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Shortened version of "Subdivisions" during the Roll The Bones tour?


ALifeson85
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I've heard several bootlegs from the Roll The Bones tour, and noticed that during the first leg of the tour, they played Subdivisions, but an obscure, shortened version of it. To hear what I mean, click here :

- and jump to / around the 1:02:00 mark to Subdivisions. I'm guessing they did this due to time restraints, but wouldn't you think they would have just dropped Subdivisions entirely, and replaced it with another song, that's actually 3:30 minutes long...like New World Man?

Just been curious about this for a while now. Seems like the summer '92 leg of the tour had the better setlist, as well - dropping Subdivisions and The Pass, and adding Vital Signs, Analog Kid, and The Trees. I wish I had been old enough to see that tour, as well!!

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I heard Neil (way back in the day) say that they trimmed the song for the exact reason you mention: to "keep the show at 2 hours". Why they couldn't do 2 hours, 1 minute and about 40 seconds is beyond me.

 

Sadly, it really did bring the whole experience down a notch as I recall. I don't think they've ever done this since then (other then obviously cutting out large pieces to fit in medleys etc.), so maybe it was a failed experiment.

 

Clem

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Why they couldn't do 2 hours, 1 minute and about 40 seconds is beyond me.

 

 

Not 100% sure, but I believe there are very strict union laws for their crew, and possibly venue employees, whereby if the show goes into overtime, they are pretty stiff fines that the band must pay. So even if they are 1 minute 40 seconds over, the band is out of pocket. i could be wrong, but that's my understanding.

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So here is my question, if they needed to trim subdivisions to make a time limit, how did they manage trading it (and The Pass) with three other full length songs?
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Subdivisions: 5:35 (full length)

The Pass: 4:52

Total: 10:27

 

The Trees: 4:46

Vital Signs: 4:47

The Analog Kid: 4:30

Total: 14:03

 

Yeah, no, they had plenty of time to play subdivisions in its entirety. Also something to note, I think Ghost of a Chance was also excluded at first, but got added fairly quick. Maybe the reason the song amount changed was base on how long the opener played for.

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Subdivisions and The Pass are two of my top five Rush songs well, ever.... so yeah, I was pretty pissed when those got dropped, especially since that tour was my first show.

 

Still haven't heard The Pass live. Got the opposite night set in Denver this year. :boo hiss:

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I'm not a huge fan of the 89-92 period, so I don't often listen to shows from that era, but when I do I find many of the arrangements frustrating (plus truth be told the Wal is one of my least-favourite bass sounds of Geddy's, and bass is a huge part of why I listen). The segue from Freewill to DEW makes me cringe every time I hear it. Of all the shortened arrangements I can think of only Working Man stands out to me as something that benefits from being edited down a bit (like versions they've played post-2000, basically omitting the second solo section on the record).

 

Before I found out the setlist for the CA tour I wondered if after its long, long absence and warm fan reception they might bring back 'The Camera Eye' again, maybe in the shortened version they did on the Signals tour. I find that arrangement less than the awesomeness of the whole song, but I could have lived with it.

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I'm listening to the Oakland show from 92, and the shortening of Subdivisions seems even more of a crime as they also play the version of Closer to The Heart with the extended two minute jam at the end (oh, how I loathe that arrangement).
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I'm not a huge fan of the 89-92 period, so I don't often listen to shows from that era, but when I do I find many of the arrangements frustrating (plus truth be told the Wal is one of my least-favourite bass sounds of Geddy's, and bass is a huge part of why I listen). The segue from Freewill to DEW makes me cringe every time I hear it. Of all the shortened arrangements I can think of only Working Man stands out to me as something that benefits from being edited down a bit (like versions they've played post-2000, basically omitting the second solo section on the record).

 

Before I found out the setlist for the CA tour I wondered if after its long, long absence and warm fan reception they might bring back 'The Camera Eye' again, maybe in the shortened version they did on the Signals tour. I find that arrangement less than the awesomeness of the whole song, but I could have lived with it.

they did camera eye on the time machine tour

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I don't really mind shortened tunes or when they change things up a bit. I've seen most of their hits played live already anyway (except the trees, since I've only been going to rush shows since 2010)

 

Agreed, especially for songs like Subdivisions which are played almost every tour. When I hear the live versions, I want a different sound and/or a different solo and/or a different arrangement. I'd prefer more or improvised solos or rearrangements like for Resist, but anything new is good in my book, even if I ultimately prefer another version of the song.

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I'm not a huge fan of the 89-92 period, so I don't often listen to shows from that era, but when I do I find many of the arrangements frustrating (plus truth be told the Wal is one of my least-favourite bass sounds of Geddy's, and bass is a huge part of why I listen). The segue from Freewill to DEW makes me cringe every time I hear it. Of all the shortened arrangements I can think of only Working Man stands out to me as something that benefits from being edited down a bit (like versions they've played post-2000, basically omitting the second solo section on the record).

 

Before I found out the setlist for the CA tour I wondered if after its long, long absence and warm fan reception they might bring back 'The Camera Eye' again, maybe in the shortened version they did on the Signals tour. I find that arrangement less than the awesomeness of the whole song, but I could have lived with it.

 

Agree- the worst period in their history bar none. The Freewill - DEW segue was just plain disgusting.

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I love the extended intro on that version though. The drums sound nice and loud on that track on the St. Louis '91 show.
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