RUSH- AVAILABLE LIGHT- (REACTION)

[@enduringcharm]

"Available light" is a photography term which means taking pictures in the natural light rather than using a flash or other artificial means. The "four winds" is originally a biblical term and often refers to the four directions, north, south, etc. The lyrics are touching on travel, nature and our place in the world. Neil is reflecting on a desire to be out in the world, to travel, and to see everything as it actually is, rather than by some artificial light. He wants to experience what is real and to take in as much as possible in a lifetime.

[@davidransom4703]

I always thought of neil as appreciating all things great and small ..love the analyses of the song well done friend...well done

[@j_omega_t]

You have precisely articulated my interpretation of this song's lyrics.

[@samalot760]

That's it. Real Earthshine, not man made distorting light. Nature, Neil desired it and absurdly wrote numerous lyrics about it. He loved the truth and I understand this. We all do when we spend 6 hours in the forest. 200 years ago, this was the only norm. Today, "everybody got to deviate from the norm."

[@winstonhewett6679]

Neil was a complicated very deep guy, you can hear it in his drummin, & you can definitely hear it in his lyrics over the years! Love the reaction! Keep them coming!

[@sarastromseth-troy3323]

This is one of my favorite Rush songs. I love the lyrics, the song buildup, and Geddy's vocal on "in the available light" is so beautiful! (For those who don't think Geddy can't sing, I would have them listen to this song). I don't think they ever performed this one live. Another of my favorite songs that they never performed live to my knowledge is "Open Secrets."

[@Critical_Thinker858]

This song is about seizing the day. “carpe diem”, YOLO. Neil is expressing a universal longing we all have to soak it in and experience as much as possible in the finite / limited time we have here on earth. Neil not only wrote about it. He DID it. He traveled like few have by bicycle and motorcycle all over the world. So, when he got sick, he could say, “no regrets.” He didn’t waste time dreaming about reaching goals. He achieved them. His love for life is admirable.

[@jeremyrueggeberg2816]

my favorite song on this album!! And as a long time lover of RUSH, you need to study the lyrics over and over. They aren't cryptic...but, they are deep. And the more you listen, the more they make sense and the more you see the context and application to your own life. Neil's lyrics are timeless...and we have to "earn" the right to understand them.

[@Stevedrums741]

Ahhh!!! One of my favorites. Nothing but soul, emotion and one of the more finely constructed songs of the catalog. I remember when this was released, I was 20 and was used to the harder core of the band. To me, more than most others, was just a stunning song. And yet another one about weather! It has aged so well even if I thought the snare was tuned a little too high.

[@WorldvsTruth]

Neil sonically expressed the pulse(s) of the music and the lyrics. Genius.

[@KimDuty-i8e]

I believe Neil could see into the future. 3 boys playing in a really cool sandbox. I thank the Universe for their existence. R.I.P. Neil

[@patl8646]

You have become my favorite Rush reaction channel. I personally would love to see you "bring it back a bit" more frequently and analyze the music more. Your insights are great. Love when you pick up the bass and work it out or describe the chord progressions. Another song from the synth era with lyrics that are profoundly moving but a lot little less cryptic would be "Time Stand Still." It is unique also in that it features a guest female vocalist on the chorus. Another from the earlier prog-rock era would be "Entre Nous." They also have a song that actually has a rap part in the middle (I'm not kidding) called "Roll the Bones" that would be worth experiencing. Thanks again for the great reactions.

[@gregcormier2379]

The most impressive part of neil's drumming, for me, is how he can go off on his crazy fills and always come back on the one beat. A lot of Rush's music is using shifting odd time signatures and Neil always is able to pull this off which is truly asounding.

[@kevincamp2913]

Neil reminiscing about his life and all his experiences. As a life long Rush fan and a photographer this song speaks to my soul. Looking at life without romancing it up, all the good and bad and how those things make you who you are.

[@williamgrice4790]

this is one of my favorite songs by them. The lyrics on this one is amazing. I bought this CD and really listened to it on an amazing home system I had mismashed together. such clarity. the time changes, the riffs, the melodies were amazing. great reaction.

[@EchoesDaBear]

Great reaction Church Boy!! Neil had VERY understanding parents who nurtured his creativity & desire! I think the parents of each of Rush's members did! For Alex & Geddy, their parents were European immigrants, coming to Canada, post-war, to make a better life. While there was apprehension on dropping high school & pursuing music, they made their way...and made it big! My son is a drummer (multi-instrumentalist actually), and while it is definitely loud, my wife and I (both amateur musicians) LOVE to hear his creative spark! And far from denying it, we encourage it! We just relegate him to the basement to play. I have a feeling Neil's parents were the same! Cheers from Canada, eh!

[@BlackCatLover]

Please don’t be irritated. You are hearing a RUSH song for the first time in all its complexity! As a musician you’re focused on the music and you can understand and breakdown that part of the piece. Fans have listened to the music catalogue over 50 years and we interpret the lyrics with a wide understanding of the catalogue as a whole. Neil wrote about life in all its glory with commentary on injustices, depicting the various ways we live and interact with each other. The meaning of his lyrics will reach to your heart and soul as you listen to them over time and that was his greatest talent. R.I.P. Neil Peart ❤

[@MarkBarbarotta]

“Closer to the heart” live off different stages! Believe me, you will thank me

[@winstonhewett6679]

That is a very cool video showing them over 3 or 4 decades performing a classic song!!!

[@SnowDogisVictorious]

I’m still amazed at how easily you can play by ear a riff you just heard for the first time. It’s a tiny tribute to the members of Rush too, none of whom were trained in music theory. Re: the lyrics, they’re poetic, full stop, which leaves them open to interpretation. To me, they seem to be about a person seeking perspective on the life they are living and the place memories hold in it. PS, my number 1 song request remains the same, by the way: The Garden, performed live in Dallas (2012) Last track on the band’s last album, which took on deeper meaning in the wake of Peart’s death in 2020.

[@davidwiebe8207]

About Neil. Everyone has a certain God given gift of some sort and Neil was given a special ability on drums. Like you the very first time I heard him many years ago it was obvious he was on a higher level than the majority of people.

[@ctrushfan8575]

My favorite line from this song... "promise offered in the east, broken in the west".

[@chrisl1692]

I Watch a few different reactions videos, but your analysis is spot on. I love how you appreciate and call out the engineers work notching frequencies, the bass and drum work while letting lyrics stand alone. Those words can mean different things to different people. And you’re cool with it. Great vid. I’m gonna catch more of you.

[@philstone3859]

It’s been a while since I’ve watched one of your RUSH reactions. I really appreciate how you bring your musical expertise to this band. It’s very cool. And it’s RUSH! 😁

[@luispreciado4745]

Great reaction as always. Do older Rush please.

[@davidransom4703]

they were the best of the best

[@revdmcspumcsb]

This song is a song that both looks forward and back. You might not know that in order to break up the monotony of touring, Neil would ride a bicycle between concerts early in their career and then a motorcycle later. This song reminds me of a long bicycle ride through the countryside or in the city as you are reflecting on your life. You're catching the shadows and the light on the pavement ahead and behind to know where you've been and where you're going next. Then, you glance up and catch the beauty of the available light of a sunrise, sunset. You look down and see your own shadow on the pavement at noon with the spokes of your tires racing over the contours of the road below. The wind blows in your hair as you look at the long early out late afternoon shadows in front or behind, and it leads you to reflect on what had been and what is yet to come. Your senses are heightened when you get past that initial 3-5 mile push at start of a long ride 40-50 mile ride, your muscle memory kicks in, and your mind is free to notice the beauty of God's creation. That's what this song is for me.

[@kevindohn6776]

It's really just about life going by, memories and feelings, trying to figure it out, and realizing how fast it goes, and wanting to do as much as you can in the available light, comparing your life to a day sort of, when darkness comes, it's over. Haven't heard this in ages, kind of a strange pick, but that's the great thing about Rush, you can pick any song, because they're all good !

[@GEDDY37]

You could discuss Neil‘s lyrics all day and you would be just scratching the surface. He seems to be able to say things very metaphorically and allow the listener to interpret their own way.

[@behindenemylines9033]

Beautiful song

[@rideswaves]

the fade out on this song on the album/cd is so well done and though out. If you continue to turn the volume up as it fades, you can hear Neil continuing to just go off, leaving you want more as it is the last track.

[@jeffwooten5205]

Thanks man...Love this stuff!

[@jimtatro6550]

Originally this song didn’t do much for me, but through the years, it has really grown on me.

[@debbieplato5107]

Neil had a great curiosity about the world and a great love of nature. He wanted to see the real world not something artificial. Geddy's voice when he sings In the available light gives me chills. It is so beautiful! 💜💜💜 i am going to recommend Earthshine live in Rio Cheers Beautiful song

[@ashylarry212]

I like that your going deeeeeep in the catalog. Been following for a while, I think you’ll enjoy these. Vital signs Dreamline Camera Eye Keep rockin brotha

[@jasonfreedman8424]

I think you absolutely should try to understand the lyrics! But don't get too worked up if it takes a while. Neil wrote complicated lyrics referencing history, philosophy and his feelings. In this case, he's basically saying that he wants to look at the world as it is now. He is less concerned with who he was (some half-forgotten stranger -doesn't mean that much to me) or with a false version of the world (winds bringing the world to him (which I take as news, internet, etc.), shadows hiding the ray of light, etc) but wants to look at the whole world (riding the 4 winds, chasing the sun, etc.) and appreciate what is really there now in the the available light he can see. Neil took this to the extreme sometimes saying that on any one day he looked to do the "most excellent thing I can do today" or "what my 16-year old self would have done". It's a heck of a personal philosophy IMHO.

[@garyg.1122]

To your remark on playing in multiple bands and the drummers they don't play like Neal, at least his sense of fill placement, and it brings up my thought about Rush as a unit. They are UNIQUE; very few groups allow in the context of their own music, drumming to take place as it does in the context of Rush. Being that these 3 dudes accept and respond to experimentation is part of why they are appealing and excel as a unit. Cheers.

[@charleswagner2984]

Surely you know by now that Rush doesn't share lyric credit. Except for the first album plus two short songs on 2112, Neil Peart wrote all the lyrics throughout their career. Alex and Geddy composed all the music. Neil does the drumming arrangement with Alex and Geddys blessings.

[@Animate1993]

Definitely one of my faves from Presto... Also, legend has it, if you want to introduce a woman to Rush, start with this album! 😀 This song, to me, is all about living in the moment; don't live in the past or yearn for others experiences, whether it's a photograph or video. The "available light" is what we have at the moment. PLEASE! Do "Animate" from their Counterparts album. Would love to get your take on how Geddy approaches the bass.

[@brettmarlar4154]

I think you're just getting tripped up in the poetics of the lyrics. The message is pretty straight forward. It's about how we strive to hold on to those perfect moments and how when we revisit photos of the past and our hindsight can taint those memories, and even push us to try to hold those perfect moments for ever, when they're just as fleeting as the daylight. So, metaphorically we chase the light just so we can keep our sense of the perfect moment alive in the here and now. Also to keep looking at life through that same lens all the time. In other words, to have life perpetually in those perfect lighting conditions.

[@KeithC-c2t]

R.I.P. NEIL.departure date Jan.7th 2020 ❤ we miss you ❤

[@robrodarme1730]

THANK YOU!! TOP 5 RUSH SONG. IT'S SOOO GOOD!!

[@lisaharrison1031]

Great song from Presto. Not one that’s played a lot and as a die-hard fan I am happy that this was requested. 🤘🎶💜

[@hemispheresamusements7484]

You need to understand when Neil wrote the song, it could mean many different things to different people. He was obscure like that. He talked about it in interviews. Sometimes the song didn't really have a direct meeting. He was the kind of guy that walked around every day and took notes. He'd wake up in the middle of a dream and write something down. He was that guy. And then eventually he take all his scribblings and put them together. Many times he had a direct topic he wrote about. Many times I don't think so. You're not always going to understand crystal clear what the song means. That's why they're called "the thinking man's band" Also, you need to understand that here you have a guy writing lyrics and then handing them to a singer... and they talked about this. Well... Geddy did specifically, and he would say that sometimes something just didn't fit right, feel right, sing right whatever it was, so they would change or tweak things and Ged would take what he liked. They never feuded over this. They had such an incredibly unique relationship and there was never any animosity about who wrote what... it was more important that the music they created felt good. Number one, they had to like it! If the fans did that was a bonus for them. They are such incredibly unique individuals. I will love this band for eternity. There's nothing like them. I'll tell you something else, if you listen to their music enough, eventually, you'll absorb your own meaning to that song you may not quite get. Trust me on this! You simply can't listen to a Rush song once. That would be foolish. I'm really surprised you haven't spent some time researching Neil and some of his interviews that are online. You get a much better understanding of who he really was.

[@jacquesjrviens3384]

Thank you so much for sharing that song with the world !!!!!!!!!! Much love !!! Available light refers to a term in photography that means the true light. No artificial lighting, the truth. It's about Neil moving on in life and wanting to look at life in the true light, no filter or coloured lenses. He accepted he had changed from his old self. He mentioned ''Moving pictures'' in the way of departure AND he wanted to believe in hope so he will stand in the light and enjoy the present. It's very poetic and full of images !!! This is Neil's true nature and perspective on life as he wanted to see it.

[@ZIG4ZAG20]

😂Rush-and Neil especially take repeated listens to really grasp the meaning of and the melody of most their stuff. Working man maybe not so much, stuff like this, quite a bit different/heavier in substance. Some of their songs have multiple meanings depending on what you may have lived and experienced. The reason they are all so good is because they have played together so much, for so long it’s impossible to not get better. The meaning for me I’d take from it is #REFLECTION on understanding of life that’s past you by and yet to live by realizing what’s gone by and now knowing what’s important to you and what you’re doing and capable of doing in looking for that.🤘🖖✌️🎸🥁🎤🎹

[@trenken]

Whoa, deep cut. Good one though. Totally different vibe for rush which is why i like presto so much. There are no other rush albums like it. Lyrically neil is sort of celebrating life and the world, heightened senses taking it all in, feeling that RUSH. Seeing things as they really are. That hunger to not just exist, but to live.

[@charleswagner2984]

I understand your frustration with lyrics. Especially with Yes music, and to some extent, Rush music. Yes are huge influence on Rush, especially in the 1970s. As Rush entered the '80s, they became a big influence on Yes. While both bands songs became shorter, lyrics became more down to earth, yet keeping their mysterious and artistic expressions. Each bands lyricist reveals a key to understanding. Neil reveals "Those who wish to be must put aside the alienation. Get on with the fascination. THE REAL RELATION. THE UNDERLYING THEME. THE REAL RELATION. THE UNDERLYING THEME." Each Rush album has a surface theme, and an underlying theme. Neil is excellent at creating "poetry" for lack of a better word, that often contains a surface theme, and a underlying concept that goes together well with the surface theme. The more you listen and read Neils lyrics, the more you SEE what's in between the lines.

[@lindaward5376]

The lyrics quoted here are from "Limelight," another song I think you'll like, where Neil spoke of his discomfort with being an introvert in an extroverted world, how he preferred deep, meaningful relationships as opposed to the fakery and shallowness of the entertainment business where their fans were acting like they were his friends who knew everything about him, and how he and his bandmates steadfastly followed their own internal motivators rather than seeking external validation for what they were doing; and I think you'll really like the way Geddy's bassline highlights Alex's solo. Have a great evening, and Rush on! 🎤 🎹 🎸 🥁 🎸 🐐 🐐 🐐

[@charleswagner2984]

@lindaward5376 Thank you Linda for the elegant description of Limelight. What you describe is the surface meaning. I used that lyric to show that there's more to most of Neils lyrics than the surface meaning. The underlying themes about Rush songs in Limelight is the underlying theme of that song.

[@GEDDY37]

NP genius

[@mdu2112]

Of course pay attention as you can but don't stress over lyrics. Just screaming along "in the available light" is cool. 😎🔥❤️🇨🇦

[@sealiferr]

When your ready…and there is so much between now and then… Neil Peart “Live in Frankfurt” Ever review a drum solo with a Glockenspiel as part of the kit?

[@paulwilkinson8308]

Have you done Malignant Narcissism/der Slagwerker live in 2005,I believe…pure heaven

[@danc3097]

Your Rush reactions are 🔥!

[@mark-be9mq]

Favorite too

[@louisenglish8069]

Nice hidden gem...

[@bobrouse8634]

Please review " Bravado" , the live version from Different Stages.

[@carlgibbons5777]

You wish more people were hip to Neil Peart? lol He is literally the most influential rock drummer of all time. Even without Rush going out of their way to claim fame and spotlight.

[@mdu2112]

A deeper cut. Bon choix, Jacques Jr.

[@sicariussees3963]

This Is from the Album "Presto" that I mentioned last time, play "The Pass", or "Presto" the Album is great.

[@bobrouse8634]

Church Boy would love the bass line in the instrumental medley part of "Show Don't Tell"

[@rimskykorsakov2892]

He has already done "Show Don't Tell"

[@sicariussees3963]

​@@rimskykorsakov2892You are right, went back and looked, don't know how I missed that one.

[@paulwilkinson8308]

Presto has become my favourite album lately. It’s subtle and so uber intelligent. And it has some of Neil’s best drumming imo

[@georgetaxi8179]

Good song, but not crazy about the production. Little too tinny for me. Please do the song Camera Eye next. It's a certified banger!

[@marct9808]

I agree about the production, the album sounds too thin. Maybe they had such a good bunch of songs on this album that, for them, were closer to more traditional songs, they didn't want to obscure them with heavy production

[@KimDuty-i8e]

I agree

[@paulcaruana4090]

Listen to Clockwork Angels

[@KimDuty-i8e]

In most bands, the bass is rarely heard.

[@gregj1295]

With Rush, you SHOULD try to interpret the Lyrics.

[@greedynewt6149]

I love your reactions! Neil was such a great percussionist and lyricist. He played drums in a truly unique and often melodical way. Please react to "Neil Peart Drum Solo - Rush Live in Frankfurt" kzbin.info/www/bejne/goi1foKAhqmcgrc

[@paulrt3]

Check out Yngwie Malmsteen's version of Carry on My Wayard Son! It's an absolutely incredible version.

[@philstone3859]

Cool hat.

[@jacquesjrviens3384]

A perfect blend of nostalgia and optimism !!! Hope brother, hope !!!

[@markfeggeler3479]

You would probably enjoy Genesis, perhaps starting with Firth of Fifth.

[@DionysusAlS]

There are actually minor errors in the lyrics displayed in this video. But this is definitely a top 20 Rush song for me.

[@leddygee1896]

Poignant and thought provoking. There’s no right or wrong way to interpret lyrics in ANY song. It’s all up to you…

[@nodrush80]

Skip the lyrics? Not true Rush fans.

[@neilog747]

Neil Peart killed 1970s Rush. He took all the excitement and replaced it with musically tame lyrical musings.

[@timgelinas-drummer7802]

I'm just keeping it real. This song sucks. Please do Vital Signs.

[@ChronicExcessiveManliness]

Best band...ever.

[@GEDDY37]

You could discuss Neil‘s lyrics all day and you would be just scratching the surface. He seems to be able to say things very metaphorically and allow the listener to interpret their own way.