Rush - By- Tor and The Snow Dog Live | Reaction

[@delorangeade]

Totally blows away the rather tame studio version. One of Alex's finest moments. It was always great to hear Rush play this one, even in its truncated version of later years.

[@robertfitterman3777]

There is nothing tame about the studio version!

[@delorangeade]

@@robertfitterman3777 It depends on your point of view, or maybe just my ears. This was the version I heard first, and to me it just sounds bigger and louder and more aggressive, where the studio version is timid and weedy in comparison. I would say all the songs on ATWAS sound better than their studio originals, although I seem to remember the album may have been touched up a bit in the studio, post recording.

[@pcjmwhyle1452]

I put this as my favourite Alex solo until the section in La Villa Strangiato

[@Tavat]

And Geddy’s vocals are PHENOMENAL on this live version.

[@Kang2112]

Yes All the World's a Stage is an absolute masterpiece. One more thing at the end of By-tor on the live version let me remind you that it's only 3 guys baking that huge absolutely mammoth sound in the songs closing. I love how Geddy lets his open A string ring out under the D major. AWESOME

[@arthurmulkey]

As a drummer... this is one of the best songs in the world to learn from..."Fuscking Amsing"

[@beepboop204]

those of us who are older will remember the old days when Rush was not looked at as cool

[@beepboop204]

la villa strangiato live is also really interesting, you get slightly different versions each time

[@generoberts9151]

Yep….Only us superior nerds persevered

[@nodrush80]

Except we knew they were cool and everyone else wasn't.

[@arthurking6846]

The original geeks of rock

[@nexuslang]

Totally agree - there were only 2 or 3 others in my high school who loved Rush like me, everybody else looked down on our musical tastes. I would try to "evangelize" by taking some of my Rush records to parties and try to get some play time, but after 1-2 songs everybody was like, "hey, take off that shit and put on some Led Zep/Aerosmith/Stones".

[@jimrupe9991]

By-Tor and the Snow Dog......my all time favorite Rush song ever.

[@Matt..G]

So happy to see ‘All The World’s A Stage’ (1976) Live album getting some love. This whole album is an experience and often overlooked in place of more recent live shows. I think “Working Man” off this album is THE version. 🤘🏼

[@TheAdventuresofTNT]

Working man is a monster of a track. I’ll have to check out the 76 live to see if lifeson goes wild.

[@Matt..G]

@@TheAdventuresofTNT Cool! Just be prepared for a glorious 15min ‘Lost in the sauce’ moment as “Working Man” goes into “Finding My Way” back into “Working Man”. Neil’s drum solo included and Alex’s guitar extravaganza and Geddy’s amazing young and higher vocals. - RUSH ‘All The World’s A Stage’.

[@Mike80528]

I'm ashamed to say I had forgotten about that version of Working Man. Such a great performance! I wish they had the budget for better recording equipment back then. Their performances deserved better, but the sound is also part of that era... Great taste in music! 😁

[@LJA46]

When reacting to Rush, always refer to this album! All The World's A Stage is a masterpiece!

[@robertfitterman3777]

The story about the two names was Rush's road manager at the time was watching two dogs. One was a huge German Shepard that was a barker and apparently a "biter" (By-Tor) and the other was a small furry white dog (Snow Dog). Off the top of my head I can't remember the entire story, but this was where the names came from.

[@larryC1070]

I was fortunate to see this tour in Houston in January, 1977. Made me a life long Rush fan. To this day it is still the most memorable concert I have ever seen.

[@markjohnson4217]

That ambient guitarwork in the middle....OMG. i think that is after the carnage, and Alex is creating an incredible atmosphere and it really is a composition on it's own. I wish they had explored more of that, they had a special gift for ambience. And thank you for diving in to All the World's a Stage, the quality is very raw, but it captures the mid-seventies Rush very well. Thid would have been their 2112 tour, so they had just opened up to a much greater fan base, about to conquor the world.

[@GoblinGuy333]

What Lerxst pulled out of his guitar AND controlled during that Aftermath section is second only Jimi on Machine Gun Band of Gypsys album.

[@robertmckinnon7245]

This live recording, is untouched and raw live rush... Geddy said in an interview, it is their most popular live, with the most album sales

[@tammiec4937]

Can never go wrong with the rush

[@crazyfingers19]

It was crazy. Crazy phenomenal. Saw them in ‘79.

[@RayEvans-j1q]

This is RUSH 101! ‘All the World’s a Stage’ is the album that makes a great learning tool to understand their early music! A must own album!

[@LClark-ry9to]

I was lucky , I saw Rush in concert in 1975 or 76 in San Diego , it was fantastic, thank you. 🇺🇸⚓️ I’m Subscribed sir.

[@kingcruze1]

Brother it was the very first out of 47 times I have seen Rush. I seen them on this concert tour and I also seen them on their last concert tour. So missed they are!

[@KentBalzer]

The reason that the Rio live performance is so good is that the concert tour occurred right after the 5 year absence of Neil when his wife and daughter died. It was the Vapor Trails album and I saw that show at The Woodlands Texas and it was the greatest Rush concert I had ever witnessed. It had all my favorite classics and they played with such intensity that you felt like they still had to prove that they were relevant. I first saw Rush in 1984 at the Texas World Music Festival at the Astrodome where they were touring their Grace Under Pressure album. When I watch that video, I am also impressed with the intensity of their performance, but the Vapor Trails concert took it to another level. Thanks for the reaction. I look forward to more Rush.

[@StickHits]

I can't believe I call myself a superfan and never made the Smashing Pumpkins connection until you said it lol

[@davecole2561]

Well done for reacting to this absolute gem. Few have reacted to By tor at all, let alone the best version for me and many Rush fans out there. I think it's astonishing. Lifeson was and is pure class. Let's remember that they were all in their early 20s when playing this live.

[@JimiBurleigh]

My first Rush show was the 27th of March, 1976. Rush was opening for Styx. Such great memories. "Although it's just a memory Some memories last forever" #RushLyricsForEverything 🤘

[@staciojeda4146]

So glad I don't have to imagine at a concert what this was like to experience. :) Fan since 1974... they were fantastic live. RIP Professor.

[@michaelbriefs9764]

We definitely want to do Rush Rabbit Hold again! Awesome! Also, I saw Rush about a year and a half after the ATWAS shows (June 1976) and I remember the light show completely blowing my mind! Unfortunately, they had changed the set from playing all of BTATSD, as you just heard, to playing half of By-Tor and seguewaying into Xanadu. Don't get me wrong, I love Xanadu but I would have loved to have seen the entire version of By-Tor, like the version you just heard! But I'm not complaining. All that is to say that seeing Rush play live was super-amazing but also take into account that they had one of the best LIGHT SHOWS in Rock music at that time -- on the level that they were, in their career -- and I'm sure it would have been incredible for By-Tor, especially during the atmospheric section in the middle! I've seen pictures of their live show from the 2112 tour, but nothing could compare to being there, to see it live, I'm sure!

[@steadfastneasy26]

@Michael Briefs rabbit *hole* ...... sry.

[@timlamb6196]

All that live with just 3 guys and in 1976. Wow ! Epic.

[@brianwillis9673]

I live in Britain and was lucky enough to see Rush perform live on 3 occasions, but I never saw them play this live. It kinda bothers me now that I never will, but I'll always have the consolation of this live recording.

[@generoberts9151]

The song is about two warriors. One from our world Snowdog (champion) one from the Underworld (By-Tor). The instrumental that gets busy after the first couple verses is them fighting. Rush is so good about telling a story through music. The characters were inspired by the two dogs (the shepherd and a white dog). In the end Snowdog wins and saves the day. Evil prince By-Tor is defeated but emerges again in the song “The Necromancer” in the next album, “Caress of Steel”. In which he becomes the hero, defeating the Necromancer

[@williammanns9927]

Had to listen to Bastille Day from this album last Thu... probably my favorite live album.

[@kennyplay5982]

It's amazing that, By tod is from their First Album together!!!

[@Kang2112]

RUSH The greatest rock band that ever was or ever will be.

[@MARSHOMEWORLD]

Great great stuff. This is the first Rush album I ever bought after being introduced to 2112 and I went to the record store figuring for about the same price as a standard LP I could get this which was too albums, and included the 2112 Suite. And I was not disappointed. Been a rush fan ever since. I'm sure someone else probably has mentioned it in the comments here but "ByTor and the Snow Dog "was a staple of their live performances for years with Lee acting out the role of Prince bitor, and life's and acting as the snow dog they would do battle metaphorically and of course ByTor appears again on the subsequent album caressive Steel as the champion that takes down the Necromancer in the song of the same name.

[@gerardgauthier4876]

Rush - All The World's A Stage is possibly one of the best albums ever made. You should check-out South Park and Little Rush intro to Tom Swayer

[@gerardgauthier4876]

The link m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5nCaoGPapuGrtk

[@beepboop204]

Trailer Park boys also did stuff with Rush, its amazing how mainstream and cool they became after many years of not being so

[@jimtatro6550]

Headlong Flight buddy, it’s a Rush song that sums up everything musically about Rush. Hard core banger

[@lancecornell9978]

Great request. At the time, the album with "snowdog" on it was not very popular. It was only later when it came back to bite every listener.

[@Cash2112]

Check out ‘Xanadu’ live Exit Stage Left video, it’ll blow your mind

[@lancerx1759]

Rush has been going all in for decades which is why Rush Rules still today

[@Matty0923]

I would love to do a Rush rabbit hole!!

[@martydavis547]

First album I bought they are amazing!

[@Matty0923]

I saw the lead singer of Smashing Pumpkins apologizing to Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson for ripping off By Tor and the Snow Dog on Cherub Rock. Good ear!

[@deaddadd]

True story...Trigonometry/Analytical Geometry final exam, 1981... jamming on this very song on my Sears knockoff Walkman. Must have had it too loud, (cool ass) teacher sends a note to the back of the class where i'm sitting..."You know you're not supposed to have that in class" I send the note back, "I just aced this test, what does it matter?" She just smiled....I made a 93.

[@BalokLives]

By-Tor and the Snow Dog is the story of the triumph of good over evil. A battle against good and evil. There is the prelude, the battle, the peace after the battle, and the finale where By-Tor retreats to hell. "Rejoicing echoes as the dawn is nearing By-Tor in defeat retreats to Hell Snow Dog - is victorious The land of the Overworld is saved again" The history about the dogs is just the background story of what they came up with for naming the song. FYI, I also heard that the song was about who would play guitar in Rush but the words have nothing to do with that.

[@arthurmulkey]

I saw thisIn Denver... so Badass Alex Lifeson is a Beast/111

[@michaelkeller6223]

Try Secret Touch live on the R30 tour. I am in for Rabbit Hole if times work out, But individual reactions are sometimes easier because they can fit any schedule! Cheers!

[@rush119]

Yes!

[@tatergirl6357]

I have thought since 75 they're very cool

[@calvingreen5202]

Great reaction!! I don't know if you've already reacted to Cygnus X-1: Books 1 and 2....but that's another experience, that you need to go through.

[@stromghouls]

the version of this song on exit stage left is played quite a bit faster with way more chops. exist stage left is a devastating live performance by rush.

[@darronhuggins4788]

Great reaction you know what you're talking about you know rock n roll you know the s***

[@lvgelfling72]

Yeah you should do Rush rabbit hole and do Rush in Rio.

[@jpschub3181]

In The End is really cool also. One two

[@HowFingCool]

Buckle. My. Shhhhoe.

[@kennyplay5982]

@ 5:34 is Neil not Alex tearing up the drumming

[@ComedianRonBender]

This song has nothing to do with dogs, other than where the names comes from. It’s about a fight between a champion for good fighting a champion for evil. You hear the violent battle, then it gets quiet where they fall into a deep chasm. Little bits of the battle drift up, then the guitar (Snowdog) gets louder as he climbs back to the surface, victorious. Enjoy!

[@OriginalMergatroid]

You should create a new channel. Call it "Just Rush". I'd watch....

[@robinmarks1710]

But instead of just listening to the music diving into the lyrics

[@wisteria3213]

Me too

[@paulgarcia1566]

A "wall of sound".

[@michaelkeller6223]

Little extra sauce on this one. Each part of the song is amazing in its own way, but it’s a wild swing in tone from beginning to middle to end which I think is part of the reason it didn’t catch on as much as some of Rush’s other tunes.

[@nexuslang]

I got into Rush as a teenager in the mid-'70s, and this was the third album of theirs I bought (after 2112 and Hemispheres). I have always thought the versions of By-Tor and Working Man in this album were waaaay better than their studio renditions. The only fault I would find in this otherwise perfect live album is that they snipped out parts of 2112.

[@romanramirez6436]

BEST VERSION RUSH LIVE IN RIO CHECK IT OUT.

[@tammiec4937]

T duh more rush!

[@darronhuggins4788]

Hey if you listen to the studio part the studio album. It's actually a lot better but it's still phenomenal

[@timschock5781]

Do Neil Peart drum solo

[@TheAdventuresofTNT]

I did

[@richardortiz5625]

3 dudes. 3 dudes only.

[@sagittariusdad2916]

My favorite version! can someone do this with ai generated images please....

[@darronhuggins4788]

No. It's by tour not bit is about a snowdog which is a Alaskan malamute more than likely go in against a probably. Go it against a rottweiler in the pictures and basically what it is. It's a snow. Dog going against a rottweiler so there's no it's not a human shepherd. It's not a biter it's just good versus evil

[@geneharland]

Not a good live album. They even apologized for this performance in later years. The only live Rush that is worse then this is their final tour R40. It's also the worst live version of the song. Sorry, Huge fan... just sayin'.

[@generoberts9151]

I agree to an extent, but this is the only live recording that they actually did the whole song. Exit Stage Left was the best

[@davecole2561]

No, not a good live album. An amazing one, from start to finish. This version of By tor stands alone and is reason enough on its own to consider Lifeson one of the great all round guitarists. All in my opinion, of course.