Rush - Time Machine, Is it just me or is Geddy Still getting better?

jowens004 · #1 10-04-2011, 04:04 PM

Last week sometime they had a Rush special on VH-1 Classic, it was on late at night, so I missed it. Finally got around to watching it on the DVR today, and im so Impressed with Geddy.

He has always been my root inspiration in all things Bass. But this is just incredible. I have seen and heard everything they have released, but this to me is by far the best of Geddy. His singing, his playing, his sound just all comes together on this video. Geddy is 58 now, and His playing is STILL improving. That alone is so inspiring to me. I sometimes find myself getting lazy and not pushing myself to learn something new, and here Geddy is ripping it up better than he was in '78. He is truely an inspiration too all of us Bass players.

I really wish there was a list of what his signal path is on this video/tour (Time Machine). TO me it is the best bass sound he has ever had live. Very much like his Old sound from their glory days when they were young, but still with a modern edge to it that is just KILLER! THey really show some good clips of him ripping in Free Will. I have been playing for going on 30 years now and I still havnt perfected that solo he does in that song. Oh I can attempt it and many will say I did a great job, but im still missing half of his notes. He just is amazing. I think my carpel tunnel just wont allow me to ever perfect all of what he does with that song. But I can try/dream.

I just wish I had that sound he has. It is truely the sound I hear in my head, that I just cant seem to get. Closest I have gotten is a G&L Jazz bass with a Mesa M9 and 4 6x10 cabinets. Definately too much amp for my budget but the G&L is really one of the finest instruments I have ever laid my hands on. Very under-rated, hardly ever see anyone playing one. BUt It is on my short list of Basses I lust after.

Do yourself a favor, If you love Rush, or you just love Bass, look for the RUsh- Time Machine live Video. Maybe it will inspire you to do a little more like it has me.

JackTheRipper · #2 10-07-2011, 06:47 PM

I think Geddy is definitely still getting better on bass. His style evolves which is one thing I really like about him - and RUSH. I didn't really like his live tone on the Time Machine tour though. I saw them at the Cricket Wireless Amphitheater in San Diego (Chula Vista) and I didn't like the tone or the bass in the mix. My wife commented on that as well.

I would also disagree about his vocals. While he is still way better than I am, he is past his prime in that regard. I thought he was best on the Permanent Waves tour. And also awesome on Moving Pictures.

All opinions are IMHO and with respect. I am a huge RUSH fan and have been since about 1979.

--jack

SteveC · #3 10-07-2011, 07:01 PM

There aren't many people that sound/sing as well today as they did 20 or 30 years ago. It's life. It's biology. We get older. Stuff doesn't work like it used to. And some of those keys back in the day were really high.

jowens004 · #4 10-08-2011, 02:24 PM

Well I agree on his vocals too, I think the best I ever saw him was on the "A SHow of Hands" Tour. He was really on top of his game back then. What I meant about his vocals was, Some of the songs on this show, he did much better than on snakes and arrows. SOME, not all. Free Will is a good example, he really nailed it on this Video.

Im sure his sound live is not the same as what you hear on a video on TV, but on this video it kicked ass in a big way.

Big John66 · #5 10-08-2011, 02:36 PM

I think the entire band is getting better and better. I didn't see Time Machine, but the Snakes and Arrows show I saw was astounding.

mccartneyman · #6 10-08-2011, 03:27 PM

As of summer 2010, Geddy was using 2 Orange AD200 bass heads with 2 OBC410 Bass Cabinets. Don't know if that's still accurate.

I<34080 · #7 10-08-2011, 03:34 PM

Yes, he added Orange, but he still uses all the same old stuff he used to, besides the TE Quatravalves.

Also, I saw them twice on the past tour, and they rocked, and Geddy is probably a better bass player now than he used to be, but vocally, he reached his peak in the early-mid 80s. After HYF his voice really mellowed out.

If you check out the tourbooks, they always list their gear. This time it was a long list of butcher shop products and

"Fender Jazz basses, Sans-Amps, some keyboards, Moogs, Orange Amps, and Avalon DI's"

He dropped the Palmer speaker emulators.