as a drummer myself for 50 years now retired I appreciate your Dad's comment on Neil's playing. most people would never think about a drummer in this way . thanks Larry
Makes sense: the early 80s were the apex of the cold war. Everyone knew we'd have 30 minutes to live if any side pressed the red button. Be it first, or not. No wonder why the album is dark and apocalyptic-like.
Neil's drumming is always musically complex and composed to be lyrical, which makes every listen of a song a new experience. Most songs you will notice Neil hardly ever plays the same patterns and same fills, he changes small details that get more and more intricate throughout every song. The more you listen, the more you hear.
This song is off Grace Under Pressure (1984), a time when Rush had a more commercial sound. Favorites of mine that you have not done - Finding My Way, Spirit of the Radio, Freewill, Closer to the Heart, Red Barchetta, Fly By Night.
This was probably the last album in succession I admired for a while til they started getting back ti their roots again. Although I like a couple songs off of Hold Your Fire ( Force Ten, Prime Mover)
The 70s material was a very commercial sound for that time too. The band Ged and Alex were trying to imitate on the first record did very, very well with it, as did many others.
@@generoberts9151 2112 saved their career by selling a ton of records and then selling out the concert tour. They didn't storm the top 40 or anything, but those records were quite commercially successful. And Yes, Genesis, and ELP were doing similar music at the time and also selling a lot of records.
@@ischmidt define “commercially successful” because isn’t that what storming the top 40 means? If you mean they sold a lot of records then yes their fan base was very big. Rush has a grass roots popularity
Great taste in loving Rush, Ethan. I'm 60 and only saw them once, about 12 years ago, with my eldest son Derek, also a huge Rush fan. We saw them at the then-named Molson Amphitheatre, large tented area on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition (the venerable old CNE) in Geddy's and Alex's hometown of Toronto. It was a great concert. They are one of the few bands that sound live pretty much how they sound on record.
@@fatherandsonreactions Thanks for the personal note, Ethan. Keep up the good work with your dad. Don't know exactly how much Rush you guys have reacted to but maybe you can do me a favour and listen to a song by them that I have never seen a reaction to and that you hardly ever hear on the radio even though it's a great little uptempo hard rocker from start to finish - Best That I Can from the Fly By Night album. Hope you give it a try.
Cool to hear this is your favorite group. Mine too ever since I heard them in 74. Love their early stuff and that is what got me hooked. Really like this song too and if you haven't seen the video to this song check it out. Thanks
You're spot on Larry! when you said Neil seemed like he was singing while playing the drums. He was the lyricist on virtually every rush song, so that makes perfect sense.
Neil was DEFINITELY the Captain of that Ship... No Doubt. If it wasn't for Alex and Geddy auditioning him for their replacement drummer, Rush's first album probably would've been lost to history.
I’m kinda confused why so many people say that. I love the 80s era of Rush. There’s no denying that the 70s was amazing, but the 80s was great too! 🤘 -Ethan
@@fatherandsonreactions Neil: "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 ... I think this album [Grace Under Pressure] is the cohesive realization of all those experiments that took place on Signals, and I think that it has an integrity to it as an album from the first song right through to the last song, they all belong together, and they all sort of follow one from the other very naturally ... it has really good dynamics, and it goes up and down and in and out [again!] and everything seems to follow on, and it also has that little thread of a theme to it." Alex: "There’s something about the sound and the power and the quality of the songwriting that really strikes me. I really love that record [GUP] ... And I think it's odd, I hear a lot from our fans or people who know the band who wish that we were back to the days of '2112'. I'm not sure if that's because of the music so much, as maybe where the people were at a certain point in their lives. I remember certain albums, where I was, and I feel very strongly about those records, even though the bands went on and progressed and tried to do many different things. I guess you can't make everybody happy all the time. We really try to make ourselves happy first before we try to make anyone else happy, and I think that's probably the most important ingredient of the band. And the true fans really acknowledge that and understand that ... We just felt we were working to a formula that was a little stale. It was time to move on ... it felt like something fresh and new was coming with the 80s. And we wanted to write in a more economical way. We still wanted to pack as much musical punch as we could but in a shorter framework. So it seemed like a natural progression, a natural evolution for us. We're always trying to move forward with everything."
Best Canadian band of all times 😎👍 next one from Rush - Red Sector A = song about holocaust . Geddy Lee ( singer ) parents was survive to holocaust . Neil Peart ( drummer ) deep lyric . 😎👍 good day to you both . 🙋♂🤝
@@fatherandsonreactions thank you 😎👍 my main language is french . please , when you can , react to this french song from Quebec --> Éric Lapointe - Loadé comme un gun = loaded like a gun ( official video ) 🎶🎶👍
I really like this track. The first few seconds of it remind me a bit of The Police - another great power trio from the 80s. Power Windows is also a great album with Middletown Dreams and Marathon being particularly good tracks
They released it as a single and created a very cheesy 80's video of it, so anyone paying attention to Rush in the smallest way back then would probably have known about the song even if they didn't actively listen. The same is true for some others like Red Sector A (a freakin' amazing song off this album), Big Money, and Time Stands Still. They might not have been played on to Top 40 Hits stations, but they had music videos on MTV! And Peart's greatest drumming talent has always been making his drumming an actual instrument. In the other song, Red Sector A, you can hear it clear as day. His other great(est) talent was as a lyricist. Listen to that song, or even The Pass... you won't be able to listen to any other band's lyrics after that.
Yes all Rush is good, but I'm into older Rush (Rush, Fly By Night, Caress of Steel, 2112, A Farewell to Kings, Hemispheres, Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures)
Great reaction and analysis 👏.!! You are correct about Neil's talents. His drumming and his lyrics were much deeper than we thought, at the time. Please do Between The Wheels, if you haven't already. It's another banger!! See what you think.
If you want to experience Rush live I suggest to you the Rush Live in Rio DVDs. Recorded in 2002 at the end of their Vapor Trails tour. It was before they began to show signs of decline. Geddy's voice and Neil's physical health were still at their top plus there's a ton of extras that you must see.
the 70's and 80's rock radio would play 4 or 5 songs and then give the name of the bands and the songs. i think this song was among those , i've heard it but i don't know it. i always thought it was Supertramp. and i always thought if your gonna be a tramp , be a super one. next Rush song > "No Hurry")
I love this era of Rush. Neil's songwriting was far more mature than it was in the 70s, Geddy was effortlessly tossing out amazing basslines, and several top 10 Alex solos happened on these records. Lyrically this one's definitely a period piece. 1984 was the peak of Cold War hysteria, when we were still doing nuclear bomb drills in school. It did get us the hilarious MTV video with Alex's son (or it might've been Geddy's) riding a missile in front of a green screen though.
The lyrics are only dated if you only consider Neil's words at the surface level, which is often not the case with Rush and certainly not here. It is really about a person's (Neil's?) relationship with a close friend, someone he really cares about, and his concern for their well-being.
Not surprised Larry's heard this one. It got a LOT of radio play. I've always loved RUSH, but I've always loved YES more, but the interesting thing is, RUSH agrees with me 🙂 I believe Chris Squire is the reason Geddy played a Rickenbacker Bass. If you guys still haven't seen Alex Lifeson's speech at the RRHOF, along with Rick Wakeman's speech, you should check out both of them. Just trust me on this 🙂 Oh yes, one more thing, both of you need to listen to 'Hi Ren' by Ren. Yes... just trust me on this too 🙂
Also, you should check out: Rush: By-Tor & The Snow Dog (Lyrics) Don't watch the live version, because they cut half the song. The song is about the producer's two dogs: a German Shepherd nicknamed By-tor (biter) and a poodle nicknamed Snowdog - the song is about the two dogs playing in the snow. You can hear a representation of the Shepherd growling and the poodle yipping - it is hilarious. Neil Peart created an entirely new mythology with the lyrics of this song. czcams.com/video/a1vlx2a_aDE/video.html
They lost me on this album. I was a hardcore Rush fan back then, but the sound just changed too much. It was just the way things were going at that time. A lot of bands reinvented themselves when all the synth sound stuff started to take over. Van Halen was another band that seemed to have the same idea.
I have a few facts for the two of you. When Neil was playing in Rush, he was known as the professor. To me, he was the absolute best drummer in rock music history. Most of all the music critics agree that John Bonham from Lead Zeppelin was a better drummer, except I definitely don't agree with them.
I agree with you 1000% Landré. Neil to me beats out other drummers like Bonham & Keith Moon. Neil was simply more skilled then they were & more musical ability -Ethan
Thank you for typing that message, Ethan. Are you the son or father? I'm thinking you're the younger of the two. The reason why I believe that Neil was the better drummer's because of the passion he had for the music he played, not because of him being a Canadian. As you might know, every person on this planet has DNA. None of us has the same DNA, including intentional twins. To prove this, go out and search for two of them and ask them polite to see their fingerprints. That's how you'll know there are differences between them. Continue having yourself an excellent night. B'bye.
I was a massive Rush fan up to this album.....this album was imho the last great Rush album... it signalled a change to their synth based era. An era that frankly changed them from the most amazing power trio to merely a very good band! Geddy's voice had lost that distinctive sound to a monotone talk. They started to sound like lots of bands at that time instead of the unique band they were. Yeah a few good songs on the albums from now on instead of every song being a classic. Compare Xanadu, Freewill, The Trees etc to this...... .....there is no comparison.
I'm still not convinced by Rush, it sounds like an audition and I don't like the sound of the vocals. For a radically different Canadian vocal you could try Crash Test Dummies and their unusual 1993 hit - Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm...
as a drummer myself for 50 years now retired I appreciate your Dad's comment on Neil's playing. most people would never think about a drummer in this way . thanks Larry
Agreed, for melodic composition, he could not be beat. Average listeners don’t always pick that out!
Grace Under Pressure is Rush’s darkest album with the possible exception of Vapor Trails.
I always try to suggest “Earthshine” off of Vapor Trails. Has such a cool drop and riff. Great later tune.
When you start with "Afterimage", that kind of sets the tone. And "Red Sector A" isn't happy subject matter either.
Vapor Trails has plenty of upbeat, positive songs on it.
Makes sense: the early 80s were the apex of the cold war. Everyone knew we'd have 30 minutes to live if any side pressed the red button. Be it first, or not. No wonder why the album is dark and apocalyptic-like.
Larry - your take on Neil's drumming is spot on. He was a musical and lyrical genius
Neil's drumming is always musically complex and composed to be lyrical, which makes every listen of a song a new experience. Most songs you will notice Neil hardly ever plays the same patterns and same fills, he changes small details that get more and more intricate throughout every song. The more you listen, the more you hear.
This song is off Grace Under Pressure (1984), a time when Rush had a more commercial sound. Favorites of mine that you have not done - Finding My Way, Spirit of the Radio, Freewill, Closer to the Heart, Red Barchetta, Fly By Night.
This was probably the last album in succession I admired for a while til they started getting back ti their roots again. Although I like a couple songs off of Hold Your Fire ( Force Ten, Prime Mover)
The 70s material was a very commercial sound for that time too. The band Ged and Alex were trying to imitate on the first record did very, very well with it, as did many others.
@@ischmidt I assume you mean Zepplin but the material from 75-79 is ground breaking hardly commercial
@@generoberts9151 2112 saved their career by selling a ton of records and then selling out the concert tour. They didn't storm the top 40 or anything, but those records were quite commercially successful. And Yes, Genesis, and ELP were doing similar music at the time and also selling a lot of records.
@@ischmidt define “commercially successful” because isn’t that what storming the top 40 means? If you mean they sold a lot of records then yes their fan base was very big. Rush has a grass roots popularity
My favorite Rush album. Not exactly a concept album, but a common theme of fear runs through each song.
The best drum composer of rock
Agreed! Best drummer of all time -Ethan
Great taste in loving Rush, Ethan. I'm 60 and only saw them once, about 12 years ago, with my eldest son Derek, also a huge Rush fan. We saw them at the then-named Molson Amphitheatre, large tented area on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition (the venerable old CNE) in Geddy's and Alex's hometown of Toronto. It was a great concert. They are one of the few bands that sound live pretty much how they sound on record.
Thanks Tim! -Ethan
@@fatherandsonreactions Thanks for the personal note, Ethan. Keep up the good work with your dad. Don't know exactly how much Rush you guys have reacted to but maybe you can do me a favour and listen to a song by them that I have never seen a reaction to and that you hardly ever hear on the radio even though it's a great little uptempo hard rocker from start to finish - Best That I Can from the Fly By Night album. Hope you give it a try.
Nice pic son! GUP is highly under appreciated!
This is my first Rush song and my favorite! Good taste guys.
Cool to hear this is your favorite group. Mine too ever since I heard them in 74. Love their early stuff and that is what got me hooked. Really like this song too and if you haven't seen the video to this song check it out. Thanks
You're spot on Larry! when you said Neil seemed like he was singing while playing the drums. He was the lyricist on virtually every rush song, so that makes perfect sense.
Neil was DEFINITELY the Captain of that Ship... No Doubt. If it wasn't for Alex and Geddy auditioning him for their replacement drummer, Rush's first album probably would've been lost to history.
It wasn't their best music, but it brings back teenage memories and still holds a special place in my heart.
I’m kinda confused why so many people say that. I love the 80s era of Rush. There’s no denying that the 70s was amazing, but the 80s was great too! 🤘 -Ethan
Disagree. It's a top 4 Rush record.
@@fatherandsonreactions 80's was easily better than the 70's starting with Permanent Waves. It's when Rush really hit their stride.
80s Rush (GUP, PW, HYF) is my favorite Rush. And since I love it all, that's saying something
@@fatherandsonreactions
Neil: "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 ... I think this album [Grace Under Pressure] is the cohesive realization of all those experiments that took place on Signals, and I think that it has an integrity to it as an album from the first song right through to the last song, they all belong together, and they all sort of follow one from the other very naturally ... it has really good dynamics, and it goes up and down and in and out [again!] and everything seems to follow on, and it also has that little thread of a theme to it."
Alex: "There’s something about the sound and the power and the quality of the songwriting that really strikes me. I really love that record [GUP] ... And I think it's odd, I hear a lot from our fans or people who know the band who wish that we were back to the days of '2112'. I'm not sure if that's because of the music so much, as maybe where the people were at a certain point in their lives. I remember certain albums, where I was, and I feel very strongly about those records, even though the bands went on and progressed and tried to do many different things. I guess you can't make everybody happy all the time. We really try to make ourselves happy first before we try to make anyone else happy, and I think that's probably the most important ingredient of the band. And the true fans really acknowledge that and understand that ... We just felt we were working to a formula that was a little stale. It was time to move on ... it felt like something fresh and new was coming with the 80s. And we wanted to write in a more economical way. We still wanted to pack as much musical punch as we could but in a shorter framework. So it seemed like a natural progression, a natural evolution for us. We're always trying to move forward with everything."
Phenomenal album. Rush has been my favorite since 1981. Glad they are yours too.
Best Canadian band of all times 😎👍 next one from Rush - Red Sector A = song about holocaust . Geddy Lee ( singer ) parents was survive to holocaust . Neil Peart ( drummer ) deep lyric . 😎👍 good day to you both . 🙋♂🤝
Great suggestion Gerry! Great to see you back. Have a great night 👍 -Ethan
@@fatherandsonreactions thank you 😎👍 my main language is french . please , when you can , react to this french song from Quebec --> Éric Lapointe - Loadé comme un gun = loaded like a gun ( official video ) 🎶🎶👍
Great reaction and enjoyable banter!
Neil wrote the lyrics so he understood the vocal delivery and message and played his drums to compliment Geddy
I grew up on Rush, I have the highest respect for Rush. I got to rush out of here.
I really like this track. The first few seconds of it remind me a bit of The Police - another great power trio from the 80s.
Power Windows is also a great album with Middletown Dreams and Marathon being particularly good tracks
Middletown Dreams is one of my top 5 Rush songs
@@jasonwilliams6005 Top 5 for me too.
Pretty darn good song.
Neil spoke with his lyrics since he was the lyricist.
So glad to see the two of you. Not on much anymore. So lucky you were doing a Rush song. Take care.
So great to see you back Mark! We missed you ! Hope you’re doing well. -Ethan
They released it as a single and created a very cheesy 80's video of it, so anyone paying attention to Rush in the smallest way back then would probably have known about the song even if they didn't actively listen. The same is true for some others like Red Sector A (a freakin' amazing song off this album), Big Money, and Time Stands Still. They might not have been played on to Top 40 Hits stations, but they had music videos on MTV!
And Peart's greatest drumming talent has always been making his drumming an actual instrument. In the other song, Red Sector A, you can hear it clear as day. His other great(est) talent was as a lyricist. Listen to that song, or even The Pass... you won't be able to listen to any other band's lyrics after that.
Hello there! Ill take anything by Rush! They are so amazing and this track is definitely a winner!
Hi Cheryl! Hope from your Miami trip. And yeah, Rush is a great band and a it was a really good song..
@@66edougHello! I'm doing fine! Slowly getting things organized since my trip! Hope you are doing fine!
@@cherylreichardt I'm happy to hear that and thank you, I'm doing pretty good.
Yes all Rush is good, but I'm into older Rush (Rush, Fly By Night, Caress of Steel, 2112, A Farewell to Kings, Hemispheres, Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures)
@@metalmark1214 Oh definitely! Nothing compares to that!
Recently donated a batch of memorabilia to 2 baseball Hall of fames
Great reaction and analysis 👏.!! You are correct about Neil's talents. His drumming and his lyrics were much deeper than we thought, at the time. Please do Between The Wheels, if you haven't already. It's another banger!! See what you think.
If you want to experience Rush live I suggest to you the Rush Live in Rio DVDs. Recorded in 2002 at the end of their Vapor Trails tour. It was before they began to show signs of decline. Geddy's voice and Neil's physical health were still at their top plus there's a ton of extras that you must see.
I thought Father's favorite band from the channel was either Gong or Tool. Is it cool that I knew the song too? - LOL
HAHA! I think Gong is 2nd 😂 -Ethan
the 70's and 80's rock radio would play 4 or 5 songs and then give the name of the bands and the songs. i think this song was among those , i've heard it but i don't know it. i always thought it was Supertramp. and i always thought if your gonna be a tramp , be a super one. next Rush song > "No Hurry")
I believe you thouth it was Supertramp. But I think Supertramp was Rush in disguise.
@@66edoug Bloody Well Right
@@im-already-tired-tomorrow :-)
I love this era of Rush. Neil's songwriting was far more mature than it was in the 70s, Geddy was effortlessly tossing out amazing basslines, and several top 10 Alex solos happened on these records. Lyrically this one's definitely a period piece. 1984 was the peak of Cold War hysteria, when we were still doing nuclear bomb drills in school. It did get us the hilarious MTV video with Alex's son (or it might've been Geddy's) riding a missile in front of a green screen though.
The lyrics are only dated if you only consider Neil's words at the surface level, which is often not the case with Rush and certainly not here. It is really about a person's (Neil's?) relationship with a close friend, someone he really cares about, and his concern for their well-being.
@@timwhitnell7145 Yeah, true. In the same way that Red Tide is both an environmental song and an AIDS allegory.
Not surprised Larry's heard this one. It got a LOT of radio play.
I've always loved RUSH, but I've always loved YES more, but the interesting thing is, RUSH agrees with me 🙂
I believe Chris Squire is the reason Geddy played a Rickenbacker Bass.
If you guys still haven't seen Alex Lifeson's speech at the RRHOF, along with Rick Wakeman's speech, you should check out both of them. Just trust me on this 🙂
Oh yes, one more thing, both of you need to listen to 'Hi Ren' by Ren. Yes... just trust me on this too 🙂
There's no doubt you're a fellow Marylander. It's clear!
Hi guys, hope your week has started off okay...
Greetings!
@@cherylreichardt - Greetings to you too. Hope you're well.
@@davemac1197I'm fine! My brother finally has returned to work and the house is mine. Hope you are fine too!
@@cherylreichardt - you may think the house is yours, but what about the crouching tiger, hidden twinkie - the enemy within?
Hello Dave, I hope you enjoyed a nice relaxing cup of coffee and a tasty biscuit, or cookie for us Americans. I watch too much British telly.
NP was special.
Arguably the most influential rock drummer of all time. He left behind quite a legacy.
@@carlgibbons5777 No argument from me, he is huge.
Also, you should check out:
Rush: By-Tor & The Snow Dog (Lyrics)
Don't watch the live version, because they cut half the song.
The song is about the producer's two dogs: a German Shepherd nicknamed By-tor (biter) and a poodle nicknamed Snowdog - the song is about the two dogs playing in the snow. You can hear a representation of the Shepherd growling and the poodle yipping - it is hilarious. Neil Peart created an entirely new mythology with the lyrics of this song.
czcams.com/video/a1vlx2a_aDE/video.html
Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage?
Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres?
They lost me on this album. I was a hardcore Rush fan back then, but the sound just changed too much. It was just the way things were going at that time. A lot of bands reinvented themselves when all the synth sound stuff started to take over. Van Halen was another band that seemed to have the same idea.
I love this era of Rush
I have a few facts for the two of you. When Neil was playing in Rush, he was known as the professor. To me, he was the absolute best drummer in rock music history. Most of all the music critics agree that John Bonham from Lead Zeppelin was a better drummer, except I definitely don't agree with them.
I agree with you 1000% Landré. Neil to me beats out other drummers like Bonham & Keith Moon. Neil was simply more skilled then they were & more musical ability -Ethan
Thank you for typing that message, Ethan. Are you the son or father? I'm thinking you're the younger of the two. The reason why I believe that Neil was the better drummer's because of the passion he had for the music he played, not because of him being a Canadian. As you might know, every person on this planet has DNA. None of us has the same DNA, including intentional twins. To prove this, go out and search for two of them and ask them polite to see their fingerprints. That's how you'll know there are differences between them. Continue having yourself an excellent night. B'bye.
I was a massive Rush fan up to this album.....this album was imho the last great Rush album... it signalled a change to their synth based era. An era that frankly changed them from the most amazing power trio to merely a very good band! Geddy's voice had lost that distinctive sound to a monotone talk. They started to sound like lots of bands at that time instead of the unique band they were. Yeah a few good songs on the albums from now on instead of every song being a classic. Compare Xanadu, Freewill, The Trees etc to this...... .....there is no comparison.
I'm still not convinced by Rush, it sounds like an audition and I don't like the sound of the vocals. For a radically different Canadian vocal you could try Crash Test Dummies and their unusual 1993 hit - Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm...
I know that song! His voice is very deep!
@@cherylreichardt - bass baritone, I believe...
No thanks, I’m fine with the Hall of Famers. No worries Dave, their not for everyone
You don’t like Geddy’s voice? 😭😭
No worries Dave, we all like different things -Ethan
@@fatherandsonreactions - I actually find him more annoying than Bruce. Springsteen, that is.