Eel Yddeg

No love for Roll The Bones? The main song isn't too bad, but the rap section... Easily one of the saddest moments in Rush history (Of course, Neil's tragedies are number 1)

Time Stand Still is a close second. Just an awful cheese-fest with an even worse music video.

I would say it wasn't that gradual. As said, very few 70s songs were kept beyond 1982 or so, and their melodies were altered heavily.

On the Grace Under Pressure DVD:

Closer To The Heart: Doesn't go for the C5s on BLACK-smith or PHILosphers and plowmen. D5 on Closer to the HEAAAART sounds flat.

2112: Original melody around D5-E5 lowered to around A4.

Finding My Way: Lowers most of the chorus parts.

In The Mood: Only goes for a few C5s.

I think the vocals were dropped because he was straining his voice, and was trying to make sure he could still sing all the way through the tour. I don't think it was any more complicated than that.

It's not about WHY, it's about WHEN.

 

It was a gradual process. It's not like it happened overnight.

I know that. I said it was from 1980's Permanent Waves tour through 1982's tour of The Nadars. It didn't happen in one swoop.

When would you say it happened?

This is a good post, as I think there are a number of reasons for the change in Geddy's voice . .

 

At this point - between Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures, and probably even before - Rush was making a concerted effort to move in a different direction - towards a more accessible, more grounded band ..

 

The natural human response to certain pitches and timbres will illicit innate responses and evoke different visuals and images in the listener's imagination ... The swirling synth at the very beginning of 2112, or the otherworldly sounds in the intro to Cygnus X1 are somewhat odd to what we hear everyday - these sections set the listener up for something mysterious, something we don't have familiar grasp on ..

 

Geddy's voice was so perfect for this era because it fit that otherworldly, intangible vibe ....

 

When Rush made the conscious effort to abandon this, Geddy's voice was the first thing that needed to change ( ... much to my dismay, as it was Geddy's voice that drew me in in the first place )

 

In this clip from 1980 - the Permanent Waves tour - you can clearly hear that he still has the range ..

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rws3NVE7iqo

 

 

Needless to say, they lost me soon after this

 

 

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He still had the range then, but by GUP he wasn't singing it as high.

However, as i've said before, despite losing his high pitched wailing after Hemispheres, his voice remained great, and still sounds fine today!

I think the vocals were dropped because he was straining his voice, and was trying to make sure he could still sing all the way through the tour. I don't think it was any more complicated than that.

It's not about WHY, it's about WHEN.

This is relative. He sang pretty high on this last tour if you ask me, just a little less than back then. Compared to most singers active as long as he's been he really hasn't lost much.

I highly disagree.

Pretty much every song from the '70s was either dropped or had melodies altered way back in the '80s.

Take 2112 on the Grace Under Pressure tour. He sings the main melody in a way lower register.

Still, i respect your opinion.

A few?

Tom Sawyer is not as popular as it should be

Personally, I think it's a tad overrated. Yes, it's awesome, but stuff like 2112, Hemispheres, The Spirit Of Radio, or Cygnus X-1 are better.

Hate my post, or like my detailed observations?

 

Neither. Too convoluted and you need some paragraph breaks.

Oh. I'll add some.

Hate my post, or like my detailed observations?

We all know Geddy Lee pretty much ceased singing high in the studio on Permanent Waves.

But how about live?

After listening to many bootlegs, he gradually lost his powerful wail and stopped singing the really high parts between 1980's Permanent Waves Tour and 1982's Tour Of The Nadars.

The setlists also reflect this.

The set for the Tour Of The Hemispheres (His last peak tour) consisted of Anthem, A Passage To Bangkok, By-Tor And The Snow Dog, Xanadu, Something For Nothing, The Trees, Cygnus X-1, Hemispheres, Closer To The Heart, Circumstances, A Farewell To Kings, La Villa Strangiato, 2112, Working Man, Bastille Day, and In The Mood.

 

For the "Semispheres Tour", Something For Nothing, A Farewell To Kings, and Circumstances were dropped, being replaced by The Spirit of Radio and Freewill, both new songs. Finding My Way was added, but shortened.

 

For the Permanent Waves Tour, By-Tor And The Snowdog was abbreviated, Part II of Cygnus X-1 was cut, and Hemispheres was reduced to just the Prelude, Armageddon, Cygnus, and Sphere parts. The time gone was replaced with still more newer songs, Natural Science and Jacobs Ladder. Conversely, Beneath, Between, and Behind was added back.

 

For the Moving Pictures Warm Up Tour, Cygnus X-1 was dropped, Hemispheres was cut to just the prelude, and 2112 was trimmed to just the Overture and Temples of Syrinx section. New songs Limelight and Tom Sawyer filled the space.

 

The chopping of older, vocally demanding songs continued with the Moving Pictures Tour. A Passage To Bangkok, Finding My Way, Anthem, and Bastille Day were dropped in favor of new songs The Camera Eye, YYZ, Red Barchetta, and Vital Signs. However, Hemispheres was extended, with Armageddon brought back, In The End was added, and Grand Finale was added to 2112.

 

For the Exit Stage Left tour, Subdivisions was added, but no songs were removed.

Signals Warm Up continued the process, with Xanadu dropped for The Analog Kid.

Finally, For The Tour Of The Nadars, most of the old songs were dropped. Hemispheres, Beneath, Between, and Behind, Working Man, By-Tor And The Snow Dog, and In The End were dropped, and 2112 dropped Grand Finale. Filling the space were newer, easier songs. Digital Man, Chemistry, The Weapon, and New World Man were added. By this point, the only 70s songs left were Closer To The Heart, The Trees, 2112, Xanadu (Brought Back), La Villa Strangiato, and In The Mood. Out of those 6, only 5 had lyrics, and only Closer To The Heart and The Trees were played in full.

What are your thoughts?

I've seen most say that his peak was the 80s.

Then they would be wrong. An unpopular opinion would be that it is better or as good as ever the past dozen years or so... :)

I think he still sounds fine! Might not be the helium tenor of the 70s, but he still sounds good!

I've seen most say that his peak was the 80s.

I recently watched the music videos for "Circumstances" and "The Trees", and i noticed that the vocal parts sound different from the studio versions. Why is that? Are they alternate takes? A live version?

Geddy Lee's voice was at it's peak in the '70s.

Time Stand Still is a terrible song, an absolute cheesefest.

Post yours below!

Please don't kill yourself. You have so much to live for. Suicide is never the best way out.

That's why i love 70's ged!

No love for BU2B? That riff is massive!

Working Man, the Overture, Temples, and Grand Finale parts of 2112, and the end of Cygnus X-1 are up there too.

I don't know what you're talking about. Personally, i find Geddy's 70s voice to be his absolute peak. I loved the raw wail his voice had to it, and the power behind some notes were incredible.

The climb in most early live versions of 2112 Overture is a great example of this.

His voice still sounded (and still sounds!) good, but it can't compare to his 70s voice, IMHO.

He really stopped going for the highs between 1980-1982. His raw wail also disappeared.

He still has great tone, and can go for the highs sometimes.