The 'We love Geddy's singing!' thread!

[Mika]

So, I was at work tonight, and our usual music station had been commandeered to a - what do you call it - modern dance-y music station. I describe some of the music as 'soulless', as it feels a little bit like some of my musical soul gets ripped away by some of the insipid music, chock-full of club-drum beats and auto-tuned vocals. Then I had a thought....

 

I am not a fan of auto-tune. It can be a tool to get a particular effect in music, but I find it robotic and 'cheating', and don't understand its prevalence in music. Are singers really so crappy at singing that they have to resort to using it?

 

Well, you know who doesn't use auto-tune? Our dear Geddy Lee. He's been singing for 40 years and still does it without any machines or gimmicks to 'keep in tune' or 'sound good'. I wanted to give props to that. He has enough singing chops to do it well (though of course not 100% of the time, as he isn't a machine!). He doesn't sound like a robot, and I appreciate it.

 

To move forward....

 

I like Geddy's singing. I wanted to start up a thread for positive things to be said about his singing. I am amazed now at how well he's going, considering his vocal cords are 59 years old, and have been punished for 40 years with countless live performances.

 

One of the first things that caught my ear about Rush was Geddy's singing. My first exposure was Archives and Hemispheres, so very early on in my Rush-loving career I was exposed to Geddy's 'shrieking' style, and I loved it! As I explored Rush's repetoire, I became exposed to different Geddy singing-styles and loved them, too. Some highlights:

 

-'The Necromancer' - not much singing, but each of the three movements of the song have different vocal styles, and Geddy does them well

-'2112' - alternating between the strident priests and the more mellow 'hero' (as in 'Presentation') kind of blew me away

-'Show Don't Tell' - the vocals on Presto sound rather thin and dry, but his singing is just so good, and sounds different from any other era of Rush

-'Everyday Glory' - I simply can't not get shivers from this one! So good!

-'Good News First' - such a different vocal style, but I like it! Especially the harmonizing parts!

 

So, Geddy fans, what do you like about his singing? Do you have any favourite vocals of his?

 

And please, let's have this be a positive thread. Of course there are going to some detractors of Geddy's singing out there, but you can start your own thread!

[Animate]

I second your examples, especially The Necromancer

 

Geddy best vocal styles:

 

1. Geddy in prime form, hitting the high notes in Temples and In the End

2. Geddy in edgy clinical/technological, almost dispassionate mode, ala Perm Waves to GUP, and especially on Moving Pictures

 

even though the common critics claim that Rush is unemotional pisses me off it is a unique style Geddy does very well.

[GeddysMullet]

Haha! Thanks for this thread, Mika. I've wanted to start a thread like this for ages. I think about doing it every time another of those "Geddy can't sing anymore" discussions pops up, but I'm always reluctant to provoke the naysayers, because Geddy's voice is for various reasons incredibly dear to me at this point, and I often take the insults a little too personally. While it's true that he can't sing the same way he used to, the man can definitely still sing!

 

I'm a huge fan of his recent singing style. Although back in the 70s I was turned off as much as the next Rolling Stone critic by the all the things that Rush detractors mock about Geddy's voice, older and wiser now I have acquired the taste for it, and my door in to that was hearing him sing when I went to a gig on the 2007 Snakes And Arrows tour. It was my first Rush gig. I only went because lawn seats were cheap and it was something to do, so falling in love, especially with that voice, was absolutely THE LAST thing I was expecting. But fall in love I did. Such soul and emotion and energy in those vocals! I still remember the feeling of standing on an amphitheatre lawn on a hot July night and being filled with wonder and confusion that yes, the voice now giving me shivers of joy and exultation was coming from the same guy who annoyed me so much in high school.

 

I know that his live vocals aren't always perfect, but there's just something about the way he sings and what he puts into it that really reaches me. A good example is the recording of "Presto" from the Time Machine tour. I freely acknowledge that in that performance his vocals are kind of all over the place, but man, it works for me in a big way. I'm not really a fan of the album version of that song, but I could listen to the Time Machine performance of it all day. Especially the part where he bellows "I radiate more heat than LIIIIIIIIIIIGHT...OH YEAH!" Another rough-but-works-for-me vocal is the way he sang the semi-acoustic version of "Heart Full Of Soul" on the R30 tour. Wonderful! I'm also very big on the performance of "Mission" from Snakes And Arrows Live, which in my opinion actually is almost perfect. And seriously, anyone who isn't impressed by what he's doing with the Clockwork Angels material on the new tour needs to have their hearing checked.

 

I've got many favourite Geddy vocal moments, both from live recordings and from studio albums. I'll be back later to write about some of those

 

 

[LyndseyG]

I love all Geddy's singing styles, but I really love when he's singing Temples. Really packs a punch!

[EagleMoon]

It's true that he can't hit the high notes like he used to, but then his voice has always been a bit inhumanly awesome to start with. He's just down to the normal human range now. That's one more thing that makes this group so diverse in style.

[eshine]

Geddy Lee will always be my favorite singer. Not many rock singers manage to evolve and adapt as well as he has.

 

His voice in the 70's was fun and bombastic and perfectly suited for the music.

 

His voice in the 80's had a razor sharp precision, again, perfectly suited for the music.

 

His voice in the 90's matured to a comfortable range, albiet not very challenging but solid.

 

His voice in the 00s to present found him taking chances again, experimenting with a wide range of different styles and textures.

 

Clockwork is a culmination of all of the above. He has found the right balance. It's a great vocal performance.

 

- and I must say, I am pleased (and relieved) that he is sounding so good on this tour.

 

There were (and always will be) a lot of critics here who panned his performance on the TMT and stated that his voice is "shot".

 

Ged has certainly answered those critics

Edited October 25, 2012 by eshine

[Mika]

QUOTE (eshine @ Oct 25 2012, 02:07 PM)

Geddy Lee will always be my favorite singer. Not many rock singers manage to evolve and adapt as well as he has. His voice in the 70's was fun and bombastic and perfectly suited for the music. His voice in the 80's had a razor sharp precision, again, perfectly suited for the music. His voice in the 90's matured to a comfortable range, albiet not very challenging but solid. His voice in the 00s to present found him taking chances again, experimenting with a wide range of different styles and textures. Clockwork is a culmination of all of the above. He has found the right balance. It's a great vocal performance. - and I must say, I am pleased (and relieved) that he is sounding so good on this tour. There were (and always will be) a lot of critics here who panned his performance on the TMT and stated that his voice is "shot". Ged has certainly answered those critics

I agree with you - Geddy's vocal style has certainly changed over the years, and in tune (hee hee) with Rush's progressing style.

 

I, too, was a bit skeptical after having heard not-quite-as-usual-steller vocals from Geddy during the previous tour, and he has certainly blown critics away this tour! I can't get over how awesome the CA songs sound live. I think, vocally, Geddy has really come full-circle. He's got an awesome balance of power and a vocal range that really sits well with the songs.

 

 

And a little side note:

I love how Geddy sings the words 'hand' and 'and'. I don't know what it is, but they do something to me!

 

And thanks to everyone who's contributed some vocal-love Geddy's way!

[Bastille Dave]

I grew up in the 70's as a kid I listened to FBN, CoS, and 2112. I was too young to know if Gedy's vocals were good or bad, so in my view I never understood why people hated his vocals. They seemed fine to me.

[NYM86]

I enjoy his Test For Echo vocals best. He seemed to find that happy medium where it's still Geddy's unmistakable voice, but at a more midrange, contemporary level with that 90s rock feel.

 

Hard to describe but just listen to the ending of "The Color of Right." That final "change the color of ri-iii-ight" is one of my favorite Geddy Lee moments.

[Mika]

QUOTE (NYM86 @ Oct 25 2012, 05:52 PM)

I enjoy his Test For Echo vocals best. He seemed to find that happy medium where it's still Geddy's unmistakable voice, but at a more midrange, contemporary level with that 90s rock feel. Hard to describe but just listen to the ending of "The Color of Right." That final "change the color of ri-iii-ight" is one of my favorite Geddy Lee moments.

Ooh! I know what you mean! And funnily enough, I had 'The Color of Right' going through my head yesterday, particularly that part you just described.

 

And for more Test for Echo goodness, there's also 'Time and Motion'. I love how Geddy's harmonizing is so far apart, such a neat choice for singing.

[Chicken hawk]

Theres so much i like in his voice. All your choices are excellent.

 

I love his way in TEARS. I always tear !

[CygnusGal]

Geddy

 

I'm currently running the catalog in my ipod (studio releases only in random order) and I'm reminded of a few examples aside from the ones you name. Good examples, btw.

 

Xanadu - I love the way he sings "bitter triumph"

Something For Nothing - I love the edginess in his voice

Circumstances - I love the way he sings the verses

 

Just to name a few examples.

 

Lots and lots of love for Geddy and his voice

 

[SchemingDemon]

QUOTE (Mika @ Oct 25 2012, 06:26 AM)

-'Everyday Glory' - I simply can't not get shivers from this one! So good!

This song gives me the chills every time! His vocals are the main reason why I love this song so damn much. Same with whoever mentioned The Color of Right. His vocals, particularly at the end of the song, are just perfect.

[GeddysMullet]

"Bitter triumph" from the studio version of Xanadu is also a favourite moment of mine

 

Other wonderful bits that spring to mind:

 

Studio:

The way he sings the last "As if to fly..." of Clockwork Angels.

"So light yet endless from a leaden skyyyyyYEAH!" from The Camera Eye.

In a similar vein, "Obsolete...Absolute YEAH!" from Distant Early Warning.

"You can take me, you ca-aan make me smyyyle, in the end." Oooh.

"Straining against the fates, measured out in coffee breaks! How many times..." from We Hold On.

"Foot upon the stair, shoulder to the wheel. You can't tell yourself not to care. You can't tell yourself how to feel. That's how it is. That's how it is!" from How It Is

 

Live:

That crazy Jewish nursery rhyme rap and the "La la la...Hey!"s in the Exit Stage Left version of La Villa Strangiato

"Wave after wave will flow with the tide and bury the world as it does. Tide after tide will flow and recede leaving life to go on as it was!" from the Snakes And Arrows Live version of Natural Science

All the wailing he does at the end of "Witch Hunt" on Grace Under Pressure Live

"In the long RUUUUUN!" in Marathon from A Show Of Hands

 

I love this thread!

Edited October 26, 2012 by GeddysMullet

[Mika]

QUOTE (GeddysMullet @ Oct 26 2012, 04:02 PM)

...."Foot upon the stair, shoulder to the wheel. You can't tell yourself not to care. You can't tell yourself how to feel. That's how it is. That's how it is!" from How It Is....

Ohh, this is one of my favourite parts from any Rush song ever. Just reading it gave me shivers!

 

I'll give some props to 'Red Sector A', too... Geddy sounds impassioned while singing this, especially the "From prayer to profanity" part. *shiver*

[Bangster of Goats]

I think my favorite album, vocal-wise, is Signals. A lot of Geddy's singing on that album has this kind of floating, ethereal sound to it.

 

 

That said, one of my favorite early moments is in No One At The Bridge...

 

"SCREAM OUT DESPERATIOOOoOOoOON BUT!!!!! NO!! ONE!! CARES!! TO HEEEEAAAARRR!!"

 

 

And of course in Cygnus X-1: "EVERY NERVE IS TOOOORRRRRNNN AAAAAAAPPPPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[Mika]

QUOTE (Bangster of Goats @ Oct 26 2012, 04:41 PM)

I think my favorite album, vocal-wise, is Signals. A lot of Geddy's singing on that album has this kind of floating, ethereal sound to it. That said, one of my favorite early moments is in No One At The Bridge... "SCREAM OUT DESPERATIOOOoOOoOON BUT!!!!! NO!! ONE!! CARES!! TO HEEEEAAAARRR!!" And of course in Cygnus X-1: "EVERY NERVE IS TOOOORRRRRNNN AAAAAAAPPPPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I love when Geddy's vocalizations get typed out!

 

And, holy cow, yes to 'Cygnus X-1'. My favourite part is just before the 'nerve' part: "Like a spiral sea, unending". I love how enormously loud, urgent, and shrieky he is here!

 

Ah, I could cite more favourite Geddy examples all day long....

[GeddysMullet]

QUOTE (Mika @ Oct 26 2012, 05:13 PM)

QUOTE (GeddysMullet @ Oct 26 2012, 04:02 PM) ...."Foot upon the stair, shoulder to the wheel.  You can't tell yourself not to care.  You can't tell yourself how to feel.  That's how it is.  That's how it is!" from How It Is.... Ohh, this is one of my favourite parts from any Rush song ever. Just reading it gave me shivers!   I'll give some props to 'Red Sector A', too... Geddy sounds impassioned while singing this, especially the "From prayer to profanity" part. *shiver* Yeah, what's up with people who say that Geddy lacks emotion as a vocalist? That I totally do not get. One of the things I love most about Geddy as a singer isn't in the sound of his voice, it's in the way it FEELS, like he really cares about what he's singing and wants to make it meaningful. I wrote a mini-essay about this yesterday for this thread but my computer ate it before I could post it

[Babycat]

I love Geddy's singing !

[GeddysMullet]

QUOTE (Babycat @ Oct 26 2012, 06:16 PM)

I love Geddy's singing !

 

Geddy's singing sometimes makes me feel like that, too!

[WIDE-ANGLE WATCHER]

QUOTE (eshine @ Oct 25 2012, 02:07 PM)

Geddy Lee will always be my favorite singer. Not many rock singers manage to evolve and adapt as well as he has. His voice in the 70's was fun and bombastic and perfectly suited for the music. His voice in the 80's had a razor sharp precision, again, perfectly suited for the music. His voice in the 90's matured to a comfortable range, albiet not very challenging but solid. His voice in the 00s to present found him taking chances again, experimenting with a wide range of different styles and textures. Clockwork is a culmination of all of the above. He has found the right balance. It's a great vocal performance. - and I must say, I am pleased (and relieved) that he is sounding so good on this tour. There were (and always will be) a lot of critics here who panned his performance on the TMT and stated that his voice is "shot". Ged has certainly answered those critics

Very well put...I agree

 

I believe Geddy's 80's voice is perfection and the Clockwork Angels vocals are his best since Test For Echo

[GeddysMullet]

Here's a great Geddy vocal moment!

 

[jnoble]

Geddy's '70s voice was freakin awesome! Dont care if it was shrill. Unfortunatly I don't care much for his voice now...he's lost so much range and power and expression from what he once had it's distracting. He cracks and strains like crazy on almost everything. My fav Geddy "singing" albums, the ones where I think he sounded the best, are Farewell To Kings, Moving Pictures, Presto, and most of Counterparts.

[jnoble]

oh, and Fly By Night too

[CygnusGal]

QUOTE (Mika @ Oct 26 2012, 05:51 PM)

QUOTE (Bangster of Goats @ Oct 26 2012, 04:41 PM) I think my favorite album, vocal-wise, is Signals.  A lot of Geddy's singing on that album has this kind of floating, ethereal sound to it. That said, one of my favorite early moments is in No One At The Bridge... "SCREAM OUT DESPERATIOOOoOOoOON BUT!!!!!  NO!! ONE!! CARES!! TO HEEEEAAAARRR!!" And of course in Cygnus X-1:  "EVERY NERVE IS TOOOORRRRRNNN AAAAAAAPPPPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I love when Geddy's vocalizations get typed out!   And, holy cow, yes to 'Cygnus X-1'. My favourite part is just before the 'nerve' part: "Like a spiral sea, unending". I love how enormously loud, urgent, and shrieky he is here!   Ah, I could cite more favourite Geddy examples all day long.... I was reviewing my tour program book this morning. I love the quote in the U.K Winter Tour 1978 program. QUOTE A quick change of setting and atmosphere, and we find ourselves in the farthest reaches of outer space, in the middle of the black hole of "Cygnus X-1."  This is the first part of an epic story which is to be continued and concluded on our next album.  The music was almost entirely created right in the studio, and it was a very satisfying accomplishment for us all.  It has to be one of the most powerful things we have done.  If it doesn't give you goose bumps, you're not playing it loud enough! Geddy's vocals turned up on Cygnus X-1.