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Geddy's voice...


MainMonkey
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Sorry if this has been discussed. I searched and didn't see anything. I might take some lumps for saying this but it sounds to me like Ged's voice is tremendously weakened this tour. I've noticed in listening to some shows on this tour his voice cracks alot. Believe me, i'm not bashing the man. He's out there giving all he has as all three are. I just think all of these years of singing live and trying to hit high notes is finally catching up. It really saddens me to say this because I believe they'd tour into there 70's if they could put on a Rush caliber show. IMO Geddy Lee's voice just won't allow it to go on much longer. Again I'm not trying to trash the man. We all get old.
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OK, here's the thing. I've paid a lot of attention to Geddy's voice for many years, and that includes learning things I'd like to avoid as a singer through listening to him. (For example he has used vibrato as a crutch to maintain pitch, not just for expression, which I abhor in myself; and similarly I would never do that flip-yodel thing he does to move to different notes sometimes.) So I'm actually not THAT biased.

 

Geddy smoked into the '80s and began taking lessons by the late '90s. Starting with probably Signals, especially with his live performance, he started to adapt to the fact that he could no longer scream the way he used to. His unaided approach to this evolved into a very clean but thin sound, in which his chest voice (meaning not falsetto, but he's only dabbled in that anyway) resonated almost completely in his head. Your sinuses are like an amp. I enjoy that sound a lot.

 

However, as they became Harder Music again in the '90s, he seems to have developed a desire for more resonance. He's been moving toward that since the '97 tour or possibly the '94. Going for this actually results in more cracks and warbles because your voice is resonating deeper, in your actual chest and in all of your throat; you're like a cannon instead of a Beretta, the power's greater but you have less control if you're still learning. I think that's why he developed the yodelly transition he uses between some notes to avoid an uncontrolled crack.

 

This tour has been my favorite vocally since he switched approaches, so probably since the Presto tour. The resonance has increased a lot and he's started to be able to get that WHILE enunciating the lyrics, which seems to be an ongoing issue. The cracks and warbles you heard this year are either 1) something he's passing off as expression that's really a bit of a crutch, or 2) genuine mistakes that I think are much better to make than to go back to the cracky thinner sound of the TFE thru SnA tours.

 

So, he knows he's aging, and has been taking steps to preserve things as well as possible, often by altering the way he sings.

Edited by Kugel
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I don't know what you're talking about, he was spot on in Columbus this year. He nailed the bridge to Freewill and ALL of 2112/Temples (though I know its in a lowered key). All I'm saying is his performance was so good that his voice was never even an issue the entire night.

He's heading on 60 and has been touring for 35+ years. Give the man a break.

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I agree with Monkey boy, Geddy's voice is sailing south. It's wavering and cracking and ignoring it for nostalgia's sake is whistling past the microphone.

 

I love the man too, but it is what is. And it is a 60 year old vocal chords trying to hit notes that were incredibly high to begin with. Can't wait for the WPB show!

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I think that his voice has evolved over the years to a more unique sound. I think that the peak was around the T4E tour. Sure, he ain't gonna hit those notes in Syrynz like he did in 76. In fact, I noticed he took it down as early as GUP-probably earlier. I read somewhere that they recorded Hemispheres and he realized that the vocals were so high and had trouble hitting them on that tour. I prefer his voice from PeW-CP. I think that that was his best. As far as failing, I think he sounds great on the stuff from the aforementioned period. I will forgive him Syrynx and the bridge to Free Will. I can't hit them either.
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I agree, after he stopped screaming (it really did suck in certain live shows (see Cygnus X-1, Geddy's painfully over the place, in NUMEROUS versions) it really just got better.

 

Had he kept screaming, he would be like Ozzy Osbourne. No voice.

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I've been a bit worried about Ged's voice over the past few tours myself - but I agree with the post in here that says he kicked @ss at the Columbus show. His voice was in top form. He nailed those high notes in the bridge of (that one song... SPOILER...). The crowd then proceeded to blow the roof off the place.
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QUOTE (Tigershark2112 @ Sep 12 2010, 12:53 PM)
I don't know what you're talking about, he was spot on in Columbus this year. He nailed the bridge to Freewill and ALL of 2112/Temples (though I know its in a lowered key). All I'm saying is his performance was so good that his voice was never even an issue the entire night.
He's heading on 60 and has been touring for 35+ years. Give the man a break.

As I said, i'm not trying to trash him. I do realize how long he's been touring and am very aware of how old he is. That's just my point. I think age and touring are catching up with him. I definately wouldn't expect him to hit those 2112 notes like he did in '76. Having said that, there is no way I'll miss them if they come near my area next year. They didn't hit Virginia Beach this go around. Never said they don't put on a kick ass show every time. Which makes me respect Geddy Lee even more because I do feel his voice is beginning to fail him and he's still doing his best to belt out the difficult notes.

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He's going to have to stop singing certain songs soon, or they're gonna need to take it a step down.

 

The first thing to go, is usually the voice. As much touring as Rush has done over the years (While not as heavy as AC/DC or Black Sabbath) and with Geddy's voice still doing pretty good.

 

I'll take what I can get. Except, TSOR. f***ing take it a notch down, he sounds pretty bad there. :/

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QUOTE (Tigershark2112 @ Sep 12 2010, 12:53 PM)
I don't know what you're talking about, he was spot on in Columbus this year. He nailed the bridge to Freewill and ALL of 2112/Temples (though I know its in a lowered key). All I'm saying is his performance was so good that his voice was never even an issue the entire night.
He's heading on 60 and has been touring for 35+ years. Give the man a break.

Yes he sounded great during the Columbus show

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Here's what I don't get: Geddy was in TOP TOP form on S&A Live, almost as good as on R30, just a bit lower, because of the nasal notes.

 

And then on the SECOND leg, (after a LONG winter break.) he just doesn't sound as good. His intonation is horrible on some shows, and he just sounds plain tired.

 

Listen to the Atlanta Bootleg DVD (S&A L Disc 3). Or, most shows. Jacksonville, Orlando, Maryland Heights or whatever it's called.

Reno.

 

He just sounds bad. :/ I feel sorry for him too.

 

Oh well, like everyone says. He ain't gettin' any younger.

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What a bunch of horse manure!

 

Grow up!

 

Hare biggrin.gif

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Well, Geddy might not be the singer he was 30 years ago, but his performance at PNC a couple of weeks ago was effing wonderful. His singing these days might not be particularly technically proficient, but it is full of guts and heart, and it sounds bloody great to this particular lover of the vocal arts.

 

And he did NAIL the bridge of Freewill that night as well, so there! tongue.gif 2.gif

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QUOTE (GeddysMullet @ Sep 12 2010, 08:17 PM)
Well, Geddy might not be the singer he was 30 years ago, but his performance at PNC a couple of weeks ago was effing wonderful.  His singing these days might not be particularly technically proficient, but it is full of guts and heart, and it sounds bloody great to this particular lover of the vocal arts. 

And he did NAIL the bridge of Freewill that night as well, so there! tongue.gif  2.gif

yeah, what Mullet says! I love hearing Geddy sing and hitting the notes as much now as I did 36 years ago. His voice and vocal style has matured and I love it coy.gif

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QUOTE (dakota2112 @ Sep 12 2010, 04:14 PM)
I've been a bit worried about Ged's voice over the past few tours myself - but I agree with the post in here that says he kicked @ss at the Columbus show.  His voice was in top form.  He nailed those high notes in the bridge of (that one song... SPOILER...).  The crowd then proceeded to blow the roof off the place.

Same in Minneapolis... I mean Saint Paul, which I won't diss because Petie might be listening from that town next door wink.gif If there had been a roof it would have blown. He nailed it. To me, (this one song I guess I need to not spoil) was the only slightly vocally problematic song he had at that show; and I was listening Very. f***ing. Carefully. wub.gif

Edited by Kugel
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He's sounded great at the three shows I have seen. Dead on in SLC, only one or two parts where he missed a note in Auburn, WA, and then again dead on in Vegas. I'll let you know how Dallas is.

 

And, even if he sucks, I'll still bow down and worship the man. Not only do I think he is one of the most amazing musicians to ever walk the planet, he's pretty damn sexy to boot! drool1.gif laugh.gif

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Exactly. I still love the man, but I miss the days when he had more good days, than bad.

Though he HAS sounded good on some shows this tour. Best one I have heard so far is Camden, he just kills it on that show. Whereas, Los Angeles I think it was, he was dud, specifically on Faithless (lots of flat notes.) and Presto.

 

The only problem I really have this tour, is why he's failing so bad on the new stuff. He sounds nothing like he did studio wise.

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Geddy was never a great live singer at any point in his career IMO, so although he is naturally losing a bit due to aging, its not that bad. He is not shot by any means. I think Rush sounds great these days. You want to hear a shot singer, go to an Ozzy concert.
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QUOTE (tick @ Sep 13 2010, 07:50 AM)
Geddy was never a great live singer at any point in his career IMO, so although he is naturally losing a bit due to aging, its not that bad. He is not shot by any means. I think Rush sounds great these days. You want to hear a shot singer, go to an Ozzy concert.

Ozzy was criticized for using the backing track to layer his vocals live. I think he stopped using it. I had no problem with it. When I seen him at Ozzfest in 2006 (i think), he sounded great, but he had the backing track. It helped.

 

Geddy may want to consider this.

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Thought this might help - as someone who has sung from age 11 in choirs etc, I KNOW this has happened to me. Probably the same for Ged.

 

QUOTE
The "true vocal folds" are also called inferior vocal folds or inner folds. The inner folds are made up of elastic fibers that help make sounds when air is forced between the cords of the larnyx. When we want to talk, the folds vibrate from the air we exhale. The inside muscles of the larynx attach to the cartilages and vocal folds and contract to change the position of the vocal cords and vibrate to make the sound waves. The thyroid cartilage is what protects the vocal cords.

Our vocal cords are moved by muscles which can make the vocal cords tight or loose. The tighter the cord is, the higher the voice is. The cords get less elastic, and are unable to perform as they do in a younger person. The voice changes.

 

Personally I thik Geddy's voice has improved tonally through the years. It has a real warmth to it now compared to the early years.

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QUOTE (Necromancer @ Sep 13 2010, 08:03 AM)
QUOTE (tick @ Sep 13 2010, 07:50 AM)
Geddy was never a great live singer at any point in his career IMO, so although he is naturally losing a bit due to aging, its not that bad. He is not shot by any means. I think Rush sounds great these days. You want to hear a shot singer, go to an Ozzy concert.

Ozzy was criticized for using the backing track to layer his vocals live. I think he stopped using it. I had no problem with it. When I seen him at Ozzfest in 2006 (i think), he sounded great, but he had the backing track. It helped.

 

Geddy may want to consider this.

Good move on Ozzy's part. When I saw him on his first solo tour with Randy his didn't sound very good. I have heard many live recording where he sounded bad. In a studio however, he is gold!

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