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Isolated Bass - Geddy Lee - YYZ


PaulThePlug

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2 hours ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

There was a celebrity Rush covers album a few years ago. Stu Hamm played on YYZ.

It's not a direct comparison as the entire production is very different to the original, but Hamm's ultra clean and dry tone really doesn't work in that song. Not to my ears anyway!

This version ?

The sound he's using is working well in the mix and it's not that dry nor ultra clean either. The slap part could have been avoided (I think I don't like slap 🤣 ). The tapping is Stuart Hamm signature...

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8 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

This version ?

The sound he's using is working well in the mix and it's not that dry nor ultra clean either. The slap part could have been avoided (I think I don't like slap 🤣 ). The tapping is Stuart Hamm signature...

This is a recent one. Still sounds dry and clean to me, but we all hear these things differently!

This is the one.  Going back about 20 years I reckon.

 

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One of my favourite bass lines in terms of tone and musicality is The Real Me by The Who, with The Ox absolutely nailing it in every way. However, I heard the isolated part some time back and I was horrified, I really disliked the tone, so much distortion and yuck, but in the mix - sublime.

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5 hours ago, Hellzero said:

Ok, the sound is awful, muddy because it is muddy with lot of drive, strings noise, fret noise, picking noise, rattling, and so on... Far away from what is called a precise or defined sound. And far away from my approach of the sound as I tend to avoid all of these.

Yes, we can hear almost every note he's playing with what is commonly known as a crap sound.

But as I already wrote I like it and it deserves the tune (there's no singing in YYZ, so technically it's not a song) perfectly.

Drive, string noise, rattling etc are pretty much essential to a stellar bass sound in my book. Hi-fi bass tone generally sounds pretty pants in a mix (I know as that’s what I spent most of the ‘80s trying to achieve), which is what is important, unless you play solo. 

 

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1 hour ago, Hellzero said:

This version ?

The sound he's using is working well in the mix and it's not that dry nor ultra clean either. The slap part could have been avoided (I think I don't like slap 🤣 ). The tapping is Stuart Hamm signature...

Good grief. That was all a bit of a bodge.

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1 hour ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

This is a recent one. Still sounds dry and clean to me, but we all hear these things differently!

This is the one.  Going back about 20 years I reckon.

 

The bass in that , IMO, has no power, no drive, compared to Geddy’s version. But each to their own. 

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On 29/07/2020 at 19:39, P-Belly Evans said:

Sorry to digress and fair play to Geddy, but listening to it makes me feel sad that Rob Wright doesn't get the recognition he deserves. Bass legend and pioneer since 79. He never chased fame and fortune though, so kudos to him. 

And on this album they were a two piece - Rob on bass/guitar/vocals and his brother John on drums/vocals

Simply too cool 😎

Thanks for a heads up on Nomeansno and Rob Wright😎

 

Canada has produced in my humble opinion, the two greatest three  piece bands in the World!! Nomeansno from Vancouver and Rush from Toronto. Alas both bands no more!! R.I.P. Neil..

Nomeansno were punk/jazz legends..The first time i saw them was on the WRONG tour with the original guitarist Andy Kerr, They got waylaid trying to find the Venue and did a quick line check..."Oh my f##king stars!!!" I have never heard a drummer (John) playing reverse maths equations on a kit, that could sound so amazing with the guitarist playing syncopated riffs with him.Then as for the bass!! Rob Wright is a Machine, A bass playing supernova. At that time playing a fender precision bass with a pick, think Chris Squire and JJ Burnel but twice as fast!! An Acoustic amp head and 2×15 cab..whilst just like Geddy singing at the same time.A bit of a more butch voice though! I believe i saw Nomeansno about twelve times in various countries and they never ceased to blow my mind, playing for the love of playing and as for the Wright brothers (not Orville and Wilbur!) Rob and John, i have never heard a tighter unit..If we were needing to defend the World against a rouge Alien hoard with Drum and Bass, the Wright brothers would be the guardians of the Galaxy!! 👍😎

ps YYZ tone is mind blowingly amazing!!😎

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That tone shouldnt work on a 3 piece but with Peart's help it does 

i remember late 80s gigs where the recorded  bass sound didn't produce in a big hall but since Rush 30 his live tone has been unreal 

Seem with Claypool,that top end fuzz cut but with bottom to match 

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20 hours ago, wright/watt said:

Thanks for a heads up on Nomeansno and Rob Wright😎

 

Canada has produced in my humble opinion, the two greatest three  piece bands in the World!! Nomeansno from Vancouver and Rush from Toronto. Alas both bands no more!! R.I.P. Neil..

Nomeansno were punk/jazz legends..The first time i saw them was on the WRONG tour with the original guitarist Andy Kerr, They got waylaid trying to find the Venue and did a quick line check..."Oh my f##king stars!!!" I have never heard a drummer (John) playing reverse maths equations on a kit, that could sound so amazing with the guitarist playing syncopated riffs with him.Then as for the bass!! Rob Wright is a Machine, A bass playing supernova. At that time playing a fender precision bass with a pick, think Chris Squire and JJ Burnel but twice as fast!! An Acoustic amp head and 2×15 cab..whilst just like Geddy singing at the same time.A bit of a more butch voice though! I believe i saw Nomeansno about twelve times in various countries and they never ceased to blow my mind, playing for the love of playing and as for the Wright brothers (not Orville and Wilbur!) Rob and John, i have never heard a tighter unit..If we were needing to defend the World against a rouge Alien hoard with Drum and Bass, the Wright brothers would be the guardians of the Galaxy!! 👍😎

ps YYZ tone is mind blowingly amazing!!😎

Nuff said right here. You sir have fantastic taste. Once you get hooked on them it is true musical love. I saw them on the same tour at the legendary Edwards Number 8 in Brum Town.  Had loved them since Sex Mad, but that album and tour........ sh%t me.😳. Saw them a few more times (not 12 though, good man!) and had the pleasure of a good hour or so with them in Derby after a gig in about 2006. Just lovely blokes.... and  a special mention to John Chedsey who ran their merch store and website, what a dude.  They are sublime.....  who else has covered Miles' Bi%ches Brew so originally and wonderfully ?

Edited by P-Belly Evans
Bloomin rude word police
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4 hours ago, jazzmanb said:

That tone shouldnt work on a 3 piece but with Peart's help it does 

i remember late 80s gigs where the recorded  bass sound didn't produce in a big hall but since Rush 30 his live tone has been unreal 

Seem with Claypool,that top end fuzz cut but with bottom to match 

Saw them on the Moving Pictures tour at Deeside Leisure Centre, all I could hear was Geddy (he used a Ric, FWIW) and he sounded fantastic. Saw them later on Roll The Bones with the Wal, obviously a different sound altogether. 

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1 hour ago, 4000 said:

Saw them on the Moving Pictures tour at Deeside Leisure Centre, all I could hear was Geddy (he used a Ric, FWIW) and he sounded fantastic. Saw them later on Roll The Bones with the Wal, obviously a different sound altogether. 

I grew up near Deeside but was only a kid at the time. It's amazing to me all the great bands that played there - Rush, Bob Marley and The Wailers.. I only went there to ice skate! Glad you saw them though 👍

Edited by miles'tone
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13 hours ago, miles'tone said:

I grew up near Deeside but was only a kid at the time. It's amazing to me all the great bands that played there - Rush, Bob Marley and The Wailers.. I only went there to ice skate! Glad you saw them though 👍

I saw Rush there too but for the 'Permanent Waves' tour. Also, went there for Yes' 'Drama' show when the Buggles were in them. 

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On 29/07/2020 at 22:42, miles'tone said:

Interestingly, those killer fills sound like punch-ins to me. 

A couple for times you can hear the previous note ring on over the start of the fill without its sound changing.

But it shows up just how far away I am from playing it properly...

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On 31/07/2020 at 22:16, 4000 said:

Saw them on the Moving Pictures tour at Deeside Leisure Centre, all I could hear was Geddy (he used a Ric, FWIW) and he sounded fantastic.

I was at that one. I've seen it called the Exit... Stage Left tour as that had been released a day or two before (or after, can't remember). FWIW, the merch all had Moving Pictures designs.
Talk about crowd participation. I was nearly mashed to death during the 2112 opener. Decent audience recording here if you want to relive the sounds, smells and bruised ribs of your youth...
 

 

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That’s weird, as I started listening a bunch of memories from the gig (more being in the crowd than the band) came back to me that I’d forgotten. 

It was certainly an interesting night. Myself and a friend who was also a huge Rush fan went with a girl from our college and her boyfriend, who was driving. She was breathtaking, and I had a bit of a crush on her (and no hope in hell at the time!). After the gig we followed Rush’s car onto the motorway for what must have been a good half hour; eventually we gave up the chase but not before pulling up alongside and giving Geddy a wave. He looked back at us, somewhat perplexed. 

I’ve seen Rush twice and barely heard a note Alex played either time. 

Edited by 4000
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Have just checked and it was indeed classed as the Exit Stage Left tour, although as you say all the merch, including the programme, were Moving Pictures. I can’t say I remember us thinking/ being aware it was ESL, but then it’s a long time ago. 
 

EDIT: listening back, I’m amazed how into it the audience sounds. I have no recollection whatsoever of the audience reaction. All I remember is a very loud Geddy and a very quiet Alex; nothing like the recording, at least where I was stood.

Edited by 4000
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23 hours ago, Baceface said:

I was at that one. I've seen it called the Exit... Stage Left tour as that had been released a day or two before (or after, can't remember). FWIW, the merch all had Moving Pictures designs.
Talk about crowd participation. I was nearly mashed to death during the 2112 opener. Decent audience recording here if you want to relive the sounds, smells and bruised ribs of your youth...
 

 

So this video is dated October 1981 but 'Signals' with 'Subdivisions' on it was not released until 11 months later... This is not the right tour unless the bootleg is a mash-up...

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33 minutes ago, visog said:

So this video is dated October 1981 but 'Signals' with 'Subdivisions' on it was not released until 11 months later... This is not the right tour unless the bootleg is a mash-up...

Honestly couldn’t tell you, all I remember is the sound Geddy’s Ric! And the lovely Susan.....❤️😂

I will say that I really don’t remember the crowd sounding anything like that into it, but I really don’t remember much except Geddy & the Ric, and driving after them after the gig. 

It is possible they played Subdivisions before Signals came out, I suppose. I’ve heard other bands play stuff not yet released before now. 
 

https://www.rush.com/tour/exit-stage-left/

Its actually listed on here, so seems legit. 

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2 hours ago, visog said:

So this video is dated October 1981 but 'Signals' with 'Subdivisions' on it was not released until 11 months later... This is not the right tour unless the bootleg is a mash-up...

It's not a mashup. As @4000 says, they played Subdivisions on this tour (Oct-Dec '81).

Usually, the only thing I dread more at a concert than "we're going to give you something from our new album" is "we're going to give you something from our as yet unreleased new album". Fortunately, this was at a time when many people's unreleased albums were still very good so it was just about acceptable.

It's pretty much musically identical to the final song but without the "Subdivisions" spoken word (IIRC they used a sample for that on later tours) and a minor lyrical difference. The line "some will sell their dreams for small desires or lose the race to rats" is slightly different but I can't quite make out what is sung.

Link to line here: https://youtu.be/89APxjCQprE?t=1605

Edited by Baceface
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I just wish I could remember it better. But obviously it’s unlikely I’d remember them playing a song I’d never heard before, and more to the point it’s a long, long time ago...

I love Subdivisions. One of my favourite Rush tracks. 

 

 

 

Edited by 4000
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