eshine

There is no reason for you to justify your enjoyment of Neil's blog. He's a good writer.

 

People who complain about his blogs sound like idiots - as if they are being forced to read them and comment on how bad the experience was.

Why are some of you guys apologizing for liking certain songs? The Garden is not overrated at all. It's a work of genuine beauty.

 

And CA is a crowning achievement. It was a total surprise - a return to form, containing songs that stand up to anything they have ever written - followed by a massively successful tour with a string ensemble that actually enhanced the music and made the presentation of their new album the highlight of the show.

Crowning acheivement?... put the bong down, TM. CA is what an asteroid is to Antares, when comparing it to any of Rush's circum-1980s works.

 

bullshit

 

this coming from a guy that actually called an old Rush song that came out of nowhere and surprised him on the radio a "supernatural" experience

 

I love me some Rush, but supernatural? Really dude?

 

Yea - put the bong down indeed.

Even though it has really changed over the years, I love the way he has adjusted his voice and how it actually gives the old songs new life.

 

Definitely!

 

I thought his rendition of Circumstances on the S&A tour was excellent. I have no problem with them changing up old material like that to suit his current range - they should do it more.

Geddy Lee - perhaps the most debated and maligned vocalist in history lol

 

As with every incarnation and change in his voice, there are those who can accept it and those who can't.

 

I am far more impressed with how well he can still sing then I am bothered by his limitations. He brought down the house at every show I saw on the last tour.

 

Few singers have adapted with as much grace and skill as he has over the years.

I do have a question about his voice. Maybe someone here can tell me the answer.

 

Why is it so low? I understand that he can't hit the notes Rush started out with. He should've just been himself back then instead of trying to sound like other rocksters of the time. But between Rio and CA, his voice has changed. A lot. This doesn't seem to happen to other lead singers, and I am wondering if anyone here knows why it has happened to Geddy. Even Geddy's voice is different between the studio version of The Garden and the live version.

 

I'm just wondering. It is not that I think he can't sing. He has a voice and the talent, but his voice has dropped really low.

 

It seems only natural that his voice would deepen. He is also using his chest voice far more then his head voice nowadays - it's less taxing.

 

As far as him being himself back in the day rather then trying to sound like other rocksters - sure, he was definitely influenced by Robert Plant in the beginning.

 

But no one brought it like Geddy did in the 70's.

 

There is a great segment in the making of 2112 DVD where Terry Brown plays an isolated vocal from Something for Nothing and still looks astonished, saying "it just came out like that, naturally. It was very exciting"

 

I bet it was :)

Incidentally, Hand Over Fist was originally slated to be an instrumental. Just as with Peaceable Kingdom, Neil presented Geddy with lyrics that he felt were a perfect fit to the music.

One of my favorite songs from one of my favorite Rush records.

 

I love the overall bracing feel of it - the angry lyrics, the razor sharp guitar, Geds vocal delivery is spot on.

 

It's weird to me that of all albums, Presto takes a lot of flack for being too "thin" or corny or whatever. Even the band themselves don't care for it.

 

Presto actually restored my faith in the band after HYF, an album I have grown to appreciate, but was a listless, meandering dissapointment back in the day.

 

When I heard Show Don't Tell on the radio, I was blown away. It was like " holy shit, Rush are writing rock songs again". I certainly wasn't thinking about the "thin" production. As far as I was concerned, Presto was a balls out rocker compared to its predecessor - with cohesive lyrics and melodies that totally resonated with me as an 18 year old kid.

 

As a big fan of Geddys singing, I also consider Presto to be a vocal tour de force.

Excellent!!

 

- I have recently become a very novice vinyl aficionado :)

 

I bought an Audio Technica LP60 - which I was told is a good starter turntable, as well as some great studio headphones by the same company.

 

I have this running through a solid little preamp and a couple of bookshelf speakers, since this resides in my "man-cave" and not hooked up through the house system lol

 

On the Rush front, I have S&A, Clockwork Angels, and the VT remix - which all sound splendid. Clockwork Angels just really breathes on vinyl - it's the best way to hear it.

 

I also have some old gems: Two 45's that I actually bought at a little record store on Yong Street in Toronto on a business trip with my Dad - Time Stand Still / High Water and The Big Money / Red Sector A Live - which is an unreleased version produced by none other than Terry Brown!! (anyone hear of this?) - It's the best live version of the song I've ever heard. The covers are worn but he discs are in great shape.

 

I also have GUP that is in great shape, a picture disc of "Prime Mover" and my crowning jewels (so far), original 1976 pressings of "RUSH" and "Caress of Steel" - both in mint condition!!!

 

I also found a few cool stuff my partner had stored away, including mint condition original pressings of Appetite for Destruction, Men at Work Business as Usual, U2 The Joshua Tree,

 

This is fast becoming my favorite new hobby - I really see why people are so stoked about vinyl. There is a warmth and feel to it that simply blows away digitized music.

 

I'm definitely looking to expand my system and collection. Would love any input or advice from the more seasoned audiophiles!

 

Cheers

 

:)

...I can't play anything live of the last ten years in front of my kids, they just look at each other and laugh

 

Oh, well why didn't you say this in the first place??

 

Had I known your kids felt this way I would have never responded.

 

:sarcastic:

I'm probably going to sound like a pecker-head here, but what in the F are people complaining about Geddy's voice for?

 

Because he sings like shit these days...and has for at least a decade.

Bullshit. He just doesn't sing like he did when he (and you) were young because his voice has changed. The way he has adapted and the performances he can still give his fans should be applauded.

Well his vocals are only gonna go down. He used to be able to mask it in the studio. But on CA they couldn't even mask it anymore. so enjoy it while you can.

 

Mick

What couldn't they "mask" on CA? There are some great vocal performances throughout it.

I think it'd be cool if Ged went back and killed Hitler

Can you imagine how hilarious it would be if Ged literally did this? Just opened the next tour lip sinking a ripping version of Bastille Day straight from 75.

I'd laugh my f***ing ass off.

*sigh

 

I think it’s rather pathetic that a Rush fan took the time to pen an “op-ed” piece focusing on Geddys age and vocal chops (or lack thereof) at the tail end of 2013.

 

It says far more about the reviewer then it does about Geddy Lee’s ability to sing live.

 

His vocals are not the “sole liability” of their live shows, but rather a major asset that has allowed them to continue at this level. He sings incredibly well live – not just for a “60 year old” - but as the vocal force of a rock band. Night after night and is able to pull off shows with amazing consistency – bringing down the house with some of the most memorable vocal moments in their career and doing almost note for note renditions of 30 year old songs.

 

And what thanks does he get? A snarky “review” begging that he “please, tune down your sooongs – you’re old - I don’t want to hear you try – it hurts too much - I want it all to be perfeeeect”

 

If you are THAT put off by some creaks and croaks and the amount of work he needs to put into his vocals at this stage – seriously, tough shit.

The Pass

Bravado

Tears

The Garden

Halo Effect

In the End

Resist (acoustic)

No rose colored glasses needed here - I find it a pleasure, not painful at all, to see Geddy singing so well on this tour and DVD

 

Back in the day when I first got into Rush -never in a million years would I have imagined him being able to pull off vocals as well as he does at this stage of their career.

 

Actually, I never would have imagined them even having this stage of their career, lol.

 

His voice is one of the highlights of the DVD for me.

The vocals. They rest comfortably lower in the mix,

Kudos to Neil on his new ride, why shouldn't he enjoy his wealth?

Bumped to give losingit2k some hope - lol

 

I played this clip on my iPhone today cranked through in my car stereo (good system)

 

All I can say is – holy shit, this is powerful stuff. The mix is superb. Computer speakers or ear buds cannot do this justice. I can’t imagine how good the actual product is going to sound. I’m more excited for the audio then anything.

 

And Geddy sounds fantastic – he really does. Not out of tune or struggling at all. Just a beautifully raw live performance.

 

losingit2k – I think we are in for a great live rendition of Clockwork Angels!

 

:)

It's, already, been 2 months since you've been gone. We shared so many similarities and obsessions throughout the 15 years we were brothers. This was your favorite song from the group we both loved and talked about constantly. Hearing it live with such a raw power and incredible 8-piece string section only makes me miss you more and wish we could experience this together. I'm still missing your far out sense of humor and incredibly strong and deep conversations we would have. You were a smart kid. You and your friends loved you so much. I miss you, little buddy. You were taken away from us far too soon.

 

RIP Luke

 

Not sure how I missed this the first time, but man – this had me pretty choked up. I’ve experienced some pretty significant loss recently myself and really feel your pain. It’s visceral

 

A beautiful tribute. My sincere condolences.

Clockwork Angels deserves every bit of praise without in any way negating the brilliance of their past masterworks.

 

It’s a crowning achievement in a career full of crowning achievements.

 

Quite an unexpected one for sure, which makes it even sweeter.

As someone posted earlier - 5000 copies at 99 bucks isn't exactly a brilliant money making strategy lol.

 

This will look great on a shelf in my music room next to my framed front row ticket stub(s) and photos from the tour.

 

Yep, I'm buying this as a design element!

 

:)

Geddy had a better vocal the night before in Phoenix. Here's my video of that show.

 

Sounds like the clip I posted from the Dallas show

 

 

Geds vocal mix on the DVD (clip) is crisp, raw and isolated, which can be a bit jarring. I don’t think they sound bad or out of tune, but I do think that, ironically, hi def and clarity do him no favors. Just because technology allows for every single nuance of a vocal part to be heard doesn’t mean it should.

 

More care could have been put into the mix to soften the vocal and pull it back a bit.

 

Still, this is a great performance and the DVD will sound miles better than TMT.

It is interesting to note how much the clarity of the mix and microscope of HD really magnify every detail of his vocal, for better or worse. I doubt that this clip of the same performance would yield as much criticism.