More than 30 years of progressive Rock and still going!
Alex Lifeson is one of those guitarists that were, are and will be a very important part of music history and especially Rock and Progressive Rock. Who doesn’t know the Canadian band called RUSH? If you don’t, well, boy you are missing something very important, especially if you are a rock lover.
Lifeson can be considered a virtuoso, not because of his fast fingers but because of his musicality. He indeed is a very musical guitarist. RUSH is a trio, bass, drums and guitar and Lifeson does know how to fill every gap between the bass and drums. He comes up with the nicest chord progressions and very colorful textures that you simply cannot like them as a guitarist.
Lifeson’s style of playing has always been influenced by technology, in other words, pedal effects. He is very meticulous about his sound. I always compare Lifeson and Gilmour, they both know how to sound freaking amazing! They do use pedal effects but they use them well! Like we all should!
Lifeson’s playing has been always represented by Gibson guitars, he also did use PRSs at various times in his career but he has been a proud endorser of Gibson.
Alex Lifeson three best guitar solos – From Gibson.com
When MusicRadar.com’s Joe Bosso caught up with Rush’s Alex Lifeson, they asked him the question on everybody’s mind: ‘So what are your three best solos, Alex?’ And then MusicRadar.com kindly shared Lifeson’s answers with us!
The legendary guitarist reportedly needed only a moment before answering:
Limelight (1981) – “I love the elasticity of the solo. It’s a very emotional piece of music for me to play. The song is about loneliness and isolation, and I think the solo reflects that. There’s a lot of heart in it. It’s a feel thing: you have to feel a solo as you play it, otherwise it’s going to sound stiff. I never had that problem with Limelight. The first time I laid it down in the studio, I feel a real attachment to it and I could tell it was special. Even now, it’s my favorite solo to perform live. I never get tired of it. Each time I’m about to play it, I take a deep breath and I exhale on that first note. I guess that sounds corny, but for me, it releases something.”
Kid Gloves (1984) – “That song is from our Grace Under Pressure album. What I like about the solo is, it’s the opposite of Limelight: it’s got a hip, kind of slinky attitude, a little goofy humor. When I play it, I feel a certain confidence, also like a prankster, which is not the way I am in real life at all. What’s funny about it, too, is that it has a plot to it, and I only realized that after I recorded it for the first time — I never have a plot in mind when I’m recording solos; I always just kind of wing them. The Kid Gloves solo guided me; it’s like it knew what it wanted to be and I just had to allow myself to follow.”
Freewill (1980) – “It’s a really hard solo to play. I think I feel a certain amount of pride in that fact alone. Every time I play it, I’m amazed I got through it. It’s so frenetic and exciting. The rhythm section too — Geddy and Neil are all over the place. It’s probably one of the most ambitious pieces of music Rush has ever done. In a sense, everybody’s soloing at the same time. Recording it, I didn’t have anything planned; I was just responding to what the other guys did. Basically, I was just trying to keep up! But I think it worked out pretty well. I’m rather happy with it, and I can usually find fault with everything I do.”
