The Piano Tribute To Rush

The Piano Tribute To Rush, the third Rush tribute album by Todd Mark Rubenstein, who previously released Exit Stage Right and The String Quartet Tribute To 2112, is now available. Like previously released Rush tribute albums, the tracklist mainly consists of Rush's earlier work, with "The Big Money" being the 'newest' track covered. The album also includes an original track titled "Syrinxian Moonlight". - Jan. 10, 2006

"Pulsing through the drum beats and guitar riffs of Rush’s songs are undeniable melodies. These hooks are brought to the surface on The Piano Tribute to Rush. The elemental soul of such hits as "The Spirit of Radio" and "Tom Sawyer" is extracted from their complex arrangements with simple piano. A must-have release for any Rush fan, this album promises to appeal to anyone with an appreciation for great songs and incredible musicianship." - Vitamin Records

"Rush: Music In Review 1974-1981"

Music In Review 1974-1981, a 48 page book and 2 DVD set from the UK, is also now available in the US. An unofficial release, this product claims to be the "ultimate critical review" of Rush. The UK company behind this project has previously released similar packages featuring other bands, which led many UK Rush fans to be skeptical from the start. The commentary on the DVD's is provided by various radio DJ's and/or music critics who are filmed on camera as they provide their 'opinion' of Rush's work, and the content flows in a biographical nature. The criticism is mixed, although for the most part the reviews are mostly good. However, for fans with more than a basic knowledge of Rush, erroneous comments such as Peart having a degree in percussion, that Red Barchetta is semi-autobiographical about Neil and his uncle[!], or the simple yet inexcusable mispronunciation of "Peart" throughout, become very tiresome.

Geddy Lee Interview With Fender

"The renowned Rush bassist/vocalist on the R30 anniversary DVD, band history, cool covers, 'flamenco bass,' the Fender Jazz and more..." - Fender.com, December 20, 2005

Neil Peart's "Anatomy Of A Drum Solo"

Anatomy Of A Drum Solo, the second instructional drumming video by Neil Peart, was released Dec. 20th, 2005. For more information click here.

"Anatomy of a Drum Solo presents newly-recorded, in-studio footage of Neil discussing, in detail, his approach to soloing. Using a solo recorded in September, 2004 in Frankfurt, Germany, as a framework, Neil talks about each segment of this nine-minute tour de force that is a feature of each Rush performance. He describes the inspiration and the conceptual thinking behind each part of the solo and discusses, and often demonstrates, the technique necessary for playing that segment. Also included are two 'explorations' - completely improvised workouts at the drums, each over thirty-minutes long; a never-before-released solo recorded in Hamburg, Germany in September, 2004 ("Ich Bin Ein Hamburger"); 'O Baterista', Neil's Grammy Award-nominated solo (previously released on the Rush in Rio DVD); two full Rush performances from Frankfurt ’04, all shot from the perspective of the drum cameras; interviews with Lorne Wheaton, Neil’s drum tech, and Paul Northfield, Rush co-producer and engineer; a full-color booklet, a photo gallery and more." - HudsonMusic.com

Rush On Rockline

"Canadian rock legends RUSH will be the featured guests on the nationally syndicated radio show 'Rockline' airing Wednesday, December 14. The live show begins at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET, and fans are encouraged to call in with questions during the program at (800) 344-ROCK (7625). To find a station near you, check out www.rocklineradio.com." - December 1, 2005

R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour Video

R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour DVD was released November 22, 2005. Filmed using 14 hi-definition cameras in 16x9 widescreen format on September 24, 2004, at the Festhalle in Frankfurt, Germany, the first disk of the 2 DVD set contains all but eight tracks of the Frankfurt concert, while the second contains interviews plus rare and classic footage from the late seventies to the Tsunami relief benefit concert in 2005, as well as two Easter Eggs. Also included in the The Deluxe Edition are two limited edition RUSH guitar picks and a souvenir backstage pass, as well as a two audio CD version of the show; CD's will not be sold separately but will be available via Anthem/Atlantic Records on all digital download services. Click here for the tracklist, video clips, plus additional news and reviews.

Lerxst At The Orbit Room

Alex Lifeson made a rare appearance on stage at The Orbit Room with The Dexters last night to celebrate the Orbit Room’s 11th anniversary. Playing along side with The Dexters for what might have been the first time in eleven years, they actually played a Rush song on stage – a version of the Spirit Of Radio! The set also included "For What It’s Worth" (see Feedback) and Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit"

Rush Plans New Tourbook Compilation And 'Complete' Video Collection

"...the members of Rush plan to announce a new official book to add to their list of items being released during the next year. The book will consist of every tour book the band has ever had and combine them all for one large historic pictorial of the group's 31-year history. The book is currently under construction, but is likely to hit stores by January 2006. The book will come in a limited special leather edition that will feature autographs of all three band members with a slipcase. A standard version of the book will run for $100...A complete video collection is also in the works for release in late 2006 including the bands later years under Atlantic Records. " - All Headline News, October 2, 2005

Geddy Lee Interviewed in "Metal: A Headbangers Journey"

Metal: A Headbangers Journey, a 2 DVD documentary including interviews with Geddy Lee, will be released on DVD September 14th:

"Journeying through America and Europe, following tours and attending open-air metal fests, the filmmakers document people’s opinions about the scene. Fans weigh in, as well as metal gods including Rush’s Geddy Lee..."

Peart Helps Raise $60,000 For Houston Charity

As detailed in this Rush.com press release, Neil Peart helped raise $60,000 for a Houston based charity in conjunction with ProMark.

Toronto Wins Rights To Canadian Music Hall of Fame

"Although the awards have been handed out since 1978, the Canadian Music Hall of Fame will now have an official home where it can honor its members. The building will be located in downtown Toronto at the intersection of Yonge and Dundas where over 50 million people travel down yearly...Geddy Lee of the rock trio Rush was inducted along with his bandmates in 1994 when the band celebrated 20 years of being a signed recording act. Now it is 11 years later and Lee believes it is only right that inducted members have a place to hang their hats. He says, 'I'm very happy to hear that Toronto will be the home for the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. It is a great way for Canadians to celebrate our musical heritage and will be a fine cultural addition to our city.' The Hall will officially open its doors in 2007." - All Headline News, June 17, 2005

8th Annual White Ribbon Concert

Alex Lifeson teamed up with Blue Rodeo's Jim Cuddy and All Systems Go/ex-Doughboy guitarist/vocalist John Kastner to perform two covers, The Beatles' "Rain" and Neil Young's "Don't Cry No Tears", at the White Ribbon benefit concert against violence against women held at The Phoenix in Toronto. Lifeson previously worked with Kastner remixing the All System Go track "Fascination Unknown" which appeared as a single in 2003.

Rock 'N' Roll Never Forgets Holocaust's Horror

"...Perhaps the most well-known of Holocaust-influenced rock songs as it first appeared on the band's hit 1984 album Grace Under Pressure, and has been a staple of the band's live shows ever since. The seeds for this harrowing rocker were planted 60 years ago in April of 1945 when British soldiers liberated the Nazi concentration camp Bergen-Belsen. Rush lead singer Geddy Lee's mother, Mary Rubenstein, was among the survivors. 'I once asked my mother her first thoughts upon being liberated,' Lee said. 'She didn't believe (liberation) was possible. She didn't believe that if there was a society outside the camp how they could allow this to exist... ' Lee related the story to band drummer and lyricist Neil Peart and also wrote the music. Peart came up with lines such as: 'Are we the last ones left alive?/ Are we the only human beings to survive?' 'The whole album,' Lee said, 'is about being on the brink and having the courage and strength to survive.'" - Palm Beach Post, May 6, 2005

Carrie Nuttal's "Rhythm And Light"

The photographic art book by Carrie Nuttall, Rhythm And Light, showcasing photos of husband Neil Peart, was published in January.

"This photo book features intimate portraits of legendary Rush drummer Neil Peart at work in a Toronto recording studio, as captured by photographer Carrie Nuttall. A must have for Rush’s extensive fan base, as well as enthusiasts of both drumming and photography. Carrie Nuttall is a professional photographer who has worked extensively in both the music and fashion industries. She lives in Los Angeles, CA. $60.00 hardcover" - RounderBooks.com

Hughes & Kettner Introduces Alex Lifeson Signature TriAmp

"For decades, the powerhouse trio Rush has been the standard bearer of progressive rock. And the legendary threesome's virtuoso axe-man Alex Lifeson, with his jawdropping arsenal of distinctive sounds, is the driving force behind Rush's eclectic blend of genre-defying classic rock with a cutting-edge attitude. Hughes & Kettner zenTeras and TriAmps have been Alex's first-choice amps for years. Now he has tricked out a TriAmp to design the amp of his dreams. Opting for his fave tolex and groovy purple backlighting to illuminate the plexi front panel, he kitted out a new line of amps featuring precisely the specs of the TriAmps he played on Rush's world tour. Every Alex Lifeson Signature Amp ships with the Rush Tour book, an original Alex Lifeson pick, a special release Rush CD, and a certificate signed by Alex. Alex is known for his commitment to children's health, well-being and education, particularly of impoverished kids in the third world. To support this cause, UNICEF will receive a donation in the amount of $50 for every Alex Lifeson Signature TriAmp sold. The Alex Lifeson Signature Amp hits US stores in April 2005. Manufacturer's suggested RP is $2,799. For more information, visit their web site at www.hughes-and-kettner.com." - namm.harmony-central.com, January 23, 2005

"We have developed a Triamp signature model for Alex, and he has asked that all proceeds due to him for this amp should be given to Unicef. So, we will donate 50 Euros from the sale of each Alex Lifeson Signature Triamp to Unicef on his behalf. Thank you Alex." - hughes-and-kettner.com

Geddy Lee interviewed in "Ringers: Lord Of The Fans"

Ringers: Lord Of The Fans, a documentary celebrating fans of Lord Of The Rings, is now available. Having demonstrated he is a Ringer in the song "Rivendell", the documentary includes an interview with Geddy Lee and a brief glimpse of Geddy live on stage is seen during the trailer.

"Geddy Lee, bassist and lead singer for the seminal rock group Rush, has granted an exclusive interview to the producers of the feature documentary, Ringers: Lord Of The Fans. His heartfelt comments on the power of J.R.R. Tolkien's stories make it easy to understand how the world of Rock & Roll was forever changed by The Lord of the Rings. The fine connections between these two art forms is sharply drawn by Mr. Lee, as he explains the wonderful influence of Middle-earth on his early songwriting..." - TheOneRing.net - Sep. 29, 2004

"As the scope of the film broadened to include the worlds of music and fantasy literature, efforts to secure interviews with the best and brightest of those worlds were met with 'Yes, I'd love to!' from all quarters...Rock legends Geddy Lee (RUSH) and Lemmy Kilmister (Motörhead) quickly came on board, explaining first-hand how the Rock scene shifted under the weight of Tolkien's high-fantasy influence....The heartbeat of RINGERS is in its Rock soundtrack, and the director wanted nothing less than wall-to-wall music. [Editor Arnaud Gerardy] carefully edited to the rhythm of Led Zeppelin's 'Ramble On' and RUSH's 'Rivendell'..." - TheOneRing.net, Jan. 10, 2005

Canada for Asia

All three members of Rush, along with Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies and Mike Smith of the Trailer Park Boys, performed "Closer To The Heart" for the charity television telethon "Canada For Asia". Airing Janurary 13th, 2005, the event raised money for the Dec. 26th, 2004 Tsunami Disaster Fund. "The Rush performance on the CBC Tsunami benefit will be posted on Rush.com on Feb 1st 2005. This is an exclusive to Rush.com and will only be available for viewing until March 2nd 2005...The performance will not be available for download." Click here for more information.

P.E.A.R.T., the Robotic Drum Machine

"P.E.A.R.T., which stands for Pneumatic and Electronic Actuated RoboT, is a robot that is made to be set up in front of any drum set and play the drums with any MIDI file as the input. It is capable of running 16 separate drum channels, with each drum capable of being hit up to 19 times per second...P.E.A.R.T. was a senior design project at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. For more information click here.

Chamber Made: Baroque Tribute to Rush

Chamber Made: The Baroque Tribute to Rush is now available.

"Rush’s music is a mixture of hard rock and melodic rhythms and is bound together by themes of science fiction and fantasy. It is only fitting that Rush’s grand, opus-like concept pieces be recreated in the baroque fashion. The Baroque Tribute to Rush revives the strength and unity that was produced in some of the Bands best work such as 'Madrigal' and 'Time Stands Still'. The enigmatic atmosphere of this album will haunt listeners in the true Rush fashion." - Chamber Made linernotes

Neil Peart's "Traveling Music: Playing Back the Soundtrack to My Life and Times"

Travelling Music: Neil Peart's third publicly published book, Traveling Music: Playing Back the Soundtrack to My Life and Times, is now available in both paperback and hardback editions.

Neil Peart decided to drive his BMW Z-8 automobile from L.A. to Big Bend National Park, in Southwest Texas. As he sped along "between the gas-gulping SUVs and asthmatic Japanese compacts clumping in the left lane, and the roaring, straining semis in the right," he acted as his own DJ, lining up the CDs chronologically and according to his possible moods.

"Not only did the music I listened to accompany my journey, but it also took me on sidetrips, through memory and fractals of associations, threads reaching back through my whole life in ways I had forgotten, or had never suspected...Sifting through those decades and those memories, I realized that I wasn’t interested in recounting the facts of my life in purely autobiographical terms, but rather...in trying to unweave the fabric of my life and times. As one who was never much interested in looking back, because always too busy moving forward, I found that once I opened those doors to the past, I became fascinated with the times and their effect on me. The songs and the stories I had taken for granted suddenly had a resonance that had clearly echoed down the corridors of my entire life, and I felt a thrill of recognition, and the sense of a kind of adventure. A travel story, but not so much about places, but about music and memories."