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(spoiler song) - you're welcome


dtpoet
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I posted this in the OTLS area back on January 4th. I had my doubters <cough-snaked-cough>, but my persistance won out. LOL. JK. I know my post had nothing to do with them playing it, but hey, that's the story I'm telling my kids. Ok. I'm not going to tel that either.....

 

 

Posted 04 January 2015 - 01:36 PM

Jacob's Ladder was last played live over 34 years ago. Of those songs that have never been played or have been rarely played live, Jacob's Ladder is one of the most desired songs by the fans. The following are the listed reasons why Jacob's Ladder must be a partof the 2015 tour setlist.

 

(1) IT IS A CLASSIC

Every tour, JL is among those songs that fns most anticipate seeing. Arenas around the country will explode upon the first few notes. For the diehard pre-Signals crowd, this epic will bring euphoria like no other. Without doubt, JL will be one of the most memorable moments from the show.

 

(2) EASY ON GEDDY'S VOCALS

Facts can not deny that our "heroes" are now in their sixties. While their physical skills are still way beyond those of their contemporaries, the grind of a tour wears quicker on the body than in the past. Jacob's Ladder is over seven minutes long, yet it is mostly instrumental. This will allow Geddy's vocals to rest a bit.

 

In addition, the vocals are sung in a lower key than most the songs from that era. With the limited vocals contained within the song and since it is sung in a lower register, one can argue that Jacob's Ladder is the best candidate to be performed from the pre-Signals era.

 

(3) BREAKS WITHIN THE INSTRUMENTAL FOR NEIL AND ALEX

Along same lines as (2) above, there is a section of the song of a little over a minute (3:49 - 4:54 on the recorded version) where it is mainly Geddy playing keyboards and singing ("All at once the clouds are parted. Light streams down in bright, unbroken beams"). While Alex and Neil still may have parts within that section, it is minimal as far as pounding drums or playing notes on the guitar. This offers both of them an opportunity of a break within the song. These breaks within songs are extremely rare for any other Rush song especially the length such a break would involve.

 

(4) SOME EASIER BASS SECTIONS FOR GEDDY

While the bass does have it moments during Jacon's Ladder, there are at least a couple of sections when the bass is carrying the rhythm only. With the addition of keyboard only sections, this gives Geddy a bit of break.

 

(5) OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW AND CREATIVE LIGHT.VIDEO SHOW

Setlists from tour to tour contain many of the same songs. That is all well and good as some are classics, but usually the same video/light show goes along with those songs. Jacon's Ladder offers the part of teh team and chance to create something spectacular and memorable. For example, there can be lighting to resemble lightning at the beginning sections. There can be bright beams of light to resemble sunlight in the middle section. There can be maybe video to show "man" reflecting upon the "heavens". IDK. I'm just offering up something new and different. Use your own imagination. Maybe the during the "bright, unbroken beams", the audience can cast smartphone flashlight beams in sync from upward descending down toward the stage.

 

These are just some the reasons I can come up with as to why Jacon's Ladder must be in the setlist. Perhaps you can think of more.

Edited by dtpoet
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In hind sight your arguments for the song make great sense, I think I'll get that dtpoet tattoo I've been thinking aboot.

 

It was glorious to see live.

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I posted this in the OTLS area back on January 4th. I had my doubters <cough-snaked-cough>, but my persistance won out. LOL. JK. I know my post had nothing to do with them playing it, but hey, that's the story I'm telling my kids. Ok. I'm not going to tel that either.....

 

 

Perhaps you didn't see this thread HERE, pinned at the top of this forum, which was also pinned in OTLS for the past few years. Take a look at it, and please note the sentence in bold.

 

I saw your thread title from the main page, which means other people did too. Major spoiler.

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Sorry - I thought that considering I posted it in the "R40 Tour SPOILER Forum", that I didn't have to go the xtra mile to spoiler alert in a forum with the word "spoiler" in its name. Seems kind of redunit but if them are the rules, they are what they are. Edited by dtpoet
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Sorry - I thought that considering I posted it in the "R40 Tour SPOILER Forum", that I didn't have to go the xtra mile to spoiler alert in a forum with the word "spoiler" in its name.

 

A post inside of a thread in this R40 forum can contain all the spoilers you want. It's the thread title you need to be concerned with, because if it's the most recently posted-in thread, as yours was, your title will be seen from the main page. For those few minutes before I edited your thread title, anybody who was logged onto the board knew that "Jacob's Ladder" was in the setlist.

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Probably the length. They have so many songs and only around 2.5 hours (not counting intermission) or so to play them all in. Hard to pick a song that takes as long as this one, but yea, I'm surprised it's been so long since it was played.
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Interestingly enough, listening to it...it DOES go easy on Geddy's vocal range, so you have to wonder why they've ignored it the past 30-something years?

My thoughts are that it may lull them into a mistake because of the droning nature of the song. Maybe?

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I made all the same points about the song too years ago on here. Nothing against you, I guess great minds think alike!
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Interestingly enough, listening to it...it DOES go easy on Geddy's vocal range, so you have to wonder why they've ignored it the past 30-something years?

My thoughts are that it may lull them into a mistake because of the droning nature of the song. Maybe?

 

As a musician, I can tell you that Jacob's Ladder is one of the most difficult compositions that the Boys have ever written. The time signatures and unusual syncopation of Neil's bass drum and snare accents throughout a majority of the song make for a long bit of pure memorization and unfortunately a huge stretch of "f***ing up potential"...I remember hearing Alex talk about the time signature changes once, stating that the song was so difficult they had to essentially re-learn their own material, and that they just could not get Jacob's Ladder together for tours.

 

I heard only a few barely audible goofs during both Lucas's and Bob's generous videos. The guys really pulled it off for us. What a great live song. And someone else earlier stated it was was the worst song on Permanent Waves. That is complete bullshit.

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Does the fact that Geddy, last night, had to retract his "we've never played this one live before" statement put things into perspective for anyone? He had no clue that they played JL live before, not to mention that it actually appears on one of their live albums. How is that possible?

 

I certainly hope that it was Alex or Neil that said..."Hey Ged, it's on Exit...Stage Left" to him after the show.

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Does the fact that Geddy, last night, had to retract his "we've never played this one live before" statement put things into perspective for anyone? He had no clue that they played JL live before, not to mention that it actually appears on one of their live albums. How is that possible?

 

I certainly hope that it was Alex or Neil that said..."Hey Ged, it's on Exit...Stage Left" to him after the show.

 

Maybe he read the posts here about it :)

 

*waves to Geddy*

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Does the fact that Geddy, last night, had to retract his "we've never played this one live before" statement put things into perspective for anyone? He had no clue that they played JL live before, not to mention that it actually appears on one of their live albums. How is that possible?

 

I certainly hope that it was Alex or Neil that said..."Hey Ged, it's on Exit...Stage Left" to him after the show.

 

Maybe he read the posts here about it :)

 

*waves to Geddy*

 

I doubt HE does, but I'd be willing to bet they have "spies" on the pages....

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Does the fact that Geddy, last night, had to retract his "we've never played this one live before" statement put things into perspective for anyone? He had no clue that they played JL live before, not to mention that it actually appears on one of their live albums. How is that possible?

 

I certainly hope that it was Alex or Neil that said..."Hey Ged, it's on Exit...Stage Left" to him after the show.

 

Maybe he read the posts here about it :)

 

*waves to Geddy*

 

I doubt HE does, but I'd be willing to bet they have "spies" on the pages....

 

Yes so everyone be on their best behavior. :LOL:

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Does the fact that Geddy, last night, had to retract his "we've never played this one live before" statement put things into perspective for anyone? He had no clue that they played JL live before, not to mention that it actually appears on one of their live albums. How is that possible?

 

I certainly hope that it was Alex or Neil that said..."Hey Ged, it's on Exit...Stage Left" to him after the show.

 

Maybe he read the posts here about it :)

 

*waves to Geddy*

 

I doubt HE does, but I'd be willing to bet they have "spies" on the pages....

 

Yes so everyone be on their best behavior. :LOL:

 

Add your subtle hints for requests here: ___________________

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Does the fact that Geddy, last night, had to retract his "we've never played this one live before" statement put things into perspective for anyone? He had no clue that they played JL live before, not to mention that it actually appears on one of their live albums. How is that possible?

 

I certainly hope that it was Alex or Neil that said..."Hey Ged, it's on Exit...Stage Left" to him after the show.

 

Maybe he read the posts here about it :)

 

*waves to Geddy*

 

I doubt HE does, but I'd be willing to bet they have "spies" on the pages....

I have no doubt Ray Daniels has someone on payroll to monitor social media.

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