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Geddy's voice...


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QUOTE (Kugel @ Sep 12 2010, 10:04 AM)
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.

Excellent post, Kugel. Now please go get me that piece of crap in the basement - I need to turn back the clock so I can hear again all those early performances where the mics and PAs that were used by Rush were not up to the task and they coupled with small arena acoustics to produce those odd tones that burned the tiny hairs off my earlobes.

 

I've only seen two shows from this tour and I love the body and tone Geddy is getting. I booted both shows that we saw and I've listened to them many times (while comparing to other boots and commercial live recordings). They all confirm what I heard live this tour: Geddy did miss a note here and there. On the 8/16 Red Rocks show, he had a pretty good first set but seemed to come out a little cold for the second before hitting his stride and kicking serious ass. On the 8/18 show, his voice was fresher and had more power but he wasn't perfect. But I thought - in total - that he sounded really excellent. The 8/18 show was the single best show I've seen, all things considered. And I've seen a few shows "back in the day" that were virtually perfect from the technical point of view, but they were a tad sterile, maybe too serious. So I'll take the warts I'm hearing now and gladly accept them in order to hear the body and soul and to get wrapped up in the joy.

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QUOTE (Tortoise and Hare @ Sep 12 2010, 07:36 PM)
What a bunch of horse manure! 

Grow up!

Hare  biggrin.gif

Agreed. Keep it in perspective.

 

Yes, they are ALL aging but still put on an incredible show. The songs are much more complex (vocally/instrumentally) than other bands that still perform past their 50s & 60s. That feat alone is pretty incredible!

 

Geddy amazed me with his high-energy at the Chicago show. Jumping all over the place and in sync with the music:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Kz-P6IMG_8

 

(around 0:50)

 

I hope that they continue rocking for at least another decade!

 

 

2.gif

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I'm not a vocal expert, but I thought he sounded great at the PNC in New Jersey a few weeks ago. People do get older, and their voices change. If you listen to some of the early interviews with Geddy, his speaking voice has even deepened quite a bit. As Rush fans, I think we all (myself included) get a bit carried away at times with our expectations of this band. They are in their late 50's, and as a result, they are going to get tired sometimes, or have an "off night", or not feel well. I'm 43 and I was exhausted just standing and enjoying the show for 3 hours.

 

My attitude is that I'm just going to enjoy them for as long as I can. They are still one of the best live bands around, and they actually play BETTER than they did 20 years ago. It's pretty amazing to watch.

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He's definitely more hit and miss these days. He still does a good job given his age though. I saw them twice this tour and it didn't sound to me like he had any problem at the Saratoga Springs show. At the Syracuse show it sounded to my like he struggled a bit on TOS and CTTH.

 

His range an abilities have diminished quite a bit but he still has a good voice. I think what he's done for the last 25 years or so comes more natural to him than how he sang in the 70s. I prefer that to what he did in the 70s.

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He had trouble with one particular song in LA and a little trouble with a different song in Irvine. Other than that I thought Ged sounded great.

 

 

Over the years I have heard him have consistency issues, but it usually revolved around particular songs (Hemi Prelude in 1994 anyone?) where some nights it was no problem and others were clearly a challenge.

Edited by Mystic Slipperman
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As an old Jedi Master once told me: When old as he you are... sing as good you will not!

 

 

biggrin.gif

 

He sounded great at KC - just like every other tour. In fact, I think he sounds better today than he did the first time I saw them live.

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He had no problem at the 3 shows i saw
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From the San Francisco Chronicle - Sept 2002

 

Geddy Lee / Rush front man wants to put time on hold

 

Q: What about your voice -- do you have to do anything weird before you go on tour?

 

A: I just try to maintain a fairly strict diet. I have to avoid certain foods, certain spices that negatively impact my ability to stay clear-throated on the road.

 

Q: What kinds of foods?

 

A: Dairy products. Spices. I also try to avoid highly acidic foods like vinegars and white wines. I won't give up red wines. I can give up white wine, although it's painful for me, but I can justify it by knowing when the tour is over I can go back to my bad habits.

 

Q: So during the rest of the year you don't sound anything like Geddy Lee?

 

A: No. I sound like a guy who doesn't take care of his voice. I go to France every year, and you can't go there without eating cheese and drinking white wine. You just can't do it. It's not possible.

 

Q: You need to make a record like that. Do you think that would sound like Shakira?

 

A: Somehow or another I'm sure my voice will cut through all that mucous.

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Why do so many people have to rip geddy's voice to shreds? It's not his fault he's getting older! There have been countless other artists who've screamed their way across many a stage & no-one has a go @ them. His voice is unique, & for whatever song he's performing, is it not better to adapt? Don't write geddy off just because he may or may not have had a bad time.
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Shaun3701, please don't get me wrong as I mean no offence, I appreciate all comments & also understand everyone has differences of opinions; yes, Geddy had a very high voice around 35 years ago, but don't forget he was about 20-21 @ the time, & as he's got older, his voice has changed over time. Geoff barton from classic rock magazine praised Geddy from 1976 to 1981 & fired off massive cheap shots @ him. I might have over-reacted but it does upset me when Ged's voice gets called into question. Other than that, I'll continue to support Ged in the same way we always do.
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QUOTE (Babycat @ Sep 17 2010, 09:48 AM)
Shaun3701, please don't get me wrong as I mean no offence, I appreciate all comments & also understand everyone has differences of opinions; yes, Geddy had a very high voice around 35 years ago, but don't forget he was about 20-21 @ the time, & as he's got older, his voice has changed over time. Geoff barton from classic rock magazine praised Geddy from 1976 to 1981 & fired off massive cheap shots @ him. I might have over-reacted but it does upset me when Ged's voice gets called into question. Other than that, I'll continue to support Ged in the same way we always do.

I was talking about 8 years ago, Geddy was 49. He still had incredible range and vocal strength, but it seems as he entered his 50s it began to steadily decline. Not criticizing him for it, it's just an inevitable consequence of aging.

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Shaun3701, okay, i do understand where you're going with this - fair enough point - while you're young enough to achieve those kind of notes, it is incredibly hard to maintain them once you hit the other end of the scale as it were. I hope you didn't think I was being obnoxious, I was just putting what I thought was a valid point across. Thanx for helping me understand it. smile.gif
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It's nice to hear (in one of the earlier posts) that he's taking voice lessons. That'll allow him to sing far longer than if he didn't. If they're not already (like they are for 2112/Temples) they should play detuned. That'd help for longevity as well.

 

Personally, I don't care what he sounds like. As long as they keep touring, I'll keep going.

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QUOTE (MainMonkey @ Sep 12 2010, 09:17 AM)
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.

Its just age mostly. His voice has been going for literally decades. The first time I noticed a serious drop off in quality was HYF. Listen to those opening notes of Mission, even on a studio recording it sounds pretty awful.

 

To me for a long time now its been the worst part of this band. Could be a mix of smoking in the 70s and 80s, and serious abuse to his vocal chords in the 70s. A lot of fans are such rabid rush fans that they either dont care, or cant even hear how bad it is, but his voice is pretty damn bad.

 

On the new songs he is singing so low, that even the highs, such as when he says the word "stars" in the first verse of caravan, is actually a very low pitch. Its deceptive though because he's singing even lower around that, to sort of mask the low pitch, to make the higher parts sound higher than they are, even though they arent high at all. I think it was a smart move.

 

And Ive always been a fan of them tuning songs down live for him. When they did Circumstances last tour, when he hits those highs, they actually arent that high, not like the original recording.

 

 

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