List of Rush instrumentals

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The Canadian rock band Rush wrote, recorded, and performed several instrumentals throughout its career.

Contents

Studio recordings

La Villa Strangiato

"La Villa Strangiato"
Song by Rush
from the album Hemispheres
ReleasedOctober 28, 1978
Genre
Length9:37
Label Anthem (Canada)
Mercury
Producer(s) Rush and Terry Brown
Music video
"La Villa Strangiato" on YouTube

"La Villa Strangiato" was released on the 1978 album Hemispheres , and is subtitled "An Exercise in Self-Indulgence". The 9:37 song, the fourth and final track of the album, was Rush's first entirely instrumental piece. The multi-part piece was inspired by a dream guitarist Alex Lifeson had, and the music in these sections correspond to the occurrences in his dream. The opening segment was played on a nylon-string classical guitar. The next segment introduces the main theme of La Villa, the Strangiato theme. The song progresses to include an increasingly complex guitar solo backed by string synthesizer, followed closely by bass and drum fills. The Strangiato theme is then revisited before the song ends abruptly with phased bass and drums. The piece is divided as follows:

Live versions of "La Villa Strangiato" have often featured altered sections. For instance, on Exit... Stage Left , Lee sings part of a nursery rhyme over "Danforth and Pape" (the liner notes include a translation of his words) and adds a short bass solo during "Monsters! (Reprise)." During later tours, as documented on Rush in Rio and the Blu-ray release of R30 , a drum/bass vamp was inserted before "Strangiato Theme (Reprise)," over which Lifeson sang nonsense or made a stream of consciousness rant. The classical guitar introduction was either played on electric guitar or, more commonly, cut out altogether. During the 2010–2011 Time Machine Tour, the piece began with a polka rendition of "To sleep, perchance to dream," then transitioned into the original arrangement.

The band set out to record the song in one take; however, it ultimately required three separate takes. According to Lee, "We spent more time recording 'Strangiato' than the entire Fly by Night album. It was our first piece without any vocals at all. So each section had to stand up with a theme and musical structure of its own." [1]

The segments titled "Monsters!" and "Monsters! (Reprise)" are an adaptation of Raymond Scott's popular composition "Powerhouse". [2] Although the statute of limitations for copyright infringement had expired by the time Scott's publishers attempted to take legal action, the band paid some monetary compensation to him and his wife, feeling an ethical obligation to do so. [3]

In 2018, Lee said of the piece:

That was a song where I would have to say our ideas exceeded our ability to play them. We thought: "We're going to write this long piece and then we'll just record it live off the floor and boom!"

But it was really difficult. It was beyond us. I included it here because it surprised me how popular that song was among our fans. They just love it when we go into that crazy mode.

Yes, it is an indulgence, but it seemed to be a pivotal moment for us in creating a fan base that wanted us to be that way. [4]

"La Villa Strangiato" translates roughly to "The Strange Village" or "Weird City". [1]

Drummer Neil Peart said of "La Villa Strangiato":

This is Alex's brain, and every section of that song is different dreams that Alex would tell us about and we'd be, "stop, stop." It was these bizarre dreams that he would insist on telling you every detail about, so it became a joke between Geddy and me. "La Villa Strangiato" means strange city, and there was so much going on in that. There's also a big band section in there, which was absolutely for me because I always wanted to play that approach. And cartoon music. We got in trouble later because we used music from a cartoon from the 1930s. [5]

Rolling Stone readers voted the piece number 9 on their list of The Top 10 Rush songs. [6]

Classic Rock ranked the instrumental number 2 on their list of The 50 Greatest Rush Songs Ever. [7]

YYZ

From the Moving Pictures album. "YYZ" (natively pronounced why-why-zed) is the airport code for the Toronto Pearson International Airport, and the instrumental opens with a rhythm in 10/8 that is Morse code for "YYZ" (-.-- -.-- --..). The piece evolved into a drum/bass solo during the 1980s. "YYZ" was the first of six Rush songs (over three decades) to be nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Rock Instrumental Performance.[ citation needed ] The song was a live performance staple, having been played on every one of the band's concert tours since its release, except the Roll the Bones Tour.

Where's My Thing?

"Where's My Thing? (Part IV, "Gangster of Boats" Trilogy)"
Song by Rush
from the album Roll the Bones
ReleasedSeptember 3, 1991
Recorded1991
Genre Funk rock [8]
Length3:49
Label Anthem Records (Canada)
Anthem/Atlantic
Producer(s) Rupert Hine and Rush

From the Roll the Bones album, "Where's My Thing?" was Rush's second song nominated for a Grammy,[ citation needed ] losing to Eric Johnson's "Cliffs of Dover". The song has a pop-oriented feel, featuring an upbeat tempo and a brass-like synthesizer line. On the original album, it is humorously subtitled "Part IV: 'Gangster of Boats' Trilogy." The song was performed on the Roll the Bones Tour and did not appear in concert again until the 2012 Clockwork Angels Tour, with an added drum solo. This version of the song was titled "Where's My Thing?/Here It Is!" on the live album Clockwork Angels Tour .

Leave That Thing Alone

"Leave That Thing Alone"
Song by Rush
from the album Counterparts
ReleasedOctober 19, 1993
Recorded1993
Genre Progressive rock, Funk rock
Length4:06
Label Anthem (Canada)
Mercury
Producer(s) Peter Collins and Rush

From the Counterparts album. During the Counterparts , Test for Echo , and Vapor Trails tours, and featured on the Different Stages and Rush in Rio live albums, "Leave That Thing Alone" preceded Peart's drum solo and was played with an extended ending to showcase Lee's bass work. It was then omitted from the set lists until 2010's Time Machine Tour.

This track was the third song nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1994, losing to Pink Floyd's "Marooned."[ citation needed ]

Limbo

"Limbo"
Song by Rush
from the album Test for Echo
ReleasedSeptember 10, 1996
Recorded1996
Genre Progressive rock
Length5:28
Label Anthem (Canada)
Mercury
Producer(s) Peter Collins and Rush

From the Test for Echo album. "Limbo" features vocals by Lee; however, he does not sing any lyrics. The song includes spoken samples from Bobby "Boris" Pickett's novelty song "Monster Mash." The song was only performed live on the Test for Echo Tour.

The Main Monkey Business, Hope, and Malignant Narcissism

The studio album Snakes & Arrows is the only one to feature multiple instrumental tracks: "The Main Monkey Business", "Hope", and "Malignant Narcissism". "The Main Monkey Business" clocks in at 6 minutes and 1 second, making it Rush's second longest instrumental, the longest being "La Villa Strangiato". Drummer Neil Peart remarked that it took him three days to learn the song. [9] The other two songs, "Hope" and "Malignant Narcissism", are two of the shortest songs ever recorded by Rush, both being just over two minutes long. "Hope" is a solo guitar piece written by Lifeson. "Malignant Narcissism" features Lee playing a fretless bass and Peart on a four-piece drum kit. [10] "Malignant Narcissism" contains a spoken sample, "Usually a case of malignant narcissism brought on during childhood," from the movie Team America: World Police . "Malignant Narcissism" became the fifth Rush instrumental to be nominated for a Grammy under the category of Best Rock Instrumental Performance, in 2008, losing to Bruce Springsteen's "Once Upon A Time In The West". [11] A live recording of "Hope" from the album Songs for Tibet: The Art of Peace became the sixth Rush instrumental to be nominated for a Grammy under the category of Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 2009. [12] It lost to Zappa Plays Zappa's "Peaches en Regalia".

Live performances and recordings

Broon's Bane

"Broon's Bane"
Song by Rush
from the album Exit...Stage Left
ReleasedOctober 1981
Genre Classical guitar
Length1:37
Label Anthem (Canada)
Mercury
Producer(s) Terry Brown

Found on the Exit... Stage Left live album, "Broon's Bane" is a short classical guitar piece written and performed by Lifeson as an extended intro to "The Trees". The song is named after Terry Brown, nicknamed "Broon" by the band, who produced Exit... Stage Left and 10 other Rush albums. (On the same album, Lee refers to Brown as "T.C. Broonsie" when introducing "Jacob's Ladder.") It was not featured on any other live or studio album until the release of the 40th Anniversary Edition of Moving Pictures. The song repeats and builds upon the same three-beat line, coming to a climax about one minute into the piece before segueing into "The Trees."

Cygnus X-1 (live recordings)

On the live album Rush in Rio , an abridged version of "Cygnus X-1" is performed as an instrumental. The piece consists of the "Prologue" section of the song, without the spoken introduction. The Moog Taurus synthesizer heard in the studio recording is replaced with a choir-like synthesizer sound.

On the R40 Live Tour, the Prelude of Book II was played, transposed down by one whole step due to Lee's decreased vocal range. Immediately afterward, the band played the first and third parts of Book I as instrumentals, with a Peart drum solo as an interlude between them.

R30 Overture

"R30 Overture"
Song by Rush
from the album R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour
ReleasedNovember 22, 2005 (North America)
November 28, 2005 (Europe)
RecordedSeptember 24, 2004
Genre Progressive rock, hard rock
Length6:42
Label Anthem (Canada)
Mercury
Producer(s) Francois Lamoureux and Rush

The opening song of Rush's 2004 tour dates featured an instrumental combining sections of one song from each of the band's first six studio albums.

The songs featured in the medley were:

  1. "Finding My Way" ( Rush )
  2. "Anthem" ( Fly by Night )
  3. "Bastille Day" ( Caress of Steel )
  4. "A Passage to Bangkok" ( 2112 )
  5. "Cygnus X-1: Book 1: The Voyage - Prologue" ( A Farewell to Kings )
  6. "Cygnus X-1: Book 2: Hemispheres - Prelude" ( Hemispheres )

O'Malley's Break

During the 2010–11 Time Machine Tour, Lifeson would perform a brief 12-string guitar piece (entitled "O'Malley's Break" on the CD and DVD) that segued into "Closer to the Heart."

Peke's Repose

During the 2012 Clockwork Angels Tour, Lifeson would play a guitar solo (called "Peke's Repose" on the CD/DVD/BD) that served as an introduction to "Halo Effect".

Neil Peart's drum solos

A staple and highlight of Rush's concerts was a drum solo by Neil Peart. These solos have been featured on every live album released by the band, with the exception of Grace Under Pressure Tour . Some live albums have included the solo as an interlude during a song, such as in "YYZ" on Exit...Stage Left , while others have presented it as a standalone track. On A Show of Hands and Different Stages , the drum solos were titled "The Rhythm Method" (a double entendre with the form of birth control); on Rush in Rio , it was entitled "O Baterista"; and on R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour , it was titled "Der Trommler". On Rush's 2008 live album, Snakes & Arrows Live , it is titled "De Slagwerker," and is coupled with "Malignant Narcissism" on the track-list. "O Baterista" was the fourth song nominated for a Grammy,[ citation needed ] in 2005, losing to Brian Wilson's "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow". For the 2010 Time Machine Tour, the solo was called "Love 4 Sale," but was renamed "Moto Perpetuo" for the CD and DVD release in November 2011.

The titles "O Baterista", "Der Trommler" and "De Slagwerker" all translate to "The Drummer" in Portuguese, German and Dutch respectively. [13]

All of Peart's drum solos include a basic framework of routines connected by sections of improvisation, leaving each performance unique. [14] The solo was revised for each successive tour, with some routines dropped in favor of newer, more complex ones. From the mid/late-1980s on, Peart utilized MIDI trigger pads to trigger sounds sampled from various pieces of acoustic percussion that would otherwise consume far too much stage area, such as a marimba, harp, temple blocks, triangles, glockenspiel, orchestra bells, tubular bells, timpani and vibra-slap as well as other, more esoteric percussion. Some purely electronic, description-defying sounds were also used. Once Peart began to combine electronic and acoustic percussion, he also started to use a rotating drum riser during performances, allowing him to switch between the two sections of his kit and still face front as he played.

From 1987 until 2007, Peart's solos incorporated marimba portions from one or both of two original compositions: "Pieces of Eight," which first appeared as a flexi disc record in the May 1987 issue of Modern Drummer magazine, and a piece titled "Momo's Dance Party" that appeared as part of his 1996 documentary A Work in Progress . In addition, from 1991 until 2004, a complex pattern from the song "Scars" (on the studio album Presto ) was played in the solos. For the Vapor Trails and R30 tours, each solo concluded with a section of the Count Basie standard "One O'Clock Jump," which Peart recorded while producing Burning for Buddy, a two-volume tribute album to legendary big band drummer and bandleader, Buddy Rich. For the Snakes & Arrows Tour, Peart replaced the finale with an excerpt from the Duke Ellington standard "Cotton Tail," which he recorded with the Buddy Rich Band in the mid-1990s. For the Time Machine Tour, Peart again replaced the finale with an excerpt from the Cole Porter standard "Love for Sale," which he also performed with the Buddy Rich Big Band at a 2008 memorial concert. He initially named the solo after that song, calling it "Love 4 Sale," but eventually changed the name to "Moto Perpetuo" for the CD and DVD release in November 2011.

For the Clockwork Angels Tour, Peart played three short drum solos instead of a single long one: an interlude during "Where's My Thing?" in the first set, then an interlude during "Headlong Flight" and a standalone solo before "Red Sector A" in the second. The solos were respectively named "Here It Is!", "Drumbastica," and "The Percussor – (I) Binary Love Theme / (II) Steambanger's Ball" on the tour's live album/DVD release. "The Percussor" is a mainly electronic drum solo dominated by the sounds of triggered samples assigned to many parts of Peart's kit.

For the R40 Live Tour, Peart played two short solos: the "Drumbastica" interlude during "Headlong Flight" in the first set, and an interlude named "The Story So Far" during "Cygnus X-1" in the second.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rush (band)</span> Canadian rock band

Rush was a Canadian rock band formed in Toronto in 1968 that primarily comprised Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson (guitar) and Neil Peart. The band's original line-up comprised Lifeson, drummer John Rutsey, and bassist and vocalist Jeff Jones, who Lee immediately replaced. After Lee joined, the band went through a few line-up changes before arriving at its classic power trio line-up with the addition of Peart in July 1974, who replaced Rutsey four months after the release of their self-titled debut album; this line-up remained unchanged for the remainder of the band's career.

<i>Hemispheres</i> (Rush album) Album by Canadian rock band Rush

Hemispheres is the sixth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released on October 24, 1978, by Anthem Records. It reached No. 14 in Canada and the UK, and No. 47 in the US. The album was a steady seller in the group's catalogue, and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling one million copies 15 years later.

<i>Roll the Bones</i> 1991 studio album by Rush

Roll the Bones is the fourteenth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released September 3, 1991, on Anthem Records. The band began working on the album after a brief creative hiatus following the tour promoting their previous release, Presto (1989).

<i>Moving Pictures</i> (Rush album) 1981 studio album by Rush

Moving Pictures is the eighth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released on February 12, 1981, by Anthem Records. After touring to support their previous album, Permanent Waves (1980), the band started to write and record new material in August 1980 with longtime co-producer Terry Brown. They continued to write songs with a more radio-friendly sound, featuring tighter and shorter song structures compared to their earlier albums.

<i>Exit... Stage Left</i> 1981 live album by Rush

Exit... Stage Left is the second live album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released as a double album in October 1981 by Anthem Records. After touring in support of their eighth studio album Moving Pictures (1981), the band gathered recordings made over the previous two years and constructed a live release from them with producer Terry Brown. The album features recordings from June 1980 on their Permanent Waves (1980) tour, and from March 1981 on their Moving Pictures tour.

<i>Power Windows</i> (album) 1985 studio album by Rush

Power Windows is the eleventh studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released on October 11, 1985 in Canada by Anthem Records and on October 21, 1985 in the United States. After touring in support of their previous album, Grace Under Pressure (1984), the band took a break and reconvened in early 1985 to begin work on a follow-up. The material continued to display the band's exploration of synthesizer-oriented music, this time with the addition of sampling, electronic drums, a string section, and choir, with power being a running lyrical theme. Power Windows was recorded in Montserrat and England with Peter Collins as co-producer and Andy Richards on additional keyboards.

<i>Rush in Rio</i> 2003 live album by Rush

Rush in Rio is a three-disc live album by the Canadian band Rush, released on October 21, 2003. The album is also available as a two-DVD set. With the exception of the last two tracks on the third disc, the album was recorded at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on the final night of the Vapor Trails Tour. The other two tracks were taken from previous shows on the same tour. "Between Sun & Moon" was recorded at the Cricket Wireless Pavilion, Phoenix, Arizona, on September 27, 2002, and "Vital Signs" was recorded at the Colisée Pepsi, Quebec City, Quebec, on October 19, 2002.

<i>Test for Echo</i> 1996 studio album by Rush

Test for Echo is the sixteenth studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released on September 10, 1996, by Anthem Records. It was the final Rush album to be co-produced by Peter Collins. The band supported the album with a world tour in 1996 and 1997, after which they went on a five-year hiatus following the deaths of drummer Neil Peart's daughter and wife, and would not record again until 2001.

<i>Different Stages</i> (Rush album) 1998 live album by Rush

Different Stages is a live album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1998. The bulk of the first and second discs were recorded at the World Music Theatre in Tinley Park, Illinois, during the 1997 Test for Echo tour. Five other songs from various stops along the tour were included and three songs from the 1994 Counterparts tour. The third disc is taken from a performance at the Hammersmith Odeon in London during the A Farewell to Kings tour in 1978.

<i>R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour</i> 2005 video by Rush

R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour is a live DVD by the Canadian rock band Rush, released on November 22, 2005 in Canada and the US, and November 28, 2005 in Europe. The DVD documents the band's R30: 30th Anniversary Tour, and was recorded on September 24, 2004 at the Festhalle Frankfurt, Germany.

<i>A Show of Hands</i> (video) 1989 video by Rush

A Show of Hands is a concert film released on VHS, Laserdisc and DVD by the Canadian rock band Rush. It documents a live concert performance by the band on their 1987-88 Hold Your Fire Tour. In 1989, the band released an audio album of the same name on vinyl LP, audiocassette, and compact disc. The video comprises an entirely different recording, and features a different track list.

<i>Rush in Rio</i> (video) 2003 video by Rush

Rush in Rio is a live DVD by Canadian band Rush, released in 2003. It is also available as a three CD set. It was the first concert DVD ever released by the band, consisting of 29 songs, and is available in both one-disc and two-disc sets. Bonus features in the two-disc set include a behind-the-scenes tour documentary directed by Andrew MacNaughtan and multi-angle viewing options for three instrumentals. The performance was recorded and filmed at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and was the final night on the 2002 Vapor Trails Tour. It is the band's first live video that presents a single night's entire performance.

<i>Snakes & Arrows</i> 2007 studio album by Rush

Snakes & Arrows is the eighteenth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released on May 1, 2007, by Anthem Records. After their R30: 30th Anniversary Tour ended in October 2004 the band took a one-year break, during which they agreed to start work on a follow-up in January 2006. The album was recorded in five weeks with co-producer Nick Raskulinecz, a fan of the group who was praised by each member for his approach and technique. It contains three instrumental tracks, the most on any Rush album.

Malignant Narcissism is an instrumental track from Rush's 2007 album Snakes & Arrows. "Malignant Narcissism" was nominated for a 2008 Grammy under the category of Best Rock Instrumental Performance, Rush's fifth nomination in said category. However, the song lost to Bruce Springsteen's "Once Upon a Time in the West" making it their fifth defeat in that category.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snakes & Arrows Tour</span> 2007–2008 concert tour by Rush

The Snakes & Arrows Tour was a concert tour by Canadian rock band Rush to promote the studio album Snakes & Arrows. The first leg of the tour began on June 13, 2007, in Atlanta and concluded on October 29, 2007, at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland. The 2008 portion of the tour started on April 11, 2008, in San Juan, Puerto Rico at José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum and ended on July 24, 2008, in Noblesville, Indiana at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. The tour was Rush's most successful to date, grossing nearly $65 million. At 114 shows, it is Rush's second-longest tour, after the Hemispheres tour back in 1978 –79.

<i>Snakes & Arrows Live</i> 2008 live album by Rush

Snakes & Arrows Live is a live double CD and DVD by Canadian band Rush. The CD was released on April 14, 2008, in the UK and on April 15, 2008, around the world. It was also released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 24, 2008. The material was taken from two performances during the first leg of the Snakes & Arrows Tour, recorded at the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam, Netherlands on October 16 and 17, 2007. The album features nine of its 27 tracks drawn from Snakes & Arrows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Time Machine Tour</span> 2010–2011 concert tour by Rush

The Time Machine Tour was a concert tour by the Canadian rock band Rush that began on June 29, 2010 in Albuquerque, New Mexico and ended July 2, 2011 at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington. The tour was notable for featuring the album Moving Pictures played in its entirety for the first time live, as well as material from the band's then upcoming studio album Clockwork Angels. This tour is one of three where the setlist has been consistent throughout the entire tour, the others being the 1987 Hold Your Fire tour and the 2004 R30: 30th Anniversary Tour. This is also the first Rush tour to not include any songs from Roll the Bones in the set list since that album was released in 1991.

"YYZ" is an instrumental rock composition by the Canadian rock band Rush from their 1981 album Moving Pictures. The live album Exit... Stage Left (1981) and the concert video recording A Show of Hands (1989) both include versions in which Neil Peart incorporates a drum solo – as an interlude on the former, and as a segue out of the piece on the latter.

The Exit... Stage Left Tour was a concert tour by Canadian rock band Rush, in support of the band's second live album Exit... Stage Left and its accompanying video.

References

  1. 1 2 Banasiewicz, Bill; Rush: Visions: The Official Biography, Chapter 7, Omnibus Press, 1988
  2. ↑ "La Villa Strangiato / Powerhouse". Who Sampled.
  3. ↑ Official Raymond Scott Site, FAQ. http://raymondscott.com/faq
  4. ↑ "Geddy Lee: This Is the Rush Song Where Our Ideas Exceeded Our Ability to Play Them. I'm Surprised It's So Popular". Ultimate Guitar. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  5. ↑ "Neil Peart on the 10 best Rush songs ever". CBC Music. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  6. ↑ Greene, Andy (4 March 2015). "Readers' Poll: The 10 Best Rush Songs". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  7. ↑ Classic Rock. "The 50 Greatest Rush Songs Ever". Classic Rock . Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  8. ↑ Popoff, Martin (2013). Rush: The Illustrated History. Voyageur Press. p. 117. ISBN   978-0-7603-4364-7.
  9. ↑ Peart, Neil. The Game of Snakes and Arrows (accessed July 11, 2013).
  10. ↑ Peart, Neil: The Game of Snakes and Arrows Archived 2007-04-21 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ↑ GRAMMY.com Archived 2007-12-08 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ↑ GRAMMY.com 2009 site Archived 2008-12-05 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ "Drummer". Woxikon.com.
  14. ↑ Drummer translations, Hudson Music, 2005, DVD
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