Jump to content
Why become a member? ×
Please Support Basschat

Geddy Lee genius??

TheGreek

By TheGreek,
in General Discussion

 Share

Recommended Posts

Daz39 Grand Master

Daz39

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, ezbass said:

The Professor certainly triggered a number of things from one of those pad thingies.

In his book ‘Roadshow’, Neil Peart describes all 3 of them working out during pre-tour rehearsals who would trigger each noise, clip, effect etc. based on who had a ‘comparatively quiet bit’ at that moment with their main instrument(s). They left the challenge to their techs to match up the pad, pedal or switch to the right noise.

They were determined that while their songs would have bits of borrowed noise or effect from whatever they found interesting, it would always be played (triggered) live by one of them.

Edited by Daz39
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
leroydiamond Experienced

leroydiamond

Posted
Posted (edited)
12 hours ago, ubit said:

Sounds was a great paper. I miss that. Then again we didn't have the internet then so that was how we heard about bands. I remember when Brian Johnston joined AC/DC, I bought Back in Black and it wasn't until I got home and stuck it onto my record player that I heard him for the first time. You don't get that kind of magic anymore.

 

Know what you mean, but for different reasons maybe. As a 16 year old mega AC/DC fan, I cried like a baby when Bon Scott died. The next time I cried was when I bought Back in Black and could not believe how poor Johnston sounded to my ears, when compared with the brilliance of Scott. There and then my love affair with AC/DC ended

As for Geddy Lee, love the guy. Great singer and player

Edited by leroydiamond
Link to comment
Share on other sites
ubit Grand Master

ubit

Posted
Posted
10 hours ago, leroydiamond said:

The next time I cried was when I bought Back in Black and could not believe how poor Johnston sounded to my ears

I agree that Bon was irreplaceable and is my favourite but it's not as if he left. He died, so they had no choice but to get someone else. To my young ears Brian sounded great and it was still that unmistakable sound of AC/DC, so I was happy. Geddy, I loved right from the off.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Billy Apple Mentor

Billy Apple

Posted
Posted
41 minutes ago, leroydiamond said:

Of course it is a matter of taste but for me Johnston was a turn off. I just cannot listen to him

I think he turned up and made a fist of it. Back in Black is a great album and there's not many who could carry it off. But, for me he sounds forced and almost signing in the wrong register.

Bon was just a hurricane, best rock singer ever who can't be touched.. the real deal

Stick on Riff Raff and it's all there

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
leroydiamond Experienced

leroydiamond

Posted
Posted (edited)
4 hours ago, Billy Apple said:

I think he turned up and made a fist of it. Back in Black is a great album and there's not many who could carry it off. But, for me he sounds forced and almost signing in the wrong register.

Bon was just a hurricane, best rock singer ever who can't be touched.. the real deal

Stick on Riff Raff and it's all there

I think you have beautifully nailed Scott when you say he was a hurricane. Live or in studio he was exceptional. 

Likewise I agree with your description of Johnston as being forced etc, and that's exactly why I could not enjoy Back in black and what followed.

This all begs the question 'what the hell has this got to do with a Geddy Lee genius thread?'😂

 

Edited by leroydiamond
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
2020Jazz Collaborator

2020Jazz

Posted
Posted
19 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

Interesting read:

https://www.loudersound.com/features/geddy-lee-mr-bass-man

"what was supposed to be 12 instruments has grown into over 250 instruments,” he notes, audibly wincing. “I guess that’s just how I roll! "

Thanks for posting that article, hadn't seen it. This--- "the most innocent of hobbies can easily spiral out of control" LOL no kidding. :D

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 4 weeks later...
Bunion Grand Master

Bunion

Posted
Posted

We used to go into a record shop by my school at dinner time up the winding stair to a dingy room over a row of shops and pick out our treasures with grubby mitts encased in plastic sleeves. 
The guy let us lay away and pay for them bit at a time, we could go back and he’d play us tracks from the album until we’d paid it off. 
I can still remember asking him to play something  from a band I’d heard about called Rush. 
He played the the 4th track “here again” from the first album. 
I put my deposit (probably about 10p) on that album instantly in the first opening lyrics geddy sang and lay awake every night until I paid it off and took it home. 
Rush were never my top band but damn that moment has always stayed with me. 
 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites
dmccombe7 Grand Master

dmccombe7

Posted
Posted

That's a great memory to have.

My first experience was hearing 2112. I saw a list of new bands in Sounds or NME in 76 incl Rush, Police and Blondie. The cover of 2112 did it for me. There was something different about them even back then. Bought the album unheard and loved it. Bought Farewell to Kings after that and saw them on that tour. From there i back tracked to Caress of Steel and Fly By Night (just to hear By-Tor) and every album since.

Altho i've followed them all these years including Neil's books they haven't always been my fav band at times. Fav band changes with time and mood i guess.

Dave

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Daz39 Grand Master

Daz39

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Bunion said:

We used to go into a record shop by my school at dinner time up the winding stair to a dingy room over a row of shops and pick out our treasures with grubby mitts encased in plastic sleeves. 
The guy let us lay away and pay for them bit at a time, we could go back and he’d play us tracks from the album until we’d paid it off. 
I can still remember asking him to play something  from a band I’d heard about called Rush. 
He played the the 4th track “here again” from the first album. 
I put my deposit (probably about 10p) on that album instantly in the first opening lyrics geddy sang and lay awake every night until I paid it off and took it home. 
Rush were never my top band but damn that moment has always stayed with me. 
 

Yes - 4 minutes of Alex soloing - brilliant.

I joined a gaming group at Uni (RPGs), and the DM was an English Lit postgrad (now an author) who, once he heard I liked Prog (from my Dad's collections), said I should listen to this: and he put on Hold Your Fire. As Force Ten kicked in, I realised my guitar-noodling days (18th birthday pressie) would be the minor to Bass. "Chords! on Bass!". ("yeah, and he's singing, and playing the keyboards," he replied.)

When I asked what else they did, he put on their latest album, Counterparts (this was October '95). I was hooked.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Angel Mentor

Angel

Posted
Posted

Rush were one of my most important bands late teens. I absolutely loved the band, well, until the Hold your fire album. I found that plus everything after waaaaaay less interesting. They became a different band.

But yeah Geddy Lee & Billy Sheehan and my two rock bass Gods.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
NancyJohnson Grand Master

NancyJohnson

Posted
Posted

Back on topic, Geddy Lee.  Yup, genius from a playing perspective, genius from a multi-instrumental perspective and he seems a genuinely nice person.  The only thing really is his voice; adored it early on (I entered the building with 2112/All The World's A Stage and snuck out after Signals), but I find it too shrill and he's obviously suffered over the years.  To quote Pavement:

 What about the voice of Geddy Lee
How did it get so high?
I wonder if he speaks like an ordinary guy?
(I know him and he does!)…

His tone is instantly recognisable to those who know his work and despite being called out as not knowing what I'm talking about and advised I was deaf elsewhere in these hallowed pages, Mr Lee's pretty distinctive tone was, for a very long time just Precision/Jazz/Rickenbacker(s) into Ampegs, so the signal chain doesn't get much simpler.  Who is going to begrudge a player of his calibre the option to just transition to Tech21 racked gear?  (Which is apparently 'all scooped mids' according to my accuser.)

So yes, genius.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
wateroftyne Grand Master

wateroftyne

Posted
Posted (edited)
17 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said:

Back on topic, Geddy Lee.  Yup, genius from a playing perspective, genius from a multi-instrumental perspective and he seems a genuinely nice person.  The only thing really is his voice; adored it early on (I entered the building with 2112/All The World's A Stage and snuck out after Signals), but I find it too shrill and he's obviously suffered over the years.  To quote Pavement:

 What about the voice of Geddy Lee
How did it get so high?
I wonder if he speaks like an ordinary guy?
(I know him and he does!)…

His tone is instantly recognisable to those who know his work and despite being called out as not knowing what I'm talking about and advised I was deaf elsewhere in these hallowed pages, Mr Lee's pretty distinctive tone was, for a very long time just Precision/Jazz/Rickenbacker(s) into Ampegs, so the signal chain doesn't get much simpler.  Who is going to begrudge a player of his calibre the option to just transition to Tech21 racked gear?  (Which is apparently 'all scooped mids' according to my accuser.)

So yes, genius.

 

I'm not sure Ampeg heads have ever been at the core of his tone..? I know he used them on Counterparts, but apart from that...

I have to say that IMO his tone in latter years was a fizzy mess.

Edited by wateroftyne
Link to comment
Share on other sites
dmccombe7 Grand Master

dmccombe7

Posted
Posted

Geddy used Ampeg rigs for live work in early years. Farewell to Kings era you can see them on stage, Before that he used Sunn and Traynor. I know he was into GK amps at one point but cant remember the era.

Dave

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
wateroftyne Grand Master

wateroftyne

Posted
Posted
24 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Geddy used Ampeg rigs for live work in early years. Farewell to Kings era you can see them on stage, Before that he used Sunn and Traynor. I know he was into GK amps at one point but cant remember the era.

Dave

He was off them again from Hemispheres, I think..?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
NancyJohnson Grand Master

NancyJohnson

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

Geddy used Ampeg rigs for live work in early years. Farewell to Kings era you can see them on stage, Before that he used Sunn and Traynor. I know he was into GK amps at one point but cant remember the era.

Dave

Lest we forget, he also favoured Henhouse Rotisseries and Tumble Dryers towards the end.

  • Haha 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...