If only it wern't for Geddy's vocals....
- Thread starter Lerxst
- Start date
Dogsinplastic
avuncular to no one
I only heard the first singer sing a few notes and it was just wrong. Then I skipped ahead to about 7
2 and the guitar solo was the same.
The idea of 99% of these tribute albums is massively better than the results. I get the artists paying tribute loved the band and their music, but some bands are just not easy or ideal to cover. Rush is a prime example. That said, I've always loved this cover of one of their tunes:
The main reasons for its success are the fact that it's done instrumentally and the arrangement/instrumentation. Were they a guitar-based three or four piece trying to do a jazzy version, Ii don't think it would have worked nearly as well. Some progressive music has that classical element to it in that it's almost locked into the original instrumentation and arrangement. In the case of Rush, Geddy's voice is as unique as an English Horn...no one else sings English horn.
2 and the guitar solo was the same.The idea of 99% of these tribute albums is massively better than the results. I get the artists paying tribute loved the band and their music, but some bands are just not easy or ideal to cover. Rush is a prime example. That said, I've always loved this cover of one of their tunes:
The main reasons for its success are the fact that it's done instrumentally and the arrangement/instrumentation. Were they a guitar-based three or four piece trying to do a jazzy version, Ii don't think it would have worked nearly as well. Some progressive music has that classical element to it in that it's almost locked into the original instrumentation and arrangement. In the case of Rush, Geddy's voice is as unique as an English Horn...no one else sings English horn.
Modern Saint
Starve your Fear, Feed your Dream!
The uniqueness of the vocalist is so important. It sorta hit me this week, on a two for Tuesday on the radio, they played two Alice In Chains songs, one past and one current. Although the newer guy is good, he's just fine, the song for me just seemed to blend in with generic rock, with Staley it had a whole different life to it. Even if you can't stand Dylan's voice, imagine his songs with some generic singer.
Dudeman1967
blah, blah, blah...
To me,Working Man's lyrics are just a way to bookend the lead guitar work. The lead guitar work on the cover is very good but as usual I prefer the original to the cover.
I need to listen to the entire album.
I've heard the Morse cover of La Villa Stangiato several times. It is played very close to the original and like the original, is awesome. One of my favorite lead guitar parts of all time.
I need to listen to the entire album.
I've heard the Morse cover of La Villa Stangiato several times. It is played very close to the original and like the original, is awesome. One of my favorite lead guitar parts of all time.
Dogsinplastic
avuncular to no one
Phil's point about vocal timbre goes for guitar as well. Alex has one of the more unique voices in rock guitar. He sounds like no one and no one sounds like him...no matter how hard they try. Sometimes you can improve on the original and for fans of Rush that covers pretty much every note they play on every instrument.
It takes a musician like Morse or a band putting a unique spin to pull off a Rush cover.
Dogsinplastic
avuncular to no one
It's funny, I have a fair amount of cover and tribute albums in my collection and I wouldn't have bought them if I hadn't heard (or known) something good was going to be on there. It seems the key if figuring out the right song for your group or the "supergroup" you might be playing with. Often it's just guys playing their favorite tune (or second/third/etc. after other folks took their top choices) from the band regardless of how well suited or able they are to either do it straight up or creative enough to take it someplace new.
The Stone Free Hendrix Tribute album is an example of the having a great mix (to me anyway) of homages to Jimi and folks just taking the ball and running all over the place like crazy with it...or doing both (Seal and Jeff Beck absolutely KILL Manic Depression!).
The hardest part is that most of the bands that might be "worthy" or a tribute are so iconic that it's like treading on sacred ground...beware all who enter here kinda thing.
