Rush is a Band

A blog devoted to RUSH:
Neil Peart, Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson

Thu, Mar 28, 2024

Neil Peart discusses his drums, Rush's 10 Best Songs and more as part of CBC Music's Rush Week

Thu, Nov 13, 2014@12:10PM | comments

UPDATE - 11/14@7:53AM: Here's the associated article that goes with the 2-part video interview.

UPDATE - 11/13@2:12PM: CBC Music also posted a more expansive interview with Neil Peart to their YouTube channel yesterday in 2 parts (thanks Sean). In part one Neil talks about motorcycles and writing for over 10 minutes, specifically his new book Far and Near. In the 15-minute second part of the interview he talks about Rush's 40 year legacy.

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R40 Blu-ray box setIn celebration of the release of Rush's R40 40th Anniversary Collectors Box Set this past Monday, CBC Music has been posting a series of Rush-themed articles all this past week. Veteran Canadian musician and Rush friend Dave Bidini kicked things off by looking back at the band's 40-year legacy in this article. Today's installments feature a photo gallery with Neil Peart sharing his thoughts on Rush's 10 Best Songs, along with a video where he dissects his various drumsets. Here's what Peart had to say about the #1 song on the list - The Spirit of Radio:

"We were working at a farmhouse out in the country in western Ontario and commuting home on weekends. I remember coming home very late and CFNY Radio was on the air, and as I was cresting the escarpment with all of the lights below of Hamilton and the Niagara Peninsula, where I lived at the time, with a fantastic combination of music that was on at the time. And CFNY's motto at the time: 'the spirit of radio.' The song itself, musically, is switching between radio stations, with a reggae section at the end, the second verse is new waves, I'm playing like a punk drummer there, and that was all intentional."

Also as part of their Rush Week, CBC Music is running a Twitter contest all week to determine Canada's biggest Rush fan, where the winner - to be announced tomorrow - will win an R40 box set. There's also an article celebrating the history of Rush in pop culture, a list of 40 things you didn't know about Rush, and 11 great songs that sample Rush. You can order the R40 box set on 6 Blu-ray discs or 10 DVDs.

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