Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

[rushgoober]

Holy overeaction.

 

Ged can still bring it live - he sounds great on this tour, go see them.

 

I don't care that his voice is a little rough around the edges. So what? His performance at the HOF was good, not great, but not at all "cringeworthy" and certainly won't turn off any potential new fans any more then his 20 year old screech would. C'mon

 

At least his 20 year old screech was in key and sounded effortless. Oh well, to each their own. Hardcore fans are incredibly forgiving, but it is a real and growing problem/issue.

Edited May 21, 2013 by rushgoober

[JohnnyBlaze]

Holy overeaction.

 

Ged can still bring it live - he sounds great on this tour, go see them.

 

I don't care that his voice is a little rough around the edges. So what? His performance at the HOF was good, not great, but not at all "cringeworthy" and certainly won't turn off any potential new fans any more then his 20 year old screech would. C'mon

 

At least his 20 year old screech was in key and sounded effortless. Oh well, to each their own. Hardcore fans are incredibly forgiving, but it is a real and growing problem/issue.

I don't disagree with that. But think about this: Millions of people have always loathed Bob Dylan's voice. And folks have been saying his voice has been shot for AT LEAST 25 years. However, he's still successfully making music and touring regardless of his age and all that's been criticized. In fact, I'm pretty sure his birthday is at the end of this month...I think he's turning 161

[calirush]

Holy overeaction.

 

Ged can still bring it live - he sounds great on this tour, go see them.

 

I don't care that his voice is a little rough around the edges. So what? His performance at the HOF was good, not great, but not at all "cringeworthy" and certainly won't turn off any potential new fans any more then his 20 year old screech would. C'mon

 

At least his 20 year old screech was in key and sounded effortless. Oh well, to each their own. Hardcore fans are incredibly forgiving, but it is a real and growing problem/issue.

 

Actually I think hardcores are the ones with the Lee voice phobia. Several people I know saw the ceremony and thought Rush was pretty good and they aren't really Rush fans. I can't believe that people are actually discussing whether Geddy warmed up like he was supposed to or not. The bottom line is if you like watching Rush then watch and enjoy for as long as they can perform, don't worry about the rest.

[JohnnyBlaze]

Holy overeaction.

 

Ged can still bring it live - he sounds great on this tour, go see them.

 

I don't care that his voice is a little rough around the edges. So what? His performance at the HOF was good, not great, but not at all "cringeworthy" and certainly won't turn off any potential new fans any more then his 20 year old screech would. C'mon

 

At least his 20 year old screech was in key and sounded effortless. Oh well, to each their own. Hardcore fans are incredibly forgiving, but it is a real and growing problem/issue.

 

Actually I think hardcores are the ones with the Lee voice phobia. Several people I know saw the ceremony and thought Rush was pretty good and they aren't really Rush fans. I can't believe that people are actually discussing whether Geddy warmed up like he was supposed to or not. The bottom line is if you like watching Rush then watch and enjoy for as long as they can perform, don't worry about the rest.

Yup, a few posts ago I said the same thing in regards to Lee's voice and those that have issues with it

[Analog_Bro]

The fact that Geddy can still do what he does at his age is incredible. The show I was at last year he sounded better than this performance - and this one isn't bad at all. Nothing really to worry about here

 

Sure his vocal chords aren't in his prime anymore but that is life. For what it is he sounds great and nobody should excpect him to sound like he did in 1998 let alone 1981.

 

Just sit back and enjoy the performance people - I know I am

[eshine]

Holy overeaction.

 

Ged can still bring it live - he sounds great on this tour, go see them.

 

I don't care that his voice is a little rough around the edges. So what? His performance at the HOF was good, not great, but not at all "cringeworthy" and certainly won't turn off any potential new fans any more then his 20 year old screech would. C'mon

 

At least his 20 year old screech was in key and sounded effortless. Oh well, to each their own. Hardcore fans are incredibly forgiving, but it is a real and growing problem/issue.

 

Its not about being forgiving - it's about being a realist.

 

The band is much older now and Geds vocals will surely be the first thing to show their age - particularly under the glare of unforgiving hi-def television.

 

However, his vocals were not the dreadful, potential new-fan killing problem you are suggesting. They were fine, actually. Certainly not off key??

 

Again, go see them live, in their element.

 

I had the incredible pleasure of seeing the Orlando show in the front row directly in front of Geddy last month (an awesome VIP victory story I still need to share here ;) and trust me, with seats like that you hear everything.

 

Of course his voice has aged - he has to really work for some notes and it takes him a good few songs to get warmed up. But as Analog_Bro said, what he can still do at his age is incredible. There are portions of the show that just blew me away vocally, both due to the power he still has and, even more so, how beautiful he sounds on the melodic "singers" songs they are doing on this tour. He's still got it, just has to work a little harder to get there lol - and man, does he ever. The dude is a monster on stage - I can't get over the shape he's in.

 

At this stage of the game, Geddy's voice is anything but a detriment to the band. On the contrary, it's one of their biggest assets that allows them to continue doing what they do at this level.

 

I say enjoy it while it lasts and focus on the postive.Time is still the infinate jest.

[malnar]

I had to go back and listen to the performance again after reading all the posts about Ged's vocals. I definitely don't hear anything sung out of key. Sure he's singing stuff differently, and he's definitely having to push himself, but overall, it sounds pretty good. Even the two friends that I watched this with-neither one a Rush fan mainly due to the vocals-thought he sounded surprisingly tolerable. Edited May 21, 2013 by malnar

[snowdogged]

I had to go back and listen to the performance again after reading all the posts about Ged's vocals. I definitely don't hear anything sung out of key. Sure he's singing stuff differently, and he's definitely having to push himself, but overall, it sounds pretty good. Even the two friends that I watched this with-neither one a Rush fan mainly due to the vocals-thought he sounded surprisingly tolerable.

If Ged was in true form your friends would not have found it tolerable at all.

[GeddysMullet]

I love Geddy's voice. It's a shame that some people aren't happy unless they have something to complain about. Although, if they're happy complaining, I guess it isn't a shame. So, mazel tov!

 

Anyway, as some of you may remember, I was the lifelong non-Rush-fan-because-of-Geddy's-voice until that gig in 2007 when I fell in love with Rush largely because of Geddy's voice, so go figure on that "ooooh fret fret it will turn off the non-fans" thing.

[LedRush]

Holy overeaction.

 

Ged can still bring it live - he sounds great on this tour, go see them.

 

I don't care that his voice is a little rough around the edges. So what? His performance at the HOF was good, not great, but not at all "cringeworthy" and certainly won't turn off any potential new fans any more then his 20 year old screech would. C'mon

 

At least his 20 year old screech was in key and sounded effortless. Oh well, to each their own. Hardcore fans are incredibly forgiving, but it is a real and growing problem/issue.

 

I think it's the other way around. The hardcore are much more critical of the current voice than casuals or non-fans. Most non-fans aren't fans because of his higher pitched vocals and screams in the beginning.

[bruggy66]

Geddy's voice "is what it is". Yeah, he struggles with certain songs. So does practically every other rock singer in his age range. On the last tour Genesis played every song in a different key so that Phil could sing them, and frankly, it sounded like crap to me. The tunes lost all of their energy. Other singers like Rod Stewart do the same thing. Unless someone is a trained singer, there's a good chance that, by the time they reach their late 50's, the voice will not be there the way it was. Personally, I still think Rush's live show is awesome, and I'm glad that I still get to go see them at all. This band could have easily been "done" 15 years ago.

 

If you don't like the way Geddy sings these days. Fair enough. Just don't listen. The old records and videos are always there for you. As for me, I'm going to continue to enjoy my favorite band as long as I can.

Edited May 21, 2013 by bruggy66

[rushgoober]

Holy overeaction.

 

Ged can still bring it live - he sounds great on this tour, go see them.

 

I don't care that his voice is a little rough around the edges. So what? His performance at the HOF was good, not great, but not at all "cringeworthy" and certainly won't turn off any potential new fans any more then his 20 year old screech would. C'mon

 

At least his 20 year old screech was in key and sounded effortless. Oh well, to each their own. Hardcore fans are incredibly forgiving, but it is a real and growing problem/issue.

I don't disagree with that. But think about this: Millions of people have always loathed Bob Dylan's voice. And folks have been saying his voice has been shot for AT LEAST 25 years. However, he's still successfully making music and touring regardless of his age and all that's been criticized. In fact, I'm pretty sure his birthday is at the end of this month...I think he's turning 161

 

Perhaps, but how many of those people who are buying his recent albums or seeing him live are new fans brought in by the new material? The people who buy his albums and see him live have to consist almost entirely of old time fans who are forgiving because he's a legend, or younger people brought along by older fans, etc.

 

In the last few years I've picked up his latter day albums that got such great reviews, and I gotta say, I can't listen to them - his voice is totally shot - and I love Dylan - even I as a fan of his older material can't listen to it - he sounds like he's croaking out the lyrics. And I wouldn't see him live for that either, but I imagine the super hardcore forgiving fans would go anyway... just because he's Bob Dylan and God knows how much longer he'll be doing this. Sound familiar?

Edited May 21, 2013 by rushgoober

[rushgoober]

I had to go back and listen to the performance again after reading all the posts about Ged's vocals. I definitely don't hear anything sung out of key. Sure he's singing stuff differently, and he's definitely having to push himself, but overall, it sounds pretty good. Even the two friends that I watched this with-neither one a Rush fan mainly due to the vocals-thought he sounded surprisingly tolerable.

 

Surprisingly tolerable? Talk about damning with faint praise!

 

If there truly were non-fans who listened and were able to get past his vocals and still got turned on by Rush, they were likely mesmerized by the sheer talent of their musicianship otherwise, which was incredibly apparent. Still, it's such a shame - they're at the top of their game musically, but I just can't watch the last couple/few DVD's or watch their live clips (like this one) without doing some MAJOR cringing at Geddy's vocals. Yes, he's older, yes vocals are going to be the first thing to go, maybe he didn't warm up properly and any other number of excuses, etc., but it doesn't change the fact that the vocals were objectively a mess. If you can't hear it, watch it again and try to listen objectively... if you can.

 

Anyone who watched the RRHOF performance and thought his vocals were anything above "barely acceptable," which in my mind is still being very kind and generous, simply doesn't want to deal with the truth. I know it can be hard to admit that his voice isn't up to an acceptable standard and to listen somewhat objectively to notice, but man was it rough, and man did he struggle mightily.

 

Someone stated above that some people just aren't happy unless they have something to complain about, and I understand that point of view, but that still doesn't deal with the reality of the situation. Does anyone truly think I WANT to be unhappy and cringe over Geddy's vocals live? No way. I wish with all my heart that his vocals were up to the standards to their musical proficiency and dexterity these days, but it simply is not the case. There's complaining just for the sake of complaining, and there's being realistic. I can't plug my ears and pretend it sounds good when it clearly doesn't.

 

I never expected my point of view on this issue to be popular, and of course people are entitled to their opinions as they've stated above, but as I said, it sounds like a combination of people defending him and/or being very forgiving. For some, Rush can do no wrong and those rose colored glasses are permanently;affixed.

 

And almost no one wants to hear that it's probably time for them to give it up as the problem is only getting worse with each passing year and tour. That would be sad for everyone, but Rush are known for a certain level of proficiency and professionalism, and when they can no longer achieve that, as Geddy cannot vocally anymore live, it's time to call it a day.

 

Wow, people are going to LOVE this post. :P

Edited May 21, 2013 by rushgoober

[Drummerrobin]

Hey, anyone know where we'd be able to watch the ceremony here in the UK? No HBO over here :(

[JohnnyBlaze]

Holy overeaction.

 

Ged can still bring it live - he sounds great on this tour, go see them.

 

I don't care that his voice is a little rough around the edges. So what? His performance at the HOF was good, not great, but not at all "cringeworthy" and certainly won't turn off any potential new fans any more then his 20 year old screech would. C'mon

 

At least his 20 year old screech was in key and sounded effortless. Oh well, to each their own. Hardcore fans are incredibly forgiving, but it is a real and growing problem/issue.

I don't disagree with that. But think about this: Millions of people have always loathed Bob Dylan's voice. And folks have been saying his voice has been shot for AT LEAST 25 years. However, he's still successfully making music and touring regardless of his age and all that's been criticized. In fact, I'm pretty sure his birthday is at the end of this month...I think he's turning 161

 

Perhaps, but how many of those people who are buying his recent albums or seeing him live are new fans brought in by the new material? The people who buy his albums and see him live have to consist almost entirely of old time fans who are forgiving because he's a legend, or younger people brought along by older fans, etc.

 

In the last few years I've picked up his latter day albums that got such great reviews, and I gotta say, I can't listen to them - his voice is totally shot - and I love Dylan - even I as a fan of his older material can't listen to it - he sounds like he's croaking out the lyrics. And I wouldn't see him live for that either, but I imagine the super hardcore forgiving fans would go anyway.

Ah, I didn't explain clearly. I was mainly pointing to the shrugging off of criticism and the continuing pursuit of creativity.

 

But to comment on what you said and connect it back to Rush, haven't you noticed the number of fans on TRF alone that only recently (in the last 5 or so years) have become Rush fans? Lee's voice is definitely different but try to grasp this not so radical concept: Some like it better now than in those 70s recordings. I'm not one of them BUT those fans do exist and I don't think they're making excuses.

[gangsterfurious]

I saw most of the show (missed the first 15-20 minutes) and really enjoyed most all of it, especially of course our boys! They really got to demonstrate their incredible musical dexterity. Even my wife commented that Geddy sounded like he was REALLY struggling with his singing, which is a bit of a continual sore spot for the band live, but still so amazing to see them getting so much well-deserved love and respect from their peers and fans alike.

 

Every time I see them live geddy sounds great. Every time they record a show (these days) or are on tv he does not sound as good.

 

Yeah I have to agree, I was there and as soon as Geddy started singing I was thinking "damn he sounds so good, his voice is in great shape" but then I saw it on the video that they posted and was like "that's not what he sounded like at all!"

[rushgoober]

Holy overeaction.

 

Ged can still bring it live - he sounds great on this tour, go see them.

 

I don't care that his voice is a little rough around the edges. So what? His performance at the HOF was good, not great, but not at all "cringeworthy" and certainly won't turn off any potential new fans any more then his 20 year old screech would. C'mon

 

At least his 20 year old screech was in key and sounded effortless. Oh well, to each their own. Hardcore fans are incredibly forgiving, but it is a real and growing problem/issue.

I don't disagree with that. But think about this: Millions of people have always loathed Bob Dylan's voice. And folks have been saying his voice has been shot for AT LEAST 25 years. However, he's still successfully making music and touring regardless of his age and all that's been criticized. In fact, I'm pretty sure his birthday is at the end of this month...I think he's turning 161

 

Perhaps, but how many of those people who are buying his recent albums or seeing him live are new fans brought in by the new material? The people who buy his albums and see him live have to consist almost entirely of old time fans who are forgiving because he's a legend, or younger people brought along by older fans, etc.

 

In the last few years I've picked up his latter day albums that got such great reviews, and I gotta say, I can't listen to them - his voice is totally shot - and I love Dylan - even I as a fan of his older material can't listen to it - he sounds like he's croaking out the lyrics. And I wouldn't see him live for that either, but I imagine the super hardcore forgiving fans would go anyway.

Ah, I didn't explain clearly. I was mainly pointing to the shrugging off of criticism and the continuing pursuit of creativity.

 

But to comment on what you said and connect it back to Rush, haven't you noticed the number of fans on TRF alone that only recently (in the last 5 or so years) have become Rush fans? Lee's voice is definitely different but try to grasp this not so radical concept: Some like it better now than in those 70s recordings. I'm not one of them BUT those fans do exist and I don't think they're making excuses.

 

A couple of points:

 

1. He can still bring it in the studio. S&A was a really good album and CA was outstanding. Yeah, his vocals in the studio are maybe 90% of what they were, but it's more than enough.

 

2. Even my wife agrees with you to an extent - she thinks Geddy sounds MUCH better now singing in a lower register than his early high pitched vocals. She really can't deal with his 70's vocals almost at all.

 

That said, I'm talking about Geddy singing live - not just in a lower register, which is fine, but when he simply can't sing at all - when he's off key, pitch all over the place, and struggling to hit notes (even in a lower key) that he just can't hit - often it just sounds terrible. My wife thinks he sounds better now when he sounds like he can sing, but when the vocals are just OFF it simply doesn't sound good no matter what.

Edited May 21, 2013 by rushgoober

[rushgoober]

I saw most of the show (missed the first 15-20 minutes) and really enjoyed most all of it, especially of course our boys! They really got to demonstrate their incredible musical dexterity. Even my wife commented that Geddy sounded like he was REALLY struggling with his singing, which is a bit of a continual sore spot for the band live, but still so amazing to see them getting so much well-deserved love and respect from their peers and fans alike.

 

Every time I see them live geddy sounds great. Every time they record a show (these days) or are on tv he does not sound as good.

 

Yeah I have to agree, I was there and as soon as Geddy started singing I was thinking "damn he sounds so good, his voice is in great shape" but then I saw it on the video that they posted and was like "that's not what he sounded like at all!"

 

Does the tape lie, or maybe you were just so excited to see them at such a prestigious moment that you didn't notice? Maybe the sound and excitement of the crowd overwhelms such things when seeing them in person and you need to hear it back without being in that environment to see what it really sounded like? Just something to consider - it really isn't a stretch to say this based on your own experience that you stated above...

[gangsterfurious]

Maybe it's time to tune down another half step. Lee was rough. But a very proud moment as a fan.

 

I feel really torn about the Geddy voice issue.

 

I want to be really excited that Rush is finally getting all the massive popularity and adulation that they've gotten in recent years, and mostly because I want newer fans or newer potential fans to be introduced to their music. Watching them last night, most of me was thinking how could anyone not appreciate and love such beautifully complex music delivered in such a deceptively simple and melodic sounding way. How could anyone NOT want to pursue Rush's music after hearing such musicianship?

 

But, and there's always that thorn in the side nagging but, which is Geddy's voice live. It's such a shame as their playing is top notch - it's really never been better, but his vocals are so rough and he sounds like he's struggling SO much that I think it could be a real turn off to those who don't know what those songs are supposed to sound like. I could so easily see a new or potential fan hearing it and going, "WOW, that is so cool, but what the hell is up with those vocals?" Now, I know the irony of that is that a lot of people have said that over the decades when Geddy's voice was sounding the way it should sound, but now it can be a turn off for such a different reason - for the simple and incredibly harsh fact that Geddy just really can't sing any more live. At best he sounds like he gets through a song, but at worst it's a lot less than that, and it keeps getting progressively worse.

 

As much as a shame it would be if the boys stopped touring, it's really getting to the point where that one aspect is making them not up to the professional standards they've always had. I think it's time for them to give it up when that happens, though perhaps they could still make studio albums as with enough time and rest he's able to pull off singing in the studio - maybe not how he once could, but at least to acceptable standards.

 

Of course many here will seriously disagree with me, and it's a subject almost no one wants to discuss, but it's getting harder and harder to ignore. As long time hardcore fans, we can kind of fill in with our brains with how the vocals are supposed to be, but to someone hearing it for the first time, or for the first time live, I could see it being a real detriment to their listening experience and seriously inconsistent with the rest of their outstanding musicianship and performances. And even being able to fill in myself what it's supposed to sound like, I'd be lying if I said there weren't a lot of cringeworthy moments in there... :(

 

Taking it down another half step or full step could help - he simply can't try and sing the songs the way he used to as it just isn't working - I'd rather have it be in a whole other key or sung very differently than just sounding bad.

 

Ged couldn't have been that bad??!! :drool:

Pay Goobs no mind. Geddy wasn't bad. He was not at his best either, but that can be easily forgiven. I'm sure he spoke a lot before hand, so that was being out of routine. He's sounded great on the CA tour, and he was bringing it at the RRHOF as the professional he is.

 

:hail: :rush:

 

Geddy wasn't at his best indeed. But that's because he didn't do a vocal warm-up before the performance. His vocal chords were not warmed up, therefore he sang like he had no control over his voice. His voice sounded different on the induction show

He usually sounds better on the tour concerts for that same reason - he does a warm up before every show.

 

I don't know, every time I bring up a Geddy vocal fail, people come up with all kind of reasons and excuses why. The fact that people keep needing to come to his defense says a lot. And I'm not saying what you or anyone else is saying is untrue, but regardless of why, most seem to agree that his vocals weren't up to par. Rush fans are a LOT more forgiving than anyone else is going to be, and that was the one night to get them a lot of exposure to a lot of NON Rush fans.

 

No forced excuse here, just an explanation why he sounded bad and why it's an unusual case.

Don't get me wrong; I know Geddy is not at his best and might not be at a vocal peak anymore, it's really sad to think about. However, IMO he sounds way better on the tour. And I fully agree with you, the induction night wasn't good, vocally, but that's because of the same reason I mentioned before - he didn't warm up! His tone was great and fresh, but the whole vocal performance was ruined because of his struggle to control his own voice, even on a song like Tom Sawyer which he manages to nail during shows.

Being a singer and a bass player myself, I know it's really hard to give a decent vocal performance when you're not warmed up. Sad but true...

 

But like ShlappinDahBass said, the crossroads moment was good indeed. :D

 

If that's the case, why on earth wouldn't he warm up before such a prestigious performance?

 

They had rehearsals either that morning or the night before but keep in mind the show had been going on for nearly FIVE hours by the time Rush got up there.

[gangsterfurious]

I saw most of the show (missed the first 15-20 minutes) and really enjoyed most all of it, especially of course our boys! They really got to demonstrate their incredible musical dexterity. Even my wife commented that Geddy sounded like he was REALLY struggling with his singing, which is a bit of a continual sore spot for the band live, but still so amazing to see them getting so much well-deserved love and respect from their peers and fans alike.

 

Every time I see them live geddy sounds great. Every time they record a show (these days) or are on tv he does not sound as good.

 

Yeah I have to agree, I was there and as soon as Geddy started singing I was thinking "damn he sounds so good, his voice is in great shape" but then I saw it on the video that they posted and was like "that's not what he sounded like at all!"

 

Does the tape lie, or maybe you were just so excited to see them at such a prestigious moment that you didn't notice? Maybe the sound and excitement of the crowd overwhelms such things when seeing them in person and you need to hear it back without being in that environment to see what it really sounded like? Just something to consider - it really isn't a stretch to say this based on your own experience that you stated above...

 

Well in my mind I was comparing it to recent recordings and shows that I saw last year and in that venue I thought he sounded good.

[GeddysMullet]

I had to go back and listen to the performance again after reading all the posts about Ged's vocals. I definitely don't hear anything sung out of key. Sure he's singing stuff differently, and he's definitely having to push himself, but overall, it sounds pretty good. Even the two friends that I watched this with-neither one a Rush fan mainly due to the vocals-thought he sounded surprisingly tolerable.

 

Surprisingly tolerable? Talk about damning with faint praise!

 

If there truly were non-fans who listened and were able to get past his vocals and still got turned on by Rush, they were likely mesmerized by the sheer talent of their musicianship otherwise, which was incredibly apparent. Still, it's such a shame - they're at the top of their game musically, but I just can't watch the last couple/few DVD's or watch their live clips (like this one) without doing some MAJOR cringing at Geddy's vocals. Yes, he's older, yes vocals are going to be the first thing to go, maybe he didn't warm up properly and any other number of excuses, etc., but it doesn't change the fact that the vocals were objectively a mess. If you can't hear it, watch it again and try to listen objectively... if you can.

 

Anyone who watched the RRHOF performance and thought his vocals were anything above "barely acceptable," which in my mind is still being very kind and generous, simply doesn't want to deal with the truth. I know it can be hard to admit that his voice isn't up to an acceptable standard and to listen somewhat objectively to notice, but man was it rough, and man did he struggle mightily.

 

Someone stated above that some people just aren't happy unless they have something to complain about, and I understand that point of view, but that still doesn't deal with the reality of the situation. Does anyone truly think I WANT to be unhappy and cringe over Geddy's vocals live? No way. I wish with all my heart that his vocals were up to the standards to their musical proficiency and dexterity these days, but it simply is not the case. There's complaining just for the sake of complaining, and there's being realistic. I can't plug my ears and pretend it sounds good when it clearly doesn't.

 

I never expected my point of view on this issue to be popular, and of course people are entitled to their opinions as they've stated above, but as I said, it sounds like a combination of people defending him and/or being very forgiving. For some, Rush can do no wrong and those rose colored glasses are permanently;affixed.

 

And almost no one wants to hear that it's probably time for them to give it up as the problem is only getting worse with each passing year and tour. That would be sad for everyone, but Rush are known for a certain level of proficiency and professionalism, and when they can no longer achieve that, as Geddy cannot vocally anymore live, it's time to call it a day.

 

Wow, people are going to LOVE this post. :P

 

Maybe I should have said that some people are never happy unless they're shitting on something that other people love.

[gangsterfurious]

Holy overeaction.

 

Ged can still bring it live - he sounds great on this tour, go see them.

 

I don't care that his voice is a little rough around the edges. So what? His performance at the HOF was good, not great, but not at all "cringeworthy" and certainly won't turn off any potential new fans any more then his 20 year old screech would. C'mon

 

At least his 20 year old screech was in key and sounded effortless. Oh well, to each their own. Hardcore fans are incredibly forgiving, but it is a real and growing problem/issue.

 

No I think most of us are good enough to realize that there's a lot of things we could do at age 20 that we can't quite pull off in the same way and we allow Geddy to be human and we are grateful that we still get to spend time in the same room with him.

[snowdogged]

I had to go back and listen to the performance again after reading all the posts about Ged's vocals. I definitely don't hear anything sung out of key. Sure he's singing stuff differently, and he's definitely having to push himself, but overall, it sounds pretty good. Even the two friends that I watched this with-neither one a Rush fan mainly due to the vocals-thought he sounded surprisingly tolerable.

 

Surprisingly tolerable? Talk about damning with faint praise!

 

If there truly were non-fans who listened and were able to get past his vocals and still got turned on by Rush, they were likely mesmerized by the sheer talent of their musicianship otherwise, which was incredibly apparent. Still, it's such a shame - they're at the top of their game musically, but I just can't watch the last couple/few DVD's or watch their live clips (like this one) without doing some MAJOR cringing at Geddy's vocals. Yes, he's older, yes vocals are going to be the first thing to go, maybe he didn't warm up properly and any other number of excuses, etc., but it doesn't change the fact that the vocals were objectively a mess. If you can't hear it, watch it again and try to listen objectively... if you can.

 

Anyone who watched the RRHOF performance and thought his vocals were anything above "barely acceptable," which in my mind is still being very kind and generous, simply doesn't want to deal with the truth. I know it can be hard to admit that his voice isn't up to an acceptable standard and to listen somewhat objectively to notice, but man was it rough, and man did he struggle mightily.

 

Someone stated above that some people just aren't happy unless they have something to complain about, and I understand that point of view, but that still doesn't deal with the reality of the situation. Does anyone truly think I WANT to be unhappy and cringe over Geddy's vocals live? No way. I wish with all my heart that his vocals were up to the standards to their musical proficiency and dexterity these days, but it simply is not the case. There's complaining just for the sake of complaining, and there's being realistic. I can't plug my ears and pretend it sounds good when it clearly doesn't.

 

I never expected my point of view on this issue to be popular, and of course people are entitled to their opinions as they've stated above, but as I said, it sounds like a combination of people defending him and/or being very forgiving. For some, Rush can do no wrong and those rose colored glasses are permanently;affixed.

 

And almost no one wants to hear that it's probably time for them to give it up as the problem is only getting worse with each passing year and tour. That would be sad for everyone, but Rush are known for a certain level of proficiency and professionalism, and when they can no longer achieve that, as Geddy cannot vocally anymore live, it's time to call it a day.

 

Wow, people are going to LOVE this post. :P

 

Maybe I should have said that some people are never happy unless they're shitting on something that other people love.

That is just so true! I am guilty of that myself. My wife just loves our new toilet.

[driventotheedge]

Ged is better on this tour than TMT by a long shot. Yes, he isn't as good as he used to be. Yes, the RRHOF performance suffered a bit. It certainly wasn't as good as what I saw on the first leg of CA, both in person and on bootleg DVD. I found it "OK". He hasn't lost as much as Plant has yet, or Dylan (though in fairness Bob's 10 years older).

 

I know a LOT of people here despise Henley, but he is the one exception to the older guys lose their voices rule from what I've seen. He still brings it note perfect in concert. I will say last time I saw Paul Rodgers perform live (TV about 5 years ago) he was still top notch too.

Edited May 21, 2013 by driventotheedge

[LedRush]

Regarding Geddy's voice, I think that his singing was spotty at the RRHOF and my wife commented on the same thing. It wasn't nearly as bad as it was for the TM Tour (nor was it bad), but it wasn't great. He did much better on Crossroads.

 

But one of the problems that Geddy has is that he constantly tries to over-deliver the singing. Even on songs like Presto and The Camera Eye, he's yelling the lyrics. Those songs could really benefit from a more subtle delivery, and Geddy's vocals would be astronomically better. I really don't know why anyone has said this to him, or why he hasn't figured this out himself.

 

And someone earlier talked about Plant's vocals having deteriorated more than Geddy's. Plant's vocals started much better than Geddy's, so he had more room to fall, but I still disagree. Plant recognized that he couldn't do things the old way all the time and totally changed his style. His singing on Raising Sand is among the best of his career. It's not the power of Zep, but it has a subtlety and sublime quality that he never before captured.