Alex Lifeson talks "Moving Pictures": track-by-track

"'It was a beautiful time,' says guitarist Alex Lifeson, recalling the summer of 1980, when he and his Rush mates (singer-bassist Geddy Lee and drummer-lyricist Neil Peart) rented a house in Stony Lake, Ontario and wrote their eighth album, Moving Pictures, together. 'We'd spend the weeks working, and on weekends we'd drive back to Toronto. Rehearsing, figuring out arrangements – everything just flowed. Electricity was in the air.'...In 2011, the whole of Moving Pictures is being celebrated by Rush on stage – they've been playing the album in its entirety since last year - and on a just-issued special edition Blu-ray CD+DVD package, which renders its seven wondrous cuts with a level of sound clarity that Lifeson calls 'mind-blowing. Richard Chycki, who remixed the album, knew he was working with a part of history, and he did an amazing job. He didn't change the record, just expanded on it. When I heard what he did for first time, I couldn't believe it. It was impeccable. It was Moving Pictures in a 3-D box!'

Alex Lifeson walks us through Moving Pictures track-by-track. 'It's a very optimistic album,' he says. 'There's a brightness about it, which I think is why people respond to it so much. Playing it live every night is interesting – The Camera Eye, which we hadn't performed in a long time because it's pretty difficult, has now become one of our favorite songs. The bottom line is, we're very proud of Moving Pictures. Thirty years later, it still feels magical.' - Click here for more from MusicRadar.com, May 9, 2011

Rush Influences Alternative Rock Band Trail Of Dead

Texas alternative rock band And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead (aka "Trail Of Dead") are currently on tour supporting their new album, Tao Of The Dead.  In a new interview with the Baltimore Sun, lead singer and founder Conrad Keely discusses the influence of Rush:

"My mom got me into Rush. It's one of those relationships with a band that [I've] been listening to since I was a kid. I respect their longevity. But I also kind of relate to [drummer] Neil Peart, the way he had these literary aspirations with their music. I relate to that in a big way." - Conrad Keely, Trail Of Dead, Baltimore Sun, May 5, 2011

Alex Lifeson Names Pete Townshend The "Greatest Songwriter In Rock"

In the May issue of Classic Rock magazine, Alex Lifeson chose Pete Townshend as his pick for "The 100 Greatest Songwriters" in rock. Lifeson, a die-hard Who fan, explained:

"The Who were always a major influence on everything that Rush ever did, from the very start. While I'd never question the Beatles' right to be regarded as the greatest songwriters in history, nonetheless what Townshend did with the Who made more of a mark on us. What he's generated is an amazing body of work, with songs so diverse yet also connected by the fact that we're dealing with a man who wasn't ever afraid to give us a glimpse into his world, his thought process, (and) the way he dealt with his problems...(He) made me aware that it was OK to for a great musician to prove he wasn't infallible. That's great quality we've never forgotten in Rush...It's so hard to choose just one song to represent what he's all about.  The choice would come down to 'Pictures Of Lily,' 'I Can't Explain,' or 'Run, Run, Run.' They're all so different, yet also have that unmistakable strand of Townshend running through them." - Alex Lifeson, Classic Rock, May 2011 - Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!

Dave Clark & The Woodshed Orchestra's "Geddy Lee"

Former Rheostatics' member Dave Clark and his current band The Woodshed Orchestra have just released their new eponymous album; included on the album is the track "Geddy Lee", an epic song praising him as a Canadian National Treasure (who plays bass in the greatest rock band ever!). You can buy or download the cd here or check out the video here. - Thanks to Dave Clark for the headsup!

"The Woodshed Orchestra is an ecstatic soul-filled communal multi-headed celebration emancipation experience. The Woodshed will take you higher and make you feel the love you need to succeed. Yes it will. The Woodshed will light up your tree, push all the right buttons, stroke your ego till you come to your senses and start to sing and dance with visions of sugar plum love making times dancing in your mind that seem so real to the taste, touch and feel that you'll shout in happiness and cry tears of joy for being alive." - The Woodshed Orchestra

"Rush And Philosophy" Book Now Available

Rush And Philosophy, by long time Rush and philosophy author Durrell Bowman and co-editor Jim Berti is now shipping.  The 288 page paperback book is an anthology of articles and synopses on the topic of Rush and Philosophy.  The book's introduction, "Listen to My Music, and Hear What It Can Do" by Jim Berti and Durrell Bowman, as well as a complete listing of the book's contents is now available on Bowman's website. - Thanks to Mark Stench, RushIsABand and John at Cygnus-X1.net for the headsup!

"Rush and Philosophy is a fascinating look at the music and lyrics of the band, setting out to address thought-provoking questions. For example, elements of philosophical thinking from the likes of Jean Paul-Sartre, Ayn Rand, and Plato can be found in Peart’s lyrics; does this make Peart a disciple of philosophy? In what ways has technology influenced the band through the decades? Can there be too much technology for a power-trio? Can listening to Rush’s music and lyrics lead listeners to think more clearly, responsibly, and happily? Is the band’s music a 'pleasant distraction' from the singing of Geddy Lee? In what ways is Rush Canadian? How can a band that has been referred to as 'right-wing' also criticize big government, religion, and imperialism?

"Rush and Philosophy is written by an assortment of philosophers and scholars with eclectic and diverse backgrounds who love Rush’s music and who 'get' the meaning and importance of it. They discuss Rush with the enthusiasm of fans and the seriousness of college professors. The book will be a must-read for the many fans who have long known that Rush deserves as much respect as the ideas, concepts, and puzzles about human existence they write and compose music about."

Bowman and Berti first announced they were putting together an anthology of articles and synopses on the topic of Rush And Philosophy back in June 2009.

Neil Peart's "News Weather and Sports" - May 2011

Neil Peart has updated his website with his latest edition of "News Weather and Sports". Titled "Eastern Resurrection", he discusses the first leg of the Time Machine Tour, traveling through the eastern United States during the spring time, church signs and billboards, being a "faith-basher", and being long away from home.  He briefly summarizes the mileage covered on the first leg of the tour:

"My April travels with Michael on this sequel to last year's Time Machine tour carried us from Florida up to Quebec—thirteen shows and 3,800 miles of motorcycling between them. The weather varied from warm and blossoming across Tennessee to a polar wasteland in Ontario." - Neil Peart

Minor Website Revision

Today Power Windows has been updated with a Neil Peart theme, featuring the artwork from his second drumming video, Anatomy Of A Drum Solo.  Why this release?  Well it was about time Neil got his time in the sun (both Geddy and Alex's solo albums have been featured).  And besides, while Neil doesn't have any solo albums to feature, the Anatomy artwork is pretty darn cool...

In addition, after 13 years of utilizing my old menu panel which used to reside to the left side of my site, I've replaced it with a modern "mega menu" which not only allows me to reclaim a lot of previously wasted screen real estate, it is also packed with multiple sub menus to help you find related pages (check out the discography "studio albums" sub menu for example).  Be sure to refresh your browser to pull in all the new info the site requires; after the first load, it will load quicker than ever before.  If you like the change, or hate it, please leave feedback!

2112 Master Recordings/Drum Tracks Coming Soon

DrumChannel has a surprise coming for Rush & Drum Fans, according to their email newsletter:

"You Will Not Believe This!  It is true, in the next few weeks we will tell you how to purchase the original master recordings of RUSH-2112 and how you can listen to Neil’s drum track only, the band with Neil or the band only, and record yourself on drums with Geddy and Alex. You have to be a Newsletter subscriber to get access, so tell your friends to join the DC Newsletter. More about this coming soon!" - Thanks to Frank Ray for the headsup!

The Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Roller Coaster includes "The Temples of Syrinx"

This unique roller coaster at Universal Studios Florida features an on-board sound system which allows the rider to choose the song which is played during the ride.  While boarding the vehicle, the rider can choose from 30 main public songs; in addition, there are "bonus songs" which require a special code.  Track number 101 is "The Temples of Syrinx".  To hear this song, the rider must hold their finger down on the ride's logo for 8-10 seconds, then enter the code.  Click here for a video demo and a list of additional bonus tracks. - Thanks to Andrew Weiss for the headsup!

"The World According to...Rush" - Gibson.com

Gibson.com has added a new feature to their website, "The World According to...Rush", a pseudo-Cliff's Notes compilation of Rush interviews from the last few years succinctly edited down to nine statements.

"Collected here are some of the band members' thoughts on why their chemistry remains strong after 43 years." - Gibson.com, April 27, 2011

Rush on "Sanctuary"

Rush was referenced on tonight's episode of the SyFy Channel's Sanctuary (Season 3, Episode 12 - Hangover). Henry is getting access to the Sanctuary server's new passcode after a security breech and the passcode ends up being GEDDYLEE. Dr. Magnus asks "Geddy Lee" to which Henry responds, "aha, it's the lead singer of Rush."  Dr. Magnus then observes, "isn't that Will's favorite band?" which draws them to the conclusion that Will must have reset the passcode. - Thanks to Ed at RushIsABand for the headsup!

Rush on "Archer"

There were a couple of RUSH references during the April 21st season finale of the FX animated series Archer.  Titled "Double Trouble" (season 2, episode 13), the official synopsis is "Krieger works to finish a top-secret project, and Archer brings a mysterious former KGB agent named Katya Kazanova home to meet Malory, unaware that Barry Dillon is heading his way to kill him."

Early on in the episode Dr. Krieger mentions listening to "Red Barchetta" through his "awesome van's" stereo, and mentions to Archer's Russian defector love interest Katya "Please tell me you like Rush". Later, we see the actual van, and it's painted like the Exit...Stage Left album cover, only it says "Exit...Van Left".  Click here to watch the episode. - Thanks to Timmy Samuel for the headsup!

"Machine Head" - Rush Fans

Metal Band Machine Head are in the process of recording the followup to 2007's The Blackening. The band has posted "The Making Of The New Album" video to Youtube, in which they show off their "Jam Room", which includes 2112 among a collection of posters of "all of our favorite bands, the bands that meant something, and helped create what we became". In addition, at the 4:00 minute mark, drummer Dave McClain is wearing a Permanent Waves t-shirt. - Thanks to Frank Ray for the headsup!

Rush Mention on "United States Of Tara"

Last week's episode of Showtime's United States Of Tara included a small Rush reference.  During "The Full F@ck You Finger" (aired April 11th), as Marshall is helping his dad Max clean his hoarder grandmother's house, he comes across a second place trophy for Max's band "Beaver Lamp" from a battle of the bands competition.  Max explains how bad they were with "we lost to a Rush cover band, that ought to tell you everything you need to know about Beaver Lamp."  Ouch! - Thanks to Hank at RushableKingdom for the headsup!

"To his own drum: Rush’s Neil Peart explores the world’s back roads in Far and Away"

The National Post has added a new interview with Neil Peart regarding his new book, Far and Away: A Prize Every Time:

It's a wet, white blizzard in downtown Toronto and the waterfront is as deserted as it's ever been. But just around the corner sits arguably the most skilled drummer in the history of rock (at one point, at least).  Rush's Neil Peart sits casually in front of an elaborate copper-plated drum kit, respectfully examining each drum head. "Everything's been custom-made," he says, tracing his fingers over African drums, Indian drums, valves and electronic pads. "I was a part of the whole concept process. … I went over 200 different samples [before] choosing these ones for my solo."

Peart looks older than most Fly by Night fans would remember, but he's aged well, built as solid as his drums, with a baritone voice to match. As the prolific drummer of Rush, one of the most successful rock bands to come out of Canada, Peart could easily just coast on his musical legacy. But rock is only one of his passions. In May, after the release of Far and Away: A Prize Every Time, Peart will have authored five books.

BU2B 7" Vinyl Record Store Day Exclusive

April 16th was International Record Store Day.  One of the items sold was a limited edition (only 3,000 were pressed) 7" vinyl single.  I personally was unable to track one down at the four stores I checked with, and one of the stores stated they had only received two copies.  Not surprisingly, copies of this single have already appeared on ebay.

"BU2B/Caravan will be released as a limited edition 7" vinyl for Record Store Day in the US & Canada. Limited to only 3,000 copies, the 7" will be on colour vinyl - with either red or white along with a lyric insert." - Rush.com , March 11, 2011

Donna Halper Reminisces About Discovering Rush

In preparation of Rush's filming of their next concert video in Cleveland, Donna Halper reminisces about her role in "discovering" Rush.

After Donna Halper gave 'Working Man' a spin on WMMS, Rush's career took off: "'As soon as I dropped the needle on 'Working Man,' I knew this was a perfect record for Cleveland,' she said. 'It was a working-class town...I remember a city where Republic Steel would literally light the sky on fire at night with pollution.' Phones at the radio station were lighting up, too, with requests for Rush. The buzz soon led to a record deal for the band, which singled out Halper for special thanks in the liner notes of its self-titled debut album...Halper, 64, left Cleveland in 1975 to become director of artists and repertoire at Mercury Records in New York City.  She hasn't returned here since then - until now. With a special invitation from Rush, Halper is planning to catch tonight's show at The Q." - Cleveland.com, April 15, 2011

The Girl Who Loved Rush: Donna Halper: "On the occasion of the band's show at The Q—which will be filmed for later DVD release—The Cleveland Sound chatted with a longtime Rush confidante who has North Coast connections that go way back...'Moon Records, yes. Oh, God—the ugliest cover [laughs]. Oye, oye. It was red. I still have the thing—I never parted with it. People ask me all the time, 'Would you sell it?' I'm like, no! Absolutely not. If you look online there's a few pictures of me holding that cover. If you friend me on Facebook you can see it. You'll see me with a couple other fans, and I'm holding the original Rush cover. So yeah, it came in your basic plain brown envelope from a friend of mine—Bob Roper. The bottom line is, I was never expecting to receive it. I didn't know who the band was. And Roper—who I'm still in touch with now and then—was the record promoter of A&M in Canada. That's the label that was co-owned by Herb Alpert, who has had many hits for many years. And they passed on it. But Roper heard something and thought it was a good record, and I had a reputation for both playing new artists as music director, and also for playing Canadian artists. I'd played a number of Canadian artists over the years; I could give you names but I don't know if they'd mean anything to your audience. But he figured I'd be receptive to hearing another Canadian band. It wasn't just out of the blue he sent this record. He figured I would be a good person to send it to. Not like, wow, I'm so marvelous, but I'd already made a lot of friends with people in the Canadian music history. So I got it, and I listened, and I was like, 'My God—you're right!' And the rest, as they say, is history." - TheClevelandSound.com, April 6, 2011 

The Rush Fan Film Project Interviews Donna Halper: "Late in 2010, Donna took some time from writing her most recent book on the history of Boston radio (which has since been released) as well as her dissertation and graciously invited us to her home outside of Boston to discuss that little Canadian band. She’s an amazing storyteller and I would highly recommend going to see her speak if she’s ever in your town. We trimmed our discussion down to under 20 minutes, though it easily could have been over an hour." - RushFanFilm.com, April 6, 2011

Rush: A Brief History of Time Part 7

Cygnus-X1.net has added another installment of Rush: A Brief History of Time. In this edition, John has added 35 new articles and advertisements from years past, including seven entries from the 1970's and twenty-one entries from the 1980's which are primarily focused around the release of Permanent Waves. A single entry from the 1990's along with four from the 2000's and two from the current decade round out this edition. - Thanks to John at Cygnus-X1.net for the headsup!

Neil Peart Talks About Moving Pictures With Jim Ladd

KLOS DJ Jim Ladd interviewed Neil Peart for two hours on March 15th to discuss the 30th anniversary reissue of Moving Pictures. The interview aired on KLOS Thursday, April 7th, at 10:00 p.m. PST, and is now available online. - Thanks to Steve Taylor for the headsup!

30 Years Ago Today: "Countdown"

Thirty years ago today, RUSH were eyewitnesses to the historic first launch of Space Shuttle Columbia from Red Sector A, and later captured the event in the song 'Countdown', which is 'Dedicated with thanks to astronauts Young & Crippen and all the people of NASA for their inspiration and cooperation'.

"We were there! It wasn't easy, but we made it! We had a long-standing invitation to the first launch, and always swore that we would be there no matter what. Little did we know!

"On April 9th we flew into Orlando on a day off, checked into a hotel, and slept until about four A.M., when we had to leave for our rendezvous at the Air Force Base near the Cape.