Geddy Lee vs Jon Anderson vs Roine Stolt

Geddy for me, with Jon Anderson right behind him.  Roine is a decent back-up singer, imo, as I only enjoy his voice in small doses.

No doubt...

I've always liked Geddy's voice. Actually think he's a bit underrated in that department.

Sometimes you hear Anderson hit a sour note and it just about makes your sphincter slam shut. I like Stolt's a lot better now than I used to. Almost like Bowie with a sinus infection. Still, I'd take his voice over Anderson's, but Geddy's overall.

E

I can't say much about Stolt, as so far I've yet to find anything of his interesting enough to listen to for more than a few moments; so I'll move on to the real match-up. Range wise, I think that Jon may have the advantage, but style -wise & considering each career's work, Geddy gets the nod. Prototypical high pitched wail of the 70s, yes, but he hit the notes needed. The 80s brought a bit lower timbre & warmth as Rush progressed. Through the 90s & 00s, his voice has held up well & no one sounds like him, period. Jon, on the other hand, you can pick him out easily, to the point that he is one of the more copied voices in Prog. Great, and not necessarily a one trick pony, but he is what he's always been.

E-Dub wrote: Almost like Bowie with a sinus infection E

I saw Jon Anderson at the 35th Anniversary show at Madison Square Garden...he was absolutely flawless. Probably the only rock singer whose voice never degraded in quality at all. He's nearly 60 years old, and there has never been another singer like him.

Roine is not as much of a singer as he is a guitarist. Wonderful, unique voice, but no range or technique, really. Geddy is unique, but has definitely lost range and melodic sense over the years. Still amazing, though!

But all three are master craftsmen. As a vocalist, Jon wins, but Geddy is among the best bass players of all time, and Roine Stolte is a pretty amazing composer and guitarist. Comparing Roine to Jon is like comparing Eddie Van Halen to Rick Wakeman as a keyboard player....he's a master, but not of that specific craft...


Edited by jplanet - February 10 2007 at 23:19

Jon Anderson.

stonebeard wrote: OK, Anderson would've won hands down in his prime, now I'm not so sure. I think he still edges out Geddy, but maybe not.

I saw Anderson live just before Christmas and his voice hasn't really changed that much since his "prime". Compared to some of his contemporaries he can still hit the high notes pretty well.

1. anderson
2. stolt
3. lee

I vote for Geddy. His vocals have always been an acquired taste for most people I know, but his voice fits the music perfectly, and he plays unbelievable bass riffs while singing.