Rush at Pinkpop 1979 - 2112 with The Grand Finale

[ellaswing]

At 6:41, that was the coolest hanging vocals I've heard him ever do.

[ellaswing]

This is probably one of the last times that Geddy sang in that register, and so well he sang, so clean!!! WOW

[Rowdyrecords55]

The bass during the grand finale is crazy

[TheMartini1234]

Geddy just casually playing one of his face-melting improvised solos. Awesome.

[liquidrider47]

Webster's Galactic Dictionary (revised) under the definition of Absolutely Killing It:

Rush 2112 - The Grand Finale.

[abaddatom]

rush will never die

[swillersby]

This band fuckin rocks. Seen them numerous times and they are creative, innovative, and their music is very much unique. Artists! Alex Lifeson not as good as the other band members? Give me a break! The band is a whole because of all three musicians. I'm 44 and this band still stirs my soul all these years later.

[ronaldvanderkleij]

after your 15 you get a beard in youtr throut

[fenix478]

1:43 nice photo

[s4001]

One person gets their paycheck signed by the temple priests.

[ubertrooper6300]

8:01 That entry into the solo just chills me, its AMAZING! Of course, so is the whole vid, but that part especially...I also chuckled at that point, because right after the solo starts, it shows Neil glaring out from behind the wall of drums. :)

[Lakerloon]

"Just think about the average. What use have they for you?"

Classic lyrics and a profound message for me as a teenager.

[XDrummerSteve]

HOLY CRAP! That takes me back. Makes me want to go in the basement and burn one.

[Zomboforu]

The first time I heard Rush I was in 7th grade & we ditched school & a bunch of 8th & 9th graders were doing bong hits in the park playing Closer to the Heart on a cassette tape. lmao

[thestorydoctrine]

RUSH FANS ARE LEGION! MAY WE ALWAYS STAND LEGION!

[Ryu12543]

How is it possible for Rush to make such good music? What the hell? It is beyond my understanding how they are so good... Seriously, if you add up all the time I've listened to them it would probably be up to six months of time. I started listening to them in like 2006. The first song I heard was Freewill and I've been hooked since.

[Floatingone1]

ahhhhh...the good old days....brings tears to my one good eye!

[marceljuliani]

Where is Overture and Temples of Syrinx?

[rickfan1964]

in the picture at 5:50, is Neil playing with them, or John? i can see the logo from the debut album on the bass drum head.

[rickfan1964]

love the Rick double-neck at 3:43!! and you can really hear Geddy's Rick growling here, too!! ;)

[rickfan1964]

who is that at 3:06??? doesn't exactly look like Lifeson.

[donbut66]

Amen Chucke!

[ruleta74835]

I'd say Rush was at their absolute peak around this time 79/80. Not to say that they suddenly collapsed after this, but IMO, never again did the sound of their instruments and Geddy's vocal chords ring so true as you can hear in this performance. Just perfect.

[kaylamlong]

23 yrs old & I LOVE RUSH!!!

[coptersoisoi]

Geddy Lee in a biography film I just saw stated that they were visiting San Francisco's Japan Town when they came across a Japanese Kimono store and thought it would be cool at the time to dress up like that. It created a fad for some it seems, But Geddy also stated he didn't know what the hell they were thinking when they bought it after ELO they were touring with, had razzed them on a regular basis. But it seems Styx copied the look for a period. BTW Where the fuk is ELO these days haha

[rickfan1964]

@coptersoisoi was that ELO or UFO?

[coptersoisoi]

@rickfan1964 LOL maybe it was UFO. but I thought he said ELO. though ELO is a great band.. it's a bit pop/disco/rock were as UFO would have made more sense. I rented the RUSH DVD from netflix. It's pretty cool.. it shows an old (but great quality) 8 or 16mm film from 1969 or 1970 of Alex arguing with his parents about wanting to be a musician and them wanting him to go to college. It has his girlfriend (mother of his son I believe). Just amazing footage. You should rent or buy it.

[rickfan1964]

@coptersoisoi ;) that's cool. i haven't gotten a copy of it yet! hope to soon.

[nkmcfrln]

I was just going to listen to this, but I had to sit and look at the great slideshow. Thumbs up.

[kingjames1014]

know what i found out on another thread? something cool idk if it was planned or not:

the song repeats "attention all planets of the solar federation" three times- 7 words X 3=21

it then repeats "we have assumed control" three times- 4 words x 3= 12

21...12! pretty cool eh?

[rickfan1964]

@kingjames1014 ha!!! ;) never heard that before!

[Dylan9435]

This was on my birthday!! but i wasn't born yet...

[guitarslave]

That last dying note of feedback is like the icing on the cake.

[pylgrym]

RUSH trumps Zep. Three guys do the work of a thousand; they are NOT demeaning to the fair sex!

[bill9e]

Best live 2112 ive ever heard, they were REALLY sharp and tight that day!!!!!!

[Cheese71]

Right at 4:30, when Soliloquy starts, Neil looks like some kind of godly werewolf. I love this version of Soliloquy, with the awesome bells added in for some extra bad ass.

[PeeceSells]

he could sing it perfect way back when....geddy lost his great high voice in the late 80s.....he does great with his more modern one tho

[Annonymus121]

@PeeceSells It because he started smoking right after hemispheres and it caught up to him right after moving pictures even on that album his voice is lowered slightly, but by grace under pressure it sounded like the his modern voice.

[PeeceSells]

@Annonymus121 really? i didnt know that, thanks for that piece of info...

[Annonymus121]

@PeeceSells thankfully he stoped though fewf, its amazing what you learn from wikepedia and youtube comments.

[MRCJCOLLINS]

I am a drummer and I would rather listen to alex than vai, malmsteen, virtueoso? crap ANY DAY!!!

[HAKKY2112]

Oh the shrieking! I need it!!!! Another toy !!!!

[trevizons]

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH­H! Spiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiillllssssss ooooooooooooveeeeeeeeeeeeeer ! Man, I wish Geddy could sing with that deep feeling nowadays, this is the era when I became a Rush fan !!!! Thanks Koet for uploading this unique material !

[PeeceSells]

@trevizons have you heard the june 29 performance? ITS EPIC he has the stage performance of runnin around and havin fun like in the 70s the 80s n 90s he slowed down but yea awesome

[RockForce131]

"ATTENTION ALL PLANETS OF THE SOLAR GENERATION...: WE HAVE ASSUMED CONTROL...

[PeeceSells]

@RockForce131 ATTENTION ALL COUNTRIES OF THE UNITED NATIONS......... RUSH HAS ASSUMED CONTROL....... :D

[earlymtv]

god damn that drummer is to be believed.

[narutozrasengan]

6:30-6:55 It's almost as if Geddy is crying:( Soliloquy definitely has the most emotional singing I've ever heard by Geddy. I dare you to prove me wrong :O

[Konalover1]

LONG LIVE RUSH

[DeltaGaryGordon]

the rick sounds like it wants to bite someones head off

[AlesandroMoon]

This part is cool but all of it is nice

[fromvulcano]

I love them

[Asymmatrix]

We have assumed control.

[xyz321123]

Daprezzzz lucky for you Blondie got in the rock in roll hall of fame, so faggots like you can claim they know something about music....

[Westsideconnect8]

Sucks like your mom chief! Why don't you go watch some more bloopers and learn how to sing Let it be by the beatles homo. You must be a youngster!

[6696ful]

please

[kvstr1]

Being 23, and only introduced to rush at a later age.. I can pretty safely say I would give up my young age to be able to live in that generation when they were busting out these hits.. I have loved rush ever since I heard closer to the heart on the trailer park boys tv show where alex made a guest appearance.. Closer to the Heart blew me away, so i had to go download the discography. Rush pushed me to get those drums I considered for awhile. Best band ever. Long live Rush! :)

[andygarcia69]

@kvstr1 bandwagoning poser

[AlesandroMoon]

Rush got me started on fly by night, in late december a month ago.

[kneethesnout]

Geddy is my all-time favorite bassist, and his voice is amazing ... but because he is such a fantastic bassist, he sometimes gets overlooked as a singer - his voice is incredible ... the guy RULES

[redpaul79]

yeah, and casue he looks like Howard Stern on acid, most peopleoverlook both.....

[xyz321123]

Its obvious this whole show was filmed, I wonder if RUSH has access to the footage of there entire set? They are very guarded when it comes to there content...

[markk1mc1]

I was 5 feet away from them on the 2112 tour in 1976. I was 16 and my first concert!! Today it is still the best Jam I ever saw/heard!! Ufo Was The opening act!! And Max Webster!! At the Wearhouse in New Orleans! Michael Schenker kicked ass! So did RUSH!!!! I'm a very lucky fuck!! Now I'm a guitar player/teacher!! They put a hex on me!!! lol I love it!!!

[mdkh6367]

I was 13 & my brother was 9 when they came to Allentow in '76. Like you we were about 5 ft from center stage & just had our minds blown. If I remember correctly AC/Dc was suposed to open but didn't show so it was 3 hrs of RUSH. There reaslly aren't any bands out there that can compare to these guys. Sadly to say there is no talent in the newer bands the shit all sounds the same

[Floatingone1]

@markk1mc1 October 12, 1976...The Bicentennial Pavilion in Tacoma, WA....that was my first (of over 20 now) RUSH concert! Also age 16. How blessed are we to have the privilege of see them at that early stage of their careers?! Such a small and intimate venue it was.....a Thursday night. Man, school on Friday was tough and my ears were still ringing!

[Jedi282]

I liked 9:13 the best

[Armando2012102]

6:55 - 9:13 is beyond description. If someone has the words to describe it, please tell me how to start.

To me, it is a new order of awesome-ness; a new standard for future rock bands to TRY to match.

RUSH HAS ASSUMED CONTROL!

[kennyplay]

yup, Agreed

[Armando2012102]

Check out 5:38 - 6:30.

Absolutely mind-blowing.

RUSH rules the galaxy!

[elsquibbs]

Awesome.

[edegof172013]

lol GO CANDADIANS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[QueenStereo]

excelente presentación ... buenas fotos :D

[chucke1963]

This is why Alex Lifeson is one of the most inovative guitarist EVA. Give Alex love, this song would not be this song without Alex!!

I heard too many times that Alex is not as good as Geddy or Neil. Bullshit!! This song is SO Alex that it is not even funny. I love the entire band, and I have learned to love Alex even more lately.

This song is a prime example of how Geddy and Neil follow Alex's guitar work.

Great song by ALL!!

[fishnsticks]

I've never heard that before....lol

whoever said that is an idiot

Alex plays a different instrument!

lol

you can't compare a drummer to a guitarist

its like saying

John Bonham was way better than Jimmy Page

...see it just doesn't make sense

lol

but anyways i agree with your comment.

[QueenStereo]

es verdad lo que dices

la gente siempre dice "OH ME GUSTA EL TRABAJO DE GEDDY Y NEIL" pero siempre se olvidan de Alex, a mi papá, a mi hermano y a mí nos gusta rush y los tres opinamos que alex es un excelente guitarrista y no lo reconocen por haber muchos guitarristas buenos, pero no tienen porqué dejar de lado el excelente trabajo de alex ... además ahora alex tiene soriasis y que pueda tocar aun, demuestra su calidad como artista

[FourEyed10]

You are absolutely right.Alex really is overshadowed by Neil and Geddy.Most guitarists I know think Alex is an amazing player and quite unique in his style.Rush would definately have not gone as far as they have without him that's for sure.

[areolaman]

@FourEyed10; it could be that there is a greater supply of guitar virtuosos with whom Lifeson has to compete with. More people play the guitar than the other instruments in rock.

[rickyjshiznit]

@chucke1963 i know man. him and jimy page are the only guitarists i know that can make chords sound so heavy and big. plus he can shred as well, i still cant play that damn intro to la villa strangiato

[chucke1963]

@rickyjshiznit

right on man! I play guitar too and my two favorite players are lifeson and page. it's all about song writting and interesting chords. these dudes are the coolest. i recently figured out hemisphers and the rain song. cool stuff man.

[nkmcfrln]

@rickyjshiznit How about Pete Townshend? Rush has much more to do with The Who than Led Zeppelin or Cream. Alex and Pete are all about suspended chords. That's how you get a big, rich guitar sound. Alex is playing through Hiwatts here. The amplifiers that came to be when Pete Townshend and John Entwistle asked Sound City to make amplifiers to their specifications and Sound City said "No." If you don't know anything about The Who, you don't really understand what Rush is or was.

[chromeoverbrass]

I think Alex's wah solo at 3:31 is awesome...always have loved that one!

[3shiftgtr]

Everyone points to the Limelight solo, but for my money, the solo in the slow part of the Finale is A.L.'s best. That bend just aches....

[216trixie]

The bend at 6:02?...yep.

[LSGoCards7]

My favorite solos of his are:

1. Working Man

2. First 2112 Solo

3. Freewill

4. Limelight

5. Fly By Night

[indi626]

My Favorite Lifeson solos:

1. La Villa Strangiato-1st solo

2. 2112-Presentation solo

3. Freewill

4. The Necromancer (3rd solo)

5. Xanadu/A Farewell to Kings (tied)

[LSGoCards7]

Awesome! To be honest I love nearly all of Alex's solos up to Moving Pictures! He is THE MOST underrated guitar player of all time!

[negtype13]

oh come on man...where's By-Tor?!!

Some of the most inventive stuff in only their 2nd album. Compared to/comming off the Bar-room blues of the first, make it all the more impressive. Infinite props to the Snow Dog!!! \m/ \m/ \m/

[indi626]

Haha yeah, I forgot about that one....And yeah, that's probably my favorite Rush album, it's pretty overlooked. There are some REALLY good tunes on that one, like Best I Can, Beneath Between & Behind, and Making Memories.

[xyz321123]

I like your list and I would agree but I would add Digital Man and Natural Science :)

[indi626]

Yeah, those are two awesome ones as well, especially Natural Science:)

[darcsaster]

Holy #$!@!! it's hard...it's hard..not to love this! Did not Alex fully wail and lay down the law in this? you can really hear him hitting his stride and can hear his live sound evolving. What an amazing recording. And thanks for the classic photos. Big grins all around. Pass da bong.

[tanshai]

brilliant

is there video of this?

[ElGolpeatambores]

love geddy's bass at Grand Finale

[curroperezromera]

Excellent comment dude! BLASFEMY INDEED!!!

[Rago2112]

ya seriously rush and elvis costello?

wtf

[scarfacedan09]

Rush on the same bill as Elvis Costello? BLASPHEMY!!!!!

[ruleta74835]

Blasphemy?!? I'll admit it would be a weird matchup, but it'd be two great acts.

[scarfacedan09]

YES and Rush will be prog rock heaven IMO

[sticksbass]

special!

[rokerboy117]

though it would look a little wierd with the skin cap(or whatever it is!). just my thoughts!!! RUSH FOREVER!!!!!!!!!

[turfguy87]

Neil should grow back the stache for nostalgia's sake

[urbywurby]

was there in 79..got to meet big nose himself...lol..sry

[FullersLondonPride]

I was there too....... great day out.

[xxxmusic101xxx]

who is that at 3:07?

[Petethesnowdog]

It's definetely Alex having a literal bad hair day. He looks to be warming up on a Rickenbacker guitar from days of old.

[216trixie]

That be a Danelectro.

[Camasdrumline]

That was so cash!

[THOUSEoftheALMIGHTY]

GEDDY IS FLOWING BASS RIFFS!

[uvalacrosse1213]

WE HAVE ASSUMED CONTROL!

[bobinator]

Omg thank you. I've been searching for 2112 live that isn't just the Temples of Syrinx.

[oakeysmokey]

epic.

thanks so much for posting this!~!!

[Koetoezov]

My pleasure .... 2112 is superb ....

[joedrush]

that is Beck.

[RallyCat909]

He looks like Beck to me. Heh.

[fanofthemusic1090]

presentation is one of my favorite rush songs.

[beltruckus]

it's not a song, its part of 2112 the song..

[fanofthemusic1090]

You know what I mean.

[gilesgoatboy]

Nice find! Who's that cat pictured at 3:13, though? I don't think it's Al.

[Koetoezov]

I'm not sure myself. The guitar has the starman, but that does not prove that it is Alex. If you compare this picture with that of 3.00 min. there is some similarity in gesture. I can't remember where I got this picture from.

[daryllhurst]

It's a picture of Beck

[Cash2112]

He looks familiar, but I don't think its Al either. His hands are too thin. Interesting pic and mystery though!

[biotonk]

@gilesgoatboy Looks like Beck.

[gilesgoatboy]

@biotonk it does! good on ya! (holy shit, I made that comment two years ago?!)

[biotonk]

@gilesgoatboy Your a better man than I !

[nkmcfrln]

@gilesgoatboy It's a dork i.e. Beck.