Limelight (Rush song)

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"Limelight" was probably more of Neil's song than a lot of the songs on that album in the sense that his feelings about being in the limelight and his difficulty with coming to grips with fame and autograph seekers and a sudden lack of privacy and sudden demands on his time [that] he was having a very difficult time dealing with. I mean we all were, but I think he was having the most difficulty of the three of us adjusting; in the sense that I think he's more sensitive to more things than Alex [Lifeson] and I are. It's difficult for him to deal with those interruptions on his personal space and his desire to be alone. Being very much a person who needs that solitude, to have someone coming up to you constantly and asking for your autograph is a major interruption in your own little world. [5]

In a 2007 interview, Alex Lifeson gives his take on "Limelight":

It's funny: after all these years, the solo to "Limelight" is my favourite to play live. There's something very sad and lonely about it; it exists in its own little world. And I think, in its own way, it reflects the nature of the song's lyrics—feeling isolated amidst chaos and adulation. [6]

Record World said that it has "buzzsaw guitar and vocal dynamics" that should appeal to pop radio. [7]

Recording and live performance

Lifeson's guitar solo was performed on what he called a "Hentor Sportscaster", a modified Fender Stratocaster equipped with a Floyd Rose vibrato arm. Critics frequently point out Lifeson's use of vibrato in the solo, [8] with Max Mobley writing that it "is dripping with Floyd Rose whammy". [9] "Limelight" has been described as Lifeson's "signature song", [10] and critics cite the influence of Allan Holdsworth. [11] Lifeson himself calls it his favourite solo. [12]

The song was a staple of Rush's live performances, having been played on every tour since its release, up until the Grace Under Pressure Tour, when it was removed. It was then brought back for the following two tours, and was then removed again for the Presto Tour. It was then put back in all further tour setlists, until the R40 Live Tour. [9] [13]

Personnel

Rush

Additional personnel

  • Terry Brown: uncredited backing vocals

Production

Chart performance

"Limelight"
Limelight Single.jpg
Single by Rush
from the album Moving Pictures
B-side "YYZ"
ReleasedFebruary 1981 (1981-02)
RecordedOctober –November 1980
Studio Le Studio, Morin Heights, Quebec
Genre Arena rock [1]
Length4:26
Label Mercury
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Rush singles chronology
"Entre Nous"
(1980)		"Limelight"
(1981)		"Vital Signs"
(1981)
Audio sample

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. 1 2 "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 15, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  2. ↑ Infantry, Ashante (January 20, 2010). "(News) New home a place to sing praises of our songwriters". The Toronto Star . Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  3. ↑ updated, Total Guitar editorslast (February 25, 2021). "The 50 greatest guitar solos of all time". guitarworld. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  4. ↑ Morse, Tim (1998). Classic Rock Stories: The Stories Behind the Greatest Songs of All Time. St. Martin's Press. p. 104. ISBN   9781429937504.
  5. ↑ "Rush, Moving Pictures: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, the late Neil Peart". In the Studio with Redbeard . c. 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  6. ↑ Joe Bosso (July 2007). "Vital Signs". Guitar World.
  7. ↑ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. March 14, 1981. p. 1. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  8. ↑ Guitar All-in-One For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. 2011. p. 266. ISBN   9780470550182.
  9. 1 2 Mobley, Max (2014). Rush FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Rock's Greatest Power Trio. Backbeat. pp. 120–21, 190. ISBN   9781617136047.
  10. ↑ Kitts, Jeff; Tolinski, Brad (2002). Guitar World Presents the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time!: From the Pages of Guitar World Magazine. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 82. ISBN   9780634046193.
  11. ↑ Prown, Pete; Newquist, Harvey P. (1997). Legends of Rock Guitar: The Essential Reference of Rock's Greatest Guitarists. Hal Leonard. p. 167. ISBN   9780793540426.
  12. ↑ Guitar World Presents Dear Guitar Hero: The World's Most Celebrated Guitarists Answer Their Fans' Most Burning Questions. Backbeat Books. May 1, 2012. pp. 16–17. ISBN   9781476813592.
  13. ↑ "Tours". Rush.com. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  14. ↑ "'Playing House' recap: Making big, huge mistakes". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0326." RPM . Library and Archives Canada.
  16. ↑ "Rush Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  17. ↑ "Rush Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
  18. ↑ "RPM's Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1981". RPM . Vol. 63, no. 12. December 26, 1998. p. 20. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
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