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"With Across the Universe, Julie Taymor put together a film based on dozens of unrelated Beatles songs, stitching them together to tell a story. ("I Want You" as a military recruiting anthem? Genius.) But what about all those other bands with deep back catalogs full of plot possibilities? Here are our (admittedly jokey) picks for ten groups and artists whose music (entire catalogs, not just single albums) is ripe for adapting into a feature film... and how we think that movie would go down.
1. Rush - It's hard not to cheat since some of the Canadian supergroup's classic albums from the '70s tell entire stories on their own. But we'll bypass 2112 mysticism to cobble together a post-modern story of an oppressed society ("Red Sector A") ruled by evil corporations ("The Big Money") which inspires an impressionable, young kid ("Tom Sawyer") to break free of his shackles ("New World Man") through the power of music ("Spirit of Radio," "Limelight")... and a fast car ("Red Barchetta"). OK, fine, and then he goes into space ("Cygnus X-1"). Think The Matrix with singing." - For the complete list, visit FilmCritic.com
Take Guitar Lessons from Alex Lifeson!
iVideosongs.com is a new service which allows users to download teaching videos of famous guitarists, including Alex Lifeson. Each video is $9.99, and the guitarists spend time demonstrating how to play all the different parts of some of their most famous songs. The lessons are presented in chapters--introduction, verse, chorus, bridge, outro--and titles can be sorted by skill level and genre. Click here for Alex's page.
The Heart And Soul Of A Drumset, by Neil Peart
DW Drums has added a new feature on their website, "'The Heart And Soul Of A Drumset', Chapter One In A Series: 'Bass Drum Heartbeat'". In it, Neil writes about the advent of DW's new 23" bass drum, and the history of its creation. In addition, there is a video of Neil discussing the X shell and his hybrid kit.
Power Windows Website Turns 10!
Today marks the 10th birthday of the Power Windows website at 2112.net. After originally residing elsewhere for a few months in '97, we officially moved to 2112.net on Feb. 1, 1998. I had hoped to mark the occasion with a special contest or anniversary celebration of sorts, but time has eluded me, so I'll just mark it with this news entry. Thanks to everyone who has made this website possible, both the contributors and users, and a very special thanks to Blake Willis who owns and maintains 2112.net.
Tiles' "Fly Paper", With Guest Alex Lifeson
"Terry had approached Alex about making a guest appearance – and played him some of our new songs. Alex liked what he heard and said he would have a chance to do 'something' before Rush began rehearsals for their 'Snakes and Arrows' tour. The window of opportunity arrived this past March – and Terry went to Alex’ studio where the two proceeded to work their magic on "Sacred and Mundane." Listening to Alex' parts for the first time was amazing – and the amount of work he put into the song was beyond what we could have hoped for. He came up with a counter-riff that literally 'became' the song; he added acoustic guitars to the refrains; played an acoustic Celtic counter-melody in the bridge; came up with a cool backwards solo in the breakdown section; and added an assortment of guitar textures and effects from start to finish. Terry and Alex spent almost 12-hours recording." - Chris Herin, guitarist, Tiles-music.com
Good Times, Bad Times: 10 Years of Godsmack
Peart's "News, Weather & Sports": The Hour of Arriving
Neil Peart has updated his website with his latest installment of "News, Weather & Sports": The Hour of Arriving. In it he describes his stays in some of the finer establishments in Europe, discusses his interest in cooking, and closes with memories of a typical show day.
Alex Lifeson's Painting Sells for $5,700
For the second consecutive year, Alex Lifeson auctioned one of his original paintings on eBay to support The Kidney Foundation of Canada. The winning bid was $5,700.00. Click here for details on the A Brush Of Hope fundraising campaign.
Neil Peart's News, Weather & Sports: "Haste Ye Back"
Neil Peart has updated his website with his latest journal of the road, "Haste Ye Back”. In it, he details his travels over the fifteen show Eurorpean leg of the Snakes & Arrows tour. He also recounts his feelings of shame and anger at reading he was voted second worst rock lyricist (behind Sting) in Britain's "Revolver" magazine, confronting stalking British fans, and the inevitable wearing out and breaking of parts for both his drums, motorcycle, and body. "Altogether, Brutus and I rode 7,268 kilometers (4,543 miles) in Europe, while Alex, Geddy, and I played fifteen shows. That brings me to a total of 39,059 kilometers (24,412 miles) of motorcycling on the Snakes & Arrows tour, on my way to sixty-four shows with the guys at work."
Neil also touches on the filming of the Ahoy gigs for the upcoming concert DVD, stating there were 17 cameras recording the shows and that "On that occasion, Alex and Geddy and I were fairly ecstatic to feel that we played really well on those two nights. All things considered, they may have represented the true climax of the tour. Sure, there were many satisfying shows among those sixty-four performances, I am glad to report, but those two are permanent."
Neil also touches on the filming of the Ahoy gigs for the upcoming concert DVD, stating there were 17 cameras recording the shows and that "On that occasion, Alex and Geddy and I were fairly ecstatic to feel that we played really well on those two nights. All things considered, they may have represented the true climax of the tour. Sure, there were many satisfying shows among those sixty-four performances, I am glad to report, but those two are permanent."
The Neil Peart Commemorative Snakes & Arrows Snare Drum
The November Guitar Center catalog includes a new item that will make some Rush fan's holiday season a happy one! Coming this month to select Guitar Center stores, the Neil Peart Signature Snakes and Arrows snare drum. Guitar Center will be selling the snare for $899.99, with no payments until 2009.
"This stunning 6"x14" snare features an Aztec Red finish with handpainted gold leaf and metallic gray Snakes and Arrows graphics. The finish is done by DW master craftsman Louie Garcia, who paints Neil Peart's own drums. DW's unique Black Diamond hardware is made of nickle, but it's as hard and durable as chrome. The all-maple shell utilized DW's propietary VLT (Vertical Low Timbre) design, with a vertical grain pattern that allows for a lower overall tone without sacrificing resonance and attack. The special batter head features a printed Neil Peart signature. Everything about this drum was designed in accordance with Neil Peart. This is the same snare Neil is currently using on the Snakes and Arrows tour. See it first at Guitar Center."
"Tribute Bands: For The Love Of Rush"
"For The Love Of Rush", a one hour documentary spotlighting Rush tribute bands, premiered Sunday, October 28th on Canada's E! The second episode of Tribute Bands, a four part documentary series narrated by Toronto native and Rockstar: INXS finalist Suzie McNeil, it features "the obsessive Dave Cornwall (a.k.a. Spageddy Lee) who fronts an Arizona-based Rush tribute band called Freewill. Tribute Bands also connects with other groups trying to emulate one of the most technically proficient bands in the world." Each one-hour episode follows a tribute band paying homage to The Police, Rush, Queen and The Tragically Hip.
Peart's News, Weather & Sports: "Shunpikin' it Old Skool"
With the North American leg of Snakes & Arrows tour behind him, Neil Peart has updated his website with the latest issue of "News, Weather & Sports". As in previous reports, he details highlights of the tour thus far, with details given to his various out of the way expeditions...
"On the Snakes and Arrows tour, as Michael and I have commuted to forty-nine shows and covered just under 20,000 motorcycle miles around the U.S. and Canada...we agreed that less than ten percent of those 20,000 miles had been traveled on interstates and freeways..." - Neil Peart, September 26, 2007
Lush: A Tribute To The Debut Rush And John Rutsey
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters For DVD
"Absurd decisions typify the Aqua Teen creators...So when looking for big names to lend a voice to their show, they asked not for an animation veteran but instead for the drummer for Rush. 'We get lots of offers over the transom, of course – lots of things that someone would like us to be involved in, or to buy from them,' says Peart, clearly in a lighthearted mood. But when it came to this movie, 'Somebody in the office had an open mind....he's a watermelon seed who plays the drums, and he gets to perform a supernatural ritual called the Drum Solo of Life...My solo (in Rush shows) is nine minutes long, so I just gave them a bunch of 30-second clips to choose from that sounded spiritual.'" - Toronto Star, Apr. 15, 2007
Inspiration for "Red Barchetta" finally meets Peart!
Rush on G4TV's "Code Monkeys"
Rush fans are everywhere! Yesterday saw the debut of G4TV's "Code Monkeys", a new animated show done in the blocky style of old 8-bit computer games. As seen during the opening credits, a Rush poster can be seen hanging on the wall in Dave and Jerry's office (click here to see the original poster). Code Monkeys airs Wednesdays at 9PM ET on GVTV.
Canadian "Crossing Made Easy" Video
A humorous video found on a new website promoting the ease of crossing the Canadian border has a car full of guys picking their favorite Canadian song. "Tom Sawyer" is of course one of the songs chosen, but the humor is found when another chooses Celine Dion. - CrossingMadeEasy.com
Geddy Lee on CBC's "The Hour"
Geddy Lee appeared on The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos last night (Thursday), and the interview is now available on their website.
Fan Produced Video for "Sweet Miracle"
Check out this fan made music video for "Sweet Miracle", from Vapor Trails. Kimberly, the star of the video, is a big Rush fan, and created the video based on the scene described by Neil Peart on pages 338-339 of Ghost Rider. Visit myspace.com/kimberlys_nyc to read Kimberly's blog and to see pics including the original treatment.
Bob And Doug McKenzie's 24 Anniversary
Last Sunday night, the CBC aired "Bob And Doug McKenzie's 24 Anniversary" prime time special, celebrating the 24th anniversary of the film Strange Brew. Geddy Lee made a guest appearance which can be seen here. Geddy Lee and Rick Moranis (Doug McKenzie) grew up together, and Geddy sang on their top 40 hit, "Take Off" from their 1981 comedy album, The Great White North.
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