Skip to main content

Friday Night Videos: Rush - Tom Sawyer


Okay, this is, uh, the hit single section of our album 
Good day 
Good day 
Uh, Geddy Lee is here from Rush 
Hi, Geddy, I'm Bob McKenzie, this is my brother Doug 
How's it going, Geddy?
Oh, it's going pretty good
Good day, eh 
Good day 
Thanks for coming down to do our hit 
Well, it's my pleasure, eh 
Did, did our lawyer call you? 
Yeah, um, I, you know, ten bucks is ten bucks

Good day hoseheads, it's time once again for our retro video music program called Friday Night Videos. Tonight we are traveling back across our northern border to the land of hockey and Labatt's beer better known as Canada. 

I'm going to cut to the chase right out of the gate! The album 'Moving Pictures' by the Canadian trio Rush, is arguably the best rock album ever produced. PERIOD.

There, I said it and I'm not taking it back.

Every track on Moving Pictures is a testamate to the supreme musical prowess of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and the late master of rock drumming Neil Pert.

Tonight we have the first track off of Moving Pictures entitled Tom Sawyer:


Now, most fans of the band Rush know that there is another video for the song Tom Sawyer, but I decided to go with this live version that aired on MTV back in the day even though it was actually a promo video for the band's live album Exit Stage Left. 

History:

The song was written by Geddy Lee, drummer Neil Peart, and guitarist Alex Lifeson in collaboration with lyricist Pye Dubois of the band Max Webster, who also co-wrote the Rush songs "Force Ten", "Between Sun and Moon", and "Test for Echo". According to the US radio show In the Studio with Redbeard (which devoted an episode to the making of Moving Pictures), "Tom Sawyer" came about during a summer rehearsal vacation that Rush spent at Ronnie Hawkins' farm outside Toronto. Peart was presented with a poem by Dubois named "Louis the Lawyer" (often incorrectly cited as "Louis the Warrior") that he modified and expanded. Lee and Lifeson then helped set the poem to music. The "growling" synthesizer sound heard in the song came from Lee experimenting with his Oberheim OB-X. For "Tom Sawyer", Lee switched from his Rickenbacker 4001 to a Fender Jazz Bass he purchased from a pawn shop.

Here is an equally strong track from Moving Pictures entitled Limelight:

 


Rush was a Canadian rock band formed in Toronto in 1968, consisting of Geddy Lee (bass, vocals, keyboards, composer), Alex Lifeson (guitars, composer), and Neil Peart (drums, percussion, lyricist). After its formation in 1968, the band went through several configurations until arriving at its classic lineup with the addition of Peart in 1974, just after the release of their eponymous debut album, which contained their first highly-regarded song, "Working Man".

Rush is known for its musicianship, complex compositions, and eclectic lyrical motifs drawing heavily on science fiction, fantasy and philosophy. The band's style changed over the years, from a blues-inspired hard rock beginning, later moving into progressive rock, then a period marked by heavy use of synthesizers, before returning to guitar-driven hard rock since the end of the 1980s. The members of Rush have been acknowledged as some of the most proficient players on their respective instruments, with each winning numerous awards in magazine readers' polls.

Check Out:





Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Toys By Roy - Winrock Center Mall, Albuquerque, New Mexico (1961-88)

If you grew up in the desert metropolis of Albuquerque, New Mexico in the 60s, 70s or 80s you probably have fond memories of Toys By Roy. This Article Has Moved To Our New Blog At: Toys By Roy - Winrock Center Mall - Albuquerque, New Mexico - A Trip Down Memory Lane
14 comments
READ MORE »

Abandoned Louisiana - The Pirate's Cove Water Park / Resort in Iowa

 About ten minutes east of the city of Lake Charles are the remains of an abandoned water park . The decaying structures are clearly visible from the busy I-10 freeway and for years drivers have wondered about it's history and why it was left for dead.   The Pirate's Cove Water Park actually has a rather interesting story behind it. A story that has been repeated over and over again, unfortunately, here in Louisiana. It's just another example of how government bureaucracy in this state killed an enterprise before it could ever get off the ground. Construction on the park began in 2008 and it was scheduled to open sometime in 2010. The sprawling complex was envisioned as an oasis from the hot summer heat that would feature luxurious amenities like a 900 foot long lazy river, a giant splash pad for the kids and eventually a five star hotel. The Pirate's Cove would have been an obvious tourist destination that could have brought much needed tax dollars and employment oppo...
Post a Comment
READ MORE »

Abandoned Louisiana - The Old Hightower Family Home in Dodson

I have to admit that I have been hanging on to these photos for a couple of months now just looking for the right minute to post them. Back in November I was traveling up to El Dorado, Arkansas and I passed through the small town of Dodson. While driving through town my eyes spotted a very attractive old house up on a hill and I just had to stop and take a few photos of it. I honestly don't know the history of this house, but I'm sure some local will send me message telling me all about it (and someone did see the UPDATE ), and it's not as cool as an abandoned railroad locomotive or old movie house but it really spoke to me. I have to wonder about the people who used to live in it and how it ended up in the state it is now. Anyone can see that it was a beautiful house long ago. What happened? How did such a grand residence end up like this? Those are questions that I can't answer unfortunately.  Unfortunately a site like this isn't all that uncommon here in Louisian...
Post a Comment
READ MORE »