MarkyWarky Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Seems to be one of the standard responses from the uninitiated; "who's that woman singing"? Although obviously he sings (sang?) in a high register, I still hear a man not a woman, and as far as I can remember did the first time I heard them, on CoS back in my school days, before I knew anything about them. So, am I listening through rose tinted, umm, speakers, or are these people idiots? Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenken Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 OH yeah, listen to some of their early footage. He definitely could pass for a woman with the way he sang at times. That didnt last very long though. Really it was only maybe like 4 years or so? And it was only when he sang high obviously. Honestly at times on some of their early live recordings if someone told me that was that chick from Heart, Id believe them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkyWarky Posted June 9, 2011 Author Share Posted June 9, 2011 OK, so would early include CoS or 2112? All I hear is a bloke singing in a high register, nothing feminine at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g under p Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Funny thing is THIS was the VERY thing that drew me to band in the mid 70's. It's his singing that caught my ear then the music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
driventotheedge Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 QUOTE (MarkyWarky @ Jun 9 2011, 10:04 AM) OK, so would early include CoS or 2112? All I hear is a bloke singing in a high register, nothing feminine at all. +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D3strukt Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I never though he sounded like a girl, except on some live boots from 74, and 75. From then on out it was purely a man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkyWarky Posted June 9, 2011 Author Share Posted June 9, 2011 QUOTE (g under p @ Jun 9 2011, 05:09 PM) Funny thing is THIS was the VERY thing that drew me to band in the mid 70's. It's his singing that caught my ear then the music. Yes, and his voice ruined lots of other music for me People say "hey, you'll like this", and I listen, only to have a great piece of music ruined by a poor or even mediocre singer. The voice makes or breaks a piece of music for me, after growing up on Rush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenken Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 QUOTE (D3strukt @ Jun 9 2011, 12:14 PM) I never though he sounded like a girl, except on some live boots from 74, and 75. From then on out it was purely a man. Yeah Im talking about those early bootlegs. Look at some of that footage in the documentary, when he would hit a high note and then make this kind of goofy face. I cant remember what song it was, be he totally sounded like a woman when he sung like that. This is a pretty well known thing that people would say about him in the early days. Must be a reason for it? To some people he sounded like a woman. No big deal, he might even feel that way about it himself now. Who knows. Ill bet anything he could crack a joke or 2 about sounding like a woman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metaldad Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 An Ugly woman.................. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ioc Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 QUOTE (trenken @ Jun 9 2011, 12:00 PM)OH yeah, listen to some of their early footage. He definitely could pass for a woman with the way he sang at times. That didnt last very long though. Really it was only maybe like 4 years or so? And it was only when he sang high obviously. Honestly at times on some of their early live recordings if someone told me that was that chick from Heart, Id believe them. Beer goggles much? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Undemanding Contact Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 (edited) I never once thought that Ged was a woman, and I have always been rather surprised when people have said that they thought (from hearing a Rush song) that he was. He has always sounded definitely male to me. Further to that, I too have always been attracted to Rush (in part) because of his voice, not despite it. It has always seemed to be unique and rather interesting to me. While one of the comments from a review-article they showed in BTLS (if memory serves, something about a cat with a flamethrower up its arse) made me laugh out loud (God that was funny - I am smiling now as I type this ), I have always found it a little tedious that some of the plebs out there have a thing about his voice, and cannot just accept it as part of Rush as a whole. I have heard people say things like: 'Yeah, I would like Rush, but I just cannot get round that voice', which leaves me somewhat bemused - how could it be such a barrier to appreciating the band? Just don't get that at all - I believe that 'get over it' is the popular term that pertains here (please note my dry tone). ...And another thing (who started this thread anyway? ): a mate of mine said once that Edwin who does some of the vocals on Victor 'sounds just like Geddy Lee', when a side-by-side comparison shows clearly that he doesn't. For my money, he sounds a lot more like Ronnie James Dio than he does our Ged. Rock-on Ged's voice - I love it. Edited June 9, 2011 by Undemanding Contact Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkyWarky Posted June 9, 2011 Author Share Posted June 9, 2011 QUOTE (Undemanding Contact @ Jun 9 2011, 06:06 PM) ...And another thing (who started this thread anyway? ): a mate of mine said once that Edwin who does some of the vocals on Victor 'sounds just like Geddy Lee', when a side-by-side comparison shows clearly that he doesn't. For my money, he sounds a lot more like Ronnie James Dio than he does our Ged. I did! 'smy thread, get off I was once told I'd like The Darkness because I like Rush, "'cause the guy sings high like Geddy". Yeah right. A high register is NOT the only notable feature of Ged's voice. There's far more to it than that. I think the uniqueness of his voice is why there's never been a really good Rush tribute act. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Undemanding Contact Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 QUOTE (MarkyWarky @ Jun 9 2011, 07:19 PM)QUOTE (Undemanding Contact @ Jun 9 2011, 06:06 PM) ...And another thing (who started this thread anyway? ): a mate of mine said once that Edwin who does some of the vocals on Victor 'sounds just like Geddy Lee', when a side-by-side comparison shows clearly that he doesn't. For my money, he sounds a lot more like Ronnie James Dio than he does our Ged. I did! 'smy thread, get off I was once told I'd like The Darkness because I like Rush, "'cause the guy sings high like Geddy". Yeah right. Preposterous! From where do people get these silly ideas? Justin whatshisface sounds nothing like him. QUOTE (MarkyWarky @ Jun 9 2011, 07:19 PM)I think the uniqueness of his voice is why there's never been a really good Rush tribute act. Good point. BTW, and without wishing to get off topic, there is a piece today in the London Evening Standard about The Darkness making a come-back. It ends with the comment: 'without the tiger this time'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mighty Dudad Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 QUOTE (Undemanding Contact @ Jun 9 2011, 01:06 PM)...And another thing (who started this thread anyway? ): a mate of mine said once that Edwin who does some of the vocals on Victor 'sounds just like Geddy Lee', when a side-by-side comparison shows clearly that he doesn't. For my money, he sounds a lot more like Ronnie James Dio than he does our Ged. Interesting point about Victor. When I first listened to it, I never thought that Edwin and Geddy sounded alike at all. However, I did think that Dalbello, who sings the 3rd track Start Today, sounds quite a bit like a young (old??) Geddy at points in the song. Check it out: especially at around 0:30. Later in the track (~1:27), she sounds like the singer from Four Non-blondes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D3strukt Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Holy f**k, that could pass for Geddy Lee, if it were a snippet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Undemanding Contact Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 QUOTE (The Mighty Dudad @ Jun 9 2011, 09:06 PM)QUOTE (Undemanding Contact @ Jun 9 2011, 01:06 PM)...And another thing (who started this thread anyway? ): a mate of mine said once that Edwin who does some of the vocals on Victor 'sounds just like Geddy Lee', when a side-by-side comparison shows clearly that he doesn't. For my money, he sounds a lot more like Ronnie James Dio than he does our Ged. Interesting point about Victor. When I first listened to it, I never thought that Edwin and Geddy sounded alike at all. However, I did think that Dalbello, who sings the 3rd track Start Today, sounds quite a bit like a young (old??) Geddy at points in the song. Check it out: especially at around 0:30. Later in the track (~1:27), she sounds like the singer from Four Non-blondes. Good point. I always thought that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Sawyer Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Geddy does and did not sound like a girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangy Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 (edited) QUOTE (metaldad @ Jun 9 2011, 12:51 PM)An Ugly woman.................. http://i347.photobucket.com/albums/p448/tangdog/witchiepoo-2.jpg Edited June 9, 2011 by tangy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCM Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 QUOTE (g under p @ Jun 9 2011, 12:09 PM) Funny thing is THIS was the VERY thing that drew me to band in the mid 70's. It's his singing that caught my ear then the music. Exactly, Ged's voice is what has kept me listening for over 30 years. Alex and Neil are an excellent bonus and I now love all three of them for what they do, but it was Ged that reeled me in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ardent15 Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 When I first heard Rush on the radio (not knowing who it was), I thought the singer was a woman But his voice has grown on me. It's not great, but it's unique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaminbenb Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Since the ONLY thing I ever heard on the radio when I first was exposed to Rush was an OCCASIONAL playing of Lakeside Park...NO! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IChoseFreeWill Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 At first, I thought Closer to the Heart was sung by a woman. But by the time of Freewill and Spirit of Radio, he sounded more like a man- albeit one with a very high tenor voice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drbirdsong Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 He never sounded like a woman to me. I started listening when I first heard The Spirit Of Radio on, you guessed it, the radio. My first album was All The World's A Stage and it was a few years earlier, but still, no woman sounding vocals there or ever. I know some people perceive reality different than others, but now I think some folks hear reality differently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenken Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 (edited) Oh come on, listen to the 0:58 mark of what you're doing live. And this isnt even the best example I can find. There are definitely some old bootlegs where he would sing that high a lot aside from just one word. It took great skill to do that no doubt, especially since it's not even falsetto, but it never sounded cool to me. Im glad it didnt last for very long. That sounds like a man to any of you? Even if it does, Im sure it's not very hard to understand why so many people have said this about him. Edited June 10, 2011 by trenken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenken Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 I should say though that I dont think its a fact that it's BAD when he sung like that. Hell I wish I could hit notes like that full voice. My stepdad LOVES when he sung like this, so it's all just personal preference. The fact is not a lot of rock songs could do that. Ive been watching vids of Mars Volta waiting for their new album and stumbled on this one called Dyslexicon, one of their new songs. A lot of people might hate the way Cedric "sings" this line at the beginning, "We are cattle to the prod", but I think it's awesome. So it's all just personal taste. What's amazing to me is Neil loves this band, which is hard for me to understand, cool though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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