Rush - Cygnus X-1 10-13-2002

[Rush64A]

LOL. I was at this concert and I just now find it on YouTube?!? What is my problem?!

[RCAvhstape]

I love how Alex's guitar in the intro goes from a sound effect into a riff. The guy just owns on guitar. Geddy should've brought out his Ric for this tune, though, gotta have that clanky metal tone for a song this heavy. Love it.

[SuperMegaUberGenius]

the swan

/watch?v=Wf0d2Rx52wI

the bat

[zevywevy25]

MINDFUCK!

[MrDeppness]

Was this really on the VT Tour? I know they did this on the r30 Tour, but VT too?? Wow!!!! Not at the show I went to.

[yabbazabba1234]

Who has the 2nd half to this masterpiece!??? I want to see the live version now!!

[JewFin69]

these guys are on another level, so ahead of its time

[conno65]

I've seen a lot of live versions of this song (or this part anyway) ... think this one might be close to the best, there's an extra metallic sort of twang to Lifeson's stuff, gives it a real crunch. This is so much heavier than the original, not surprising given that was 1977 I suppose, but god it sounds good!

[yabbazabba1234]

THE BEST PART???!! NO ONE HAS THE BEST PART LIVE!

[enos218]

Black hole,cygnus x1,with its rock n roll accretion disc,no cd i suppose lol

[Bakazuraz]

Why can't I find a full live video of this song on the internet!?

[RollTheFemers]

@Bakazuraz Probably because no known video exists of them playing the entire thing. ;) No, but seriously, this is all they played of it on the Vapor Trails tour (they then segue into Working Man). They played it in its entirety only on both the A Farewell to Kings tour and the Hemispheres tour, and sadly, I don't know of any videos from either of these tours. :( Hopefully one will surface someday!

[LAMB0Fg0d420]

@RollTheFemers  well how come there are live performances of every other Hemispheres songs?

[bblocker68]

@LAMB0Fg0d420 It's a Farewell song. Go listen to the complete version, you'll love the difference. This is still my #1.

[vetelul56]

Now this is a song they should play on the 2011 Time Machine Tour ! Along with Xanadu, Natural Science, Fly by Night, 2112, La Villa Strangiato! In other words albums from 1981 and older! Definetley their best music by far! Why cant they play much older music on this tour !

[gorleshuman]

what a beautiful guitar!

[bjdavis2]

Just amazing. My favorite band of all time.

[cwodragon]

This just totally rocks!

[guitarristapedro]

sometimes it's hard to belive that they are only three guys

[zackjp]

BRING THE RICKY BACK GEDDY

[EEEEELAD]

I WAS A YOUNG MAN WHEN THIS CAME OUT I AM NOW  NEARLY 50 AND STILL LOVE THIS SONG CAN REMEMBER SEEING IT LIVE ON THE HEMISPHERES TOUR

BACK IN THE DAY AND IT STILL ROCKS

[bigglabba345]

This band has been bringing out the imaculate can of asskick for years! Love em!

[elbertsnext]

Long Live RUSH!

[xa3phod]

As close to modern classical music aka Progressive Rock as you are ever going to get.

[smb40]

i play cygnus X-1 a wee bit differently on bass, ohwell :)

[digiforensic]

@smb40 what, a wee bit differently from Geddy? ;)

[nallaeroom1]

OF COURSE IT IS AN AWESOME VIDEO!

[couch63]

Yeah! that was great and excellent sound too. Neil looks like he was enjoying it. Really nailing those accents on the cymbals

[Caroncacao]

uno de mis favoritos!!!

[quipu72]

Listen to some of the chord progressions in their new radio song.  Familiar...???

[Annonymus121]

@quipu72 I love their new workd I can't wait for clockwork angels

[santyrush]

esta cancion es tremendamente brutal,son Rush y no hay otra banda igual ni la habra en toda la galaxia....... son unicos..... R U S H.

[pluckhutma]

How in Gods name does Corey Haim get brought up in the comment section of a great Rush song??? Go to a Corey Haim chat room to discuss that loser

[Satonica]

LOVE THIS SONG!

[ePhilosopher9]

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[ePhilosopher9]

Atomized at the core, or thru the.....pardon me, my phone is ringing

[Satonica]

Peart's drums are killer!

[contact1araya]

If they fall from a 20th floor on a person any drum would be a killer.

[Satonica]

@contact1araya -- If THAT was supposed to be funny, it wasn't, but ON TOPIC, I LOVE ALL of Rush and I hope none of them OR their instrements fall anyplace. To me, in my slang use, "killer" is meant as awesome as hell, you know? Great or wonderful would also apply.. See I come from way back in the day when we spoke like that so Rush and most other people with a braincell or two left would totally GET what I meant. Sorry you have your problems with comprehending English slang. --cont.

[Satonica]

@Satonica --On a side noteI would also like to praise another Canadian today by saying, Corey Haim, you were deeply loved. Rest in peace with the Angels sweet prince. Losing you this morning has rebroken my heart yet again. You, Corey, ARE closer to the heart now.

[contact1araya]

OH MAN DIDNT JUST SAY COREY HAIM, as a dead human being all my simpathies and such, but the dude reaked as an actor!!!

[Satonica]

@contact1araya --He was alright in "Lucas" and "The Lost Boys" and I was giving my shout out to Haim because my daughter grew up with him and idolized him and NOW is not the time to judge him, that is God's job so Xanax---->take four or five

[contact1araya]

VALIUM----> take one ;)

[drunksingsheep]

5-star rating # 27

My favorite group from childhood - R U S H

btw..Heah Geddy is my laundry done yet?

[santyrush]

siempre que la escucho, los pelos de punta.... esta cancion es explosiva..

[cardinaldriver]

Absolute Perfection!

[guidosguitarlounge]

take off to the great white north, aye?

awesome.

[ValreeShoe]

Eh? ya Hoser.

[guidosguitarlounge]

the back bacon ready?

[Satonica]

@guidosguitarlounge --Absolutely! *whistles the theme to "The Great White North*

[cringle22]

BT&TSD into this ... mind blowing.

[elbertsnext]

Great version of a Great song! Nice post

[jesse1291]

Progressive Metal at its finest

[heftyermine]

Its progressive rock dumb ass.

[darcsaster]

love this...

[RCAvhstape]

It's a shame Geddy can't hit the high notes in this song. His scream at the end of this is one of the epic rock and roll screams of all time. Awesome song, still my fav band after all the years.

[barriospk]

These guys play this song with an amazing, dazzling level of perfection. I know the studio version very well. In this piece, the voice was never altogether important: it's always been mostly an instrumental, and they do a live job that deserves at least respect, and that is being conservative. Actually I think it deserves admiration!

[0ua8]

Lifesons guitar sound is epic

[harrybrandy]

great tune,

never liked the original recording though,

Ged's voice and drums aren't great

tnx for posting

[scottcleaves]

Easily one of their top 10 songs. Anyone who doesn't think so is living in a black hole! :)

[AnchovyRun]

HAHAHA!!!! Black hole!!!!! HAHAHA!!!!

[vanhalen515084]

@scottcleaves your so right, and hemispheres one also is killer, i also love the necromancer, such deep songs they wrote, i like on the new rush dvd, when alex played caress of steel for paul stanley, and he didn't get it, he obviously didn't get the musicianship put into that, and the depths which that song took you, just awesome

[saulocpp]

@scottcleaves IMHO, Cygnus (both parts), La Villa Strangiatto, 2112 and Xanadu are their most demanding, creative and rich songs ever. Man, they were already so great when younger.

[connberkshire]

I've always loved the changing time signatures of this song- I still can't play the whole thing on bass after 30 years, but it's still a lot of fun to play what I can of it...

[JimHarmatz]

yeah, like this is lame garbage , like you like this? who likes crap? guess Rush fans do.

[Delgift]

I can`t understand why are you wasting your life by trying to slay Rush. I`ve seen comments of yours in another video. What did they do to you, apart from creating good music and being a positive influence throughout the years ?

[SuperBuckalew]

@JimHarmatz I love this, because it's just simply amazing. As a massive Rush fan, I read comments like these, and automatically think the person is uneducated. Rush makes intelligent music for intelligent people. This music might not be your thing, but to call it crap, is just plain stupid on your part. Now go listen to some AC/DC, or Rolling Stones, or whatever generic stripped down "rock" you people listen to.

[kevin73688174]

this is like my favourite rush song. and they barely ever play it live!

[stingerx1990]

I dont know if it is true or not, but I have read that Geddy can no longer sing the song, probably because of age. so they just play instrumental parts of it now.

[OracleOfSyrinx]

You've read correctly. As much as how epic Geddy is, there's absolutely no way in his current age that he can hit those insanely high-register notes towards the end.

[simplynothing76]

yea but this is still freakin awsome who else could like geddy could back then not many

[OracleOfSyrinx]

I know. It's just a shame that he can't anymore. And of course, people still bash his voice.

[ajittffcure]

Why didn't you upload the entire video? It was amazing!

[heater1832]

I've seen them twice and once they didn't touch it (but they played the start of Hemispheres) and the first time they only played some of the instrumental part. Could be Geddy can't sing this one properly anymore? The "All who dare to cross her path/are swallowed by her fearsome force/through the void/to be destroyed/or is there something more" is pretty extreme vocally. Maybe he's too old to go there?

[HaggyWaggy]

Maybe.. I wish they'd do the part just after that, with the "rocinante, something through the galaxy" and that awesome solo

[pinkfloydrule27]

i think he could probably manage that part but the end would definitly be a big stretch maybe they should play it lower like theyve done with 2112 and circumstances

[moses132049]

yeah this one of my favorite rush songs and they never play it live

[GuaBaby]

I'm with you betruckus. If they do another tour I want to hear a COMPLETE Cygnus X-1 and Xanadu. That would be sweet!

[beltruckus]

I wish they would play the full version of this song live, and it be recorded. I wonder if it's too hard for geddy to sing now.

[sabianrox1]

They'd probably have to tune it down like they did with 2112 and circumstances, but it would still be so amazing to see live nowadays

[theultimateone89]

AMAZING