Geddy must be really bad live now!!

[rushgoober]

I noticed this at first with the S&A video. After I got over my excitement that it was live Rush on tv in regular rotation, I realized that the vocals really didn't sound good, and my excitement that new potential fans would be exposed to them turned to disappointment when I realized that no one would be able to understand the lyrics at all if you didn't know them to begin with.

 

QUOTE (Tony R @ Nov 14 2011, 03:37 PM)

It's simple. No Rush fan really critiques Lee's voice any more, we've already made our peace with it.

I never had to come to peace with Geddy's voice. I loved it from the start; in the studio and live. The last couple of DVD's, however, as well as almost anything I've seen posted on youtube from the last couple of tours or so make me cringe. Him straining and struggling and singing out of key and not enunciating pains me to see. I wish I could pretend it didn't bother me or just have blind fanboi love for everything they do no matter what, but I just can't deny it. This I have NOT come to peace with.

 

And, yes, I understand that your vocals deteriorate over time, and that at 60 he won't be able to do what he could do at 50, or 40, or 30, or 20. At some point the question for me becomes, however, ok, how long do you keep at it performing at a sub-par level? It's a shame too, as their musical chops are better than ever live...

Edited November 15, 2011 by rushgoober

[Rushman14]

He still sounds perfectly fine on Caravan

[rushgoober]

QUOTE (Rushman14 @ Nov 15 2011, 04:41 PM)

He still sounds perfectly fine on Caravan

When they have time in the studio to do multiple takes after he's had a nice long rest, that seems to be a different matter entirely.

[Rushman14]

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Nov 15 2011, 04:47 PM)

QUOTE (Rushman14 @ Nov 15 2011, 04:41 PM) He still sounds perfectly fine on Caravan  When they have time in the studio to do multiple takes after he's had a nice long rest, that seems to be a different matter entirely. I meant on the DVD

[reani14]

you guys must be real losers wasting your time on me. get a job in a side show... trolls,,,

[ReRushed]

QUOTE (reani14 @ Nov 15 2011, 07:06 PM)

you guys must be real losers wasting your time on me. get a job in a side show... trolls,,,

Take off! You hoser!

[Lerxster]

QUOTE (reani14 @ Nov 15 2011, 07:06 PM)

you guys must be real losers wasting your time on me. get a job in a side show...  trolls,,,

http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt55/brewsben8/Stewie/stewiep-.gif

[The Cat 3]

QUOTE (Mara @ Nov 15 2011, 10:25 AM)

QUOTE (1-0-0-1-0-0-1 @ Nov 14 2011, 09:46 PM) QUOTE (angel in my armor @ Nov 14 2011, 08:43 PM) Some people just aren't happy unless they are bitching about something....I'm growing weary of such threads. In some cases, you can tell a lot about a thread by who started it. Like with reani here, you know his threads will most likely be a bitchfest, so they're easy to avoid if you feel the need. There's a pattern with reani. Once a tour concludes (or maybe even before), he starts 50 or so threads pondering the forthcoming live DVD. This includes 6 or 7 threads to complain every time the release date is moved.   Then once the DVD is actually out, reani follows up with 400-500 threads listing his separate gripes about the DVD.   File this thread under "no shit, Sherlock; Geddy is past middle age and he hasn't spent the last 37 years singing lullabyes." Brilliant...I normally don't even read threads started by reani14, but I'm glad I did just to read this post...thanks Mara!

[Perchance to Dream]

He sounded fine to me the last time I saw them in Concord, CA. As a matter of fact, I remember turning to my wife and saying, "I can't believe that he can still nail that!" after he sung:

 

Each of us

A cell of awareness

Imperfect and incomplete

 

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

QUOTE (rushgoober @ Nov 15 2011, 06:33 PM)

I noticed this at first with the S&A video.  After I got over my excitement that it was live Rush on tv in regular rotation, I realized that the vocals really didn't sound good, and my excitement that new potential fans would be exposed to them turned to disappointment when I realized that no one would be able to understand the lyrics at all if you didn't know them to begin with.

In all fairness, that Rotterdam show was the very last show of a long tour. Geddy's voice was tired. Probably not the best show to make a video from.

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

QUOTE (reani14 @ Nov 15 2011, 07:06 PM)

you guys must be real losers wasting your time on me. get a job in a side show... trolls,,,

Now THAT'S comedy!

[lerxt1990]

QUOTE (1-0-0-1-0-0-1 @ Nov 15 2011, 08:10 PM)

QUOTE (reani14 @ Nov 15 2011, 07:06 PM) you guys must be real losers wasting your time on me. get a job in a side show...  trolls,,, Now THAT'S comedy!

[Cyclonus X-1]

QUOTE

I don't get into the whole voice debate much because there are some people over exaggerating the point, but you're going in the opposite direction. Respectfully, if you think that his voice is better now than ever, that he is able to sing the words in the correct pitch at the correct volume in the correct key and do it consistently... you're just wrong. There's no arguing the point. You listen to Presto, listen to the way his sings the opening "If I could wave mah magic wah-und" - it's not even remotely close to the way he was singing it (albeit in the studio) 20 years ago. He's deeper, he's not enunciating as clearly as he used to. It's not about hitting the high notes anymore. That was a discussion relevant during R30 and S&A:L - on the TM tour, the issue is that he is clearly and unarguably singing much lower than ever before and he's not enunciating clearly throughout much of the show. Is it as bad as the trolls like to say? Nah. He's getting up there in years and he still sounds like him. I loved the hell out of the stops on the tour that I attended. But is he even remotely close to his former vocal qualities in many songs? No. Not remotely.

 

I agree with this post, especially the enunciation part. There are times during the show when Geddy seems to rein himself in a bit and sings crisply and cleanly, but those instances are fleeting, and it's usually only a matter of seconds before he's back to unleashing more deep slurry stuff. In light of those all-too-brief moments of crispness, I don't believe the muddier vocals he delivered were entirely attributable to age; I think, to an extent, there was also a stylistic choice being made. I'm one fan who would've taken clarity over "passion" here.

 

eshine's defense of Geddy was extremely well stated. As a Geddy fan, I'd love to respond to it with a "Right on!" But, if I'm to be honest, his words of high praise seem ill-fitting for the Geddy I'm hearing on Time Machine.

 

QUOTE

It's a shame too, as their musical chops are better than ever live...

 

I agree with this, too. Lifeson in particular played his ass off at this show.

 

QUOTE

He still sounds perfectly fine on Caravan

 

The two new songs sound the best. Perhaps because they were written with the current "state" of Geddy's vocals in mind.

[RASH 2112]

I didn't hear a guy straining and screaming on the TM Tour. I heard a 58-year-old veteran rock singer who knows his strengths and weaknesses and can "turn it on" when he wants/needs to. He has developed a style that still delivers the vocal in a way that remains true enough to the original, yet preserves his voice for the duration of the tour. He's a pro. He has to be able to "show up" each night.

 

Just my .02

[FountainOfSyrinx]

i noticed... that the quality on TV vs the theatre was different. I think Geddy's voice is still fine.. he nailed Circumstances in '07, at least he did at the show i saw. It's fine to me! He may have a few on, and a few off nights, but the singing is perfectly fine and is one of the exponential amount of reasons that they're the greatest band of all time.

[metaldad]

QUOTE (reani14 @ Nov 15 2011, 07:06 PM)

you guys must be real losers wasting your time on me. get a job in a side show... trolls,,,

[trenken]

Ive said this before, I dont know why they keep recording these shows at the end of tours, when his voice is completely shot and every single word sounds like it's a struggle for him.

 

Even though I still dont think he sounds very good at the beginning of tours either these days, but its still better than what you get at the end thats for damn sure.

 

Whatever though, there really is no point in talking about his voice. He's an old man now, decades of abuse, and its not going to get better, so just be happy they are still around. They could have retired a long time ago, and then we wouldnt have anything at all.

[angel in my armor]

Here's something for all the Geddy basher's to ponder.....would you rather Rush just fold up and retire to Florida to never play again??...

These guys are not young and they don't sound,look or move like they did when they were 20...but then again either do I.We should all be thankful for the fact that they are still making music for us.

[danielmclark]

QUOTE (angel in my armor @ Nov 16 2011, 08:45 AM)

Here's something for all the Geddy basher's to ponder.....would you rather Rush just fold up and retire to Florida to never play again??... These guys are not young and they don't sound,look or move like they did when they were 20...but then again either do I.We should all be thankful for the fact that they are still making music for us.

At some point, yes. I don't want the band going out there at age 70 or 80, with Geddy barely able to hold a note, just because some fans want to see them literally die on stage rather than retire.

 

You know what they should have done? Studio only. I know they like touring and I don't hold it against them and I'll still show up - but if the alternative was, say, no tours with a new studio album once a year... I'd take the new material.

 

These are creative guys and the recording process is light years ahead of what it used to be; it's easier than ever before. They could spend a month every year recording a new album and spend 11 months playing golf and making notes for the next album, and that would be awesome.

 

In the past 15 years we got 3 studio releases and a covers EP. There was the late 90's break due to Neil's tragedy, and that's understandable. But beyond that... I really don't like that we haven't seen more material. I would have liked to see them go on a limited touring schedule after R30.

[andrew28]

This may be stating the obvious, but I think it really depends on the song.

 

I think he sounds amazing on "Presto" where he's not required to go falsetto on high notes. On songs like "Marathon" he does struggle a bit.

 

 

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

QUOTE (danielmclark @ Nov 16 2011, 10:25 AM)

QUOTE (angel in my armor @ Nov 16 2011, 08:45 AM) Here's something for all the Geddy basher's to ponder.....would you rather Rush just fold up and retire to Florida to never play again??... These guys are not young and they don't sound,look or move like they did when they were 20...but then again either do I.We should all be thankful for the fact that they are still making music for us. At some point, yes. I don't want the band going out there at age 70 or 80, with Geddy barely able to hold a note, just because some fans want to see them literally die on stage rather than retire.   You know what they should have done? Studio only. I know they like touring and I don't hold it against them and I'll still show up - but if the alternative was, say, no tours with a new studio album once a year... I'd take the new material.   These are creative guys and the recording process is light years ahead of what it used to be; it's easier than ever before. They could spend a month every year recording a new album and spend 11 months playing golf and making notes for the next album, and that would be awesome.   In the past 15 years we got 3 studio releases and a covers EP. There was the late 90's break due to Neil's tragedy, and that's understandable. But beyond that... I really don't like that we haven't seen more material. I would have liked to see them go on a limited touring schedule after R30. After he reads this post, don't be surprised if Rushgoober asks you to marry him.

[snowdogged]

From things that Geddy has said over the past decade or so I think that for most songs he purposely changes his style of singing from the original version. A lot of the older stuff, he really has no choice because he just can't hit those high notes consistently or in some cases at all anymore but I think for a more recent song like Presto he changed his style of singing purposely because he thinks it makes it sound better. I for one think Presto sounds great on the DVD. He just pushed his voice to the limit so often when he was younger and unfortunately once we all start hitting our forties our limits on pretty much everything start diminishing and he is almost sixty now. Another guy who really pushed his vocals to the limits when he was younger was Meat Loaf. While Meat Loaf still has a pretty decent voice for his age, it is not comparable to when he was younger. Geddy's voice may not be what it once was but his bass playing is still kick ass and that alone is worth seeing them live!

[Godot]

QUOTE (reani14 @ Nov 14 2011, 04:59 PM)

I talked to a few people in the last couple days that saw time machine on comcast and they all started burning on geddys voice. They all say. I can;t understand whats hes singing>? why is that guy straining and screaming..

To quote the Big Lebowski

 

"That's just like your opinion, man."

[GeddyLeeFender]

There are actually trolls on this forum now?? It used to be such a safe place for Rush fans!

[Silas Lang]

Leave Geddy alone and let him rock and roll