Rush is a Band

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

Fri, Mar 29, 2024

Updates and other random Rush stuff

Fri, Oct 14, 2011@12:17PM | comments removed/disabled

UPDATE - 10/14@4:07PM: You can check out a photo gallery of the Rush pinball machine I mentioned below at this link.

We received confirmation via the D&E Entertainment Facebook page earlier this week that the theatrical screening of Rush's Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland concert video would indeed be the entire concert rather than the edited, 2-hour version that was cut for VH1 Classic. There had been a lot of confusion over the subject since up until recently all the theaters had a running time of 2 hours listed (some still do). For a regularly-updated list of theaters and showtimes go to www.rushtimemachinepremiere.com. Here's an image of the official theatrical movie poster. Nothing surprising here - just the DVD/Blu-ray cover with some text about the film release. And if you haven't seen it yet, here's the film's official trailer.

The Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland DVD will release on November 8th although there's still some question as to when the Blu-ray will release with some retailers listing the date as November 8th and others listing a December 20th release. The CD companion to the Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland concert video will release on November 8th along with a package containing only the live tracks from the Moving Pictures album titled Moving Pictures: Live 2011, available only in vinyl or digital formats. Last Friday Roadrunner Records released 7 live cuts from the Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland CD to radio. The 7 tracks are The Spirit of Radio, Workin' Them Angels, Faithless, Tom Sawyer, Limelight, Caravan and Working Man. So if you are willing and able, start calling your local rock radio stations and request the tracks. Hopefully we'll see them get some heavy rotation.

You may remember that Rush producer Nick Raskulinecz was interviewed for UltimateGuitar.com last month and gave a brief update regarding how work on Rush's upcoming Clockwork Angels album was progressing:

It is coming along fantastic, we have recorded two songs already and we released them last year and then the band went on tour. But we are currently in preproduction right now so that we can finish the rest of the record which we will start recording again in mid October.

It's now mid-October, so hopefully Rush has started recording or will start soon! The band plans to release the album on their new label Roadrunner Records sometime in the first of half of 2012 with a supporting tour to follow.

Neil Peart's Taking Center Stage instructional DVD officially releases today. It had already been available for the past week or so through Guitar Center stores and should also be available through other retailers in the upcoming week. Some Guitar Center locations will match any price listed by another retailer, and they are also offering 35 minutes of additional exclusive downloadable content with an in-store purchase (not sure if the same offer applies to online purchases). Guitar Center is also running a contest where they are giving away 20 copies of the DVD along with one Ultimate Neil Peart Prize Package. For all the details and to enter go to this link. For a complete tracklist and product images check out this post, and here's a review of the DVD from Modern Drummer. There are also several preview videos and other content available at TakingCenterStage.net.

Speaking of Neil, Back on July 31st he made a surprise appearance at the closing session of The 16th Annual KoSA International Percussion Workshop, Camp & Festival at Castleton State College in Castleton, VT. Neil gave a short interview and Q&A session, performed a little, and also received a KoSA Lifetime Achievement Award. You can check out all the details in this World Jazz News press release. Neil also wrote up a short piece describing his KoSA experience that was recently posted to the KoSA website's home page.

On November 21st Rush will be releasing three separate six-disc Sector box sets which together spans their entire 15-album Mercury Records recording career. Each set contains five of their 15 Mercury albums in chronological order, all transferred to high resolution 96kHz/24-bit along with one album from each set in 5.1; Sector 1 contains Fly By Night in 5.1, Sector 2 has A Farewell to Kings in 5.1, and Sector 3 includes Signals in 5.1. Each album is packaged in a replica vinyl mini-jacket of the original album release. Each set also includes an exclusive booklet packed with unpublished photos, original album lyrics and credits with all three box sets forming a Rush CD road case. Thanks to Metal Tim at BW&BK I now have a low-res image of the box sets which I included above. In light of this news I thought I'd launch a new poll asking everyone which of the 3 Rush albums to be released in 5.1 are you most excited about hearing; Fly by Night, A Farewell to Kings, or Signals. Take the poll and let us know. For all the results from past rushisaband.com polls, view the poll archive.

We learned a couple months ago that Left Field Media would be releasing a CD of Rush's live WMMS radio broadcast of their August 26th, 1974 show at the Cleveland Agora titled Rush ABC 1974. This broadcast has been available as a bootleg for many years, but this seems to be the first legal release - legal in the UK at least. It will be available in the UK on October 24th, and in the US as an import on November 1st. As of right now it doesn't look like it will be available in Canada. It was Rush's first recorded performance in the US as well as the band's first recorded performance with Neil Peart on drums, and a young Donna Halper - who was the music director at WMMS at the time - introduced the band. It contains the early, unreleased tracks Fancy Dancer, Bad Boy (cover) and Garden Road.

A couple of weeks ago UK multimedia publisher Abstract Sounds Books released a 116-page hardcover book and 4-DVD set titled Rush: Changing Hemispheres in the UK. The set is now also available for pre-order in the US and will release on November 22nd. From Play.com:

This is the true story of Rush from humble Canadian beginnings through to international super stardom. Featuring a masterful and comprehensive text packed with great photographs of the band this unique production also includes four documentary DVDs packed with candid audio interviews with the band members compared and contrasted with the views of a leading team of music journalists, insiders and musicologists.

This uncensored and independent title has not been viewed or approved by the band or its management and is completely free to tell the unvarnished story of Rush as it really happened. The contents of this amazing book and DVD combination are completely essential reading and viewing for Rush fans everywhere.

There were several Rush-related references and discussions on the most recent episode of VH1 Classic's That Metal Show with Eddie Trunk. Eddie wore a t-shirt with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame logo which read Rock and Roll Hall of Shame & Disgrace, and had a list of snubbed bands on the back including Rush. Then the category in the That Metal Show's Top 5 was Hard Rock Drummers where Neil ended up at #3 behind John Bonham at #2. During the discussion they went back and forth on how to pronounce Peart. They feigned difficulty in selecting the top spot and then Mike Portnoy himself - who was later interviewed on the episode - stepped out from backstage and put himself as #1 on the final board. When they spoke later with Mike, he placed Neil at #2 behind Bonham for his personal list of top 5 hard rock drummers. Then for The Throwdown they pitted the 2 Rush albums Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures against eachother. Permanent Waves ended up winning 3-2, and there was a lot of great discussion on the albums between the 3 hosts and the 2 guests - Portnoy and John Sykes. You can watch the full episode online at this link or on YouTube at this location.

Gibson.com posted their list of the 10 Greatest-Ever Singing Bass Players this past week and Geddy Lee made the cut at #3:

From Iron Maiden's Steve Harris to Primus' Les Claypool, countless bass players have been inspired by Geddy Lee's style and technique on the instrument. Moreover, Lee's trademark tenor is a prime factor in what has made Rush one of rock's most instantly recognizable bands. "There was a time when fast playing and fretboard pyrotechnics were important to me ...," Geddy once said, in an interview with GlobalBass.com. "[But now] I am moved more by melodies, song structure and evocative textures."

Speaking of Geddy, MusicRadar.com is compiling nominations for their next poll where they aim to determine the greatest bassline of all time. Just go to this link to nominate your favorite Geddy Lee bassline.

Legendary audio engineer, producer, and musician Alan Parsons was recently interviewed for Wired.com's GeekDad (thanks Asif K). At one point the interviewer lists off some geek bands of the late '70s and early '80s and Parsons responds:

... The only other band you mention that I have even heard of is Rush. My wife also, and she's 16 years younger than me. My taste is classic rock, or perhaps what was then known as progressive rock, i.e. Floyd, Genesis, Yes, Mike Oldfield, Moody Blues, Jethro Tull, Zeppelin and, of course, Rush. ...

The November, 2011 issue of Premier Guitar Magazine contains a photo gallery featuring pedalboards from 36 different guitarists including Alex Lifeson.

Lifeson controls his effects through the Axe-FX Ultra with an Axess Electronics FX1 MIDI Footcontroller. The Wah and Volume pedals control a rackmount Cry Baby.

Reader highwater let me know that in the Sports section of today's edition of USA Today there is a regular college football preview feature called Front Seven that picks out 7 upcoming games to watch. The headlines for each game profiled this week are Rush songs: Limelight, Distant Early Warning, Subdivisions, Freewill, Fly By Night, New World Man, and Working Man.

Eric at Power Windows pointed me to this Simcoe.com article which profiles Collingwood, Ontario pinball machine collector Dave Astill who has a custom-made Rush pinball machine:

... Astill says one of his prized possessions in a custom-made pinball machine featuring the band Rush. He said the game was built for Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson. The machine includes a jukebox featuring all of Rush's hits. ...

We received the very sad news this past Wednesday that legendary jazz drummer and drum teacher Freddie Gruber had passed away at the age of 84. In addition to being an accomplished jazz drummer, Freddie was a highly respected and successful drum teacher. He counted drumming greats such as Neil Peart, Steve Smith and Dave Weckl among his students. Last year Zildjian presented Freddie with a lifetime achievement award at the NAMM show. Neil Peart became a pupil of Gruber back in 1994 after being referred to him by fellow drummer and Gruber student Steve Smith while producing the first Buddy Rich tribute album. Gruber was responsible for much of Neil's reinvention of his drumming style in the mid-90s. Neil wrote a very touching obituary for Freddie that was posted to the Hudson Music website Wednesday:

... As a man, Freddie Gruber was loved and appreciated during his lifetime, and as a teacher, he was respected and revered - not least because he had guided so many of his students into finding their own voices on the drums.

All of those musicians will continue to pass along that fundamental and immortal language of human life, to listeners and to younger drummers, and thus Freddie's place in that divine continuum will continue to resonate forever.

He will be missed, but he is not gone.
-Neil Peart

Here's a scene from the Rush documentary Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage where Neil and Freddie are interviewed together:

Rest in Peace Freddie. That's all for this week. Have a great weekend and keep Rushing on everybody!

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