Transcript: Study of La Villa, Sept 1993 Guitar School
Dave Ward
I've been really sick the past 24 hours, so I've gone interview-crazy.
Here's a second transcript. And BTW, the musical examples (score & tab)
are all available in a .zip file at http://rush.dave-ward.com or
http://lakesidepark.cjb.net in the interview area as
1993-09-guitarschool.zip If you play guitar, you might wanna download
it. :-)
Guitar School
September 1993
Transcribed by Dave Ward <da...@dave-ward.com>
wolf marshall's rock history
STRANGE DAYS
Wolf Marshall chronicles the growth of Rush's eclectic style with
an examination of "La Villa Strangiato," the trio's magnum opus
WITH EACH NEW ALBUM, Rush evolves. Their music has reflected the
stylistic changes of the '70s and '80s without compromising an
iota of the band's identity, sonics, eclecticism or creativity.
They've enjoyed a prodigious career that spans over two decades,
and the Rush phenomenon shows no signs of abating. Multi-faceted
and constantly developing, Rush has attained certified classic
status. Released in 1990, Rush's Chronicles follows the first 15
years of the Canadian supertrio's remarkable musical sojourn.
It all started in Toronto in the late 1960's. There,
bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson met and
became inseparable jamming buddies. Inspired by the blues-rock
sounds of the Yardbirds, John Mayall and Cream, as well as the
heavy metal innovations of Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and the
progressive rock experiments of Yes and King Crimson, Rush began
life as a hard-rock power trio comprised of Lee, Lifeson and
drummer John Rutsey. The trio garnered a strong local following
and, on the strength of that interest, independently released
their debut album, Rush. Rush scored a deal with Mercury Records
for their second album, Fly By Night (1975). Drummer Neil Peart
replaced Rutsey, adding a powerful rhythmic element and keen
abilities as a gifted Iyricist and visionary. Canada had its
first significant metal band.
From Fly By Night to 1991's Roll The Bones, the Rush legacy
is an exciting series of albums, marked by adventurous forays
into uncharted musical territory. In the early years the band
maintained their progressive power-trio approach, only hinting at
what was to come with songs like "Fly By Night," "Bastille Day"
and "Lakeside Park." Rush reached an artistic plateau with 1976's
breakthrough record, 2112. They codified many of the trademark
elements of their musical style--textural episodes marked by
nuances, hypnotic ostinatos, strong contrasting themes and moods,
harmonic and rhythmic surprises, and dramatic stop-time and
odd-time passages. They dove into heady thematic areas to produce
a bold new vision in the title track. Dominating half of the
record. it was an early, yet definitive, concept piece that
indicated the shape of things to come. With "2112," Rush's output
began to assume grandiose proportions that incorporated lofty
imagery, futuristic mythology and sinister sci-fi themes. In
response, the music's fabric stretched into progressive areas
associated with Yes, King Crimson and Pink Floyd. This conceptual
trend continued through A Farewell To Kings (1977) and reached an
apex on Hemispheres (1978) with the monumental "La Villa
Strangiato." Together, the three records form a trilogy depicting
a strange and eerie post-apocalyptic vision of the future.
"La Villa Strangiato" contains all the elements that defined
Rush as a unique band in their classic late-1970's conceptual
period. Throughout this nine-and-a-half-minute magnum opus, the
group's interaction and individual virtuosity are exemplary. As a
concept piece, it pwvides a telling look at the many components
that make Rush an important musical group.
[note: the chart described below is available at
http://rush.dave-ward.com in the interview section as
1993-09-guitarschool-chart.jpg]
Let's let the music make the point: Figure 1 is a form chart
for the piece, a map, which presents the song's structural plan
and progression of events. For each section, a vertical column
lists (from top to bottom):
1) the section's relationship to the structure (intro, themes,
solo, etc.)
2) time in minutes and seconds (easily accessed with your CD
counter)
3) key center(s)
4) bar length
5) significant points of interest regarding mood, orchestration or
thematic relationship
6) dynamics
7) meter and changing time signatures
8) tempo
Using this chart, it's easy to follow the numerous events in
this complicated work. But if you're looking at the big picture,
a number of important conclusions can be drawn:
1) Synthesizer-dominated and textural orchestrations are
saved for transitional/introductory or bridge sections.
2) Main themes are stated essentially as a power trio,
emphasizing the Rush identity within the large-scale work.
3) Rush purposefully develops its strong themes within the
piece using a number of noteworthy and varied procedures. Here
are three examples.
In section (G), Theme 2, Monsters is stated in three
forms--as a riff in 7/8 and as two riffs in 4/4. In the
development of this riff in (K), it is found in 12/8 and 4/4.
This is thematic development on a rhythmic level.
Theme 1 is a contrasting, two-part structure. Its second
part--based on a C-F#5 progression--is used to produce a
variations-type development when it appears as a chordal backdrop
for Lifeson's second guitar solo in section (1), VII. Danforth
and Pape. In the recap, section (L), XI. Strangiato Theme
(Reprise), the recall of the riff section (first part) of the
theme is repeated in abbreviated form.
4) Rush makes good use of mood shifts. These produce motion
on a large scale, but on a smaller scale, deliberately
contrasting transitions and episodes sets up important themes.
Check out (Eã3:16), (Fã5:14), (Jã7:26) and (Mã9:17) for examples.
5) The most unstable, complex section occurs about two thirds
of the way in at 6:13, in the second interlude (H). This section
produces a strong climax in the large-scale formal layout of "La
Villa Strangiato."
Now let's take a closer look at the events in the sections
and some musical highlights.
"La Villa Strangiato" begins with Lifeson's tender solo
guitar prelude (Fig. 2). In the section dubbed I. Buenos Noches,
Mein Froindes (Good Night, My Friends--a tongue-in-cheek hash of
Spanish and butchered German), Lifeson plays unaccompanied
nylon-string acoustic, evoking a Spanish classical/Flamenco mood.
His playing reveals a composite of notable influences: Segovia,
Bream, Montoya and Sabicas. Compositionally, there are
unmistakable references to moments of the Villa Lobos, Rodrigo or
Torroba guitar works in the opening three phrases. In the rapid
scalar runs of the closing passage, Lifeson clearly alludes to
the fiery single-note improvisations of the Flamenco tradition.
These lines, incidentally, are played with a flatpick ‡ la studio
guitarist Tommy Tedesco and fusion wizard Al Di Meola. Notice the
characteristic mix of scale sources in this passage. Lifeson
skillfully combines notes from the Em Phrygian mode (E, F, G, A,
B, C, D) with an E Phrygian Dominant (E, F, G#, A, B, C, D)
melody, creating a stylistic blend of minor and dominant
tonality. More Lifeson classical nylon-string artistry can be
found on "The Trees" (Hemispheres).
The final F chord of the prelude forms a mini-bridge to the
second section, II. To Sleep, Perchance To Dream.... This title,
borrowed from Shakespeare's Hamlet, is painted as a dreamscape in
a trance-like 59-bar overture. The mood is hypnotic, harmonically
static, suspended and largely textural. It contrasts with the
opening by relying on staggered entrances, overlapping synth
orchestration and subtle band interplay. Lifeson's part, shown in
Figure 3, is the essence of ostinato--a single, repeating,
self-contained musical thought upon which everything rests. Based
solely on an arpeggiated Cadd2 chord, this is a trademark Lifeson
rhythm concept that frequently pops up in tunes like "Tom Sawyer"
(Moving Pictures) and "The Spirit Of Radio" (Permanent Waves).
Notice the typical Lifeson voicing of the chord with its
combination of fretted notes and open strings and the chorus/delay
signal processing on a clean electric guitar. Over this ostinato
riff, a gathering of orchestral forces, band and synths, pushes
toward the main theme. Notice the clever foreshadowing of the
motific quarter-note triplet figure (an ingredient of the main
theme) in Geddy's bass part at 1:16-2:00.
The primary theme, III. Strangiato Theme (2:12-3:16) reflects
Rush's penchant for writing eclectic and unusual musical
statements. It is comprised of two independent thoughts (Figs. 4
and 5), each portraying a significant facet of the band's music.
The first is a Zeppelinesque hard rock/metal riff based on an
open A chord and a related series of Jimmy Page-inspired
pull-offs. It looks back to the early blues-rock direction of the
group's first three records and tracks like "Finding My Way" and
"Anthem." Rush gradually introduces this portion of the theme in
an unfolding sequence of stages. The first fragment is stated in
C (2:00) in a purely rhythmic form. At 2:06, it is played in A as
a seminal riff. At 2:12, it appears as a full-blown theme (see
Fig. 4) as bars 3 and 4 of a four-bar figure played with heavy
distortion.
The simple I-IV-V progression (A-D-E) of this half of the
Strangiato theme is a stark contrast to the eerie, modernistic
dissonance of the second half, found at 2:25 (see Fig. 5). There,
the melody is haunting, unpredictable and futuristic in its
outlining of the tritone progression, C-F#5. Check out the
characteristic Lifeson intervallic (fifths and fourths)
angularity of the melody on P#5 that emphasizes the progressive
rock nature of this section. Taken as a whole, the entire theme
possesses a strange A major/C major internal polarity and a
fluid, modulatory quality that is worthy of the Strangiato name.
Lifeson's first electric guitar solo is heard at 3:39-5:14.
An eight-bar transition (3:16) sets up the new subdued mood for
IV. A Lerxst in Wonderland (Alex in Wonderland) as well as the
tonal center of A minor, the 7/8 meter and the slower tempo. At
3:39, Lifeson enters with sparse, singing lines shaped by his
volume pedal (Fig. 6). He uses the pedal to swell gradually into
sustaining notes and also to produce a quasi-violin "bowed"
impression by quickly opening and closing the throw on each note.
Notice the sophisticated use of color tones, specifically
major seventh and ninth, in the first phrase. These add a modern
jazz touch to the melody. Lifeson builds the solo, reaching a
climax at 4:51-5:14 with high-energy, high-velocity minor
scalar/modal (mostly A Aeolian: A, B, C, D, E, F, G) lines that
acknowledge his emulation of fusion virtuoso, Allan Holdsworth.
Figure 7 from 4:51 is a perfect example of this
jazz/rock-inspired, flowery passage-work This sort of
fusion-inflected line became a staple in Lifeson's style,
surfacing in some of his most well-known solos ("Freewill,"
[Permanent Waves], "YYZ" [Moving Pictures], and "A Passage To
Bangkok" [2112]).
The interlude at 5:14-5:49 flaunts another signature guitar
figure found throughout the Rush repertoire--the muted arpeggio
as a rhythm riff. A familiar textural fixture of the Lifeson
accompaniment approach, it is heard in countless
songs--"Dreamline" (Roll The Bones), "Distant Early Warning"
(Grace Under Pressure) and "New World Man" (Signals) to cite a
few. Figure 8 depicts the strong 7/8 ostinato riff comprised of
repeating arpeggios played against the F-Am background
progression. These are picked out in palm-muted, single-note,
broken-chord fashion. They become part of a bridge between the
first guitar solo and second theme. In this section, Lifeson
employs another jazz-oriented concept, harmonic substitution. On
the F major chord, he arpeggiates a C major triad (C, E, G)
instead of the normal F triad (F, A, C). The key is the common
tone, C, which provides the sonic cement for the triad-on-triad
superimposition. This approach is often found in the music of
modem guitar giants like Larry Carlton and Frank Gambale. With
Geddy's F root in the bass, this C triad creates an extended
chord sound like an Fmaj9 (F-A-C-E-G).
A second important theme is found at 5:49. Figure 9
illustrates the appropriately tided VI. Monsters! theme in its
4/4 version. This crushing and sinister melody is built from the
A blues scale (A, C, D, Eb, E, G) and played heavy with
distortion and strong accents. Like the Strangiato theme, it
appears in hard-rock-trio orchestration. Metric modulation is
found in this section as the theme appears first in 7/8 (at 5:49)
and then in 4/4 (5:55) at twice the tempo. In the development
section to come (7:52), the Monsters theme is played in 12/8 time
at 92 b.p.m. It is precisely these types of unusual and intricate
practices that have distinguished Rush as the premier progressive
power trio.
In the short bridge to VI. The Ghost of Aragon, Geddy inserts
a blistering fill which serves as a superb example of his
virtuosic bass style. Figure 10 at 6:10 finds him all over the
two-bar space, playing a fast 16th-note passage with Peart. His
bass run is aligned with Lifeson's jazz-based flights with its
mix of scale/mode sounds (A blues scale, A minor-pentatonic and A
Mixolydian), and sets up the complex third interlude section.
At 6:45, Lifeson solos over the C-F#5 chord progression of
the Strangiato theme as a form of thematic development in VII.
Danforth and Pape. Figure 11 is an excerpt from this section.
Here his tortured string bends, wide vibrato and eccentric note
choices effectively mirror the quirky musical subject matter.
In the remainder of the piece, the events come fast and
furious. VIII. Waltz Of The Shreves features a truly bizarre
waltz like only Rush can deliver. Note the mixed triple-based
meters in this section: 3/8, 9/8 and 12/8. The Monsters theme is
reprised at 8:03 before the Strangiato theme begins the recap
(return to main theme). The coda, XII. A Farewell to Things, acts
as a final mini-development section that features modified
versions of the Monsters theme as well as the chromatic chords of
the Ghost Of Aragon interlude. All in all, an elaborate and
well-conceived opus, "La Villa Strangiato" remains a perennial
Rush favorite and one of their most requested concert tunes. As
late as 1989's live album/video concert, A Show Of Hands, it
figured prominently in the set as an encore number along with
"2112" and "In The Mood."
With 1980's Permanent Waves, Rush made an unexpected
transformation that can be viewed as the beginning of a second
musical epoch. Incorporating both their hard rock/metal edge and
progressive art-rock leanings, Rush successfully crossed over
into FM radio formats and arena venues, Their new material was
both catchy and sophisticated. Tunes like "Freewill" and "The
Spirit Of Radio" exemplify this hook-laden, yet artistically
satisfying, direction. The synthesizer, previously only a
decorative element in Rush's music, now became an important
orchestral concern. Moving Pictures (1981), considered their most
influential album, continued in this direction with standout
songs like "Tom Sawyer," "Red Barchetta" and "Limelight."
The influence of technology and keyboards can be felt in the
period which began with Signals (1982) and Grace Under Pressure
(1984). In the early '80s, synthesizers dominated countless hard
rock and metal tracks, like Van Halen's "Jump" and Night Ranger's
"Sister Christian." Rush rose to the occasion with
"Subdivisions," "New World Man" and "Distant Early Warning." The
band's compositional evolution, eclecticism and increasing
fascination with technology came to full fruition in their two
subsequent records, Power Windows (1985) and Hold Your Fire
(1987). In particular, the latter seemed to consolidate and
reconcile the classic late-'70s progressive, conceptual phase of
Rush (circa Hemispheres) with their late-'80s high-tech tangents.
In this work, sci-fi and space-age overtones married complex song
structures and ambitious keyboard-dominated arrangements. In
typically unpredictable Rush fashion, the band returned to a more
organic approach reminiscent of their 1970's style with 1989's
Presto and 1991's Roll The Bones. The effort to downplay the
synthesizer, rely more heavily on the guitar and strive for a
looser feel, points to a new direction for Rush in the 1990's.
--
Dave Ward
http://2112.cjb.net or http://lakesidepark.cjb.net
The Professor
I noted this part:
>>The
band's compositional evolution, eclecticism and increasing
fascination with technology came to full fruition in their two
subsequent records, Power Windows (1985) and Hold Your Fire
(1987). In particular, the latter seemed to consolidate and
reconcile the classic late-'70s progressive, conceptual phase of
Rush (circa Hemispheres) with their late-'80s high-tech tangents.
In this work, sci-fi and space-age overtones married complex song
structures and ambitious keyboard-dominated arrangements<<
EXACTLY. All you HYF bashers out there take heed. This is the *right*
interpretation of PoW and HYF and is why they are both great albums. :)
The Professor (loves musical analysis like this)
Dark
- Dark
--
"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the
experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination
to do so." Douglas Adams
Geezer Butler
TIA.
--
Geezer Butler
Dig me, but don't...
bury me.
"Dark" <da...@direct.ca> wrote in message
news:7QlO4.18741$H7.11...@brie.direct.ca...
Circus Boy
Thanks for the great transcript Dave. Now I know why this has always been
My fav Rush song.
Karnevil- The Circus Boy
It's cold comfort
To the one's without it
To know how they struggled-
How they suffered about it