"...but don't worry Canadian kids, you still have a Santa - it's just a Canadian Santa. Every year I believe it rotates to a different Canadian celebrity. Last year it was Nelly Furtado Claus, this year it's Rush. So that jing-jing-jingle you hear on the roof is just Neil Peart (pronounced "Pert") breaking into a 45-minute high hat solo."
Related Links:"We are very pleased to have been chosen by our peers and fellow musicians for induction in Guitar Center's RockWalk," said Rush's Geddy Lee. "It is an honor to have our names added to this illustrious list of great and highly talented musicians."
"Not only is Rush extraordinary as a band, but each member is incredibly talented in their own right," said Dave Weiderman, Chairman of Guitar Center's RockWalk. "With nearly thirty years together, this group has consistently delivered skilled musicianship, experimental-drive and stylistically diverse rock to music fans worldwide. In short – Rush is long-deserving of being honored by Guitar Center's RockWalk." - PR Newswire, November 8, 2012
According to an announcement at Musictap.net, Universal/Mercury will be releasing a "Super Deluxe" CD/Blu-Ray reissue of 2112 this December 18th."Let's go back in time a bit to late December 2004. I had just finished a 19-hour studio day working with Rush (for the first time) on a Tsunami Relief Charity which was broadcast on CBC in Canada, also late 2004. When I first met with Alex [Lifeson] in early 2005 about the possibility of doing more work together on R30, our first conversation veered off to a coffee laden all out bond-fest about how exciting 2112 would be remixed in 5.1. Our second subject was the mixing of R30 – go figure."In a nutshell, this concept has been in stasis for quite some time and it's a pinnacle moment with such a revered artist (and with my gratitude meter completely pinned) that we finally see this project come to light.
"Like the other Rush surround releases to date – Moving Pictures, A Farewell To Kings, Fly By Night, and Signals – 2112 has been remixed at a 96 khz 24 bit high resolution from the original multitrack masters in a 're-creation' direction taking advantage of the 3-dimensional soundscape of surround, rather than a complete re-interpretation of the mix. I have had quite a few questions about the technical side of the process so time depending, I'll try to get an article put together about it and get it posted here or published."
Get your very own RUSH branded Squire Clockwork Angels Bass. Featuring the Clockwork Angels "Wings" logo on the pick guard and a the "Rush" logo branded into the head of the guitar, this limited edition release is the ultimate addition to your RUSH (or guitar) collection.
Customized Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass '77: From the age of Funk and dawn of Punk comes this retro-inspired Vintage Modified Jazz Bass! Features include a gloss Black-finished Agathis body and one-piece maple neck with attractive white binding and white pearl block inlays on the 20-fret maple fingerboard. That soulful sound emanates from a pair of single-coil Duncan Designed? Jazz Bass pickups; other features include chrome hardware and machine heads, black plastic Stratocaster knobs, a three-ply Black/White/Black pickguard, and a four-saddle chrome bridge.
Rush will capture the Clockwork Angels tour by filming in Phoenix and Dallas on Nov 25th and 28th respectively. Be a part of the show – get your tickets here for Phoenix or Dallas.Its no surprise that this tour would be filmed, it was just a question of "where".
The shows are being filmed for an upcoming DVD set for release in 2013.
The winners at the eighth annual Orange Amplification Classic Rock Roll of Honour have been revealed at a gala evening at the Roundhouse in London. The event was hosted by Duff McKagan (Guns n’Roses, Velvet Revolver, Loaded) with Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx presenting his Sixx Sense show from the ceremony.- Thanks to Frank Ray for the headsup!
ZZ Top were presented with the coveted Living Legend Award by last year’s winner, Jeff Beck. The Texan three-piece join an exclusive club including Jimmy Page, Alice Cooper and Iggy Pop. Among the other winners were Rush for Album of the Year and Band of the Year, Pink Floyd for Film/DVD of the Year and Reissue of the Year; Status Quo for Classic Album; The Damned for Outstanding Contribution and Rival Sons for Breakthrough. Anthrax were named Metal Gurus and manager Tony Smith was named VIP. The late Jon Lord was given the Tommy Vance Inspiration Award. Lynyrd Skynyrd, who won the Comeback Award, played a 30-minute set for invited guests after a gala dinner.
Classic Rock editor in chief Scott Rowley said: “You would never know it from listening to the radio or watching TV – but while you were all getting excited about Psy and Fun and Nicki Minaj, it’s actually been a great year for new rock music. We’ve heard brilliant new albums from ZZ Top, Rush, Aerosmith, Kiss, Springsteen, Slash, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Van Halen. Some great new artists are coming in to their own: Rivals Sons, Tracer, Howlin’ Rain, Gary Clark Jr – the list goes on. Classic Rock is proud to keep on supporting rock music, classic and brand new, and the Roll of Honour has become a office party for the rock industry.”
"...Kevin did all the work; I just supplied some African background and French dialogue." - Neil Peart, NeilPeart.net, Fall 2005Originally published in the long out of print short story collection Shock Rock II in 1994, "Drumbeats" is now available in the new collection Tesseracts Sixteen: Parnassus Unbound, edited by Mark Leslie:
"This anthology features speculative fiction short stories with art, music, literature and culture themes. It is the latest volume of the long-running Tesseracts series and features stories for a new generation of readers. This anthology joins a 26-year legacy which features the writing and editing of more than 250 of Canada's best-known authors." - Thanks to Mark Leslie for the headsup!
Tracklist: The Spirit Of Radio, Tom Sawyer, Limelight, Working Man, Fly By Night, 2112 Overture, Closer To The Heart, Subdivisions, Red BarchettaBravewords.com has published additional details regarding this release:
"From the world-famous orchestra that brought you symphonic interpretations of Queen, Pink Floyd and ABBA comes a brand new set of studio recordings celebrating the music of Canadian Prog Rock legends, Rush! Includes dramatic reinterpretations of the Rush classics Tom Sawyer, The Spirit Of Radio, Red Barchetta, Limelight and more! Conducted by BAFTA award winning musician and composer Richard Harvey!" - Official Press Release
Purple Pyramid Records (a division of Cleopatra Records) will release THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Plays The Music Of RUSH on November 13. Nearly sixty musicians and thirty vocalists transform nine of Rush’s greatest hits into even more intricate, soaring orchestral works.- Thanks to Ed at RushIsABand for the headsup!
The RPO covers the best-known classics, from 'Working Man', the self-titled debut album track that launched Rush’s career in the US to 'Subdivisions' from Signals, the album that proved electronic rock could reside in the top ten. The band’s most successful record, Moving Pictures, is represented by rousing versions of 'Tom Sawyer' and 'Red Barchetta'.
The Canadian trio known as Rush has been recording and touring for more than forty years. Rush has earned 24 gold and 14 platinum (three multi-platinum) records. They are third (behind The Beatles and The Rolling Stones) for the most consecutive gold or platinum studio albums by a rock band, and have sold more than 40 million units worldwide. Rush has won many Juno Awards and was a 1994 inductee to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart are consistently acknowledged as some of the most proficient musicians in music today.
The RPO, formed in 1946 and based in London, has been called The Nation’s Favourite Orchestra. It has had internationally known maestros like Andre Previn and Louis Clark, and has toured the world. The RPO is a best-selling and adventurous recording entity as well. In 1969, it recorded a concerto for DEEP PURPLE, composed by the band’s organist Jon Lord. It earned a top ten U.S. single in 1982 with Hooked on Classics. Over the years, RPO has orchestrally arranged PINK FLOYD, OASIS, QUEEN, R.E.M., MADONNA and ABBA.
Special guest guitarists include Steve Rothery of MARILLION on 'Working Man' and Adrian Smith of IRON MAIDEN on 'Red Barchetta. The Windrush Choir provides backing vocals and solos.
The Orchestra was recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London, conducted by BAFTA Award-winning musician and composer Richard Harvey. Harvey performed with the prog rock group Gryphon and as an accomplished multi-instrumentalist (specializing in mediaeval and Renaissance periods), worked with many folk and rock musicians such as Richard and Linda Thompson, Kate Bush, and Sweet. He has toured and recorded with John Williams, and has performed and composed film/TV soundtracks for more than thirty years. The album was produced by James Graydon and Richard Cottle, who also arranged all the music.
Listen to '2112 Overture' at this location
"At No. 2 on the Billboard 200, rock band Rush clocks its best sales week in 10 years as "Clockwork Angels" debuts with 103,000. The group last sold more when 2002's "Vapor Trails" bowed at No. 6 with 110,000. "Clockwork Angels" is Rush's second album to hit No. 2, following 1993's "Counterparts." A No. 1 album continues to elude the act" - Billboard.com, June 20, 2012
"Legendary rock band Rush has made a remarkable U.S. chart debut with their 20th studio album "CLOCKWORK ANGELS." The renowned trio's first new collection of original material in over five years and their first studio release via Anthem/Roadrunner Records has entered the SoundScan/Billboard 200 at #2 with sales in excess of 104,000 units, matching the highest chart debut of their illustrious 38-year career. "CLOCKWORK ANGELS" has also debuted at #1 in the band's native Canada. In other international news, the album has already achieved the band's highest chart debuts in over a decade from Japan - #2, Norway - #10, Germany, Holland - #11, and Switzerland - #21. In addition to the commercial success, "CLOCKWORK ANGELS" has also received a raft of critical acclaim, including Rolling Stone and USA Today who heralded the release as "an ambitious, sophisticated effort by a band that sounds surprisingly vital after 20 studio albums." In the UK -- where the album was also released as an exclusive non-chart eligible fan pack format which included a 132 page booklet covering the entire history of the band -- "CLOCKWORK ANGELS" garnered a 5 out of 5 review in The Sun, Britain's largest newspaper. Had the 40,000 fanpacks sold been chart eligible, the album would have debuted at #1 in the UK as well." - MarketWatch.com, June 20, 2012
"The legendary Toronto prog-rockers' 20th studio album debuted at No. 1 with sales of 20,000, according to data provided by Nielsen SoundScan. 'Angels' is the Holy Trinity’s first studio album since 'Snakes & Arrows,' which went gold in Canada back in 2007." - Toronto Sun, June 20, 2012
"The most impressive thing about Rush guitarist Lifeson may be his ability to keep up with his virtuoso bandmates Neil Peart and Geddy Lee. For over 4 decades, Lifeson has been seamlessly transitioning from complicated rhythm patterns to searing solos. His influence on shredders is undeniable, though his own playing borrows from jazz, reggae and funk. Guitar nerds love him for heady prog finger exercises like '2112' and 'YYZ.' Everyone else loves him for timeless rock riffs like 'Working Man' and 'The Spirit of Radio.'" - CBC, November 7, 2012
"In an innovative combination of music and literature, the new album Clockwork Angels by legendary rock band Rush has been converted into a full-length 'steampunk' science fiction novel by international bestselling SF author Kevin J. Anderson and Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart.For more on Kevin J. Anderson, visit his entry on this website's "Rush Inspired Literature, Film, And Pop Culture References" page here. You might also be interested in Neil's introduction to Landscapes, Anderson's short story collection. Lastly, check out Anderson's blog post from 2010 telling of his spending time with Neil during Rush's visit to Colorado on the Time Machine Tour.
"The music throughout the Clockwork Angels album-the band's 20th studio album-forms the backbone of a colorful adventure story, which is now fully realized in Clockwork Angels: The Novel (ECW Press, hardcover, September 2012). The story tells of a young man caught between the grandiose forces of order and chaos. On a quest to follow his dreams, he travels across a lavish and colorful world of steampunk and alchemy, with lost cities, pirates, anarchists, exotic carnivals, airships and steam engines, and a rigid Watchmaker who imposes precision on every aspect of daily life.
"...'For something like 20 years, Kevin and I discussed working on a project together that would marry music, lyrics, and prose fiction,' he says. 'The right idea and timing eluded us for a long time, but at last, both converged perfectly.' Clockwork Angels: The Novel seemed a natural.
"Peart approached Anderson with the idea several years ago, when Rush was in the early stages of creating the album. As the lyrics and music were completed, the two brainstormed the story, characters, setting, adventures, and ideas, sometimes with a flurry of a dozen e-mails per day. The artist Hugh Syme-who created eight illustrations for the CD booklet and original works for the novel-also provided inspiration.
"'This is a dream project for me,' Anderson says. 'I have always envisioned epic stories when listening to Rush music, and now working with Neil, it's possible to translate those stories to the printed page. Clockwork Angels: The Novel turned out even better than we had hoped. I think it's one of my very best books.'
"'As my 38 years with Rush will attest, I very much enjoy collaboration with like-minded artists,' Peart says. 'Working up this story with Kevin was one of the easiest, yet most satisfying projects I have ever shared-easiest, because we almost always simply agreed with each other's ideas, and most satisfying because I am so proud of the result.'" - ECW Press
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