The Rush song Xanadu
(lyrics) from the A Farewell to Kings
album reminds me of my early drumming career. Once I discovered Rush, all bets were off. I dove in head first to emulate Neal Peart in every facet of my drumming style and it continues today (along with Mike Portnoy from Dream Theater). As I started collecting Rush albums, A Farewell to Kings just stuck with me. I loved the melodies, lyrics and other adventurous nature of the arrangements. It is still my favorite Rush album. The song Xanadu just blew me away. There are so many little parts that Peart throws in there. How can you not like a song where both guitar players have double-necked guitars (a very 70's thing)? This song took me an entire summer of practice to really get a handle on it. I wore out two cassettes because of constantly rewinding it. I was so wrapped up in this song I did research on what the lyrics meant and the history behind it (very cool stuff by the way).As further proof of my devotion to this song, I was given a xylophone for my birthday to learn those parts as well. I would use mallets on my 22” ride cymbal as the gong on the song. I also purchased agogo bells to play this and other Rush songs. I then found other songs by Rush and others (like Jethro Tull's Baker Street Muse) to use my xylophone on. Another important factor in learning this song was the video Exit Stage Left. The video is from the Moving Pictures tour which was one of the last tours that Rush played Xanadu in its entirety. I was able to study this video over and over to see how Peart played a specific part. I incorporated a few of the fills Peart included that were not on the studio version. Of course the parts I really needed to see were not always shown (darn guitar solos :).
After all these years I still enjoy playing this song and album. The difference now is that I understand Xanadu's time signature changes much more than I did then so the parts have come together tighter. This song more than any other defined my style for most of my drumming career. Even when I was is a blues band, I would add little things to the songs that made them more fun to play and make them my own. Some people did not not like my “busy” style but you can't please everyone.
As a side note, I have since learned odd time signatures much better and can count the measures while I listen and play songs. For years the middle section of the song A Farewell to Kings always stumped me. Now I know why, the measures alternate between 7/8 and 5/8. It is one of the most difficult sections I have ever learned by Rush. Once again I just hunkered down and played it over and over again until I could play through more often than not.
Do you have story about this song? Please Let me know.
Hats off to anyone who can emulate Neil Peart! After seeing Rush three times in concert, Peart never ceases to amaze me. I can feel the excitement seeing the thousand of air drummers going nuts over flying drumsticks at the shows.
ReplyDeleteXanadu is one my favorite tunes from Rush. They did play it the first time I saw Rush in 1982. My other favs would have to be La Villa Strangiato, The Camera Eye, Lakeside Park, Animate, Earthshine, Natural Science, 2112, and By-Tor & the Snow Dog.
I've tried to get into Rush and I do appreciate their talent and musicianship. What I think stops me from being a fan are Geddy Lee's vocals. They're an acquired taste and that's a taste I've not yet acquired.
ReplyDeleteDream Theater has a similar issue with James LaBrie, but his is a voice I have acquired some taste for (but there are still some songs I'm not crazy about hearing him sing -- possibly why I enjoy the instrumental Liquid Tension Experiment & Liquid Trio Experiment CDs so much).
PS: My favorite Rush song is probably Jacob's Ladder.
ReplyDeletedrewzepmeister, once I heard Rush, it was all over. THAT'S the way I wanted to play drums. La Villa is another favorite of mine as well. That song has some crazy time signatures in it as well. They dubbed that song "an exercise in self indulgence". The unfortunate reality of La Villa is that they saw that song as the last "over-the-top" song. They went to shorter radio friendly songs after that.
ReplyDeletePerplexio, a lot of people don't like Geddy's vocal so you're not alone. When I first heard Dream Theater I felt the same way about LaBrie. In fact I put my Images and Words CD away for months. Then I listened again and it just started to click with me. That is when I switched from Peart to Portnoy as a style in the sense of more double bass fills and such.
My buddy and I are messing around with Jacobs Ladder. Very fun (but difficult in spots) to play.
I actually got into Jacob's Ladder via a cover version on a Rush Tribute album. I forget who the vocalist was, but the guitarist on that cover was Dream Theater's John Petrucci. Incidentally I first got into Mike Portnoy via an ELP tribute album. Portnoy played drums on a few of the tracks. I had picked up the tribute album because I was big into Asia vocalist John Wetton at the time and he did vocals on a couple of the tracks (Bitches Crystal was one of them and I can't recall the other one).
ReplyDeletePS: Speaking of odd time signatures-- isn't there a Dream Theater song in Metropolis Pt. 2 that's 19/16 or something ridiculous like that?
ReplyDeletePerplexio, have you been following the DT drummer auditions. Check out the videos on Roadrunner Record website. Very cool.
ReplyDeleteWOW, I forgot to add A Farewell to Kings to the Rush poll. Oops. That is my favorite album.
ReplyDeletePerplexio, the end of song Home has 19/16 (which is on Metropolis Pt. 2). I have all of Portnoy's instructional videos. He was the one who helped me understand off time after all these years. He plays Home all the way through which really helped me.
ReplyDeleteHome is one of my favorite DT songs. It's absofreakinglutely brilliant from start to finish.
ReplyDeletePerplexio, I love playing that song. There is a small part near the end (not the 19/16 part) that trips me up (7/8) but for the most part I can get through it.
ReplyDeleteI did a write-up on Home awhile back.
ReplyDeleteI saw Rush for the first time last summer at summerfest. Brett you are right about Neil Peart on the drums. I stood there in amazement watching him hit the drums. I just couldn't believe my eyes watching him. This is a great song by them. I really like there music.
ReplyDeleteTender Heart Bear, Neal Peart spawned and entire generation(s) of loyal drummer followers. Its hard not to be amazed at what he does.
ReplyDelete