Tom Sawyer (Rush) - Alex Lifeson Isolated Guitar

[@adam872]

I love how unhinged it sounds with all those big ringing chords, chorus + distortion and multiple overdubs. In this context it just assaults your ears from all directions but in the mix it absolutely rules.

[@devinthierault]

You've got Andy Summer, Alex Lifeson, and Eddie Van Halen all having the best tones at the same time. The early 80s were great.

[@Red_Dead_Director]

I gained a lot from looking up his three play along lessons - I learned the songs years ago, but never played them the same after having Alex play the song lick by lick with what makes alex's sound his own - lots of 4th fret B's on the G string combined with open B on the B string - he always finds a way to sneak them in - like you said his ringing chords are unhinged and assaulting to the ear (in a wonderful way)

[@kevinsheppard2312]

For those wondering, there was an interview with Alex Geddy and Terry Brown looking at the multi tracks for Tom Sawyer, and Alex explains how during the first parts, there was two different tracks. One with the straight power chords, and one with the jazz-ish chords. Also the jazz chords track had a bit of chorus where the straight one didn't. That why this has such a huge sound!

[@firstborncirillo]

Yeah, I can hear the tensions (in the “jazz-ish” chords) ringing out with the chorus effect. I think Alex and Terry began exploring this playing and recording technique starting with Hemispheres and had mastered it by Moving Pictures. I also think that Andy Summers (and many other guitarists’ sounds in the 80s) were on to this modern sound.

[@jacquesfinster5034]

@@firstborncirillo Listen Cocteu Twins-Garlands al8um

[@luisfd70]

0:52 When I heard this in 1981 I was surprised by that dark sound, I really liked it. It was my first Rush album

[@joesumma7020]

:51 to :57 is one of the best rock guitar riffs ever recorded.

[@jevinday]

Absolutely

[@Heaven-dy9lj]

@b.schmidt3701 Yep its quite hard. I flit between this -picking, and just playing the bass line. : )

[@davelazar2600]

It just shows how amazing Alex Lifeson is when you can sit and enjoy listening to an isolated guitar track. 😯

[@maximilianodelrio]

Alex is simply a beast, one of the best guitarists ever

[@snipermonkey6885]

Alex Lifeson describes his guitar solo in "Tom Sawyer" in a 2007 interview: I winged it. Honest! I came in, did five takes, then went off and had a cigarette. I'm at my best for the first two takes; after that, I overthink everything and I lose the spark. Actually, the solo you hear is composed together from various takes.

[@Red_Dead_Director]

Alex just explained my golf swing when I spend too much time at the driving range as opposed to just playing a round

[@adamcontreras1486]

This makes me really want to hear the originals

[@chatter7653]

That tone is the toughest thing to cop....how he can retain ANY note definition during arpeggiated chords and just in general with that very specific crunchy distortion he gets is amazing.

[@aaronhi50]

chatter I heard he recorded multiple tracks, so I guess we're hearing that

[@ehcmier]

+Aaron Grossman Also, according to a recent article: "Geddy Lee: '[Engineer] Paul [Northfield] came up with this weird way of mic-ing [Alex’s] amp that created that super interesting ambient sound.' AL: 'And then the song came to life.' GL: 'That’s really when the song took off.'"

[@joaquinodriozola4963]

+chatter even open string arpeggios!! amazing!

[@michaelwoods9005]

it's actually not that difficult, you just need two amps. if you listen carefully you can hear one amp set crystal clean (or direct to the board), and one or two layered overdriven tracks. you aren't going to get this sound playing through just one amp.

[@daveskritterkingdom]

@@ehcmier There's so much going on with his guitar sound. The chorus is lighter than I would have thought, but there's a trailing echo or reverb that's pretty heavy behind the guitar. I can never master his guitar tone and effects as much as I try. Then the guitar solo is so dry and compressed. Man he sure plays clean and smooth or it's was just a lot of takes. Impressive!

[@nov20five]

Let me use a food analogy: Alex's guitar on Rush records is like a lasagna with all it's multi-layered goodness. The rest of us guitar players, myself included, have to try our best to emulate a lasagna when all we have is a few pieces of fettuccini. What we create is still pasta, but it's no lasagna!

[@togmor]

Love this idea. Must use more food analogies 😂

[@SoulSonder26]

I like your analogy. Respect, from a guy who also makes unnecessary analogies 😅

[@anthonysclafani3963]

When you listen to the solo you can def hear how Billy Corgan from Smashing Pumpkins was influenced by this

[@averyetvspecial1487]

Good call, very Gish & Siamese

[@renatonicolau5366]

I agree Anthony Sclafani.👏👏👏

[@luckylayne]

even the sound is like the Cherub Rock solo tone

[@hraith]

Billy Corgan - another absolute genius. He can layer effects like a stack of pancakes.

[@johnnybrown9581]

Everyone in the comments says he’s “using heavy chorus” but he might not be. When you have many, many layered guitar tracks like it sounds like he does in this song, it does tend to sound like a chorus effect because of the tiny differences in each track.

[@maximilianodelrio]

he does use chorus though, and the effect becomes even stronger when you overlay multiple tracks

[@kirkdecker6228]

The particular chorus he is using is made by Loft and it's a analog chorus. Very hard to find unit.

[@Thompsongs]

I didn't appreciate just how much his guitar SCREAMS in the solo until hearing it isolated. It reminds me of the squeal/scream Brian May would get on some songs. I love it.

[@mathijsbastiaansen5394]

My favorite guitarist ever

[@oafonfile9907]

Amazing tone. Monstrous!

[@black__bread]

Monstrous! Nailed it

[@pschroeter1]

Four greatest power chords in rock music.

[@snapascrew]

they are not power chords.

[@Edawg4214]

One of them is

[@snapascrew]

curragh 42 go and watch Alex’s lesson of the song (the one where his PRS is on a stand without a strap). The first chord is a power chord, the 2nd is not, the third is not, the 4th is not...

[@BitcoinWillFixEverything]

The members of Rush where such nice people and made incredible music. Definitely in the top 10.

[@markr.devereux3385]

Lifeson really delves into artistic territory as he finds chord shapes and melodies in this fantastic. track. Good health and sincere best wishes from a fellow guitar player

[@ZodiacGroove]

The king of arpeggios

[@zaltaire]

1:55-2:00. i wish that part went through the entire song

[@hraith]

I love the notes he picks and the way he plays them. I just wish I could play guitar well enough to play along.

[@AlexandreMitsuruKomuro]

Escutando a parte isolada do Alex Lifeson confirma o que ele outrora disse em um vídeo a respeito de Tom Sawyer: A parte dele é simples. Mas que dá liga para outros instrumentos. A parte dele no ritmo da música é extremamente vital. Graças as características dele dentro da banda permitiu que Neil e Geddy brilhasse no virtuosismo instrumental deles. É incrível como a idiossincrasia dos três deu tanto certo. Por essas e outras mesmo Alex sendo desprezado e subestimado por muitos. Não tenha dúvidas que ele é vital para o sucesso desse trio power da qual na minha opinião se não é o maior, é um dos maiores. Se o Alex fosse limitado com certeza teriam acrescentado outro membro na banda. E todos fazem duas funções no mínimo. Quem não conhece a banda, a primeira impressão é que se trata de uma banda com outros instrumentistas. E ficam surpresos quando observam que se trata de três caras fazendo o que faz.

[@DethThrasher1]

insane sound

[@ENormMusic]

Maybe dubs but it is his way of playing guitar.. One of the Kings!

[@dannomusic47]

Nothing he can’t play live though.

[@frankblunt2482]

You can hear his 'Townshend'.

[@wphh7272]

This is what your rock album sounds like when you let your guitarist mix it without the rest of the band's or producer's input.

[@CoachDave12]

I'd be curious to know which came first- the vocal or guitar melody

[@mackenroll6914]

This is fucking awesome.

[@skyprop]

Heavy Chorus Used

[@luisangeljuarezmartindelca2693]

Beautiful ❤️✨️

[@masque1313]

thanks for posting awesome stuff

[@fmgee1959]

At 1:37 you can hear the snare crack causing the wood of the guitar to reverberate.

[@kevinsheppard2312]

I've noticed that quite a bit too especially in the isolated bass parts. My guess was they were tracking drums and bass simultaneously with Ged's amp In an isolated room. I know they said they did this when they were "younger" but did not specify.

[@todda.2088]

Can you do Spirit of the Radio ( Studio Version ) And to " J " This is absolutely the album guitar track . Instrument tracks always sound different when isolated. More dynamics , notes ....etc . Thanks for the post !

[@snipermonkey6885]

This is their best album.

[@fgs2732]

Sniper Monkey I think Permanent Waves was more complex and all three members were on top of their game instrumentally

[@greatcoldemptiness]

Wrong. Power Windows and Hemispheres are. Moving Pictures is overrated as is 2112 and Permanent Waves

[@markcamp1]

This is fucking awesome. THANK YOU!!!! Gonna learn it soon!!!!

[@jevinday]

There's a video of Lifeson himself teaching how to play it. I can send you the link if you ever want it. Or just search how to play tom sawyer and you'll see it.

[@jeffburgert8929]

Sounds like 60 or so tracks!!!

[@brianrushford4057]

So this is a mixture of his Howard Roberts Fusion and his 355,I thought it was all the Howard Roberts as that is what he used live

[@Boleskinebeatz]

If you haven't heard his new Envy Of None record you really should check it out. Sooo good.

[@antonioortiz4544]

Monster tone.

[@bignz721]

2:35 Yes, you're air drumming

[@iddddaduncan]

Is it me or does his thumb look like a (guess)?

[@reshiram202]

Yes it does look like a thumb

[@LudwigSC93]

LOL....never noticed that.

[@hermanhelmich]

iddddaduncan oops

[@dannomusic47]

Damn

[@headly21]

Wait, this must be a live recording? The ending is their live speil. The studio recording just fades out.

[@dandavidson1704]

No bro this the studio track they just faded it out on the album

[@JMnyJohns]

Thanks - helps. Now I know why I can't get that tone! :)

[@ultimateclassic4092]

I have no idea why people think it's impossible to isolate instruments from their original recording. People doubted that the video on Neil's drum part, saying it was fake and someone drummed over it. It's not that hard to isolate instruments in a recording.

[@samwright6628]

EmpireGaming then do it for freewill

[@parkerdavidson5868]

Actually yes it is. These came from rock band and guitar hero for the most part. They weren't "isolated", it is just the guitar track without the other instruments' tracks, not the full track "cut down" to just guitar

[@michaelwiley1429]

I think I read somewhere that it was Geddy who actually put the guitar solo together from the various takes. Anyone else hear that?

[@qte5530]

😏 truth be known😘 Accept nothing less😉👍

[@luizcarlosrauberoliv]

2:02

[@levig384]

Why do they always use the weirdest pictures for the isolated videos

[@Sasqadian]

What you heard was an illusion...

[@markgrant1302]

Suprisingly a simple guitar part with a lot of very full inversions... delay, reverb... just ringing out...doesn't sound like a lot of overdubs just a lot of strings ringing out. Sounds like the same tone on the bridge pickup... he wasn't the most complicated player in the same way Pete Townshend couldn't be because someone has to hold the busy drums and busy bass together. Bery interesting.

[@gibsonplayer8]

Everything he plays sound overly saturated with distortion. If you listen to the entire mix, especially the solo, there is so much more clarity to it. I suspect that these tracks were extracted before mixing.

[@MiloMatthews]

How did you do that?

[@MiloMatthews]

awesome!!!!

[@ravbav73]

How do you do this, I need to know

[@shortwinger3]

Most likely from either the guitar hero or the rock band games. You can isolate the instruments through the volume settings in options menus. I don't know if you can do the same with the Recently released Guitar Hero Live or Rock Band 4 games though, but yeah. It's possible to mute every other instruments but the one you want to hear in those games.

[@dvdfrnzwbr]

He could be playing it himself, and it's not the origional recording

[@snapascrew]

deffs the original recording, how could you even hesitate. 10000000% alex in 1979.

[@marsattacks7071]

huge sound ! 3 piece band...

[@MrElement80]

Only if this was really Alex playing, this just someone playing with a recording

[@jamesrockford2626]

is this real? it sounds kinda sloppy and the guitar is slightly out of tune

[@hostile177]

No. It's an unusual choice of chords.

[@tomflynn924]

It's 3 or 4 guitars overdubbed, one or more may be chorused too which is actually slight de-tuning for a fatter sound. The playing is slightly out of sync because you can't play it to millisecond accuracy when you overlay multiple guitar parts.

[@rgdec74]

Its just heavily chorused. Typical sound. Plus like song man said i think he layered three or four guitars with two using chorus. You can really hear the chorus wave but when mixed in the sound sits really well. The wave is also calculated to avoid phasing issues. Great stuff going on there.

[@ixcygnusxi9107]

Obviously real bud.

[@chrisgeorge6321]

Geez someone turn down the reverb

[@axe2grind911]

This is not a real isolated track. The guitar is not even playing the same exact chords as the original.

[@matthewprather189]

Yes it is

[@maximilianodelrio]

what are you talking about?