RUSH - The Trees | FIRST TIME COUPLE REACTION (10k Contest Winner Request)

[@mr.mojorisin1616]

Great song and glad you got around to doing this one. Before you listen to Cygnus X-II, you need to listen to Cygnus X-I first from A Farwell To Kings since it's the first part of this piece. Also, Very happy the shirts fit and was worried they might shrink up on you after wash. Check out some more stuff off of AFTK first. Peace!

[@putinontheblitz359]

What a nice gesture ..... pure class.

[@frankwilson7716]

I agree that Cygnus X-1 Book 1 (Last song on farewell to Kings) should before Cyngus X-1 Book 2 (First song on Hemispheres), but don't do them together. They are part of the same story, but very different musically and you'll need the break in between listens. Last comment, please follow along with the lyrics, incredible writing by Neil!

[@daxtonrogelio5072]

Pro trick: you can watch series at Flixzone. Been using them for watching lots of of movies lately.

[@jazieljaiden6502]

@Daxton Rogelio Yup, have been watching on flixzone} for years myself :)

[@bryanroger9197]

@Daxton Rogelio definitely, I've been using Flixzone} for since november myself :)

[@robertwillingham1965]

So enjoyed this reaction, people must have been wondering why I was smiling when driving to work this morning! Back in 1982 when I was in high school, we had an assignment in English class to share a song that used personification. The Trees was perfect, plus the teacher and most of the kids in class didn't know who Rush was. The unexpected resolution at the end of the song really surprised my teacher. One of the few A+ grades I received in my messy high school experience!

[@scottyhightower4812]

Robert Willingham... Neil Peart got me an A+ in creative writing in high school Lol

[@ronponce8238]

My late older brother, who introduced me to Rush at 4-5yo, always told of this exact story🥲

[@kerrysmith1899]

Big Money.

[@vanlifeson6773]

I had almost the exact same experience in English class. Great memories of that day.

[@ZIG4ZAG20]

😷No one can turn a phrase like Neil, NO ONE.❤️🤘🖖✌️🥁🎸🎤🎹😢RIP Professor 1952-2020.

[@silentwood207]

Who else can write a song about trees and have it sound great! RUSH!!

[@KennethStCyr-dv6cm]

Its really not about trees though..is it?

[@silentwood207]

@@KennethStCyr-dv6cm yes and no...political trees..lol

[@chadbennett7873]

Joyce Kilmer, although he didn't write music for it.

[@cecillegravelle2590]

@@silentwood207 or maybe 2 different countries 😉🇨🇦&?

[@troyottosen8722]

If you hear the lyrics, it actually makes sense!😉😳👍

[@grennmanalieshi]

Please please please you guys! I'm a huge Rush fan from Canada! Saw the band 6 times! Go back many years to listen to The Necromancer!

[@rayhurtado5333]

Thank you for preventing him from pausing!! 😂

[@PROGROCK-tr9hw]

Xanadu (Exit stage left version)Between the wheels,Analog kid,Digitlal man and Middletown dreams

[@steeleye2112]

Lovely to hear another appreciator of Middletown Dreams. That and Dog Years are 2 of my favourites of the later songs. One of the most moving songs I've ever heard.

[@mvunit3]

"Between the Wheels" . . . yes, please. That guitar solo is vicious (Middletown's solo, very soulful, like all those "dreamers" pain and frustration). Great album too!

[@mvunit3]

@@steeleye2112 "Dog Years" is a fun song, I love how Ged and Neil worked out the words to fit a melody, and clever analogies: "'I'd rather be a tortoise from Galapagos Or a span of geological time I'd rather be a tortoise from Galapagos Or a span of geological time Than be living in these dog years Living in these dog years" :D

[@stefaniebrauer128]

Know every single word still!! Loved this song back in the day.

[@Lightmane]

Don't react to Cygnus X-1 book II until you first react to book I

[@JohnnyMegabyteCanada]

from A Farewell To Kings. Cygnus X-1. (Book 1)

[@Lightmane]

@@JohnnyMegabyteCanada I figured they'd find it fairly easily

[@mvunit3]

Agreed :)

[@ThinkOfANumber68]

Even cooler is that Book 1 fits perfectly inside book 2. As a teenager, I made a mixtape with it all joined into one 29 minute track. Book 1 goes in at about 12 minutes in. They use the same chords and on my tape, you couldn't hear the join. That would make an Epic reaction video.

[@jamzales]

yes for sure.

[@motodork]

Cygnus X1 Book II on this album is part 2 of the final song on the previous album. If you’re going to listen to Book II, you need to listen to Book I from A Farewell to Kings first.

[@steveshute3810]

They’re temple blocks. 😀 Neil was a master.

[@irabernstein]

wooden blocks?

[@6point8esspcee68]

We played this song in front of 4000 Special Olympic athletes back in 1987 at my college. The most rabid RUSH fans I've ever seen! Too cool for words.

[@davecole2561]

You are both looking resplendent in your Rush t-shirts. Welcome to the family! The Trees is weird, strangely moving on an emotional level and ultimately magnificent, standing up to many repeated listens. Of course it is, it's Rush! The middle section and how it builds to the solo is wondrous. Alex's guitar intro and solo are passages of otherworldly beauty. Oh how I love this band...

[@jonlate4581]

Not weird at all, very typical of Rush, speaking of humanitarianism.

[@anthonymartinez8190]

Knew you'd love it! I can't walk through the woods without thinking of this song.

[@lisaharrison1031]

Love your shirts. I wear a RUSH shirt everyday......no matter what!!

[@robertoportillo2608]

React to Xanadu by Rush! I swear to god you’re gonna love it! Their best song everrr

[@williambissell972]

Greatest Rush song ever...

[@brigadude]

I loved the message in this song. Substitute people for the trees and you have todays ills and gains. All done in the elective process and without war.

[@jacquesjrviens3384]

Watch it live from Exit stage Left.... While you're at it, review the whole show. (1981) It's followed by the best live performance you'll ever see!!! The song is called Xanadu.... That's a 12 minute journey you're not likely to forget.

[@jimled50jl49]

Love The Trees. Such a great track....So you like the wood tapping sounds in the middle ? - Then I only got one word to say to you - "Xanadu"

[@TheCentralScrutinizerAgain]

oh Book Ii is absolutely incredible. Hemispheres is amazing!

[@jerryg1708]

Love how the classic guitar and notes sound like a minstrel is singing this tale !

[@markr.devereux3385]

The trio seems to be showing off as the decade was coming to close. I hadn't heard the TREES in probably a decade. The drumming the lyrics the changes are brilliant . It comes flooding back like a warm wave

[@52ndWarhawkGerbil]

Neil Peart used wood blocks during the keyboard interlude in the middle of the song. Definitely a very unique instrument for a rock band for sure.

[@michelemichele3375]

Hey, Josh. I was just guessing wood blocks or Temple blocks (made of wood or granite). Thanks. 🤪 Here’s a video to check out: m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZO1hYGMqMxsZqc

[@Hilarious1972]

Woodpecker sound right?

[@generoberts9151]

I think they are called “temple blocks”

[@somecallmetim2112]

@@michelemichele3375 Temple blocks is correct.

[@michelemichele3375]

@@somecallmetim2112 Yes. Temple Blocks. Thanks for the verification, Tim ... ahhh, may I call you “Tim?” Lol. 😝 Thanks, Mate. Appreciate it. ✨🤪

[@cityhonors1]

😚 This my "squealing in delight" face! 😊 I seriously am probably going to enjoy this as much as you guys! 🌲🌳 #LetsBattle #TheTrees 🍿🐰

[@auzdoz]

Leave it to RUSH to make a rocking song about trees! Can't wait for you to listen to all this great music live! Keep Rocking amigos!!! ✌🏻🤘🏻👍🏻

[@rushfan9thcmd]

And the Red Tide kisses the shore......

[@mycroft16]

A song about complex politics relating to the real world then and just as much today, couched in terms for freaking trees. It's brilliant stuff.

[@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

[@davidholloway1817]

What can I say? Love Rush, love you guys! I could suggest so many, many songs to react to but you'll find your own way my young Padawans.

[@beanad68]

Rush was actually the first Concert I ever attended and I was a fan long before I was able to see them in concert. Keep up the great work I love watching you

[@morganrothe9911]

Glad you"re aboard!!!!Thanks for posting a truly important and relative I think...Human song..

[@robmarriott4719]

I can't wait for the day you listen (and hopefully watch) the live version of Xanadu from "Exit Stage Left" .....Please.... It is an absolute master-class. Maybe you could record your reaction of this live version, then watch the video afterwards on KZbin to see their performance, then add your comments having seen the video on the same reaction recording? Hope that makes sense.. Keep up the good work, Rob

[@robertl4104]

Awesome reaction! Thank you guys! One of my favorite songs from their 167 song catalog. All these songs you are experiencing from their studio albums are just perfection when you hear them live. Wait until you hear Xanadu from their Exit Stage Left in 1981!

[@carlgibbons5777]

Used to play this in a cover band. Me=drums. Love the 5/4 jam section in the middle and the syncopated snare hits.

[@loisr3970]

Omg I love Trees..... My daycare kids loved it. We would Dance around. I used it to tell the kids we need to save the trees. They are getting killed by hatchet axe and saw!!!!

[@davecole2561]

Congratulations on trying to dance to Rush. I have often tried and it often results in excruciating bodily contortions and injury. Rush on. They were and are among the greatest!

[@Clowderman]

I cant wait until you've run the RUSH gauntlet, and can watch the R40 box set over video. It's Euphonious...🤟

[@petmycat2720]

Rush is ******AWESOME******

[@michaelmartin9128]

Loved your reaction as Rush is my Favorite. I CAN"T WAIT TILL YOU DO LIVE RUSH. XANADU, OFF EXIT STAGE LEFT '81 WILL BLOW YOUR MIND. AND YOU WILL GET TO SEE ALL THE MAGIC THAT IS RUSH. I CAN'T WAIT. 😁😁😁💗🤘

[@tedalfred9516]

FYI....about the lyrics...straight from the mouth of Neil Peart himself. In an April/May 1980 Modern Drummer magazine article, lyricist and drummer Neil Peart was asked if the song has a deeper meaning. “No.” he said, “It was just a flash. I was working on an entirely different thing when I saw a cartoon picture of these trees carrying on like fools. I thought, ‘What if trees acted like people?’ So I saw it as a cartoon really, and wrote it that way. I think that’s the image that it conjures up to a listener or a reader. A very simple statement.” As food for thought, many have thought there was a deeper meaning to the lyrics...as Peart was a fan of Ayn Rand ...and The Trees certainly reads as an Ayn Rand-ian like message of the evils of collectivism / socialism. Some have hypothesized it could be a metaphoric tale about how people of lesser ability and power ( the Maples) band together and take down those who have it (the Oaks). I could definitely see Neil subtly avoiding the politics in his answer above....even if there was another message for all of us within The Trees. And the trees are all kept equal By hatchet, axe, and saw

[@cecillegravelle2590]

yes. I think he was just being polite with his answer. his mind was too intelligent for something he wrote to be so simple.. IMO.

[@rossrubino9080]

Yes exactly, of course there's a deeper meaning

[@dberg666]

This was the first Rock album I bought, it blew my mind, this is my favorite short song by them, and such fun to play. In the interlude they rock out in 5/4 time, the picking Alex Lifeson does is so hard to keep on time.

[@peterichards3261]

This is a little bit tongue in cheek from Neil Peart about the Commonwealth. The Oaks are the British and the Maples obviously Canadian. Clever lyrics and wonderful playing

[@chadbennett7873]

Neil at his allegorical best! Brilliant beyond brilliant.

[@brettking1014]

Can’t wait for Cygnus X-1 Book II to finish this album. That song is epitome of Rush and Prog rock. I think it’s better than 2112! Be sure to have the lyrics for it. Great reaction guys! Good luck studying Lex.

[@troyottosen8722]

I know you all are doing Rush originals, but you got to see their live versions! Simply amazing!

[@joedrouillard3419]

I forgot to mention in my comment that in the instrumental part mid way in the song the trees ,Neil is playing wood blocks in a series( I guess a scale ?)

[@davidgale7384]

An ode to the Canadian forests..... Thanks Neil...... Memories of Algonquin Park on an August morning in a canoe approaching a portage......

[@salsaucedo]

It's called Prog-Rock and it is at its finest

[@jamzales]

Hemispheres is a masterpiece.

[@groundscoresteve4964]

Only Rush could make this timeless classic!!

[@kimberlyelaine9299]

You two are just adorable. I love the excitement you show, takes me back 40-something..quit counting..years ago, remembering my first reactions.

[@johnfoster5295]

Wait until you hear The Necromancer from the Caress Of Steel album. It is epic, that's all I'll say.

[@KawaTony1964]

Oh - and you will lose nothing if you listen to the "Exit Stage Left" live version of "Xanadu". You will gain seeing them actually play it all live flawlessly.

[@dorkmier]

Hey Nick N Lex. Glad you finally got to this song. This is one of my many, many favorite Rush songs. Glad you both enjoyed it and nice shirts. Keep up the good work.

[@jimandnicki]

Great reaction as always!! You only have about 40 more years worth of Rush to listen to. 😉

[@jimbarber691]

Please react to Battlescar. It is on the last album that The great Canadian band Max Webster released before they broke up in 1981. It includes all the members of Rush. I saw Rush many times and they where always amazing. Max Webster is the greatest concert I ever saw when I saw their 96 reunion tour

[@scottyhightower4812]

Jim Barber great suggestion! BATTLESCAR Is heavy as shit!

[@cometogether999]

I've been waiting for this one. Yes, Rush is like a box of chocolates. Great reaction folks!

[@garylagstrom3864]

Also check out the official video on VEVO! Neil is standing up playing the Temple Blocks (WoodBlocks) during the 5/4 section.

[@fafolaw]

Cygnus X-1 Book 2 is their best song imo, it's an incredible epic song

[@davidrubinstein9722]

Another great reaction. So glad to see you enjoying Rush. Think about Xanadu next. People will tell you to watch the concert video, but I think the album version has its charms too. After the album, defiantly go check out the live version.

[@dennismoore3383]

My only regret is that I have but one "like" button to push. Keep up the great work, Nick N Lex!

[@loisr3970]

K fly by night, or freewill Cheers u 2! Great study vibes sent Lex👩‍🎓

[@jhonburns6279]

You should definitely react to Xanadu by Rush next! An 11 minute masterpiece

[@johnkominar8417]

I have always wondered if Alex loops his guitar sound around the 6:46 point

[@michelemichele3375]

Rush was so into Science: Astronomy, Biology ... and Literature and Mythology. Symbolic and so smart. Thanks! 🤪

[@preshrunk1]

Loved anticipating your “eye pop” reactions...knowing what is coming in this Rush classic!! ❤️😃👍👍🇨🇦🌳‼️

[@chrislegner4816]

The shirts look great. I count this one as the first music video I ever saw. In the early days of HBO, they used to play a performance video of "The Trees" between movies. It was my introduction to this great band.

[@user-bb5xl5cn9l]

The live version of The Trees from Exit Stage Left will blow you away!! Listen to Broon’s Bane first and it goes right into The Trees…. Just wow…. It’s incredible!

[@timothywills5548]

Love your reactions to Rush! Great to see people discovering this great band!

[@progressiverush7463]

You're amazing in your Rush shirts! Another thing that amaze me is your ability (as for Nick at least) to reproduce the song one the first listening! What's next? A long shot here: " Countdown" :)

[@riveralph3687]

Digging the shirts! Rush on!

[@donaldgregg9250]

You both are so full of enthusiasm and clearly tell you really enjoyed it, thanks for sharing 👍

[@ericmeredith8754]

This song captured so much of what makes Rush great. In such a short song. Wish i would have kept going. But its a great track! Thanks for another Rush reaction!

[@markmiller3101]

Another Rush classic, Thank you so much guys! I LOVE your channel it is one of the 3 that I subscribe to. YES, CLOSE to the Edge! It may be one of the top prog rock songs ever recorded! I promise you both you will love every minute of it!

[@jasonallen5318]

The high pitched percussion notes I believe are wood blocks, although cowbell can sometimes sound similar. I'm sure Neil Peart has a rack of different pitched woodblocks somewhere on his drum kit.

[@SnotsBA]

Another great pick.. Hope they don't take this one down but some songs are just worth a listen all the way through uninterrupted.

[@MrFrikkenfrakken]

Fun reaction, you are in for a treat with Cygnus X1.

[@ben_dornie]

Thanks for another great reaction! I think The Trees is probably my favourite of Rush's shorter songs (although Closer to the Heart gives it a run for its money), because so much is packed into a song that's less than 5 minutes long and the central section which builds wonderfully is divine. When you get round to the title track from Hemispheres, you're in for a real treat, as it's my favourite of all Rush songs! Last but not least - just to wish Lex all the best with the remainder of your studies. Given that it's gone on so long, you'll probably be over the moon once you reach the end of it! :)

[@jamzales]

woodblocks and cowbells. Neil wrote this song in about 5 minutes and the inspiration was a commercial that was on t.v. that he happened to be watching and it was about forest ecology.

[@sarahzentexas]

I just listened to this, different app, different device...then I start up KZbin, and the first thing I see is this!

[@maga3733]

I read the lyrics to this song to my kids as a children's story and we drew pictures to the story complete with signs saying "Lawyers Suck" when the maples formed a union and lumberjacks with chainsaws chasing the trees to keep them all equal

[@johngeyer2081]

A "noble law" right?!

[@A30ot6]

Seems like enforcing equal outcome only serves to punish the oaks.

[@timwest78]

The mighty Rush! Hard to beat.

[@Ifyernotawakeyet]

Bands like Rush pack 4-5 song ideas into ordinary bands' one. Mind blowing!

[@RobertErnestLewis]

Thankful I grew up in the 70's ... saw RUSH twice in concert. MIND BLOWING !!!

[@generoberts9151]

Thankful to grow up in the 70s and not go political snowflake over a song about trees. Never knew anyone for 40 years look at it any other way except about a bunch of trees bickering like people until now. Now it’s oppression racism, political classes,victimization, govts. Pleeassse! I want my 70/80s back.

[@larrylangley9128]

The "small drums" sound are temple blocks, check out the Xanadu video from Exit Stage Left for a visual (also probably one of their [or anybody's for that matter] most epic performances).

[@andrewtongue7084]

Hi, Nick & Lex !! This, of course, is what distinguishes RUSH from any other band on the planet; there are few who can emulate such diversity in progression, tempo, or orchestration - especially in such a short piece. The song (as I am sure you've guessed) refers to egalitarianism, where no, one individual has superior right over another - in any endeavour of life; the engineering alone on this track is sublime....& those very exacting strikes by Peart are upon wood blocks - more rigidly held in place than a xylophone scale, so that the intonation is short-lived - almost staccato. So pleased this arrived in my recommendation box....excellent shirts, both (& Mr Mojo) - consummate taste all round....take it easy, Andrew 😉

[@richrazz2653]

Great Tshirt!! You should witness the live versions of these terrific jams.. amazing seeing The hard work with live versions!! Great job as always ☺️

[@sonyaleduc2941]

Love that you both love Rush. Try Cinderella man off Farewell to kings

[@vicprovost2561]

Awesome guys, another great song by Rush. Now we just need a little more UFO (Rock Bottom Live) & Robin Trower (Bridge of Sighs). Keep on Rocking!

[@rushrules81]

When you can , this is one of those songs to watch live. Exit Stage Left version is the classic but others are great too...look forward to Hemispheres book 2 the song also!

[@VG-iq8xq]

Hey guys! Loved watching your reaction to this masterpiece! When you said this is so Hemispheres I was like oh just you wait! Buckle up baby in the Rocinante for Cygnus X-1 Book 2! I absolutely cannot wait for that reaction! Please hurry!!!🤣🤣🤣

[@frankphantom-3698]

Love the T's, you guys look great, yes I'm jealous. I think I have about 10 T's from their concerts but not those ones. Rush songs never disappoint :) Can't wait to get your reaction on the rest of the album.

[@mwhich50]

Another High school favorite, I still have my original 'Hemispheres' album. It's easily my favorite Rush album.

[@inmyopinion_3672]

What a great song to describe 2021.

[@tswizard13]

Cygnus, the swan constellation, book I is the last song on A Farewell to Kings.

[@michelemichele3375]

Those shirts look GREAT!!! Thanks to Mr. Mojo and the beautiful models! Love Rush ... we ALL win! Thanks so much. 🤪

[@arnaldomontes5616]

What you are hearing are wooden blocks that Neil uses

[@matthewnoto9380]

The percussion instrument that created that sound you could not identify were temple blocks. In the middle breakdown, Neil played a similar pattern on cowbells.

[@michelemichele3375]

That’s what I guessed. They appear to be mounted pretty high in one live version I watched. Temple blocks or wood blocks (with different tones). Sweet sound. Thanks. 🤪 m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZO1hYGMqMxsZqc

[@MikeJones-wl6gb]

These guys are the reason I began playing music. Worked the chops for hours. Glad to see young folks can groove to the old stuff. For a more modern instrumental guitar stuff Plini is the bomb. Electric Sunrise by Plini - must listen.

[@KawaTony1964]

I can't wait for you guys to get around to "Xanadu".

[@TexasVeteranPatriot]

An exercise in "be careful what you wish for" and "unforeseen consequences". "Temple Blocks" is the instrument you're reaching for...

[@jeffelliott7353]

Yes! Yes! I'm sure I mentioned this one somewhere. Such a great analogy between oak trees and global superpowers. On their live album they extend the ending of this into the beginning of "Xanadu". I love it

[@leeheather3195]

I believe this song was written in about 5 minutes just to fill in some space on the album.

[@bizo2pg31]

You might be referring to "New world man" off of The Signals album. I imagine this song took closer to five days to write.