Does Anyone Here NOT Like Xanadu?

[Citizen of the World]

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.

That was for Malignant Narcissism. Alex had been away and Neil and Geddy had already recorded their parts

[HemiBeers]

If you don't like Xanadu you either don't like RUSH at all or you're one of those trendy, new-wave-haircut-sporting, bandwagoning fans of the synth era who want RUSH to be ABC..

 

Can't stand Xanadu. My favorite Rush era is Vapor Trails onward. Everything before VT is despicable imo.

it's good thing Rush won't make it to Rio on this tour then... you'd hate the show.

 

I was being ironic.

Yeah he hates Xanadu...like who can hate Xanadu?

 

I would hate Xanadu if it was another adult contemporary song on Hold Your Fire.

 

that's why i can't wrap my head around the synth era...this is the same band that dropped prog epics just 10 years earlier. WTF happened?

Edited July 12, 2015 by 2112FirstStreet

[Tombstone Mountain]

If you don't like Xanadu you either don't like RUSH at all or you're one of those trendy, new-wave-haircut-sporting, bandwagoning fans of the synth era who want RUSH to be ABC..

 

Can't stand Xanadu. My favorite Rush era is Vapor Trails onward. Everything before VT is despicable imo.

it's good thing Rush won't make it to Rio on this tour then... you'd hate the show.

 

I was being ironic.

Yeah he hates Xanadu...like who can hate Xanadu?

 

I would hate Xanadu if is was another adult contemporary song on Hold Your Fire.

 

that's why i can't wrap my head around the synth era...this is the same band that dropped prog epics just 10 years earlier. WTF happened?

Gup and PoW were enough. Good to Great stuff. HYF...below average to good. One great song.

[G Lee]

^^ This is one of the reasons Rush is so awesome though. They have enough varied kinds of material that different people can pick and choose or appreciate it all in some light ;).

[patjnev]

It was a pretty bad movie allthough I did like t....oh the RUsh song Xanadu

[toymaker]

I just found this, this looks interesting and I'm gonna try :) http://rateyourmusic...s_xanadu_pitch/

 

I did this - it works well (it sounds good to me). It adds about 13 seconds to the song. Hard to believe they really had to adjust the pitch for a measly 13 seconds.

[Lorraine]

If you don't like Xanadu you either don't like RUSH at all or you're one of those trendy, new-wave-haircut-sporting, bandwagoning fans of the synth era who want RUSH to be ABC..

 

Can't stand Xanadu. My favorite Rush era is Vapor Trails onward. Everything before VT is despicable imo.

it's good thing Rush won't make it to Rio on this tour then... you'd hate the show.

 

I was being ironic.

Yeah he hates Xanadu...like who can hate Xanadu?

 

You. I thought you didn't like it?

[Lorraine]

I just found this, this looks interesting and I'm gonna try :) http://rateyourmusic...s_xanadu_pitch/

 

I did this - it works well (it sounds good to me). It adds about 13 seconds to the song. Hard to believe they really had to adjust the pitch for a measly 13 seconds.

 

Keep practicing the song on the uke. One of these days we will hold a TRF Convention. You can perform as we sit in awe of your ... of your.... well, by then we will think of something! :)

[toymaker]

I just found this, this looks interesting and I'm gonna try :) http://rateyourmusic...s_xanadu_pitch/

 

I did this - it works well (it sounds good to me). It adds about 13 seconds to the song. Hard to believe they really had to adjust the pitch for a measly 13 seconds.

 

Keep practicing the song on the uke. One of these days we will hold a TRF Convention. You can perform as we sit in awe of your ... of your.... well, by then we will think of something! :)

 

Yeah, that sounds like me . . . playing Xanadu on the ukelele in front of actual people (excepting my wife - she's an actual person, and she's heard me play Xanadu on the ukelele, although she may not have known what she was hearing).

 

I'll tell ya, hearing it on the ukelele . . . it's just so atmospheric . . . so emotional . . . so transporting. It just takes you away to another time and place . . .

 

(LooneyToonLand)

[Lorraine]

I just found this, this looks interesting and I'm gonna try :) http://rateyourmusic...s_xanadu_pitch/

 

I did this - it works well (it sounds good to me). It adds about 13 seconds to the song. Hard to believe they really had to adjust the pitch for a measly 13 seconds.

 

Keep practicing the song on the uke. One of these days we will hold a TRF Convention. You can perform as we sit in awe of your ... of your.... well, by then we will think of something! :)

 

Yeah, that sounds like me . . . playing Xanadu on the ukelele in front of actual people (excepting my wife - she's an actual person, and she's heard me play Xanadu on the ukelele, although she may not have known what she was hearing).

 

I'll tell ya, hearing it on the ukelele . . . it's just so atmospheric . . . so emotional . . . so transporting. It just takes you away to another time and place . . .

 

(LooneyToonLand)

 

[toymaker]

:eyeroll:

[Khan]

nope

[Lorraine]

:eyeroll:

 

[Geddy's Soul Patch]

:eyeroll:

 

:smoke:

[Bard]

Online fans tend to overrated Xanadu. :)

 

It's a solid Rush track, obviously.

 

But its legendary status may be a bit inflated. :)

 

They have far better songs in their vast catalog.

[librarian]

As someone who has only heard it a few times - It is a good song, but could be shortened just a tad.

[EagleMoon]

As someone who has only heard it a few times - It is a good song, but could be shortened just a tad.

 

That's sacrilege! It needs to be longer! :)

[Blue J]

As someone who has only heard it a few times - It is a good song, but could be shortened just a tad.

 

You've really only heard it a few times?

[librarian]

like the beginning almost 3 minutes in - All right all ready start the goddammed song!!! We have limited lifetimes here, lets go - poop or get off the pot already :D (just a smidge!)

[librarian]

FTKings was the last CD given to me and it was a gift, actually.

[Lorraine]

As someone who has only heard it a few times - It is a good song, but could be shortened just a tad.

 

That's sacrilege! It needs to be longer! :)

 

It is sacrilege.

 

And I agree it should be longer. Much longer.

[Lorraine]

like the beginning almost 3 minutes in - All right all ready start the goddammed song!!! We have limited lifetimes here, lets go - poop or get off the pot already :D (just a smidge!)

 

Oh my.

[mother of all machines]

Yes, and you are AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL crazy

[EagleMoon]

like the beginning almost 3 minutes in - All right all ready start the goddammed song!!! We have limited lifetimes here, lets go - poop or get off the pot already :D (just a smidge!)

 

Oh my.

 

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t180/imzadi-7/RHPICS/tumblr_mtcuheozj21sg3xpdo1_400_zps209efd77.gif

[toymaker]

That intro guitar stuff - I could sit and close my eyes and listen to that stuff for an age. There should be a 3-sides album version of a Farewell to Kings. Xanadu with extra atmospheric guitar stuff at the beginning could take up one whole side. Cygnus could take up another whole side - with more of that dreamy spacy stuff. Fade in Lee's bass riff so gradually that you're never really sure when you first start to hear it . . .