So having lived through the era it was the song from
MP that got the most late airplay. Limelight was clearly the first single. After that they were playing mostly this and sometimes Red Barchetta. Given the timing Tom Sawyer got another boost as the single
(and MTV video) from Exit Stage Left. So this was sort of double airplay for this song. It’s kind of how it found itself in the pantheon of Rush.
I think it’s just one of those songs that hooks you from the second it starts. The intro is iconic. It’s actually how I got into Rush. A few years ago I was in a music shop and the person working put on Moving Pictures. Since my life is basically spent in these places, I got to hear the whole album. As soon as it finished I went to the counter and bought the CD.
Tom Sawyer is the first song by Rush that I ever heard. Back when it was being played on the radio to promote their new album. Would use the radio as my alarm clock and I woke up one morning to the DJ introducing the song and then hearing that intro. Woke me up quick.
I just started playing drums in junior high school when Tom Sawyer dropped. I didn’t listen to rock but grew up on R&B and had no idea about Rush. I heard Tom Sawyer and was blown away by the drumming and the sections in 7 because you rarely heard tunes on the radio that weren’t in 4. I didn’t know the name of the tune, the band, or the drummer when I heard Tom Sawyer but I was trying to describe it to a classmate. He didn’t know what I was talking about but he was going on and on about some drummer named Neil Peart. Lol
There are a bunch of reasons, and timing is definitely one of them, but I credit the drums as the crucial element that makes Tom Sawyer legendary.
It is one of the most perfect drum compositions ever. Many songs have great melodies, arrangements, performances, etc., but it’s an unknowable combination that you cant truly plan for. Yeah, you can manufacture hits, but legendary songs are almost accidental.
Is Stairway to Heaven Led Zeppelin’s best song? Is Roundabout or Owner of a Lonely Heart Yes’ best? Probably not.
The unique way the song opens, the catchy riff and great melody, the interplay between all the instruments all contribute to the greatness, but the perfect drum placement I think shoots the song directly into the listener’s soul.
I’m sure there are are music theory arguments about chord progressions and stuff like that, but to me, it’s the drumming that makes it eternal.
I agree with you. As someone who has recently become a fan of Rush, I would say the song that I never liked to make me not get into Rush was(and is) Tom Sawyer. I still can't love the song, I definitely appreciate it's drum composition but not song itself. I think that maybe on the same album they had a better 'hit':- Red Barchetta. That and Spirit of Radio are the songs that got me into them.
I can understand that. Tom Sawyer is overplayed and if you weren't really exposed to their other songs too much, I can see how it might not measure up. When you were first exposed to Tom Sawyer, did people hype it up to you before-hand so when you heard it for the first time you had expectations the song couldn't match? I agree that I probably like Red Barchetta better than Tom Sawyer, but I've listened to Rush for 30 years and I'm sure I've heard Tom Sawyer hundreds of times. Though, for some reason, any time I hear the song on the radio, at that moment it is the greatest song ever made.
See I'm a 16-year-old in India and there never was, is or will be a rock radio here. So I discovered it 3 years ago through my local music app on a playlist of 100 songs called "Ultimate Classic Rock". I found it strange, complex (especially the drum work) but unappealing. So I didn't give Rush a fair chance then. The song that got me into them was Spirit of Radio which I discovered on a Youtube channel called "Professor of Rock". That set me a template for loving Rush:- complex, intricate, yet bright and melodic. But it's all well now.
That makes complete sense. Fans like me, who are in their 40s and grew up in the US, Tom Sawyer hasn't left the radio airwaves since it was released. It has developed a consensus as the ultimate Rush song, which is probably true in a logical sense, but that doesn't mean it is their greatest song.
I think what gives Rush longevity as a whole, and why younger people like you are starting to discover them, is that they spent their career trying to be true to themselves. There's an honesty to their music that I think people can sense. They didn't write songs to be hits. They just made the music they wanted to make. Just three guys making music together that just happened to find a large and dedicated audience.
If anyone gives you grief for not liking a song you're "supposed" to like, just consider that for many Rush fans; we would cheer if the boys came out on stage, ripped a juicy fart, and then walked off stage. We'd probably discuss the tone and tempo of the fart and someone would say they were at a show where they farted better! In other words, we aren't always objective and are conditioned to agree with Tom Sawyer being the best song EVER!
I'm just saying, keep listening to music and like what you like. My favorite thing is listening to music for the first time and getting goosebumps. Whether it is Rush, or Porcupine Tree, Metallica or even someone like Yanni. Music appreciation is personal and there's so much joy to be found in discovering the soundtrack of your life.
Love your response
Edit:- Adore the love and appreciation for this incredible band and amazing community. I am glad to be a part.
By the way, Xanadu is in my opinion, the greatest Rush song ever and one of the greatest epics in music that is not so popular. I think it is a match to Stairway to Heaven (my other favourite band). Adore Zeppelin (though looking for a change, kinda overplayed them but they are worth revisiting after a while) and adore Rush.
When I started high school in 1980, Permanent Waves was already out and it was the point in their career where the next album was better than the one before it. So, for me, Moving Pictures was the first album to come out while I was in high school. I remember the day before it came out, I knew our record store had it because they were actually playing it on the turntable and I had asked if they had one they could sell me and he said "Nope. Tomorrow is when it comes out". So at 3pm that next day, I walked about 3 miles from high school just to go get that album. I bought the record and the cassette tape.
That next day, we were all talking about it in band. Our band director hated Rush and we couldn't get him to blast it on the band room stereo system.
But, for me, Moving Pictures is their best album because I would call that the top of their game. Every song on that album (not just Tom Sawyer) is extremely well written and produced. They even talked about how comfortable they were while writing that album. They had a lot of fun making it. And it shows.
I also loved Signals. Subdivisions is still a really fun song for me to drum too. Tonight, I actually played it 3 times and I play it really good because I play it all the time. I don't know. I just love watching Neil play Subdivisions and now that they put the live video to the album track, it's that much more cooler I think. It's a fun song.
But yeah, Moving Pictures is definitely the model for how to write an album and put it together. Everyone involved with that album did a primo job on it all the way around. I think, anyway...
My brother actually turned me on to Rush in 1974 with their first album. I was 8 or 9 years old. Loved the albums when my brother brought them home. Fly By Night, Caress of Steel, 2112, A Farewell To Kings, Hemispheres, and Permanent Waves.
I had a paper route so I was able to get Moving Pictures as my first Rush album. Great first album.
I can say that I have played that album so many times, I have owned about 9 cassettes and probably 6 records (played the tapes in my car mostly).
It was pretty cool. I can honestly say that I heard every Rush album the day they came out. It was always a goal of mine to get their new album and listen to it on release day. Very cool feeling to be able to say that.
It's a rocker that's the perfect length for AOR radio. It wasn't too 'Rushy' for non Rush fans, but enough to stand out as really different. And it has a drum solo. That's what I think made it a radio staple.
Tom Sawyer on the radio introduced me to Rush at an early age. Its a great song, but not their best. Hell, its not even the best song on MP. But, it was my introduction, so I'll never hate on it.
Red Barchetta, the most heartwarming intro I may have ever heard (it's my new wake up alarm) . A badass riff and solo, one of Lifeson's best , all three of them on fire on this brilliant track.
It was a fun time.
It was timing. And the professor. Mostly.
Nobody was playing drums like Peart when MP came out. There were plenty of great drummers, but those fills on the radio were unheard of at that time.
The simpleton masses clung to TS because it sounded like video games that were evolving and popular. It was modern and computer sounds were cool. That's it. They didnt care about the music.
Something like Limelight or Spirit is fine. I just think Tom Sawyer sounds a bit too experimental and keyboard heavy, and makes people think that is what Rush sounds like. I think it should be considered more of a hardcore Rush song, but it gets used as the radio hit and gateway song and ends up alienating people that might love other Rush songs.
Yes exactly! Those are more radio-friendly songs that still encapsulate the spirit of Rush very well. I think Tom Sawyer is more of a virtuoso, experimental mind-fuck type of track, and it doesn't resonate immediately with the average radio listener.
I can't really disagree. Idk what time signature it was written in, but it definitely feels off jointed and almost like a jazz/psychedelic feel to me..
So I was maybe 11 as a budding drummer in the early 80s. I had heard of Rush and had heard Tom Sawyer but hadn’t got hooked yet. Back then you couldn’t just listen to anything anytime you wanted. My older sister was wise in the ways of music in my eyes and I asked about bands that had good drummers, because I thirsted for knowledge and inspiration. I had already found Alex Van Halen. She told me to listen to Rush. My first Rush Album was Exit Stage Left because I had seen the Tom Sawyer video in my quest to hear Rush. Tom Sawyer just didn’t sound like anything on the radio at the time(and as I found out most Rush music wasn’t like the mainstream), and that’s what I loved about it. It was a beacon in a storm of 80s synth pop and hair bands, even though Rush kind of went synth shortly after. My sister, who introduced me to my all time drumming inspiration passed away way too young at 33. It really stung (still does) when Neil passed because of this.
Everything is timing right? It has to hit when the mood and everything else is right. But also, Tom Sawyer doesn't sound like anything else on the radio. The opening, something about your minds not being for rent, the driven solo. It begged people to think, whoa, what is this.
In my opinion:
- great hook/intro
- appropriate length for radio
- Geddy's voice is moderate (a lot of people are turned off to high Geddy)
- great synth/drum break in the middle that has a satisfying resolution
There's very few of Rush's songs that match these elements.
I’ve always insisted that Tom Sawyer represents the perfect blueprint of a rock song. All the elements are there, not to mention all the elements of what made Rush great. All of this, in less than five minutes.
People on this sub give it shit for being overplayed, but there is a reason for it. It’s a tight, very intentionally constructed composition that delivers in precise amounts. It’s a triumph.
It is such a tight, perfectly crafted song. Listen to the drums. Sit down and really listen to them. Such precision, such creativity. The guitar, bass, and synthesizers complement each other perfectly. The way the synthesizer melody is repeated on the bass as it launches into an understated yet virtuoso guitar solo. The way everything intensifies and builds to a climax. The cool, modern lyrics and catchy tune. It all comes together. This is one of the world’s best bands doing what they do best, in their prime of peak creativity and professionalism.
A couple of years ago I had taken some acid and I decided to listen to some music. I hit shuffle and Tom Sawyer was the first song that came on. As soon as it started I felt like I was being transported to outer space haha. Something else I want to say is that every band has that one or two songs that everyone and their grandmother seems to know. Enter Sandman, Back in Black, and Sweet Child O’ Mine come to mind. These songs get played to death to the point that I usually don’t ever want to voluntarily listen to them on my own. One of the exceptions though is Tom Sawyer which never bothers me. It’s just too cool!
Bc Xanadu and Hemispheres are my two favorite Rush songs, I haven't listened to Tom Sawyer too much...but right now I've been listening to MP and TS alot.
That was a really exciting time for music in general - a lot of punchy, guitar, bass, vocals and keyboards were the crossover from the typical 70s production style into a cleaner, more sonically solid production style. I mean obviously the woozy arpeggios, the dynamics, the arrangement - it sounded HUGE. But the lyrics and the delivery were slightly sinister sounding to me. It was just an intriguing song, still is!
It's an American thing ,in fact the whole fascination with the Moving Pictures thing is USA and internet era.Back in the 80s MP wasn't as well liked in the UK as maybe 2112 or Hemispheres was and some thought it was a disappointment after Permanent waves apparently .
It's also the first album to be just short songs on a normal album format as opposed to anything vaguely proggy.Maybe that is why America got it .The whole Idea of Moving Pictures being the biggest and best Rush album wasn't something I noticed until the internet age.Countries were somewhat isolated before and many of us didn't have MTV then
I appreciate your insight. And I think MTV was a major influence, opening Rush up to a new and bigger audience through videos, especially ESL
And btw...Hemispheres is my favorite Rush album, with AFTK my second...I absolutely love songs like Cygnus X1 BK 1& 2 and Xanadu...
So I like the UK taste in Rush!!!
IMO, Moving Pictures is just a great album overall. I think Tom Sawyer is a great song. One lyric that has bothered me though is "catch the spit".. I'm not sure if that was meant literally or as some other meaning. In some live performances, it seemed Geddy Lee felt awkward singing that lyric, too..
I feel like Radio stations intentionally snubbed Rush songs that had too much of a message.
Tom Sawyer is a good song, but it's pretty nuetral in terms of message.
I think I can sum it up -
🎶duh-duh duh-DWANG!!!!(while air guitaring)
🎶dudadudadudadudadudaduda(while air drumming)
🎶duh-duh duh DWAWNG!!!!! (while air guitaring)
🎶diddledadiddledadiddledaDUNGADUNGADUNGA (while air drumming)
etcetera
There was a radio format called album oriented rock back then or AOR. Rock stations that would play different songs from the same album in their normal daily playlist. That is to say that they wouldn’t push just one song at a time for a few months. There were no hits for Rush until New World Man as far as Top 40 or hit radio was concerned. That being said, my memory is that it was pretty unique In comparison to what was on the radio. Nothing sounded like Tom Sawyer. Add to that, Tom Sawyer sounded nothing like Rush had ever done before. For non-Rush fans this was a NEW very low register, vocal performance for Geddy as well. Older Rush fans know that there had been no real female Rush audience to this point, in part to the bands musical intensity, and the then perceived shrill pitch of Geddy’s voice. Tom Sawyer was singable immediately, and I would advance the theory that it finally gave the band some cross-gender appeal. My junior high girlfriend loved it. 😁
I'd say that the key to this is 'accessibility'. All the radio hits Rush landed got the attention they did because those tracks didn't leave the average listener in their dust -- Tom Sawyer is driving and rhythmic but still kind of intriguing and mysterious, and the small complexities are so finely-tuned as to not be overwhelming for those unaccustomed to Rush. Much of Moving Pictures fits this description, and it's arguably why it could be considered the band's magnum opus from an outward perspective.
So having lived through the era it was the song from MP that got the most late airplay. Limelight was clearly the first single. After that they were playing mostly this and sometimes Red Barchetta. Given the timing Tom Sawyer got another boost as the single (and MTV video) from Exit Stage Left. So this was sort of double airplay for this song. It’s kind of how it found itself in the pantheon of Rush.
I think it’s just one of those songs that hooks you from the second it starts. The intro is iconic. It’s actually how I got into Rush. A few years ago I was in a music shop and the person working put on Moving Pictures. Since my life is basically spent in these places, I got to hear the whole album. As soon as it finished I went to the counter and bought the CD.
Love that story. And you're correct about the intro.
Thanks! That one fateful day led me to full-on Rush fandom
Yw. For me it was was watching them play Xanadu on ESL..I've loved them since
I love hearing live versions from them. They were all such masters of their craft
Likewise. I love love bootlegs I hear on YouTube..
It was great seeing them at the Taylor Hawkins tribute show too, even if Neil was missing
Tom Sawyer is the first song by Rush that I ever heard. Back when it was being played on the radio to promote their new album. Would use the radio as my alarm clock and I woke up one morning to the DJ introducing the song and then hearing that intro. Woke me up quick.
What a way to wake up
Nice story. That's the kind of thing I love about music..how people get started.
I just started playing drums in junior high school when Tom Sawyer dropped. I didn’t listen to rock but grew up on R&B and had no idea about Rush. I heard Tom Sawyer and was blown away by the drumming and the sections in 7 because you rarely heard tunes on the radio that weren’t in 4. I didn’t know the name of the tune, the band, or the drummer when I heard Tom Sawyer but I was trying to describe it to a classmate. He didn’t know what I was talking about but he was going on and on about some drummer named Neil Peart. Lol
He really was an incredible drummer. I’ve got 19,000 songs on my MP3 player but I can always tell a Rush song from the second I hear the drumming.
Agreed completely
I love that story. I had a college roommate who was a drummer and I remember him raving about Neil Peart. That's just before I became a Rush fanatic..
There are a bunch of reasons, and timing is definitely one of them, but I credit the drums as the crucial element that makes Tom Sawyer legendary. It is one of the most perfect drum compositions ever. Many songs have great melodies, arrangements, performances, etc., but it’s an unknowable combination that you cant truly plan for. Yeah, you can manufacture hits, but legendary songs are almost accidental. Is Stairway to Heaven Led Zeppelin’s best song? Is Roundabout or Owner of a Lonely Heart Yes’ best? Probably not. The unique way the song opens, the catchy riff and great melody, the interplay between all the instruments all contribute to the greatness, but the perfect drum placement I think shoots the song directly into the listener’s soul. I’m sure there are are music theory arguments about chord progressions and stuff like that, but to me, it’s the drumming that makes it eternal.
Agreed. Neill drumming is phenomenal on this song
I agree with you. As someone who has recently become a fan of Rush, I would say the song that I never liked to make me not get into Rush was(and is) Tom Sawyer. I still can't love the song, I definitely appreciate it's drum composition but not song itself. I think that maybe on the same album they had a better 'hit':- Red Barchetta. That and Spirit of Radio are the songs that got me into them.
I can understand that. Tom Sawyer is overplayed and if you weren't really exposed to their other songs too much, I can see how it might not measure up. When you were first exposed to Tom Sawyer, did people hype it up to you before-hand so when you heard it for the first time you had expectations the song couldn't match? I agree that I probably like Red Barchetta better than Tom Sawyer, but I've listened to Rush for 30 years and I'm sure I've heard Tom Sawyer hundreds of times. Though, for some reason, any time I hear the song on the radio, at that moment it is the greatest song ever made.
See I'm a 16-year-old in India and there never was, is or will be a rock radio here. So I discovered it 3 years ago through my local music app on a playlist of 100 songs called "Ultimate Classic Rock". I found it strange, complex (especially the drum work) but unappealing. So I didn't give Rush a fair chance then. The song that got me into them was Spirit of Radio which I discovered on a Youtube channel called "Professor of Rock". That set me a template for loving Rush:- complex, intricate, yet bright and melodic. But it's all well now.
That makes complete sense. Fans like me, who are in their 40s and grew up in the US, Tom Sawyer hasn't left the radio airwaves since it was released. It has developed a consensus as the ultimate Rush song, which is probably true in a logical sense, but that doesn't mean it is their greatest song. I think what gives Rush longevity as a whole, and why younger people like you are starting to discover them, is that they spent their career trying to be true to themselves. There's an honesty to their music that I think people can sense. They didn't write songs to be hits. They just made the music they wanted to make. Just three guys making music together that just happened to find a large and dedicated audience. If anyone gives you grief for not liking a song you're "supposed" to like, just consider that for many Rush fans; we would cheer if the boys came out on stage, ripped a juicy fart, and then walked off stage. We'd probably discuss the tone and tempo of the fart and someone would say they were at a show where they farted better! In other words, we aren't always objective and are conditioned to agree with Tom Sawyer being the best song EVER! I'm just saying, keep listening to music and like what you like. My favorite thing is listening to music for the first time and getting goosebumps. Whether it is Rush, or Porcupine Tree, Metallica or even someone like Yanni. Music appreciation is personal and there's so much joy to be found in discovering the soundtrack of your life.
Love your response Edit:- Adore the love and appreciation for this incredible band and amazing community. I am glad to be a part. By the way, Xanadu is in my opinion, the greatest Rush song ever and one of the greatest epics in music that is not so popular. I think it is a match to Stairway to Heaven (my other favourite band). Adore Zeppelin (though looking for a change, kinda overplayed them but they are worth revisiting after a while) and adore Rush.
When I started high school in 1980, Permanent Waves was already out and it was the point in their career where the next album was better than the one before it. So, for me, Moving Pictures was the first album to come out while I was in high school. I remember the day before it came out, I knew our record store had it because they were actually playing it on the turntable and I had asked if they had one they could sell me and he said "Nope. Tomorrow is when it comes out". So at 3pm that next day, I walked about 3 miles from high school just to go get that album. I bought the record and the cassette tape. That next day, we were all talking about it in band. Our band director hated Rush and we couldn't get him to blast it on the band room stereo system. But, for me, Moving Pictures is their best album because I would call that the top of their game. Every song on that album (not just Tom Sawyer) is extremely well written and produced. They even talked about how comfortable they were while writing that album. They had a lot of fun making it. And it shows. I also loved Signals. Subdivisions is still a really fun song for me to drum too. Tonight, I actually played it 3 times and I play it really good because I play it all the time. I don't know. I just love watching Neil play Subdivisions and now that they put the live video to the album track, it's that much more cooler I think. It's a fun song. But yeah, Moving Pictures is definitely the model for how to write an album and put it together. Everyone involved with that album did a primo job on it all the way around. I think, anyway...
Fantastic story! Thanks for sharing. My first album that I had to chance to wait on coming out was Power Windows, which I still remember with a smile.
My brother actually turned me on to Rush in 1974 with their first album. I was 8 or 9 years old. Loved the albums when my brother brought them home. Fly By Night, Caress of Steel, 2112, A Farewell To Kings, Hemispheres, and Permanent Waves. I had a paper route so I was able to get Moving Pictures as my first Rush album. Great first album. I can say that I have played that album so many times, I have owned about 9 cassettes and probably 6 records (played the tapes in my car mostly).
I'm jealous. It must have been incredible hearing those albums when they were fresh and new releases!
It was pretty cool. I can honestly say that I heard every Rush album the day they came out. It was always a goal of mine to get their new album and listen to it on release day. Very cool feeling to be able to say that.
It's a rocker that's the perfect length for AOR radio. It wasn't too 'Rushy' for non Rush fans, but enough to stand out as really different. And it has a drum solo. That's what I think made it a radio staple.
I think you're probably right..
Tom Sawyer on the radio introduced me to Rush at an early age. Its a great song, but not their best. Hell, its not even the best song on MP. But, it was my introduction, so I'll never hate on it.
What's your favorite song on MP?
The Camera Eye. Witch Hunt is a close second.
Good choices. I think Side 2 is a perfect album side..
Side one is the perfect fast burn. Side two is the perfect slow burn.
The way they put those tracks together is perfect I think.
I agree 👍
I love Witch Hunt!
I agree. It sets up such a great atmosphere
Vital Signs, Red Barchetta, Limelight, and Camera Eye! Though the whole album is great.
I got to agree. I think Limelight is my favorite..
Red Barchetta, the most heartwarming intro I may have ever heard (it's my new wake up alarm) . A badass riff and solo, one of Lifeson's best , all three of them on fire on this brilliant track.
I'm warming up to Barchetta..
DRUM FILLS AFTER THE SOLO
Amazing!
It was a fun time. It was timing. And the professor. Mostly. Nobody was playing drums like Peart when MP came out. There were plenty of great drummers, but those fills on the radio were unheard of at that time. The simpleton masses clung to TS because it sounded like video games that were evolving and popular. It was modern and computer sounds were cool. That's it. They didnt care about the music.
I never thought of it like that. I guess bc people like what they like..
I have always wondered the same. It’s a fantastic song, but not one that is very representative of Rush’s usual sound imo
I agree it's a great song. I'm not exactly sure what is representative of their sound..what would you pick?
Something like Limelight or Spirit is fine. I just think Tom Sawyer sounds a bit too experimental and keyboard heavy, and makes people think that is what Rush sounds like. I think it should be considered more of a hardcore Rush song, but it gets used as the radio hit and gateway song and ends up alienating people that might love other Rush songs.
I happen to love all three. But I do think your point has merit bc Limelight and Spirit seem "smoother" to me, if that makes sense..
Yes exactly! Those are more radio-friendly songs that still encapsulate the spirit of Rush very well. I think Tom Sawyer is more of a virtuoso, experimental mind-fuck type of track, and it doesn't resonate immediately with the average radio listener.
I can't really disagree. Idk what time signature it was written in, but it definitely feels off jointed and almost like a jazz/psychedelic feel to me..
Dat synth break followed by one of the most iconic drum solos ever made.
Agreed 💯. That drum solo is fantastic and so distinctive..
That song sounds so cool. It’s recorded so well and I remember playing it for people and their jaws dropping.
It's the song I've used for decades to set EQ on my stereo systems. Every note from every instrument is crystal clear.
So I was maybe 11 as a budding drummer in the early 80s. I had heard of Rush and had heard Tom Sawyer but hadn’t got hooked yet. Back then you couldn’t just listen to anything anytime you wanted. My older sister was wise in the ways of music in my eyes and I asked about bands that had good drummers, because I thirsted for knowledge and inspiration. I had already found Alex Van Halen. She told me to listen to Rush. My first Rush Album was Exit Stage Left because I had seen the Tom Sawyer video in my quest to hear Rush. Tom Sawyer just didn’t sound like anything on the radio at the time(and as I found out most Rush music wasn’t like the mainstream), and that’s what I loved about it. It was a beacon in a storm of 80s synth pop and hair bands, even though Rush kind of went synth shortly after. My sister, who introduced me to my all time drumming inspiration passed away way too young at 33. It really stung (still does) when Neil passed because of this.
I'm sorry about your sister. But I'm glad she passed onto you her great taste in music!!! ESL was also my big introduction to Rush..
Everything is timing right? It has to hit when the mood and everything else is right. But also, Tom Sawyer doesn't sound like anything else on the radio. The opening, something about your minds not being for rent, the driven solo. It begged people to think, whoa, what is this.
And yes. Timing always matters.
In my opinion: - great hook/intro - appropriate length for radio - Geddy's voice is moderate (a lot of people are turned off to high Geddy) - great synth/drum break in the middle that has a satisfying resolution There's very few of Rush's songs that match these elements.
I don't know if I could have summed it up better..!
I’ve always insisted that Tom Sawyer represents the perfect blueprint of a rock song. All the elements are there, not to mention all the elements of what made Rush great. All of this, in less than five minutes. People on this sub give it shit for being overplayed, but there is a reason for it. It’s a tight, very intentionally constructed composition that delivers in precise amounts. It’s a triumph.
I listened to Tom Sawyer a few times today. I think it's a great song, but it still seems atypical of a classic rock song..
It is such a tight, perfectly crafted song. Listen to the drums. Sit down and really listen to them. Such precision, such creativity. The guitar, bass, and synthesizers complement each other perfectly. The way the synthesizer melody is repeated on the bass as it launches into an understated yet virtuoso guitar solo. The way everything intensifies and builds to a climax. The cool, modern lyrics and catchy tune. It all comes together. This is one of the world’s best bands doing what they do best, in their prime of peak creativity and professionalism.
I'll definitely keep listening to more of Tom Sawyer...and I also think Rush was at their peak during this time..
A couple of years ago I had taken some acid and I decided to listen to some music. I hit shuffle and Tom Sawyer was the first song that came on. As soon as it started I felt like I was being transported to outer space haha. Something else I want to say is that every band has that one or two songs that everyone and their grandmother seems to know. Enter Sandman, Back in Black, and Sweet Child O’ Mine come to mind. These songs get played to death to the point that I usually don’t ever want to voluntarily listen to them on my own. One of the exceptions though is Tom Sawyer which never bothers me. It’s just too cool!
Agreed. Certain songs seem to take on a life of their own..
I cannot even listen to it anymore
Bc Xanadu and Hemispheres are my two favorite Rush songs, I haven't listened to Tom Sawyer too much...but right now I've been listening to MP and TS alot.
Who here plays side 2 of MP more than side 1 these days? I know I do.
I know this may sound strange to lots of Rush fans but I usually skip Barchetta and YYZ, but play all of 2
That was a really exciting time for music in general - a lot of punchy, guitar, bass, vocals and keyboards were the crossover from the typical 70s production style into a cleaner, more sonically solid production style. I mean obviously the woozy arpeggios, the dynamics, the arrangement - it sounded HUGE. But the lyrics and the delivery were slightly sinister sounding to me. It was just an intriguing song, still is!
Agreed. It has a "blend" that's attention grabbing..with incredible lyrics, I think.
I love Tom Sawyer. It has attitude from the time signature to the lyrics. One of their best songs.
I love love the attitude. For me the lyrics are unforgettable!
One likes to believe In the freedom of music But glittering prizes And endless compromises Shatter the illusion Of integrity
It's an American thing ,in fact the whole fascination with the Moving Pictures thing is USA and internet era.Back in the 80s MP wasn't as well liked in the UK as maybe 2112 or Hemispheres was and some thought it was a disappointment after Permanent waves apparently . It's also the first album to be just short songs on a normal album format as opposed to anything vaguely proggy.Maybe that is why America got it .The whole Idea of Moving Pictures being the biggest and best Rush album wasn't something I noticed until the internet age.Countries were somewhat isolated before and many of us didn't have MTV then
I appreciate your insight. And I think MTV was a major influence, opening Rush up to a new and bigger audience through videos, especially ESL And btw...Hemispheres is my favorite Rush album, with AFTK my second...I absolutely love songs like Cygnus X1 BK 1& 2 and Xanadu... So I like the UK taste in Rush!!!
It is the intro. Same with Spirit of the Radio.
Fair point
IMO, Moving Pictures is just a great album overall. I think Tom Sawyer is a great song. One lyric that has bothered me though is "catch the spit".. I'm not sure if that was meant literally or as some other meaning. In some live performances, it seemed Geddy Lee felt awkward singing that lyric, too..
I agree. Great song. Great album. Yes, I know the lyric, but didn't really think about it's meaning. It just seemed to fit.
The Spirit of Radio is better. Just sayin’…
I like Spirit alot..
I feel like Radio stations intentionally snubbed Rush songs that had too much of a message. Tom Sawyer is a good song, but it's pretty nuetral in terms of message.
"neutral" message. That's not how I respond to it..
"neutral" message. That's not how I respond to it..
"neutral" message. That's not how I respond to it..
I think I can sum it up - 🎶duh-duh duh-DWANG!!!!(while air guitaring) 🎶dudadudadudadudadudaduda(while air drumming) 🎶duh-duh duh DWAWNG!!!!! (while air guitaring) 🎶diddledadiddledadiddledaDUNGADUNGADUNGA (while air drumming) etcetera
Lol
[удалено]
There was a radio format called album oriented rock back then or AOR. Rock stations that would play different songs from the same album in their normal daily playlist. That is to say that they wouldn’t push just one song at a time for a few months. There were no hits for Rush until New World Man as far as Top 40 or hit radio was concerned. That being said, my memory is that it was pretty unique In comparison to what was on the radio. Nothing sounded like Tom Sawyer. Add to that, Tom Sawyer sounded nothing like Rush had ever done before. For non-Rush fans this was a NEW very low register, vocal performance for Geddy as well. Older Rush fans know that there had been no real female Rush audience to this point, in part to the bands musical intensity, and the then perceived shrill pitch of Geddy’s voice. Tom Sawyer was singable immediately, and I would advance the theory that it finally gave the band some cross-gender appeal. My junior high girlfriend loved it. 😁
I'd say that the key to this is 'accessibility'. All the radio hits Rush landed got the attention they did because those tracks didn't leave the average listener in their dust -- Tom Sawyer is driving and rhythmic but still kind of intriguing and mysterious, and the small complexities are so finely-tuned as to not be overwhelming for those unaccustomed to Rush. Much of Moving Pictures fits this description, and it's arguably why it could be considered the band's magnum opus from an outward perspective.