"Clockwork Angels: The Graphic Novel" Now Available For Preorder
40th Reissue of "Rush" Coming in 2014
Canadian Music Scene's Interview with Allan Weinrib and Dale Heslip regarding the Rush Concert Videos
- Thanks to Paul Beaulieu for the headsup!
Neil Peart Advertisement for Aerostitch
Middle-Earth Anthems: 10 Classic Hard Rock Songs That Pay Homage To The Hobbit
The second installment of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy hit theaters this weekend, and VH-1 posted their list of "10 Classic Hard Rock Songs That Pay Homage To The Hobbit". Included in the list are "Rivendell" from Fly By Night, and "The Necromancer" from Caress of Steel.
12 Days of RUSH - Daily Prizes December 13th through the 24th!
Happy Holidays to all of our RUSH fans! We are getting in the holiday spirit and giving you 12 Days of Rush. Starting Friday December 13, we will be giving away a special RUSH prize each day until the 24th. What will be decking the halls? Check back on Rush.com, @rushtheband on Twitter or Rush on Facebook each day from December 13th to the 24th to see what new prize will be unveiled. Prizes may include a new RUSH DVD, a set of Bobblehead dolls or even something rare and collectible!
Since you're getting this email, you are already included in the list for the draw each day. However, we kindly ask you to update your info here so we can be better at sending area-specific emails to you for specific shows and events. Rush mailing list: http://www.rush.com/email/. Winners will be chosen at random. Please note, you only need to sign up once to be in the drawing each day. Good luck!
"'Clockwork Angels' a heavenly comics debut for Rush" - USA Today
Today the USAToday published a short article containing a sneak peak and the upcoming comic book series Clockwork Angels. Based on the novelization written by Kevin J. Anderson, the six issue story is tentatively scheduled to debut in April, 2014:
"It's just a beautifully painted world in the music that I tried to capture in the novel and now tried to turn into a different direction," says Anderson, who's working with artist newcomer Nick Robles. "Who knows, we might have ice follies someday or a Broadway musical."- Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!
Even if songs such as Carnies, BU2B and Seven Cities of Gold never make it to official show tune status, Clockwork Angels has grown far bigger than Peart ever imagined.
"Kevin and I had talked for years about combining a novel and an album in some fashion, but I guess the idea had to grow up as Kevin and I did — gaining maturity and confidence in our own separate crafts, while gaining the life experience necessary to give the story its scale and depth," Peart says. "So, rather than a longtime dream realized, this project is more like a fantastic new dream unfolding before us." For more visit USAToday.com
Video for Cyril Neville's "Working Man" cover
"My son Omari turned me on to that song. It wound up on my CD Magic Honey, and now we do it in the Royal Southern Brotherhood, closing out the show every night. We’ve been rocking houses from one end of Europe to the other with it." - Cyril Neville, TwistedSouth.com, December 9, 2013
Alex Lifeson talks Clockwork Angels - MusicRadar.com
UPDATE: Today MusicRadar.com has posted part two of their recent video interview with Alex Lifeson, where he discusses his live rig for the Clockwork Angels tour, and the design process behind his signature Gibson.
On Black Friday MusicRadar.com posted part one of an interview with Alex Lifeson where he discusses the Clockwork Angels tour and the subsequent live release. Check it out below:
On Black Friday MusicRadar.com posted part one of an interview with Alex Lifeson where he discusses the Clockwork Angels tour and the subsequent live release. Check it out below:
Rush 40th Anniversary "Google Doodle" Campaign
Rich Engler's "Behind The Stage Door", includes foreword by Alex Lifeson
"Behind The Stage Door is a ride through the years and a compilation of 80 tracks (chapters) and over 300 photos, posters, and admats from Rich Engler’s personal collection. For anyone who loves rock n’ roll, this book is a must." - richengler.comClick here for more info.
"Guest List: Geddy Lee" Included in latest issue of Rolling Stone
Heaven Below covers Subdivisions featuring William Shatner
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"Clockwork Angels Tour" Live Release Now Available - Opens At #1
Two years in the making, the audio is available CD/iTunes while the video has been released on both DVD and Blu-Ray; get it here: CD/iTunes/DVD/Blu-Ray. Thanks for supporting Power Windows!
UPDATE:
- I have transcribed the linernotes; check them out here!
- Best Buy stores in the U.S. are offering an exclusive video/t-shirt bundle; the same bundle is being sold in Canada at HMV.
- There is an Easter Egg, simply arrow up on the main menu.
Rush have unveiled details for their first new recording since being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year. On November 19th, Rush: Clockwork Angels Tour will be released simultaneously via Anthem/Roadrunner Records on CD and iTunes, and the companion DVD/Blu-Ray on Anthem/Zoe Vision/Rounder.
Rush: Clockwork Angels Tour was filmed and recorded last November at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas, during Rush's highly successful Clockwork Angels Tour. The eleven month-marathon world tour crossed North America twice and ventured overseas to Europe in support of the band's acclaimed 2012 studio release Clockwork Angels.
In capturing the tour's electrifying three hour set, Rush: Clockwork Angels Tour pairs Rush classics ("Tom Sawyer," "The Spirit Of Radio," "2112"), with a nod to the 80's Rush era (The Analog Kid," "Territories," "Subdivisions") alongside newly reworked arrangements specifically for the tour featuring the Clockwork Angels String Ensemble ("Headlong Flight," "YYZ," "Red Sector A"). The string section marks the first time the trio has brought additional musicians on the road with them. To showcase their latest studio release, the epic set list also features nine tracks off Clockwork Angels. Other highlights include tracks rarely performed and never before recorded live ("The Body Electric," "Middletown Dreams"), in addition to three separate drum solos by the incomparable Neil Peart.
Beyond the incredible live performances, the DVD includes a 25-minute tour documentary titled "Can't Stop Thinking Big", featuring interviews with all 3 members, exclusive and behind the scenes footage, and offers a glimpse into the inner workings of the Rush tour machine and insight into the band members themselves. Other special features on the DVD include the trio of hilarious shorts created specifically for the tour as well as interviews and outtakes captured during their filming. Additional filmed sketches and a rare soundcheck performance of perennial favourite "Limelight" round out the exclusive offerings.
Rush: Clockwork Angels Tour comes on the heels of Anthem/Atlantic's September 30th release of Vapor Trails Remixed, a newly remixed version of the band's 2002 album VAPOR TRAILS and 7-disc boxed set THE STUDIO ALBUMS 1989-2007, which features every studio album Rush recorded for Atlantic Records.
RUSH: CLOCKWORK ANGELS TOUR
Release date: November 19th
DVD (Anthem/Zoe Vision/Rounder)
CD (Anthem/Roadrunner Records) - Rush.com, September 16, 2013
See below for the tracklist and special features details.
Peart/Rush featured on new compilation - "Hockey Anthems: 1st Period-The Legends"
Rush releases 10” Picture Disc of “The Garden” for Black Friday Record Store Day
Rush has announced the release of a 10” Picture Disc of “The Garden” for Black Friday:
After a successful campaign last year for Record Store Day, Rush is again partnering with independent retail for an exclusive 10” picture disc for Black Friday – November 29th.For a list of participating stores in your area, click here.
The 10” includes two versions of “The Garden” – the closing track from 2012’s Clockwork Angels. Side A features the studio version from the album, while Side B includes a live version of the song with the Clockwork Angels String Ensemble taken from the upcoming live release Clockwork Angels Tour. Designed by Crankbunny (Norma V. Toraya), the 10” features artwork from her stunning animated screen projections shown during the performance of The Garden during the Clockwork Angels tour.
This special 10” will be limited and available only for this special celebration of independent music retailers.
Parnelli Awards Video Director of the Year - David Davidian
The trade magazine PLSN, (projection, lights & staging news) has announced this years Parnelli Awards winners. David Davidian has won for
best Video Director this year for his work on the Clockwork Angels Tour. For more info visit PLSN.com. - Thanks to Greg Nosek for the headsup!
La Villa Strangiato Now on Jammit
Today "La Villa Strangiato" was made available on Jammit. Jammit is a music app which allows you to play along to your favorite songs by giving you the ability to isolate instruments in the original master recording while you play along. For more info visit Jammit.com. - Thanks to Peter Ulintz for the headsup!
Greg Critchley's long career includes drumming for Neil Peart's sister and partnering with Alex Lifeson
"Greg was selected to join the house band at the Orbit Room in Toronto, where he partnered with hall of fame guitarist Alex Lifeson of Rush. The relationship led to collaborative studio projects with country music stars Clay Aiken, Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, the Dixie Chicks and Jo Dee Messina. A favorite stage memory is captured in photograph in his office of him playing the drums with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush. 'You’ve got to understand that growing up in Toronto and being a kid who played drums, all I dreamed about was one day being good enough to sit in and play with Neil Peart,' Critchley said. 'I was fascinated by him as a kid.'...He shared a story of the band learning to play Rush songs, and then inviting Neil’s younger sister over to the house to watch them play. 'I don’t know if Neil ever knew that or not. If so, he never said anything and I’ve never asked him.'"Check out the full interview here.
Alex Lifeson on the Prog Magazine Radio Show - interview now online
Alex was recently in London for the Classic Rock Awards where he won the Spirit Of Prog award and has been promoting the CD and DVD/Blu-ray for Clockwork Angels Tour Live.
"Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson discusses the band’s road less traveled" - Dallas News
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"And I remember having such a great show in Dallas that night,” says Lifeson. “We were playing a lot of our bar set — stuff we put together very quickly with Neil off the first show. We played ‘Bad Boy,’ the Beatles song. We were out with Uriah Heep, Rory Gallagher, Nazareth, relegated to a 20-minute, half-hour sets. So we would pick up these club dates where we would play for a couple of hours, and that was a really exciting night, because nobody knew who we were, and we won the crowd over that night. The place was just roaring by the end of it, and we all just thought, ‘Texas is awesome!’”Check out the full interview here.
"Clockwork Angels: The Graphic Novel" Coming In April 2014
Clockwork Angels: The Novel, by Kevin J. Anderson from a story and lyrics by Neil Peart, was published by ECW Press on September 4, 2012. An audiobook is also available, including the limited edition "Watchmaker's Edition" read by Neil Peart.
Gene Simmons talks Rush in KISS Kruise 3 Q&A session - Remembers June 1, 1975 Show
On, June 1, 1975, when touring in support of Fly By Night, Rush opened for The Tubes and KISS at The Winterland in San Francisco, California. As told by Gene Simmons in a Q&A on the recent KISS Kruise held three weeks ago, it was a memorable night for Gene who explains how when they arrived hungry at the venue, the promoter, Bill Graham, refused to provide food and refreshments for Rush, while he HAD been provided for KISS and "the Tubes had a big spread", a band which was also managed by Graham. KISS stepped in and Simmons told the promoter, "You're going to feed these guys or we're not getting up on stage." You can see the discussion here. - Thanks to RushIsABand for the headsup!
Clockwork Angels Tour video coming to VH1 Classic And Palladia December 1st
Rush 'Haven't Stopped or Quit… Just Relaxing' - Billboard
Billboard.com has just posted a new interview with Alex Lifeson in advance of tomorrow's live release, Clockwork Angels Tour. Alex reiterates that the band are taking the next year off, but does acknowledge:
On next years' Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Alex says:
"We committed to a year, so that's going to take us through to the end of next summer, for sure. That's the minimum. We haven't stopped or quit. Right now we're just relaxing. We're taking it easy and just enjoying our current employment...typically get a little bored, and so we enjoy writing and working together and I wouldn't doubt that some time in the new year we'll probably gravitate towards each other and start doing some writing. It's going to be interesting to see where we do go next. You know, the album is dying as a format. We're so used to it and we're so old school in that format, but will we get more mileage by doing a few new songs at a time, or do we do another album? It's hard to say what the future holds, and it's just changing so rapidly. It's always hard to speculate where you're going to go."
On next years' Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Alex says:
"I put my votes in...Certainly with Deep Purple and Yes and Nirvana, I think they're all candidates, and I think Kiss deserves to be in there, too. We have lots of great memories of working together with them, and I think they've been influential and worked for a very long time and worked very hard. I think for all the indifference we had before, actually going through it and feeling the love in the room and the sense of community we felt with all the other musicians that are in there, it's a good thing provided it's inclusive and it's broad."
"The World According to... Rush" - Gibson.com
Gibson.com has posted a compilation of quotes from Rush over the years from various sources called "The World According to... Rush". Check it out here! - Thanks to Falcon Gtho for the headsup!
Leonard Lawrence Elementary School's 3rd Grade Language Test
Check out this 3rd grade language studies test recently administered by teacher Robert Baker at Leonard Lawrence Elementary School in Omaha, Nebraska! Mr. Baker is one dedicated fan; it even includes a dig aimed at Steve Lillywhite who reneged on his agreement to produce Grace Under Pressure! - Thanks to Mark Rosenthal for sending this in!
Alex Lifeson, Classic Rock's "Spirit Of Prog"
Congratulations to Alex Lifeson, winner of this year's "Spirit Of Prog" award at last night's Classic Rock Awards held in London. See below for comments after the show regarding being considered "prog", and who his prog influences were at an early age. In addition, check out the short video interview with Alex after the show.
Rush #2 On RollingStone Readers' Poll "The 10 Greatest Canadian Rock Stars"
The Rolling Stone editors have shown little taste in the past, but they can't silence the readers! Rush came in second in the Rolling Stone readers' poll behind Neil Young:
"Anyone who doesn't know Rush is Canadian can probably figure it out about four seconds into their 1981 video for "Limelight." It begins with a wolf running in front of a hopelessly remote house, practically lost in a mountain of snow. There don't appear to be any neighbors around for at least one hundred miles and inside, the Canadian trio is playing in front of a large window that looks out into the vast Canadian wilderness.
"Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson grew up near Toronto and they cut their teeth on the local club circuit. They live there to this day, though drummer Neil Peart now spends much of his time in Los Angeles with his wife and young daughter" - RollingStone.com, November 13, 2013
Alex Lifeson on the BBC WM "The Paul Franks Show"
Radio.com Clockwork Angels Tour DVD Preview Live Stream
Nights With Alice Cooper Rush Marshall Fridge Giveaway
Rush’s Geddy Lee Talks Baseball; Preview New Rush Live DVD
In a new video interview with CBS, Geddy Lee talks about baseball, including his donation of close to 200 baseballs signed by members off the Negro League back in 2008. You can watch it here.
Peart/Bergamini's Book "Neil Peart: Taking Center Stage" nominated in Modern Drummer Readers Poll
In related news, Joe has released a new book called Arrival Drum Play-Along, which features Zak Rizvi and Frank LaPlaca from 4Front. In addition, Neil wrote the foreword for a new Gavin Harrison drum book that Hudson Music will be publishing in January 2014. Neil wrote the forward while at home after the tour had ended. The book is a series of drum transcriptions of Gavin’s performances with Porcupine Tree, with accompanying text from Gavin himself. - Thanks to Joe Bergamini for the headsup!
Neil Peart's "News Weather and Sports" - November 2013
Geddy Lee Talks About New Live Recording - VH1.com
Update November 8th, as a followup to the video they first posted last month which we shared below, today VH1.com has posted more of their video interview with Geddy Lee. Check it out here or in the embedded video below.
Posted October 17th: In a new video interview with VH1.com, Geddy talks about the history of Rush's live albums, and why they now release a new DVD of each tour. The VH1 page also includes an extended transcript of material not covered in the video clip.
"Live albums are very important for Rush and they became sort of a closing chapter for us. And the way things used to work was we would do three or four studio albums and then we would do a live album and in that way kind of make it a historical document as to where the band was at in that period of time. We never expected that we would just keep going, you know, the lifespan of a band is unpredictable, and so it appeared for quite a while that every four records would be followed up with a live record and it’s a way for us to look back at that last period and see how our sound has changed and take a different approach to recording live every time. But now the record industry has changed so much and DVDs have become such a fantastic souvenir of any one tour. And because it takes so much effort to design and put on one of our tours we feel it’s appropriate to record every new tour that we do, that has a new stage show, and a DVD seems to be the perfect outlet for that. It’s great for us as a historical document and it’s great for our fans as a souvenir of that tour that they came to." - Geddy Lee, VH1.com, October 17, 2013
"Clockwork Angels Tour" Coming To Theaters November 18th
Today the USA Today stated:
Rush is bringing a film version of its extensive Clockwork Angels Tour to more than 350 movie theaters on Nov. 18.Update: here's a brief teaser trailer by Fathom Events:
NCM Fathom Events and Rounder Records are presenting RUSH: Clockwork Angels Tour, a one-night concert event and preview of the band's upcoming tour DVD and CD, starting at 7 p.m. Nov. 18 local time.
Tickets go on sale online at 21:12 (9:12 p.m. ET) Thursday at www.FathomEvents.com and at participating theater box offices. Find a list of theater locations and prices here.
Sample of Family Goy Parody From Clockwork Angels Tour Video
Rush has passed along a sample of a "Family Goy" parody from the upcoming Clockwork Angels Tour video which is set for release on November 19th. The live concert, filmed in Dallas last year, is available for preorder here. Check out the video below.
"Limelight" included on Jacob Moon's Fascination - Now Available
The album includes Jacob's cover of "Limelight", which Jacob recently shared on Soundcloud. Limelight was recorded with The David Barrett Trio [who Rush fans will remember worked with Alex Lifeson to produce their eponymous debut album released last spring]; check out this video of Jacob Moon and David Barrett talking about this recording and working with Alex Lifeson, filmed the day they recorded Limelight.
Jacob Moon will be touring to support the release, for details visit JacobMoon.com. - Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!
Rush Photo On "The Carrie Diaries"
Alex Lifeson's "Self Portrait" Sells for $7,600 To Benefit "A Brush Of Hope" 2013 Auction
The massive online auction kicked off October 24th and will ran through November 3rd at www.ebay.ca; Alex's auction is here. The proceeds of the auction benefit those suffering with kidney disease. Click here for more information; visit their Facebook page.
Wall Street Journal premieres new live version of 2112 from "Clockwork Angels Tour"
"The indefatigable Toronto trio performed “2112″ as the final song of its encore in Dallas, Texas, last November. The Clockwork Angels tour, in support of the band’s 19th studio album, incorporated many songs from the 1980s that hadn’t performed in years. The shows also featured a live string section, a first for the band. The 11-month tour coincided with another unusual occurrence for Rush: accolades from the rock establishment. Last spring, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame." - WSJ.com, October 28, 2013The live concert, filmed in Dallas last year, is available for preorder on all formats here. Check out 2112 sample below.
An Interview with Mike Portnoy - AndrewOlson.com
John Petrucci Of Dream Theater On The Band’s New Album & Rush
"A Brief History Of Time, Part 11"
Rush EuCon 2013 A Success!
On the day, representatives from the charity came along with some guide dog puppies and one of the representatives gave a brief talk on the good work that the charity does. Later the Rush tribute band “Bravado” played a blinding set of Rush classic songs, old and new, to rapturous applause. For photos of the event visit the EuCon group Facebook page. - Thanks to William Winsborough for the headsup!
"Closer To The Heart" heard on CBC's "Battle Of The Blades"
"Clockwork Angels Tour" Video - Premier of "The Garden"
"When Rush hit the road last year to support their new album, Clockwork Angels, they decided to do something they'd never done before: invite additional musicians onto their stage. The new material had been recorded with a string section, and they wanted to do the album justice by bringing an eight-piece string ensemble on the road. The tour – which featured a ton of 1980s tunes the band hadn't played in ages – was a huge success, and they recorded a show in Dallas for a DVD and CD that hits shelves on November 19th. (Click here to pre-order the DVD.) Here, you can watch an exclusive preview clip of the band playing "The Garden," the grand finale of Clockwork Angels." - RollingStone.com, October 17, 2013
The live release is available for preorder on all formats here.
Neil Peart featured on "Walk The Walk" Premier
UPDATE: Following up on the show's premier, check out "Neil Peart, Nelly Furtado, Tom Cochrane Shock Selfless Canadians at SamaritanMag.com, October 17, 2013
Walk the Walk is a special six part documentary series which will debut on Global TV Saturday October 12th at 10:00 pm. The series will honor the good work being done by everyday community heroes by surprising them with a visit from a superstar from Canada's Walk of Fame. Included among those heroes is Neil Peart, who honors the works done by Karl Sloman. Below is the episode description from the Walk The Walk Facebook page; click here for a video preview.
Walk the Walk is a special six part documentary series which will debut on Global TV Saturday October 12th at 10:00 pm. The series will honor the good work being done by everyday community heroes by surprising them with a visit from a superstar from Canada's Walk of Fame. Included among those heroes is Neil Peart, who honors the works done by Karl Sloman. Below is the episode description from the Walk The Walk Facebook page; click here for a video preview.
NEIL PEART & KARL SLOMAN
Saturday October 12th - 10:00 p.m - Global TV
Karl Sloman is a drummer and music teacher who is innovative and giving. He broke the world record for continuous drumming by playing for 60 hours to benefit a Children’s Care Centre. Karl is passionate about teaching special needs students and leads a band of disabled musicians called Train Wreck. He invents and builds specialized electronic instruments for his students to play.
Neil Peart, drummer with the band Rush, is one of Karl’s biggest influences and heroes. Neil is widely recognized as one of the world’s most proficient players and both his drumming and drum kit are legendary among rock fans. One of the most successful and long-lasting rock bands, Rush has been inducted into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame, the Canadian Walk of Fame in 1999 and has 24 gold and 14 platinum records.
Although Neil Peart is famously private, when he hears about Karl’s work with Train Wreck, he decides to surprise Karl with a special meeting and a once-in-a-lifetime experience at one of Rush’s concerts." - Walk The Walk Facebook page, August 29, 2013
Neil Peart guest on Vertical Horizon's "Echoes From The Underground"
"It was an absolute blast to record. Neil's drum performance is simply stellar. Lyrically, it's just your average spy thriller/espionage/blackmail/love song.” - Matt Scannell, Billboard.com, October 2, 2013
UPDATE October 15: On Friday, Scanell spoke to the Worcester Telegram and Gazette about the new album:
"'Instamatic' is one of my absolute favorite drum tracks of all time and it's on my new record… I hear elements of all the different stages of (Peart's) career from 'Clockwork Angels,' all the way back to 'Hemisphere' and beyond," Scannell said. "It's an incredible moment for Neil as a performer. It is shocking. He is on fire on this song …"
Peart also contributes to the somber and introspective "South for the Winter," despite some initial reservations. "Are you sure you want me to play on 'South for the Winter'? It's so not what I normally do. I don't know what I'll bring to that song." Scannell recalled Peart saying. "And I said, 'Well, that's exactly why I want you to play on it, because I don't know where it will go but we'll go somewhere beautiful.'"
It was originally written for the troops overseas, but Scannell shifted the focus on "Song for Someone" to include everyone, including soldiers' respective wives, husbands, families, friends and neighbors back home.
"There's a Plato quote that actually Neil Peart told me about, 'Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle,' and it sort of shook me because it's so true," Scannell explained. "We do need more compassion and more kindness towards each other. So that song really was written with that in mind."
Richard Chycki on recording Dream Theater, Rush and Jagger - Musicradar.com
“I got a call from Rush’s management in 2004 when they were doing a charity event in Canada. I was asked to do the recording and mixing for the TV broadcast. We had a lot of chemistry. They’re all really funny guys. We spent the time just laughing our faces off.
"A few months later, Al Lifeson asked me to mix their new R30 DVD. In the nine years since then, we’ve had 26 platinum and gold sales awards for all of the DVDs and albums we’ve done. Their main mantra at this point is to continue putting out music for their fans – they have done everything.
“The first time I really got to know Neil [Peart] was on Snakes And Arrows. He was warming up on his kit and I was setting up microphones. When the kit is so large I measure the distance of microphones to drums with a tape measure so that we have the best phase coherence that we can have, because we have so many open mics around the kit. Neil was doing these press rolls on his snare, and I was literally putting the tape measure down on his snare as he was playing. He was looking at me like, ‘What are you doing?!’
“With those guys, if they hear something they like, they say, ‘That’s great – let's go.’ They can be hands on, but a lot of the time it is hands off because they will hear what they want and say, ‘Let's just record.’”
Vapor Trails Remixed opens at #35 on the Billboard Top 200
When it was originally released, Vapor Trails opened at #6 and spent five weeks on the Billboard Top 100.
Vapor Trails Remixed was released September 30th, and is available on CD, Vinyl, iTunes and The Studio Albums 1989-2007.
For related news, be sure to check out:
- Lifeson: Vapor Trails Is An Important Record - Our Return After A Horrible Nightmare - ClassicRockMagazine.com, September 18, 2013
- Rush - The Studio Albums 1989-2007 - Mastered by Andy VanDette - TheMasterdiskRecord, October 1, 2013
- David Bottrill on Rush's "Vapor Trails Remixed" - Popdose.com, October 7, 2013
Geddy Lee will appear on VH1's "On Tap" Tonight
Tonight Geddy Lee will appear on VH1's "On Tap" with Nik Carter. On Tap is a syndicated radio show, click here for a list of stations that carry it. - Thanks to John @ Cygnus-X1.net for the headsup!
David Bottrill on Rush’s “Vapor Trails Remixed” - Popdose.com
"When I approach any mix, I will reference any rough or previous mix lightly, to find balance or tones that the client might like. But in this case, I was aware that the band weren’t happy with the final mixes they had, so I just approached it fresh with little referencing to the originals. My philosophy was that they didn’t like what they had, so I would just work with the material they gave me and do what I thought would work best for each song. The first mix took the longest to complete, but that was only a couple of days. Once we were into the groove, the band usually only had little tweaks or suggestions and went mostly with what I presented them with. There was very little direction prior to starting. I did a test mix for them as did some other engineers and producers. They liked most of them, but I think that they had wanted to try to work with me for some time, so perhaps that swayed their opinion towards my mix as opposed to others. Andy Curran, who works with the band, is also a friend of mine and I think he was pulling for me to do the remix as well — and this may have had an influence. Nothing new was added. The band weren’t present for the mixes as they were mostly on tour, so there would have been no opportunity to do any further recording."Regarding the "new" guitar solo heard in Ceiling Unlimited:
"It sounded good to me. As I said, I just worked with the material they gave me. I didn’t really check the originals to see what they used or didn’t use. I liked that solo and put it in. I don’t think many people have complained about that one so far. When a record is made, often times there are things that are recorded that are left out of the final mix. I had no attachment to the older mixes or what was left in or out. I just put in all the mixes what I thought worked the best. I don’t think I left much out from the tracks they gave me. There was no really grand plan for the mixes. I just tried to make the songs all shine as much as I could. There was some talk in the fan press that the tracks were distorted in the recording process or that there have been new recordings done. Neither is true. The source recordings are top quality and we didn’t add anything new from those early recordings."- Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!
Geddy Lee Dives Into Rush's Video Timeline - RollingStone.com
Yesterday RollingStone.com posted a new interview "Geddy Lee Dives Into Rush's Video Timeline", where Geddy gives his thoughts on ' 2112,' the Hall of Fame jam and bad haircuts. You can check it out here.
Alex Lifeson on God, police brutality and more in Classic Rock, November
Andy VanDette Discusses Mastering "RUSH – The Studio Albums 1989-2007"
Today TheMasterdiskRecord.com posted a short Q&A with remastering engineer Andy VanDette. Andy discusses remastering the Atlantic catalog, as well as his thoughts on the original Vapor Trails mixes.“Vapor Trails. I remember hearing it before it came out, and thinking 'Wow, I guess this is why I will never work with Rush.' The snare and vocal were so overshadowed by low end....I see why they had a hard time remastering the original mixes. So much of their energy is in the bottom octave 20-40Hz. You can roll it off, but so much of the mixes’ punch came from that. It was just mixed that way. The David Bottrill remixes are very well balanced and musical."You can read the entire Q&A here. - Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!
Hemispheres SACD from AudioFidelity Now Available
Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, this is a limited edition release, so order now!
This is AudioFidelity's second Rush SACD release. Counterparts was released on March 3rd of this year.
New Alex Lifeson TV spot for the Kidney Foundation of Canada
Alex Lifeson appears in a new TV commercial for the Kidney Foundation of Canada, talking about the need to get screened for kidney disease if you are at risk. Check it out here. - Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!
Vapor Trails Remixed Now Available
Alex Lifeson was recently interviewed by Classic Rock Magazine, where he discussed Vapor Trails Remixed, and explained the problems with the original release.
"The original mastering was the problem. It was poorly done. At the time we should have remastered. It bothered us forever – particularly Geddy, who had the task of remastering of the original album and feels responsible for it. It irked him for many years. The original version is hard on your ears, because the mastering was pushed so hard, there’s distortion and so much compression – I found it very difficult to listen to it...There was so much invested in that record and it just didn’t sit with us that we had this blemish on our recording history. We wanted to rectify that. I’d like to remix every record we did – maybe update some parts. But that’s crazy, you know? You don’t do that – records are moments in time, markers of these different periods of progression and growth. But this one was a very important record – our return after a horrible nightmare. And it deserved better...To me [Vapor Trails Remixed] sounds so good. It’s blossomed. It’s a really great Rush record – some great playing and great ideas. And now that it all knits together in a much more complete way, it feels right. It’s much more pleasurable to listen to. Now, everything’s open, you can hear everything, and everything has its place. It’s so well-balanced. There’s a sort of creaminess and a smoothness to the sound of it. It’s so much more dynamic. Before, everything was just balls to the wall. Now it breathes." - Alex Lifeson, ClassicRockMagazine.com, September 18, 2013
Also released today is Rush: The Studio Albums 1989-2007. This 7-disc boxed set features every studio album Rush recorded for Atlantic Records presented in a wallet sleeve that faithfully reproduces the original artwork (except for Vapor Trails Remixed, which features a reinterpreted version of the original cover). Those that passed on the Atlantic Remasters when they were released in 2004 may be interested in knowing that The Studio Albums 1989-2007 box contains new CD versions of the six Atlantic albums newly remastered by Masterdisk's Chief Mastering Engineer, Andy VanDette, released last May digitally only on iTunes and HDTracks. This boxed set is Atlantic's complement to the Sectors boxed sets, which were also remastered by VanDette in 2011.Related Links