Rush - Working Man(Live) (Reaction)

[@BigPicture2012]

Glad you discovered Rush. People who like Rush also tend to like a band called Boston.

[@RidiculousRic]

@@BigPicture2012 thanks for the support and recommendation:)

[@bobcarn]

That song never got old in concert. It was ALWAYS a joy when they pulled it out.

[@lindaward5376]

That riff you heard at the end was the intro to Cygnus X-1, an epic 30-minute masterpiece that begins as the closing track on their 1977 album A Farewell To Kings and continues as the opening track on their 1978 album Hemispheres, and which I think would make for a worthy follow-up to 2112. Have a great evening, and Rush on! 🎤 🎸 🥁 🎸 🐐 🐐 🐐

[@RidiculousRic]

Sheesh, that’s awesome, I’m sure that a great track as well just from that riff! Thanks for supporting, I’ll definitely be checking out more soon:)

[@vgspro5365]

@@RidiculousRic ....sooooo much to hear and listen to by this band! I could almost say I am jealous. But having been to many of their live concerts, I would not trade positions! How fortunate that SO MUCH of their live music is archived. 😀

[@johnaragon2182]

Eveyone has to keep it in their mind that this was rock and roll at the best near the end of their era. Classic rock will never die, so proud to see people your age recognizing some the the best classic rock music today.

[@RidiculousRic]

Great music has no time span, hopefully this music continues on forever! Very few bands producing music similar to this anymore:)

[@lisaharrison1031]

RUSH =The BEST BAND that ever existed!! 🤘🎶💜

[@robrodarme1730]

WELL SAID!!

[@squamishfish]

Alex never over plays for the sake of solos he is an extremely talented guitar player that makes what ever he plays fit into the music

[@Howie_Jr]

Just 3 Guys in their late 50's showing today's youth how its done... 3 hours into their set.

[@RidiculousRic]

A testament to just how great they truly are! Sounded amazing! Thanks for the support!

[@SnowDogisVictorious]

@@Howie_Jr As I marked my 56h birthday back in May, I figured that I could still display a similar level of energy for a show. The only problem is that I’ve never had to deal with stage lighting, in addition to the fact that I don’t know how to play a musical instrument, much less at a master level… so there’s that…

[@michaelbriefs9764]

This song is from their 1st album, in 1974. They had a different drummer and lyricist back then. Then Neil Peart joined mid-way through 1974, after the 1st album came out. The original drummer was unfit to go on a national tour to support the album, as he had health problems. That's when they auditioned new drummers and hired Mr. Peart (pronounced p-EAR-t), and the rest is history! But that song is a classic even if the lyrics are not as elevated. Note, it's cool that you studied in Psychology because that means you are going to get a lot out of reading Neil Peart's lyrics, more than the average music fan!

[@williamdemerchant7295]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/g6KbZXamfdRsmbcsi=hVJppsiHPUlFw_7d

[@RidiculousRic]

I appreciate all the feedback and support! Having a background in psychology definitely helps for sure:) excited to continue the Rush journey!

[@byronness7385]

The best part of this song is they completely changed it up from original… they were in there late 50’s an this was the final encore after a 3hr set! They were insanely good live

[@RidiculousRic]

Simply phenomenal! They went insane for this awesome encore:)

[@kimbarry4674]

Neil loved all genres of music especially reggae hip hop and jazz and loved incorporating it into their music...as you keep watching live youll hear that Geddy is a master on the bass ❤🇨🇦

[@RidiculousRic]

That’s amazing, I could imagine after playing so long that they love to throw in tasty change ups when they can!:)

[@therealspooks]

I'm glad you found them! Their albums are amazing, from the obscure to the fun! I have seen them many times in concert, my first show was in 83 for Signals...don't worry, keep at this rabbit hole, you'll find it along with some amazing music!! Very underrated band!!

[@RidiculousRic]

Excited to keep diving, hope to see you on the future videos, thanks for the support:)

[@ChristopherArtime-mf8nt]

Great review and love you enthusiasm with Rush...been listening to them for 40+ years.

[@jaycameronford]

This was the final encore of the night so they went mental for the crowd! This live version is a bit different than the studio version. They added the reggae sound at the beginning.

[@RidiculousRic]

Okay gotcha! This was still an awesome performance, they went off haha:) I downloaded the original version of the song and added it to my playlists after the recording here!

[@RayEvans-j1q]

A female DJ from Cleveland in need of a pee break, chose Working Man to cover her absence! RUSH’s first hit! The rest is history!

[@BoxerRick]

God bless ya, Ric. Love that mission statement. Get out there and let your light shine, Brother. ✌️❤️ from Ky

[@ErfaCrew]

If you want to see a group of crazy fans singing along to a Rush instrumental you have too watch YYZ Live in Rio

[@RidiculousRic]

I will definitely be getting that video up soon👀 hope to see you back again when it’s posted

[@theG-man-p2h]

This was at the end of a nearly 3 hour show! This was the song that really launched RUSH back in 1974. If you get the chance, you should definitely check out the original studio version of "Working Man", from their debut album, RUSH! FUN FACT: That first album featured original drummer John Rutsey who was replaced by Neil Peart due to some health issues. ☮

[@PromLesbian]

Want to know more about RUSH?? Check out RUSH'S Documentary - Beyond the Lighted Stage

[@RidiculousRic]

Thanks for the link and info, definitely gonna have to check it out:)

[@PromLesbian]

@RidiculousRic You will love it.

[@sarastromseth-troy3323]

If you do watch it, I think it would be fun to see you react to it as well. Other reactors have reacted to it in a handful of segments.

[@peckfamily995]

Saw them play there last note in L.A.. No other band will ever be on the level of RUSH

[@williamjones6031]

I give credit to this song for keeping me half sane for the god-awful 3 1/2 years in Hawaii. NOT an 808 fan.🤬 A band that played at a nearby bar/nightclub would play this and nail it. Giving me a reason to live. When they saw me roll in, they knew they were going to be "Working Men". RIP Neil.😇

[@sarastromseth-troy3323]

I always enjoy watching people see and hear this awesome live performance! My favorite part is Geddy and Alex shred! All three were masterful musicians. Interesting that you majored in clinical psychology! I was an English major, but have always been interested in psychology. To that end, you will probably find Neil's lyrics for Rush deep and thoughtful. One of my favorite Neil lyrics is the song 'Mission.' The live version from 1988 in Birmingham is excellent. Also, regarding 'Working Man': This is the song that launched Rush's career in the United States. In 1974, a Cleveland DJ, Donna Halper, played the song on the radio station WMMMS because she thought it would resonate with the working class culture there. It took off, and to this day, the band members keep in touch with Donna. She is also beloved in the Rush fandom. She had been the first female DJ on her college radio station in the late 1960s. After her career in radio, she got her PhD at age 65 and became a professor of media studies, and has done lectures on the history of radio. Last year, she hosted the audience Q&A for Geddy's book tour when it came through Cleveland. Just a fascinating person; I wish I had a college professor like Donna!

[@RidiculousRic]

Wow, thank you again for all the information! You have showed up in every video with support for me and also toms of information! I really appreciate it all! Thank you for constantly showing up! I would have loved to have a teacher like that as well haha! What other bands are you interested in if you don’t mind me asking?

[@sarastromseth-troy3323]

@RidiculousRic I am all over the map with music. Generally speaking, I like 70s rock, 80s pop, 90's rock, r&b, some jazz, and some classical. My favorite musician is Todd Rundgren. Most people react to his few popular 70s radio hits, but I love his deep cuts. He also fronted his prog rock band Utopia at the same time as his solo career, and is considered a legendary producer. I do social media posts for his music education foundation, The Spirit of Harmony Foundation, and have met him a few times. I also like Pink Floyd (and especially David Gilmour; he is one of my favorite guitarists; saw him in concert in 2016). For r&b, I am a big fan of Teena Marie (one of the few trailblazing white female artists in R&B in the 1970s who wrote and produced her own music, and played guitar; she passed away at just years old in 2010). So many others! There is so much great music out there!

[@matthewhoag2609]

The reggae intro is not on the studio version - it’s what you do to keep it fresh when you’ve played it night after night for 30+ years.

[@johnaragon2182]

So true .. I still love the original studio version.

[@RidiculousRic]

The reggae was a great touch! I downloaded he original studio version after hearing this one as well!

[@guidosarducci]

3 solos simultaneously...just ridiculously cool!

[@guidosarducci]

👍👍

[@Macstick]

Good job Ric !! Sooo many bands journey, van Halen, Styx, Kansas, yes, Molly hatchet, Skynyrd, Seger, eagles on on on 🔥🍻😎

[@RidiculousRic]

I got you😎, thank you for all the support, hope to see you on the future videos my friend

[@HeviNova]

Down the Rush rabbit hole. That riff at the end is Cygnus X1. More rabbit holes.

[@jedsall2010]

I like how they changed the song. This was released before Neil joined the band, and every time I've seen them perform it live I've thought that it's like Peart meeting his wife's ex-boyfriend, but this version was showing she was over him and in a new life

[@stevedockeray]

music is one of the best therapies - get stressed crank the tunes

[@RidiculousRic]

Music is therapeutic, 100% agree!:)

[@SnowDogisVictorious]

About Geddy’s farewell words for the Cleveland audience, the reason someone asked you not to cut off such things in the future was that it was in Cleveland that Rush first broke into a major market (as Cleveland still was at that time). Canada was a professional music publishing backwater in those days, with just a handful of outposts of some major US labels in the country. Rush wasn’t able to snag a record contract from any of them, so they self-produced their eponymous 1974 debut and put it out under their own, brand new label (launched for that very purpose by their manager… who, by the way, would remain their manager for the next 50 years and counting). Most of the songs on this album were suitable for FM radio play (i.e. they were short enough, which could not be said for most of the songs that would appear on the 18 studio albums that would follow), but Rush just couldn’t break through, even in their home market of Toronto. So, their management started sending out unsolicited copies of the album to US markets too. The copy that found its way to the Cleveland rock station was first heard by its program manager, Donna Harper, who also had the distinction of being one of the very first women disc jockeys in the US. She reckoned that Rush’s music would be perfect for her listeners, who mostly came from the working class. She also thought that the longer songs on the album would be perfect for DJs to play when they had to go to the bathroom. It was thanks to Halper’s decision to take a flyer on Rush that the band would very soon get the US record deal that had been alluding them. That’s because “Working Man” was soon in heavy rotation, due to the many requests that starting flooding in for it. As Halper mentioned in the documentary everybody has been urging you to watch (Beyond the Lighted Stage), at first callers generally seemed to believe that what they had heard was a new Zeppelin record. [By the way, Alex and Geddy would be the first to admit today that their first album was largely derivative of the bands they were into at the time, chief among them, Zeppelin.] With the replacement of their original drummer, John Rutsey (by Neil Peart, as others have noted), their next albums took a decided turn towards bands like Genesis and King Crimson, while keeping the blues-rock kick of bands like Zeppelin. Anyway, Donna Halper is widely credited with having discovered Rush. And the band never forgot her or the city that gave them their big break. So, it was only appropriate that the DVD for their Time Machine tour would be made in Cleveland. That’s why Getty‘s heartfelt thanks at the end of the show were significant. PS - Rush began filling areas in 1979 and never looked back. The fact that they sold out most nights for over 30 years is a testament to the devotion of their rabid fan base. It’s also why reacting to rush during the early stages of one channel is a very good idea.

[@ryancraig2795]

Donna rocks!

[@RidiculousRic]

@@SnowDogisVictorious wow, thank you out so much for all this information! Thank you for taking the time to write all of this out and I will definitely not cut the end off in future videos:) I love that they broke out in such a unique way, especially since they couldn’t get a deal done at first. Also, that makes me happy to hear that they were influenced by Zeppelin. They really set the bar and Rush raised it:)

[@SnowDogisVictorious]

@@RidiculousRic I should have also added that I saw the Time Machine Tour at a couple of stops the band did in Hamilton, Ontario, a city of about 800,00 in between Toronto and Buffalo (and only about 15 miles from where Peart was raised… Alex, Geddy, and their original drummer, John, attended the same high school in what was then a suburb of Toronto called Willowdale. Today, it’s just part of an ever growing City of Toronto… but I digress!… I do that a lot, you’ll undoubtedly find). Perhaps needless to say, Rush’s following in Southern Ontario was thick and dense, so they’d usually either add a show in Hamilton or London (a city of about 500,000 that’s half way between Toronto and Detroit (and in which I currently reside) - while always also saving a couple of shows for Toronto. Normally, a band of this celebrity wouldn’t play smaller arenas like those of Hamilton or London, and I bet you they probably only broke even on those gigs, but they were a very charitable trio.

[@SnowDogisVictorious]

By the way, there’s another legendary Canadian band, The Guess Who, who wrote about relatively the same subject as Rush’s Working Man. You’ve likely heard it in old Staples commercials. It’s called Taking Care of Business. You should give it a listen too.

[@dougvallis8906]

It is a Bachman-Turner Overdrive song not the Guess Who. Randy Bachman was in the Guess Who though "TCoB" is a great BTO song among others from them.

[@roypaq]

Note that this is a Canadian band from Toronto

[@dontpokethebear4190]

Legend Prog rockers putting on a great show

[@Fredericktomperugini]

LONG LIVE RUSH ❤

[@TheHumanExperienceEducator]

Thanks for the awesome message ✨ such a great reminder

[@RidiculousRic]

@@TheHumanExperienceEducator thank you so much for the support🫶🏼

[@donmcewan8807]

Great reaction bro! Cant wait for more rush. Its your reaction, you wanna pause, then pause 👍

[@RidiculousRic]

@@donmcewan8807 I appreciate the support! Will definitely keep checking out more Rush and other classic bands I’m not as familiar with, hope to see you around the channel!

[@charlesmclaughlin3578]

Billy Talent is pretty popular in Canada

[@sirsuse]

WORKING MAN live intro is different than the studio version. You may want to check out the studio version as well.

[@carlpeterson8182]

This is a good version because Alex goes crazy. Personally I like the original version better but it is Rush and so it is all awesome!

[@RidiculousRic]

I downloaded the original version after this recording, both were amazing:)!

[@cityhonors1]

🤗 Yaaaaaas! What a pleasant surprise! 😁🥰🐰

[@Bill123058]

awesome. this is the song that made me a Rush fan back in 1974.

[@RidiculousRic]

I can see why haha, great performance and song:)

[@jackteppo9633]

I was at this Awsome show for free. Center on the floor😊😊😊

[@jackteppo9633]

This show is on DVD live😊

[@jewel_laughs]

Wow, I so wish I was there. Good on ya!

[@RidiculousRic]

For free? Wow! Jealous. How times have changed haha, love that for you:)

[@arnoldcox9128]

That's a great performance

[@louissonier840]

Fly by night. The video with early Rush

[@vgspro5365]

Fun song! Good reaction! Keep it going!

[@RidiculousRic]

@@vgspro5365 thank you for the support:)!

[@cityhonors1]

🙋🏿‍♀️ May I suggest 'Free Will' next. Think you'll dig the message of that Rush song too. 🥰🐰

[@roba7737]

Bet you never saw 3 band members solo at the same time before.

[@alleyeditor]

Thanks Rick. You should definitely go back and listen to the album version of Working Man, its off their first album and it was the first song Rush got radio airplay on in the USA. Donna Halper was the DJ who played it in the great city of Cleveland. And as folks below said, YYZ live in Rio is mind blowing. BTW that tasty litter riff at the end, as you put it, is from their A Farewell to Kings album and the song is Cygnus X-1.

[@RidiculousRic]

Thank you for the information and recommendation:) I definitely downloaded the album version after I heard this one!:)

[@correctlyrics]

Good job to all the ppl who told him to listen to this live version. (That was sarcasm) Now he thinks the song starts with reggae. 🤦 To all those ppl...was this the 1st version YOU heard?????? No, it wasn't. You heard the studio version first. Why would you take that away from someone?????.

[@mikewoodrow5878]

Rush live - new sub! Peace from Toronto

[@RidiculousRic]

@@mikewoodrow5878 thank you for the support, new Rush reaction up in a couple hours:)

[@kennypierce8221]

How can you beat that!!!

[@FlightinDarkness-eb7uh]

great reaction u will return to this one for some power or caffeine lol, glad your passions are coming to light and your desire to help others are a reward in itself but also be rewarded in different ways and good surprises will surface for you. take care brother

[@RidiculousRic]

@@FlightinDarkness-eb7uh thank you for the support and kind words:) hope to see you on more video my friend! New Rush reaction up in a few hours🤝🏼

[@FlightinDarkness-eb7uh]

@@RidiculousRic your welcome

[@mikeoflaherty]

I was at this show too. If you listen closely, you can hear me shouting in the audience 😜

[@carlpeterson8182]

I was there also. You can see arms raised up once. Teddy was also saying best audience ever to me and not anyone else.😜

[@RidiculousRic]

Love this😂🫡

[@Fred-vy1hm]

Take a look at the stage lights during the reggae section, they are red, green and yellow to signify Canada and Jamaica, then when the change drops they become bright white. Geddy and Alex were 58 here, Neil was 59, not too shabby for a trio of geriatrics eh? P.S. never stop a Rush video early like you did here, it's not over until it's over, I watched another reacter miss the entire last verse of Cygnus X-1 book ll Hemispheres because Rush put 3 seconds of silence between the last two verses and the guy thought it was done. My vote is for La Villa Strangiato next, the official video. 😊

[@RidiculousRic]

Thank you for the feedback and support! I’ll definitely keep it all in mind for sure! I don’t catch that the stage lights were different, what a great touch!:)

[@roypaq]

I recommend rush live 1997 2112

[@Prone2Thrill]

I would suggest doing the OG studio versions before the live so you know what they did differently live. This was done in Cleveland because Ohio was the first radio station to break RUSH with this song.

[@RidiculousRic]

Ooooh gotcha! I will definitely try to do studios more often, I did download the studio version of this song after this recording and it was great:)

[@jewel_laughs]

Nice job Ric, you fought the urge to pause and it paid off 👍 I like the way you approached the lyrics at the end. The successful reactors always share a bit about themselves and your share put a smile on my face! As you get more familiar with RUSH, you will see they have a great sense of humor and playfulness. They threw a curve ball at the fans by starting the song with reggae. This song was the first of theirs to get airplay in the U.S. and it happened to be in Cleveland thus, "Best audience ever." As the song played on the radio, people called in to the station believing it was actually Led Zeppelin. As much as I love RUSH (my #1) and as supportive as the fans are, you need to throw in other bands too. I've seen RUSH exclusive channels crash. Good crossover bands are Pink Floyd (comfortably numb most requested live: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJqalKh3n6aliNU) and Queen (somebody to love live: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3KVeoWlhat8pJI). To really grow, you will need at least 2 vids a day, always uploaded at the same time of day.

[@RidiculousRic]

I appreciate all the feedback, thank you very much! I definitely will not be only uploading Rush, I plan to branch out for sure:) I just am familiar with many other bands from the time and Rush just happens to be very unfamiliar, pretty much untouched haha! The more support everyone gives the more videos I’ll be uploading and more constant:) I have a full time job so it prohibits me from making videos sometimes but with the more support I’ll definitely make time! Thank you for supporting the channel and offering insight, I’ll definitely be uploading more soon!

[@PasqualeCastillo]

If you ever get to " passage to Bangkok " try the live version first. Only song I've heard live that was better than studio

[@mdu2112]

Don't cut off Geddy's special thank you to Cleveland! 😢

[@RidiculousRic]

@@mdu2112 sorry😭

[@karbasher]

another banger 🙏🙏

[@matthewhoag2609]

That tasty little riff at the end is from Cygnus X-1 Book 1 - which I don’t believe they were able to play that night. This was 2011, so they had 18 albums of material to chose from. They would play nearly 3 hours with a 30-song set list, and would still have a ton of songs they didn’t have time for.

[@robhazlett6399]

I told you they are amazing and you have only just started your Ruch journey If you like guitar legends check out Stevie Ray Vaughan(pronounced Von) May I suggest Texas flood Live at Mocambo

[@RidiculousRic]

Thank you for the suggestion, I’ll definitely have to check that out:)

[@jtfjtf3921]

👏🙌

[@RidiculousRic]

@@jtfjtf3921 appreciate you JT always🤞🏼

[@stevedockeray]

this is 70s Rush that was a lot heavier - the original does not have the reggae beginning

[@Lemmingadventures]

This song is a pre Neil Peart song, so the lyrics aren't all that deep. This version is not the way the original version is on the album. It's also important to know that most of the time, there isn't a guitar solo. It's just a solo, because when Alex is soloing, usually all three of them are soloing.

[@RidiculousRic]

Haha gotcha! I downloaded the studio version after this recording and it was a bit different but still great haha:)

[@TreysLosingItRapidly]

😎

[@RidiculousRic]

Thanks for the support as always🙏🏼

[@kevinjennings238]

OK, I just have a few "PRO-Reactor" Tips for ya>>> On Your Keyboard are some "Quick-Buttons" to make your Needs EASIER & SMOOTHER: The Space Bar is "Pause & Play" / the "J" Key Takes the Video BACK 10 seconds per tap (2 times = 20 secs, etc) These will be Hard for you to get Used to, without using your Mouse, BUT it Eliminates US Seeing your Arrow go all over the screen. Also, if you're looking at a Chat Feed on your Right, it makes US Think you're Not Interested in Watching the Video. Plus, during RUSH "LIVE" videos, ONE Second will make you Miss an Important part! Other than that, Keep Rockin'!!! ~~Daytona Snooper*

[@RidiculousRic]

@@kevinjennings238 appreciate all the tips and information:) thank you very much haha! I’ll definitely try to work on this in the future! Appreciate you🤝🏼

[@thatsnice99]

Great performance, but Rio is better and CLEANER , less mistakes.

[@kevinjennings238]

OK..... RIC... First, Read My Previous Comment Below for some Useful Info...... BUT.... Apparently, Nobody, so far, has Corrected you on the Proper Way to SAY Neil's LAST Name... Say "PEERT", NOT "PERT" .... like the TEARS that we All Shed, Knowing that He'll Never Perform for Us Again! (Until We Meet Him on "The Other Side of the Veil"!) You're Welcome! ~~ Daytona Snooper*

[@johnmcmullen4586]

Is this song about Trump

[@edb6690]

I really don't like this version, they butcher the song. Do the album version and you will see.

[@darrengorup3322]

This version sucks, the album version is far superior!

[@2l84t]

Rush live and you're saying it sucks. 🖕🖕