La Villa Strangiato - Rush Reaction!

[@PeterS-xf5rw]

The best rock instrumental ever and the best guitar solo ever. 3 of the best musicians in one band basically soloing for 9 minutes. Epic. Simply amazing live. They made this song very hard, even too hard for them at the time, hence the side title “an exercise in self indulgence”. They were playing above their abilities at the time. I heard that years ago. They tried to record it live off the floor but couldn’t do it and had to record it in 2 parts. Then I heard years ago that Alex could then play it while watching TV. Amazing that it was played live on numerous occasions over the years perfectly.

[@billwoods9302]

The absolute best version of this song is the live version on Exit Stage Left. It contains what many fans believe to be Alex Lifeson's best live solo.

[@nuclear314]

Concur,! Best live version I have seen!

[@mightyV444]

@@billwoods9302 - That's also _my_ favourite version 🙂 Alex' solo in this piece is my #2 favourite, after Gilmour's in 'Another Brick In The Wall - Pt.II' 🙂 Great solo also in the (sadly incomplete) Pink Pop video!

[@highstepperARF]

Yep. Rush, ESL is the best.

[@mightyV444]

@@highstepperARF - Also my favourite Rush album of them all! 😊

[@kellymoriarityApr66]

Definitely… I strongly encourage an additional reaction to the live version 1981

[@kevinharpham6396]

Probably my single most favorite instrumental of my life of 60 years. I never get tired of listening to it…Enjoy 🎉

[@markstromberg1148]

@kevinharpham6396 This is my "desert island song" (assuming I was only allowed one). It has everything!

[@johndahlstrom6282]

Synestesia! I never knew there was a name for what i have been experiencing my entire life or that it was considered a condition? Mind blown! Thank you so much redheadedneighbor! Long live Rush baby!!!

[@jimtatro6550]

This is quite simply, the greatest rock instrumental song of all time in my opinion

[@Agg1E91]

Yours is an absolutely defensible position!

[@graciefolden2359]

I would agree that it's one of the greatest but since I'm sure that I haven't heard all of the hundreds & hundreds of rock instrumentals ever recorded I will say it's "one of" not "the" greatest that I've heard.

[@johncalvo1743]

@@graciefolden2359 Okay, listen to all of the rest and let us know!

[@jonisears742]

Best rock instrumental in history!

[@markstromberg1148]

So true! And . . . the solo in the "Lexerst in Wonderland" section is one of the best guitar solos and drum combinations I've ever heard. Completely ethereal!

[@gritter2112]

Should have won the Grammy. Lost to an instrumental by the police. The music industry was always slighting Rush. Time is making fools of all of them!

[@nedmac624]

@@gritter2112 pretty sure YYZ lost to The Police, not this one

[@gritter2112]

@@nedmac624 I stand corrected! Still should have won a Grammy. And the industry did slight them at almost every turn.

[@nedmac624]

@@gritter2112 I 100% agree!

[@paulatkinson5492]

They titled this song with the sidebar..."an exercise in self indulgence "....they're showing off ! Theyre just that good...thanks for the reaction!

[@gregcormier2379]

One of their all time best instrumentals. Always a highlight at concerts often either an encore or a late in the set song where the boys can just let loose and jam out. Definitely shows just how great they are musicians!

[@stevedahlberg8680]

I'm a long time musician but I absolutely experience synesthesia, I can almost just do it on demand. I love it I absolutely love the combination.

[@kenbourne8011]

I heard the Hemispheres album in its entirety on a local FM station shortly after it's release while I was trying to write a paper for a college class. I didn't listen to is closely and couldn't say afterwards that I had a very indepth knowledge of the band. Just under a year later, I bought two tickets to a Rush show in my town still not having much knowledge of them but at 20 years of age, a concert was a concert. I was completely overwhelmed. This show was phenomenal. Opening with 2112, including Cygnys X1, Bytor and the Snow Dog, and two versions of yet unreleased songs from their upcoming album Permanent Waves - Spirit of Radio and Freewill. The coup de grace of the show was Working Man and then this masterpiece, La Villa Strangiato. Needless to say, after that show I was an unrepentant fan of what I came to understand was the best live band I would ever get to see. La Villa is, in my mind the best song Rush ever performed and might one of the four or five best songs of any genre that has ever been recorded. It simply is an exquisite sonic experience.

[@NASA-criminals]

We Rush nerd fans LUV your compassion!

[@mightyV444]

@@NASA-criminals - She's really getting into it! 😄👍

[@BugsFan2112]

You are so on point with your comments!!! Very impressive on one listening!!! And yes, they did this live countless times....it's a fan favorite. They ended the night with it on a few tours. You may want to check this song out on their Time Machine tour.....quite impressive!!!! Cheers!

[@philstone3859]

Of course they did this live, they prided themselves as being able to play live and accurately, anything in their catalog without any technical compromising or cheating. Musical integrity in concert. Super clean live band! Extremely impressive in concert. I know, I was there. 😁

[@fknbuflobo]

They eventually played songs live that were never intended to be played live when recorded i.e. Losing It. It would be easier to list songs that they have NOT played live.

[@Sharris65]

Me too. 5 times.😊

[@63kaycee]

@@fknbuflobo I didn't like " loosing it " until I realized that I have peaked and now are on the downward slope into retirement. Damn , the things I could do effortlessly all day , and all night long. young folks, talk with your elders , you might be surprised what they say. they have been through just what you are going through now. .and they did just fine.The internet knows nothing .

[@tn_bayouwulf2949]

I think the live version from EXIT... STAGE LEFT (1981) surpasses the quality of the studio recording. I have a favorite memory of this song that happened in the late eighties. I was driving to my sisters house in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains, in the darkness of night. It began snowing and it looked like the star scape when the Millenial Falcon jumped to light speed. This was the last track on the cassette tape and the snow wizzing past the car, gave the tune a surreal feeling. One of my all time favorite tracks from Rush!

[@davidanderson5027]

YOU GET AN "A+" IN ADVANCED RUSH THEORY!!! WE LOVE THE "THEATER OF THE MIND"... EVERY NOTE AND EMOTION "GIFTED" TO US BY RUSH IS DEEPLY APPRECIATED... RUSH NEVER PLAYED TO US LIKE WE ARE IDIOTS... THEY NEVER "DUMBED IT DOWN"... I THINK YOU'RE READY TO EXPERIENCE THE CYGNUS X-1 SAGA NEXT... MUCH LOVE TO ALL!!!

[@Heathcoatman]

This is my "if you were on a deserted island and could only have one......" song. Alex's Magnum Opus. Greatest guitar solo ever, imo. Alex had a nightmare and told the guys and they made this song to tell the story of the nightmare. If you look at the section titles there is a sort of hodge podge of languages used. Alex once said in an interview that the dream (nightmare) kept switching languages and locations on him. During the main solo (pt IV) it starts very subdued and melodic and the solo slowly builds up in intensity to the climax. I love how Geddy and Niel slowly build with Alex as well in such a skilled way, accompanying him perfectly. It's almost like a John Williams score. Lerxst is Geddy's nickname for Alex.

[@timmaytee]

This entire album is a ride,,

[@cro55555]

It would seem that you found that one band that checks all the boxes! 3 friends that were able to take us on so many musical/lyrical journeys and leave us all with wide smiles on our faces! Another great one Red!!!

[@highstepperARF]

Synesthesia is why we all air drum with Neil. 🤘

[@ManuelGuajardo-zd7hx]

Reds having eargasms again guys it's a beautiful thing to see . Wintersun Alex in Texas ❄️😍❤️

[@KimDuty-i8e]

RUSH is like great sex.

[@GeorgeStevensLuthier]

How do musicians do that? You ask. Well the answer is that not many can. Utter genius here from three guys who were so lucky to meet each other. Lucky for us too. I've been listening to them for over 40 years and still find it unbelievable.

[@macintosh3990]

NOW, YOU REALLY NEED TO WATCH THEM DO THIS LIVE...

[@douglaschap3842]

I am so happy that you are coming to age of being a Rush fan, someone that can appreciate the album version with out the visual aids of a video. Just put on the headphones, turn it up, close your eyes and just enjoy. I always seem to be carried away with imagination.

[@leddygee1896]

Alex Lifeson's Finest Moment... That Main Solo In The Middle❤

[@moon4music]

Alex (Lerxst) is playing out his dream in sections and Geddy and Neil are right with him perfectly. I love this amazing instrumental. You need to witness it live from their Time Machine Tour and their R30 Tour. There are other really great live ones from 1978 & 79, so young and amazing. Maybe you won't be overwhelmed by synesthesia experiencing it live because it is magnificent live.

[@williamgrice4790]

Live in Rio where Alex gets to be Alex....too funny.

[@vincetripodi1016]

This is at the top of my list…. Timeless masterpiece….AGAIN…

[@user-kp5yq2te3r]

Great music needs no words, obviously

[@rushnick]

Hi 'Red', as I'm watching this video, I see you're blown away. My friend, listen to (and react if you want) to this on EXIT...STAGE LEFT. All I can tell you is BRACE YOURSELF; YOU WILL BLOWN AWAY ABSOLUTELY BIG TIME by this performance. TRUST ME; listening to Alex' solo, and Neil's drumming; seeing how excited you are listening to this studio version, the live concert version from that Moving Pictures tour, you may not be able to contain yourself. Again, TRUST ME. I'm sure many here who comment will agree, La Villa Strangiatto from EXIT...STAGE LEFT is a SUPERB ABSOLUTE TREMENDOUS MASTERPIECE.

[@michaelbriefs9764]

I agree! The ESL version is SICK!!

[@stevenaleman7454]

Facts! And what makes it so incredible is that the Exit Stage Left live concert version is done to perfection… 😉

[@offroadhusky]

Precision and perfect agree 100%

[@philf4086]

Yes, they played this in concert. The studio version that you just listened to was also mostly live in the studio. Amazing band!!

[@craigmccuistian]

For almost 50 years I’ve loved this song! And in all that time, I’ve known but never understood one thing. There are only 3 of them. How the hell?!?

[@Particulator]

This is my all time Rush fav song. I also believe that it's the best instrumental rock song ever written. All that album is a masterpiece. As for if I listened to this song a lot, I'm a guitarist since I was 13-14, I'm 60 now. I first had the vinyl of this record then the CD and when I lost everything to fire I bought the CD again. I can play perfectly about 90% of that song on the guitar and I learned it by ear. That means pressing play, stop, rewind and play again... hundreds of times if not thousands.

[@tilemonkee5510]

It's OK to be flabbergasted by the sheer brilliance of this song!😂❤

[@slotcarmayhem9765]

Another GREAT REACTION!! Live version of this, from Exit Stage Left, is phenomenal!

[@Islander2112]

Us old folks call it goose-bumps, lol

[@gregelsdon8228]

Please take this in the gentle way I intend it: I get goosebumps to this every time. But I don't have synesthesia. Synesthesia is something entirely different; it's a form of neurodiversity, and something I've never experienced, and can't really imagine.

[@garylagstrom3864]

Alex Lifeson: RUSH guitarist and Guru Extraordinaire! The HEART ❤️ AND SOUL OF RUSH! THE FUNNIEST MAN ON THE PLANET AND GREATEST SPEECH GIVER OF ALL TIME!!! ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME: BLAH…BLAH…BLAH! HATS 🎩 OFF TO ALEX LIFESON 😎😎😎👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🎸🎸🎸

[@fknbuflobo]

Lerxst!

[@winstonlane708]

TELL IT!!!

[@keithajayan]

I was bouncing around on a destroyer in the Indian Ocean when I first heard this song I just know this I don't know any other band that they would put this on a track

[@dandandrea1729]

When they recorded this tune it was so complicated they recorded in three sections. They played it to a tee live. Thanx for more Rush!

[@kingsdrummer]

One of the best instrumentals from Rush. It contains my favorite guitar solo from Alex. You must watch the live version of this song. Rush played it live for many years. I remember loving the laser light show during Alex's guitar solo. It was amazing. This was such a fun reaction!

[@DionysusAlS]

Hemispheres is my second favorite Rush album out of 20, so yeah, La Villa has a special place in my heart. I literally wore out the 8-track tape in 1978.

[@timmaytee]

Here we go ,, Finally.

[@timmaytee]

This album envois tears .

[@gerardbyrnes5780]

This might be my favorite RUSH album. I think I bought the year my youngest was born (1984). La Villa Strangiato means "The Strange Town" If you listen closely to this piece, you can hear themes from several other Rush songs. For instance: in Strangiato Theme, you can hear the intro to The Spirit of Radio, which came out a couple of years later. There are other themes throughout the album.

[@Gitano_Music]

"Strangiato" (STRAHN-gee-ah-toe) is a nonsense word that they made up. The song was inspired by a dream Alex had. Though they recorded a few takes before this particular one, this was recorded live in the studio, meaning they refrained from recording drums first with a scratch vocal, then bass, then guitars, etc.. They did this in ONE take, in the same room with each other, with no "punch-ins" (fixed flubs). Of course there are a few overdubs (the intro acoustic part in particular), but the majority of this song was done in one take. Simply awesome. Cheers!

[@mightyV444]

Not quite correct! They'd tried over and over again and for days on end to record it in one single take but in the end gave up, and it was comped together from _two_ takes. That experience also was one of the reasons why Rush decided to step away from such long and super-intricate songs, which reflects already in the next album, 'Permanent Waves', despite its last song also being fairly long ('Natural Science') but not as complicated 🙂

[@MJS-ON]

@Gitano_Music would be right if we were watching the official video of the song, I believe. There they finally nailed it in one pass!

[@Gitano_Music]

@@mightyV444 Ah. I guess I was thinking of the video. Thanks for the info. Much appreciated.

[@mightyV444]

@@Gitano_Music - Sure! No problem 😊 My info comes from a Rush documentary. Probably 'Beyond The Lighted Stage' 🙂

[@delfinogarza2695]

You’re thinking of Xanadu which was recorded in one take…

[@scottarnest8980]

This is in the top 5 of most Rush fans, I am guessing.. Your reactions to Rush songs are the best on KZbin. Try Necromancer for some early Rush trying to discover themselves. One of my favorites.

[@63kaycee]

It was my first album played on a crappy mono record player. I thought that is why it sound so tintty, bad/ cheap mixing i guess. but the lyrics and stories where awesome.

[@mikevivian9384]

IMHO......this still sets the standard for rock instrumentals.....fuckin masterpiece

[@kelvinmann1058]

I'm a huge Rush fan, I couldn't possibly pick a favorite song, each one has a meaning and a unique memory for me. I miss them everyday 😞 RIP Professor 🥁

[@keithajayan]

How many bands can have that much complexity in just one song

[@mycroft16]

I love that even they struggled to play this in a single take when recording it. ButN being our boys, they now make it look like a cinch LIVE. They wrote a masterpiece with this one. And all based on a dream Alex had. Amd I really REALLY want to experience that dream while listening to this song.

none 🙂

[@scotthahn6666]

Ah, La Villa Strange EE ah toh! One of My favorites! Nice to see Your Rushgasm, R.H.N.! Keep up the great work! ❤❤❤

[@brettmartin7098]

You can understand that these are best friends. How a true band is

[@RobertAWolf]

One of the most brilliant and moving guitar solos in rock. Starts so subtle and slowly builds to complete eargasm!

[@ricosuave6373]

I would always say I love this Strange Villa, then i would love another song and then yet come back and say my fav again! 😂 Rush plays mind games! 🤣

[@Mrlex75]

thank you for doing my suggestion :)....that is one my favorite, ever ....an absolute joy to listen to !!! it’s like being struck by lighting !

[@WakefieldTolbert]

The greatest rock instrumental of all time!

[@danielmoeller8457]

La villa strangiato The strange village as per Lerxts dreams. It is an indulgence. They go off!!!! And do Rush stuff. Camera eye, jacobs ladder, signus x-1 all on the same line, great jams and awsome songs.

[@AlanHoss-pb1bc]

So funny 🤣. RUSH rarely has that effect on the ladies! Rock on darlin!!! 😎

[@KimDuty-i8e]

I’m a girl that loves RUSH.. there are more of us than you think.

[@AlanHoss-pb1bc]

@ love it Kim!!! Back in the day that wasn’t the case. So stoked it is now ❤️

[@debbieplato5107]

An amazing piece of music! ❤❤❤

[@enriquedassaro270]

Yyyy bueno RUSH es así!!! Majestuoso!!!! Gracias RUSH Argentina!!!

[@KennethSavage-nn2vv]

My all time favorite Rush instrumental.. Long live the mighty Rush! 👊🏻

[@mycroft16]

Alex going full Spanish guitar is awesome. The guy is so versatile.

[@dberg666]

I almost want to save this. So fire

[@garylagstrom3864]

Geddy Lee - Bass guitars, Oberheim polyphonic; OB-X; Mini-Moog; and Taurus pedal Synthesizers, vocals Alex Lifeson - Six and twelve string electric and acoustic guitars, Taurus Pedals Neil Peart - Drums kit, timbales, gong bass drums, orchestra bells, glockenspiel, wind chimes, bell tree, tubular bells, crotales, cowbells, plywood, wood blocks, triangles, tympani, and Gong!

[@NASA-criminals]

At 9:13...Geddy's "mini-solo" is the greatest of all time. How in the F*UCK did he think of it? And how in the F*CK did they all agree to put it in song right there? HUH?

[@steamr0ll]

I really enjoyed listening to this with you. I do not have synesthesia for anything else but this song gives me full body shivers and head rushes EVERY TIME. This album (Hemispheres) was what sold me, 100% Rush fan for life when I heard this song as a teenager. Probably 8 years after it was released! I was just a little kid in 1978 and it would have gone right over my head but I heard it at the right time in my life and was hooked. Like, are they even human?

[@danc3097]

So awesome! Glad you enjoyed! It was like each of them showing off but at the same time being in total sync and playing their asses off

[@scott4482]

Alex Lifeson , playing lead guitar and rhythm guitar at the same time. This is a guitar master

[@Martin-i4o8k]

A Canadian here. Been a hardcore Rush fan for over 1/2 a century now, and am not amazed that so many newer generations are discovering their immense talents today. Still blows my mind how a trio can create so much textural sound steeped in both rhythm and harmony. I am still so sad that Neil Peart is gone, RIP my friend. Also, would love to hear you react to almost anything from the near 60 YEAR career of "YES", my all-time favorite band. Take care.

[@garylagstrom3864]

NEIL PEART’S NARRATION ON EXIT STAGE LEFT DVD: There’s a tremendous ambiance about a concert hall…to even before a band starts playing…from the time the doors open..this place feels electric you know! That’s one of the things I like most about the road that feeling of standing in the hall when the doors open feel the excitement bursting into the hall. I must admit I feel very comfortable playing live a lot! The song satisfies and does have a modern day rocker persona about it. A very modern urban setting for that Tom Sawyer mentality and a very carefree stride and a very self-possessed kind of air. Xanadu: The question we tend to ask the most often is WHAT IF? I think of you had to simplify a motivation or simplify a moving force in our music that would probably…suffice! Red Barchetta: Well it seems to me a car is one of those handy metaphors and volumes have been written about the sociological and cultural impact of the car and what it represents but it also has a very fundamental sensual feel and it’s a metaphor for sexuality and freedom. We’ve certainly tried to guide everything by the principles that were interested in and the freedom of choice and the material we’ve been playing and expression of music that we found to be exciting would excite other people as well. If the songwriting is important and playing really well on stage is important it’s gonna make the difference between feeling good or not feeling good when I walk off stage feeling that I played as well as I can or as close to well as I can then I feel very satisfied and good for what you have done. YYZ(Ed) I think there’s a very strong relation not generally recognized between drums and between words as the rhythmic structure and the phrasing and rhythm of verse is especially related and rooted in the same syncopation as drums are the same patters of thinking that overall work for me as words as well as drum beats.

[@philstone3859]

This song is a complete RUSH Flex. 💪💪💪

[@gutsanglory1]

Finally !!, knew you'd like this one. Great reaction. Yup, they did all there stuff live. The story here was a nightmare dream from Alex. Cheerz!!!!

[@mattmid7012]

"I'm doing some changes to the background." Planticide alert. 😂 Excellent reaction. I'd never heard this one before, so good.

[@PaulArnold-z1o]

There's so many time signatures, timing cues , "chaos "and interaction between them in this song you almost have to do a live version - I've watched it dozens of times & I see something new everytime !

[@emery6564]

Yes, they have done this one now and again. Time Machine tour has a Polka opening. In Boston, Alex had no guitar and had to ad-lib for a few minutes. It's on YT. Also, Alex's (sound check) song "Snider" is hysterical.

[@freefall8243]

Definitely a favorite.

[@mikebailey3723]

Love your reaction to this fantatastic composistion

[@joemachine4714]

Yes this one sounds great live

[@robertboston7872]

Imagine hearing this entire album live as your first RUSH concert was amazing Maple Leaf Gardens 1978

[@gr8whyte66]

I was there.....totally awesome experience as a teenager.😁

[@robertboston7872]

@@gr8whyte66 I had reds on Alex Lifeson's side if the stage for that concert and to top it off a girl in my class in high school asked me out to this concert I had a clipboard with all three members on it that I used to takes notes she noticed lol The one and only time a girl asked me out on a date GLAD SHE DID RUSH was awesome. She complained to her friends I air drummed all night which was a lie usually I do but I was trying to be on my best behavior and didn't she pissed me off. Lol

[@robchehowski4281]

My favourite Alex quote about this song is that he couldn't play it when he wrote it, now he plays it while sitting on the couch watching tv. One of their all time best.

[@ketchman8299]

This is THE favorite. The studio version will always be my fave. Followed by "The Trees"

[@garylagstrom3864]

RUSH is THE PERFECT EXAMPLE of the fluidity of MASTERING TIME SIGNATURES! I play drums and there are a few things that you need to know about Neil Peart’s ( pronounced PEER-T) character: First he writes the lyrics so he knows in advance what TYPE of song it’s meant to be ie ballad, driver, etc. Second he COMPOSES on the drums… like a carpenter who looks at a set of blueprints before building the object. Neil lays out a SKETCH in his mind of the VOICES of the drumset and builds the song from there. He is also a great LISTENER knowing when NOT to step over Geddy’s singing or Alex’s solos! Finally, he had perfect timing and fluidity of time changes. He said himself that it’s not about COUNTING the time signatures as much as fluid motion to change the tempo without counting: in other words it should FLOW! He hates repeating the same drum patterns in the same song meaning if he plays a fill one way the first time around he will play it differently the second time around. IE. Rolls down the toms the first time around and triplets or quads (all four limbs) the second time around. In short there will NEVER be another like him on planet earth 🌍 🌏 🌎! REST IN PEACE PROFESSOR! With heart felt admiration and sincerity! Gary

[@davidl7605]

Buy RUSH IN RIO! It's from the vapor tails tour. YYZ is played and the crowd goes wild singing an intrumental! Graet Show saw it in Tampa,FL after 5 year hiatus. Read about it. Neil had a personal tragedy that I won't get into here. R.I.P. PROFESSOR! YOU ARE TRUELY MISSED!😥😭

[@algollehon]

This heals!

[@danielcameron9857]

The title isn't directly translatable if I remember right, but it refers to a "strange land". Written by Alex, it's an overture with multiple movements based on a dream he had. There is a different description for each movement and what they're meant to depict. This is one that's better to read up on rather than be told. This is my absolute favorite Rush song of their entire catalogue😊

[@stevedahlberg8680]

One of my favorite instrumentals ever. ❤ This ought to be interesting. And you were damn close - yeah it just means the Strange Village in Italian, and at least on the album liner notes, it's got like seven movements within it and each one has a title. It's kind of a weird Twilight Zone story, but it's told musically without any words. Mostly it's a chance for them to absolutely once again show that they can be the most extreme of badasses. In fact I believe that they consider this to be one of the most difficult things that they ever accomplished.

[@garylagstrom3864]

From a Gary to Geddy your one of the most talented musician of all time! No one touches your talent on bass, keyboards, and singing! You are the definition of Unique and RUSH is not RUSH without your playing and vocals! To quote the movie: I LOVE YOU MAN! Alex and Neil as well!!

[@toddmadden9777]

Awesome as always...love the reaction...and I love the gold-fish painting...thanks again, Todd from Ohio...

[@philstone3859]

Oh No, here we GO! 😃😆 Background information? It’s BADASS! There you go. 🙂 You consistently make my day with your RUSH reactions. Love from TEXAS! 😁👍

[@B.P-m2q]

That is a beautiful instrumental that truly lives up to it's name. One of if not the best rock instrumentals. Glad you you got the chaos. Strange is the name.

[@toddashton9696]

One of my favorite Alex Solo's in this one. Thanks for getting this reaction out.

[@DrewSidener]

Far and away a favorite, and I feel the same way every time! I've seen them do it live several times and they nailed it every time.

[@Berliozioz]

This is one of my ALL TIME favorites. I first listened to this around age twelve (1980ish) and it so overwhelmed my brain I thought I was going crazy. I think my frontal lobe had a long way to go before I could parse what I was hearing in this song. I still listen to it all the time.

[@atpat480]

Based on a series of Alex's dreams (nightmares?). La villa Stran-jee-ato at last ❤. What a masterpiece! Thank you very much for the reaction❤❤❤.

[@johncritchlow8156]

Much of the piece was a musical re=creation of various nightmares Alex had. With that in mind, the music really reflects it in some parts. The sections, (of the 12 section piece), titled "Monsters! and Monsters!", was nixed from a 1937 jazz piece from Raymond Scott. Though the guys didn't have to, they paid a sum of money to the Scott estate, just because that's the kind of people they are. [ EDIT: And yes, like others have suggested, check out a live version. I prefer their R40 version, and one suggested their Exit Stage Left version, they're all great.]

[@russellbubba7090]

Fun fact on this one Red. When in the studio their goal was to record this in one take together. Eventually Terry Brown (producer) convinced them to do it in 3 separate takes....together. And YES, they did pull this off live.....even better in my book.

[@utubberize]

A Farewell To Kings Album and This one was 1/2 punch that blew me away.....1979 Pinkerton Festivel is the best live version as they were young and this was fresh in their minds

[@philstone3859]

I was kind of wondering about your beautiful and intense reactions. Not completely out of the ordinary for new people, but I cannot even imagine what having synesthesia and listening to this is like. I’ve seen them live in concert, up close and personal, many, many times over the decades under the influence of various things in my youth and it was about the best it can get for a Rock concert experience. Like I said before, you would’ve been the perfect RUSH NIGHT date. It was something set apart, special and different from most other Rock concerts. It was the vibe, the huge BUZZ of anticipation, the PEOPLE (RUSH ARMY) and of course these guys doing this flawlessly right in front of you at top volume with clouds of weed smoke filling the arena! It was a SCENE unlike no other, no dummies in a RUSH crowd! 🙂

[@aquaticborealis4877]

Alex Lifeson delivered an onslaught of playing here. He had the expressiveness of David Gilmour, and the technical capabilities rivalling Eddie Van Halen.

[@texassendero4901]

I love this style of guitar so good #redheadedneighbor #bestreactor #redsarmy #beautifulfuncountrygirl #29K #heartofgoldwithmetalinhersoul #bestbadjokes

[@stevedahlberg8680]

I'm to the part late in it where you paused it and you are noticing the delay on the guitar. And of course, it's just brilliantly executed, where the single Echo is really quiet, and, after being in sevens so long, which I noticed didn't seem to bother you at all, a lot of people seem to struggle with even how to move to that Rhythm but if you just let yourself feel it it's easy. So anyway now there's like an underlying 6/8 feel for this, so you can count 1 2 3 2 2 3 1 2 3 2 2 3, and so the guitar hits on the downbeat and then there's a blank spot for the two and then that Echo comes in on the three so it's the third beat of a triplet. And then it just repeats. And it suddenly provides so much space in what was so busy and detailed, just like you described.

[@jeffreycook2112]

Hey neighbor, this is not only one of my favorite Rush songs, but Hemispheres is one of my favorite Rush albums. I had a huge stereo system in my bedroom when I was a teenager in the 70’s. This album was blasting out of my room quite often back in those days. You definitely should check out a live version also.

[@markgettemeyer1145]

What great fun that was! Admittedly, the Exit Stage Left version is THE live version to see, but the studio version is the original and it’s the one I connect with the most. It’s seared into my psyche because I remember my reaction the first time I heard it. “Are they allowed to do this?” I’d ask myself - because everything else I’d heard up to this point followed a pretty standard rock song structure. THIS WAS DIFFERENT. Yes - this was in rotation when they played live. Sometimes we got the entire thing; other times portions of it were part of a medley with parts of other songs. Thoroughly enjoyed this reaction! 🙏🏼

[@tcmateacher]

You'll see them in their early/mid twenties teaching a music lesson to peers who'd been on the road for decades....