"Grace Under Pressure" reissue, Rush live 1984 - the full performance!

In case you missed it: About two months ago, Rush put their live video "Grace Under Pressure" reissue on YouTube - it's about 40 minutes longer than the original VHS tape release!

It looks like Rush is doing a lot of PR these days, which is no surprise, since they're preparing to go on tour with new drummer Anika Nilles. They popped up the Juno Awards, just had two interviews with Rick Beato, ... Among their advertising actions is also a reissue of their classic "Grace Under Pressure" live audio and video, originally recorded at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, 1984. 

Amazingly, the new video isn't just a digitally enhanced version of the original release, or subsequent DVD versions, but contains a lot of "new" content: Where the VHS had only about 60 minutes of footage, which is clearly shorter than a Rush concert is supposed to be, the reissue is more than 100 minutes long, it's the full performance, containing more Rush music!

Needless to say, with a contemporary new Rush release, picture and sound quality is probably the best you can get out of the source material. (Wow, "Witch Hunt" sounds very epic in this one!) But what really stands out are "Subdivisions", "The Body Electric", "Between The Wheels", a couple of other songs, and some proper drumming by Neil Peart we didn't get to see and hear previously. 

Great stuff!

Make sure you check out the links below, support Rush on YouTube and elsewhere!

Thanks, Rush! Und herzlichen Glückwunsch, Anika!

"Rush - Grace Under Pressure Tour: Live in Toronto, 1984 | Full Concert"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7A0bnsM1tc

https://www.youtube.com/@rush

https://www.rush.com/grace-under-pressure-reissue/

https://rush.lnk.to/graceunderpressure

Thank you, Mr. Anderson

That's very kind of you, Ian Anderson / Jethro Tull / EMI / Parlophone. 

Thank you very much. :-)

(I don't know who exactly holds the rights.)

A friendly copyright notice from Jethro Tull. Thanks! :-)

 

Amp-issimo

Lots of different amps to experiment with. :-)

 

Ozzy Osbourne dead

So the unthinkable has happened. Today, Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince Of Darkness, passed away, aged 76.

Only hours ago, I was listening to Black Sabbath's "Master Of Reality" album, thinking: That's quite a statement by Ozzy. "Alright now!" And their songwriting is actually really nice, it has a great moderate pacing, it's heavy, and sometimes fast, but never hectic. The experience is more like a story that someone reads to you, than the sudden rush of energy one would typically associate with stressful heavy metal music.

For some time, many years ago, I used to be a huge Ozzy fan. "Blizzard Of Ozz", "Diary Of A Madman", and probably most of all "Bark At The Moon" were among the most played albums in my collection. I tried to play Randy Rhoads' guitar riffs and lines, and especially the "Ultimate Sin" tour live concert video, with Jake E. Lee's amazing guitar solo, had a massive impact on me.

I was also deeply impressed by Zakk Wylde's "Miracle Man" riff and solo, and the "No Rest For The Wicked" album. Later Ozzy albums didn't have that much effect on me - I had mostly moved on to listening to jazz and fusion music. 

To this day, my Ozzy period is among the defining ingredients of my musical understanding. It's part of the essence of what defines heavy metal for me, and also part of what defines guitar playing for me. I spent more time on studying Randy Rhoads transcriptions, rewatching Jake E. Lee's live solo, and practicing Zakk Wylde's "Miracle Man" triad-picking, than on any other musician or band. I listened to a lot of Van Halen, Scott Henderson, and John McLaughlin, but I never studied these like I studied the Ozzy guitarists.

Especially Randy Rhoads is obvious standard literature for the heavy metal guitar player - but I'm wondering about the overall impact of Ozzy Osbourne's guitar players. There must have been tens of thousands of kids like me, going through the same experience of growing up, and learning how to play guitar, with exactly these records. Let's imagine that Ozzy Osbourne had made different choices, selected other musicians, had less success - oh wow, what a loss. Imagine there was no "Revelation (Mother Earth)" on "Blizzard Of Ozz", imagine there was a default bluesy-shreddy guitar solo on "Flying High Again", imagine Jake E. Lee's and Zakk Wylde's spectacular playing wouldn't have gotten massive exposure with Ozzy's success. That thought almost hurts.

So, besides the popularity Ozzy Osbourne has achieved with Black Sabbath, as a musician under his own name, as a celebrity on TV, and as a general pop culture icon titled the "Prince Of Darkness", his choices in music must have had, and probably still have, a big impact on guitar playing in general. His career was a platform for a handful of outstanding guitar players, and has certainly inspired countless kids to pick up a guitar and try their best.

Obviously, I never met Ozzy Osbourne. From what I've seen, he must've been a very nice guy. Losing him means losing one of the defining figures of heavy metal - and an ambassador of high quality guitar playing.

Thanks for the music & the memories, Ozzy. Rest in peace. 

John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (3 December 1948 - 22 July 2025)

 

Ephemeral Escapism (music video)

A somewhat progrocky composition for electric guitar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYXgqYRE9wI

 * * *

YouTube channel subscriptions are highly appreciated, thanks very much.

 

 

 

Lost Eddie Van Halen Photos found

Did you know Eddie Van Halen used to have an actual aerial bomb? A couple of days ago, Gibson TV released this video of photographer Neil Zlozower talking about Van Halen, and presenting some spectacular photos.

Zlozower was around when Van Halen emerged, and took a lot of pictures of the band in the early days. In the video, he presents some very nice photographs that were taken near the end of Van Halen's 1978 tour. There's an exceptionally beautiful one of Eddie Van Halen on stage, playing, dancing and looking straight at the photographer, who's standing just a few feet away. Zlozower also found some forgotten pictures of the band working on their second studio album - these pictures in particular capture some of the chaotic genius that was at work in early Van Halen. (Including the bomb.)

It's a great video, with some nice stories, and obviously some outstanding photographs, by Neil Zlozower.

video source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DFlzfbAU00
Gibson TV

Great stuff! Thanks Mr. Zlozower, Gibson, and of course EVH!

"Lethal Exit" on guitar

A sort-of guitar cover of a piece of music from an Amiga demo production in 1992, called "Lethal Exit".

"Demos" are programs that demonstrates features of the computer, and skills of software developers. The Amiga computer has a rich demo scene, that has evolved from simple technical demonstrations to highly elaborate pieces of art, with beautiful graphics, elements of storytelling, and outstanding soundtracks.

I always liked this section of 1992 demo "Lethal Exit" by demo group "Digital" very much. The musician is REVERSE, from France. It's a very elegant melody - one day I just had to learn how to play it on guitar. Great stuff, REVERSE!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yh59Bwn97g
https://youtube.com/@romaneberle

YouTube channel subscriptions are highly appreciated. Thanks very much. :)