Bass on 'Anthem'

[PurpleHayes]

Y'ever notice that the bass on the studio version of Anthem on FBY is all over the freakin' place, like John Entwistle on crack? When I first heard it I was amazed at its complexity and Ged's ability to sing/howl over those bass lines.

 

Then I heard the version of Anthem on ATWAS, where he definitely tones down the fret-bangin' during his vocal parts.

 

Now I am not going to make a deal out of this...so why did I start this topic? All I wonder is if anyone ever asked Ged about it or if Ged ever elaborated on it.

 

Personally, I don't see how anyone could have sang and played over the version on FBY...except Ged himself, albeit years later...the version of Ged on ESY could have done it, if they had played it during that tour.

 

There's certainly no shame in dumbing down a bass line while singing...Sting was known for that too and nobody complained.

Edited July 1 by PurpleHayes

[Blue J]

Yeah that's one of those bass lines that goes largely unhearalded (not just by Rush, but there are all sorts of them by other people too). 

What amazes me is the musicianship they had from that first get-go, he and Alex and Neil. Just incredible. 

[PurpleHayes]

1 hour ago, Blue J said:

Yeah that's one of those bass lines that goes largely unhearalded (not just by Rush, but there are all sorts of them by other people too). 

What amazes me is the musicianship they had from that first get-go, he and Alex and Neil. Just incredible. 

 

You ain't kiddin'. I can just imagine some Foghat/BTO/Grand Funk fan, engulfed in a cloud of pot smoke, putting the needle down on FBY in 1975, anticipating a rehash of the first Rush album...

 

"DUDE!! WTF!! This is shavin' my buzz..."

[chemistry1973]

I love Heavy Metal Rush.

[ytserush]

Wasn't this the the result of the first jam with Neil?

[78jazz]

On 7/3/2026 at 10:06 AM, ytserush said:

Wasn't this the the result of the first jam with Neil?

I thought it has been said by Geddy that they first tried this with John Rutsey and it wasn't working very well with him.

[78jazz]

On 7/1/2026 at 11:03 AM, PurpleHayes said:

Sting was known for that too and nobody complained.

Within the context of The Police this was actually really smart of him. When you have a drummer who was very busy in the higher frequency registers of his kit and a guitarist who could play dense chords in 5 different inversions on command being restrained on the bass makes total sense.

[Blue J]

On 7/4/2026 at 2:20 PM, 78jazz said:

I thought it has been said by Geddy that they first tried this with John Rutsey and it wasn't working very well with him.

 

Yes, I believe that's right.

 

Also they had played Best I Can with Rutsey for awhile, but Neil gave it a kick in the hind end that makes it a much better listen, imo.

[PurpleHayes]

On 7/4/2026 at 2:20 PM, 78jazz said:

I thought it has been said by Geddy that they first tried this with John Rutsey and it wasn't working very well with him.

 

I'd love to hear someone gin up an AI version of Anthem with Rutsey on drums, with his straight 4/4 plodding and hundreds of cymbal crashes. 

[78jazz]

8 hours ago, PurpleHayes said:

 

I'd love to hear someone gin up an AI version of Anthem with Rutsey on drums, with his straight 4/4 plodding and hundreds of cymbal crashes. 

I suspect the way that intro lick moves is what tripped Rutsey up.