There was/is band called Pavlov's Dog. I saw them open for someone back in the 70s and their lead singer sounds very similar to Geddy. Other than that, no one sounds like Geddy Lee. :)
I agree that Geddy is completely unique, but this comment reminded me of Tyler Warren's Permanent waves cover for some reason. Check it out, the guy covers the whole Permanent waves album playing all the instruments + singing, sounding very close to Geddy. It has to be the best and most talented cover video i've ever seen.
Danny is from Lawrence Kansas. I'm in Kansas City just a few miles from there. He also went to college here. If I recall he mighta been in the Rush doc
@rj zander neil was the youngest person to enter modern drummer's hall of fame. Nothing against Steve Gadd or anybody like that but you think you're being a bit harsh?
@rj zander I just found out recently, watching a Steely Dan doc, that they used a DRUM MACHINE on their Gaucho album because they didnt like any of their session drummers. They paid $150, 000 to have a drum machine built. It took up 3 rooms of the studio they were working in. I couldnt believe it myself. That being said, Gavin Harrison is probably the Neil Peart of today...he is the new professor!
"I mean... there's nothing quite like them, is there?" No. There isn't. And there never will be ever again. They were unique, and incredible. I've never seen 3 musicians all at the top of their instrument join forces for so long to make so much awesome and inspiring music.
Wow. Geddy really smoothed out his singing in later years. Especially in the 80s. And man, you can hear the Canadian accent strongly here. And Neil. We'll miss you Neil. One of the greats.
I’m sure she heard about Neil’s passing, I mean you’d have to be living under a rock to not hear about it. So it surprises me that she never mentioned it.
If she's like some other reactors I know, this could be several months old. Could be she heard about Neil's passing and just bumped this up in the rotation.
@Vlasko60 you're kidding, aren't you? Exit stage left is one of the greatest live albums of all time. I will agree his voice started to go in later years.
@@1997lordofdoom sadly, the older he gets, the worse his voice gets. I did see them for the R40 tour, their last tour, and yes Geddy's voice had definitely taken a turn for the worse. I truly do not believe that he sang healthy. One cannot keep up with singing the way he did. I love Geddy with all of my heart and soul, but his voice is done.
" Wonders of the world they wroooouuuuught !! " 1970's early 80's Rush pure gold. Man I miss those days. Alex Lifeson must be the most underated guitarist ever.
He really is. Everyone always puts Neil and Geddy up at the top of their craft, but no one ever mentions Alex. I really can't understand that either. Alex always sounds like he's playing both rhythm and lead at the same time, and that's not necessarily an easy thing to do.
I really appreciate your careful wording! Geddy’s vocals are controversial to say the least, in particular vocals in the 70’s. There are recordings that better showcase just how strong and clarion his young voice could be. Day after day, year after year, of performing took a toll.
Thank you for covering an example of early Rush. Although Geddy's voice changes throughout the years, I love absolutely everything they released and had the fortune of seeing them live several times. My favorite band by far. Rest in peace, Professor Neil Peart. God bless.
I am endlessly grateful to have had Rush's music in my life. They consistently delivered virtuosic performances, and they are proof that nerds can win. Neil Peart's death was a huge shock. He is now a monument of unageing intellect, as Yeats put it.
You beautiful creature you have finally reacted to some classic Geddy Lee THANK YOU! You definitely make great music even better with your attitude and your smile, it lights up the room and I truly love hearing you sing as well 🥰🥰
Been a HUGE Rush fan since 12 years old (some decades ago) and changed the way he uses his voice a couple times. I think he is great with keyboards, but vastly underrated as a bass player. My absolute favorite track from Rush is _La Villa Strangiato_ with no vocals but spectacular instrumentation by all three.
Maybe in the general public, but that’s a problem that all the members of rush had, the band was completely underrated. Geddy is well known among bassists, especially rock bassists. He’s up there with Chris squire, John entwhistle and John Paul Jones
@@lordfulmine Yeah Rush is quite lauded among us musicians. You would be hard pressed to find a good bass player not influenced by Geddy, same for Alex. But more fellow drummers (especially Gen-Xers) shout Neil Peart from the rooftop. It's almost as if drummers in my generation are religiously attached to Neil. It could be that way for Geddy among bassists, I just have not witnessed it as often.
Oh yeah--most people who aren't musicians tend to look down on Rush as "pretentious" and "overrated", and ditto for Yes. Though it must be said, to be fair, that Yes did indeed frequently become weighed down by their own excess, musically. Rush were three brilliant musicians who evolved and changed and grew over a storied decades long career, and as far as I'm concerned there is no such thing as a "bad" Rush album. Geddy Lee is my King of the Bass, for sure; he always had a distinctive bass sound that was front and center along with the guitar, his lines didn't always adhere to what his vocal parts were doing, and I always find his playing clever and inventive. His vocals are one of the most unique sounds in rock n' roll, for sure, and he may not be everybody's cup of tea, but without his vocals, Rush would have sounded much different.
@andydguitar... I was being somewhat facetious, as he cannot be OVERRATED in my book :) As for drummers, Neil was my all-time #1 fave. That is saying a lot, as I have 30~40 in my top 10!
Saw these guys on the Moving Pictures tour. It's crazy how they consistently sounded like the record. Their guitars and drums always in unison. Masters in their art.
Thanks Beth for all your amazing videos.... you have a special gift of visualizing and explaining what can't been seen but heard.... so helpful and enlightening.... Thank you!
Geddy, the most unique vocalist ever along with ripping bass. Farewell to the King, Neil Peart. His unmistakable drumming chops and his poetic words will live on forever. Still gutted by his passing.
I love that my favorite band moves a professional such as yourself, Beth. I grew up playing and singing to these guys and, imo, there isn't a band that even comes close. Cheers...🥃
Thank you for selecting Rush again, Beth! Especially now, after Neil Peart’s passing, I’m so thankful I got to see Rush live in the late ‘90s. Incredible show, I’ll never forget it.
Whenever I hear Rush I trace my way though various elements of the music. Geddy's interpretation of the lyrics to his driving baseline to Neil filling the background and middle spaces. I hear a rototom fill and I involuntarily pause and feel a tear form... I don't think this will pass anytime soon...
Your analyses are always so interesting, I appreciate how you're not much of a critic, but more so explaining what the vocal theory behind a certain phrase is, getting at what the artist is attempting to achieve and why our ears do appreciate the performance.
Very cool to watch your reaction, Beth, to this old live cut of a very Zeppelinny song. Another very ambitious song of theirs, not necessarily for a reaction, is the 20 minute side 1 track of their Hemispheres album. Geddy's vocals are do fun for their highness, dynamics and his level of commitment. Grateful for your analysis to appreciate his performance in more facets
I really like the idea you have for reaction videos... taking a standard (and kinda played out) format and bringing something unique and interesting to it. I personally have been playing instruments since I was in the 3rd grade (started on violin) so anytime I watch reaction videos I'm always picking up and sensing if they are trying to comprehend the song beyond the surface or if they're just cheesing it for views. Keep up the great work!
Will say, this video of Anthem is an old live recording(obviously haha)I think the studio track showed more vocal talent. Here they were all so pumped. Alex plays that intro fast. But the album version is much smoother. I think the fact he’s playing bass on top he’s jumping notes fast because he may have not been as comfortable to both at this time with this song. If you get a chance in your free time, check the studio. I’m sure you’d enjoy it. (I’m not sure if this exact video was picked or the song itself) if it was this exact video (Rush fans what are you doing.😂)
Yeah, he let it rip back in the days. I guess all the great rock singers did that...go all out in the now, let the future worry about itself. Back when I used to do long drives on weekends and would sing along to stuff for hours, my voice felt the strain in just an hour or so. And then I'd think about these guys who sang much more strenuously, for 2-3 hours straight, each night, night after night on multi-month tours. And just about every year. It's amazing any of them maintained their "prime" voice for as long as they did.
I wouldn't say decades but in the last 5 or so years of the band the only way he could hit those high notes was to sing without consonants... That's the only way I can describe it. He got hard to understand and wasn't pronouncing the words like he did, just kind of shouting to get to the high notes.
@@mojorisen74 The last time I can remember Geddy hit those high notes that would make dogs howl, was that one verse in "Freewill", and that was 1980. The rest of the "Permanent Waves" album was sung at a lower pitch, and ensuring albums were increasingly lower and with no punch. So, yeah I would say it has been decades.
Lol...that's pretty good with the "consonant" description. I always refer to it as his yodel board, like he had to do that flip thing with his throat in order to springboard up to higher notes. In the long run, I prefer his lower register myself, so even if he could've still hit the screeching highs in the PW+ era, I'm glad they brought the key down a bit.
This is the very first Rush song I ever heard, back in 198? I instantly became a lifelong Rush fan... now shocked and saddened like a million others. Great review Beth, thanks.
I loved your analysis. Having been a singer in a Rush tribute band for 5 years now it was very interesting for me to hear how you break down his use of head voice and how he sharpens it. It took a long time for me to figure out how to do that, I wish I had seen this video a few years ago !
Geddy is the man!!! All three members of Rush were completely unique and major game changers in the Prog/Metal/Rock music world. R.I.P Professor Neil Peart!!!
Spot on reaction/analyses! As far as vocal performance and maturity goes, it would have been interesting to hear your thoughts on “Which Hunt” from Grace Under Pressure Live, “Marathon” from A Show Of Hands, or “Red Barchetta” from Exit Stage Left. These are good examples of Geddy at his peak, and the songs themselves are gorgeous.
Hello, Beth Roars!:) I was born in 1965, North Memorial Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN. I lived in Crystal until I moved to Wadena in 1975. That when I discovered Rush... Fly by Night was so instrumental for me, because I became an introvert, and Rush 'Spoke' to me. I know that Geddy couldn't quite hit the high notes later on, but I can understand that a voice 'Changes', and you can't do much about it... Thank you, Neil(R.I.P.), Geddy, and Alex for everything!:) Semper Fidelis
The voice of a soaring eagle and the drums of a rhythmic hail storm with thunder crashing! This is my favorite era of Rush. Thank you for reacting to this one! If I can suggest, please do a reaction to Mad Season - Long Gone Day Two iconic singers in Mark Lanegan and Layne Staley. Love the channel!
That's kickass live video too, Rush @ Capitol Theater 12/10/1976, the entire show is great and the sound quality is amazing for a show at that time. The 2112 tour!
Rick Gurule What? They dismissed him after “Signals” when they were on their way away from being a Prog band and delving into 80’s synth sounds and arrangements.
I'm not so sure about that. Geddy's voice was really struggling at this point and on the live version, it gets very strained to the point where it's not that great to listen to. The music on the other hand is spectacular.
You should absolutely check out 2112 from the same concert! Even in the non-complete form played in concert then, the song still tallies SIXTEEN MINUTES LONG. With Geddy really going for it a lot! The full song is 20 minutes long, and is considered *the* classic Rush song!
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It's true and the only way to convert those people who can't stand him is with their instrumentals. If they don't like those, then you know they just have bad taste. And there's no reason to hang out with someone like that lol. Rush is the ultimate friend test. 😅
@Vlasko60 Very true. And I also have a wide musical taste. From prog to country to rap and everything inbetween. Can't really ask for more than that. To be open minded. We like what we like, and that's cool.
His voice goes with the music. The first progressive metal or whatever you want to call it, bitchin` musicians as we said back in the day. No one like Peart in the drum world.
@Vlasko60 Honestly, I'm glad you said it, cause I completely agree. It's not exclusive to Rush for me, there are a lot of bands that sound very different live, and sometimes it's in a way I personally don't like. I get it with early Queen too; their studio stuff is very melodic and balanced, whereas a lot of their live stuff feels more spontaneous and raw. It's not bad by any means, but it just doesn't work so much for me
Rush is a great band, I have been following them for about 28 years, for those who have never heard, tremendously recommended. Thank God he wanted me to be on his last show. Neil was and will be one of the best drummers in the world.
I (and the rest of your Canadian fans) would love for you to do Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip. Maybe not the greatest vocalist you've ever heard, but his storytelling approach is unique and interesting. Just be warned, if you watch any footage of their final tour he was being actively treated for terminal brain cancer and had already had a chunk of his brain removed, so he struggles at times; although this makes some of the performance even more powerful.
I saw The Hip on their final tour -- last show in Toronto -- and you're right, Gord's singing was a bit off at times. Somewhat strained. But like you said, it just made us love the performance more. He gave us a fantastic show. I echo your request one of the Gord's performances be showcased. He sang in a very unique manner. Maybe a live version of "Bobcaygeon" or "Wheat Kings". If Beth does a video on Gord Downie, she'll be analysing the voice of Canada. Who wouldn't want to see that?
I really like your description of what he is doing to make the voice. As note he says he developed that high sound in order to project over the complex and intricate playing stile they had. Good to see you can appreciate it.
Drummer reacts to Neil Peart: Though he may not be one of my personal favorites. Anybody that knows anything about drumming would be a fool to not recognize his absolute genius!
My all time fav band. Three monsters! Still hard to believe that "The Professor" is gone. Sad days since january 10. RIP Neil Peart. Amazing lyricist, musician and writer. Great guy
Absolute icons of rock/early metal. Love these guys tons. Another band that makes me wish I'd been born about ten years earlier. My parents could've done it too, if they hadn't been such slackers and decided to finish university first! How dare they!
what’s amazing is if you compare this to more commercial / radio friendly material from Rush including songs with a pop music influence.. it’s like two different singers.. another thing to keep in mind is Geddy Lee is a phenomenal bass player and the way he simultaneously plays melodic bass lines and sings is always impressive ,whether or not you like the song.. 🤘🏽
I would love to hear your reaction to 2112 in which Geddy has two entirely different singing voices of two characters in the album's story. Sometimes he goes straight from one to the other with no pause at all. It's amazing!
Geddy sang in this way for most of the material in the earlier years. by the early 1980s he started working in a lower register. Cygnus X-1 is an interesting one because it does lots of shifts of moods, and is a good cross-section view of his vocal capabilities at the time. Plus, it's just really trippy, dudette. You will find a few songs where he almost sounds like a folk music guy. Examples: Madrigal, Tears, Different Strings, and Panacaea. The second and third songs are written by Mr. Lee.
Hadn't heard this song before. Remarkable talents. You can hear the influence that they probably had on various forms of Metal. So many bits and pieces I've heard from other groups that came later. Tom Sawyer was my introduction to Rush, watched the video on Muchmusic with my father when I was 8 or 9. Later, Moving Pictures was the first CD I ever bought. One-of-a-kind bunch of guys. "Good Canadian Kids!" as Grapes might say.
Beth I think you'd find the documentary about Rush called Beyond the Lighted Stage. They talk about what critics thought of Daddy's voice early on. Also just a great doc.
