9/14: Serbs (Alex Lifeson)
Imagine if Alex had listened to his parents and learned the accordion instead...
“Serbs” is one of three songs from the Lerxst Demos that Alex released in the post-Rush, pre-Envy of None days. I don’t have a video for “Serbs,” unfortunately. However, you can listen to the song at the Spotify link below, or on Alex’s website.
“Serbs” is trippy, psychedelic—more of a thought experiment than a song, as many of Alex’s compositions are. Yet there’s something very listenable about this one. I think you can hear the kernel of a narrative here; all it needs is to be polished up.
If it sounds similar to some of the Victor tracks, that’s no coincidence. This demo actually hails from the mid-90s. According to Alex, it began with the accordion section, from which Alex layered in the guitar and drum parts.
“My parents wanted me to play the accordion like a nice Serbian boy from suburban Willowdale should, but the guitar was calling me,” explains Alex on his website.
“I’ll never know if I made the right decision,” he adds with his trademark self-deprecation.
So tasty!