quote:

Originally posted by Yamaha SHO:
Paul Rodgers singing for Rush??? I guess some people prefer mediocrity like Bad Company's pop/radio fluff to real musicianship with a distinct sound and quality lyrics. Hell, he couldn't even get it done with one of the top 5 guitarists of all time in Jimmy Page and The Firm.

I'll take Geddy Lee over any of the auto-tuned crapola on the radio now anytime. Long live Rush and please get back out on tour one more time so that I might be able to take a few friends' kids to show them what real music is all about!

This right here is an EPIC first post!!

I already said some of my piece, but here's the thing, either you "get" Rush, or you don't. Nothing about them could be improved by a different singer. They would not be Rush.

I "get" Rush. I never ever tire of them. If I had to choose one and only one musician/band to listen to for the rest of my life, it would be Rush. Wondering what they might have sounded like with a different vocalist isn't some kind of sacrilege.

I think Tommy Shaw might have been a great addition to the band, had he not wound up in Styx. Strong lead vocals and can hit the same range as Geddy, solid on guitar, good song writer, loves to jam. He's a rocker and hated the direction Dennis DeYoung forced Styx to take. Every Rush song I imagine him singing sounds great to my mind's ear. I think he would have fit their style, but added the emotional element to their sound they usually lack.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBMWsqXr06A

quote:

Originally posted by erj_pilot:


And from an instrumental musical perspective, it's the likes of Geddy Lee, Chris Squire, John Entwistle (to a lesser degree), et. al., that placed the bass guitar in the forefront of Rock as a lead instrument, instead of something in the background standing behind the drummer just playing 4 notes as the root of every chord.

I seem to recall a bad that achieved moderate success with the lead being the bass player

McCartney was his name I think, and he had a garage band called The Beatles

they did OK

^^^ McCartney and the Beatles were, of course, great. He's a good bassist, but didn't inspire legions of teen males to actually want to play the instrument because they suddenly thought you could be a badass by doing it well, I don't think. Geddy Lee actually excited people about the bass, which is no small feat. I remember listening to Rush songs as a teen and at times just focusing on the bass. Even to this day I hear things Geddy played 30 years ago and think "oh wow, I don't remember hearing THAT before...very cool!"

In response to OP:

They would'nt be Rush - they'd be some other band.

That's like having someone other than Plant sing for Led Zep.

quote:

Originally posted by nhtagmember:
I seem to recall a bad that achieved moderate success with the lead being the bass player

McCartney was his name I think, and he had a garage band called The Beatles

they did OK

quote:

Originally posted by rusbro:
^^^ McCartney and the Beatles were, of course, great. He's a good bassist, but didn't inspire legions of teen males to actually want to play the instrument because they suddenly thought you could be a badass by doing it well, I don't think. Geddy Lee actually excited people about the bass, which is no small feat. I remember listening to Rush songs as a teen and at times just focusing on the bass. Even to this day I hear things Geddy played 30 years ago and think "oh wow, I don't remember hearing THAT before...very cool!"

rusbro nailed it. I'm not taking ANYTHING away from Sir Paul and what the Beatles did, but even I could play/cover the Beatles bass line, with a little practice, back when I was playing. Cover Geddy?? Me...not so much. Again...refer to my post above and just watch the fingering of the guy covering YYZ. Playing a bass like a lead instrument in addition to chording is what the likes of Geddy and Chris (R.I.P, Chris ) introduced to the bassist world.

Here...I'll post it again:

some people need to spend some time listening to the Beatles with the stereo panned all the way to the left.

quote:

What would Rush be if they had hired a top notch vocalist?

It would never have occurred to me to ask this.

quote:

Originally posted by YellowJacket:
some people need to spend some time listening to the Beatles with the stereo panned all the way to the left.

Oddly enough that you mention that...



Enjoy!!!

Rush would be worth listening to if it had ANY singer other than Geddy Lee or Celine Dion

they are unbearable with his screech

quote:

Originally posted by nhtagmember:
Rush would be worth listening to if it had ANY singer other than Geddy Lee or Celine Dion

they are unbearable with his screech

THEN THEY WOULDN'T BE RUSH...they'd be "Delay". How simple of a concept is that to get. I could say the same thing about The Beatles...they would be worth listening to if they had someone other than John Lennon...then they'd be "The Bole Weevils". Jeezus.....Rush features Geddy Lee. If you don't like him, then don't friggin' listen.

And I'm not even that big of a Rush fan. It's just that some of y'alls debate on the topic is beyond inane. Geddy Lee's voice is what makes the group DISTINCT, and when you hear it, you say, "Ahhh...That's Rush!" Whaddya want? Tom Sawyer sung by Tony Bennett?

The only song that I know from Rush is Tom Sawyer. Part of the reason for that is that the vocalist is, to me, annoyingly high-pitched. It seemed to me that Tom Petty is of the style but much more listenable. Did he do Rush covers?.

Another successful band with a bass-vocalist was X. John Doe and Exene Cervenka vocalizing Rush covers could have been interesting.

quote:

Originally posted by erj_pilot:

quote:

Originally posted by nhtagmember:
Rush would be worth listening to if it had ANY singer other than Geddy Lee or Celine Dion

they are unbearable with his screech

THEN THEY WOULDN'T BE RUSH...they'd be "Delay". How simple of a concept is that to get. I could say the same thing about The Beatles...they would be worth listening to if they had someone other than John Lennon...then they'd be "The Bole Weevils". Jeezus.....Rush features Geddy Lee. If you don't like him, then don't friggin' listen.

And I'm not even that big of a Rush fan. It's just that some of y'alls debate on the topic is beyond inane. Geddy Lee's voice is what makes the group DISTINCT, and when you hear it, you say, "Ahhh...That's Rush!" Whaddya want? Tom Sawyer sung by Tony Bennett?

I would actually like to hear a cover by Tony Bennett or even Tom Jones, ,

quote:

Originally posted by mr kablammo:
The only song that I know from Rush is Tom Sawyer. Part of the reason for that is that the vocalist is, to me, annoyingly high-pitched. It seemed to me that Tom Petty is of the style but much more listenable. Did he do Rush covers?.

Another successful band with a bass-vocalist was X. John Doe and Exene Cervenka vocalizing Rush covers could have been interesting.

tom petty,,

bob Dylan lite to me, (as in very annoying voice)


X would be excellent

quote:

Originally posted by SIGnified:


I never got to hear Geddy live before he lost his voice, and it's so bad now that it's not worth it. But it remains a mainstay in my music repertoire.

What? I've seen every tour since Signals and I think he sounded better at the end.

quote:

THEN THEY WOULDN'T BE RUSH...they'd be "Delay". How simple of a concept is that to get. I could say the same thing about The Beatles...they would be worth listening to if they had someone other than John Lennon...then they'd be "The Bole Weevils". Jeezus.....Rush features Geddy Lee. If you don't like him, then don't friggin' listen.

I disagree - Rush is the name of the band, not the name of the singer

it would still be Rush, but much better vocals with someone else

I didn't say to replace Lee on bass

they are all fine musicians - they just spoil it with his singing

I hear a Rush song and I change the station

bands go through a lot of singers in their life span - some good and some bad

my opinion is that he's a bad singer

like it, don't like it - I don't care but it won't change my opinion - Rush would be a much better band with a better singer

Maybe some of the people in this thread are looking at it from the perspective of, if a lead vocalist was added now, or at least after Rush had already developed a fan base. I'm looking at it from the perspective of if they had vocalist all along who could sing as well as the players can play. Had that been the case, THAT would be the only Rush we knew, and thus people would get up in arms big time if that vocalist left and Lee took over that role, instead.

Again, I love Rush above all other bands, by a long shot. There's nothing wrong with imagining what they might have sounded like with a different lead vocalist. If you don't want to do that, that's fine.

It's all about the lyrics for me. Analog Kid, Limelight those words need to be handled with care.

If they had Ozzy as front man, we would call them Black Sabbath...

Here is Rush with another, inferior, drummer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qezwXjFpW-g