Another crack at Alex Lifeson being "underrated" as a guitarist!

[alieninvasion76]

This is excerpted from my response to the "Mojo Top 10 Underrated Guitarists" video on YouTube:

 

Now, is Alex Lifeson underrated? Rush’s hay-day is generally considered to be the 70’s and 80’s, so that would indeed put them in the “classic rck” era. However, in the past decade alone they had 2 albums in the Billboard Top 10, have been on 40+ magazine covers during that period, and the 4 tours that they did in that time were all critically acclaimed, sold-out arena venues, making them one of the very few bands from that era that is still this relevant!

 

And one of the hghlights of this big comeback has been Alex Lifeson’s guitar! His playing in the 70’s which, by his own admission, was still a work in progress, nevertheless garnered enough respect amongst the guitar playing population at large for him to finish 2nd as “Best Rock Guitarist” in Guitar Player Magazine’s reader poll 4 times - he lost out to Eddie Van Halen each time. He finally won in 1984 but, unfortunately, this was also the beginning of that mid 80’s era in which his guitar became famously buried under synthesizers. Then the 90’s brought a revival of Lifeson’s guitar prominence, which was cut short when the tragic 1997 deaths of drummer Neil Peart’s daughter and wife gave way to a 5 year hiatus.

 

Now, since 2002, Rush has released 4 studio albums and 6 live albums/videos, and Lifeson’s guitar has never been more prominent: and his peers are obviously liking what they hear as he not only won the Guitar Player Magazine poll again in 2007, but was ranked 3rd all time Best Rock Guitarist by Guitar World Magazine, and similar in other magazine polls and shootouts, as well as Guitar Player Magazine having created two special awards for Alex just to quench their lust for the “Snakes and Arrows” album.

 

So, as with most guitarists whose home has NOT been the Top 40 singles charts, Lifeson - Rush haters aside - is generally not underrated by actual guitarists. But, one can understand how the average mainstream pop/rocker - who already wouldn’t know what constitutes a great guitarist if it bit them on their Gucci's - are further mislead when Rolling Stone publishes a Top 100 Guitarists list in 2013 that has folk singer come grunger Neil Young at #17, while Lifeson is at #98, and other bonafide axemen are rated disproportionately lower as well, eg. Mark Knopfler at #44, Ritchie Blackmore #50. For a little further context, completely missing from the list are virtuosos like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert, and Steve Morse who was voted Best All Around Guitarist in the Guitar Player Magazine readers poll 5 years in a row, thus illustrating what exactly Rolling Stone knows about guitar playing, which is precisely “squat”!

 

Hmmmmm… we may have found the source of the problem! Namaste!!

Edited April 17, 2016 by alieninvasion76

[presto123]

This is excerpted from my response to the "Mojo Top 10 Underrated Guitarists" video on YouTube:

 

Now, is Alex Lifeson underrated? Rush’s hay-day is generally considered to be the 70’s and 80’s, so that would indeed put them in the “classic rck” era. However, in the past decade alone they had 2 albums in the Billboard Top 10, have been on 40+ magazine covers during that period, and the 4 tours that they did in that time were all critically acclaimed, sold-out arena venues, making them one of the very few bands from that era that is still this relevant!

 

And one of the hghlights of this big comeback has been Alex Lifeson’s guitar! His playing in the 70’s which, by his own admission, was still a work in progress, nevertheless garnered enough respect amongst the guitar playing population at large for him to finish 2nd as “Best Rock Guitarist” in Guitar Player Magazine’s reader poll 4 times - he lost out to Eddie Van Halen each time. He finally won in 1984 but, unfortunately, this was also the beginning of that mid 80’s era in which his guitar became famously buried under synthesizers. Then the 90’s brought a revival of Lifeson’s guitar prominence, which was cut short when the tragic 1997 deaths of drummer Neil Peart’s daughter and wife gave way to a 5 year hiatus.

 

Now, since 2002, Rush has released 4 studio albums and 6 live albums/videos, and Lifeson’s guitar has never been more prominent: and his peers are obviously liking what they hear as he not only won the Guitar Player Magazine poll again in 2007, but was ranked 3rd all time Best Rock Guitarist by Guitar World Magazine, and similar in other magazine polls and shootouts, as well as Guitar Player Magazine having created two special awards for Alex just to quench their lust for the “Snakes and Arrows” album.

 

So, as with most guitarists whose home has NOT been the Top 40 singles charts, Lifeson - Rush haters aside - is generally not underrated by actual guitarists. But, one can understand how the average mainstream pop/rocker - who already wouldn’t know what constitutes a great guitarist if it bit them on their Gucci's - are further mislead when Rolling Stone publishes a Top 100 Guitarists list in 2013 that has Neil Young at #17, but Mark Knopfler at #44, Ritchie Blackmore #50, and Lifeson at #98. For a little further context, completely missing from the list are virtuosos like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert, and Steve Morse who was voted Best All Around Guitarist in the Guitar Player Magazine readers poll 5 years in a row, thus illustrating what exactly Rolling Stone knows about guitar playing, which is precisely “squat”!

 

Hmmmmm… we may have found the source of the problem! Namaste!!

 

 

As a drummer, let me just say Rolling Stones top 100 drummer list was beyond ridiculous. Probably as ridiculous as the guitar player list.

[Digital Dad]

All these lists are ridiculous.

 

Really if you think about it.

[presto123]

All these lists are ridiculous.

 

Really if you think about it.

 

I know right. It's all subjective. If you put all the technical players at the top, people will complain where are the feel/style players and vice versa. I do feel that the early "pioneers" tend to get over-rated just a bit. I find guys like Jimi Hendrix, Keith Moon, Ginger Baker and such way too high on these lists, but I can understand why. They were great for their time and they paved the way for those to come.

[Digital Dad]

All these lists are ridiculous.

 

Really if you think about it.

 

I know right. It's all subjective. If you put all the technical players at the top, people will complain where are the feel/style players and vice versa. I do feel that the early "pioneers" tend to get over-rated just a bit. I find guys like Jimi Hendrix, Keith Moon, Ginger Baker and such way too high on these lists, but I can understand why. They were great for their time and they paved the way for those to come.

 

My question always is...Who inspires the inspirers?

 

Trace the evolution backwards. But tis not always about who is the most inspirational. Sometimes technical gifts are important but desire drive the technical or vice versa?

[EagleMoon]

Hay-day?

 

[Geddy's Soul Patch]

Hay-day?

 

Wasn't Alex a farmer?

 

 

;)

Edited April 16, 2016 by Geddy's Soul Patch

[HomesickAlien]

Hay-day?

 

 

I noticed that as well, but thought it would be bad form to point it out.

 

Saturday, April 16 is TRF Hay Day. Let's all play in the hay.

 

http://i.imgur.com/f1BowBs.gif

[EagleMoon]

Hay-day?

 

 

I noticed that as well, but thought it would be bad form to point it out.

 

Saturday, April 16 is TRF Hay Day. Let's all play in the hay.

 

http://i.imgur.com/f1BowBs.gif

 

Bad form? Nah. Just silliness. :)

[GabesCavesOfIce]

For full effect, The OP should be read with Anthem on 11

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 16, 2016 by Gabrielgil513

[Lorraine]

That's not really a picture of Alex, is it?

[EagleMoon]

That's not really a picture of Alex, is it?

 

He was never that buff. :)

[Lorraine]

That's not really a picture of Alex, is it?

 

He was never that buff. :)

I was going to say if it was, who'd thought he was hiding a body like THAT under the clothes he wears on stage? :drool:

[Wil1972]

Hay-day?

 

Wasn't Alex a farmer?

 

 

;)

 

I think his bobblehead spent some time on a farm in That Darned Dragon. (Tried to find a screenshot but struck out.)

[Ancient Ways]

All these lists are ridiculous.

 

Really if you think about it.

 

I know right. It's all subjective. If you put all the technical players at the top, people will complain where are the feel/style players and vice versa. I do feel that the early "pioneers" tend to get over-rated just a bit. I find guys like Jimi Hendrix, Keith Moon, Ginger Baker and such way too high on these lists, but I can understand why. They were great for their time and they paved the way for those to come.

Make 2 lists, one for technical and one for feel.

[ReRushed]

Lists aren't meant to be definitive. Get pissed off. Feel vindicated. Defend your personal favorites and the overlooked. Use 'em to debate. Use 'em to argue. Use 'em to discover something you wouldn't normally have access to. Put them all together to form a consensus and nitpick the order. Lists are fun.

[Xanadu]

I would be more interested in a list of the top 100 guitarists, as chosen by other guitarists. Same with drummers, etc. If you don't play the instrument, how do you know who's actually "better"?

[ReRushed]

I would be more interested in a list of the top 100 guitarists, as chosen by other guitarists. Same with drummers, etc. If you don't play the instrument, how do you know who's actually "better"?

I don't buy this argument. Informed people, whether fans or critics, can have very credible opinions.

[Xanadu]

I would be more interested in a list of the top 100 guitarists, as chosen by other guitarists. Same with drummers, etc. If you don't play the instrument, how do you know who's actually "better"?

I don't buy this argument. Informed people, whether fans or critics, can have very credible opinions.

 

Of course. I'm just saying I'd rather hear the opinions of people who know the instrument. They have insight they average person does not.

[ReRushed]

I would be more interested in a list of the top 100 guitarists, as chosen by other guitarists. Same with drummers, etc. If you don't play the instrument, how do you know who's actually "better"?

I don't buy this argument. Informed people, whether fans or critics, can have very credible opinions.

 

Of course. I'm just saying I'd rather hear the opinions of people who know the instrument. They have insight they average person does not.

Those types of lists are out there. Some of the dreaded Rolling Stone magazine lists have musician voters.

[alieninvasion76]

That's what I like about the guitar magazine Reader's Polls: the winners are actually chosen by the readers, ie. guitarists!!

[Mosher]

The fact that Lifeson is currently respected is a reflection of many things, among them the simple fact that Rush is now respected and that those voting have actually listened to Rush.

 

I think the reason Lifeson was historically the also-ran in Rush is also a function of numbers. The media hails guitarists far more than drummers or bass players, so the pool of known-names is far greater for guitarists. With Peart and Lee having the attention of the media as supreme artists in less attended crafts, Lifeson is hit with two problems. A much much much larger pool of competitors, and the fact that people are loathe to over credit a single band with having all the talent. Lifeson is actually hurt by the attention afforded Lee and Peart.

 

I'm quite sure that musicians have always hailed Lifeson.

[Xanadoood]

Lifeson is revered and respected by other guitarists. His place in the pantheon of rock guitar greats is secure. He wasn't a real innovator , so he doesn't get mentioned alongside the Hendrixs and VHs .. But pretty much every guitarist I've spoken to has high praise for Alex. And yeah, he happened to be in a band with 2 of the most influential guys on their respective instruments.

[Lucas]

Up thru Caress Of Steel, Rush was Alex's band .. Geddy has always been great - vocals and on bass, and Rustey was solid, Neil, spectacular .... But early on, the songs were carried by Alex's riffs and great fiery solos ..

 

As Rush grew into creative monster they became, Alex was still amazing, just not in the spotlight sort of way ..

 

The lone complete live version of The Necromancer features some of the finest, most inspired sounding guitar of the 70s