"One likes to believe in the freedom of music, but glittering prizes and endless compromises shatter the illusion of integrity." -- Neil Peart, wordsmith
In actuality, Geddy's is the hardest part to get right. Well trained musicians with the proper equipment can closely approximate Alex, Neil, Keyboards, bass, etc. But that voice is a killer. Stephen does an admirable job of not just singing in that high register (hard enough) but really striving to capture *Geddy's* voice in the process. Though, admittedly, it does sound a little bit like Sebastian Bach covering Geddy Lee. Enjoyable all around!
This guy really sings is ass off. This is not en easy song to sing, that’s for sure. No matter if you buy a signature Geddy Jazz bass and use the exact same SansAmp signature processors, you cannot match his bass sound. That’s because 80% of Geddy’s sound comes from his dynamics. No one plucks a bass string harder than Geddy Lee. If you can’t attack a bass string with all your finger strength, it will never sound like Geddy. When Geddy pops a string, you can hear the buzz of those round wound string slap against the neck and frets, creating a powerful tone. Every bassist I have heard in cover bands usually don’t sound like Geddy’s bass playing. Tim Starace from the group YYNot is the best ever, except for Geddy himself. Chris Nelson, from Lotus Land, is another one that can hit those strings like Geddy and his voice sounds almost just like Geddy, especially on certain songs. Lotus Land was voted best Rush tribute band at RushCon. They have uploaded two Rush songs on TH-cam. One is the Prelude from Hemispheres and the second is Cinderella Man from A Farewll To Kings. They are incredible covers. The best Rush Tribute band IMHO, is the Canadian band, New World Men. It’s not one single person that stands out above the rest in that band. Overall, they are the most accurate and tight band covering Rush. Mathieu Groulx is the drummer and he covers Peart very well, but get this, he is also the singer and he sounds the closest to Geddy out of all Rush tribute band I heard ever heard. Anyone who likes Rush and hearing great tribute bands, the three I recommend is New World Man, Lotus Land and YYNot. YYNot has a female singer, actually they’ve had two now, replacing Rocky Kuner with vocalist Patty PerShayla, then hiring back Rocky after Patty quit. Both ladies can sing and I really can’t tell if one’s really better than the other because as good of singers as they are, no female can sing in Geddy’s low, natural chest voice. The ladies have an easier time hitting Geddy’s ridiculously high notes that he sings in his falsetto. The other two bands, NWM and LL have male singers, who still have power in their lower chest voice and just sound more like Geddy. A must-see for every Rush fan on TH-cam has to be Tyler Warren’s video where he plays every instrument in every song from the entire Permanent Waves album, all perfect and done by one man. His vocals are also insane. He effortlessly hits Geddy’s highest notes and phrases, like the lyric “…each of us, a cell of awareness imperfect and incomplete…”. From the song Freewill. He doesn’t even strain a little bit, just belts out every note as if he is having a conversation with someone.
Remarkably spectacular voice. It's awesome how well Geddy hits the notes so incredibly perfect.I am memorized everytime I listen to Geddy sing! Oh my word, he's just great. ,Vic..
*checks description* Stephen McSwain, huh? Well, he just made the jump from "never heard of him" to "new favourite singer" with this one performance. And from what I could gather with a cursory search, he's not even primarily a singer! Also, it's cool how each instrument mirrors the actual Rush counterpart. (Pun not initially intended, but I noticed it and didn't do anything to change it.) Doug is the most energetic and goofy, Carl and Steve are subdued, but clearly grooving, and Jeff is focused and intense.
This is one BADA$$ cover! Top tier players, killer mix and super cool video! And anyone who's listening to this on their phone needs to find some quality headphones or big speakers. NOW!!! It absolutely ROCKS!!!!
I didn't see it here: About freedom of baseball, which was the lyric change on the 81 tour during the baseball strike. Beyond that, this is one of the best jobs of a cover of any song, any time. Really enjoyed that.
Fun fact... I saw them in 1982 during the Signals tour. In Madison the same day the Brewers clinched the AL pennant for their **sigh** only WS appearance. Nobody came in for the opening act, everyone was out in the parking lot listening to Bob Uecker call the final out on the radio. When Rush took the stage Geddy said "How bout those Brewers!" and he dropped the "freedom of baseball" thing then too.
And with that last note... ...39 million Canadian citizens cheered for your performance and brushed a tear from their eye in memory of "The Professor." That was perfection from start to finish. Well done, lads.👍🤟
One minor flub. “Invisible Airwaves crackle with “life” not light, well, at least in this song. Nice job though. Geddy is no easy cover and as a lifelong Rush fan, that was pretty killer from all of you!
The algorithm finally presented me with this tremendous cover of your favorite band's favorite band. Nicely done gents. 'Specially you Editor Jerry. All hail the freedom of music!
Wow! I thought " ok this is porbably gonna suck" . . . 5 minutes later . . . goose bumps, Jaw hanging open. Excellent . . . SPOT ON!! Have not enjoyed a cover this much since I discovered Brit Floyd.
I'm sitting on an english class. Ofc I'm muted, so I start singing one of my favourite parts. I'm like: One life to believe, in the freeddom of musi- wait what
Excellent cover! Jeff...you did an awesome job on drums...with half the kit. Neil would be proud! You guys all should be proud, even Gary on bass, who looked like what I'd imagine to be his version of a hostage video-bass player. Gary, blink twice to let us know you're alive & ok!😐😑😑😐
Impressive cover. I like Doug playing, so talented player, just look at his youtube recordings to understand a perfect technic and a deep feeling in every note. In addition to his great talent to build amazing guitars, and i have the chance to own one 🙂, Stephen impresses me with his voice and tone range here with an unexpected role as singer we did not know in Europe. And every musicians in line, perfect for a great and difficult Rush song. Well done !! Excellent 👍👍👍
It is much easier for instrumentalists to dial in that same tone and play on, than it is for a singer to fall into that bell-house of another voice. Very good guys. Great job. And thank you, from all us Rush fans.
Wow.
First note & the singer is on target. Great pitch, tuning, energy. Well done guys. Gold Star to Singer.
But is he using AutoTune?
Blessed Music of The Holy Trinity.... just called my eyes out..... Only Righteous glory
Balled
@@nazfrde It sounds like it to me.
"One likes to believe in the freedom of music, but glittering prizes and endless compromises shatter the illusion of integrity." -- Neil Peart, wordsmith
If I recall correct a member of Canadian parliament literally quoted that one :p
The singer shocked me. Amazing especially having fun.
I like his voice better than Geddy Lee's.
Simply outstanding. Nice job eh!
In actuality, Geddy's is the hardest part to get right. Well trained musicians with the proper equipment can closely approximate Alex, Neil, Keyboards, bass, etc. But that voice is a killer. Stephen does an admirable job of not just singing in that high register (hard enough) but really striving to capture *Geddy's* voice in the process. Though, admittedly, it does sound a little bit like Sebastian Bach covering Geddy Lee. Enjoyable all around!
Geddys got that thing I can't explain awesome though not. Knocking it at all 🎶👍
Signing a vocalist before his testicles drops👍
This guy really sings is ass off. This is not en easy song to sing, that’s for sure. No matter if you buy a signature Geddy Jazz bass and use the exact same SansAmp signature processors, you cannot match his bass sound. That’s because 80% of Geddy’s sound comes from his dynamics. No one plucks a bass string harder than Geddy Lee.
If you can’t attack a bass string with all your finger strength, it will never sound like Geddy. When Geddy pops a string, you can hear the buzz of those round wound string slap against the neck and frets, creating a powerful tone.
Every bassist I have heard in cover bands usually don’t sound like Geddy’s bass playing. Tim Starace from the group YYNot is the best ever, except for Geddy himself. Chris Nelson, from Lotus Land, is another one that can hit those strings like Geddy and his voice sounds almost just like Geddy, especially on certain songs.
Lotus Land was voted best Rush tribute band at RushCon. They have uploaded two Rush songs on TH-cam. One is the Prelude from Hemispheres and the second is Cinderella Man from A Farewll To Kings. They are incredible covers.
The best Rush Tribute band IMHO, is the Canadian band, New World Men. It’s not one single person that stands out above the rest in that band. Overall, they are the most accurate and tight band covering Rush. Mathieu Groulx is the drummer and he covers Peart very well, but get this, he is also the singer and he sounds the closest to Geddy out of all Rush tribute band I heard ever heard.
Anyone who likes Rush and hearing great tribute bands, the three I recommend is New World Man, Lotus Land and YYNot. YYNot has a female singer, actually they’ve had two now, replacing Rocky Kuner with vocalist Patty PerShayla, then hiring back Rocky after Patty quit.
Both ladies can sing and I really can’t tell if one’s really better than the other because as good of singers as they are, no female can sing in Geddy’s low, natural chest voice. The ladies have an easier time hitting Geddy’s ridiculously high notes that he sings in his falsetto. The other two bands, NWM and LL have male singers, who still have power in their lower chest voice and just sound more like Geddy.
A must-see for every Rush fan on TH-cam has to be Tyler Warren’s video where he plays every instrument in every song from the entire Permanent Waves album, all perfect and done by one man. His vocals are also insane. He effortlessly hits Geddy’s highest notes and phrases, like the lyric “…each of us, a cell of awareness imperfect and incomplete…”. From the song Freewill. He doesn’t even strain a little bit, just belts out every note as if he is having a conversation with someone.
Hes using autotune
Remarkably spectacular voice. It's awesome how well Geddy hits the notes so incredibly perfect.I am memorized everytime I listen to Geddy sing! Oh my word, he's just great. ,Vic..
*checks description* Stephen McSwain, huh? Well, he just made the jump from "never heard of him" to "new favourite singer" with this one performance. And from what I could gather with a cursory search, he's not even primarily a singer!
Also, it's cool how each instrument mirrors the actual Rush counterpart. (Pun not initially intended, but I noticed it and didn't do anything to change it.) Doug is the most energetic and goofy, Carl and Steve are subdued, but clearly grooving, and Jeff is focused and intense.
Very nice cover. All that’s missing is the laundry machines.
Excellent. Hard to cover Geddy Lee's vocals, but this is nicely done. Great production as well. Thanks (-:
Hard to believe that Geddy, Alex and Neil did it with just 3 guys!
They had sex with only 3 guys?..........WTF?
Vocals were astounding!
I like this singers voice for the RUSH
This is one BADA$$ cover! Top tier players, killer mix and super cool video! And anyone who's listening to this on their phone needs to find some quality headphones or big speakers. NOW!!! It absolutely ROCKS!!!!
Rush is to be consumed in the full stereo field. Grab some cans!
I didn't see it here: About freedom of baseball, which was the lyric change on the 81 tour during the baseball strike. Beyond that, this is one of the best jobs of a cover of any song, any time. Really enjoyed that.
Fun fact... I saw them in 1982 during the Signals tour. In Madison the same day the Brewers clinched the AL pennant for their **sigh** only WS appearance. Nobody came in for the opening act, everyone was out in the parking lot listening to Bob Uecker call the final out on the radio. When Rush took the stage Geddy said "How bout those Brewers!" and he dropped the "freedom of baseball" thing then too.
Best Spirit of Radio cover I've seen. Great Job! A shame I just now discovered it.
So nonchalantly excellent. Unbelievable, on every count.
And with that last note...
...39 million Canadian citizens cheered for your performance and brushed a tear from their eye in memory of "The Professor."
That was perfection from start to finish. Well done, lads.👍🤟
No just Canadians.
Really great vocals. Nice post production work too.
Absolutely fantastic! You've captured the true spirit...of Spirit!
OMG !! This Singer Is Phenomenal !! Great Version Of This Song.!! Great Job Guys !!
Holy crap this is the best Geddy substitute i've ever heard! I'm sure Ged would appreciate the baseball call out too :)
The only Rush cover I’ve ever liked and I’ve heard a ton.
agreed
Check out Time Stand Still American Army Band, pretty good too!
YES! Someone picks up the legacy! Well done Boys! Best cover ive heard!!! You should seriously consider touring together! I'd buy a ticket!
Amazing, fellas. Rush isn't an easy cover, but you guys nailed it... and virtually no less! Bravo.
One minor flub. “Invisible Airwaves crackle with “life” not light, well, at least in this song. Nice job though. Geddy is no easy cover and as a lifelong Rush fan, that was pretty killer from all of you!
The algorithm finally presented me with this tremendous cover of your favorite band's favorite band. Nicely done gents. 'Specially you Editor Jerry. All hail the freedom of music!
Yesssss!!
You know how to tell when a drummer is killing it ?
This guy is your go to, makes it look almost effortless when its not.
Jesus This just Gets better fellas No words Just Glory
hands down the best Rush cover ive seen.Great Job
Epic, epic, epic cover! So well done. U guys rock, thank you!!!
Oh my God.....
You are awesome boys
Greetings from Guayaquil Ecuador western South America 🇪🇨🇪🇨🇪🇨🇪🇨🏃🏃🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🌷🖐️🖐️🖐️🖐️
Awesome job!!! This is great!
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Wow, Jeff and Company, IM IMPRESSED
Even my cat Louie likes Rush
five members....that's so CUTE!
Wow! I thought " ok this is porbably gonna suck" . . . 5 minutes later . . . goose bumps, Jaw hanging open. Excellent . . . SPOT ON!! Have not enjoyed a cover this much since I discovered Brit Floyd.
Great rendition. I really appreciate the tongue-in-cheek base drum pedal hitting a 12-pack of beer. Very Rush-style humor!
Woah!!!!!!! Guys you have it! Now just do it with 3 guys in a single take!
Drop it 😂
Righteous! Bravo!
One of the best covers I've ever seen and heard!
Y’all knocked this one out of the baseball park!
ha ha, brilliant!
RUSH will always live on... Damn sales men
Damn well done guys! Being a Rush snob and this just rocked the house! Thanks for keeping these tunes alive
This cover is so good wtf
I'm sitting on an english class. Ofc I'm muted, so I start singing one of my favourite parts. I'm like: One life to believe, in the freeddom of musi- wait what
Beyond Words Gentlemen
To me, this version is a little harder edged than the original, which I really like.
It's an ambitious cover. Well done!
best use of a fork I've seen on youtube!!!
Incroyable
Wow! First listen now...Stephen, you is his twin!!!
That was a phenomenal cover. Vocals fantastic !
Holy crap the last 60 seconds was perfect
I agree with Brad M. Love this cover. Most excellent! Stephen McSwain is fantastic on vocal. Top musicians! I keep replaying it, Thanks
Respect......👏
freedom of baseball?🤣 y'all nailed it, but will there be another trinity like Rush?
Rocked it out...Nice work Dudes!
One of the best Rush covers I've ever heard. If not THE best. Wow. That was convincing, boys!
ben shaperio on bass
Holy Crap. This is so fantastic.
Finally someone addresses this whole freedom of baseball thing. Well done!
No Words I Burst into Tears The Acoustic Gods Have blessed Us
I want baseball back!!!
That was awesome guys! Rush forever!!!
Thumbs up , done very well guys.
I want Doug’s gear room lol
Great vid!
HOLY C#&P!
Hands down best cover of Rush I've ever heard!!!
I was on another tab when this started, I had to flip back to this to check if it was Rush. I didn't ever expect that.
That was fantastic guys!
Great song. Excellent cover! Good job guys. Hats off to ya
Thx. For making the time to make are Day.
That was Awesome.
Great cover. True to the original with just a bit more edge. Well done, boys.
Tough as heck, nailed it !
Sounds great! Awesome voice.
Awesome Stephen and gang!!!🤘🤘
One of the better covers of a classic song.
Wow guys, this was really good. Nice job....
Good Job Fellas, and the Vocals 👍👍
Excellent cover! Jeff...you did an awesome job on drums...with half the kit. Neil would be proud! You guys all should be proud, even Gary on bass, who looked like what I'd imagine to be his version of a hostage video-bass player. Gary, blink twice to let us know you're alive & ok!😐😑😑😐
Great Job all of you sound great, fantastic cover !!!
WHAT A GREAT VOCALS !!!!!
absolutely stunning.........found watched subbed.... cannot fault this cover
Impressive cover. I like Doug playing, so talented player, just look at his youtube recordings to understand a perfect technic and a deep feeling in every note. In addition to his great talent to build amazing guitars, and i have the chance to own one 🙂, Stephen impresses me with his voice and tone range here with an unexpected role as singer we did not know in Europe. And every musicians in line, perfect for a great and difficult Rush song. Well done !! Excellent 👍👍👍
Great job Gentlemen!
Very nice cover..👍
Rock on fellas! Great job!!!
Whew... what a cover !!! Great job !!
Voice is incredible
Great job guys guys. Rush loving Canuck here. WOW....All I can say is WOW...
LOOOOOOVE IT💖💖💖💖💖
Loved it!!! I come to this version more than I do to the actual record lol...thanks!! Kept it simple and clean!!!
As simple as Rush could be, which is never simple!! Wanted to clarify
Awesome cover i love rush!
side note the bassist looks alot like ben shapiro!
Epic effort
You did Rush proud! A fantastic cover! 🤟
Best cover!
Love to hear a voice
That does a great job ....he said freedom of baseball
Hehee😊😊😊
Excellent job well done.
Nice job guys. Baseball reference was pretty funny. :)
awesome guys, spot on
It is much easier for instrumentalists to dial in that same tone and play on, than it is for a singer to fall into that bell-house of another voice. Very good guys. Great job. And thank you, from all us Rush fans.
That was fucking awesome! Good job guys.