Watch Rush’s Alex Lifeson teach Foo Fighters’ Chris Shiflett how to play ‘Limelight’
Legendary Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson was the inaugural guest of Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett’s new podcast Shred with Shifty. During his appearance, Lifeson shed some light on one of his most famous solos from the song ‘Limelight’.
An immediate fan favourite from the time it was first released on 1981’s Moving Pictures, ‘Limelight’ has long been considered one of Lifeson’s most accomplished and acclaimed solos.
“It does exactly what a great solo should do,” Lifeson told Shiflett. “It’s a scene change, it’s kind of emotional, it builds, and yes, it shreds.”
Lifeson’s sentiment echoes comments that he’s made about the ‘Limelight’ solo in the past. “I love the elasticity of the solo. It’s a very emotional piece of music for me to play,” the guitarist told MusicRadar. “The song is about loneliness and isolation, and I think the solo reflects that. There’s a lot of heart in it. It’s a feel thing: you have to feel a solo as you play it, otherwise, it’s going to sound stiff. I never had that problem with ‘Limelight’.
“The first time I laid it down in the studio, I feel a real attachment to it and I could tell it was special,” he added. “Even now, it’s my favourite solo to perform live. I never get tired of it. Each time I’m about to play it, I take a deep breath and I exhale on that first note. I guess that sounds corny, but for me, it releases something.”
During his appearance, Lifeson admitted to having some issues with his own guitar style while playing in Rush. “I’ve always been a little bit insecure about my playing,” he claimed. “I always felt like I could be better than I was.” Lifeson also admitted to a few occasions where he slipped out of Rush’s note-perfect pocket. “With our music, if you got lost, boy, it was hard to get back,” he laughed.
Watch Alex Lifeson explain the ‘Limelight’ solo to Chris Shiflett down below.
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