Rush - Tom Sawyer (Pianist continues his exploration of rock/metal)

[@Greatmeasures]

What other songs with iconic drum parts should we show Judson? **If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse and they’re ready to get help, contact us via email.** [e-mail]

[@gandalf8216]

Change (part 2) by Karnivool

[@theorc9098]

Well, you could go with a Neil Peart drum solo, or maybe the drum play through of Infant Annihilator's C*ntcrusher"? Both spectacular in their own way...😂

[@joshmorris9908]

I’m a big tool fan. 46&2 some cool moments. Led Zeppelin is probably a must

[@macl4081]

Meshuggah - Soul Burn

[@leddygee1896]

Dream Theater - “Honor Thy Father” From the 2003 album Train Of Thought. Mike Portnoy is a BEAST!!

[@voanncr]

I never tire of Tom Sawyer. Especially the bridge.

[@joshmorris9908]

I think doing the studio version was the right call

[@TD_JR]

Always the right call - especially for new listeners to see that, yes.... it's a 3 member band making all that noise. Some don't believe it at first listen.

[@honuman39]

Isn't their live version pretty much spot on with the studio version?

[@mightyV444]

I absolutely agree! And it's kinda weird (to me): The live versions on 'Exit...Stage Left' of songs from albums _before_ 'Moving Pictures' pretty much all sound much better ('Xanadu', oh emm gee! 🤩), but when it comes to the 'Moving Pictures' songs, the studio versions are actually the superior ones, and especially 'Tom Sawyer'! And it must really just be a sound mix issue, because the guys ultimately play the exact same parts! Bit of a mystery to me! 😅

[@pitpride1220]

​@@honuman39 It's very close, but not as perfect.

[@ShapeshiftedCow]

Definitely, studio version is almost always going to be closer to the artist’s ideal of what the song should sound like.

[@digibirder]

RUSH is one of those top tier bands that can have three solos going at the same time, and make it sound cohesive.

[@MrSavedbyzero]

Freewill anyone?

[@nileprimewastaken]

@@MrSavedbyzerowas just about to say that

[@hustler3of4culture3]

​@@nileprimewastakensame

[@anthonydawson8080]

One of my favorites to play on bass. Love it when it breaks down to the open e and goes all synthy and distorted. It’s like “get ready for this”

[@johngibson4628]

As a Canadian, I am very proud of Rush. What a band!

[@Ryoufriggingserious]

Thank you for actually hearing the song without stopping the video every 30 seconds. Such a brilliant band

[@johnnyboyssite]

get chills everytime i hear this song.. its going on 44 years now

[@rickpaul4216]

I love when reactors get the stank face during Alex’s solo.

[@bobcarn]

Tom Sawyer is one of those timeless songs that are just perfect. Everything about it is perfect. The lyrics are not only thoughtful, but reflect the tone of the music. The structure is reflected in the lyrics, and the song engages you on all levels from beginning to end.

[@dtltmtgt]

Among my all time favorite songs. I actually never tire of hearing this song. So true can make so much noise for 3 guys! I miss this band so much. RIP Neil Peart.

[@danwest9900]

Watermelon In Easter Hay - one of the most beautiful songs ever composed! Thank you for having that in your intro.

[@fuzzym30]

Ya. One of my favorites too, but to get the full effect of that piece you have to listen to the entire opera.

[@Loendt]

This album is awesome. 3 phenomenal musicians.

[@KOLLIX-AF-DALBACKEN]

We can thank Rush that we have so good musicians around us today!

[@leddygee1896]

Thousands and thousands of bands In the Rock genre in The last 70 years… But there was only one R U S H ! ! ! There will never be Another band like them. 🇨🇦🤘🎸🥁❤️ Rest in Power, Professor…

[@foxbat1766]

I wish every time I hear Tom Sawyer, was the FIRST Time I hear Tom Sawyer!!! RIP - Neil

[@iMacMan54]

From what I know of this video, it is not just a jam session....this was done in LeStudio, and was the actual recording for the album. And of Neil's comment about playing Tom Sawyer, he stated that it was THE hardest of their songs for him to play perfectly.....he said he didn't think that happened often.

[@Indo1030]

In an interview, Peart said that his mother once asked him why he doesn’t smile when he’s playing. His response: “Because it’s difficult, Mom!”

[@williamreynolds3487]

Yeah, those 16th notes are brutal.

[@mpkelley20]

Not sure this is true. Geddy claims the recording has him playing a fender jazz bass. Not the Ricky. So either he is mistaken or this was more of various recording sessions they made. Even Wikipedia stated it. Lol

[@RushfanUK]

Not the actual recording sessions, this was a video shoot to support the release of the song as a single.

[@RushfanUK]

@@mpkelley20 You are right about the Jazz bass.

[@alyssahudson1743]

rush is one of the greatest and most underrated bands of all time three musicians that have mastered their instrument

[@brandonseger5812]

Very nice of you to free this gentle soul out from under whatever rock he was living to not have heard this song before.

[@Samscoinsandheavymetal]

16:00 super well said. Element of surprise - getting away from playing chords within the key, using borrowed chords, secondary dominants, changing time signatures etc is what is missing from todays computerized world of music

[@nicholasvinen]

It isn't just surprise either. Even when you are very familiar with their work, the complexity keeps it interesting!

[@jonetoshka8652]

I’m glad you chose the studio version of this song. It’s pure, and perfect. As a kid I kind of hated this song because it was so overplayed, but now I love it.

[@bumblefluff79]

I learnt two things from this video: 1. I should've given Rush more of a chance over the years, if for no other reason than Neil Peart is truly phenomal and 2. I need to put more thought into how I exit the shower.

[@louofm1]

Just make sure it's Stage left out of that shiwer

[@holysmokes5817]

"Is it about the book?" Allegorically, yes, for sure.

[@ryanand154]

Get someone else to paint the fence.

[@TheBFN]

😮 ooo shhhh ..we are doing RUSH now... Hell yes 🤘🤘🤘

[@jordandwyer4075]

Loved hearing Watermelon In Easter Hay at the start of the video

[@mikesmyth8139]

Watermelon in Easter Hay. Lovely song.

[@mightyV444]

'Watermelons In Easter Hay' had popped up in YT's recommendations only yesterday, and I didn't think anything of it as I didn't know it. But hearing a bit of it in this video and it sounding also really quite beautiful and melancholic nudged me to give it a proper listen; Thank you for that nudge! 😊👍

[@ZIG4ZAG20]

All three soloing at the same time, and IT FITS TOGETHER🤯

[@bendalton5221]

what he takes 10 minutes to describe I can sum up here: the level of musicianship of those 3 guys was insane

[@timjones8377]

I'm surprised you haven't shown Judson RUSH performing XANADU Exit Stage Left 1981. He will love the glockenspiel, triangles, wind chimes, tubular bells, bell tree, cowbells, wood blocks, timbales ..as well as Alex playing 6 & 12 string guitar + Taurus synth pedals..and Geddy playing Rickenbacker double neck (top neck bass, bottom neck electric guitar), synthesizer + Taurus synth pedals 😃

[@ruairimadigan863]

Judson..."He's goin' off..and they're goin' off".....after 30 years of listening to this band I could not have put it better.R.I.P.....N.P .G.O.A.T. The song sounds as fresh, edgy and awesome today as it did the first time I heard back in (ahem)....

[@jonXler]

I knew the opening track again! Love Zappa!!

[@willcooper7345]

Watermelon in Easter Hay! Exceptional song! Brilliant FZ guitar! Thank you for giving a nod to this masterpiece… before reacting to Tom Sawyer… another Masterpiece! 👊 Hay sounded very nice on Piano!

[@diegoquiroz5166]

love that zappa song

[@oatmeal710]

rush was the loudest live show i've ever been to, and i've seen sleep live, i know loud. saw them as a teenager in 2014, by the looks of it i was the youngest attendee there by at least a couple decades

[@seanharrigan6365]

Slade is the loudest band of all. The numbers on their dials have no upper limit.

[@Fred-vy1hm]

Alex Lifeson is a Guitar God. The guy singing and playing the keyboard, Geddy Lee, is one of the best Rock Bassists ever. Neil Peart is the best drummer/percussionist to ever pick up a set of sticks and all three guys mesh together perfectly and did for more than 4 decades. The holy trinity from Toronto and the world's smallest symphony orchestra, Rush is quite simply the best to ever do it

[@robertanderson6929]

8:30 I believe the keyboard riff which accompanies the line, "He gets high on you, and the space he invades he gets by on you," represents the tones used the the Space Invaders video game popular in arcades in the 1980s. And the warbling sound at the end of that riff is what the game produces when the mother-ship crosses the screen periodically.

[@wg1294]

It was a previous Rush reaction that got me to sub. I think there are a few other songs including ‘Limelight’ from this session. Rush is a good way to start the week. Rock on.

[@awesomerhino8008]

very cool discussion about the creative headspace. bringing you into the now, in focus, making you sit up and take notice, that’s a great goal for creativity and art. 🙏🏻

[@philproffitt8363]

👍👌 My favourite Rush song, with the 3 way bridge to die for, is 'Freewill'...studio lyric video recommended. And the mindblowing 'Xanadu' Live 1981...epic multitaskers!! Great to here yall's 'pinions...any time 👍

[@nicoman12345]

Its definitely worth checking out a live version, id say most versions are great as long as they are the professionally shot ones. pick your favourite decade and have fun!

[@DonHG32]

Watermelon in Easter Hay! yes, of course, a gorgeous tune, a real show stopper!

[@PeteThibault]

Anesthetize by Porcupine Tree - Gavin Harrison is a monster behind the kit.

[@dtltmtgt]

Live he is incredible (as is this song in particular)

[@rickcain4736]

Guitar solo on this by Alex Lifeson!

[@norwegianblue2017]

My favorite living rock drummer.

[@clemlowes2112]

Loved listening to the feedback in the last 10 minutes or so. Very informative and well thought out explanation of what RUSH did so well as a band. Especially hearing it from a professional musician.

[@danreed5171]

pretty kool show dudes

[@filipezomignanialves4691]

Timeless, epic, masterpiece! 💥🤘

[@jankronnas2185]

One of the top 5 ever made!!

[@Olivia_Neumann]

9:10 Slappin’ da bass mon!😂

[@anthonydawson8080]

Slappin dat bass mon! Way up high

[@crazylegslife]

Diggin the musical knowledge, thank you.

[@RoyZenzo]

I love that this kind of videos become popular this time, thinking and analysing all that masterpiece’s making mankind better, someone start to open that music only today because of this reaction videos and that very good job you did👍

[@jurtmcgurt6969]

Subdivisions next!!

[@Psychograce93]

Lovely episode gents. Studio version indeed was the right call, I think!

[@johnnyb6067]

No matter how much I appreciate the musicianship and want to like Rush, I just can’t. That PBS science special reference was perfect and brought me back in time.

[@slackerdc]

OMG I knew what Judson was playing before he said!

[@omarramoa5051]

tres músicos geniales... no obstante, escuchar la voz de Geddy Lee me enloquece, lloro cada vez que lo escucho cantar "Closer to the heart" y "Xanadu". Abrazos con mucho cariño desde Argentina, i love this reactions

[@dubkjay]

Judson was blessed by the hair gods… yes, I’m jealous..

[@yes_head]

If Judson is at all interested in Brad Mehldau's work than he may already be acquainted with this song from Mehldau's 2022 album 'Jacob's Ladder'. And from what I've seen, for live performance Geddy would usually focus just on the lead synth part, and Alex would typically handle any bass pedals (or the bass part might be fed into the live mix from a sequencer.) Geddy was usually worried enough about his keyboard playing that he'd refrain from multi-tasking to allow for maximum concentration.

[@DallasGunther]

I love that song, easily one of my favorites.

[@ryanand154]

Forensic investigations of Rush always worthwhile.

[@ryanand154]

Rush is a phenomenological band. All parts express the feeling. And it seems like pop music but it is about itself and is always seeking to be itself in a way that the listener can capture. Terrible description.

Brilliant insights.

[@pmtnoise5855]

What a beautiful and unexpected rendition to Watermelon, music is the best! I would love to see some The Dear Hunter reaction, "a night on the town" could be great, they are prog rock at his finest.

[@The_blindpizzaguy1300]

The first time I heard this song, I was 12, and I was absolutely blown away. Rush is the band that kind of sneakily got me into the whole progressive rock thing. The first song I had ever heard by Rush was the spirit of radio. Which is off of the same album, funny enough, but there was just something about it. That made me realize that I liked every minute of it because of the fact that it’s different. I was seven when I heard that song and was too young to be able to properly put words to it but I think it was then my brain realized that I look for unpredictability in music as well as life in general. And once I was old enough to realize how to put words to it it was like a whole New World opened up..

[@DallasGunther]

I was also 12 when I first noticed this song and began buying rush albums. I was on a field trip to the state fair where there was a skate exhibition with a giant half pipe. They were playing this song over the P.A. on repeat, so apparently skaters in Salt Lake City in '92 were digging on Rush. My friend and I were sorta clowning the lyrics singing "beans, beans, rice. Today's Tom Sawyer........" or something to that effect and my buddy says "ya know what? that song is pretty fucking cool. To which I concurred. Then, shortly thereafter Counterparts was released and was actually played on MTV and local radio. I love that album

[@PhildoBaggins]

Great Zappa song

[@syx3s]

i'd love to see some live rush on here. big time.

[@yhwhsozo3680]

Yoko still wants her sunglasses back Geddy hehe….ahhhh 70’s rock -screw image all in on music and performances live.

[@doug.ejames]

I love this when they discuss the masterpiece song by rush

[@pvoshefski]

Love that Zappa song...

[@bobule]

OMG Watermelon In Easter Hay 😭😭

[@ericvonsteuben7533]

On the keyboard riff, the 6th note ends on D the first time around. The second time around it ends on B.

[@henryfarias2878]

I wholeheartedly agree that songs need that space to breathe.. but damnit Judson, you put Jungle Boogie/Tom Sawyer in my dome and now it's stuck! Thanks man! 😂

[@bookhouseboy280]

Alex: It was a refreshing arrangement. It didn’t follow the traditional verse-chorus-verse-chorus-middle-outro chorus thing ... Neil had worked on the lyrics from an idea that had come from a friend of ours, Pye Dubois. He expanded on that whole theme of rebellion and instinct. The recording was pretty straightforward, very comfortable and group-like. The guitar solo is pretty quirky, but I don’t think it took long to do, maybe five or six takes. With solos, I don’t like to be too prepared going in - I like to surprise myself ... What we ended up with was, I think, some of the strongest and most enduring material that we’ve ever written. There are a lot of songs on [Moving Pictures] that reached a really high standard. But there was also something about the sound of that record that resonated with people. Geddy: The guitar sound for Alex’s solo was really critical. It wasn’t drowning in echo. That was the old trick we used in the past. If you want to fill the space, put an Echoplex on Alex and the repeats will fill up the space. But we didn’t want to do that. We were going for this dry sound with that unique tone, and for it not to feel empty, that was kind of hard ... All of a sudden, [album engineer] Paul Northfield kind of jumped into action and came up with this idea of miking the stereo speakers and doing [Alex's] solo in a stereo spread. Then it gave it that kind of tubular sound. And then it finally came to life ... It’s funny because those two records, Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures, are always connected for me. Because one spurred the other in so many ways. They were both really a culmination of all the trial and error that had gone on a lot of the records before it. Neil: The drum is so detailed, but when we go into the middle to the odd time part, it was improvised. I got lost and I punched my way out of it and somehow came back to the one. And that improvisation became a new part. It's one of those key parts that I love and it was absolutely a mistake that I just got lucky and got out of ... That song finds us at a time of such confidence that we were learning to make a song that was only six minutes instead of 12, 15, and use the same standards of arrangement ... It’s about nineteen-eighty that I really start to like our music like a fan. Before that there’s stuff I like in an affectionate way, because we were brave, but as far as achievement I really think we started to bring it together a bit with Permanent Waves…, but particularly Moving Pictures and from then on.

[@Deadbolthead]

Very close to, if not, the perfect song. Your piano friend is on the spectrum. I thought we lost him a few times. SQUIRREL!!!

[@DallasGunther]

Rush is the shit. Plain and simple.

[@jp2586]

Ok. This song has been on heavy classic rock radio rotation for 40 years and is in quite a few movies. How is it possible that a 40 year old musician has never heard this before?

[@arikauraniemi9383]

I get your point but look at rock radio stations today. You'll hear a 1000 nickelback songs for every Rush song. I can't even remember when I last heard this on the radio and I listen to it every day. Radio channels are in the pockets of record companies and they play what they are told to now.

[@levilee207]

People tend only to inhabit musical spaces they are most familiar with. He likely doesn't listen to classic rock stations. And personally I've never seen a movie with a Rush song in it

[@NOLA_Voodoo]

First album i ever bought with my own money was Moving Pictures on vinyl. I was about 10-11yrs old.Great album!!

[@Canine77]

Please cover some Zappa, please, please, please.

[@davidsmail9298]

Fucking beautiful piano work brother!!

[@Kickenwing13]

Pre-listening Richard prediction. He's got to love this one. Way too much going on. Not boring. I think this will hold his attention lol never mind he is now playing on his phone, we're screwed

[@jonathanroberts8981]

In much heavy rock, the guitarist will play “power chords” - root, fifth, and octave. Alex almost always adds extra notes, making excellent use of the open strings as well, to fill out the sound. In mid-period Rush the synths could crowd out the guitar, but towards the end the guitar surged back and his sound became huge.

[@danwest9900]

Yes! Those rich chords with more complex tonalities are what make Alex stand out amongst so many guitarists! His solos are also beautiful, but I think it's how he fills his sonic space with those wonderfully textured chords that makes him such a great and interesting guitarist.

[@nicholasvinen]

Even in the bombastic synth period of the mid to late 80s, Alex's guitar always managed to shine through and fill every little sonic gap he needed to.

[@somecallmetim2112]

The video was shot in Le Studio in Canada. Literally a cabin in the woods. It's the actual studio where Moving Pictures was recorded.

[@alleyeditor]

More Rush PLEASE! Live version of Xanadu from Exit Stage Left. Or go to the mountain top and do 2112.

[@realBkay]

Richard, it doesn’t matter what version of this song u chose, it was going to b the perfect choice. There r no bad versions of this song.

[@ivarmaciel7113]

A ÚNICA BANDA DE ROCK COM TRÊS MONSTROS.

[@thjonez]

get to it...good breakdown man

[@kaka_papi]

That Frank Zappa tune was beautiful!

[@scottlogsdon5607]

I suggest watching "Live at Massey Hall: Geddy Lee You mention that a lot of their music has a lot of jazz base feel. Neil and Alex had a strong jazz training as young musicians

[@debbieplato5107]

The guys all solo at the same time. Iconic song. I think Natural Science from the Molson Amphitheatre Toronto would be an good one to check out next. Cheers 🇨🇦

[@gregjones8458]

Yes, the best live version of that song I've heard!!

[@chrispate2696]

Getty Lee inspired Les Claypool to play bass guitar, and we will be forever grateful.

[@Danimal77]

Another great Rush classic to listen to is "Xanadu".

[@rumourhats]

Peart once said that "drumming for Rush is like running a marathon whilst solving math equations."

[@tiges1972]

That never gets old . NECROMANCER NEXT PLEASE

[@syx3s]

i'd be very happy to watch reactions where you watch / listen to the studio version first and then watch a live performance in the same video, personally.

[@sgtkabukimann]

Great Choice once again! And thanks again for reacting to Archspire! Finally i can rest😅! I had the plan to ask and beg under each and every video, and so i did. A day before the video came out i was about to give up and have already been on the patreon page to do it the capitalist way but the site gave me a failure and so i postboned it for the next day😅 Really sorry but that's what happened! Maybe a devine intervention or the devil in the machine i guess😂 But if i ever pop my patreon-cherry, it will be with? For you! With sounds kinda raunchy 😂

[@kentgreer1079]

Actually, although in the video Geddy uses his Rickenbaker, the actual bass on the recording is his Fender Precision bass.

[@rejapgee]

Nope, it was a Fender Jazz bass.

[@mattelder68]

Btw, the guitarist, Alex Lifeson, plays Moog pedals as well.

[@JayTor2112]

The video is from the recording sessions at Le Studio in Quebec, and I'm pretty confident you see some of the actual takes that are on the record.

[@HisHowliness]

Geddy plays a Rick bc of John Entwhistle of Who and Chris Squire from Yes. Appropriately, after Chris died, Geddy was the bassist when Yes went into the Hall.

[@norwegianblue2017]

Geddy said that if he could play for any band other than Rush, it would be The Who.

[@HisHowliness]

@@norwegianblue2017 yeah, John and Chris are at the very top of the bassist lists. Apt, and popular, musical heroes.

[@idea_music]

rush is the greatest fucking band of all time

[@yeshayahuhomberger2079]

Nice. Now some Yes - Roundabout. Then on keep going. Thx 💪

[@sxelady]

really serving looks today ain’tcha

[@ChintzMusic]

JUDSON! Post a solo piano cover of Tom Sawyer!

[@SteveCoronado2]

This was my first and favorite song by Rush!!!🤘🏻💥🔥🙏🏻💯 You should do a full album reaction to 2112. Love you guys 🤘🏻🔥💥🙏🏻💯

[@that44rdv4rk]

I would have thought Judson would have been jamming to Tom Sawyer since he was a kid.