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Why I don't like Tom Sawyer live...


MalformedEarthborn
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I caught some flack a while back for saying "Tom Sawyer is my bathroom break" when I see Rush live. Partly because it's sooooo overplayed it just doesn't excite me anymore like less played songs. The main reason I don't like hearing Tom Sawyer live is this:

 

The way he sings it the line "...is what you say about society".

 

On the album, it's a descending note shriek that sounds glorious:

"IS WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT SOCIETY!!!"

 

Virtually every live version I've heard, he dulls it down to an awkward hiccup-y thing:

"is WHAT you SAY about so-CI-e-TEE..."

 

Am I alone in finding the way he sings it live extremely grating?

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Geddy may have sang it differently live because it was easier on his voice in the long run. They played many shows each tour, so maybe hitting that glorious shriek every night wasn't for the best. Or possibly it was a one time deal where he could hit it in the studio but never again.

 

It doesn't really bother me since I know some stuff can't always be duplicated perfectly live.

Edited by J2112YYZ
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Not my favourite live song either... It's too hard to compete with the perfection of the production (mix, levels, drum sound etc) of the studio mix. It always sounds a bit too light live. Plus, like you, I've heard the goddam song a million times.
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Geddy may have sang it differently live because it was easier on his voice in the long run. They played many shows each tour, so maybe hitting that glorious shriek every night wasn't for the best. Or possibly it was a one time deal where he could hit it in the studio but never again.

 

It doesn't really bother me since I know some stuff can't always be duplicated perfectly live.

 

But it's lower than the middle of Freewill for example and he nailed that for a while after

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Geddy may have sang it differently live because it was easier on his voice in the long run. They played many shows each tour, so maybe hitting that glorious shriek every night wasn't for the best. Or possibly it was a one time deal where he could hit it in the studio but never again.

 

It doesn't really bother me since I know some stuff can't always be duplicated perfectly live.

 

But it's lower than the middle of Freewill for example and he nailed that for a while after

 

Every song is different. Perhaps there was something about Freewill that made it possible to hit those notes while something with Tom Sawyer didn't.

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Geddy may have sang it differently live because it was easier on his voice in the long run. They played many shows each tour, so maybe hitting that glorious shriek every night wasn't for the best. Or possibly it was a one time deal where he could hit it in the studio but never again.

 

It doesn't really bother me since I know some stuff can't always be duplicated perfectly live.

 

But it's lower than the middle of Freewill for example and he nailed that for a while after

There was some guy on FB that was adamant that Geddy was hitting the "Cell of Awareness" notes in 2007... (Without tuning down 1/2 step or more)... I don't think so...
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Society???Hmmmm,never noticed it before.Now i will have to go back and check live versions against the studio take.But i don't think it will bother me too much.I am more worried about the flies in my bedroom as i write this.
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Geddy may have sang it differently live because it was easier on his voice in the long run. They played many shows each tour, so maybe hitting that glorious shriek every night wasn't for the best. Or possibly it was a one time deal where he could hit it in the studio but never again.

 

It doesn't really bother me since I know some stuff can't always be duplicated perfectly live.

 

"That glorious shriek". definitely stealing that for one of my reviews in the future, man!!!!

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Geddy may have sang it differently live because it was easier on his voice in the long run. They played many shows each tour, so maybe hitting that glorious shriek every night wasn't for the best. Or possibly it was a one time deal where he could hit it in the studio but never again.

 

It doesn't really bother me since I know some stuff can't always be duplicated perfectly live.

 

But it's lower than the middle of Freewill for example and he nailed that for a while after

There was some guy on FB that was adamant that Geddy was hitting the "Cell of Awareness" notes in 2007... (Without tuning down 1/2 step or more)... I don't think so...

 

No way.

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Not my favourite live song either... It's too hard to compete with the perfection of the production (mix, levels, drum sound etc) of the studio mix. It always sounds a bit too light live. Plus, like you, I've heard the goddam song a million times.

 

This right here. MP is such a great sounding album that it’s hard for any of the live versions, except YYZ, to be compete with the recorded versions.

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Not my favourite live song either... It's too hard to compete with the perfection of the production (mix, levels, drum sound etc) of the studio mix. It always sounds a bit too light live. Plus, like you, I've heard the goddam song a million times.

 

This right here. MP is such a great sounding album that it’s hard for any of the live versions, except YYZ, to be compete with the recorded versions.

 

YYZ live has been rendered substandard to the studio version (not to mention idiotic) by the stupid singing. The whoooooaaaa whoooa whooa whooa...that started in Brazil only to be taken up by moronic Americans. IT'S A f***ing INSTRUMENTAL, PEOPLE!! AN INSTRUMENTAL!! SHUT THE f**k UP!!!

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Not my favourite live song either... It's too hard to compete with the perfection of the production (mix, levels, drum sound etc) of the studio mix. It always sounds a bit too light live. Plus, like you, I've heard the goddam song a million times.

 

This right here. MP is such a great sounding album that it’s hard for any of the live versions, except YYZ, to be compete with the recorded versions.

 

YYZ live has been rendered substandard to the studio version (not to mention idiotic) by the stupid singing. The whoooooaaaa whoooa whooa whooa...that started in Brazil only to be taken up by moronic Americans. IT'S A f***ing INSTRUMENTAL, PEOPLE!! AN INSTRUMENTAL!! SHUT THE f**k UP!!!

They have plenty of time to sit down and shut up if they play anything from 1985-2012.

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Tom Sawyer has become my fan Litmus test. All true Rush fans can agree that if you meet someone, mention Rush and the first thing out of their mouths is Tom Sawyer, they're not really a Rush fan.

 

I love the song but for whatever reason it became the Stairway for Rush and, like Stairway, should be banned from radio play like that one DJ did in Northern California.

 

Rush had to play it live as it's their most recognizable song. While I didn't use it during the show as a beer break, I could see why die-hards would.

 

And, yes, live, in the later years, Geddy just couldn't handle it. But that's age and bad technique. I always thought he maybe should have studied classical singing. His voice may have lasted.

Edited by ShowMeDontTell
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Tom Sawyer has become my fan Litmus test. All true Rush fans can agree that if you meet someone, mention Rush and the first thing out of their mouths is Tom Sawyer, they're not really a Rush fan.

 

I love the song but for whatever reason it became the Stairway for Rush and, like Stairway, should be banned from radio play like that one DJ did in Northern California.

 

Rush had to play it live as it's their most recognizable song. While I didn't use it during the show as a beer break, I could see why die-hards would.

 

And, yes, live, in the later years, Geddy just couldn't handle it. But that's age and bad technique. I always thought he maybe should have studied classical singing. His voice may have lasted.

 

I don't agree with your point about "all true Rush fans." I've been a fan since 1980, and for a while after that I was a die hard fan. MP (or PeW) is my favorite album by the band, and Tom is one of the best songs on it (they're all pretty close except VS). Why do you think a fan can't say that Tom Sawyer is their favorite song? Does it have to be I Think I'm Going Bald?

 

I heard an interview with Ian Gillan recently where he talked about not having performed Child in Time since his late 30s. Some songs, and Tom is one, are just too tough for a singer to perform live after a certain point, just like soon enough Usain Bolt won't be winning races. You can exercise and eat right and train all you want. Eventually it won't help.

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Honestly, it was more of a joke between myself and a rush loving guy I was seeing. If I met someone and the person said Tom Sawyer, we'd howl. We actually nicknamed one guy that.

 

True to form, a super Rush fan could say Tom Sawyer but then follow up with other songs. Non-Rush fans spout it as it's pretty much the only song they know and can remember by the band.

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Oh, and there are techniques that can save the voice, most definitely. Opera singers perform well into their 70's and even 80's without having to take the orchestra down. Geddy's upper register began to suffer a bit. Doesn't matter. It happens. Look at Geoff Tate. His glory days are far behind. Even Freddie Mercury suffered from it, but he smoked like a chimney, enjoyed partying and drinking and lots and lots of coke... Edited by ShowMeDontTell
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Oh, and there are techniques that can save the voice, most definitely. Opera singers perform well into their 70's and even 80's without having to take the orchestra down. Geddy's upper register began to suffer a bit. Doesn't matter. It happens. Look at Geoff Tate. His glory days are far behind. Even Freddie Mercury suffered from it, but he smoked like a chimney, enjoyed partying and drinking and lots and lots of coke...

 

I do think that singers who can still hit the high notes when they're older are the exception rather than the rule. Sammy Hagar, oddly enough to some perhaps, still does it in his 70s. But for every one like him there are many more who have to drop an octave to play those staples.

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I caught some flack a while back for saying "Tom Sawyer is my bathroom break" when I see Rush live. Partly because it's sooooo overplayed it just doesn't excite me anymore like less played songs. The main reason I don't like hearing Tom Sawyer live is this:

 

The way he sings it the line "...is what you say about society".

 

On the album, it's a descending note shriek that sounds glorious:

"IS WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT SOCIETY!!!"

 

Virtually every live version I've heard, he dulls it down to an awkward hiccup-y thing:

"is WHAT you SAY about so-CI-e-TEE..."

 

Am I alone in finding the way he sings it live extremely grating?

 

I know what you're saying about the live version and Geddy's vocals... But I also think Rush is in very rarified air when it comes to recreating their studio sound live... For better or worse.

Edited by New World Kid
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My favorite version of TS is the Exit... one. Geddy could still sing really well and still had that thick bass tone courtesy of the 4001 Ric

In later tours it just didn't have the same impact with the Steinberger and dinky Wal basses plus the middle part synth voice he used circa ASOH was sort of lame

 

 

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