Rush - a Band of Limited Options

[Slim]

When you think about it - much as we loved them, the music of Rush conformed to quite a limited format, didn't it? Although there are a few tunes in which additional musicians were used - perhaps most notably Andy Richards on Power Windows and Hold Your Fire and the strings on Clockwork Angels - mostly, it's a case of

Geddy - bass, vocal and crude keyboards
Alex - guitar
Neil - drums

Some bands have, or had a lot more versatility than this. The Beatles are an obvious example - all four of them sang lead vocals. Paul plays piano on some of the tunes. He plays the drums on one song! Which is where the oft-repeated quote that Ringo "wasn't even the best drummer in The Beatles" comes from, although he definitely was. George Martin played the memorable keyboard part on Nowhere Man and loads of their stuff has additional musicians.

10CC as well - again, all four sang lead vocals and some of their stuff, like the Beatles, is keyboard-based.

Even the Stones used Keith to sing the lead part from time to time. Bill Wyman sings on one early tune. Actually Bill doesn't play bass on all of their tunes; Ronnie Wood and Mick Taylor both play bass occasionally. They always toured with a keyboard player.

It's a bit late now but I think that Rush should, minimally, have hired a proper keyboard player as a touring musician some time after 2112. I actually think they should have added a fourth proper member of the band to play keyboards, sing, and write.

Is it an odd thought, to have someone in a successful band singing when he or she wasn't a member during their "classic" period? Perhaps it is but, for example, Timothy Schmit joined after Hotel California but he did (does?) sing lead vocals from time to time in The Eagles. Glenn Hughes obviously wasn't in Purple in their Machine Head heyday but he has at least one lead vocal I can think of.

[David L]

I'm not sure that Timothy Schmit takes any lead vocal on songs that he didn't sing lead vocals on Eagles albums.
That certainly was the case for years

FWIW, I'm glad they remained a three- piece band. Although that may have implied that there was a limitation to their musical development, in fact they explored a fairly wide range of musical styles. Even the vocals developed greatly throughout the band's career.
That progression far exceeded what most bands with four or more members managed to acheive over a similar period IMHO (especially in the hard rock genre)

[Slim]

I'm not sure that Timothy Schmit takes any lead vocal on songs that he didn't sing lead vocals on Eagles albums.

I don't think he does. But in the alternative history that I describe, a fourth member of Rush would sing vocals that he'd sung on studio albums, and I think an audience would accept it. Same thing.

[David L]

I'm not sure that Timothy Schmit takes any lead vocal on songs that he didn't sing lead vocals on Eagles albums.

I don't think he does. But in the alternative history that I describe, a fourth member of Rush would sing vocals that he'd sung on studio albums, and I think an audience would accept it. Same thing.

I disagree. Eagles were always a band with multiple lead vocalists

[Thenop]

Kiss had 4 vocalists as well, I get your point, but was Rush not more of a band for a niche market? Having such a unique 3 piece with the chemistry they had I wonder if it had really added something. It was sort of a selling point - being a 3 piece band sounding like a quartet or quintet on stage even.
I'd hate to have seen them go all Asia

[Fishy]

Just on the Rush vocals aspect.. I always have to laugh when Alex is shown doing I suppose backing vocals.. he must be so down in the mix that it hardly matters so you  have to wonder why even bother with the pretence that's he's actually adding anything

[Thenop]

Just on the Rush vocals aspect.. I always have to laugh when Alex is shown doing I suppose backing vocals.. he must be so down in the mix that it hardly matters so you  have to wonder why even bother with the pretence that's he's actually adding anything

He's the only real slacker in the band anyway...Neil pulling double duty on drums & lyrics, Geddy, well, just about everything, Alex 'just does guitars'.

[Slim]

Just on the Rush vocals aspect.. I always have to laugh when Alex is shown doing I suppose backing vocals.. he must be so down in the mix that it hardly matters so you  have to wonder why even bother with the pretence that's he's actually adding anything

Yes. There's a moment on All The World's A Stage where you can hear his voice, near the end of In The Mood but despite the fact that he always had a mic I can't hear him anywhere else at all on that album.

There was of course that bizarre rant thing he died, augmented by pseudo-jazz guitar on the R30 tour.

[Thenop]

Alex, the dedicated dog whistler then. So pulling double duty after all.

[David L]

There was of course that bzarre rant thing he died, augmented by pseudo-jazz guitar on the R30 tour.

Yes one of those embarrassing moments when it was thought a good idea to share a 'band joke' with the fans. There were far too many of those in the latter years.

I remember watching the R30 DVD in a London cinema with my wife. I was squirming in my seat a little at that point, very uncomfortable

[David L]

He's the only real slacker in the band anyway...Neil pulling double duty on drums & lyrics, Geddy, well, just about everything, Alex 'just does guitars'.

...and 'comedy' 

[Thenop]

He's the only real slacker in the band anyway...Neil pulling double duty on drums & lyrics, Geddy, well, just about everything, Alex 'just does guitars'.

...and 'comedy' 

Costumes maybe? Definitly wigs...

[Fishy]

Just on the Rush vocals aspect.. I always have to laugh when Alex is shown doing I suppose backing vocals.. he must be so down in the mix that it hardly matters so you  have to wonder why even bother with the pretence that's he's actually adding anything

Yes. There's a moment on All The World's A Stage where you can hear his voice, near the end of In The Mood but despite the fact that he always had a mic I can't hear him anywhere else at all on that album.

There was of course that bzarre rant thing he died, augmented by pseudo-jazz guitar on the R30 tour.

All the live vids of subdivisions he always steps up to the mike at the "subdivisions" bit but I'm sure it's off the album so sampled/triggered

[The Picnic Wasp]

A sacrilegious thread which should be closed immediately with two day bans all round.😉

[Thenop]

A sacrilegious thread which should be closed immediately with two day bans all round.😉

Nothing's sacred anyway. It's all fair game