t_ross33
March 21st, 2007, 05:55 PM
Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson's 1996 solo project is an odd blend of modern hard rock and swirling, programming-heavy songs. Lifeson's trademark Rush guitar style -- ringing chords and sharp, brief solos -- is utilized in some places, but not throughout. Guest musicians on Victor include I Mother Earth vocalist Edwin, Primus bassist Les Claypool and Lifeson's son, Adrian Zivojinovich, who contributes programming.
I just picked this up and gave it a quick listen. Pretty cool so far - this one is going to be on my MP3 player for awhile.
I've balked at this solo effort for quite a while because I'm such a huge RUSH fan and was afraid the whole (RUSH) might be more than the sum of its parts (Alex/Geddy/Neil). I've decided to give this a go and judge it on it's own merits - as hard as that might be. I read that the guitar-oriented sound of "Victor" had an impact the song arrangements for Rush's return to a more guitar based sound "Vapour Trails".
A couple of things to note: After seeing the Live in Rio DVD it occured to me that many of the backing vocals we hear on the albums are actually Alex and not Geddy tracking backups. The songs here where Alex pulls lead vocal duty certainly have a "Rush-y-ness" about them - but there's more grit in there too. This guy is a chameleon and one of the most understated and under-rated musicians around.
Secondly, this dude kicks 6-string arse! :DR I'll take on anyone who dares tell me different :D oops, the "fightin' Irish" is coming out of me - must be Guiness withdrawl from St. Paddy's!
All in all, it's a cool little album and showcases Alex for the songwriter/guitarist that he is. If anyone has this in their collection, I'd like to hear your take on it. If you don't, I suggest giving it a listen.
Trev
I just picked this up and gave it a quick listen. Pretty cool so far - this one is going to be on my MP3 player for awhile.
I've balked at this solo effort for quite a while because I'm such a huge RUSH fan and was afraid the whole (RUSH) might be more than the sum of its parts (Alex/Geddy/Neil). I've decided to give this a go and judge it on it's own merits - as hard as that might be. I read that the guitar-oriented sound of "Victor" had an impact the song arrangements for Rush's return to a more guitar based sound "Vapour Trails".
A couple of things to note: After seeing the Live in Rio DVD it occured to me that many of the backing vocals we hear on the albums are actually Alex and not Geddy tracking backups. The songs here where Alex pulls lead vocal duty certainly have a "Rush-y-ness" about them - but there's more grit in there too. This guy is a chameleon and one of the most understated and under-rated musicians around.
Secondly, this dude kicks 6-string arse! :DR I'll take on anyone who dares tell me different :D oops, the "fightin' Irish" is coming out of me - must be Guiness withdrawl from St. Paddy's!
All in all, it's a cool little album and showcases Alex for the songwriter/guitarist that he is. If anyone has this in their collection, I'd like to hear your take on it. If you don't, I suggest giving it a listen.
Trev