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Unpopular Opinion: The 80s songs sounded best live in the 80s.


fraroc
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Seriously, I think that every single song from the synth era sounded best being played live in that era. You know why? Because that was when Geddy was willing to experiment with keyboards and had a more positive attitude towards playing the keyboards live, and as a result, there was much less cheating around that time period. Instead of faking the keyboard parts and continuing to play bass where the bass doesn't belong, he actually played the parts as they should have been played. Case in point being Between The Wheels during the GUP tour vs any other modern tour where BTW was played.

 

To be honest, I'm surprised Geddy didn't attempt to play the bass during Red Sector A, which is the song that everybody Rush fan associates with Geddy playing just keys.

 

There also wasn't this pressure to make the music sound more modern. A lot of the Power Windows songs on the Clockwork Angels live album had instances where the guitar would drown out any other part, leading to the song not sounding right. An example would be Middletown Dreams.

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Oh i see what you really mean.I misread a bit. and now i'm on the fence. yes they sounded great in the 80's but i think they also got heavier and a tad more balls in future tours which i also loved.

 

Mick

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Seriously, I think that every single song from the synth era sounded best being played live in that era.

 

I can’t think of a single synth era song that sounded better live in this century compared to in the 80s when they were first played live.

 

So, for once, I think I can agree with one of your “absolute” ((“every single...”)) statements. :P

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Oh i see what you really mean.I misread a bit. and now i'm on the fence. yes they sounded great in the 80's but i think they also got heavier and a rad more balls in future tours which i also loved.

 

Mick

 

You’re influencing me to read fraroc’s post a second time! And right after I just agreed with him (in my previous post) for the first time?!!

 

:LOL:

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Power windows and HYF sound fresh as a daisy to me totally superb and timeless albums. Presto & RTB will always sound a bit weak due to Rupert Hine's involvement but still superb albums. Obvs Signals a masterpiece and you could make an argument that Al's ska-influenced guitar sound at times maybe of that era but still sounds very fresh to me due to his mastery of it.

 

Waves will always be timeless, sounds like could be knocked out in 40 years time, nevermind nearly 40 years ago, but wont get into the 'is it an 80s album' thing. Funnily enough, the only 80s album that cries out 80s for me is Moving Pictures, although.obviously brilliant

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Power windows and HYF sound fresh as a daisy to me totally superb and timeless albums. Presto & RTB will always sound a bit weak due to Rupert Hine's involvement but still superb albums. Obvs Signals a masterpiece and you could make an argument that Al's ska-influenced guitar sound at times maybe of that era but still sounds very fresh to me due to his mastery of it.

 

Waves will always be timeless, sounds like could be knocked out in 40 years time, nevermind nearly 40 years ago, but wont get into the 'is it an 80s album' thing. Funnily enough, the only 80s album that cries out 80s for me is Moving Pictures, although.obviously brilliant

 

lol. i thought he just meant they sounded better live than on record. but he meant they sounded better live in the 80's than any future decade, lol

 

which as i said i'm on the fence about. i like how they bulked them up a bit. for Examble i loved Mission way more on the Snakes tour than the HYF tour. Al's solo was just killer.

 

so it depends for me i guess.

 

Mick

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There also wasn't this pressure to make the music sound more modern. A lot of the Power Windows songs on the Clockwork Angels live album had instances where the guitar would drown out any other part, leading to the song not sounding right. An example would be Middletown Dreams.

 

Well, Middletown Dreams never sounds right.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(to me)

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The HYF / Windows stuff sounded great on the 1988 tour. The old stuff not so much. Alex should've kept some Gibsons in his arsenal for that.

 

I agree. i LOVED the HYF tour. but the older stuff took a hit soundwise on that tour

 

Mick

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I would agree with you. For me, it's about the drums though. IMO, Neil's drums sounded much better in the 80's - and those tunes with the massive drum fills just crushed with that sound. Additionally, I much preferred Neil's original electronic set-up (with real cymbals!) to the V-drums he used on more recent tours (and FYI, I am a V-drums owner and user - I like them for what they are, but I can't stand the cymbal sounds on Rush songs!!) To me, the most egregious examples on recordings include:

 

1.) Red Sector A on Rush in Rio. The V-drum electronic cymbals - especially the high hat - are just horrible. Didn't care for the V-drum tom sounds for those fills either! Compared to the P/G live disc - much better when he was using real cymbals and the Simmons drums.

 

2.) Any of the set 2 songs on R40 Live. It was really super cool that he brought back the old kit design as "el Darko" - However, it's as if he forgot to tune his concert toms! His high tom sounds - used on so many fills of so many songs, were iconic (in the 70's and 80's). All of his "El Darko" concert toms sound de-tuned, with none of the high pitched attack that was a signature sound of Neil's classic kits. Also, and I think this is the recording (the drum sound has so many issues on R40; and again, coming from a huge David Bottril fan as I am) - but what happened to the China cymbal sound?? Another iconic sound of Neil's classic kits - seems like they screwed up with the mic-ing of the cymbals, because the china is just not there. For me, having these iconic sounds missing were a big let down for the the R40 set.

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IMO the peak of live 80's Rush was A Show of Hands.

It still sounds (and looks) bloody amazing. I'll take ASOH live on VHS over Clockwork Angels DVD every time.

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Seriously, I think that every single song from the synth era sounded best being played live in that era. You know why?

 

Because that was always the case in their career.

 

Young dudes rock harder than old dudes.

 

My opinion is that in terms of live discs the first was the best. The second was 2nd best, the third was the 3rd best. Blah blah blah

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IMO the peak of live 80's Rush was A Show of Hands.

It still sounds (and looks) bloody amazing. I'll take ASOH live on VHS over Clockwork Angels DVD every time.

 

YES!!

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I would agree with you. For me, it's about the drums though. IMO, Neil's drums sounded much better in the 80's - and those tunes with the massive drum fills just crushed with that sound. Additionally, I much preferred Neil's original electronic set-up (with real cymbals!) to the V-drums he used on more recent tours (and FYI, I am a V-drums owner and user - I like them for what they are, but I can't stand the cymbal sounds on Rush songs!!) To me, the most egregious examples on recordings include:

 

1.) Red Sector A on Rush in Rio. The V-drum electronic cymbals - especially the high hat - are just horrible. Didn't care for the V-drum tom sounds for those fills either! Compared to the P/G live disc - much better when he was using real cymbals and the Simmons drums.

 

2.) Any of the set 2 songs on R40 Live. It was really super cool that he brought back the old kit design as "el Darko" - However, it's as if he forgot to tune his concert toms! His high tom sounds - used on so many fills of so many songs, were iconic (in the 70's and 80's). All of his "El Darko" concert toms sound de-tuned, with none of the high pitched attack that was a signature sound of Neil's classic kits. Also, and I think this is the recording (the drum sound has so many issues on R40; and again, coming from a huge David Bottril fan as I am) - but what happened to the China cymbal sound?? Another iconic sound of Neil's classic kits - seems like they screwed up with the mic-ing of the cymbals, because the china is just not there. For me, having these iconic sounds missing were a big let down for the the R40 set.

 

Getting all drum technical, I LOVE it mate!! I am a drummer as well :)

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Geddy's modern era bass tone doesn't fit 80s material very well in many instances.

 

Listen to Distant Early Warning on ASOH, then check it out on S&A Live. Whoa. Like with so many other songs the bass carries the melody, and the noisier recent tone is, well, noisier and muddled.

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I would agree with you. For me, it's about the drums though. IMO, Neil's drums sounded much better in the 80's - and those tunes with the massive drum fills just crushed with that sound. Additionally, I much preferred Neil's original electronic set-up (with real cymbals!) to the V-drums he used on more recent tours (and FYI, I am a V-drums owner and user - I like them for what they are, but I can't stand the cymbal sounds on Rush songs!!) To me, the most egregious examples on recordings include:

 

1.) Red Sector A on Rush in Rio. The V-drum electronic cymbals - especially the high hat - are just horrible. Didn't care for the V-drum tom sounds for those fills either! Compared to the P/G live disc - much better when he was using real cymbals and the Simmons drums.

 

2.) Any of the set 2 songs on R40 Live. It was really super cool that he brought back the old kit design as "el Darko" - However, it's as if he forgot to tune his concert toms! His high tom sounds - used on so many fills of so many songs, were iconic (in the 70's and 80's). All of his "El Darko" concert toms sound de-tuned, with none of the high pitched attack that was a signature sound of Neil's classic kits. Also, and I think this is the recording (the drum sound has so many issues on R40; and again, coming from a huge David Bottril fan as I am) - but what happened to the China cymbal sound?? Another iconic sound of Neil's classic kits - seems like they screwed up with the mic-ing of the cymbals, because the china is just not there. For me, having these iconic sounds missing were a big let down for the the R40 set.

 

 

Great post Cyg.

 

On the guitar front, I am a huge fan of Alex's Gibson's. I own both his 355 and Le Play Signature models. Brilliant guitars with incredible tone. His 355 is without a doubt the best guitar I have ever played and own. Such an amazing progressive rock guitar.

 

With that said....his playing in the 80's was far more concise. His attention to detail (fret work) was at it's highest level between 1981 and 1996. Picture through T4E. His playing then became far more for lack of a better term "looser".

 

But his tone starting with the Snakes For Arrows tour was simply fat and juicy!!! I love it!.

 

I would have to pick and choose different songs from the 80's that sounded better back in the day vs today.

 

 

Signals

 

Subdivision - R30

The Analog Kid - RTB Tour

Digital Man - Signals Tour

The Weapon - Only played on two tours in the 80's

New World Man - GUP Tour

 

Grace Under Pressure

 

DEW - HYF Tour

Red Sector A - GUP Tour

The Body Electric - CA Tour

BTW - Snakes Tour

 

 

Power Windows

 

The Big Money - ASOH

Grand Designs - CA Tour

Manhattan Project - ASOH

Marathon - ASOH

Territories - ASOH

Middletown Dreams - PoW Tour

Mystic Rhythms - R30

 

HYF

 

Force 10 - R30

Time Stand Still - ASOH

Mission - S&A Tour

 

 

So mostly the 80's I prefer for those tunes......but modern versions were also very good and ballsy.

 

Also Presto and RTB's sounded much better live to me. Far more crunchy and it really allowed the songs to breathe more.

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I know that everybody's like "Geddy's the best bass player in the world and only a somewhat good keyboardist, everybody would rather he play bass than just a few chords on the piano."

 

I don't know, but to me it's kind of frustrating to see a man so talented and so amazing at multi-tasking between instruments opting to Milli Vanilli certain keyboard parts. Its not like in the 80s, he was using pre-recorded bass guitar parts, certain portions of the synth songs required synth bass, and not bass guitar.

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I know that everybody's like "Geddy's the best bass player in the world and only a somewhat good keyboardist, everybody would rather he play bass than just a few chords on the piano."

 

I don't know, but to me it's kind of frustrating to see a man so talented and so amazing at multi-tasking between instruments opting to Milli Vanilli certain keyboard parts. Its not like in the 80s, he was using pre-recorded bass guitar parts, certain portions of the synth songs required synth bass, and not bass guitar.

 

Geddy always was a lazy hack!

 

In addition to the bass, vocals, and keyboards, he should’ve superglued some cymbals to his buttocks and clinched on occasion in order to get more sounds. He could’ve done so much more!

 

Girl you know it’s true!

 

Signed,

 

Rob & Fab

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BTW - Snakes Tour

 

 

Agree with 99% of your post - except for this one! IMO, BTW was far superior on the P/G tour - proper driving tempo and Neil actually wailed on a China cymbal through the chorus as it should be (don't give me that wimpy X-hat chorus!) Lights were cooler on the Snakes tour though! :)

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Oh i see what you really mean.I misread a bit. and now i'm on the fence. yes they sounded great in the 80's but i think they also got heavier and a tad more balls in future tours which i also loved.

 

Mick

 

Especially the Presto songs later on that sounded much better by the time Alex got his guitar mojo back. Show Dont Tell on Counterparts and Presto on Time Machine.

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IMO the peak of live 80's Rush was A Show of Hands.

It still sounds (and looks) bloody amazing. I'll take ASOH live on VHS over Clockwork Angels DVD every time.

 

Quite possibly the worst live CD ever released. Like a scrotum with no balls and twice as ugly.

 

 

 

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