"Alex Lifeson's Gift" - Hughes-and-Kettner.com

Visit Hughes-and-Kettner.com to see a short video of how Zach Tabore became Hughes & Kettner's newest youngest endorsee.....thanks to Alex Lifeson!

Rush at Foo Fighters Show

"How to best sum up the Foo Fighters show on Saturday night at the Air Canada Centre? What a Rush! Literally. Rush singer-bassist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson surprised the crowd by showing up about an hour into the Foos’ two-hour-and-10-minute performance to play with drummer Taylor Hawkins during his drum solo and the three musicians then played the Rush instrumental YYZ. Let's just say the appearance by the Toronto prog-rockers injected some much needed energy and excitement into the proceedings and Hawkins even had a hug for Lee afterwards. 'Rush! Rush!' screamed Foos leader Dave Grohl in amazement as the two musicians walked off stage...'You've got nuts the size of grapefruits,' said Grohl to Hawkins after he played with Lee and Lifeson..." - Jam! Showbiz, March 23, 2008

New Rush Cover by the Michael Schenker Group

Last month the Michael Schenker Group released a covers album titled Doctor, Doctor: The Kulick Sessions. Included on the album is a cover of "Finding My Way", the opening track off Rush's debut album. Performing vocals on this and more of the album's tracks is ex-Skid Row vocalist Sebastian Bach; this is Bach's fourth Rush cover on record - he has performed Rush covers both as a member of Skid Row as well as on the Working Man and Subdivisions tribute albums.

Permanent Waves Ultradisc II™ 24 KT Gold CD

The Permanent Waves Ultradisc II™ 24 KT Gold CD by Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs was released January 8, 2008.  This CD comes in heavy stock cardboard gatefold which replicates the original vinyl album packaging, and is gold stamped with a number making it a true limited edition. The CD itself is in a soft cloth sleeve which slips into the gatefold along with the CD booklet and a MOFI technical data informational card. The artwork is faithful to the original album, and even includes the incorrect lyrics of "Freewill" which were eventually corrected in the original Mercury remaster.

Unfortunately, this is the to be the last MFSL reissue:

"After literally months of examination and discussions with the artists, due to the age and fragility of most of original first-generation analog masters to classic Rush titles, we?ve had to cancel plans to release the titles we had planned. They have deemed that the original masters should not be used for any future re-mastering, and we have to respect that decision. We apparently lucked out big-time with Permanent Waves as it was in pristine condition. Sorry for the bad news but we?re not feeling so hot about it ourselves. I believe another indie label is now looking into releasing some Rush titles in the future but mastered from copy tapes." - Best regards, Michael Grantham, Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs, March 2008

Mobile Fidelity's Limited Edition 24k Gold Audiophile CDs are some of the most valuable collector's items within the Audiophile market, pressed directly from the original studio master session tapes and engineered to produce the finest CD sound quality available. This is the fourth Rush album to be released in the Ultradisc II™ line; previous releases include 2112 (1993), Moving Pictures (1992), and Signals (1994), all of which are now out of print; the Permanent Waves Ultradisc II™ is sure to be highly coveted by Rush Audiophiles.

Peart's "News, Weather & Sports": "The Best February Ever"

Neil Peart has updated his website with his latest installment of "News, Weather & Sports": "The Best February Ever". In it he fills us in on how he's been spending his winter in Quebec, and discusses his cross-country skiing passion in detail. In addition, he talks about the second leg of the Snakes & Arrows tour, both the reasons behind it as well as his well known dislike of touring:

"Early in March I will have to start preparing for another series of concerts, a 'continuation' of the Snakes and Arrows tour. (The Snakes and Arrows 'surge,' I call it.) We had planned to end the tour in Europe last fall, but apparently more people want to see us, or see us again, so we were asked to do more shows. Some of them will be in places we haven’t got to for a while, like New Orleans, Oklahoma City, and Winnipeg, and that is nice, plus we plan to make a few changes to the setlist and presentation to freshen it up a little. Although the world knows by now that I’m not crazy about touring, I sure don’t discount the good fortune that we can still do it, personally and professionally — that we can play better than ever, and that people will come and see us. That’s not something I have ever taken for granted. As I have said to friends who might be having their own work difficulties, 'At least if I have to work, I’m glad I can.' And not just any old job, of course — pretty much the best job there is — but none-the-less a hard one." - NeilPeart.net, March 2008

Power Windows T-shirt Contest Winners!

The presale t-shirt contest sponsored by MusicToday is at a close. The three lucky winners of the Limited-Edition RUSH T-Shirts are Maureen Buza of Mesa, Arizona, Ashley Tucker of Hillsboro, Missouri, and Brad Utanoff of Addison, Illinois. You will receive your t-shirts in the next two to three weeks. Congratulations to the winners, and thanks to all who participated!

Alex Lifeson Signature Gibson ES-355 VOS - Now Available

The Gibson Alex Lifeson Signature ES-355 is now available from at Guitar Center for a cool $3,699 (that's discounted from the suggested retail price of $5,645.00)

"The Alex Lifeson ES-355 features a maple body, 3-piece maple neck, '57 Classic pickups with individual volume and tone controls, and a Maestro Long vibrola tailpiece. It would be the consummate prog rock machine even if it weren't the chosen axe of the Rush guitarist, but because it is, you know it's got the goods. The Vibrola is one of the least wood-invasive tremolo options, keeping the belly of this archtop guitar remarkably pristine and preserving it's natural resonance. The Alex Lifeson Signature ES-355's individual volume and tone controls for each of the '57 Classic pickups give you full reign over the wide spectrum of tones of which these faithful Alnico II replicas of the 1950s PAF humbuckers are capable.

'For 33 years, Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson has personified the consummate rock innovator a sonic adventurer capable of producing mind-blowing power chords and dizzying arpeggios alike, ultimately sculpted into huge, rich melodies and ingenious arrangements. Throughout most of Lifeson s ride to superstardom, a 1976 Gibson ES-355 has been by his side, both in the studio and on stage. With it, he has created many of Rush s breathtaking layered soundscapes, and the very same ES-355 continues to be an indispensable part of his live arsenal. This Gibson electric guitar is a painstaking recreation of the iconic instrument. It's Gibson s heartfelt tribute to a true modern master, and to the guitar he used to expand the definition of popular music." - GuitarCenter.com