Not one thing is wrong with this masterpiece. Perfection.

I really appreciate how much Geddy brushed his hair for this.

This is their best rendition. I always recommend it when asked what version to review. It is a one take video shot on stage. Just exceptional! Again around the era they peaked physically.

@generoberts9151

Жыл бұрын

How’d you like Neil’s stash?For a while it was considered the band’s 4th member

I like the cartoon riff

THe song is Alex's. When he wrote it, each part of the song is what was going on in his crazy head lol. Thats why its called LaVilla Strangiato means Strange Place. Which is Alex's head lol

IMHO, it's their best live performance captured in-full on video. (I say in-full because the Pink Pop live video, while awesome, is truncated.) I think the best audio is the Exit...Stage Left version.

If you can get over your fear of clowns, you’ll learn to appreciate the riff.

Hemispheres was the end of an era... they never made another album like it. Alex's guitar work on this song is just... Wow!

The "Clown Riff" is supposed to be the Monsters from Alex's Nightmare that the song was written about....

JUSTIN(THE CLOWN 🤡 RIFF)PANARIELLO???

👍 Solid review, too. Cheers.

Man, they were so tight in that performance... Alex man. Whew! Good job Alex!

And MASTERS of crescendo

I never had a problem with the "assembly line riff" or "cartoon riff" or "clown riff" or whatever you want to call it but I always thought the ending was really weird. Of course, that was probably the point. Also, this is the song to play for anyone who doesn't think Alex belongs among the best guitarists.

@debbieplato5107

Жыл бұрын

As far as the ending goes, I always felt at the beginning of the song where Alex is gradually raising the volume is actually portraying Alex falling asleep and why the ending is so abrupt is Alex waking up out of the nightmare. 😀

@kevinhampton6986

Жыл бұрын

@@debbieplato5107 That would make sense, lol

@rumourhats

Жыл бұрын

Plus it's a Raymond Scott riff, anyway.

@scottshields113

Жыл бұрын

A musical interpretation of Alex's dreams and nightmare was going to be weird. It's Lerxt ffs 😂

I remember being confused when I first saw Rush playing this, and how nobody was playing some of the high synth parts, until I realized they were being played on the Taurus pedals with their feet. I didn't know then that you could shift the pedals from bass to treble range. Despite a pretty hot performance this isn't the world's greatest video production. It's oddly dark with all that vaseline on the camera lens. So 70's! 😁 But maybe they did that on purpose to blur any mistakes they would need to fix in post. And the camera position on Neil doesn't really do him any favors. You have a tough time really seeing what he's doing, and some of the flams just look weird. But considering the lack of good footage of Rush during this period I'll happily take whatever is available!

This isn't on tour it's a live performance in the studio. A Farewell To Kings preceded Hemispheres and Permanent Waves was how Rush relaxed after playing to the limit of their technical ability (at the time) on Hemispheres. 😊

Quite simply three geniuses at the peak of their creativity and masters of their art 🎸

Time moves on, and so did Rush, until YYZ I thought this could not be beat, amazing composition, but time goes by and the main monkey business comes out. We all change and so did Rush. I think that's why they kept their fans

Any aspiring guitarist should study Rush. Especially this instrumental. Very complex and enjoyable in my opinion including the clown riff. The evolution of this band from the 1st album to this one is astounding.

The "clown riff" is Raymond Scott's ""Powerhouse". They were actually contacted by by Scott's lawyers about it and settled the claim to everybody's satisfaction.

Dreams can be wired at times 😱

Your absolutely right, its like batman shows up for an eight bar other then that one of my favourites

It is based on Alex's nightmares so you know there is going to be something comical in it

"Has anyone seen my Clown-Riff ?" ....It's around here somewhere... "I just had it..." 'Uh...I saw Justin with it a few minutes ago...he was using it for his video...'

At 1:56 Justin notices Alex's bangs again. 😂

This is the official music video - recorded on stage without an audience, couldn't get it on a single take so this is a couple takes combined.

At the end Neil smiles and towels off! I had Psy Professor in College who loved RUSH. I had for Statistics class, where we talked about the mode, median, and the mean. He let us call him by his first name Gene. So when Neil finishes this and smiles and towels off it’s like he looks at the camera and says: THERE YA GO MEAN GENE!

“Live” studio performance. As far as I’m concerned, absolutely brilliant. This is a masterclass in ability, subtlety and out and out musical craftsmanship; not that I have a strong opinion about it, not so you’d notice anyway😊. Big huge thumbs way up for me.

Just for some context, Powerhouse by Raymond Scott was the inspiration for the Monsters (clown 🤡) section...... Old school jazz, the main riff comes at about the 1:30 mark. kzread.info/dash/bejne/i5p407RtltSvh6g.html

They were only about 26 years old here

That riff convinced me as a kid that it’s cool to be a clown! Lol! I like it, gives a heavy song some levity. Give it time…you’ll fall in love with it! 😁

No minus in this song for me ! A top 3 song from Rush ! ;-)

Again I first saw this on Don Kirschner’s Rock Concerts!

RUSH: Official video for La Villa Strangiato

HARDEST RUSH SONG TO PLAY DRUMWISE FOR DAMN SURE!

@sethcashman1011

Жыл бұрын

Always thought The Weapon, sections of Red Sector A, Red Lenses, Territories, Scars, War Paint, etc. were harder, but La Villa is one helluva part, as well.

@garylagstrom3864

Жыл бұрын

From a drummer’s point of view definitely La Villa even Mike Portnoy said that!

@sethcashman1011

Жыл бұрын

@@garylagstrom3864 interesting. I think I remember Mike saying that. La Villa is a difficult piece. For me (a drummer for 40 years), it was always the ones I mentioned for various reasons, the first three, especially. I should have mentioned Tom Sawyer and Witch Hunt, as well. Two really difficult ones for different reasons. Most of them are difficult, though!

@garylagstrom3864

Жыл бұрын

@@sethcashman1011 I agree and The Camera Eye has its challenges as well! Subdivisions is always a challenge! And the middle of Circumstances as well!

End of the PROPHETIC ROBES PERIOD OF RUSH!

@ryancraig2795

Жыл бұрын

Absurdly prophetic robes.

I hear what your saying, but that album along with 2112 has been a huge inspiration to so many Prog bands that have done the epic concept sides or albums. Namely Dream Theater. I loved that album Hemispheres, and the lyrics to the story work for me. Not for all but for me. Epic to play and at least to figure out, it is a challenge for many. But we all have out taste and style and no one is right and no one is wrong. Its a matter of taste. I think Portnoy said it yea YYZ is great but can you play La Villa Strangiato. Or something along those lines. Don't quote me on that. For him this song was the bench mark of drumming.

@JustinPanariello

Жыл бұрын

Yeah i think he said it in Beyond The Lighted Stage 😉

@jeffvomero1242

Жыл бұрын

@@JustinPanariello Yea he did, just not sure exactly what he said. That song really is a bear to play with the same feeling and vibe as they do. But it will push you to play right.

What's funny is @JustinPanariello, you say you don't really like the instrumentals. Yet in each RUSH song there are multiple jam sessions without lyrics that are classic and mini instrumentals by themselves. I get to each their own, guess if La Villa had 2 lines of lyrics it could be your jam 😄

@JustinPanariello

Жыл бұрын

I probably like La Villa the best

I think this is from a rehearsal.

SORRY FOR ME HEMISPHERES IS 2112 PART 2!

@Fred-vy1hm

Жыл бұрын

Ya Cygnus X-1 book II has become my go to lately when I'm at home chillin and smokin the good stuff. 😎

The only part i don't really care for is the return of the "Strangiato theme" for two verses at the end, largely unchanged. It feels like they could have changed it up a bit.

@Bass17yl

Жыл бұрын

They shortened that live in later years. Definitely feels better, imo

Never heard of the clown riff ,ever. An explanation is needed, like what the hell does it mean.

@JustinPanariello

Жыл бұрын

The ‘monster’ riff. The part in the song they didnt write. They took from a cartoon or somewhere.

Justin(this is where they ruin it for me)Panariello WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT JUSTIN!!!!

😂 I knew the comment about the riff was coming...apparently so did everyone else

This was a mock live performance. Played and recorded live, but not during a show. Hemispheres was apparently a torturous album to make, with a lot going wrong throughout the process. It’s what cured them of their prog epic phase. I always thought it was beyond cool that a rock band would quote Raymond Scott. A brilliant musical reference, imo.

Here's the original song "Powerhouse" by Raymond Scott where the clown riff came from. kzread.info/dash/bejne/i5p407RtltSvh6g.html

I much prefer the performance itself Henry production qualities in this video to the version that appeared on the Jesus stage left live album a few years later. They are clearly very fired up about having just written this on and the intensity of the performance it's just dripping with Vibe and excitement. Not that from a technical perspective or cosmetic overview anything particularly flawed or obviously deficient in the exit stage left recordings but I find them way too cleaned up and very sterile. This and the video for the trees , as well as closer to the heart that they shot here in the same session are truly some of the finest examples of Rush playing together the heights of their Progressive indulgences.

La Villa! 😂 First!

Hemispheres sits clearly at #3 for me...just in front of Permanent Waves...in my first 20yrs of fandom, it was not nearly that high, but the last 20yrs it rose up...won't ever top Signals/Moving Pictures🤘

C'mon, a song based on Alex's dreams without a clown riff?

@JustinPanariello

Жыл бұрын

When put that way… 🤷‍♂️

You need to make a video of you playing the monsters (clown) part. 😀

I agree. I love the song minus the clown riff part - always felt that part was forced and unneccesary.

@JustinPanariello

Жыл бұрын

Yes!

Now! We can't change the song for your benefit. So just enjoy instead. Are you famous? TAI

@JustinPanariello

Жыл бұрын

what does being famous have to do with anything

Justin just never liked Bugs Bunny. He's such a snob. Jk.

@JustinPanariello

Жыл бұрын

I love cartoons lol

Amaaazing...yea amaaazing...fixed for you bro. A clown wouldn't be a freaking clown if he/she/it could play that riff and song. Sorry man...not sorry.

@JustinPanariello

Жыл бұрын

This comment is over my head. You think these guys are the only people that can play their music?? The cool part is that they wrote it.

@EM-gr6xp

Жыл бұрын

@@JustinPanariello Over your head?...lol. I've lost count of the RUSH cover bands. Lots of people can play their music...including myself. No clown cover bands though, amirite? Like you say, they wrote it. I still dig the honest reactions, Justin.

Were you thinking of audience members like me when you caught yourself on the vinyl constraints question? 'Cuz I was thinking of you right up until that moment of correction! 😂😂😂 PS - I am deeply offended by your clown riff comment. Although it is true that clowns can be monstrous, everybody knows that was a monsters riff! 🫠🫠🇨🇦🫠 🫡