text:
Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee of Rush Choose 22 Songs That Inspired Them Most
By By Guitar World 2014-09-28T15:06:48Z
In this interview from 2009, Rush's guitarist — Alex Lifeson — and bassist — Geddy Lee — choose 60 minutes' worth of the music that is closest to their hearts, essentially putting together the ultimate Rush-approved "mixed tape."
ALEX LIFESON:
"SINK THE BISMARCK" Johnny Horton, Greatest Hits (1990)
I fell in love with music because of this song. It was the first single I bought. I was around 11 years old, which was about a year before I started playing guitar.
It's a song about the Bismarck, a German battleship that sunk during World War II. It's a very thematic, rousing song. I think I mowed two lawns or something to make enough money to buy it.
"FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH" Buffalo Springfield, Buffalo Springfield (1966)
This was the first rock song that had a big influence on me. I remember hearing it on the radio in my dad's car when I was a kid. Buffalo Springfield were unlike the other bands of the 'San Francisco sound'; they were more country sounding. Stephen Stills and Neil Young trade leads on this one.
I like Young's very fast vibrato and edgy, truncated playing style, particularly on his soloing, whereas Stills' sound is sweeter and smoother. This is still one of my all-time favorite songs. In fact, Rush did a version of it on our covers tribute EP, Feedback.
"SHAPES OF THINGS" Jeff Beck, Truth (1968)
This is another song we covered on Feedback. Jeff Beck has a tone like no one else, maybe because he doesn't play with a pick very much. He also has a very strong left hand and can move the strings almost effortlessly.
He's still cranking it out today, but he doesn't put out albums as often as I'd like; he works only when he feels like it. Before Truth, Beck was an integral part of the Yardbirds, and their recording of this song is great. But this version, with Rod Stewart's voice on top, adds a whole new element to the song.
It sounds tougher, bigger and beefier.
"MY GENERATION" The Who, The Who Sings My Generation (1965)
Pete Townshend is one of my greatest influences. More than any other guitarist, he taught me how to play rhythm guitar and demonstrated its importance, particularly in a three-piece band.
His chording and strumming always took up the right amount of space. The first time I heard this song was in the basement of Rush's original drummer, John Rutsey. John had two older brothers, both of whom were music fiends, and they always had whatever new album had just come out.
"ARE YOU EXPERIENCED" Jimi Hendrix, Are You Experienced (1967)
This was another record I heard for the first time at Rutsey's place. What attracts me to this song is all the backward stuff. It sounds so alien but so right and perfect.
Hendrix was a natural genius who played many beautiful styles. Talent as great as his doesn't come through life very frequently. Hendrix was one in a billion.
"ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER" Jimi Hendrix, Electric Ladyland (1968)
This is one of the most beautiful songs and arrangements ever recorded. Hendrix took a Bob Dylan folk song and turned it into a symphony. The acoustic guitar on this song [played by Dave Mason] has such beautiful compression.
It doesn't slap you; it caresses you. This song grabs your heart and sails away with it; it sounds unlike anything anyone has ever done. That was the magic of Hendrix: even if you copied what he recorded and tried to play like him, it could never be the same.
"HOW MANY MORE TIMES" Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin (1969)
Of any guitarist, Jimmy Page was my biggest influence. I wanted to look, think and play like him. Zeppelin had a heavy influence on Rush during our early days. Page's loose style of playing showed an immense confidence, and there are no rules to his playing.
I met Page at a Page/Plant concert in Toronto in 1998. I was acting like a kid, all googly eyed. I was freaking out and my hands were shaking. I was so thrilled to meet him because his work meant so much to me.
"KASHMIR" Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti (1975)
This is an absolutely brilliant song, an all-time classic. 'Kashmir' has such a wonderful, exotic Middle Eastern feel to it — it's like no other song of its era — and Physical Graffiti is a mind-blowing album.
In a roundabout way, 'Kashmir' influenced 'A Passage to Bangkok' [2112], which has a similar sort of odd-tempo arrangement to the verses.
"(I CAN'T GET NO) SATISFACTION" The Rolling Stones, Hot Rocks, 1964–1971 (1972)
This was the second single I bought. One summer when I was 12, I went to Yugoslavia to visit my relatives. I took one record with me — this one. I played it for my relatives because I wanted my cousins to hear it.
The Stones had that bluesy, dirty, bad-boy image, which I much preferred to cleaner-sounding bands like the Beatles or the Searchers. The Stones were more dangerous than other bands of the Sixties. It looked like they had more fun than the Beatles — like they stayed up later."
"COMFORTABLY NUMB" Pink Floyd, The Wall (1979)
David Gilmour is so well respected, and while he's often overlooked among guitarists, I think people who appreciate rock guitarists regard him as one of the best.
He's a brilliant player and has such passion and feel. You can sense he's a smart man: you can hear how he puts it all together and how it fits, which is a real testament to his songwriting. He's such a bluesy player, to boot. My eyes water whenever I hear this song.
Pink Floyd have such incredible arrangements; their songs are rich and complex but not particularly complicated. They can take as long as they want to tell you a story, but it's always interesting.
U.K.,
Allan Holdsworth has an amazing, out-of-this-world liquidity. What a genius! His fingers are constantly moving. Pulls make up the bulk of his playing; I don't think he does much picking.
I was listening to Holdsworth around the time of Moving Pictures [1981], and you can indirectly hear his influence on my playing on 'YYZ.'
"THIRD EYE" Tool, Ænima (1996)
Adam Jones is a fabulous guitarist and songwriter, and Tool are such a powerful band. You know it's Tool when you hear them, because they're intensely dynamic, yet heavy, even when they're playing is light. I listened to this album over and over; I don't do that very often.
Tool have an interesting, intelligent approach to song construction and lyrics. It's just too bad we don't hear from them more often.
"AH VIA MUSICOM" Eric Johnson, Ah Via Musicom (1990)
I've never heard anybody with a better tone than Eric Johnson! He played with us on a couple of tours and I'd watch his performance most every night.
There's a smoothness to his playing that is so elastic. Eric is very accurate and articulate but soulful at the same time. If anybody could come close to playing like Hendrix, he could.
"THICK AS A BRICK" Jethro Tull, Thick As a Brick (1972)
In my view, this is the first truly successful concept album by a British prog-rock band. They even brought a flute into heavy rock music. How dare they! [laughs]
Their music is so brilliantly written and well put together, what with its hard-to-play parts and odd time signatures, not to mention the great guitar sounds of the totally underrated Martin Barre.
And I love how, no matter what influences they brought into the music, from classical to folk, they always did it in a rock context.
"TIME AND A WORD" Yes, Time and a Word (1970)
I didn't know who Yes were until a friend loaned me this record. I was totally amazed. I'd never heard a band like this, and I'd never heard a bass player placed so upfront in the mix.
Chris Squire had such a driving, aggressive sound, and it made this such a pivotal, influential song for me. Squire's melodies were brilliant, and they were definitely out there.
But they were always essential to the skeletal forms of those songs; he never wandered off out of context. His lines help hold the songs together.
I saw them in Toronto at a little place called the Rockpile. We were in the second row, and when they played this song it just blew me away. It reaffirmed for me all the creative potential in blending hard rock with progressive music. John Paul Jones was the unsung hero in that band.
What bass player of that period didn't know how to play that riff? I still jam to it sometimes at soundchecks.
"I AIN'T SUPERSTITIOUS" Jeff Beck, Truth (1968)
If I had to pick a favorite guitarist of all time, it would probably be Jeff Beck. I mean, was there a better guitar sound ever? I think this was the first great Jeff Beck 'moment,' the first time when you'd hear something and know that it couldn't be anybody but him. He was such an amazing pioneer, and just an incredible stylist.
The notes he squeezes out of that thing with a whammy bar, a volume control knob and his fingers are simply incredible.
"OVER UNDER SIDEWAYS DOWN"
The Yardbirds,
Roger the Engineer
Jeff Beck again, playing one of the most unique guitar lines ever. It's really hard to play that thing — it manages to grab something essential from the Eastern quarter-tone style without just being imitative of Indian music.
And it's the hook to a pop song — back when pop, particularly in England, could be a platform for experimentation and innovation. Beck, Page, Clapton and some other Brits really discovered a totally new sound.
They figured out how to get a pop angle on the blues by electrifying it, and it became a profound way for guitarists to speak through music.
"WATCHER OF THE SKIES" Genesis, Foxtrot (1972)
This is a very strange, ominous tune from very early Peter Gabriel-era Genesis. The time signature was completely odd — it was a little like Yes, but darker and much more theatrical.
The music wasn't about people stepping out and doing bluesy solos; they were taking a high level of musicianship and weaving it into the guts of the song, playing with layers of melody, odd time signatures and strange guitar riffs. What fascinated me was how these intricate parts all supported one another — and the song.
"3/5 OF A MILE IN TEN SECONDS"
Jefferson Airplane,
Bless Its Pointed Little Head
A great live record, where the band takes some risks and really changes the arrangements, especially rhythmically. Jack Casady, one of the truly great, underrated bass players, is the star of this record.
His tone was very different from other American bassists; it was edgier, and his riffs were really challenging — they aggressively pushed the songs along. I like when a bass player gets a little pushy and won't keep his place. He steps out of line, but in a great way."
"SPOONFUL" Cream, Fresh Cream (1966)
'Crossroads' was the song you had to learn to play if you were in a band. Clapton just flies through that song. But for me, 'Spoonful' was more about Jack Bruce's great voice and adventurous playing. Bruce, like all the bass players I've mentioned, wasn't content to be a bottom-end, stayin'-the-background bassist.
He's playing a Gibson bass obviously too loud, to where it's distorting the speakers. But it gave him this aggressive sound and a kind of spidery tone, and I love everything about it.
"MY GENERATION" The Who, Live at Leeds (1970)
What an amazing guitar sound on this album! And [Pete] Townshend even plays a few solos, which he usually never does. Was there anybody better at expressing themselves through power chords?
I just loved that record, and I know Alex did, too. Every time we jammed as a young band we would wind up jamming parts of that record.
Can't get enough Rush? Check out Guitar Legends: Rush, which is available now at the Guitar World Online Store.
Photo: rush.com
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


real voltage on the ADC input to compare them.
There is an area on the left and right side where the values (real and adc converted) are not changing.
and it depends on the pot used. Some sort of calibrating would be needed then.
Be sure that you are using linear pots, not audio (logarithmic) pots!!!
I add one 7-segment LED display next, connected directly to the PIC to show the selected step.
ok, another update and a demo of the pseudo WSG (synth 4).
I've tried it with 3 different brand new linear pops of different types and you get the same effect so i'm thinking it might be in software.
The LED display is a great idea if it can be added in.
One slight problem with the FM speed knob is that it now seems to have a logarithmic response, in that the speed difference for a small movement as higher speeds is a lot more than at slower speeds. Maybe it was always like that but because there are slower speeds available the faster speeds have all been pushed into a smaller pot rotation at the top.
I try to fix that with the strange scale of the step-select pot. But in the moment I have no idea.
The LED display should fix that for now.
But you are right, the old scaling for the FM-sequencer speed was better.
here the firmware, fm speed old scale.
"BassDrum" and "hi hats" result from FM modulation (and internal math errors in software).
old schematic version (REV1.0) will no longer be supported.
How do you mount one of those number LED displays, i've never had to do it before? Looks like i'm going to have to build another one with a bigger box and more space for additions on the board. Whats the plan for the other two switches?
I assume that everything will still work with the updated firmware and the play / reverse switches but without the LED number display actually installed. I suspect there will be some people that may want to build the thing but might find the display unnecessary or too complex to add. Also i'd like to update the firmware of my first prototype to the version with the switches but theres no space to mount the display in the box i put it in.
UPDATE: i had Betaversion03c loaded into mine and it started doing something weird. On the FM step synth if i set the step value and then turn the step selection knob up and down quickly all the steps become the same note. If i change the step value and turn the selection knob again all the steps become the new note. Its as if the step value knob is constantly outputting data. I upgraded to Betaversion04 and added the play and reverse switches and its still doing the same thing, maybe my pot is dying or dirty although i'm using sealed pots so it seems unlikely. It seems like it happens at random but its a bit difficult to program if you don't know if all the steps between the one you are on and the one you want to change are going to change as you pass through them.
What way round are the pots wired up on the schematic there?
Which pin is pin 1 depends on which way you are looking at the pot and there doesn't seem to be any normal way of numbering them.
if you look at the potentiometer, axis facing to you, then connect left pin to gnd, the right to +5V and the middle pin goes to the microcontroller (AN0..7). The schematic/layoutsoftware (cadsoft eagle) has that numbering in the libraries.
I like that transparent boxes you use!
I have simply cut out a hole fitting the LED display and then glued it with hot-melt adhesive.
The series resistors (current limiting for the LEDs) were soldered behind the display (I used small resistors).
Or you can solder the Display on a piece of veroboard and mount the board with screws.
The display can be omitted if not neccessary. But if used it have to be a "common anode" (CA) type !
have no function yet. I have some ideas like a global sequencer controlling all synths for example.
But ignore them (ground them) for now if you have some keep the space for them.
oh oh, I see what you mean... really not nice ... will be fixed.
Thanks for investigating and reporting the bugs!
but hey, it's all free and I don't want to sell a ready made perfect (and expensive) high-end synth.
I keep in mind that I do no more hardware changes if not really necessary.
Pot values toggle on some positions between two values, what is normal and no error.
This could be seen on the display if the Step-select-pot is "between" two steps.
The display shows a mixture of both values (flickers).
Therefor the selected step toggles.
I've tried different possible solutions to solve that.
I've used a common method often used in commercial synths/sequencers.
If you change the Step, the Step-value pot is locked.
this has some advantages against other methods, and it is very easy to implement in software.
which ignores the "fetch old value"-method.
Just discovered you can get some insane loops & sounds with the fraktal1 algorithm running at maximum speed and adjusting knobs 5,6 and 7. The reverse switch can turn then inside out as well.
Very cool, catweazel! Ill be building one very soon.
catweazle seems to have disappeared off the face of the planet and so has his website. He hasn't signed in here since march 27th.
I think i might have most of the hex files in a backup somewhere. I'll take a look and post it if i can find them.


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Researchers found that methanol and ethanol in alcohol stripped certain amino acids from the body. They reasoned that putting them back would naturally help prevent dehydration. The active formulation was then tested in a clinical trial and was shown to significantly reduce the symptoms of hangover.
Hydrodol simply puts back what your body loses when drinking thus helping you to stay hydrated and feel better the next day. Remember that Hydrodol won't lessen the effects of alcohol; it just helps with the nasty side effects.
Yeah, but... does it really work?
Go on, admit it. It's the number one question you want to ask before you try Hydrodol. Well, we cant stop you dancing on the podium to your favourite 80's song but we can help you feel better. Hydrodol replaces what your body loses when you drink, and helps you to stay hydrated so you can wake up feeling great the next day. For the price of a mixed drink at the bar, you'll never want to leave home again without Hydrodol! What if I forget to take Hydrodol while I'm drinking? Ideally you take Hydrodol while drinking but if you forget to, just take Hydrodol when you wake up the next day.
Hydrodol capsules small so they're easier to swallow. You take 4 capsules while drinking. Yes, that's right, you take Hydrodol while you are drinking Alternatively take 4 capsules the morning after drinking. Always read the label and use as directed. Vitamins are supplementary to and not a replacement for a balanced diet. Don't forget that Hydrodol is just those amino acids, vitamins and minerals that need replacing when you have a big night out.


Predictably, this naked example of stunt publishing has been the subject of countless OpEds and blog posts. Breastfeeding became the obvious call-in topic for lazy talk-radio producers across the nation.
The TIME cover even got the Saturday Night Live treatment over the weekend.
Even by midweek, the media still hadn't squeezed the last drop of milk from this teat.
What part of 'you're lazy and stupid' don't women understand?


text:
Secrecy and Mysteries Challenge the Official History of Antarctica
by WakingTimes December 22, 2016
Jordan Sather, Staff Writer
In late 1946, Admiral Richard E. Byrd led troops from the U.S., Britain and Australia on a mission to Antarctica called "Operation Highjump". This mission involved 4700 soldiers, 13 ships, and 33 aircraft in what was officially called a research expedition.
The part of the story that is seldom told outside of official circles is what Byrd encountered there. While conventional knowledge of World War II states that Germany was defeated in Europe, which is true, little is often said about the Nazi escape South to their bases in Antarctica. While the Allied powers won World War II on the ground in Europe due to their industrial might, the Nazi's had far more advanced technology, and many members of Hitler's regime reportedly fled to the icy continent after the war.
It is highly likely Operation Highjump was a military operation to engage these enemy forces, and was apparently unsuccessful, as Byrd and his battle group suffered heavy losses and retreated to South America. A Chilean newspaper, the 'El Murico', ran an article detailing Operation Highjump on March 5th, 1947, where Admiral Byrd stated in an interview:
"It is necessary for the USA to take defensive actions against enemy air fighters which come from the polar regions…[America could be] attacked by fighters that are able to fly from one pole to the other with incredible speed."
German secret societies, such as the Thule and Vril, are believed to already have had access to electrogravitic, or antigravity, technologies, and had created what is known as the "Bell craft", named after it's bell like shape. These craft, with their advanced propulsion systems, are thought to have been effective in neutralizing the 13 ship battle group. In the years after World War II, many Nazi scientists immigrated into America to work within the medicine, aerospace, and intelligence corporations. This situation makes one wonder if American hands were essentially forced to accept these refugees.
The world then entered the Cold War years, but the mystery surrounding Antarctica persists.
In 1959, the Antarctica Treaty was signed by 12 nations, including Argentina, Chile, the UK, the US, and the Soviet Union, who had scientists operating in and around Antarctica. Fast-forwarding nearly 60 years, another Antarctic protection deal was recently ratified in October 2016, this time signed by 24 different nations along with the European Union. This set aside the largest marine conservation area in the world.
Now the question is, why are America, China and Russia cooperating on the preservation of the wildest regions of planet when so many of their current policies are producing increased enmity and tension, and the rest of the world has become an expendable war zone?
At the same time, there has been a rise in reporting on events in Antarctica, albeit mostly from tabloid journals. On November 21st, an article in The Sun, reported on "mysterious new pyramids" found buried on the icy continent, largely discussing a video showing Google Earth images detailing geometric, pyramidal structures in the icy tundra. Another article, this time by The Express, also detailed these pyramid structures, while outlining scientific evidence supporting the theory that Antarctica used to harbor vegetation and life. Lastly, The Daily Star published an article also describing how an ancient civilization would have been possible due to the scientific discoveries that Antarctica was possibly ice-free in the past, also touching on the intriguing Piri Reis map, a 500-year-old document showing Antarctica on it, centuries before the official discovery of the icy continent.
Oddly enough, several significant figures have recently traveled to the Antarctic region in recent months, and under mysterious or vaguely defined circumstances. During the election, Secretary of State John Kerry flew down to the continent to 'study global warming.' Former Astronaut Buzz Aldrin also visited in recent weeks, and was forced to cut short his journey due to a sudden medical emergency.
Furthermore, other notable researchers have been reporting in recent weeks on the potential for a "partial disclosure scenario" involving Antarctica, with the potential to reveal hidden technologies, information on ancient civilizations, and elite plans for maintaining their powerful grip on planet earth, however, such speculation is above and beyond what we can actually prove at this point.
Never the less, continuing Antarctic research expeditions, combined with Antarctica's suspicious political past, today's reported findings of megalithic structures on the barren continent, recent high-profile visitations, and updated political treaties for Antarctica, are giving rise to a growing public curiosity about what may really be happening on the uninhabited continent.
What is really taking place in Antarctica?
Read more articles by Jordan Sather.
Jordan Sather is a health coach and truth seeker from Washington State. His mission is to assist with the evolution of consciousness that humanity is currently undergoing. He runs two youtube channels along with his writing and coaching endeavors. His Conscious Strength channel offers cutting edge health and wellness advice, and his Realfake News brings you conscious commentary on breaking news stories that you need to know. You can reach him by his website, or his facebook.
This article (Secrecy and Mysteries Challenge the Official History of Antarctica) was originally created and published by Waking Times and is printed here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Jordan Sather and WakingTimes.com. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution and author bio.
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