RUSH IS A BAND

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

2112 "Doesn't Suck"

[Wizards & Warriors]

(link requires registration - use no@track.com, courtesy bugmenot)

The University of Colorado Denver Advocate has an article about progressive rock. In typical fashion, their view of what prog rock is all about and who listens to it is a bit narrow. They list several prog rock bands/albums that, in their words, "don't suck". Rush's 2112 made the list of course, although they still manage to dis Geddy's voice.

Kicking off with the Ayn Rand inspired title track, 2112 found Rush making prog fans and heavy rock fans alike very happy. The end result is a sort of solo heavy falsetto gripping album that shows Neil Peart and company at their best. It's hard to deny that this is an amazing record, no matter how much you hate Geddy Lee's vocal styling.

Geddy, Alex making the rounds

There are several posts over at Counterparts today talking about Geddy and Alex showing up on various radio shows/chats. Here are some highlights:

Alex spoke on Detroit radio, WRIF 101.1 FM around noon. Board member Peter Griffin listened in and had this to report:

Just finished listening to the call with Big Al (got it on tape and can send it to MitA if he wants to host the audio). He talked about a lot of stuff, including Rush's history in Detroit, the R30 DVD, and plans for the future. Right from the source, Al said they're planning to hit the studio early next year, hopefully finish it up by Summer, then tour this time next year!

Oh, he also told a cool story about meeting one of his idols, Jimmy Page, recently. Apparently Geddy ran into Robert Plant in Morocco, they exchanged numbers, then when Page/Plant hit Toronto, Plant called Geddy and set up a meeting at the venue. Alex said Jimmy walked into the room, was very charming, and when Al gave him a copy of Victor he was literally shaking from the excitement of meeting one of his idols. :)

geddyfan had this to report:

At 9:15 am 96 Rock in Atlanta had a mystery guest on the Regular Guys morning show. I was quickly able to guess that it was Geddy trying to be French. Anyway Geddy said and I quote that Rush will be touring "late '06 or early '07". Geddy also said that they have not begun work on the new album yet, at least not studio work. Anyway I know everybody has been wanting to know what is the deal with the new album and a tour so that is the info, that Geddy said on the radio this morning.

Kirk reports the following:

On the way to work this morning, I was listening to the KQRS morning show, as always... when Tom Barnard says "Up next, a guy who changed his name because his mom couldn't say Gary".
Too cool!

So, Geddy was on and it was just a short chat about the weather and some 30th anniversary stuff. One of the KQRS guys was falling all over himself complimenting Geddy and the band....he asked Geddy about the beautiful cabin/studio setting for the video (Limelight) that was filmed in the winter and Geddy explained how it was a place in Canada where they recorded a few albums and that it was -30 degrees the day that video was filmed. Tom says "Thanks Geddy for reminding Minnesotans what is just around the corner" and Geddy got a good laugh out of that.

Geddy talked about how Alex has spent the past year working on old concert footage...converting it to 5.1 surround and how the DVD will be coming out in a few months!

It was a really cool surprise out of nowhere!

R30 tops in sales for last week

[SOUNDSCAN Report: RUSH, QOTSA, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, OZZFEST, CRADLE OF FILTH - Nov. 30, 2005]

Blabbermouth is reporting that R30 blew away the competition in DVD sales last week. I am not surprised.

The following are notable heavy metal/hard rock U.S. sales debuts for the week ending November 29, 2005, as reported by Nielsen SoundScan (all figures are rounded to the nearest thousand, except numbers under 1,000, which are rounded to the nearest hundred):

RUSH - "R30" DVD: 28,000
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE - "Over The Years and Through The Woods" DVD: 10,000
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE - "(Set This) World Ablaze" DVD: 7,000
OZZFEST - "10th Anniversary" DVD: 7,000
CRADLE OF FILTH - "Peace Through Superior Firepower" DVD: 2,000
PAPA ROACH - "Live & Murderous In Chicago" DVD: 2,000
NAILBOMB - "Live At Dynamo" DVD: 200

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Rock and Roll Hall of Shame?

[Treated like a fly by night outfit]

The Canadian online mag National Post is mad that Rush didn't make it into the hall of fame:

Rush was given the brush-off by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame again yesterday, exasperating fans who have been petitioning for the Canadian rock giants' inclusion for six years. Yesterday, the Cleveland-based institution announced the induction of Black Sabbath, Blondie, The Sex Pistols, Lynyrd Skynyrd and even jazzman Miles Davis, but Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart once again felt the caress of steel as the Hall of Fame's door slammed in their faces.

Since Rush became eligible for induction in 1999, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has repeatedly denied the band that wrote the classic rock megahit Tom Sawyer even a nomination. In response, Rush-heads have created at least two online petitions and numerous Web sites pleading their case -- but they are getting tired of the constant rejection. ...

I personally don't expect Rush to ever be inducted - and I'm beyond caring at this point. But I understand the consternation felt by many fans - especially the Canadian fans. There will always be controversy over who is and isn't inducted because the criteria for inclusion is so subjective; and Rush has never been a favorite of rock critics and the music industry establishment. They are unique, uncompromising, talented and noncontroversial ... and most importantly they have the best fans in the world. And the fans are what really matters. So what if their success isn't recognized by some pyramid-shaped building in Cleveland, OH; does it really matter? I say no.

Another R30 contest ... for Europe only

[Win an exclusive custom made Rush R30 leather jacket!]

This is another R30 contest but it's only open to members of the European Union. Oh well. Here's the info:

One lucky winner gets:

An R30 leather jacket, a men's red R30 T-shirt, an autographed R30 4 disc Deluxe DVD, an R30 Audio sampler and an R30 Tour book.

5 runners up will receive:

An R30 2 disc DVD, an R30 Audio sampler and an R30 Tour book.

R30 Makes the Grade

["R30," Artist: Rush, Staff grade: B]

Oklahoma Daily has a review of R30 up. They gave it a B. What the hell, here's the whole thing.

There's really only two sides to fall on when it comes to Rush: either you think the Canadian trio is everything great about big rock shows or you think Geddy Lee is the worst vocalist of all time and that the band is therefore unlistenable. There really is no grey area.

It goes without saying then that the band's new 4-disc set falls strictly in the 'fans only' category. There's absolutely no way a casual Rush fan (again, none of whom exist, but let's play along) would be able to get much out of this.

The main feature of the package is a DVD of the band performing live in 2004 on its 30th anniversary tour. The two hour-plus set hits on all areas of the band's career, and features as its high point an extended instrumental jam that showcases the band's strengths (musicianship) and leaves out the lowlights (Lee's shrill voice).

As far as the technical presentation of the concert goes, fans couldn't ask for more - the shots are crisp and clear, there's no annoying back-and-forth between black and white and color shots, as modern concert films are wont to do, and the cuts aren't so fast that it's hard to follow the action. However, it's impossible to not question the necessity of this package - there are few bands that have as much live material in their discography as Rush, with the previous live DVD coming as recently as 2003.

This redundancy makes the strength of the package lie in the second DVD, which features various archival footage of the band from its early days, including numerous miscellaneous live performances and interviews accrued over the years. The quality of the material varies wildly, but for those dedicated enough to even like Rush, there's plenty here to keep them entertained.

The other two discs of the package (available only in the deluxe edition) are comprised of an audio version of the same concert presented on the DVD, which again raises redundancy issues, but that's why it's clearly a separate product that the super die-hards can choose to get.

Here's all you really need to know to decide if this is right for you - the band's live set opens with a bizarre Terry Gilliam-esque animation sequence followed by a simply stupifying scene of Jerry Stiller wearing a Rush shirt and talking about how great the band is. Also, the performance of the hit "Tom Sawyer" is prefaced with a CGI video of a dragon eating popcorn and watching TV. If you're not turned off already, it might be worth a shot. Otherwise, this is strictly for those who have already worn out upwards of three copies of "2112."

Anatomy of a Drum Solo Release Date Moved Up

["ANATOMY OF A DRUM SOLO" by Neil Peart]

Hudson music is now saying that Anatomy of a Drum Solo will be available on the original release date of December 7. It had been moved back a week as I mentioned a couple weeks ago.

Monday, November 28, 2005

R30 TV

[MMMPresents - Rush: R30]

Much More Music will be airing R30 on their MMMPresents show. The first showing is Dec. 18 at 9pm with several rebroadcasts planned.

This concert special takes place during the bands 30th Anniversary Tour. Includes interviews with the band as well as performances of "The Spirit of Radio," Subdivisions," "Tom Sawyer" and more. Filmed in Frankfurt, Germany in 2004.

Got 500 Bucks to Blow? Look no further.

[Rush - The Complete Tourbooks - Limited Edition]

The Rush Backstage Club is offering the entire catalog of Rush tour books, signed by the band ... for the low, low price of only $500! Too steep for me. Imagine getting this in your stocking.

Rush Influences Everywhere

[Pianist David Nevue]

I stumbled across pianist David Nevue's website while googling over the weekend. He gives several nods to Rush and other progressive rock bands as influencing his music. From his biography:

... Interestingly enough, if you ask David about his musical background he might surprise you. He comes not from a background of polished piano music, but grew up a typical 1980's teenager strongly under the influences of such progressive rock artists as Rush, Pink Floyd, and Kansas. David pursued rock music as a career throughout his college years, playing keyboards for a number of garage bands. ..

He also cites Rush as a major influence and had this to say on his influences page.

It's hard to pick only one or even two Rush albums. Listening to Rush stimulated me intellectually and creatively. They are also part of the reason why I'm fairly intolerant of playing a phrase exactly the same way twice. I'm very paranoid about over-repetition and I want constant progression in a composition. I owe that drive for musical perfection, in part, to listening to the music of this band. 2112 was my first exposure to a 'concept' album, and concept albums are all I've ever done.

Friday, November 25, 2005

Geddy Lee and Pee Wee Herman

[System of a Down: Intense, fierce and unnervingly weird]

I'm a big fan of System of a Down, one of the best bands to come out in recent years in my opinion. Although I'd classify their music as progressive rock (progressive metal might be a better term) I never really thought they sounded much like Rush at all. I recently read this review of their new album Hypnotize (on my Xmas list). This snippet discusses the fact that Darin Malakian (guitars, vocals) does a lot more of the lead vocals on this album.

... That spectrum might also be due in part to Malakian's growing presence as a songwriter and singer; whereas Serj Tankian's muscular ululations fronted most of the band's first three albums, Malakian -- whose caterwauling voice ranges somewhere between Geddy Lee (of Rush) and Pee Wee Herman -- shares equal time on "Mezmerize/Hypnotize," a mix that has caused some grumbling among the faithful. ...

Geddy Lee and Pee Wee Herman?? What a strange visual.

Big Head Morgan

This quote from Peter Criss of Kiss about Neil Peart was recently dredged up by Kozmo4Rush over at Counterparts. Very cool.

"Neil Peart comes to mind. Back in the day, when things were right. We toured with Rush, and Neil just joined the band. The minute I saw him play, I said he was great. Outstanding Drummer! I nick named him "Big Head Morgan" that is between us and them. I loved touring with Rush. Then we would stay in Holiday Inns. It was the winter, we would sit outside along the balcony with a blanket on us to keep warm. We would talk about making it and drinking our Jack Daniel's and sharing a bottle of Scotch. Well, both our dreams came true. I really like them guys, we had so much fun. Rush are true gentlemen, Canada should be proud of them. I miss them."

God Bless - The Cat

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

More Rush Comparisons

The online metal mag The Gauntlet has posted 2 new album reviews, both of which mention comparisons to Rush. I've never heard of either of these bands, but whenever I hear mention of a Rush comparison they get my attention.

For hardcore band A Wilhelm Scream's new album Ruiner they had this to say:

... When listening to "The Pool", you may think that NOFX has gotten into a head-on collision with Rush and Alex Lifeson's hands were sewn back onto Fat Mike. There's a lot of tunefulness to be found here and one doesn't even need to look for it. It is right there in your face, whether the band is plowing through a hardcore breakdown or speedy, double-kick fueled chorus. ...

For alt-metal band Opus Dai's album Actum Procul they say:

... "Rain" is as textured as the studio version of the track that is included on the Double Blind artist sampler "Unknown Vol. 1". An eclectic mixture of the sounds of The Jesus Lizard and Rush, this track stays with the listener well, the charismatic vocals of Chris-Paul Basso drawing you deeply into the emotions inherent in the track. ...

Happy Easter! ... Eggs

[How to find R30 Easter Eggs (spoiler)]

Counterparts member middletown drummer has started a thread on finding the R30 easter eggs. If you're having trouble locating these, check it out.

UPDATE: I posted a summary here:

Here's how to find the easter eggs on r30. I summarized this info from several sources on the net. There are just 2 eggs and they're both on Disc 2. Disc 1 is just the concert with no easter eggs.

Egg #1: From disc 2's opening menu, hit the 'Right' arrow key on your remote three times. The menu will reload with a new item, Rush Hits St. John's. Select the item to view the clip.

Egg #2: From disc 2's opening menu, go to the Interviews section. Once there, highlight the menu entry Interviews and Anthem Vault and then click the 'Right' arrow on your remote three times. The guy with the broom on the left of the screen will highlight yellow. Press the 'Enter' key on your remote and you will see Alex's Interview for Artist of the Decade.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Geddy Lee buys some wine

[Hospices: cautious optimism despite lack of private bidders]

Once we would take water
But now it must be wine

- from I think I'm Going Bald on Caresss of Steel

As many know, Geddy Lee, in addition to being the world's greatest rock bass player, is a wine connoisseur. This article discusses the 145th Hospices de Beaune wine auction in Beaune, France which was held this past weekend. Geddy Lee apparently bought some wine. Maybe he bought it to celebrate the release of R30. From the article:

... While most of the wines were sold to merchants in France and abroad, private buyers included Geddy Lee of Canadian rock band Rush and American restaurateurs and private buyers, including a bidding ring organised by members of the forum on erobertparker.com.

It's here!

R30 is now available. I have not purchased my copy yet. Why you ask? My wife needs to buy me something for Christmas and I told her she could get me R30. What's a couple of weeks of waiting? I told myself... I can handle that.. right? I don't think I can hold out. There's a good chance that I'll have R30 in my hands before the end of the day. In the meantime, anyone else bought it yet? Any comments? Most of the feedback over at Counterparts has been very positive. Who the hell am I kidding? - I'm gonna have to buy this...

Monday, November 21, 2005

SS Professor Pics

[SS Professor Tour hits Just Drums in Toronto]

The Canadian Music Scene has some pictures of Neil Peart's drum kit posted from the November 14th Lorne Wheaton Drum Clinic at Just Drums in Toronto. Sweet.

R30 Disc 1 Review

[Rush R30 Review of Disc 1 Frankfurt Show, Awesome Performance!]

RedSectorA over at Counterparts reviews the R30 Disc 1. He reviewed Disc 2 last week. He talks a bit about the technical aspects then proceeds to break down each track giving his overall impression. Good stuff.

Rush mentioned in article discussing bands with longevity

[Rock for ages]

Rush is mentioned in this article on azcentral.com. It talks about bands who have survived the test of time and the reasons why they have such staying power. Here's a snippet:

The list of rock acts with decades-long staying power is a short one. Few have defied overwhelming odds to stand the test of time. ... for every long-term success such as McCartney, the Stones, Depeche Mode, U2, Aerosmith, Rush and Crosby, Stills & Nash, scores of '60s, '70s and '80s acts imploded or are relegated to playing nostalgia shows at casinos and state fairs. ... Rush hasn't had any huge hits in recent years to match 1975's Fly by Night or 1981's Tom Sawyer, but the band still sells out arenas and releases new music.

Saturday, November 19, 2005

R30 Spoilers

[R30 DVD Review Disc 2 the Anthem Vault, **Warning Contains Spoilers**]

Here's a short review of R30 Disc 2; Interviews, live music and the Anthem Vault from RedSectorA over at Counterparts.

Really Bad Cover of Closer to the Heart

[Closer To The Heart Cover with Butch Walker]

This was apparently on some radio station this morning. Drew from Counterparts posted it. Enjoy... or don't. :)

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Weekly Blog Rush

The K-spot expounds on her love of Red Sector A.

Sam-I-Am explains why he hates his favorite band Rush?

BigAssSuperstar discusses Lerxst's multi-million dollar nose.

Chemistry Review

[Review - RUSH: "CHEMISTRY" by Jon Collins]

There's a review of Chemistry over at progarchives.com. Here it is in its entirety:

Rush: Chemistry.

Author: Jon Collins.
Publisher: Helter Skelter.
Release: UK Dec 2005.USA Feb 2006.
Rush are like a best-kept secret. Even seasoned Prog-Rock fans seem to under-estimate the startling level of success achieved by the 3 Canadians over three decades.

In this new biography Jon Collins uses over 50 new interviews with band-related insiders to chart Rush's hard-fought rise from playground entertainers to multi-million dollar grossing album and stadium phenomenon. Collin's biography manages to bring new insight into the 'chemistry' which binds the three quite different band members and provokes such high regard from everyone who has worked with or for them. The key to this book is the insight provided by those voices so rarely heard: ticket agency managers, sound technicians, photographers and even caterers!
Never one's to court controversy, their most public trials; Peart's family tragedies and Lifeson's court case are surprisingly, but correctly in my opinion, treated as 'old news' given the amount of copy already devoted to these subjects. Instead we get insights into the mechanics of Rush album writing and production, the tensions of meeting deadlines and the often futile search for the perfect 'take.' We get glimpses of the Rush world as seen from those who are closest to the three and we are often rewarded with nuggets of 'band gossip' that would normally kept within the inner sanctum of the band's entourage. Lifeson's almost pathological hatred for keyboards is discussed and we learn that he would often glare at them as if they really were an evil presence even when they remained boxed in their cases.. Geddy Lee occasionally gets a rough ride; often portrayed as domineering in the studio and undermining both Lifeson's position within the band and his confidence in his playing. Neil Peart probably gets the best press, unilaterally praised for his professionalism and humanity, often belying his 'difficult' public persona. Whilst Lifeson is the joker and Lee the organiser, it is Peart the thinker who often comes across as the personality that cements the trio.
Although we are presented with what is inevitably for a high profile rock band a story oft-told, it is in the telling of this story that Collins succeeds were others have fallen short. The attention to detail is impressive and everyone who has ever had a credit on a Rush product gets to tell his story in the neat 'Personology' section at the end of the book. Collins writes with economy and flair, often just letting the facts speak for themselves, and in doing so manages to convey the genuine humanity and 'ordinariness' of the three band members revered as musicians across the globe.
All in all an excellent piece of work doing justice to this great band over 200 + pages. Anyone who has already read Collins' other rock biography on Marillion can expect more of the same high standards. Recommended.
Tony Riviere 2005.

R30 Contest at Rush Backstage Club

[Enter for a chance to win a $500 shopping spree from the Rush Backstage Club]

There's a contest going on at the Rush Backstage Club to win a $500 shopping spree. You have to jump through a lot of hoops to enter; you need to enter the title of every Rush album given the month/year of release. Easily obtainable information (if you don't already have it memorized) but a pain to enter.

Neil Peart Interview at Rush.com

[Rush Drummer Neil Peart offers exclusive insight on Rush-R30]

Rush.com just posted an interview with Neil Peart. This seems to be the full interview mentioned in this previous post.

Neil Peart Interview

[Neil Peart Speaks About New Rush Release]

Neil Peart discusses his early days with Rush and the band's upcoming DVD, R30 Live in Frankfurt, with chartattack.com:

Looking back at all the archived material made Peart reflective of his early days with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. "What that old footage does is make us laugh, really, at how we looked back then, and smile with a certain fond appreciation for our youthful earnestness and energy. We had a lot to learn, but we were learning it." Peart joined Rush in August 1974, when he says the band were entering "Fairy Tale Land. The band had just signed a U.S. record deal, and it included an advance to buy all new equipment. I'll never forget how exciting it was to walk into a music store in downtown Toronto and buy our dream gear."

Though Rush have played more than 5,000 concerts since the Trudeau administration, Peart still vividly remembers the first one.

"Two weeks after I joined, we played our first show together in Pittsburgh, in front of about 11,000 people, then continued around the U.S. - opening for bigger bands, playing club dates on our own and even appearing on a few television shows. Eventually that first tour took us all around the United States and Canada, and that was pretty exciting, too. Those were heady times, no question, and we were certainly fully engaged in the moment. It's safe to say we weren't thinking too much about the future."

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

More R30 Clips

[R30 Clips]

These R30 clips are popping up all over the place. This site has Limelight and Closer to the Heart (Canadian Tsunami Disaster Fund charity telethon performance). Thanks to Power Windows for the info. There is a much better version of the Closer to the Heart performance here at rush.com.

Anatomy of a Drum Solo Release Delayed 1 Week

[COMING DECEMBER 15, 2005 "ANATOMY OF A DRUM SOLO" by Neil Peart]

Neil Peart's new instructional DVD Anatomy of a Drum Solo will be released on Dec. 15 - one week later than originally stated. From Hudson Music

Anatomy of a Drum Solo presents newly-recorded, in-studio footage of Neil discussing, in detail, his approach to soloing. Using a solo recorded in September, 2004 in Frankfurt, Germany, as a framework, Neil talks about each segment of this nine-minute tour de force that is a feature of each Rush performance. He describes the inspiration and the conceptual thinking behind each part of the solo and discusses, and often demonstrates, the technique necessary for playing that segment.

Also included are two "explorations" -- completely improvised workouts at the drums, each over thirty-minutes long; a never-before-released solo recorded in Hamburg, Germany in September, 2004 ("Ich Bin Ein Hamburger"); "O Baterista", Neil's Grammy(r) Award-nominated solo (previously released on the Rush in Rio DVD); two full Rush performances from Frankfurt '04, all shot from the perspective of the drum cameras; interviews with Lorne Wheaton, Neil's drum tech, and Paul Northfield, Rush co-producer and engineer; a full-color booklet, a photo gallery and more.

Yet Another R30 Clip: Tom Sawyer

[Zoe Records: Rush - R30 Deluxe]

Here's another clip from the R30 DVD. This time it's Tom Sawyer. Great stuff. I can't wait!

Tough Question

[Win a DVD Prize Pack]

andPop is running a contest where they are giving away 3 DVD prize packs. The prize pack contains an R30 DVD and 3 others that I don't care about. I entered. Worth a shot I guess. :) Oh - to qualify for the contest, you need to answer a really tough Rush-related question: Who is the lead singer of Rush?

R30 Overture clip on Yahoo! Music

[R30 Overture]

Yahoo! Music has a clip of the R30 Overture from the R30 tour availablie online. For those of you familiar with the R30 tour, this is the instrumental montage that they opened the show with. This is definitely worth watching. I was having trouble viewing this with Mozilla but it worked fine for me in IE. R30 is less than a week away. Yippee!

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Lerxst At The Orbit Room

Power Windows posted this over at Counterparts. Not sure where he got the info but it's pretty cool.

Lerxst At The Orbit Room: Alex Lifeson made an appearance on stage at the Orbit Room this past Friday, 11/11 to celebrate the Orbit Room's 11th anniversary. Playing along side houseband The Dexters, for the first time in eleven years, they actually played a Rush song on stage - a version of the Spirit Of Radio! The set also included "For What It's Worth" (see Feedback) and Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit". - Nov. 12, 2005

I went to The Orbit Room the last time I was in Toronto on the off chance that Lerxst might show up. I would have loved to have been there Friday.

Driven Percussion Ensemble

[Rush Driven for percussion ensemble by Marshall University Percussion Ensemble]

harpua262 over at Counterparts obtained an mp3 of the Marshall University Percussion Ensemble performing Rush's Driven off their Test for Echo album and MitA was kind enought to make it available online. It's really cool - give it a listen.

R30 Review in DVD Times

[Review: Rush - R30]

DVD Times has an early review of R30 up. They have mostly good things to say about it. Here is their overall assessment:

... Well, this definitely captures the same show I saw in Glasgow during the UK leg of the R30 tour, with the band still showing no sign of aging, slowing down or mellowing out. It has however better sound than the booming acoustics of the SEC, and you get a better view of the band than I had stuck at the front of the second block centre. I can't claim to be objective in this review or even speak for all Rush fans, but from a personal perspective, this is a great recording and wonderful souvenir from that tour, fully living up to any expectation I could have from the band in concert. There are still a few technical issues with this release, but with a stunning PCM Stereo track it is unlikely to be as controversial as the mix on Rush In Rio. In terms of extra features this is a little gold-mine for long-time fans, with an amazing selection of archive material from many periods of the band's career. We all now eagerly await another album and tour from a band who still seem to be on top form, not yet ready to rest on their laurels, but always capable of progressing their musical ability.

Monday, November 14, 2005

Geddy and Alex "In The Studio"

[Redbeard's "In The Studio" - 11/19]

Rock 103 out of Memphis will be interviewing Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee in celebration of Permanent Wave's (my 2nd favorite Rush album) 25th anniversary and Power Window's 20th anniversary (my first Rush tour).

11/19 - Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson of Rush join Redbeard IN THE STUDIO for the 25th anniversary of the Permanent Waves album, which features the songs "The Spirit of Radio" & "Free Will." Geddy & Alex will also chronicle the 20th anniversary of 1985's Power Windows album, including "The Big Money" and "The Manhattan Project" along with Permanent Waves.

The station streams its broadcasts so we should all be able to give a listen. Thanks to MitA over at Counterparts for supplying the info.

Friday, November 11, 2005

Rush's 2112 deemed "scientific"

[Bad Reporter by Don Asmussen]

From Counterparts comes this Rush reference found in the San Francisco Chronicle comic Bad Reporter (there are a lot of Kansas references too).

Latest Alex vs. Ritz-Carlton News

[Band members seeking millions over New Year's scuffle]

(NOTE: registration required to view article. Use email aaa@mailinator.com and password password)

For those of you who don't know, Alex Lifeson and his son were arrested in Naples, FL on New Year's eve 2004. Here is a running history of the case from Power Windows. There is a new development in the case as reported by the Naples Daily News:

In an amended complaint recently filed to a civil lawsuit, Alex Zivojinovich's fellow band members could now become plaintiffs in the case, and end up testifying locally in depositions or at trial.

Filed in U.S. District Court in Fort Myers, the amended complaint requests that singer Getty Lee Weinrib and drummer Neil Peart, as well as different Rush management companies, become new plaintiffs.

The lawsuit is seeking damages in excess of $75,000. ...

... The amended lawsuit states that the injuries suffered by Zivojinovich at the hands of deputies caused a reduction in the band's touring performances and recording sessions, which resulted in a loss of revenue.

But Richard Giuffreda, a Fort Lauderdale attorney who represents the deputies and is being paid from a Sheriff's Office insurance fund, said the judge in the case would have to allow the other band members to be brought into the case. He expects the judge will, but said that doesn't mean the allegation will be proven. ...

Weekly Blog Rush

I've decided to start a weekly feature called the Weekly Blog Rush. Every Friday (hopefully) I'll collect various Rush-related posts from around the blogosphere and post them here. I'm also thinking about starting a "Rush Blog Roll"; a list of Rush fan blogs. We'll see how it goes. Here's the first installment.

Sharon discusses grocery shopping with her Rush tour shirt and the conversation it started.

The No-mind drummer is excited about Neil's drum set making a stop at the store he works at.

A young Rush fan discusses his favorite band.

eayste just bought a Cannondale Rush 1000 bike: when the Cannondale Rep. came to the LBS to introduce the Rush to the interested public. I asked him if there were only 3 models. the Alex Leifson , Neil Peart or the Geddy Lee. No one got the Joke.

SDScribe talks drums and Neil Peart's ever expanding drumkit.

Darth Phil kills a wasp with a little help from Geddy Lee.

Tom Calhoun is in a Rush mood .

Dave talks about his Santa Monica neighbor ... can you guess who?

Wednesday, November 9, 2005

We are the freaks of the tadpoles of Xerox

[Am I Right - Misheard Lyrics, Rush]

Here are a bunch of 'misheard' Rush lyrics from Am I Right. Hilarious. Thanks to mystic_vapor over at Counterparts for this link.

Rush mentioned in Genesis article

[Let dismembered bands rest in peace]

I found this article in the Western Courier. It discusses the possible reunion of Genesis and mentions Rush at the end:

...The WC maintains the belief that bands who break up should stay broken up. Reunions are nothing but trouble. The WC also agrees the classic rock band Rush should never break up. You know, Geddy Lee. "Of salesmen?"

I concur.

NOTE: registration required to read the article - use this email from bugmenot if you want to read: bugmenot@mailinator.com

Monday, November 7, 2005

2112 Performed by Marching Band

[Maroon Vanguard rocks out stadium]

UPDATE - 12/21@10:00AM: Two recordings of the band have been posted online.

This is really cool.

Ten schools came out for the silver anniversary show, among them were the Jordan-Elbridge Marching Eagles with their show titled, "Tempus Fugit."

The theme for the Marching Eagles show was one of past, present and future, with a performance of past championship as well as what the future may hold for them with a performance of the song 2112, by Rush.

Can Rush MUZAK be next? ;)

UPDATE - 11/5@1:03PM: Sid over at Counterparts contacted the band conductor and he's supposedly sending him a recording of the band rehearsing the song! Awesome. I'll keep you posted.

Neil in The Majority

[eBay: Neil Peart before Rush Poster! Impossible to find!]

This is interesting. There's a The Majority (one of Neil Peart's pre-Rush bands) poster on sale at eBay. Neil is sporting the "Keith Moon" look.

Alex Lifeson Takes a Friend: Golfer Rocco Mediate

[Q & A: Rocco Mediate]

Alex Lifeson is mentioned in an interview with his friend, golfer Rocco Mediate. From the interview when asked What would you be if you weren't a PGA Tour player?:

I would have done something in music. I love music. I can't play it. I've never tried it, but I love it. I've become very close friends with Alex Lifeson, the lead guitarist of Rush. We're very dear friends. I travel with them on tour and I just really enjoy it. My middle son is playing the guitar and is becoming a nice player. Alex helps him out. It's pretty cool to have one of the top five guitarists in the world helping out your son.

I'm in that band, Rush

Yet another obscure Rush reference found over at Power Windows:

Rush Reference on Squidbillies: Part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup, which along with Sealab 2021, Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law have all referenced Rush, during the Squidbillies pilot, This Show Is Called Squidbillies which aired Oct. 16th, the main character starts hallucinating and says I'm in that band, Rush, as a slightly off tempo version of Tom Sawyer is heard in the background. He has a flashback where he is onstage jamming out with Rush, and we see the squid on stage with two guys who are only seen from the chest down. In the end, however, he recalls it never really happened.

Friday, November 4, 2005

Alex Lifeson mentioned in Peter Wolf interview

[Peter Wolf Interview]

This one is mostly for the guitar-playing Rush fans. Modern Guitars magazine recently interviewed Paul Wolf, president and co-founder of PRS (Paul Reed Smith Guitars) Germany. He mentions Alex Lifeson in the interview. I believe Alex has been using PRS guitars since recording 1993's Counterparts.

Thursday, November 3, 2005

R30 track soundclips online

[The Rounders Record Group R30 Preview]

The Rounders Record Group site now has sound clips of all the songs that will appear on the R30 disc. Click on the "Deluxe Disc Jukebox" to open the player. Cool. Only 19 days to go!

Wednesday, November 2, 2005

A Banner Moment for Alex and Geddy

[Guitars101]

Somebody on Counterparts noticed this. The banner image on this Guitars101 site pictures both Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee (toward the right). Cool to see Geddy made the cut along with all those guitar players - I don't see any other bassists on there.

UPDATE - 11/3@1:31PM: Hey- turns out that the owner of the site tracked down all the traffic he was getting to the Counterparts Messageboard and issued this statement on the boards:

Hey guys, I chased this thread down through my logs. I own that site and asked the guy who made the logo to add Geddy and Alex specifically. I have always been a huge Rush fan.

Neat.

Tuesday, November 1, 2005

An Introduction by Neil Peart

Some Neil Peart news from Power Windows:

Kevin J. Anderson's Landscapes: Neil Peart has written an introduction for Landscapes, a new collection of short stories by author Kevin J. Anderson to be published in Spring 2006 by Five Star Press. Peart and Anderson have been friends since the publication of Anderson's first novel, Resurrection, Inc., in 1988, a novel co-dedicated "to Neil Peart, Geddy Lee, and Alex Lifeson of RUSH, whose haunting album Grace Under Pressure inspired much of this novel", and later collaborated on the short story "Drumbeats".

Here's some info about Drumbeats.

Geddy Lee Interview

[BBC Radio 2: Bob Harris]

This was posted on the Counterparts message board:

As part of a Canadian music special, Geddy Lee will be the guest of Bob Harris on his BBC Radio 2 show next Saturday night. The show runs from 10.30pm to 1.00am British time, (that's 5.30pm EST), you can hear it online by clicking here. You can also listen again at any time for the following 7 days.