HomeNancy Peart Burkholder, one of Rush drummer Neil Peart's two sisters,
has shared her memories of her brother's passing. Peart died on January
7, 2020, following a three and a half year battle with brain cancer
(Glioblastoma), and his death was announced three days later, on January
10,m 2020.
In conversation with podcaster Kelly Barrett,
Burkholder recalls how family members had to keep the news of her
brother's death a secret for those three days, until the official
announcement was made via Rush's website and social media channels.
“We
had three and a half years to prepare, so we knew it was coming,” she
says. “And then once it happened, we had that week of radio silence
where we couldn’t tell anybody. And then we got - I think we had 10
minutes’ notice before it was going live to the world. So we had 10
minutes to tell everyone that we hadn’t told in three and a half years
that, ‘Sorry, we lied. Everything’s not okay.’ So, yeah, it was a really
hard - that week was the hardest week that we went through because we
knew and couldn’t share it.”
Neil Peart's sister recalls how family members broke the news of the late Rush drummer's death
Alex Lifeson on Shred With Shifty
Alex Lifeson breaks down the haunting, legendary solo on Rush’s “Limelight” on the first episode of the new podcast from Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett, Shred With Shifty. Watch:
Introducing the new Epiphone Alex Lifeson "Ruby" Les Paul Custom Axcess
Epiphone and Alex Lifeson have announced the release of the all new Epiphone Alex Lifeson "Ruby"
Les Paul Custom Axcess.
Created through extensive work with Alex Lifeson and Gibson, Epiphone's Alex Lifeson Les Paul Custom Axcess similarly redefines the boundaries of the classic Les Paul in an accessible, versatile package.
This guitar carries all of the traditional tones that have made the Les Paul legendary, along with unprecedented levels of sonic and performance agility. The Alex Lifeson Les Paul Custom Axcess Standard carries powerful Epiphone Ceramic Pro neck and ProBucker 3 bridge pickups with push/pull coil splitting on the volume controls, along with a Floyd Rose 1000 Series tremolo—the world's most efficient vibrato. Click here to learn more.
RUSH 716 Master Class & Tribute Concert @ The Cave in Buffalo, NY, August 3rd
Attendees will have the opportunity to register to win a variety of Rush merch (including deluxe box sets), enjoy Rush Golden Ale, view a Rush slideshow, and participate in a Rush trivia contest. A portion of the proceeds of each ticket sold will be donated to Grapes for Humanity, a Canadian, non-profit organization that supports various humanitarian projects around the world. For more info and to buy tickets visit thecavebuffalo.com.
Signals Atmos Listening Experience - enter for a chance to attend
- First & Last name
- Email Address
- Number of tickets desired:
-
Tell me when/where you first heard Signals, and/or what the
Signals album means to you as a Rush fan.
Can be brief, i.e. 1-2 paragraphs.
These tickets are free, hold no cash value and cannot be transferred to others. All entries must be submitted by Thursday 5/25 at 10 am MST.
Signals 40th Anniversary Release Now Available
UMe/Mercury have released the Signals 40th Anniversary edition, hitting stores April 28th. Signals-40th Anniversary will be available to fans in three distinct configurations, including the (1) Super Deluxe Edition, (2) one-LP Picture Disc Edition, and (3) Dolby Atmos Digital Edition. There will also be a limited edition Super Deluxe box featuring eight lithographs of Neil Peart’s original hand-drawn lyrics for each song on Signals only available through the official Rush online store. All configurations are available here.
Unlike the previous Rush 40th anniversary releases, Signals-40th Anniversary does not contain any live content.
The Super Deluxe Edition includes one CD, one Blu-ray Audio, one high-quality 180-gram black–vinyl LP with new artwork from original album designer Hugh Syme in a premium tip-on jacket, and four 7-inch singles (“Subdivisions,” “Countdown,” “New World Man,” and “The Weapon (Single Edit”), all of them with new artwork from Syme. The set encompasses the Abbey Road Mastering Studios 2015 remastered edition of the album for the first time on CD. The Blu-ray Audio disc contains the core album newly mixed from the original multi-tracks in 48kHz 24-bit Dolby Atmos (the second Rush album to appear in Atmos, following Moving Pictures) and 96kHz 24-bit Dolby TrueHD 5.1 as done by esteemed producer/engineer Richard Chycki, alongside the previously available 48kHz 24-bit PCM Stereo mix. Also included on the Blu-ray are new animated visualizers for all eight songs, as well as two bonus remastered vintage promo videos: the high-school halls narrative of “Subdivisions” and “Countdown,” the latter of which features authorized Space Shuttle Columbia launch footage. Additionally, the LP in the Super Deluxe Edition has been cut via half-speed Direct Metal Mastering (the second Rush album to have been done as such, again following Moving Pictures) on a 180-gram audiophile black-vinyl LP, and it has been pressed at GZ Media in the Czech Republic.
The Super Deluxe Edition of Signals-40th Anniversary also includes several exclusive items, including a 40-page hardcover book with new song illustrations and new artwork by original album designer Hugh Syme and unreleased photos from the Signals Tour, along with three lenticular lithographs that transition from the original black-and-white band headshots into the original album’s “Digital Man” color headshots; four SignalsTour band lithographs; Syme’s original album cover sketch lithograph; and a double-sided 24x24-inch poster featuring Syme’s new Signals artwork on one side, and an outtake photo from the original album cover shoot on the other side. All contents are housed in a premium lift-top box, which features significantly reimagined cover artwork by Hugh Syme.
The second configuration is a one-LP Picture Disc Edition. The picture disc is housed in a transparent plastic sleeve, and it showcases new Hugh Syme artwork on both album sides.
Finally, the third configuration, the Dolby Atmos Digital Edition, is the digital equivalent of Richard Chycki’s expert Atmos mix of all eight tracks from the original album.
Geddy Lee's "My Effin' Life" coming in November
Back in September, Geddy posted on Instagram:
So, how did I kill time during the pandemic? Little did I know that as of March 2020 I'd be locked down for over a year and a half—the longest time I'd spent in Toronto since I was nineteen and hit the Northern Ontario bar circuit with Rush.
Although Nancy and I had to cancel a bunch of adventures we'd been planning, there were some shiny silver linings to be found at home: teaching my grandson the finer points of baseball and birdwatching, tending to my pups (one of whom was quite ill) and spending the evenings with my lovely better half, glass of Armagnac in hand, as we watched every European mystery show ever produced. Oh, and another thing: I began to write. Words, that is.
My friend and collaborator on the Big Beautiful Book of Bass, Daniel Richler, saw how I was struggling in the aftermath of Neil's passing, and tried coaxing me out of my blues with some funny tales from his youth, daring me to share my own in return. So I did—reluctantly at first, but then remembering, oh yeah, I like wrestling with words. It's a less physical version of arguing with musical notes, without a Ricky doubleneck breaking my back! And soon my baby-step stories were becoming grownup chapters. Being the nuclear obsessive that I am, I'd write and re-write them, reassessing perspectives in the narrative not just by scouring my memory banks but my diaries and piles of photo albums too. I was piecing together a mystery of a different kind.
I'd then send these improved and even illustrated stories to Daniel, who'd clean up some of the grammar and remove a lot of the swearing (I love to fucking swear), and presto! In a voice that sounded, well, just like me, a presentable, epic-length account of my life on and off the stage was taking shape: my childhood, my family, the story of my parents' survival, my travels and all sorts of nonsense I've spent too much time obsessing over. And Daniel said, "I think you're writing a book. An actual memoir, in fact." To which I replied, “Hmm… I guess I am.”
I'm rounding third on this as-of-yet untitled memoir, which will be published by HarperCollins, edited by Noah Eaker, and is scheduled for release in Fall 2022.
Envy of None Limited Edition Picture Disc coming to Record Store Day Canada 2023
Envy Of None's critically acclaimed debut is available on picture disc LP exclusively for RSD. The ambient, cinematic darkness that the collective creates evokes a powerful atmosphere that will excite superfans & new audiences alike. Alex Lifeson & Andy Curran's long-time friendship was the catalyst for the band's inception - but Envy Of None is not defined by its members resumes - they aren't Rush or Coney Hatch & far more than the sum of its collective parts. Above the beautiful cacophony of guitars, synths, bass & drums sits the fragile melodies of 24-year-old vocalist Maiah Wynne - the newest name in Envy Of None's impressive personnel. Hearing Mariah's voice intertwined with the music will bring back memories of when you heard Shirley Manson of ‘Garbage' or Amy Lee of ‘Evanescence' for the first time. Wynne brings charm & beauty to these recordings in spades - with floating hooks & emotive lyrics transcending the oftentimes textural aesthetic. The Storm Thorgerson-esque visuals that grace the cover may remind fans of Lifeson's earlier work - Andy Curran explains: “[the] hipgnosis style artwork of albums like ‘Pink Floyd' & ‘Led Zeppelin' & others were so eye catching, surreal & attention grabbing & we wanted to scratch that itch. We were instantly drawn to Lebanese photographer Eli Rezkallah at Plastik's photography & design work. We fell in love with a bunch of his work - we had a hard time choosing something because he had so many great images”. However, the 70's prog/Rush comparisons may end with the artwork - the music that this ensemble creates treads new ground with each track throughout their 42-minute debut, from industrial/electronic influences on post-progressive soundscapes. Envy Of None create a sound that will haunt, comfort & ignite. "If you can picture maybe Massive Attack with a little bit of some electronic stuff with Nine Inch Nails influences, with this beautiful, fragile, sweet voice & some very, very dark heavy sounds" - Andy Curran (Envy Of None) Following on from the excitement that followed the initial release in 2022, Kscope are proud to present a limited Picture Disc edition for Record Store Day 2023. For details visit RSD2023.
Alex Lifeson appears on "Moonage Daydream" cover on Easy Star All-Stars' new album "Ziggy Stardub"
"The mesmerizing rendition strips the gritty sound of the original, leaving a slick and sultry cover in its place. Lifeson closes out the track with an ethereal guitar solo, while Naomi Cowan's vocals flow through the chilled track, blending his celestial guitar stylings seamlessly. Perfectly balancing an aura of psychedelic and reggae, the essence of Bowie's classic sci-fi song finds a new purpose in this genre-crossing performance. ... Lifeson reveals he already had admiration for Bowie going into the recording of the track. 'Bowie was such an incredible artiste and the reggae concept for the project was an interesting approach. Naomi Cowan's vocals were inspiring to track to and the arrangement was fun to play to, as it should be." - Consequence of Sound, Feb 22, 2023