How much better would Test For Echo be...

[Gnoom]

...if the vocal track was removed? (meaning, it would become an all-instrumental album).

Same question applies to any unpopular Rush album/song.

 

Nothing against Geddy’s singing, and I don’t mean to dog Neil’s lyrics, but my theory is the lesser popular Rush tunes would gain new life as instrumentals.

 

Agree or disagree?

[_hi_water._]

Probably, yes.

 

 

But I love his vocals on here. All this album needs is better lyrics on most of the songs IMO

[treeduck]

:huh:

[Entre_Perpetuo]

Nah, I don't buy most of those tracks as solely instrumentals. They would have to be written pretty differently to get away with losing the vocals (aka the melody).

[J2112YYZ]

Nah, I don't buy most of those tracks as solely instrumentals. They would have to be written pretty differently to get away with losing the vocals (aka the melody).

 

I was just about to say that I think the songs would have to be rewritten a little bit to make them feel more like natural instrumentals. It's nice to see one of the musicians on the board agree with that.

[zepphead]

No .... I agree with above, the songs as they are wouldn't work without the vocals (IMO).

[Lorraine]

No. I like the album.

 

Most of it, that is.

Edited February 11, 2021 by Lorraine

[HemiBeers]

Songs like Half the World would still suck. When the song is formulated as verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, solo, chorus it's really not meant to be just an instrumental.

[mattroland76]

Nah, the problem with T4E is quite simply the songwriting. Its actually not a bad album at all, it just has a very uninspiring "Rush on autopilot" feel to it, perhaps more than any other album they ever released. With that said, I think the weakest moments on this album are not nearly as cringeworthy as the weakest moments on some other releases (I'll take "Dog Years" or "Virtuality" over "Tai Shan" or "Face Up" any day). Edited June 28, 2021 by mattroland76

[grasbo]

Nah, I don't buy most of those tracks as solely instrumentals. They would have to be written pretty differently to get away with losing the vocals (aka the melody).

 

I was just about to say that I think the songs would have to be rewritten a little bit to make them feel more like natural instrumentals. It's nice to see one of the musicians on the board agree with that.

Being a musician both solo and band I always strip back a song to acoustic and voice sand see if it works.If it does it’s a good song.I Do Totem and naturally Resist solo but I dropped Half the World because it bored me.

[Gnoom]

Okay, first of all, my sincere apologies for my poor forum manners of starting a thread and then abandoning it.  It’s four months later, and I’m only just now getting back to this (sorry, all I can say is I’ve been busy and I’m easily distracted).

 

Looking at the replies so far, I get what some of you are saying about how some songs wouldn’t work as instrumentals…and now I realize I probably should’ve chosen a different way of phrasing my initial question (and maybe shouldn’t have singled out T4E as a whole). My goal isn’t to create new Rush instrumentals, it’s simply to literally block out the vocals and song lyrics so I can examine the musical side of their performances in greater detail.  Let’s face it, vocals demand a lot of attention — they’re the primary up-front instrument telling the story behind the song.  They’re extremely difficult to ignore, and I’m not only hearing them but also thinking about what the words mean, usually at the expense of one or more other things going on in the song. 

 

It’s not uncommon for bands/artists to include bonus “sans vocals” tracks of selected songs in special release collections, rarities, box sets etc for the sake of presenting familiar and well-known tunes in a different perspective for fans to consume.  I really get into stuff like this because it breathes new life into old favorites as well as tunes that might otherwise be overlooked.  For a Rush example, I have the “Need For Speed” soundtrack version of “One Little Victory” sans vocals, and I really dig hearing all the little details in the music that normally get obscured by the vocals.  There’s also a few similar Rush rarities like this that I was fortunate to come across over the years, and they’re all very interesting in their own way.  I wish there was more stuff like this available.

 

I mean in no way to discount Neil and Geddy’s wonderful lyrics and singing, respectively…I just think Rush is a prime example of a band that would benefit immensely from presenting their tunes in a just-the-music perspective for fans to experience their songs in an entirely different level of detail and enjoyment.  I really wish there was a way this could become a reality, either in the form of official special releases from the band/record company or maybe even as a licensed fan project.

[Entre_Perpetuo]

Okay, first of all, my sincere apologies for my poor forum manners of starting a thread and then abandoning it. It’s four months later, and I’m only just now getting back to this (sorry, all I can say is I’ve been busy and I’m easily distracted).

 

Looking at the replies so far, I get what some of you are saying about how some songs wouldn’t work as instrumentals…and now I realize I probably should’ve chosen a different way of phrasing my initial question (and maybe shouldn’t have singled out T4E as a whole). My goal isn’t to create new Rush instrumentals, it’s simply to literally block out the vocals and song lyrics so I can examine the musical side of their performances in greater detail. Let’s face it, vocals demand a lot of attention — they’re the primary up-front instrument telling the story behind the song. They’re extremely difficult to ignore, and I’m not only hearing them but also thinking about what the words mean, usually at the expense of one or more other things going on in the song.

 

It’s not uncommon for bands/artists to include bonus “sans vocals” tracks of selected songs in special release collections, rarities, box sets etc for the sake of presenting familiar and well-known tunes in a different perspective for fans to consume. I really get into stuff like this because it breathes new life into old favorites as well as tunes that might otherwise be overlooked. For a Rush example, I have the “Need For Speed” soundtrack version of “One Little Victory” sans vocals, and I really dig hearing all the little details in the music that normally get obscured by the vocals. There’s also a few similar Rush rarities like this that I was fortunate to come across over the years, and they’re all very interesting in their own way. I wish there was more stuff like this available.

 

I mean in no way to discount Neil and Geddy’s wonderful lyrics and singing, respectively…I just think Rush is a prime example of a band that would benefit immensely from presenting their tunes in a just-the-music perspective for fans to experience their songs in an entirely different level of detail and enjoyment. I really wish there was a way this could become a reality, either in the form of official special releases from the band/record company or maybe even as a licensed fan project.

 

Well I don't don't find the idea of listening to T4E without vocals to be very enticing, but I get where you're coming from. I have a version of Tie Your Mother Down by Queen without vocals, and while I never listen to it outside of the context of the bonus track EP I got it from, it is a different experience and does force you to focus on things you may not have otherwise. I'm sure there's a way to find the stems of the songs and just mute the vocals while you listen.