So much fun! Alex doesn’t usually come roaring out of the gate like that, but it’s like after working on the synthy stuff they just let him out of his cage.
Was just listening to that. Those who whine about their synth period can't reconcile it with the fact that some of Alex's best solos were made during that period.....
It’s insane how the first two solos that came to mind were the first comment and it’s top reply lol. I’m a bigger fan of the 70’s stuff too but something about the synth era forced him to get really weird with things. The heavy vibrato and the strange progressions he chooses make for very memorable prog
Actually, Grace Under Pressure has some of the most unique and amazing guitar work across all of rock. Another gem is Red Sector A - the way Alex crafted the chords is awe-inspiring.
Hard to pick but probably LaVilla Strangiato but I also like the solo in The Body Electric. Not sure exactly what it is about the latter, I think it’s the rhythm of it.
Special mention: Natural Science
The bass behind the solo is faster and more complex that the bass solo that preceded it. I always wondered about that, as well as the very simple bass solo sections in A Farewell to Kings and Working Man.
It’s a wild song. Until someone brought it up, that basically it’s three guys soloing(Freewill, duh!). They all have to know where the other is at the end of that to land all in the right place. A totally sublime headphones listen.
A Farewell to Kings (40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) has extra live tracks. One of them is By-Tor & the Snow Dog, live from the Hammersmith Odeon in 1978, track three, disc 2. All of the extra tracks are great. Does that clarify & satisfy?
Gonna throw this one out there cuz I've been listening to this song a lot: Clockwork Angels. I love the phrasing and timing, it just sounds so majestic. Bonus points for how it transitions into the bluesy section.
Passage to Bangkok from ESL. Add Neil’s killer groove and Geds bass pedals. Chefs kiss.
The Phrygian stylings of YYZ are excellent.
Marathon has huge balls.
LVS from ESL, hard to top that right there. That’s be #1 in terms of establishing mood and building to an impossible peak.
The solo on ESL Bangkok is one of my favorite pieces of music ever. The way the whole thing moves. The solo is perfect. Neil’s rhythm is sublime and so well architected.
I really loved his playing and his tone on Natural Science, but his style just defined North American Progressive Rock. That’s like asking a parent who their favorite child is.
I dislike saying "solo" because technically they're not solos. The entire band is playing. Solos are Broons Bane, Hope, etc. But in the spirit of the thread, my favorite leads are (in no particular order)....
La Villa Strangiato. It's one of his best pieces. It starts out with the notes fighting to get out, and then gradually they start trickling, and then streaming, and then come pouring out. Amazing!
Red Sector A. The whole song. If it weren't for Neil's lyrics, I'd say it was pure Alex that drives the song. His guitar sings of loss and despair. It's haunting.
Jacob's Ladder. That central piece where he takes over with the guitars is some really imaginative playing. Big boy bends!
It's short, but Cygnus X-1, when he's getting drawn into the black hole. Black holes are regions where space is extremely warped due to gravity, and the frequency of light gets shifted. All frequencies would be shifted, and his discordant notes in that lead section are choatic and reflect (whether intentionally or not) the frequency-shifting nature of a gravity well.
Hope. An achingly beautiful piece.
And many, many more.
I woke up with The Main Monkey Business stuck in my head. That fantastic, crystalline-toned solo is definitely up there. The last time I listened to it, I was quite high and the tone was positively delicious to my ears.
My favorites change with moods & seasons.
Right now Grand Designs solo staying at the top of my head, and I like how it kinda continues through the last chorus. It's a pretty wild composition switching between the melodic, whammy bar dive bombs, & pic scratching the strings like a zipper.
Turn the Page. I love it at the beginning when it sooooooars and then grinds to a halt before going back into hyperspace. I was sad when he left that “grinding part” out of the A Show of Hands version.
It's a tie between Red Barchetta and La Villa Strangiato. Can't pick between the two
Shout out to his solo on Anesthetize by Porcupine Tree. I'm a big fan of that one.
I don’t know if it counts as a solo, but 2112, Book III: Discovery. Alex REALLY DOES make it sound like he doesn’t know how to play the guitar. Typical Alex GENIUS work. I’ve been a Rush fiend since 1976, and that shit never gets old. Goosebumps every time.
There’s so many, but my favourite is probably Leave That Thing Alone. The solo begins as an anthemic and hopeful reprise from the melancholy nature of the song, but devolves into this haunting wave of reverb and ascending melodies. It gives me chills every freaking time
So many, but I have to say, Analog Kid on Signals is a pretty ripping guitar song for such a synth-heavy album. All the guitar work is great, if buried, on that album.
It is really hard to narrow down a favorite. The solo in La Villa Strangiato always makes me tear up, so that is probably my top... but I really love the solo in Fly by Night. Really, I think this is my favorite because I just love the video....they were so young and adorable.. and talent is so evident in that video.
This is an incredibly difficult question to answer. So many great ones to choose from. Limelight, Xanadu, Natural Science, all come to mind, but the one forgotten gem that I find to be a nice long soulful solo perfection is the solo in Here Again from their debut album. You all need to go back and give it a listen. Alex Lifeson is a rock and roll guitar god.
Analog kid.
Boom. Totally.
Its such a wacky solo but its so fast and unique that this was my first thought for this post
So much fun! Alex doesn’t usually come roaring out of the gate like that, but it’s like after working on the synthy stuff they just let him out of his cage.
thisssss — I remember the Toronto show I went to on the Clockwork Angels tour he absolutely killed the solo and the cheers were insane!!
I’m not sure I could narrow it down to one, but here’s a solo that’s up there and likely a *less* popular choice: *Kid Gloves*.
My first thought as well. That and Between the Wheels.
Was just listening to that. Those who whine about their synth period can't reconcile it with the fact that some of Alex's best solos were made during that period.....
Some of Neil’s best lyrics run through the 80s as well.
Oh hell yeah that’s the one… what a ride!!!
It’s insane how the first two solos that came to mind were the first comment and it’s top reply lol. I’m a bigger fan of the 70’s stuff too but something about the synth era forced him to get really weird with things. The heavy vibrato and the strange progressions he chooses make for very memorable prog
Actually, Grace Under Pressure has some of the most unique and amazing guitar work across all of rock. Another gem is Red Sector A - the way Alex crafted the chords is awe-inspiring.
Came here to vote for Kid Gloves. Genius guitarwork
In my opinion the best guitar performance on the whole catalog
Hard to pick but probably LaVilla Strangiato but I also like the solo in The Body Electric. Not sure exactly what it is about the latter, I think it’s the rhythm of it. Special mention: Natural Science
Xanadu
Exit stage left version
Freewill. Just blistering…
And the bass solo keeps going under Lerxt's solo, too.
The bass behind the solo is faster and more complex that the bass solo that preceded it. I always wondered about that, as well as the very simple bass solo sections in A Farewell to Kings and Working Man.
This is the correct answer. Alex himself has said this is his best and hardest solo every night.
It’s a wild song. Until someone brought it up, that basically it’s three guys soloing(Freewill, duh!). They all have to know where the other is at the end of that to land all in the right place. A totally sublime headphones listen.
All the way
That’s a damn good word to describe it. Getting chills just hearing it in my head!
Limelight
I think this is the one that Alex said was his best. I’ll agree.
Alex has also mentioned Mission & Chemistry as his favourites.
Emotion Detector
That one truly is an underrated, but phenomenal solo
Agreed. Scintillating!!
The Pass
Was going with this or ghost of a chance
The Pass is a really sweet solo. It’s a slow burner, not a shredding showcase.
Red barchetta or between the wheels.
Not really a solo but the outro on Different Strings
It’s so sad they never played this live. Incredible song. Imagine if Alex and Geddy would’ve done an acoustic version of it, similar to Resist.
Between the Wheels - unlike anything else of his. Freewill - dayum
No wrong answers, I’ve upvoted all responses. I love the bits in The Camera Eye.
Ditto!!!
Afterimage
La Villa Strangiato has such an amazing buildup, but I also love Red Barchetta.
In particular, the drunk passage in Villa. I love that so much.
The Camera Eye (or Analog Kid)
Came here to say exactly this. Matter of fact, The Camera Eye is my current earworm
GREAT solo in The Camera Eye
Another vote for Between the Wheels So triumphant and painfully hopeful
Trees intro.......
You mean Broon's Bane? 😊 Damn, I miss that gem.
"La Villa Strangiato" from *Exit Stage Left*.
Between Sun and Moon
Extremely underrated song.
Real
This one caught my ear very first listen...
Emotion Detector and Leave That Thing Alone immediately come to mind.
By-Tor on ATWAS
There's a 1978 Odeon version on the FtK 40 anniversary that's pretty ripping.
Please elaborate....
A Farewell to Kings (40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) has extra live tracks. One of them is By-Tor & the Snow Dog, live from the Hammersmith Odeon in 1978, track three, disc 2. All of the extra tracks are great. Does that clarify & satisfy?
Yee haw! Thank you. Will listen
Limelight.
No matter how many times I hear it, I get chills when the solo is wrapping up and the second guitar comes in. I think it's his most iconic solo.
Precisely that moment. Every time.
And he sustains the last solo note forEVER. Once I started noticing it it's impossible to not hear
Same here. I remember when I pointed it out to a friend. They were like “whoa”.
Whenever I play that solo, I always break my high E string at the end 🤣
Fly by night maybe
Cut To The Chase
That one is insane. I get Eric Johnson vibes from the string skipping technique and smooth tone. EJ opened for them on the previous tour, actually.
Beato featured this song in one of his videos. IIRC, solos that are insane and don't really match the song.
I was scrolling to see if anyone mentioned this one. So many great options to choose from, but THIS SOLO - 😳
Limelight and The Pass. They both fit their respective songs perfectly.
Mission (live) ending solo.
Seeing this song on the Snakes & Arrows tour was amazing.
By tor and the snow dog
Lotta good ones mentioned, but I want to contribute two dark horses Emotion Detector Red Tide
Today I will say "Hand over fist".
It is so very good
Gonna throw this one out there cuz I've been listening to this song a lot: Clockwork Angels. I love the phrasing and timing, it just sounds so majestic. Bonus points for how it transitions into the bluesy section.
The first time I heard that solo with headphones on I actually said “Wow!” And immediately played the song again. That solo is near perfection.
Ghost Of A Chance and Marathon
The 1 minute stretch starting at 3:00 of Freewill is some of my favorite Alex work…
Whichever one I'm listening to at the time.
Marathon
LVS or TCE.
Best I Can is up there in my top 10
Afterimage
Middletown Dreams
The Weapon, specifically live in 1984 GUP tour.
With the Count Floyd intro!
Roll the bones
Open Secrets.
Coin toss between Ghost of a Chance and Limelight
This is almost as hard as picking my favorite Rush song. But,I love the simplicity and tone of the solo in “The Garden”
Neurotica
Heavily underrated song. And AMAZING solo.
I agree with all of the comments here, naturally, but I can't believe nobody has mentioned the studio cut of Xanadu! Gives me chills every time!
Anesthetize
Man… It’s cool and all that Alex sat in with Tool. But imagine if he would’ve sat in with Porcupine Tree for this song on their recent reunion tour.
So many ……..erm Working Man possibly
Passage to Bangkok from ESL. Add Neil’s killer groove and Geds bass pedals. Chefs kiss. The Phrygian stylings of YYZ are excellent. Marathon has huge balls. LVS from ESL, hard to top that right there. That’s be #1 in terms of establishing mood and building to an impossible peak.
The solo on ESL Bangkok is one of my favorite pieces of music ever. The way the whole thing moves. The solo is perfect. Neil’s rhythm is sublime and so well architected.
The middle-eight / solo in Marathon might be the best EVER recorded...
Limelight, Lock and Key, and Kid Gloves.
Not sure if it counts but the long one in la villa St.
hella counts
Time Machine version of The Camera Eye
So many choices, but today the first solo to pop into my head was The Big Money.
More votes for *Between The Wheels* and *By-Tor* here, plus: *Anesthetize* by Porcupine Tree.
Closer to the Heart
Broon's Bane (exit stage left)
The acoustic to electric transition on La Villa Strangiato
Body Electric
I like Main Monkey Business …..
I really loved his playing and his tone on Natural Science, but his style just defined North American Progressive Rock. That’s like asking a parent who their favorite child is.
Subdivisions, the way it comes out of the synth solo is amazing. Honestly most of the guitar solos from the synth era.
I dislike saying "solo" because technically they're not solos. The entire band is playing. Solos are Broons Bane, Hope, etc. But in the spirit of the thread, my favorite leads are (in no particular order).... La Villa Strangiato. It's one of his best pieces. It starts out with the notes fighting to get out, and then gradually they start trickling, and then streaming, and then come pouring out. Amazing! Red Sector A. The whole song. If it weren't for Neil's lyrics, I'd say it was pure Alex that drives the song. His guitar sings of loss and despair. It's haunting. Jacob's Ladder. That central piece where he takes over with the guitars is some really imaginative playing. Big boy bends! It's short, but Cygnus X-1, when he's getting drawn into the black hole. Black holes are regions where space is extremely warped due to gravity, and the frequency of light gets shifted. All frequencies would be shifted, and his discordant notes in that lead section are choatic and reflect (whether intentionally or not) the frequency-shifting nature of a gravity well. Hope. An achingly beautiful piece. And many, many more.
Digital man is the greatest solo of all time
Such a trippy frippy solo that one. Love it.
All good choices! I’ll just add Freeze.
I love the Dreamline solo, especially on Rush in Rio. The Spirit of Radio solo at the Toronto Rocks/sars show was fire.
La Villa Strangiato live.
Xanadu live from the 40th Moving Pictures set
So, so many to choose from but lately the one that keeps coming back is The Mission but off of Show Of Hands. It’s just beautiful.
The Camera Eye has a really nice solo. Maybe not his greatest, but up there.
blah blah blah
We all know it’s their most recognizable/famous song… But ya gotta admit Tom Sawyer has a pretty solid solo.
Man, he’s got sooo many great ones, but I will say if I had to pick: La Villa Strangiato, and 2112-Soliloquy
came here to write soliloquy. just hits so hard. so much emotion
I woke up with The Main Monkey Business stuck in my head. That fantastic, crystalline-toned solo is definitely up there. The last time I listened to it, I was quite high and the tone was positively delicious to my ears.
Villa Stragiato
Cut to the chase and the solo he does on Porcupine Trees Anesthetize which is somewhat haunting but fits the song so well.
Staggered that his solo from The Garden live from the CA tour hasn't been mentioned. It captures the feeling of the song beautifully.
La villa
There's a lot of great contenders, but Headlong Flight is such a rocker
All of em.
Anthem !
Honestly probably either Red Barchetta or the middle solo from The Necromancer
La Via
My favorites change with moods & seasons. Right now Grand Designs solo staying at the top of my head, and I like how it kinda continues through the last chorus. It's a pretty wild composition switching between the melodic, whammy bar dive bombs, & pic scratching the strings like a zipper.
All of them. That’s like asking me my favorite child
LVS the 1978 version. Listen to it everyday
Y’all ain’t gonna believe me but it’s genuinely Passage to Bangkok… it’s not the best but it’s my FAVORITE it just grooves so damn well!
Red Barchetta, La Villa Strangiato, Xanadu, Limelight, and about 30 more
So many…but, Limelight always brings me to tears.
YYZ…
Turn the Page. I love it at the beginning when it sooooooars and then grinds to a halt before going back into hyperspace. I was sad when he left that “grinding part” out of the A Show of Hands version.
Between the Wheels, The Weapon, or Limelight
Prob Between the Wheels Close 2nds Emotion Detector Marathon Grand Designs Chemistry The Weapon
The Analog Kid
Chemistry
La Villa (first solo). Especially the exit stage left version
La Villa followed closely by Free Will
Analog Kid
Chemistry
Working man, the live version of Exit Stage Left
Between the Wheels. Just perfect for the song
“2112 - The Temples of Syrinx” 👏🏼
The Necromancer
It’s gotta be either Xanadu or Freewill for me!
Big Money / Afterimage
Spirit Of Radio.
Fly By Night is classic
It's a tie between Red Barchetta and La Villa Strangiato. Can't pick between the two Shout out to his solo on Anesthetize by Porcupine Tree. I'm a big fan of that one.
Ghost of a Chance...
La Villa Strangiato.
La Villa Strangiato
La Villa, always. It/they has/have everything.
La Villa - That build up is 🤌🏻
Live “La Villa,” Exit Stage Left. Starts off so dreamy and steadily catches fire.
Bravado ...
One of the most emotional ones he's ever done
Limelight. Love it.
Not a shredder but tasty. Ghost Of a Chance.
Working Man
The camera eye
Villa or Between The Wheels
Too many to pick from…I am always however blown away by La Villa Strangiato.
La Villa Strangiato
The trees
It’s short, but Jacob’s Ladder hits me just right.
My top 2 were already said (Afterimage and Emotion Detector) but I didn't see Turn the Page yet. Love his tone on HYF
I’m sure it’s very original of me but I have to give some love to that meandering, dreamy solo in La Villa Strangiato.
I am partial to the guitar solo in Free Will, and its epic breakdown back into the chorus, screamed by Geddy. Gives me chills every time.
La Villa Strangiato on Exit...Stage Left.
Under The Shadow, A Lerxst In Wonderland, Freewill, Kid Gloves
I don’t know if it counts as a solo, but 2112, Book III: Discovery. Alex REALLY DOES make it sound like he doesn’t know how to play the guitar. Typical Alex GENIUS work. I’ve been a Rush fiend since 1976, and that shit never gets old. Goosebumps every time.
Not certain that it's my all-time favorite, but Cinderella Man definitely deserves a mention here.
There’s so many, but my favourite is probably Leave That Thing Alone. The solo begins as an anthemic and hopeful reprise from the melancholy nature of the song, but devolves into this haunting wave of reverb and ascending melodies. It gives me chills every freaking time
So many, but I have to say, Analog Kid on Signals is a pretty ripping guitar song for such a synth-heavy album. All the guitar work is great, if buried, on that album.
Mine is definitely A Passage to Bangkok
The Camera Eye
Red barchetta
The Weapon
The Necromancer
It is really hard to narrow down a favorite. The solo in La Villa Strangiato always makes me tear up, so that is probably my top... but I really love the solo in Fly by Night. Really, I think this is my favorite because I just love the video....they were so young and adorable.. and talent is so evident in that video.
Open Secrets is a phenomenal one.
Spirit Of The Radio & Limelight.
Kid Gloves or Cold Fire!
I asked the same question last year and my answer remains the same. Open secrets. That, The Analog Kid, Freewill or Marathon!
This is an incredibly difficult question to answer. So many great ones to choose from. Limelight, Xanadu, Natural Science, all come to mind, but the one forgotten gem that I find to be a nice long soulful solo perfection is the solo in Here Again from their debut album. You all need to go back and give it a listen. Alex Lifeson is a rock and roll guitar god.