When I leave, I don’t know
What I’m hoping to find
And when I leave, I don’t know
What I’m leaving behind…
I have no particular reason for putting this song on this day, other than I freakin’ love “The Analog Kid.” I love the live rendition even more.
Geddy sounds utterly fantastic here—somehow even better than he does in the studio. I wish I could share this with everyone who recoils from Geddy’s high notes'; his vocal is nuanced, measured, and so, so gorgeous.
As is Alex’s guitar. The opening riff makes you sit up and pay attention; the melody is more nuanced on the bridge than it is on the album; and that solo goes from haunting to face-melting in less than five seconds.
And oh, those synthesizers. By now you know I’m a synth-skeptic. But when done right, a good synth track can be magical, giving the song an ethereal quality that transports you to a fantasy world. Here, that synth is done very, very right.
My only slight quibble is that Neil gets slightly swallowed by the song; the drum part feels more like a metronome than an equal instrumental track. But that’s okay. Neil gets plenty of time to shine in other songs.
One of my favorites. Though I don't like this live version nearly as much as the studio version. They play it a little bit faster here and it throws me off. The synths are definitely way back in the mix compared to the album version, so I get why you like it more!:)