Customer Reviews

Victor

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I'll admit upfront that I am rather pre-disposed to like most anything Lifeson does - though not to the extent that I think he can do no wrong (see below). Still, its harder for him to disappointment me than many other musicians. That said, "Victor" is one of my favourite albums - though it's definately NOT what I had expected an Alex Lifeson solo project would sound like.

The album is, without a doubt, an experiment. Much has been said about the lyrics of some of the songs, especially "Don't Care", which, lyrically, *is* a very harsh and very crude song, and musically, is a harder-edged, more metal-like song than just about anything we've ever heard Lifeson do with Rush. When I first heard it, I found it almost shocking and very off-putting, but as I listened to the album more, it struck me more as almost a challenge to the listener - as if by leading off the album with this track Lifeson was trying to shatter any expectations one might have of what a Lifeson solo project should be like, so that you could then listen to the rest of the album without those pre-conceived notions and prejudices. Once I got past my initial reaction to it, it quickly became one of my favourites.

One thing that should be noted is that several of the songs on the album are clearly attempts by Lifeson to write from the viewpoint of someone *other* than himself. For example, "Start Today", sung by Lisa Dalbello, is written from a woman's point of view, and "The Big Dance" is from the point of view of a young gigolo. It gives the album the feeling that Lifeson was, in a sense, trying to get outside of his own head. This same sense exists in the music, also.

To make discussing the music a bit easier, I tend to think of it as having 3 different 'types' of songs - the two Instrumentals, the three "Weird Songs" and the rest of the songs which are pretty much balls-out rockers.

The Rockers and Instrumentals are, by far, my favourites. They feature some of the prog-rock tendencies you'd expect from a member of Rush, but, by-and-large, are much, much louder. They also seem to draw influences from heavy metal, grunge, hard alternative and those "hard to classify" bands such as Tool and Primus (the latter being understandable as Primus bassist Les Claypool provides the bass lines here, too.) And while Lifeson's lack of fondness for keyboards in Rush is well-known (something that came about mainly because for much of the late 80's and early 90's, keyboard threatened to overwhelm the guitar on Rush's albums), he obviously isn't entirely averse to them as there are some very tasty keyboards sprinkled throughout the album.

The Rockers are great fun, and Edwin, former vocalist for "I Mother Earth", is a perfect match for the mood, intensity and power of these songs. Likewise, the Instrumentals offer a great showcase for Lifeson's fretwork and have a real spark to them that makes them great for repeated listening. All of these tracks are filled with energy (though in some cases, its a very dark energy), and hold up well to repeated listens. "I Am the Spirit", "Mr. X" and "The Big Dance" are all standouts.

The "Weird Ones" are, by far, the MOST experimental of the album, and don't seem to succeed as well as the other tracks. Two of them, "At the End" and "Victor" are voiced by Lifeson himself, though neither is sung - they're both performed in a soft, spoken style (though Edwin does provide some moving, sung vocals at the end of "At the End"). This spoken style works best in "At the End", which is a very sad piece about an elderly widower who can't find any reason to keep living. Lifeson's soft, gentle voice allows the tragic nature of the situation to settle in more deeply than a stronger voice would. The song starts with some very atmospheric programming (done by Lifeson's son, Adrian Zivojinovich), and as it progresses, Lifeson brings in some building guitar lines that really emphasise the mood of the song. Of the three "Weird Ones" "At the End" is, by far, the best.

"Victor" is similar in style to "At the End", but is far less successful in its execution. The words for this track are taken from the W.H. Auden poem of the same name, and are about a man who falls in love and marries the woman of his dreams, only to discover that she had betrayed him and winds up killing her. The music for the song, however, doesn't quite manage to convey the sense of menace that it seems to be trying to create, and Lifeson's whispered vocals are a bit too light and too high-pitched for a song this dark.

Lastly, there's "Shut Up Shutting Up" which is an example of Lifeson's odd sense of humour. It's features some INCREDIBLE guitar work, but it's buried behind Lifeson's wife and her friend discussing their frustrations with their husbands. While some of the observations are funny the first time or two, the song does not stand up to repeated listenings. Its one time I wish I could find a way to remove the vocal layer, as it would make for a great instrumental track.

All-in-all, though, the album consistantly ranks among my favourites, and I haven't yet quit hoping for a follow-up someday.

If you were expecting a Rush sound on Alex Lifeson's solo album, you'll be sorely disappointed-- I know I was shocked when I first spun this CD nearly ten years ago now-- a loud, aggressive, angry sound emerges-- Lifeson's melodic playing was pushed aside for a muscular stance, and Edwin's vocal, a wailed, angry beast, countered Lifeson's guitar.

Now mind you, the entire record isn't quite like that, but my eyes popped out of my head. Still, having had time to evaluate the record for a long while since then, its not a bad attempt at a solo record, but ultimately its success is limited. Still, credit to Lifeson for choosing to pursue a direction well outside of the expectations of Rush's guitarist.

The main band on this album consists of Lifeson on guitars, bass, and synths, guitarist Bill Bell, drummer Blake Manning, and vocalist Edwin (of I Mother Earth). Together, this ensemble produces five songs (although Lisa Dalballo sings one of them) and further joins Lifeson and his son, Adrian Zivojinovich (programming) on two further tracks. The songs featuring the band are generally straightahead rock, with a decidingly alternative bent. Many of these songs sound quite a bit like material from "Counterparts" or "Test For Echo", but with a heavier bent and more guitar drive. Edwin's voice is night-and-day from Geddy Lee, which furthers the distinction (Dalballo sounds quite a bit like a young Lee at times, however). The material is reasonably successful, "Promise" is both the most straightforward of the songs and the most successful, with a great driving backbeat and killer riffing courtesy of Lifeson. "Sending a Warning" is also a great song, Edwin seems particularly vested in this one, the energy behind his vocal is stunning. The rest of the material is harder edged-- almost as if Rush had never abandoned their metal sound but sort of met the Melvins halfway instead. Its ok, but not spectacular.

Beyond this material, the two songs from Lifeson's son are a bit more interesting-- essentially Lifeson uses some programmed rhythms and synth sounds his son assembled and overdubbed his band. "At the End" is really interesting, a story of a man lost after his love's death, spoken by Lifeson and featuring some stunning, layered harmonies at the end.

Similar in tone to "At the End" is Lifeson's "Victor"-- setting Auden's poem to music, its another largely electronica piece with Lifeson doing a spoken word narration, he really captures the feel of the poem wonderfully, and this may be the most successful piece on the album.

There's also a pair of decent instrumentals that showcase Lifeson's guitar playing and feature rhythm section Peter Cardinali on bass and drummer Blake Manning, the second of these two, "Shut Up Shuttin' Up", features a bizarre spoken rambling by Lifeson's wife and her friend about habits their men have. As bizarre as it sounds (and as obnoxious as the guitar playing references are), the song is spectacular and Lifeson pulls all the stops on the guitar. One last piece is an instrumental duet between Lifeson and Bell ("Strip and Go Naked") that kind of plods and never really gets anywhere.

Overall, the album is decent, if not entirely satisfying. It has enough good stuff on it to make it worth tracking down, especially for a Rush fan.

Although this CD is the solo album by Alex Lifeson of Rush, it is nothing like that band's efforts. There is an even harder edged sound on Victor than Rush's Counterparts album, but like that album, the common theme is one of relationships.

"Start Today," with Lisa Dalbello, and "I Am The Spirit," with Edwin, formerly of I Mother Earth, have somewhat positive views of relationships, while the rest are fairly angry, or sombre. This leaves all interpretations of the album as a whole, with the listener. A concept album for a break-up or a mid-life crisis, if you will.

Mrs. Lifeson handles the vocals on "Shut Up Shutting Up," as well as the lyrics it seems. The title track, puts the poem of the same name by W.H. Auden to atypically eerie music. "Strip And Go Naked," is my favourite instrumental from the album, with a hint of Celtic-influence, in a wash of keyboards, and some shredding guitar work.

Not as deep as Peart, but a lot less pretentious for it. And certainly not so typically left-wing as some Toronto artistes!

I really didn't expect this album to be as good as it was.Alex
Lifeson's first solo project is a very powerful, but very dark
album.The biggest surprise is the production. The album has alot
of synthesizers and keyboards,very much like the RUSH albums
POWER WINDOWS and HOLD YOUR FIRE, but I like VICTOR much more
than those albums. There is a very adventurous feel about this
album. I'd say there are at least four or five very srong cuts
on this: DON'T CARE rocks out heavier than almost any song on the
last four or five RUSH albums, tho it's hindered by some very
sexist lyrics, which are penned by LIFESON himself. PROMISE is
a very upbeat, rockin' number with a very catchy guitar riff and
wouldn't have sounded out of place on a RUSH album. START TODAY,
which borrows it's main guitar riff from LED ZEP's FOUR STICKS
(tho it's done in a different key) is also a very strong song
and has a female vocalist who sounds like GEDDY LEE on her high
notes. The two instrumentals HERE COMES MR X and STRIP AND GO
NAKED are very enjoyable, featuring alot of strange guitar playing. The SHUT UP song has some nice guitar playing also, tho
the female voices are very annoying. it's a silly song.
Most of the rest of this is dominated by keyboard and synth driven songs and the title track has a rare vocal by LIFESON, who
just basically recites a story.
RUSH fans should really enjoy this!

At The End, Don't Care,Promise, I Am The Spirit, and Shut Up Shuttin Up.

Trash the rest of the album as it is piss poor filler. Lifeson is always complaining in Rush that he doesn't want keyboards...yet they are all over this album! I don't get it man?

I also don't get this line-up of artists you picked to work with. You are Alex Lifeson of Rush...here is a memo...you can work with anyone...trust me on this. How about you bring in some guys from Helmet, Mars Volta, Trevor Rabin, Dream Theater, and Audioslave?

This was too Canadian. It could have sold more and done more with more recognizable talent. It sold as much as it did because of Lifeson's name only.

The CD cover shows a slightly unnerving portrait of Rush's guitarist, one half of his face staring broodingly at the camera, the other with his eye squeezed shut, as if he is trying to remember something. The effect is a creepy-looking wink. Faux coffee stains and cigarette burns cover the picture, adding a sense of feverishness.

Considering that Alex is known as the madman of the group, this imagery feels appropriate, and it effectively captures the spirit of Victor. Breaking away from the slick, highly-produced sound characteristic of Rush, Victor is, by turns, rough, raw, dark, intense, weird, and quietly moody. Outside the constraints of his regular band, Alex cuts loose with some blistering, creative guitar work, which is reason enough to seek out this CD in the bargain bin.

The songs themselves are of mixed memorability, and don't quite reach the heights of Rush's best work. Some, like the screwball "Shut Up Shuttin' Up" (which is initially hilarious) or the eerie spoken word "Victor" wear out their novelty after a few listens. Other heavier numbers, like "Don't Care" or "The Big Dance" sound a little too typical of 90's alt-industrial thrash (thanks in part to the decidely average singer) for their fury to really stick. But, on the other hand, the variety of the set helps make up for the weaknesses, and there are a few worthwhile tracks there. "Start Today", with its Alanis Morrisette-pitched singer, is energetic and ballsy; the playful instrumentals "Mr. X" and "Strip and Go Naked" are pleasurable showcases of Alex's chops; the lovely, moody "In the End" brings some atmosphere to the disc; and the anthemic "Promise" and "I am the Spirit" might well fit in on a Rush CD.

As for Alex's lyrics, which seem to mostly be about love relationships gone wrong, they aren't as gripping as they want to be, even with the dark, violent tone he takes on some songs, but they don't get in the way, either. Some Rush fans may be shocked to hear lyrics like "between your legs I will lay / on your back better stay / I'm gonna ... you night day", but it's hard to imagine that he means them as anything other than unflattering observations of human behavior.

Overall, even with my criticisms, I find myself rocking to Victor when I'm in the mood for something different. It definitely displays Alex's talents in a new light, and fans of Rush may be pleasantly surprised at the roughness and intensity of the music here.

I've been a Rush fan and guitar player for 24 years and consider all of Rush's albums to be good releases. And Alex Lifeson is THE reason I learned to play guitar in the first place.

However, it pains me to say that Victor is a big disappointment. It is a disturbing album about the "dark side of love"... Hardly something you would expect (or want) from a member of Rush.

It does have a few good songs, like "Promise," "Start Today" and "Strip and Go Naked." Also, there is, not suprisingly, some interesting guitar work.

Unfortunately, other than these few strong points, most of the material is unlistenable and forgettable.

Not recommended.

I love this album. Its sad, dark, funny and just brilliant. Thank You ALEX!! I am the SPIRIT - speaks to me - I love it. I always say when I listen to this album - Im sorry ALEX for whoever hurt you like this - but thank you for helping me realize that no matter who we are - we all go thru the same things... ALEX - please dont ever stop writing music.... Your mind and the way you think.. just impress me amaze me and I just love it you and what you have given to us!!

I was shocked when I first played this CD in 1996. I heard that Geddy had some struggles with Alex's move to compose songs without him, but as any best friend Geddy Lee backed his long-time friend and let him be free to create music and break away for a short time. Alex does sound like Alex on several tracks, but at times I think all the fans would agree that it arrives at darker tones/moods that are lyrically quite different to what we would assume to have listened too.

My first thought was; I like (Promise) and (Start today), I think the instrumentals are innovative, and I laughed at the song that included Alex's wife and her best friend ripping on men in general and suggesting for Alex to just play the guitar which is a metaphor for (Bring the money) that is what your good for. (lol). So I was pleased with 5 songs within the first week.

5 years later, I find myself remembering that I had that CD in my huge 200 Cd stand up unit that you can spin and find any CD if you remember how you organized them. I inserted "Victor" once again and felt moved by other songs like the one with Les Claypool, and songs like " I am the Spirit". At this time I was up to 7 enjoyable songs to play on certain days that struck a VICTOR mood.

2011: Another odd week full of various elements that further pushed me to find the original 1996 store bought (VICTOR) album. Now I am listening to the 2 odd songs that Alex put together where He is telling us very unusual stories with the contrast of techno arrangements and some guitar tracks that are layered into certain parts of these unique songs. So now I am up to 9 songs! I am wondering if in 2020, I will find myself expressing my understanding to all 11 tracks. I have never had an album impact me in such a time stepped course as VICTOR. I can honestly say, this album has a surprisingly long-term value for me, and I have grown to appreciate his musical moods/conflicts/ and his artistic expression that hit me much differently in 1996. Bill Alexander was involved in this record and it was written and recorded I believe in 1994-1995. So looking to Rush's 1993 "Counterparts", I am seeing that Alex was working on this project after the (Counterparts) Tour and went through some phase in his life where this was an important record for him. He also hid behind the name of Victor; which expresses indirectly that he may have not been seeking financial gain--but mere artistic expression that was bottled up inside him for probably sometime. It's a clever record that luckily my huge Rush interest led me into an article about the Lifeson name being the driving force behind this record.

I must say though, (Promise) has clever parts that remind me enough of Limelight patterns to continually bring me back to playing this track. I hope Geddy doesn't read this and try to find me an further exectue me, but the vocalist on (start today) at times reminded me of 70's Geddy Lee, especially on the chorus. These 2 songs are still the link of Rush to the audience. It is the rest of the album that takes us to a totally different component of Alex Lifeson as a writer and entertainer. Thanks for this Record Alex, it has affected me on several levels over the years. I am looking forward to hearing (Clockwork Angels) from Rush in 2012. Can't wait! I will have to get real busy so time will pass quicker.

Later, I hope Rush fans read this and find a place for this record. Excuse any errors within this, I typed what I felt but didn't edit or revise it. Have a great 2011 Rush and Lifeson fans!

Though recorded in the mid 90's, it sounds as though it could have been released for radio today. The sound is years ahead of what many contemporary rock bands are doing today. Proves once again what innovative musicians the members of Rush really are.