Here's my two cents: Is Geddy overrated? I think he is. Why? Is he a great bass player and musician? Yes. Is he the bass player with the most chops alive alive like many people seem to think he is? No. I actually have the feeling that one of the guys who consider Geddy to be overrated -- is actually Geddy himself. I've seen him state in a couple of interviews that he himself thinks he isn't all that and that his technique has flaws. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of his (albeit extremely distinct) style but I still respect him because he seems to be a really humble, great guy and one of the few "big" musicians I'd actually like to hang out with.
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Geddy Lee overrated??
- Thread starter twdavis13
- Start date
in its entirety its clear to me that people that like Rush's music love Geddy. People who don't like their music are not nearly as impressed. So maybe we think a player is great because we like his style of music more so than say another players style of music?.
which makes this one big personal preference contest.
Imho, of course.
which makes this one big personal preference contest.
Imho, of course.
This is the only part of your post I have a problem with.
I've never believed he was the guy w/ the most chops (not that I think that was your intention).I never got this concept of "he who can shred the most wins". I've seen guys that could leave the fretboard in a smoldering mass when they were done, but couldn't play in a band to save their lives. They (shockingly) overplayed everything, or they couldn't find space in the music to work.
Since music is such a subjective taste, so is musicanship. And that's where this "overrated / underrated" crap comes in to focus. Do I personally not like Flea? Yes. Am I constnatly agog with Victor Wooten? Not really. Do I think they have skills? You bet. Would I ever consider them overrated? Nope. They're just not my preference of style.
edubb pretty much has it.
I have met them a couple of times and was floored how genuine they were. I had the sheer luck of meeting all three of them outside the context of their "job" the first time (they just wandered in to a restaraunt we were at) and found them extremely affable and humble. It also helped that we bought them a round before they waved us over to thank us.
Get Geddy talking about baseball and you're in like Flint.Anyhoo, I'll go back to what I said earlier here....any player that drives a large volume of people to pick up and play that instrument deserves a great deal of respect. Yes, even Kurt Cobain. Simply because they were able to craft something that moved a large volume of people to want to make their own music.
Anyway, enough of my froo-froo, flowery peace on earth.
Good post amigo.
What most gets overlooked about Geddy is his package of skills. He's a great bass player but don't forget he's also a:
He's also lucky to play in a band where they do things as a band and not as "I'm the leader and you guys do what I say" situation.
Anyone that's seen them live can't argue about his level of talent. Don't think so? Look at it from this point:
There's a bunch of guys on YT playing along with their songs. Sitting in their bedroom. Very few are in front of a packed arena playing his bass parts, singing lead, playing keyboard, triggering samples and playing bass pedals with their feet, ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
I'm a Geddy fan and I approve this message.
- singer
- songwriter
- producer
- keyboardist
He's also lucky to play in a band where they do things as a band and not as "I'm the leader and you guys do what I say" situation.
Anyone that's seen them live can't argue about his level of talent. Don't think so? Look at it from this point:
There's a bunch of guys on YT playing along with their songs. Sitting in their bedroom. Very few are in front of a packed arena playing his bass parts, singing lead, playing keyboard, triggering samples and playing bass pedals with their feet, ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
I'm a Geddy fan and I approve this message.
I would not quite disagree that Entwistle may have been more inventive on bass, but I don't understand how anyone could think of Ged as boring. I like Ged's stuff mo bettah, I think it goes very well with the music Rush plays.
Has the OP ever sat down with Ged and jammed? Didn't think so, maybe OP should do that first then come back and post his or her thoughts... Seriously though, Ged overrated, that's just ********? FLEA was overrated. There's a reason why Geddy's name is all over the place and since RUSH is getting very popular again, I'm not surprised either. You gotta give credit where it's due.
Well, being in Europe I guess gave me less exposure to Rush. I knew they existed, never thought much of them, didn't like the voice actually.... I'm more of a David Coverdale, Paul Rogers kind of guy.
After becoming a bass player and through magazines and later the internet, I became aware that Rush is a highly regarded Prog Rock band and Geddy Lee is an Icon to many.
After carefully listening to most of their records I must say that as a Prog Band they can't compare to "classics" (Genesis, Pink Floyd, ELP, Yes, Premiata Forneria Marconi, etc.).
Maybe I was expecting too much, Rush is definitely a good Rock'n'Roll band... But I was led to believe that, as a bass player and composer, he's be in the same league as Chris Squire, Greg Lake, Roger Waters, Mike Rutherford and the other "legends". IMHO he's not. AND I still don't like the voice!
As American prog bands go, I like Echolyn much better.
After becoming a bass player and through magazines and later the internet, I became aware that Rush is a highly regarded Prog Rock band and Geddy Lee is an Icon to many.
After carefully listening to most of their records I must say that as a Prog Band they can't compare to "classics" (Genesis, Pink Floyd, ELP, Yes, Premiata Forneria Marconi, etc.).
Maybe I was expecting too much, Rush is definitely a good Rock'n'Roll band... But I was led to believe that, as a bass player and composer, he's be in the same league as Chris Squire, Greg Lake, Roger Waters, Mike Rutherford and the other "legends". IMHO he's not. AND I still don't like the voice!
As American prog bands go, I like Echolyn much better.
hold up, roger waters???
nah, not buying that.
anyway, i dont think geddy is over rated. i dont listen to a whole heck of a lot of rush anymore. i had felt they started to deviate around the time of distant early warning (when i was younger). now going back and listeneing to it, i can appreciate it a lot more. signals is just awesome. analog kid and digital man, especially digital man. every time i hear it, im reminded of just what a monster lee is.
nah, not buying that.
anyway, i dont think geddy is over rated. i dont listen to a whole heck of a lot of rush anymore. i had felt they started to deviate around the time of distant early warning (when i was younger). now going back and listeneing to it, i can appreciate it a lot more. signals is just awesome. analog kid and digital man, especially digital man. every time i hear it, im reminded of just what a monster lee is.
Wow. Seriouisly? Pink Floyd is hands down my favorite band ever, Rush is great too, but c'mon... I love Roger as a singer and a songwriter... but as a bass player? Puh-lease. Geddy SMOKES Waters. Rush songs are WAY more technically complex than Pink Floyd songs. That's just a fact (some Floyd is downright simple)
There you go - it's the voice. Some people just can't get past it. If you can't get into Geddy's voice - that's fine. You're in plenty of good company. You either love it or you hate it. I happen to appreciate Ged's "screaming woman" approach to vacals (as my friend used to say) but if you don't - you'll never be able to get into Rush. But in every way possible, Rush is about 10 times more complex than anything Pink Floyd ever did.
Hmm, maybe I should've worded that better... to me having "chops" also entails being flexible. Think of those monster bass players who are able to pull off anything from the simplest root notes to the most complex lines and everything in between and still fit in with any band or artist, like Anthony Jackson, for example, or if we're talking about rock, players like Juan Alderete. Of course the downside of my argument is that we've never seen Geddy play in a band other than Rush (I don't think that solo album of his counts).This is the only part of your post I have a problem with.
I never got this concept of "he who can shred the most wins". I've seen guys that could leave the fretboard in a smoldering mass when they were done, but couldn't play in a band to save their lives. They (shockingly) overplayed everything, or they couldn't find space in the music to work.
Since music is such a subjective taste, so is musicanship. And that's where this "overrated / underrated" crap comes in to focus. Do I personally not like Flea? Yes. Am I constnatly agog with Victor Wooten? Not really. Do I think they have skills? You bet. Would I ever consider them overrated? Nope. They're just not my preference of style.
Ok. What Roger Waters lacks in "bass skills" he more than makes up in his other musical abilities! We surely agree.
But I'm also sure you get my point. You can use Pink Floyd to prove you're right, but in my point of view, the hype of Rush led (me, of course) to disappointment. Even the (entitled) great 2112 was (IMHO) a failed attempt to mimic the "prog anthems" of Genesis, Yes, etc. It was 2 years after "Lamb..." and "Relayer".
Also note that, like many people, I see music as a whole, and it's not acceptable that you consider ANYTHING by Rush, more complex than The Wall, Animals, etc..... "The musical complexity" is more than arpeggios and chord progressions. Hell, you like prog! I'm sure you know that!
This is a good conversation!
P.S. - By the way, and even more OT than our discussion... Have you heard Sigur Ros' "Agaetis Byrjun" ?
Entwistle was one of a kind. Geddy is one of a kind. They are both outstanding examples of creative melodic bassists.
Rush and Pink Floyd are two of my all-time favorite bands, but let's be honest, Roger Waters' greatest contribution to music was writing lyrics and music for the other band members of Pink Floyd to sing and play. Waters doesn't even compare to Gilmour or Wright (RIP!
) on the singing/playing field. And quite of bit of Roger's writing, though masterful, is unenjoyably self-centered, depressing and mentally grating.That said, Pink Floyd are a far more politically relevent band that Rush, due mostly to Roger's writing. And I've listened to all of their albums dozens of times. I've seen Roger Waters and I've seen Rush, and Rush is alot more purely entertaining. I don't think any informed music listener would argue that Neil Peart and Alex Lifeson don't blow Nick Mason and David Gilmour away, whether you like Geddy's voice or not.
Apparently you have not listened to Feedback, the Rush album they put out to mark their 30th anniversary back in 2004. It is all covers of songs that inspired them as musicians when they were starting out. It is not another band but it is Rush playing music other than their normal stuff.
My god.
This thread makes me want to die.
Geddy would list Entwistle as one of his biggest influences. Why compare?
I'd like to see someone who says Geddy is overrated play yyz. Some of the fastest finger playing i've ever been able to play.
I think this Geddy lee Overrated business stems from some negativity towards exclusive fingers players these days.
Ryan Martinie is better than him, Les Claypool. Flea. Wooten.
that makes me laugh. Again Les Claypool would list Geddy Lee as him prime influence.
And just cause you can slap doesn't mean your an amazing player. Ive heard all those major slap players stay on the 7ths and Octaves. Geddy lee stays on the 5ths. So what.
We need more Chris Squire though in our lives. He is most definetly underrated.[/QUOT
Geddy Lee is Les Claypool's PRIMUS influence
Rush and Pink Floyd are two of my all-time favorite bands, but let's be honest, Roger Waters' greatest contribution to music was writing lyrics and music for the other band members of Pink Floyd to sing and play. Waters doesn't even compare to Gilmour or Wright (RIP!
That said, Pink Floyd are a far more politically relevent band that Rush, due mostly to Roger's writing. And I've listened to all of their albums dozens of times. I've seen Roger Waters and I've seen Rush, and Rush is alot more purely entertaining. I don't think any informed music listener would argue that Neil Peart and Alex Lifeson don't blow Nick Mason and David Gilmour away, whether you like Geddy's voice or not.
Don't even get me started on Roger Waters. He is the reason, as much as I wanted to, I never cared for Pink Floyd. His manic voice, tormented screams in many songs and heavy depressing lyrics were just too much for me. I much prefer the post Waters Pink Floyd with Gilmour as leader. In his defense I will say that David Gilmour is probably one of the most underrated guitarists of all time and a better vocalist than Waters ever was.
Geddy's voice has mellowed over the years. It is not nearly as high and is actually quite pleasing now.
