Rob's Top Ten: Alex Lifeson Guitar Solos

When you read a poll about the top guitarists, one name that rarely (if ever) get dropped is Alex Lifeson. Somehow, Alex has become some sort of kept secret amongst fans of the Canadian Power Trio, Rush. I don't know why so many critics and listeners marginalize the contributions that Alex has made to rock music. Maybe it's being overshadowed by drummer Neil Peart, or singer/bassist Geddy Lee, but whatever the reason is, you can't deny that Alex Lifeson is a fantastic guitar player. He plays with more emotional, and leaves the flurry of notes to other players, and maybe that's why I like his style so much. 

I'm not guitarist myself. I don't know the names of certain techniques, or ways of playing. But I have heard a lot of music in my life, and I know what my ears like. So, you may not agree with my rankings, or assessment, but that's fine with me. I just wanted to have a little fun here. Alex will always be my favortie guitar player, and here are ten songs that I think really show off his chops.

10: Bacchus Plateau
As part of a larger whole, "Bacchus Plateau" falls towards the latter half of the twenty minute, side-long epic "The Fountain of Lamneth". And while Alex plays amazingly on this entire song, but there's something about the guitar solo during this particular section that I have always felt myself sort of drawn to. This was Alex in his younger days, showing that he had nothing to prove, and wrote only to service the needs of the song.

09: Faithless
From 2007's "Snakes & Arrows" album, this is a solo that really builds upon the emotion of this song. There isn't exactly a lot going on here, but I think that that is part of the charm of the solo. And a welcome return to the missing guitar solos of the band's "Vapor Trails" album. Then again, there are many tasty solos from this album. I could have just as easily chosen "Bravest Face" from this disc.

08: Promise
I had to include a song from Lifeson's one and only solo album. Released in 1996, much of this album is unlike anything that Rush ever did. And I for one love each and every track here. However, I can see why "Promise" was chosen as the album's lead single, because it is the most Rush like tune on the album. And the guitar solo, which starts off a bit sparse, really turns into a true rocker.

07: La Villa Strangiato (An Exercise in Self-Indulgence)
It's hard to pick just one particular moment in this song where Alex shines, as he plays beautifully for the entire song. He's using pedals to to control the amount of volume that comes through in his beautifully played notes. This song is a feast for lovers of guitar.

06: Natural Science
By the time Rush hit 1980's "Permanent Waves" album, they were ready to drop the side long epics, which could have been a sad thing for fans, if not for these fantastic moments of proggy goodness, like the album's closing epic, "Natural Science". This song embodies what Rush were all about, with shifts in the dynamic, masterful writing technique, and a guitar solo that would impress even the most arrogant prog hating listeners in the crowd.

05: The Garden
The final song in Rush's career, this song is absolute beauty personified. So when it comes to the guitar solo, and this sort of melodic feast turns into something a bit heavier, it was with amazing skill at his instrument that Alex takes this tune in a different direction. This tune, and in particular Alex's beautiful playing, really make this song, this album, and this band go out with a bang.

04: Turn the Page
This song comes from towards the end of Rush's keyboard dominated 80's albums, and proves that the guitar should always be front and center for a solo during the song. This is one of those songs, that though it isn't among my favorite Rush songs, the guitar solo here really propels this one into the upper echelon of tasty playing.

03: Marathon
From "Power Windows", yet another keyboard drenched album, Alex crafted this guitar solo that comes right after a bit of a keyboard dominated cool down section. And I swear, every time I hear it, I get goosebumps. This is another instance where it isn't about the amount of notes, but the way that the notes are played. With whammy bars, and note bending, it's really amazing to hear this solo in this song that isn't exactly one of my favorite Rush songs.

02: Between the Wheels
From the "Grace Under Pressure" album, it's cool to see some great guitar moments come through during a time when the keyboards are really at the front of much of Rush's material. To me, this solo is a brilliant, and somehow forgotten moment in the band's vast catalog. To my ears, it's almost as if Alex wrote this solo, and the rest of the song was written around it. It's such a fantastic moment in the band's catalog.

01: Here Again
I know that it'll strike some as odd, but my very favorite Lifeson solo comes from this sort of heavy, bluesy track from the band's debut album. To my ears, Alex is really showing off his chops here, turning what could have been sort of a middle of the road blues track into something very special. Even at such an early point in his career, Alex was proving that he could play with the best of them.

And there you have it, my Top 10 Favorite Alex Lifeson Guitar Solos. I'm sure that nobody in the world will have the same exact list, but whatever your choices, I think that most Rush fans can agree that Alex Lifeson has never recorded a bad solo.