Battlescar

[Spaghetti Lee]

He tore it to hell even before that...the damage was done on the 2112 tour; he had to know he was losing that power and projection for good. Not only that, but his amazing fast wide emotional vibrato...a major hallmark of his old by-gone voice.

 

Eh, I disagree. Everything (except La Villa obviously) on Hemispheres is through the roof high. Even though it was a bit of a mistake to do it that high, he wouldn't have gone that close if he felt he was losing it. Just my opinion.

Hemispheres tops out at a G5- just one semitone below 2112, and on 2112, the note was sustained for about half a second. Also, they played Cyg B1 on the Hemispheres tour, which tops out at Bb5, and I believe that he actually sang it as a B5 at one of the shows. Either way, the Hemispheres tour was his vocal peak-- on Permanent Waves he only went to an F5 (though he went higher on tour).

Hemispheres tour was not his vocal peak, just compare 2112 from ATWAS to a bootleg from the Hemi tour

Pitch-wise, it was, and that seemed to be what he meant. His voice was better on the 2112 tour, but it was higher on the Hemispheres tour. Perhaps I misunderstood what he meant.

 

Too bad he could hardly ever HIT those higher notes on the later tour without sounding like he was dying. The Hemispheres tour might have had more spots in it that had higher notes that he SHOULD have hit (and that tour SHOULD have with all the amazingly high songs included such as "2112" and "Cygnus X-1") but actually doing so satisfactorily was a rare occurrence. He sounds at times like he simply can't wait for it all to be over on ALL the Hemispheres tour boots I've heard.

 

A direct result was the much, much, much lower singing on the next album, Permanent Waves.

 

He DEFINITELY knew he was losing it, and HAD to do something. And do something he did...besides one verse in "Freewill," Geddy would NEVER sing like that again with such power and projection.

[Pars123]

He tore it to hell even before that...the damage was done on the 2112 tour; he had to know he was losing that power and projection for good. Not only that, but his amazing fast wide emotional vibrato...a major hallmark of his old by-gone voice.

 

Eh, I disagree. Everything (except La Villa obviously) on Hemispheres is through the roof high. Even though it was a bit of a mistake to do it that high, he wouldn't have gone that close if he felt he was losing it. Just my opinion.

Hemispheres tops out at a G5- just one semitone below 2112, and on 2112, the note was sustained for about half a second. Also, they played Cyg B1 on the Hemispheres tour, which tops out at Bb5, and I believe that he actually sang it as a B5 at one of the shows. Either way, the Hemispheres tour was his vocal peak-- on Permanent Waves he only went to an F5 (though he went higher on tour).

Hemispheres tour was not his vocal peak, just compare 2112 from ATWAS to a bootleg from the Hemi tour

Pitch-wise, it was, and that seemed to be what he meant. His voice was better on the 2112 tour, but it was higher on the Hemispheres tour. Perhaps I misunderstood what he meant.

 

Too bad he could hardly ever HIT those higher notes on the later tour without sounding like he was dying. The Hemispheres tour might have had more spots in it that had higher notes that he SHOULD have hit (and that tour SHOULD have with all the amazingly high songs included such as "2112" and "Cygnus X-1") but actually doing so satisfactorily was a rare occurrence. He sounds at times like he simply can't wait for it all to be over on ALL the Hemispheres tour boots I've heard.

 

A direct result was the much, much, much lower singing on the next album, Permanent Waves.

 

He DEFINITELY knew he was losing it, and HAD to do something. And do something he did...besides one verse in "Freewill," Geddy would NEVER sing like that again with such power and projection.

Interesting, you are correct. He doesn't sing high like that ever again. But to me, I feel like newer songs like One Little Victory had very powerful vocals (the higher verses) and even Headlong Flights (All again....) parts were very powerful. Not 70's Geddy powerful, but powerful in their own ways.

[ytserush]

I love Battlescar. I wish they had done a few more collaborations back then. Hell, an album would have been great too.

[MMCXII]

I can't sleep, so I thought I'd ask this question: does Battlescar seem like a true collaboration between Rush and Max Webster, or not?

 

i cant sleep either so uh.. ya it does.. I think I'll listen to it now actually :)

Edited July 25, 2014 by MMCXII

[toymaker]

"Take Off" on the Bob & Doug album - was that from roughly the same period? His voice sounds great on that tune (although there aren't many lyrics...)

[x1yyz]

"Take Off" on the Bob & Doug album - was that from roughly the same period? His voice sounds great on that tune (although there aren't many lyrics...)

 

That was a much better song! :finbar:

[mmclarney]

Listen to the live version of Battlescar from Kim Mitchell's live CD, "I Am A Wild Party (Live)". No RUSH, obviously, but fantastic version of a great song. Peter Fredette does an amazing job singing Geddy's vocal parts.

[len(songs)]

Great song, though not something Rush would have done. Also proves that Geddy could still scream after 1976 1978...

[Entre_Perpetuo]

I just discovered this exists....awesome. Superbly awesome. I'd call it a true collaboration, though the writing style isn't very Rush.

[ReRushed]

It's not bad. I just think it's forgettable.

[toymaker]

I haven't forgotten it. Great tune. It's got some cool bass licks from Lee and a couple of recognizable drum fills as well.

[EagleMoon]

I remember when I first heard this years ago. They played it on the radio and I was like, isn't that that Geddy Lee? It really stuck in my mind. Now when I listen to it I think it's really cool but it sounds a bit slow. I think it would have been better if it had been a tiny bit faster. It kind of drags...though I still think it's a cool song.

[robertrobyn]

Omg this song is outstanding when cranked up and play loud and no wife is around lol

[robertrobyn]

Omg this song is outstanding when cranked up and play loud and no wife is around lol

[Geddy's Soul Patch]

Geddy torches Kim in this

[nappy2112]

LOVE IT.

 

I remember hearing it over the PA system before the Moving Pictures tour and thinking "What is this??"

 

I remember seeing Geddy sing it with them on the MP Tour.

[ytserush]

LOVE IT.

 

I remember hearing it over the PA system before the Moving Pictures tour and thinking "What is this??"

 

I remember seeing Geddy sing it with them on the MP Tour.

 

Too bad one of those versions couldn't be released.

[Syrinx]

Max Webster is still one of the greatest bands to ever come out of Canada! I saw their one show reunion at a local radio station anniversary a few years ago and they were still awesome.

[Eel Yddeg]

There is absolutely NO WAY that Geddy could still sing like that in 1980. He started losing his power and control way back on the 2112 tour; just listen to some bootlegs from that era; some are great, some are pretty off. On the Farewell to Kings tour he was killing himself to hit Cygnus, and on the Hemispheres tour bootlegs he sounds like he's ready to die hitting some of those notes. He could still sing HIGH in 1980 albeit kinda softly with trepidation, but he couldn't scream out those notes effortlessly with the power he did in the early 70's...no way. "Battlescar" might have come out in 1980, but those vocals were definitely recorded earlier than that.

Sorry for bumping a year old debate, but i disagree. He had all his range and power, to me, all the way up to the Hemispheres album. Listen to the Canadian Bacon bootleg (12/10/1977), The Different Stages live album (2/20/1978) or the Providence 1978 bootleg (1/12/1978) to see that he still had it. It wasn't until the tour where he went downhill. For instance, compare 2112 from one of the bootlegs mentioned to Black Forest (5/28/1979), and you'll see.

[JohnRogers]

I know nothing aboot this Max Weinberg but I bailed on the song early. Kind of slow and plodding. I'll have to revisit sometime.

 

On the subject of Geddy's vocals. This was a studio recording, no??? A lot of parlor tricks can be employed so there is really nothing to speculate aboot.

[grep]

Talas did a pretty good cover.

[Geddy's Soul Patch]

There is absolutely NO WAY that Geddy could still sing like that in 1980. He started losing his power and control way back on the 2112 tour; just listen to some bootlegs from that era; some are great, some are pretty off. On the Farewell to Kings tour he was killing himself to hit Cygnus, and on the Hemispheres tour bootlegs he sounds like he's ready to die hitting some of those notes. He could still sing HIGH in 1980 albeit kinda softly with trepidation, but he couldn't scream out those notes effortlessly with the power he did in the early 70's...no way. "Battlescar" might have come out in 1980, but those vocals were definitely recorded earlier than that.

Sorry for bumping a year old debate, but i disagree. He had all his range and power, to me, all the way up to the Hemispheres album. Listen to the Canadian Bacon bootleg (12/10/1977), The Different Stages live album (2/20/1978) or the Providence 1978 bootleg (1/12/1978) to see that he still had it. It wasn't until the tour where he went downhill. For instance, compare 2112 from one of the bootlegs mentioned to Black Forest (5/28/1979), and you'll see.

Debating a ghost eh?

[lachrymal]

There is absolutely NO WAY that Geddy could still sing like that in 1980. He started losing his power and control way back on the 2112 tour; just listen to some bootlegs from that era; some are great, some are pretty off. On the Farewell to Kings tour he was killing himself to hit Cygnus, and on the Hemispheres tour bootlegs he sounds like he's ready to die hitting some of those notes. He could still sing HIGH in 1980 albeit kinda softly with trepidation, but he couldn't scream out those notes effortlessly with the power he did in the early 70's...no way. "Battlescar" might have come out in 1980, but those vocals were definitely recorded earlier than that.

Sorry for bumping a year old debate, but i disagree. He had all his range and power, to me, all the way up to the Hemispheres album. Listen to the Canadian Bacon bootleg (12/10/1977), The Different Stages live album (2/20/1978) or the Providence 1978 bootleg (1/12/1978) to see that he still had it. It wasn't until the tour where he went downhill. For instance, compare 2112 from one of the bootlegs mentioned to Black Forest (5/28/1979), and you'll see.

Debating a ghost eh?

 

The ghost of Christmas past. I hope Scrooge will change his ways, Spaghetti for everyone!

[Verena]

I had not heard of this before today so I don't know anything about the song or what led up to it. The Internet tells me it is from 1980 so I chose the third answer—Rush was not writing music like this in 1980. In 1974 maybe, but not in the 80s.

 

I agree here. It has some Rush elements, but they weren't in this style anymore.

 

The song is good, but it doesn't compare to others.

[Geddy's Soul Patch]

I had not heard of this before today so I don't know anything about the song or what led up to it. The Internet tells me it is from 1980 so I chose the third answer—Rush was not writing music like this in 1980. In 1974 maybe, but not in the 80s.

 

I agree here. It has some Rush elements, but they weren't in this style anymore.

 

The song is good, but it doesn't compare to others.

Well, to be fair, I assume the song was mostly written by Kim Mitchell