"Fly by Night” - "it all began with the hiring of legendary drummer Neil Peart, who replaced John Rutsey for the band’s second album and helped take the Willowdale group to dizzying heights of musical complexity."In addition to the above article, two additional articles were included in today's issue written by the Rheostatic's Dave Bidini, regarding the influence of Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson on today's music. - Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!
"The drummer and lyricist for Rush on how his relationship with drumming has changed over the years - and the evolution of his monster drum solo. 'I get lost in it ... and I do challenge myself,' he says of his largely improvised solo. 'There are no consequences. There's no mistake. If I do something weird, play it twice and it's a new part.'" - "Neil Peart on Drumming", Strombo, June 16, 2011Previously Strombo posted "Moving Pictures, track-by-track":
"The Rush drummer breaks down the band's classic album Moving Pictures, track-by- track...'That was an important time musically and a great time for the three of us in terms of having a good time and sharing our goals and making music,' he says about the recording of the album, originally released in 1981. 'There was nothing self-indulgent or so-called pretentious about it. It was true boyish enthusiasm that was involved in creating all those things. We were progressing and learning and developing taste at the same time...We still like to play these songs,' says Peart, 'and we're still proud of them.'" - "Neil Peart On 'Moving Pictures': Track-By-Track", Strombo, June 3, 2011Neil Peart's appearance on Strombo was filmed Monday March 21st.
"I grew up with classic rock: Blue Oyster Cult, Boston, Led Zeppelin. That was cool music. With Signals, I just have been 10 or 11. The Grease double album may have been earlier, but I was one of those girls who actually like Rush. Still am." - Amy Poehler, Entertainment Weekly, June 24 2011 issue Thanks to Stephen Humphries and James Dagel for the headsup!
"RUSH: So there we have it. The greatest live act in the world today is a Canadian trio who have been taking their hugely popular brand of progressive rock on the road for nigh-on four decades. Rush are still selling out arenas across the globe and anyone who attended the recent Time Machine shows in the UK will confirm that they were nothing short of captivating for three and a half hours. Geddy, Alex and Neil, we salute you." - MusicRadar.com, June 16, 2011 Thanks to Mark Rosenthal for the headsup!
"Peart admits that when he was approached to be part of Drum Solos Week, his initial reaction was, 'I don't know...it's not really my thing. But then I thought, Hey, a drum solo on TV - sounds great! I'd be very honored to be the ambassador to drum solos.' Only now there's the TV time factor, and it's got Peart's fertile mind running in circles. The show's producers have asked the renowned sticksman to keep the razzle-dazzle down to 'three, maybe four minutes,' says Peart. 'My regular live drum solo is about eight and a half minutes, so I decided I'd have to do a mental edit, accelerate the changes and minimize the improvisational parts and so on. At the rehearsal, during my first attempt, I had it down to about four minutes and 50 seconds, and the producers were giving me these worrisome looks.' Peart's second run-through was more acceptable: 'I got it down to about four minutes and two seconds...So all I have to do tonight is play that four-minute-and-two-second version of the solo, settle down and play the tempo and the end properly, and I'll be happy.'" - MusicRadar.com, June 7, 2011 Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!Last night's (June 9th) episode was filmed the afternoon of Monday, June 6th. Long time fan Bill Banasiewicz (B-man) was in attendance, and reported after the audience left the theater, he could hear the drum solo being performed a second time, perhaps for close up camera shots without obstructing the audience's view, etc.
The Modern Rock Review has published an extensive feature on Rush. Included are two multi-part articles, two editorial articles, and a discography. - Thanks to Ric Albano at Modern Rock Review for the headsup!
"After the initial shows in Helsinki, Stockholm, and Malmo, Sweden, we played that first-ever show in Ireland, in Dublin, and that was a thrill. (In the comic movie that opens our Time Machine shows, I have a minor role as an Irish cop named O'Malley, and I was delighted when the audience cheered when O'Malley said, 'Jesus, Mary, and Joseph—sounds like the damned howling in Hades,' and they cheered again when Alex’s 'Slobovich' mentioned the name 'O'Malley.') Then came some good shows in Glasgow, Sheffield, Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham, and finally London. Rotterdam and Frankfurt would follow, and I always explain that every show is important to a dedicated professional, but somehow London, like Toronto, is always 'a big one' for me—a kind of home-town show." - Neil Peart, "News Weather and Sports", June 2011
"Meanwhile, Rush is quietly packing amphitheatres for another go-around of their very successful Time Machine Tour. They’re getting very little PR from their label, because they don’t really need it. Rush, in spite of recent mainstream success, remains at their core a cult band. Besides, we Rush fans probably know what they’re doing before their label does. At least it feels that way. In spite of the show being exactly the same as the one from last year, they are still selling them out, or nearly so. Rush’s 2010 Time Machine Tour grossed almost 19 million dollars and sold over a quarter of a million tickets, making it number one on Billboard’s Hot Tours for 2010, right behind my arch-nemesis Toby Marie Keith (yep, his middle name is Marie. Also, Pinkie Pie is his favorite My Little Pony)." - Crawdaddy.com, June 3, 2011 Thanks to Kevin Rossi for the headsup!
"And it’s funny, because I don’t get nervous really. The things I get nervous about are strange things, like hanging out at my kid’s school with all the parents. But that Rush thing I was really nervous about — we played 'Spirit Of Radio' with cello, vibraphone and marimba, and I said a little speech, and I actually kinda croaked a bit during the speech. And that’s just not like me. But it was certainly strange playing in front of what looked like a society crowd. And the Rush guys! It was like everyone was wearing a monocle or something!" - Les Claypool, San Francisco Examiner, June 6, 2011
Toronto independent filmmaker Rob Heydon has shot a feature adaptation of Scottish author Irvine Welsh's book Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance. The film, Irvine Welsh's Ecstasy, which wrapped production in January in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, includes the popular up and coming actor and sometimes guitarist, Alex Lifeson. Lifeson plays Dr. Figg, who works in a mental hospital and commits Billy Boyd's character for a breakdown after consuming too much Ecstasy; click here for a video clip."News out of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario is that the latest Irvine Welsh film adaptation should be a treat for music fans. Based on a story by the Trainspotting author, Ecstasy is being helmed by director Rob Heydon and shot in the Canadian city. The Sault Star reports that the film has several musical connections. Chief among those connections is a killer soundtrack, featuring Arcade Fire, Brian Eno, Paul Oakenfold, Aphex Twin, Deadmau5 and Primal Scream. According to Heydon, Welsh’s prior success helped pave the way to some of the music rights. 'I think based on the success of Trainspotting it was easier to get the music than the average Canadian film,' he said. 'It'll surprise a lot of people.' Sharp-eyed viewers will also catch a glimpse of a Canadian musical legend in the film’s cast. Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson reportedly plays an 'unconventional physician' in the movie." - "Ecstasy to Feature All-Star Soundtrack, Rush Cameo", Gibson.com, June 6, 2011