Why isn't Alex Lifeson more highly regarded as a guitarist?

[King Postwhore]

When I think of Alex Lifeson's solos I think of David Gilmour.  Very emotive. 

[hunnus2000]

I've wrote this before but I think history will smile very brightly on Alex. Sure he didn't get much attention as Neil and Geddy early on but that eventually changed. And who could forget his RRHoF speech? Very eloquent! 

[Dream Team]

I appreciate Alex’s talent, it’s just not the style of guitar playing I prefer.

[EPICVIEW]

Alex is so damn good and makes it look too damn easy is the issue and hes not a shredder so it doesnt jump at ya

[hefdaddy42]

I think he IS highly regarded.

[kirksnosehair]

I don't know, I don't think he's underrated or overrated, I think he's a competent journeyman guitarist with a knack for creating very interesting and unique progressions and chord voicings.  His chord voicings alone are enough to set him on a level above guys like Clapton who spend 99% of their time spewing out the same 15 or 20 pentatonic riffs and dominant 7th chords.  Clapton is a good -not great, but very good- guitarist.  He is a great songwriter.  One of the best.  But if you listen to him solo for 10 minutes you've heard his entire repertoire of solo licks. He's famous because of the songs he's written and performed not because he's a virtuoso on the guitar (he's not). 


Alex Lifeson is a pretty unique player, which tends to set him apart more than many, but he's not a flashy/gimmicky player or a technical wizard. He's the king of esoteric chord voicings and rhythm guitar patterns.  As mentioned already look no further than his work on songs like "Limelight" for examples of his brilliance as a composer and rock guitarist.  His voicings are unique and his style is recognizable and his alone.  Only a select few can say that.  And I don't even like Rush.

[King Postwhore]

Journeyman is the only word I would not agree with Barry in everything you said.  Not many guitarist are praised for their rhythm playing like Lifeson is.  The Edge is the another guitarist that is held in that esteem. Plus, he's always morphed his playing for the band and exceled in being the lead man or filling those spaces with chord structures that most don't think of or can play like.


I think what hurts his reputation is playing with 2 other musicians who play at a high level.  I always admired his chameleon like playing.

[kirksnosehair]

The Edge, yeah, another great player from a band I don't care for 

[King Postwhore]

 

I think I knew that. Lol

[Samsara]

I just finished Martin Popoff's Rush bio trilogy. The last one, Driven: Rush in the 90s and in the End, I completed over the weekend. As someone who 10 years ago was a casual Rush fan, I find myself here in 2021 a huge fan, and think the original question about Alex is a good one.

In the 70s, he was absolutely touted as a great guitarist. But as the 80s hit and Rush got more mainstream love, Alex took a backseat a bit right? He went for more color and texture. And while guitars were brought back with more force in the mix in the 90s, he wasn't nearly as "look at me" as a soloist. It was more about groove.

The thing everyone said in those books (his bandmates and various others) is that Alex just goes with the flow. For the last 30 years of his career, he was about the song, not about the solo spotlight. And that plays a huge role in how people perceive him, talent-wise, who aren't as familiar with the Rush catalog and what Alex brings to the table.

He's not a guitar hero. He's a guitar chameleon who changes to fit whatever the situation calls for. Rush were all the better for it.

[HOF]

I just finished Martin Popoff's Rush bio trilogy. The last one, Driven: Rush in the 90s and in the End, I completed over the weekend. As someone who 10 years ago was a casual Rush fan, I find myself here in 2021 a huge fan, and think the original question about Alex is a good one.

In the 70s, he was absolutely touted as a great guitarist. But as the 80s hit and Rush got more mainstream love, Alex took a backseat a bit right? He went for more color and texture. And while guitars were brought back with more force in the mix in the 90s, he wasn't nearly as "look at me" as a soloist. It was more about groove.

The thing everyone said in those books (his bandmates and various others) is that Alex just goes with the flow. For the last 30 years of his career, he was about the song, not about the solo spotlight. And that plays a huge role in how people perceive him, talent-wise, who aren't as familiar with the Rush catalog and what Alex brings to the table.

He's not a guitar hero. He's a guitar chameleon who changes to fit whatever the situation calls for. Rush were all the better for it.

Yeah, it was probably hard for Alex to stand out in the 80s rock/metal guitarist crowd a bit. A lot of bands had EVH clones, and you had the explosion of shred and solo instrumental guitar types. I don’t think Peart had as much competition among drummers in that era by comparison.

[pg1067]

Am I the only one who finds it odd that WildRanger resurrected his own thread after nearly 14 months of dormancy?

[Lupton]

Am I the only one who finds it odd that WildRanger resurrected his own thread after nearly 14 months of dormancy?

To be fair it's probably a sight better than the new thread which would have invariably been started in its stead. Let me take a wild gander:

"Alex Lifeson vs. Alex Skolnick vs. Alex Machecek.  Which Alex is best, and why do you think they have such common overlap?"

[TAC]

Alex Masi?

[hefdaddy42]

Am I the only one who finds it odd that WildRanger resurrected his own thread after nearly 14 months of dormancy?

It would have been odd if anyone else had done it.

I'm not sure that it's odd that he did it.

[pg1067]

Alex Masi?

My band opened for his band back in 1988 at Gazzarri's in Hollywood!

[Architeuthis]

Lifeson not only did unique chord voicings, he also wrote a lot of great riffs.  The opening to Sprit of Radio is iconic and harder to play than it sounds, if you play it correctly.  The riff in Circumstances leading up to the chorus is just bad ass!
The opening riff of Virtuality is another.
Great riffing and chord phrasing throughout Xanadu.
Freewill, Natural Science, Analog Kid, YYZ,  and many more.

His solos are nothing to sneeze at either. One of the most underrated solos is in Cut To The Chase, nice little shred-fest there!
He has a knack for playing technical solos without sacrificing melody, kind of like JP.  Alex is definitely one of the greats if all time imo..💯💪

[Stadler]

With the understanding that I think Alex is a GREAT player, I think we have to acknowledge that as much as we might like his solo work (and I'll admit it's not what I go to Rush for), he DOESN'T have a "Comfortably Numb", or a "Layla" or a "Stairway To Heaven", or a "Smoke On The Water".  You know, the solo that non-guitar players and people that haven't seen the band seven times can still sing.  I don't think that's the only or even a major criteria for being considered "great", but while Neil has "Tom Sawyer" as a song you can refer a non-fan to as evidence of greatness, Alex doesn't have that song.

[pg1067]

he DOESN'T have a "Comfortably Numb", or a "Layla" or a "Stairway To Heaven", or a "Smoke On The Water".  You know, the solo that non-guitar players and people that haven't seen the band seven times can still sing.

I couldn't begin to tell you what the guitar solos sound like in three of those four songs.  In fact, my initial reaction was, "there's a guitar solo in Layla?"

while Neil has "Tom Sawyer" as a song you can refer a non-fan to as evidence of greatness, Alex doesn't have that song.

I could refer any non-fan to TONS of Rush songs "as evidence of [Alex's] greatness" -- first and foremost, the Exit...Stage Left version of La Villa Strangiato.

[kirksnosehair]

I think this thread kind of proves that its original premise is flawed at best.  Alex Lifeson is a pretty highly-regarded player by everyone here, including me.  I don't use the term "Journeyman" negatively, by the way.  A Journeyman Union Electrician is the best you can get.  That's the context of my use of the word.  He's extremely competent on the instrument, he's just not a flashy guy and he doesn't try to upstage anyone or show off.  I think any perceptions that he's not more highly regarded are misguided.  If YOU don't regard him highly that's your call but to me anyone who consistently shows up on lists of the greatest guitarists of all time is worthy of a lot of respect, I don't care if he's 8th or 98th.  He's on the list.  There have been thousands of guitarists over the years, to appear on a list of the top 100 definitely makes you pretty special imo.  Even if I don't hold him in that high a regard, I'm just one person and for me it's mostly a taste thing where I just don't care for Rush all that much.  That doesn't diminish Alex's accomplishments in any way.   

[TAC]

Alex Masi?

My band opened for his band back in 1988 at Gazzarri's in Hollywood!

 

[Stadler]

he DOESN'T have a "Comfortably Numb", or a "Layla" or a "Stairway To Heaven", or a "Smoke On The Water".  You know, the solo that non-guitar players and people that haven't seen the band seven times can still sing.

I couldn't begin to tell you what the guitar solos sound like in three of those four songs.  In fact, my initial reaction was, "there's a guitar solo in Layla?"

while Neil has "Tom Sawyer" as a song you can refer a non-fan to as evidence of greatness, Alex doesn't have that song.

I could refer any non-fan to TONS of Rush songs "as evidence of [Alex's] greatness" -- first and foremost, the Exit...Stage Left version of La Villa Strangiato.

Respectfully, my kid didn't dance to La Villa Strangiato at her last school dance.  They DID play Stairway to Heaven.   Again, looking at my post and excluding people that have seen Rush multiple times, I've never once ever seen anyone do their first wedding dance to a Rush song; I have Clapton (though that was Wonderful Tonight, to be fair).   I can't recall if Alex ever stood on top of a 35 foot stage set, isolated in a spotlight trained solely on him for a 10-minute extended solo within one particular song while the entire stadium lit lighters, whereas I HAVE seen that for David Gilmour during "Comfortably Numb" (Yankee Stadium, on the Delicate Sound of Thunder tour).

I think you know what I meant when I said that.   I'm not talking about "examples of greatness"; I think he IS great.  I'm talking about SONGS, as vehicles for that greatness, that have transcended genre and generation and thus led to other guitar players - perhaps unfairly - being more highly regarded.

[WildRanger]

With the understanding that I think Alex is a GREAT player, I think we have to acknowledge that as much as we might like his solo work (and I'll admit it's not what I go to Rush for), he DOESN'T have a "Comfortably Numb", or a "Layla" or a "Stairway To Heaven", or a "Smoke On The Water".  You know, the solo that non-guitar players and people that haven't seen the band seven times can still sing.  I don't think that's the only or even a major criteria for being considered "great", but while Neil has "Tom Sawyer" as a song you can refer a non-fan to as evidence of greatness, Alex doesn't have that song.

OK. And Eddie Van Halen doesn't have a signature guitar solo besides Eruption and it's just a short instrumental.

[Elite]

OK. And Eddie Van Halen doesn't have a signature guitar solo besides Eruption and it's just a short instrumental.

You fucking answered your own 'problem' here. Eruption is a monumental guitar track and his signature guitar solo. It doesn't matter that it's 'just a short instrumental'.

[TheCountOfNYC]

Two reasons: 1) Geddy Lee. 2) Neil Peart.

Geddy Lee is one of the greatest bass players ever while Neil Peart is the greatest rock drummer of all time. Alex is amazing, but when you’re in a band with two of the all time greats on their respective instruments, it’s not hard to see why the attention gets shifted away from him. It’s like John Paul Jones in Led Zeppelin, an amazing bassist and multi-instrumentalist who gets overlooked because he was in the same band as one of the all time great guitarists, drummers, and frontmen of all time.

[WildRanger]

OK. And Eddie Van Halen doesn't have a signature guitar solo besides Eruption and it's just a short instrumental.

You fucking answered your own 'problem' here. Eruption is a monumental guitar track and his signature guitar solo. It doesn't matter that it's 'just a short instrumental'.

Yep, but Comfortably Numb, Layla, Stairway To Heaven and Smoke On The Water are not instrumentals. They're the songs that people can sing along to, Eruption is not.

[WildRanger]

Two reasons: 1) Geddy Lee. 2) Neil Peart.

Geddy Lee is one of the greatest bass players ever while Neil Peart is the greatest rock drummer of all time.

He is not alone. Also John Bonham is widely regarded as the greatest rock drummer.

[WildRanger]

Do you guys really think that Geddy's bass and Neil's drums dominate the sonic space over Alex's guitar in most Rush songs?

[TheCountOfNYC]

Two reasons: 1) Geddy Lee. 2) Neil Peart.

Geddy Lee is one of the greatest bass players ever while Neil Peart is the greatest rock drummer of all time.

He is not alone. Also John Bonham is widely regarded as the greatest rock drummer.

I mentioned John Bohnam and Led Zeppelin because I compared Alex to John Paul Jones.

[Stadler]

With the understanding that I think Alex is a GREAT player, I think we have to acknowledge that as much as we might like his solo work (and I'll admit it's not what I go to Rush for), he DOESN'T have a "Comfortably Numb", or a "Layla" or a "Stairway To Heaven", or a "Smoke On The Water".  You know, the solo that non-guitar players and people that haven't seen the band seven times can still sing.  I don't think that's the only or even a major criteria for being considered "great", but while Neil has "Tom Sawyer" as a song you can refer a non-fan to as evidence of greatness, Alex doesn't have that song.

OK. And Eddie Van Halen doesn't have a signature guitar solo besides Eruption and it's just a short instrumental.

WOW, that misses the point.  When I heard "Eruption" the first time - and I can tell you when and where that was:  sitting in John S----'s bedroom playing records sometime around 1980, 1981 - we immediately said "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?" and promptly played it five more times in a row.   I had never heard anything like it.   I've seen Van Halen twice, and both times he sat down on the front of the stage, paused while 15,000 fans paid rapt attention, lit a cigarette, and banged out Eruption while the entire crowd virtually exploded.  The point was, a song where everything else is sort of secondary to the guitar and it draws your attention even if you're not a fan. 

Look, if you don't agree, you don't agree, but it's a theory, it's a theory I subscribe to, and I offer it for your consideration. 

[hefdaddy42]

he DOESN'T have a "Comfortably Numb", or a "Layla" or a "Stairway To Heaven", or a "Smoke On The Water".  You know, the solo that non-guitar players and people that haven't seen the band seven times can still sing.

I couldn't begin to tell you what the guitar solos sound like in three of those four songs.  In fact, my initial reaction was, "there's a guitar solo in Layla?"

With respect, that says more about you than about those songs.  Those songs are all around 50 years old, and both of my kids and probably my mother would recognize them.

[Max Kuehnau]

he DOESN'T have a "Comfortably Numb", or a "Layla" or a "Stairway To Heaven", or a "Smoke On The Water".  You know, the solo that non-guitar players and people that haven't seen the band seven times can still sing.

I couldn't begin to tell you what the guitar solos sound like in three of those four songs.  In fact, my initial reaction was, "there's a guitar solo in Layla?"

With respect, that says more about you than about those songs.  Those songs are all around 50 years old, and both of my kids and probably my mother would recognize them.

Does she think they will drop the bomb though? (sorry, I had to. I agree btw.)

[hefdaddy42]

he DOESN'T have a "Comfortably Numb", or a "Layla" or a "Stairway To Heaven", or a "Smoke On The Water".  You know, the solo that non-guitar players and people that haven't seen the band seven times can still sing.

I couldn't begin to tell you what the guitar solos sound like in three of those four songs.  In fact, my initial reaction was, "there's a guitar solo in Layla?"

With respect, that says more about you than about those songs.  Those songs are all around 50 years old, and both of my kids and probably my mother would recognize them.

Does she think they will drop the bomb though? (sorry, I had to. I agree btw.)

[Adami]

I'd easily recognize the songs Comfortably Numb, Smoke on the Water, or Layla, but if someone just started playing the solos at a guitar center or something, I wouldn't likely be able to place them. Well, I probably would with Layla, but definitely not Smoke on the Water.

[HOF]

Ya know, I know the opening riff from Smoke on the Water, but don’t have any recollection of what the solo is like.