifeson plays probably through some digital unit, a sound processor, and records the part on the computer, playing to the part the Lee and Peart have already recorded (called overdubbing). This is how most musicians work now, instead of using tape.

 

Lifeson can record as many different parts as he likes, scrapping the stuff he doesn't like and reassembling bits (by cutting and pasting) until he gets a take that he likes. He may have been doing this as a demo, to give the other guys something to listen to, before recording it for real in the studio.

 

 

http://en.flossmanuals.net/audacity/add-a-new-track/_booki/audacity/static/Audacity-addtrack-aud_1-en.jpg

 

edit: looks like "RUSHandOSU" already answered your question. Oh well - as usual, I didn't read through all of the posts first!

 

Thanks, Toymaker. I think that's what I saw on the screen. Do you know the part in the S&A documentary I am referring to?

 

What you describe sounds confusing to me. I'd love to watch how all of this works in action. I do find it fascinating.

 

Yup, I know the part you mean. He's sitting with his guitar at a desk with a computer or laptop (can't remember). If you look at the picture above, you'll see two "wave files," one on top of the other. That's a visual representation of a sound file, like a song. There are two of them representing left and right (a stereo mix). The part at the left, the "skinnier" part, you can imagine as something fairly quiet, like a keyboard bit or some quiet guitar. Then, when the file becomes fatter, that's probably where the drums and other instruments come in.

 

The file has "peaks" representing the loudest parts--most likely the drums being struck. Now imagine that you can scroll down and add another set of stereo "tracks"--you can play to the file that's already there, creating a new set of left and right wave files (if you look at the picture, you'll see the red "record" button). Then you can use the tools at the top of the screen: for example, there's a "cut" button so you can snip away parts you don't like; there's also an "effect" button that will give you a menu of things you can do to alter the sound of the file. One of these things is called "reverb" which can make an instrument or voice sound like it's being heard in anything from a tiled room to a large cathedral. There's something else called "delay" which adds a bit of echo, as if the sound is bouncing off the wall. You can do pretty much anything to alter the sound. You can also make some parts loud and some parts quieter, so that it all blends together well.

 

How did they do things before the computer?

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Remember on the S&A documentary? It showed Alex, after he had returned to the studio from a few days away, sitting at a computer with his guitar and looking at what looked like to me graphs of music so he could figure out his guitar parts. What was that all about?

Skill and a damn fine ear

 

I don't recall that part- graphs of music...was it sheet music? Could have been he was studying a change in time signature, or the breakdown of notes in a riff from one measure to the next...I don't know.

 

I don't know that's what it was - graphs - it is what it looked like to me. I always wondered what he was doing and trying to figure out with his guitar by studying it. Whatever "it" was.

 

Lorraine, I think that bit of footage was showing Alex actually composing with the computer, using recording software. The images on the screen are actually sound files, like the one below.

 

Lifeson plays probably through some digital unit, a sound processor, and records the part on the computer, playing to the part the Lee and Peart have already recorded (called overdubbing). This is how most musicians work now, instead of using tape.

 

Lifeson can record as many different parts as he likes, scrapping the stuff he doesn't like and reassembling bits (by cutting and pasting) until he gets a take that he likes. He may have been doing this as a demo, to give the other guys something to listen to, before recording it for real in the studio.

 

 

http://en.flossmanuals.net/audacity/add-a-new-track/_booki/audacity/static/Audacity-addtrack-aud_1-en.jpg

 

edit: looks like "RUSHandOSU" already answered your question. Oh well - as usual, I didn't read through all of the posts first!

 

Thanks, Toymaker. I think that's what I saw on the screen. Do you know the part in the S&A documentary I am referring to?

 

What you describe sounds confusing to me. I'd love to watch how all of this works in action. I do find it fascinating.

 

Yup, I know the part you mean. He's sitting with his guitar at a desk with a computer or laptop (can't remember). If you look at the picture above, you'll see two "wave files," one on top of the other. That's a visual representation of a sound file, like a song. There are two of them representing left and right (a stereo mix). The part at the left, the "skinnier" part, you can imagine as something fairly quiet, like a keyboard bit or some quiet guitar. Then, when the file becomes fatter, that's probably where the drums and other instruments come in.

 

The file has "peaks" representing the loudest parts--most likely the drums being struck. Now imagine that you can scroll down and add another set of stereo "tracks"--you can play to the file that's already there, creating a new set of left and right wave files (if you look at the picture, you'll see the red "record" button). Then you can use the tools at the top of the screen: for example, there's a "cut" button so you can snip away parts you don't like; there's also an "effect" button that will give you a menu of things you can do to alter the sound of the file. One of these things is called "reverb" which can make an instrument or voice sound like it's being heard in anything from a tiled room to a large cathedral. There's something else called "delay" which adds a bit of echo, as if the sound is bouncing off the wall. You can do pretty much anything to alter the sound. You can also make some parts loud and some parts quieter, so that it all blends together well.

 

How did they do things before the computer?

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I dislike Xanadu.

But only the studio version since it's recorded a tad fast and out of tune. :(

 

The studio version of Xanadu is out of tune?

 

They sped up it up post production to fit on the record side.

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I dislike Xanadu.

But only the studio version since it's recorded a tad fast and out of tune. :(

 

The studio version of Xanadu is out of tune?

 

They sped up it up post production to fit on the record side.

Your knowledge is amazing...as is your ear!

http://animalpet.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/puppy-dog-eyes-puss-in-boots-gif-hl6ohrik.jpg

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I dislike Xanadu.

But only the studio version since it's recorded a tad fast and out of tune. :(

 

The studio version of Xanadu is out of tune?

 

They sped up it up post production to fit on the record side.

 

:o Are you teasing me?

 

I must have listened to who knows how many versions of the song how many times, and I've never noticed that.

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I dislike Xanadu.

But only the studio version since it's recorded a tad fast and out of tune. :(

 

The studio version of Xanadu is out of tune?

 

They sped up it up post production to fit on the record side.

Your knowledge is amazing...as is your ear!

http://animalpet.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/puppy-dog-eyes-puss-in-boots-gif-hl6ohrik.jpg

 

:LOL:

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I dislike Xanadu.

But only the studio version since it's recorded a tad fast and out of tune. :(

 

The studio version of Xanadu is out of tune?

 

They sped up it up post production to fit on the record side.

 

:o Are you teasing me?

 

I must have listened to who knows how many versions of the song how many times, and I've never noticed that.

 

Nope, I'm not teasing. It was really annoying trying to play along with the song years ago because it's slightly sharp (higher) than the actual recorded key.

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I dislike Xanadu.

But only the studio version since it's recorded a tad fast and out of tune. :(

 

The studio version of Xanadu is out of tune?

 

They sped up it up post production to fit on the record side.

 

:o Are you teasing me?

 

I must have listened to who knows how many versions of the song how many times, and I've never noticed that.

 

Nope, I'm not teasing. It was really annoying trying to play along with the song years ago because it's slightly sharp (higher) than the actual recorded key.

You're the only person I know that has noticed that besides your truly. It befuddled me for a long time as well. I was always like WTF?
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Give me a version of it that's played the right way so I can listen to it after the album cut.

 

Any of the live versions.

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I dislike Xanadu.

But only the studio version since it's recorded a tad fast and out of tune. :(

 

The studio version of Xanadu is out of tune?

 

They sped up it up post production to fit on the record side.

 

:o Are you teasing me?

 

I must have listened to who knows how many versions of the song how many times, and I've never noticed that.

 

Nope, I'm not teasing. It was really annoying trying to play along with the song years ago because it's slightly sharp (higher) than the actual recorded key.

You're the only person I know that has noticed that besides your truly. It befuddled me for a long time as well. I was always like WTF?

I first noticed it long ago because Geddy sounded..... different. Then, trying to play along with it... it didn't work!

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I'm listening to it right now. Dog Years it's not.

 

I will just have to grit my teeth and bear this......

I swear Alex was influenced by Popul Vuh with the volume swell beginning. It is so evident to me. These are from Aguirre the Wrath of God--an all time great movie according to Ebert, and me. Klaus Kinski the madman genius

 

A taste in the beginning:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJNnKdzgW1I

 

 

 

Then at 4:24 until the very end. I hear a connection...or maybe I'm trippin'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrokMa1QlKo

Edited by Tombstone Mountain
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I'm listening to it right now. Dog Years it's not.

 

I will just have to grit my teeth and bear this......

I swear Alex was influenced by Popul Vuh with the volume swell beginning. It is so evident to me. These are from Aguirre the Wrath of God--an all time great movie according to Ebert, and me. Klaus Kinski the madman genius

 

A taste in the beginning:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJNnKdzgW1I

 

 

 

Then at 4:24 until the very end. I hear a connection...or maybe I'm trippin'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrokMa1QlKo

 

I think you're tripping. :LOL:

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I'm listening to it right now. Dog Years it's not.

 

I will just have to grit my teeth and bear this......

I swear Alex was influenced by Popul Vuh with the volume swell beginning. It is so evident to me. These are from Aguirre the Wrath of God--an all time great movie according to Ebert, and me. Klaus Kinski the madman genius

 

A taste in the beginning:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJNnKdzgW1I

 

 

 

Then at 4:24 until the very end. I hear a connection...or maybe I'm trippin'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrokMa1QlKo

 

I think you're tripping. :LOL:

Think about the time this was released world wide. Nothing else like it at the time.
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