Exit... Stage Left, Rush's second official live album, was released in 1981 and is here in an excellent reissue. The album belongs to what's known as the band's second phase, that of progressive rock.
An album where Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee, and Neil Peart are absolutely superb, it contains songs like "La Villa Strangiato" and "YYZ," which are true works of art both for their exceptional songs and for the sheer power and technique they unleash.
The songs are among the band's most beloved and date back to the late '70s and early '80s.
Neil Peart's drum solo on "YYZ" is passionate and monstrous, as is Alex Lifeson's guitar solo on "La Villa Strangiato."
It's one of those albums you know by heart from start to finish, you know every word (and you sing it in broken English), you know every bass and guitar part, and especially the drums, and you play it by swirling your hands in the air, trying in vain to imitate your beloved Neal (♥️) all the way up to the Tom Sawyer / La Villa Strangiato series where your wife and kids discover an unknown side of you.
And you do this every time you listen to it, for over forty years, still feeling like a kid.
For those approaching Rush for the first time, I recommend starting with this album like I did, and if you want to feel like a kid forever, young or old, listen to it often!
Great album.
Tracklist
1. The Spirit of Radio (5:13)
2. Red Barchetta (6:49)
3. YYZ (incl. a Neil Peart drum solo) (7:45)
4. A Passage to Bangkok (3:47)
5. Closer to the Heart (3:08)
6. Beneath, Between & Behind (2:36)
7. Jacob's Ladder (8:47)
8. Broon's Bane (1:37)
9. The Trees (4:50)
10. Xanadu (12:10)
11. Freewill (5:33)
12. Tom Sawyer (5:01)
13. La Villa Strangiato (9:37)
Duration 76:53
LineUp
- Geddy Lee - bass, bass pedals, synthesizers, vocals, rhythm guitar
- Alex Lifeson - guitars, bass pedals
- Neil Peart - drums and percussion
Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists" page
