UPDATE - 12/2@9:19PM: Rush's Sector box sets is up for Ultimate Classic Rock's Best Box Set of 2011 (thanks Sean). So go vote for Rush!
After a flurry of new Rush releases over the last several weeks, things have finally started to quiet down in Rush-land as the holiday season gets into full swing. The band is currently in the studio trying to finish up the recording of their upcoming Clockwork Angels album before the New Year. Over the last several weeks we've seen the release of Neil Peart's Taking Center Stage instructional DVD, the Rush ABC 1974 live CD, the Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland concert video/album, and the Sector box sets - plenty of Rush swag just in time for the holidays. Speaking of Rush swag and the holidays, John over at Cygnus-X1.net is once again running his annual holiday contest where he gives away a great package of Rush merchandise to the lucky winner. This year's prize is especially sweet since it contains all three Rush Sector box sets along with the Time Machine DVD, a 2012 Rush Signals wall calendar, and one surprise mystery gift. For all the details and to enter go to this link. Thanks John!
Earlier this week the Masterdisk website posted an article/interview with Masterdisk chief engineer Andy VanDette where he reveals several details regarding his experience remastering the Rush catalog for the recently-released Rush Sector box sets. VanDette has been working with Rush sound engineer Rich Chycki on handling most of the mastering duties for Rush since Snakes & Arrows Live, having worked on that album along with Retrospective 3, the R30 Blu-ray and the Moving Pictures deluxe edition earlier this year. Andy discusses his overall approach to the remasters, comments on the condition of the original master tapes, describes some of the different surprises and issues he ran into along the way, and more. You can really tell from the interview that Andy is a huge fan and took this job very seriously:
It was very important to me that these be the best representation of the catalog possible and I think we accomplished that. Look, I'm a fan. When I put up Hemispheres for the first time I nearly cried. I may not have been able to muster every bass riff, or sung every high note in my band, but the memories of trying were overwhelming. I could not let Rush fans down. Each and every one of these albums got the deluxe treatment.
The article also includes a bunch of great photos of the original master tapes that you will definitely want to check out if you haven't already. You can read the entire article/interview at this link.
Syndicated radio program In the Studio with Redbeard will be airing a special next week (the week of December 5th) celebrating the Sectors release. The special features Mercury-era interviews with all three members of Rush compiled from the In the Studio archives. It's also available for listening online at this link or using the player to the left. There doesn't seem to be any new interview segments included but it's worth a listen regardless. John at Cygnus-X1.net has scanned all the images and transcribed the liner notes for all 3 box sets. You can check them out at these links:
Sector 1: [Album Info] [Album Images]
Sector 2: [Album Info] [Album Images]
Sector 3: [Album Info] [Album Images]
You can order all 3 Sector box sets now at this link.
Back in September we learned that legendary Canadian musician Tom Cochrane would soon be releasing a new 4-song EP called Voices (original working title was Voices At 4 AM) with the title track being a collaboration with several other artists including Alex Lifeson. Last night just before midnight a limited edition run of 50 of the EPs, 5 of which will be signed, were released via www.tomcochrane.com and www.andrewcolemusic.com. The remaining 450 of the complete run of 500 will be released over the coming weeks. You can listen to a preview of the Voices at 4AM track at this link.
Speaking of Alex Lifeson collaborations, late last year Alex produced 3 tracks for Toronto band the David Barrett Trio that were released digitally earlier this year; Hollowbody (iTunes, Amazon), Sonar (iTunes, Amazon) and Disappearance (iTunes, Amazon). All three of these Lifeson-produced tracks can also be heard on SoundCloud at this link. Barrett was recently featured in the latest issue of Premier Guitar magazine for their Facebook Photo of the Month. Barrett had submitted a photo of himself playing Alex Lifeson's doubleneck:
Canadian guitarist David Barrett submitted this photo of himself rocking some stylish duds and digging into an all-to-familiar doubleneck. He says, "Yes, it belongs to Big Al, and yes it's on loan, but no, I'm not giving it back ..." The Al in question is, of course, Rush's Alex Lifeson. Though known as an acoustic fingerstyle guitarist, Barrett is currently working on a rock trio project produced by Lifeson.
Thanks to RushFanForever for the heads up and the scan.
The Kidney Foundation of Canada's A Brush of Hope charity auction took place back in October and Alex Lifeson's 8" X 16", acrylic on stretched canvas Sun Dance painting ended up being sold for an astonishing $7,000. The 2011 Brush of Hope charity auction was a huge success and ended up raising a total of $24,000. The Brush of Hope Facebook page recently announced that they have produced 250 limited edition prints of Alex's 2007 painting for A Brush of Hope that they are currently selling on eBay for $250 each.
Grapes for Humanity is an organization that helps to raise funds to benefit humanitarian causes around the world with the assistance of the international wine community. Geddy Lee is a member of the board of directors and we learned earlier this week that the organization had voted to create a wine scholarship in his name. From Decanter:
... The board voted unanimously to create a scholarship in his name, in perpetuity, for a student of winemaking at Niagara College in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. To establish the scholarship Grapes for Humanity Canada has committed $26,500, which will be matched by the Ontario provincial government. The income will be used to provide an annual scholarship for a student in the second year of Niagara College's Wine and Viticulture Technician programme who intends to pursue a career path in winemaking after graduation. 'Niagara College is thrilled that Grapes for Humanity Canada is making this significant investment to support student learning and success, and the wine industry,' Niagara College Foundation CEO Sean Kennedy said. Toronto-based Lee, an enthusiastic wine collector, said he is proud to be associated with the foundation. 'Grapes for Humanity Canada is a unique organisation of wine lovers such as myself who have found a way to help people around the world through their passion. And as such it seems appropriate that we now provide some support for our own blossoming wine industry here at home.' The board said they decided to fund the Geddy Lee Scholarship to recognise Lee's contribution over ten years to the foundation's projects - not only financially but by giving his time and organisational skills. ...
Back in September all 3 members of Rush participated in the annual Grapes for Humanity charity auction which ended up raising more than $50,000. On the final weekend of the auction back on September 17th, about 60 wine lovers joined Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson at Union Station to take a Via Rail train to Belleville. They were then bussed to Huff Estate Winery in Bloomfield, Prince Edward County for an event featuring plenty of good wine, good food and great company. A photo gallery from the event was posted online at the Grapes for Humanity website and features plenty of great photographs of Geddy and Alex. You can check it out at this link.
The first annual Ultimate Classic Rock Awards sponsored by UltimateClassicRock.com kicked off earlier this week. Over the last week they announced the nominees in 10 categories and allowed their readers to vote for the winners in each. Rush is up for 2011 Tour of the Year, their Time Machine DVD is in the running for DVD of the Year, and Time Machine is also up for 2011 Live Album of the Year. So go vote for Rush! (Tour of the Year, DVD of the Year, Live Album of the Year)
San Francisco Chronicle pop culture critic Peter Hartlaub posted his list of the best potential Super Bowl halftime acts earlier this week and Rush came in at #1 (thanks John at [Cygnus-X1.net). Here's what he had to say:
A lot of people are going to hate this pick, starting with my wife. But Rush is perfect for this gig. They have a positive vibe, people know their songs and they're remarkably tight for their age. Make it happen. No Geddy, no peace!
The new VH1 Classic show Metal Evolution premiered a few weeks ago in the US and this past weekend in Canada. The show is the brainchild of Rush documentary and Time Machine video director Sam Dunn and builds on the mission first put forth in his groundbreaking Metal: A Headbanger's Journey documentary - in which Geddy Lee had appeared. Geddy Lee made a brief appearance in the second episode of the series to discuss the contributions of Blue Cheer to the roots of heavy metal in the US. There will also be an upcoming episode focusing specifically on progressive metal which promises to make heavy mention of Rush as Sam Dunn states in this recent interview with Spinner Magazine (thanks RushFanForever):
... you take a band like Rush, who is featured heavily in our episode on progressive metal, they were the first band to take the hard rock of Led Zeppelin and the Who and combine it with British prog-rock, bands like Genesis and Yes. So they were combining musical styles that had never really been combined before. So Canadians are a pretty important part of the story. ...
For more information visit the Metal Evolution website.
Reader vbonz sent me this tragic story from the Philadelphia Inquirer which has a Rush connection. Darren Rogers - a concierge at the Chocolate Works Apartments - was brutally attacked on Pine St. in Philadelphia early last month. From the story:
On Nov. 7, the rock band Rush played on Rogers' headset as he walked along the 400 block of Pine Street. It was near 11:30 p.m. The streetlamps threw faint light onto the redbrick sidewalk and onto the crooked headstones of the Old Pine Street Church cemetery. A home security camera caught the next few moments. Two men in hoodies split apart, forcing Rogers to walk between them. One of them threw a punch, knocking Rogers to the ground. They punched and kicked him for 45 seconds. A SEPTA bus passed. The video footage is grainy, but it looks as if Rogers kicked his legs and flailed his arms in defense. Then, in the shadows, a muzzle flashes. ...
Thankfully Rogers survived the incident and is slowly recovering in the ICU at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Please send your thoughts/prayers his way. For any Philadelphia area readers, local police are asking for help in tracking down the attackers. The security video can be viewed on YouTube, at the Philadelphia police website, or at philly.com.
On a more upbeat note, reader StaceyfromCA let me know that Rush tribute band Caress of Steel will be heading to Kuwait on December 16th to entertain the US troops as they prepare to come home from Iraq. How cool is that!? For more information visit their website at this link.
Reader RushFanForever dug up this humorous mock commercial from a 2005 episode of the Rick Mercer Report which features Rick Mercer as a Rush roadie (he's wearing a Permanent Waves t-shirt) selling a beer called Stem Cell Lager. Speaking of the Rick Mercer Report, now that the holiday season is in full swing and winter is just around the corner, I felt that it was once again about time for some celebrity winter advice from Geddy Lee. This video originally aired on the Rick Mercer Report back in 2004.
That's it for this week. Have a great weekend!
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