Different singing on this tour…

[Timbale]

So, I went to the first show in LA, and noticed a few interesting things about Geddy’s singing choices…

 

1 - on Limelight, the line in the chorus “those who wish to be”…he has sung that line starting on beat two (offsetting it) for many, many years. I can’t remember the first tour he did it on, but maybe around Presto?  I always thought this was so it was easier for him to catch his breath.  On this tour, at least opening night, he sang it like it is on MP - starting the phrase on beat one. 
 

2 - On Spirit Of Radio, he has consistently sung an alternate melody on the line “glittering prizes and endless compromises” for a really long time….maybe since the p/g tour in ‘84?!  At the show, he sang it as recorded on PeW.

 

3 - on Closer To The Heart, he sang the “whoa whoa” before the last verse for the first time and I don’t know how long.

 

4 - on 2112 Overture, he sang the wordless “ohs” which I think he has let the audience sing instead of him for many many tours.

 

I don’t know, it just seems interesting. It’s like he went back and listened to the records for the first time in a long while and decided he liked some of the original phrasing, maybe. 

[Flame]

That’s funny, I’d noticed the same thing in the YouTube clips from the opening stand in L.A. 

I wondered if it had anything to do with helping a new drummer get synched up with all the original album versions of Rush’s catalog she had to quickly learn. 
(Heck, even Geddy and Alex say they had stuff of theirs to kinda “re-learn.”)

 

Using the album version as the template (as an aid to Anika) may have rubbed off on the boys as well. 

[James Bond]

The Limelight one always stood out to me as he's done that offset delivery for a long time. I think you're right that he started that around Presto, and certainly by the Roll The Bones listening to the bootlegs. Perhaps he didn't even realize he had changed it slightly considering he's just performed it that way for so long. Maybe going back to relearn the songs had him catching some of those moments.

[grep]

Yeah, he's changing it up. Which is nice. 

 

[Michael C]

But can we talk about how friggin great Geddy’s voice sounds???  He got the high notes back!!!  I know he said he took voice lessons... it shows!

[Blue J]

21 hours ago, Michael C said:

But can we talk about how friggin great Geddy’s voice sounds???  He got the high notes back!!!  I know he said he took voice lessons... it shows!

 

It's great to hear about things like this- I'm still more than two months off from the show I'm going to see, so I hope the whole band (in tune and in voice) will be firing on all cylinders.

 

(I have not watched any video or heard any audio of this tour, and that's by design. I'm 'saving' myself for show night). 

Edited June 17 by Blue J

[JARG]

On 6/12/2026 at 11:57 PM, Timbale said:

So, I went to the first show in LA, and noticed a few interesting things about Geddy’s singing choices…

 

1 - on Limelight, the line in the chorus “those who wish to be”…he has sung that line starting on beat two (offsetting it) for many, many years. I can’t remember the first tour he did it on, but maybe around Presto?  I always thought this was so it was easier for him to catch his breath.  On this tour, at least opening night, he sang it like it is on MP - starting the phrase on beat one. 
 

2 - On Spirit Of Radio, he has consistently sung an alternate melody on the line “glittering prizes and endless compromises” for a really long time….maybe since the p/g tour in ‘84?!  At the show, he sang it as recorded on PeW.

 

3 - on Closer To The Heart, he sang the “whoa whoa” before the last verse for the first time and I don’t know how long.

 

4 - on 2112 Overture, he sang the wordless “ohs” which I think he has let the audience sing instead of him for many many tours.

 

I don’t know, it just seems interesting. It’s like he went back and listened to the records for the first time in a long while and decided he liked some of the original phrasing, maybe. 

I think he has a backing track helping him out on those parts.

Edited June 17 by JARG

[Timbale]

1 hour ago, JARG said:

I think he has a backing track helping him out on those parts.

Yes, that footage of his bass going out during that section of 2112 reveals that (it sounds like) the original vocal from the record is being sampled...perhaps along with Loren singing, too.

 

But is is interesting that they decided to put that vocal part back in, one way or another, after ignoring it since probably '86 or so.

[JARG]

6 minutes ago, Timbale said:

Yes, that footage of his bass going out during that section of 2112 reveals that (it sounds like) the original vocal from the record is being sampled...perhaps along with Loren singing, too.

 

But is is interesting that they decided to put that vocal part back in, one way or another, after ignoring it since probably '86 or so.

Yeah, I think he's singing over the top of the backing track.

[Pressure/Hopenosis]

On 6/16/2026 at 3:48 PM, Michael C said:

But can we talk about how friggin great Geddy’s voice sounds???  He got the high notes back!!!  I know he said he took voice lessons... it shows!

Whoa! Let's not get crazy. He does sound much better and I hope the coaching helps him stay close to the opening nights. I am impressed. 

[Mithrandir]

On 6/13/2026 at 9:32 AM, James Bond said:

The Limelight one always stood out to me as he's done that offset delivery for a long time. I think you're right that he started that around Presto, and certainly by the Roll The Bones listening to the bootlegs. Perhaps he didn't even realize he had changed it slightly considering he's just performed it that way for so long. Maybe going back to relearn the songs had him catching some of those moments.

He does that tor a number of songs live and I prefer those versions.  Especially Freewill