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Alex Lifeson, rate him as a guitarist


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He's the best guitarist for Rush.

 

 

LOL.

 

Rolling Stone magazine has him rated at 96th best of all time. Seemed a little low in my opinion. He's one of a handful of guitarists who creates music that I find..........interesting/stimulating/moving/makes me feel.....for a lack of better words.

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LOL.


Rolling Stone magazine has him rated at 96th best of all time. Seemed a little low in my opinion. He's one of a handful of guitarists who creates music that I find..........interesting/stimulating/moving/makes me feel.....for a lack of better words.

 

Well, that's all that matters really..how much YOU enjoy him :)...I think those types of lists are really more about popularity and where people recognise that a player has had a significant impact on guitar culture (Berry, Harrison, Clapton, Page, Hendrix, EVH etc).

 

I used to find it really strange that Angus Young was always voted number 1 in Kerrang! magazine when I was a huge EVH fan...but then realised how much more popular AC/DC were in the UK compared to Van Halen. The guys in Iron Maiden would finish ahead of Eddie for the same reason. It's all meaningless drivel really.

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Well, that's all that matters really..how much YOU enjoy him
:)
...I think those types of lists are really more about popularity and where people recognise that a player has had a significant impact on guitar culture (Berry, Harrison, Clapton, Page, Hendrix, EVH etc).


I used to find it really strange that Angus Young was always voted number 1 in Kerrang! magazine when I was a huge EVH fan...but then realised how much more popular AC/DC were in the UK compared to Van Halen. The guys in Iron Maiden would finish ahead of Eddie for the same reason. It's all meaningless drivel really.

 

I agree. But, bored at work and posting here helps keep the time moving along. Although I'm sure a few are tired of my inane posts. :)

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I think he is the most Underrated guitarist out there.I don't think people have really sat down and listened to him just what is played on radio.One of my buddies that I practice with wasn't really a big fan just "kinda liked" I loaned him my cd collection and said don't come back till you have listened to all up to M/P.He is going with me in Sept to see in DC.

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I'm a big fan of Lifeson. I really like how his chordal playing supports Rush's pretty busy rhythm section. Even when his guitar took a big back seat to keyboards in the 80s I thought his rhythm playing was excellent. He has some pretty awesome leads too of course

 

 

I wanna say he does the work while the other two just pose but I don't listen to Rush and that's prolly rong.

 

 

Yeah, that couldn't be more wrong

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He's very original, and quite inventive.

He has a very unique voice among guitar

players. And his style of rhythm playing

with the open strings and suspensions

has become part of the guitar vocabulary.

 

As to solos, listen to "Limelight" and "Between The Wheels"

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Go listen to La Villa Strangiato as a piece of work and tell my Alex isn't top notch and that Neil is an average drummer. In rock they reside right near the top - period. As compared to jazz and fusion players maybe not so much. But they were a benchmark of a quality band growing up... " I saw my buddies band last night... We're they good? ... Yeah man, they can play Rush ... No way!!". That was a typical discussion in the early eighties.

 

Well above "average"

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Neo does ok on la Villa. Gets some swing in there almost. But not only is he an average drummer, he's a boring drummer. I have this mini hypothesis about the Rush phenomenon. Post hippie world when rock is rife with lousy bands and fans are all browbeaten over it. Here comes Rush with this awesome (to aforementioned brow beaten stoners) hard sounding stuff. Voila, legitimacy. WOrlds GreAtEst Rock Band !11!11!!

 

:freak:

 

Most of it is sophomoric writing with odd meters - also sophomorically implemented.

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Neo does ok on la Villa. Gets some swing in there almost. But not only is he an average drummer,
he's a boring drummer
. I have this mini hypothesis about the Rush phenomenon. Post hippie world when rock is rife with lousy bands and fans are all browbeaten over it. Here comes Rush with this awesome (to aforementioned brow beaten stoners) hard sounding stuff. Voila, legitimacy. WOrlds GreAtEst Rock Band !11!11!!


:freak:

Most of it is sophomoric writing with odd meters - also sophomorically implemented.

 

This bit I absolutely agree with. There is zero sex in Neil Pearts drumming.

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I've saw Rush a couple times back in the late 70's and Lifeson seemed to know what he was doing. He played a strat style then.

 

He probably has gotten better since.

 

I remember Neil Peart had lots of chimes and Geddy Lee was really ugly.

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Heresy!!!!! Wait, that is true!

 

 

Lifeson is probably a better guitarist since I saw him but it's doubtful Geddy Lee is better looking. Peart probably has even more chimes now.

 

Moving Peart's drum kit must be very time consuming.

 

These are my thoughts.

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Neo does ok on la Villa. Gets some swing in there almost. But not only is he an average drummer, he's a boring drummer. I have this mini hypothesis about the Rush phenomenon. Post hippie world when rock is rife with lousy bands and fans are all browbeaten over it. Here comes Rush with this awesome (to aforementioned brow beaten stoners) hard sounding stuff. Voila, legitimacy. WOrlds GreAtEst Rock Band !11!11!!


:freak:

Most of it is sophomoric writing with odd meters - also sophomorically implemented.

 

This is pretty much complete nonsense. ... all of it.

 

Calling La Villa "OK" playing wise is seriously whacked. Neil is far from my favourite player but holy crap man, credit where credit is due.

Calling the 70's "rife with lousy bands" is also a COMPLETELY craaaazzzzeeeee comment man. Do we really need to list the great bands of this era?

 

Your ideas on this are beyond strange man. I mean you don't like them ... that I can respect 100%.

But calling them sophomoric players and writers is just plain odd.

 

Let me hear you accomplish 1/100 of what they have. Then perhaps a discussion can be had.

Criticism is easy... Hearing something and saying it's not great is simple. Taking a blank canvas and making something from nothing is not.

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This is pretty much complete nonsense. ... all of it.


Calling La Villa "OK" playing wise is seriously whacked. Neil is far from my favourite player but holy crap man, credit where credit is due.

Calling the 70's "rife with lousy bands" is also a COMPLETELY craaaazzzzeeeee comment man. Do we really need to list the great bands of this era?


Your ideas on this are beyond strange man. I mean you don't like them ... that I can respect 100%.

But calling them sophomoric players and writers is just plain odd.


Let me hear you accomplish 1/100 of what they have. Then perhaps a discussion can be had.

Criticism is easy... Hearing something and saying it's not great is simple. Taking a blank canvas and making something from nothing is not.

 

 

Well 1001 did say he was looking for a fight.

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Neo does ok on la Villa. Gets some swing in there almost. But not only is he an average drummer, he's a boring drummer. I have this mini hypothesis about the Rush phenomenon. Post hippie world when rock is rife with lousy bands and fans are all browbeaten over it. Here comes Rush with this awesome (to aforementioned brow beaten stoners) hard sounding stuff. Voila, legitimacy. WOrlds GreAtEst Rock Band !11!11!!


:freak:

Most of it is sophomoric writing with odd meters - also sophomorically implemented.

 

Rush has been copied so much that they may SEEM boring and typical. One of the the greatest Rock bands and THE best Prog/rock band. Alex may not be YJM or Vai but he has great feel and dynamics and knows when to back off and let the music breath. The solo to Limelight is still one of my favorites.

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Lifeson is probably a better guitarist since I saw him but it's doubtful Geddy Lee is better looking. Peart probably has even more chimes now.


Moving Peart's drum kit must be very time consuming.


These are my thoughts.

 

 

Just a note on Peart's set I was early /camped out to see them They moved his set as one unit from the semi to the stage with a lift took the top off and viola instant set minus brass.I thought that was kinda cool. I don't know if they do that every show.

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