Thunder Bay Rush Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 I'm probably going have some people planning a trip to Thunder Bay, Ontario so you can throw me into the campfire but - I don't like ANY live version of Working Man, especially this reggae nonsense. First, it seems that they always play it too slow. And, I don't like Neil's choppy drum beats as oposed to the original straight up beat that Rutsey laid down. The original version is such a great rockin' tune... but, live, I could do without it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J2112YYZ Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 I can do without it to. But if they are gonna play it live they need to drop the stupid reggae intro and start the song off properly with that riff. I know the band is just goofing around with the song, but when you got a cool riff like that you f*ckin play the damn song proper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Union 5-3992 Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 Working Man is one of my favorite songs, so I welcome it with open arms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjgittes Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Agree with those that would prefer the real version rather than the Bob Marley version. To me, it is the song that many of us first heard from them and "broke" them wide(TSOR may have gotten them AM radio play but it was the beginning of the end for some fans). I think dropping it would be like the Beach Boys deciding not to play "California Girls." Way too much history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briremo Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 I was mildly amused by the tropical feel they gave it last tour. Not interested in hearing that way again. Do love the song though. The solo Alex did at WPB stop of TMT was nothing short of amazing. The crowd was electric! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alchemical Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Lerxst does a killer solo, but other than that it doesn't do much for me live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangy Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 first the reggae version has been around for a long long time. i love it for several reasons but in particular its nice for them to mix it up. there are many other rush songs with reggae influences in them. complaining about how rush plays working man live is twice as lame as complaining about the set list......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Territorial_Game Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 I could do without... of all the staples, it's my least favorite. Yeah, Alex kills the solo, but he does so many more solos that are far more interesting. If they need a staple to replace it, how about Limelight or Freewill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drbirdsong Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 I can take it or leave it. I'd rather have TSOR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shreddy Lee Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 I wouldn't be heartbroken without it, but I think it works great live because it gives them all a big stretch of time to just go crazy and play, and I would always want at least one instance of that in a concert. The performance on the Time Machine DVD is one of the most incredible things I've ever seen, so I'm grateful for that. I'm not in love with the reggae part, but it doesn't bother me because I just see it as a prelude to the main attraction of the song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mithrandir Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 HAVE to have Working Man!!!! Alex KILLS it every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunder Bay Rush Posted September 14, 2012 Author Share Posted September 14, 2012 Yes, I agree, but they play the song way too slow... the album version is more up tempo. The guitar solos on there are hard to beat... Alex's live solos are wild, but the studio version solos are tighter than a frog's ass. And, a frog's ass is pretty tight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazyyz Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 It's way overplayed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echoes Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 I was hoping they'd drop it, but eh, the breakdown in the song rips, so why not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunter Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Hell Yeah! And I welcome more from the first album. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steely Caress Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 (edited) Could be dropped for something better, Xanadu possibly? Seems WM has become their "Fear of the dark" to Use a maiden example Edited September 14, 2012 by Steely Caress Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeminiRising79 Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 QUOTE (Thunder Bay Rush @ Sep 13 2012, 06:25 PM) I'm probably going have some people planning a trip to Thunder Bay, Ontario so you can throw me into the campfire but - I don't like ANY live version of Working Man, especially this reggae nonsense. First, it seems that they always play it too slow. And, I don't like Neil's choppy drum beats as oposed to the original straight up beat that Rutsey laid down. The original version is such a great rockin' tune... but, live, I could do without it. I burned out on working man back on the ATWAS recording, in '79. What I especially didnt like about this live song was Neil ridiculously overplaying it. I felt like it was his way of asserting his position in Rush. It seemed very disrespectful, imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goose Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 QUOTE (GeminiRising79 @ Sep 13 2012, 10:57 PM) QUOTE (Thunder Bay Rush @ Sep 13 2012, 06:25 PM) I'm probably going have some people planning a trip to Thunder Bay, Ontario so you can throw me into the campfire but - I don't like ANY live version of Working Man, especially this reggae nonsense. First, it seems that they always play it too slow. And, I don't like Neil's choppy drum beats as oposed to the original straight up beat that Rutsey laid down. The original version is such a great rockin' tune... but, live, I could do without it. I burned out on working man back on the ATWAS recording, in '79. What I especially didnt like about this live song was Neil ridiculously overplaying it. I felt like it was his way of asserting his position in Rush. It seemed very disrespectful, imo. I like that he's gone to playing it straight. The overplaying detracts from the great riffs. I enjoy it live. A great jam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilpdawg Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 QUOTE (GeminiRising79 @ Sep 13 2012, 10:57 PM) QUOTE (Thunder Bay Rush @ Sep 13 2012, 06:25 PM) I'm probably going have some people planning a trip to Thunder Bay, Ontario so you can throw me into the campfire but - I don't like ANY live version of Working Man, especially this reggae nonsense. First, it seems that they always play it too slow. And, I don't like Neil's choppy drum beats as oposed to the original straight up beat that Rutsey laid down. The original version is such a great rockin' tune... but, live, I could do without it. I burned out on working man back on the ATWAS recording, in '79. What I especially didnt like about this live song was Neil ridiculously overplaying it. I felt like it was his way of asserting his position in Rush. It seemed very disrespectful, imo. I'm not a big fan of the reggae part. And as far as overplaying it goes, the Different Stages Odeon version is the king of that. There's that one part where it sounds like he bites off more than he can chew. Alex kills on the end so they can play it all they want as long as they don't change that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FT Tracker Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 I have always been a big Working Man fan. I liked the new way on the Time Machine tour, but I and ready to go back to the old way this tour. Working Man got them started and its only one of many songs they play live and I think it like Tom Sawyer should be played every tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Del_Duio Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 I have always thought- and sometimes said this on trf in the past- that Neil kills Working Man with mad overplaying. Sometimes less is more, and Rutsey had it right. Also, the reggae version- while funny ONCE- just makes a mockery of one of RUSH's best early songs IMO. What would be next? The rap version of Hemispheres? YO! 'Dey turned and said to ME (me, me, me..) We be callin' you CYGNUS, the God of BITCHES you shall BE!! (be, be, be..) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
losingit2k Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Its a jam live, but it was the one song on the setlist that made me thing " Oh no not this once again." This slot would have been better filled with Xanadu or Natural Science on this tour. Now if I had to pick a version of the song I would prefer live it would be the non-reggae version. I just can't swallow that Reggae version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Del_Duio Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 A swap out for BB&B from Fly By Night would be KILLER!* *As long as it's not the 'smooth jazz' version Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangster of Goats Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 I wouldn't shed a tear if they dropped it. Burned out on seeing it live and the reggae thing has gotten old. I dunno, bring back the pirate motif they had going a couple tours ago and do a swashbuckling version of it, lol. "Avast, they be callin' me the pirate man, I guess that's what I be, me hearties!" And yeah it's funny about how Neil completely overplayed it. That's always kinda bothered me a little. Even back decades ago when I was more of a drooling fanboi who thought Rush could do no wrong when I first got ATWAS and heard the version of WM on it, I was like "hmm maybe that's a little much." It's like he's just shoehorning in a drum solo over some guitar riffs hehe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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