Alex Lifeson Tells the Story of the "Limelight" Solo

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Жыл бұрын

Watch the full episode here: • Alex Lifeson Talks Rus...
On the first episode of the new podcast series Shred With Shifty, which features host and Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett getting a front-row lesson from our favorite guitar heroes, Shiflett learns the solo from Rush’s “Limelight” with a little help from the man who wrote it, Alex Lifeson. According to Shiflett, Lifeson’s lead on the song “does exactly what a great solo should do. It’s a scene change, it’s kind of emotional, it builds, and yes, it shreds.”
Shiflett recalls that in context, both “Limelight” and Moving Pictures, the 1981 Rush record that featured the track, were stylistic and structural departures from the rock ‘n’ roll fare of the day. Compared to Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, and KISS, the Canadian prog-rock trio was practically avant-garde.
Lifeson joins Shiflett from a meticulously maintained studio den he built in his apartment (“I’m a Virgo,” Lifeson admits), and talks about early influences like Allan Holdsworth, Jeff Beck, and Andy Summers. The first solo he learned was from Cream’s “Spoonful,” but even after Rush’s international success, he says he never felt confident in his ability. “I’ve always been a little bit insecure about my playing,” he says. “I always felt like I could be better than I was.” And despite Rush’s infamously complex arrangements and each member’s dazzling technicality, Lifeson remembers that there were occasionally some “trainwrecks” onstage. “With our music, if you got lost, boy, it was hard to get back,” he grins.
While memories of the “Limelight” sessions are imperfect (“That was 43 years ago. I can’t remember things from 40 minutes ago,” Lifeson quips), the guitarist recalls using a modded Stratocaster with a vibrato arm to record the song’s solo in five or six takes, which bassist and vocalist Geddy Lee and producer Terry Brown then comped into the final version. The idea was to create a solo that reflected the isolation and fragility of “living in the limelight.” “I really wanted to echo that feeling and that sense of loneliness,” he says.
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Пікірлер: 21

@premierguitar Жыл бұрын

Watch the full episode here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/sKt6qNh8qrLem6M.html

@Fret-knot Жыл бұрын

Rush live were one of, if not the best bands I've ever seen. Three super talented dudes!!

@paul_domici Жыл бұрын

It's so awesome to see Alex getting out there again! I really miss those guys!!!

@listenup7284 Жыл бұрын

Shiflet caught the Floyd Rose bug. Now we'll be hearing sick dive bombs in the middle of Everlong and times like these. Alex was dropping knowledge of course.

@RobJMeronek Жыл бұрын

I love his answer to the question at 2:25.

@toothnail605 Жыл бұрын

Saw Rush many times. The first one was at the San Bernardino Swing in Sol Cal, it was a small venue standing room only and bleacher in the back that was Permanent Waves Tour. The stage was probably 5 - 7' tall and we just hung out up front, Rush played the whole album all the way through. Next was Moving Pictures at the LA Forum I remember Lime Light cause it's in my top 3 fave Rush songs. Way too much too list on all the Rush shows i've seen. Alex Live is straight from the heart and soul, passion and emotion, I mean too much to list so i'll just say it really doesn't get much better than Alex. What a great person also. Peace

@NitroModelsAndComics Жыл бұрын

Thanks Al. Great insights.

@rogercardenas111 Жыл бұрын

Nice background,I'd assume he had auctioned off his guitars. Nice collection.🎸 The Lerxst Guitar should be sold in a music store.

@gregoryg3256 Жыл бұрын

🌠Lerxst !!!...U Rock ! & Chris also...

@derekpierkowski7641 Жыл бұрын

It truly is the GOAT of guitar slos. I am alittle disappointed learning It was a composite because it speaks to me as a completely sorrowful passage made perfect with the exclamation point at the end. The harmonic struck at the very end that's sustained. Absolute Perfection.

@arspook6886 Жыл бұрын

I was in a band back in the 90's, the drummer was a Neil Peart freak, and the bass player was a Geddy Lee freak. But we had no Rush songs in the set list. So I secretly worked up What You're Doing and YYZ, and started playing them at a practice, of course they fell right and was all excited that I had learned these songs,.....The drummer, of course got carried away, and wanted for us to be a Rush tribute band, but I wouldn't go that far...I like Rush's music, but I was more into EVH and Randy Rhodes,......

@johngraymusic Жыл бұрын

Wow that's helpful for me hearing how he comes up with a lead, the first few takes for me seem to be the best on my recordings to except for sometimes I get that one I gotta work at like a road worker with a jackhammer 😂

@grife3000 Жыл бұрын

It felt like he cut Alex off from saying something important at 2:25.

@scottbubb2946 Жыл бұрын

Imagine what it would be like to have Alex Lifeson record 5 solos and then say, "Put these together into one solo." If I had to do it, every Rush song would have 5 solos.😅