Alex Lifeson Talks To "Metal Express Radio"

Metal Express Radio, has posted a great new interview with Alex Lifeson where he talks about Clockwork Angels, the R30 tour setlist, the Sectors boxed sets, the Vapor Trails remix, and more.

Of "Caravan" and "BU2B", Alex confirms:

"We just re-mixed them.  We wanted them to have the same character mix wise as the rest of the record.  Now they are much more attached to the whole album rather than being standalone tracks."

He also talks about the guitar solos on the title track and "The Garden":

"the solo in “Clockwork Angels” and also the solo in “The Garden” which are two of my favourite solos that I`ve ever done, were throwaway solos. After we`d written those songs and worked on the arrangements, Geddy went away for a few days, so I continued working and filling things in a little bit and I threw down a couple of solos in just a few takes and that was it."

And regarding the Classic Rock Fan Pack, he confirms it is to help sell physical product versus downloading:

"Yeah, and the great thing about it is that it gives you something to look at when you`re listening to the record.   It`s like back in those days where you`d have a beautiful album jacket in your hands.  That whole tactile experience has gone from music and at least with the Fan Pack it gives you a little bit of an opportunity to have that again."

Click here for the full interview. - Thanks to Ed at RushIsABand for the headsup!

Rush "Classic Rock" Cover Boys for July 2012

Rush is featured on the cover of the July issue of Classic Rock magazine.  The cover reads "Steampunks, Musical Scientists, Goofballs - The Rise and Rise of the World's Biggest Cult Band".  The issue has a seven page feature on the band including an interview given during the mixing of the album, as well as an album review giving it 9/10. - Thanks to RushIsABand for the headsup!

Neil Peart's "Clockwork Angels" Tour Book Essay Now Available Here

Neil Peart's tour book essay "The Future as Seen From the Past (Or: "Yesterday's Tomorrowland")" is now available for your reading pleasure. (Note, while the tour book itself is not yet available, the transcript is available on http://www.roadrunnerrecords.co.uk/artist/Rush under the "Biography" tab).

Neil tells all about the making of the album and discusses the album's influences:

"The plot draws from Voltaire's Candide, with nods to John Barth's The Sot-Weed Factor, Michael Ondaatje and Joseph Conrad for 'The Anarchist,' Robertson Davies and Herbert Gold for 'Carnies,' Daphne du Maurier for 'The Wreckers,' Cormac McCarthy and early Spanish explorers in the American Southwest for 'Seven Cities of Gold.'

"Diane Ackerman's use of a few alchemical symbols as chapter heads in An Alchemy of Mind. ...you can find brimstone at one o'clock for the faith-bashing "BU2B," gold at six o'clock for "Seven Cities of Gold," earth at eleven o'clock for "The Garden," and so on. (The "U" in Rush stands for "amalgamation.")"

Thanks Stew for the headsup!

Rush.com Newsletter "Toronto Show #2 on sale Friday May 18th!"

Rush.com has just sent the following:

Toronto Second Show Ticket Details:
Tour Package - Friday May 18th @ noon local time with password "headlong" for first 24 hrs
http://vipnation.com/programs/rush
Fan Club – Friday May 18th @ noon local time until Sunday May 20th @ 5pm local time
http://rush.musictoday.com
AMEX Pre-Sale for card holders - Saturday, May 19, 2012 @ 10am - Wednesday, May 23, 2012 @ 5pm
Public on-Sale – Thursday, May 24, 2012 @ 10am

RUSHCON:
Thanks to the folks over at RUSHCON who run the 'By-the-fans, for-the-fans' event where fans have an opportunity to raise money for an important charity whilst having an amazing time learning more about the band, getting to know each other and connecting with other fans from around the world. Over the past 11 years- we hear how much those that attend enjoy it! As this second Toronto show goes on sale for October 16th, please note that RUSHCON will be held in Toronto on October 12-14th. For more details please go to http://www.rushcon.org/

Scan Your Ticket Stubs And Other Memorabilia - Rush Tour Archive

As another Rush tour is about to begin, I ask that you please take the time to scan your ticket for the Rush Tour Archive. I have been maintaining this archive for many years now (since the demise of the National Midnight Star), and have a stub or advertisement for every show of the last ten years.

If you can please take a moment to scan your ticket and email it to me, or if you do not have a scanner, take a quality photograph, please do.

In addition, if you have any ticket stubs or advertisements, handbills, photographs of marquees, etc, from previous tours, perhaps you can fill in the gaps? Who knows, you might have a stub for a show that has been forgotten in the depths of time.

My ultimate goal is to be able to provide a complete archive of the touring history of Rush for everyone to see.

"Classic Albums Moving Pictures/2112" Now On Netflix

"Classic Albums Moving Pictures/2112", originally released in 2010 on DVD and BluRay, is now available for instant viewing on Netflix here.

- Thanks to Aaron Scifres for the headsup!

MIDIpedals.com Interview With Jack Secret

There is a new audio interview with Jack Secret at MIDIpedals.com:

"MIDIpedals.com interview with longtime Rush keyboard tech, Tony Geranios (aka Jack Secret) from March 2012. He talks about the early days with Rush, connecting the non-MIDI Taurus Pedals to Geddy’s Oberheim synths, and about the redundant MIDI and sampling setup when they are touring. Tony has also worked with Blue Oyster Cult and Bob Seeger in the past as well. Part 2 is coming soon, which will include info on what role he has played in setting up the gear when Rush is in the studio, as well as tour rehearsals."  Click here for the interview, March 10, 2012

Update (April 25): MIDIPedals.com has posted an update:

"A couple of weeks after posting Part 1, Tony called me and hoped to finish up the interview. When he called I was not prepared to record the call, and let him know I would need to call him back. I am assuming Rush has started tour rehearsals, so he has been busy and we haven’t been able to do Part 2 because we haven’t been able to schedule a second interview. Here are a few questions I emailed to him and his answers. I call it Part 1.5 in hopes we can do Part 2 soon."  Click here for the interview, April 25, 2012

Update (May 16): MIDIPedals.com has posted Part 2 of the video interview, you can hear it here.

- Thanks to Ed at RushIsABand.com and John at Cygnus-X1.net for the headsup!

Rush.com newsletter: "Germany Fan Pre-Sales, VIP Packages and General Ticket Onsale Information"

Rush.com has just sent the following:

June 4th 2013 – Cologne, Germany @ The Lanxess Arena (Einlass: 19 Uhr,Beginn: 20 Uhr)
June 6th 2013 – Berlin, Germany @ O2 World Arena (Einlass: 19 Uhr, Beginn: 20Uhr)
The Exclusive fan pre-sale for RUSH tickets in Germany will begin Tuesday, May 15th at 9:00 AM (local time) on Ticketmaster. Public On-sales will begin on Saturday May 19th at 9 AM (local time). Ticketmaster: www.ticketmaster.de
(Hotline: 01805.969 000 555, Verbindungspreise: 0,14 €/Min. aus dem deutschen Festnetz, max. 0,42 €/Min. aus dem deutschen Mobilfunknetz) VIP packages will also be available to purchase, RUSH VIP Clockwork Angels Tour Package Includes:

• One reserved ticket located within the first 15 rows of the stage
• Exclusive Rush Tour Gift Item
• Official Tour Program
• Set of Official Guitar Picks
• Commemorative Concert Ticket
• Commemorative Tour Laminate

UK Fan Pre-Sales, VIP Packages and Regular Onsale Information
May 22nd 2013 – Manchester, England @ The MEN Arena
May 24th 2013 – London, England @ The O2 Arena
May 26th 2013 – Birmingham, England @ The LG Arena
May 28th 2013 – Sheffield, England @ Motorpoint Arena
May 30th 2013 – Glasgow, England @ SECC
Fan Club and Website pre-sales begin on Wednesday May 16th at 9 am local time
Planet Rock, Live Nation pre-sales begin on Thursday May 17th
Public On-sale will be Friday May 18th at 9am local time and will be available from www.ticketmaster.co.uk, www.livenation.co.ukor www.ticketline.co.uk
The link to purchase UK fan club pre-sale tickets is: http://www.ticketline.co.uk/rush?presale=ilapzxf VIP packages will also be available for purchase at: http://www.livenation.co.uk/vip/artist/rush-tickets RUSH VIP Clockwork Angels Tour Package Includes:

• One reserved ticket located within the first 15 rows of the stage
• Exclusive Rush Tour Gift Item
• Official Tour Program
• Set of Official Guitar Picks
• Commemorative Concert Ticket
• Commemorative Tour Laminate

More European dates to be announced shortly.
Due to demand, a second show has been added in Toronto!
Oct 16, 2012 Toronto, Canada @ Air Canada Centre
Ticket pre-sales will begin next week. Details to come!

Geddy Lee UK Radio Interviews

Geddy Lee was in the UK last week to promote Clockwork Angels; here are three radio interviews now online:

• Planet Rock aired an exclusive interview with Geddy Lee during Darren Redick’s show, Thursday 10th May 2012 from 2pm (UK time).
• Geddy Lee appeared on BBC's "After Midnight With Steven Rainy" Friday night.  UK residents can listen here; everywhere else, click here, and skip to the 23:15 mark.
• For Geddy Lee's appearance on UK's Real Radio XS on May 10, click here.

Clockwork Angels Tour - UK Tour Dates Announced

Rush.com has added the first of the UK tour dates for 2013, with the proviso "more dates to be announced":

May 22, MEN Arena, Manchester
May 24, O2 Arena, London
May 26, LG Arena, Birmingham
May 28, Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield
May 30. SECC, Glasgow

Tickets will go on sale at 9am this Friday, May 18th. Stay tuned for purchase links.

"A Different Kind of Progressive" at National Review online

Be sure to check out "A Different Kind of Progressive" at National Review online.  Author Bradley J. Birzer goes into detail on the "progressive rock" genre, and at one point describes the impact of the lyrics of Neil Peart:

"It’s hard to imagine that my generation has not been significantly influenced by the libertarian lyrics of Neil Peart of Rush. I write this with absolute certainty regarding myself, and with only a little trepidation do I speak for many when making this huge claim. “From a better, vanished time . . . ” Peart understood.  As I watched Rush play “Tom Sawyer” on The Colbert Report a few years ago, none of the song’s power or intensity seemed diminished to me. In ridiculous public-school detention in 1981, as a lonely and confused 13-year-old, I could relate to Peart’s “his mind is not for rent to any god or government.” While I’ve certainly and happily rented my mind (for what it’s worth) to JPII and B16, I’ve never given a moment — even in charity — to the government. A year later, when Peart wrote, “Some will sell their dreams for small desires,” I assured myself I would fight for integrity and human dignity. Do I give the NRO reader the mind of a 14-year-old raised in a dysfunctional family in otherwise idyllic Kansas? Yes, I do."

He also gives an interesting view of why prog bands have been virtually ignored by the mainstream North American press, and by relation, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:

"...progressive rock generally is very European in its structure and in the atmosphere it creates. Because progressive rock has always tended to sidestep or ignore blues-based rock, mainstream periodicals such as Rolling Stone and journals of opinion such as the New York Times have assumed progressive rock is a betrayal of progressive culture rather than an embracing or enhancing of it.  After a very short flirtation with prog, music critics rejected the genre as pretentious and over-the-top."

- Thanks to Tim Weiss for the headsup!

Jason Plumb Discusses Alex Lifeson's Guest Appearance on "All Is More Than Both"

UPDATE (May 9): In a new interview Jason Plumb tells how Alex Lifeson came to play on his album:

"The Alex Lifeson thing, that happened by absolute fluke," he says of the Rush guitarist's work on the track Losin'.  "We started going through the songs and wondering which iconic Canadian guitarist could make an appearance on the record. . . . I thought, 'Well, Alex Lifeson, that would be really amazing. If we could get (him) that would be a real coup.' And he actually just happened to walk into the control room some days later." - Calgary Herald, May 9, 2012

The new album by Jason Plumb and the Willing, All Is More Than Both, is now available.  The album contains the song "Losin'" featuring Alex Lifeson which you hear here.

Released March 27th, guest performers include Alex Lifeson, Ed Robertson, Chic Gamine, Serena Ryder, Steven Page, The Broken Heartstrings and more.  Back in September, producer Michael Phillip Wojewoda posted this live video of Alex Lifeson in the studio recording the guitar solo for "Losin'".

"An inspired take by Alex Lifeson at Revolution Recordings.  We just got the sounds up and this was his first pass.  We did many more but this early one was filmed.  A guest guitar solo for Jason Plumb’s upcoming album." - Michael Phillip Wojewoda, mpwmusic.com

Another video on Wojewoda's YouTube channel has the caption "guest guitar overdub on Jason Plumb's record".

Sonic Reality Releases Neil Peart Drums Vol. 2 The Grooves plus a FREE exclusive sample pack download on eSoundz.com/neilpeartdrums

May 8th, 2012, Sunrise, Florida – Legendary drummer of Rush Neil Peart and Grammy-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz have teamed up with music software developer Sonic Reality to create the new “Neil Peart Drums Vol. 2 The Grooves” sound collection. Over 600 grooves performed by Peart are now available in a variety of loop formats such as Rex, Apple Loops, Acidized Wave, R.A.W., Stylus RMX and more to come. Musicians can use these drum grooves to write their own music, practice, jam or play Rush covers inside their computer recording software or iPads and mobile devices.

“When we did the Neil Peart Drums Vol. 1 Series we wanted to present a digital recreation of Neil’s amazing DW kit so it could be played from any midi controller such as a keyboard or an electronic drum kit” says Sonic Reality CEO Dave Kerzner “But for Vol. 2 we now also have the isolated drum tracks of Rush songs performed by Neil and cut up into 1-2 bar patterns that can be re-arranged and used in new music made by any musician or songwriter.”

Offering the first “virtual reality drum session” with one of the top rock drummers in the world, Neil Peart Drums Vol. 2 The Grooves gives musicians an opportunity that’s not only a dream come true for Rush fans but anyone looking for album quality rock drum loops for their music.

THE NEIL PEART DRUMS FREE SAMPLE PACK For a limited time Sonic Reality and eSoundz.com are offering an additional FREE set of 72 loops taken from the Rush song “YYZ” in their R.A.W. series Rex, Apple Loops and Wave formats from http://www.esoundz.com/neilpeartdrums

These exclusive drum loops are currently not available in any Neil Peart Drums products or anywhere else. You can hear these loops in action here:

YYZ: A cover of the Rush instrumental “YYZ” done by Sonic Elements featuring Billy Sherwood of Yes, Dave Kerzner of Sonic Reality and Neil Peart Drums: http://soundcloud.com/sonicelements/yyz

TRIFECTA: Here’s an example of the same grooves of YYZ used in a different musical context which is an original song called “Trifecta” by Sonic Elements also featuring Billy Sherwood of Yes, Dave Kerzner of Sonic Reality and Neil Peart Drums: http://soundcloud.com/sonicelements/trifecta-pt-1-wip

For more info on Neil Peart Drums and a download of the Free Sample Pack go to: http://www.esoundz.com/neilpeartdrums

For more info on Sonic Reality: http://www.sonicreality.com/

To Follow the Sonic Elements Progressive Rock Project by Sonic Reality Visit:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sonicelements
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/sonicelementschannel

- Thanks to Dave Kerzner for the headsup!

Producer Nick Raskulinecz talks Rush's Clockwork Angels

MusicRadar.com has posted a new interview with Rush producer Nick Raskulinecz where he discusses the making of Clockwork Angels.

"There a certain responsibility you have no matter what record you're producing," he says. "You want to help the band make the best record they possibly can, and with Rush, that can be a very tall order. Rush fans hold the band very dear to their hearts. You want to honor that, but you also want to push the band forward and allow them to be the best they can be right now." He pauses slightly, then adds with a laugh, "Of course, that stops when we're done for the night. That's when I sit down with the guys and go, 'All right, let's talk about 1977!'

"Two weeks or so into it, as Geddy and Alex were writing more music, we all kind of looked at one another and said, 'Hey, this is really turning into something. It's tying together.' Then one day, Neil walked in the room and said, 'It's done. I finished it.' For the next 20 minutes, Neil talked about this vision he had for the concept of the record, and it was one of those moments I'll never forget. Listening to him, watching him speak – it was amazing! I wish we were filming him so we could put it on YouTube. And right there, the whole record just clicked. Once Geddy and Al heard where Neil was going, they churned out some amazing music. I think Headlong Flight came the next day."

Click here for more.

Rush featured in Governor General's Performing Arts Awards short film "Inner Rush" - Now Available

Starting Saturday, May 5, at 10:30 p.m. ET, Canadians everywhere can watch the National Film Board of Canada’s online film tributes to rock legends Rush, filmmaker Deepa Mehta, comedienne Mary Walsh and more, as the NFB honours the 2012 laureates of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards at the NFB.ca Screening Room and via the NFB’s apps for smartphones, tablets and connected TV.

For the fifth consecutive year, the NFB has brought together acclaimed Canadian filmmakers and NFB producers to craft a series of short signature works honouring the recipients of Canada’s most prestigious performing arts awards, presented at the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on May 5, 2012. Included in this year's tributes is the film "Inner Rush":

Inner Rush celebrates the career of legendary rock trio Rush and members Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart. Recipients of the Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award, Rush have had the most consecutive gold or platinum studio albums in rock history after the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Inner Rush is directed by Toronto-based filmmaker and cinematographer Chris Romeike and produced by Gerry Flahive.

Rush Visit Canada's House of Commons

UPDATE (May 4):

"Rush member Alex Lifeson said he was thrilled at his reception on Parliament Hill on Thursday.
“It’s really quite an honour. We’ve been a band for a very long time and musicians since we were 15 years old and to come all the way here after so many years is really exceptional for us and we’re very, very proud of it,” he told CBC News.

"South Park’s Matt Stone will pay tribute to Rush’s Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart and Geddy Lee at a gala at the National Arts Centre on Saturday. Stone is a friend of Rush member Neil Peart and appears in a documentary about the power trio – Rush Beyond the Lighted Stage." - CBC.ca, May 4, 2012

In advance of tomorrow's Governor's Award presentation, all three members of Rush dropped by Canada's House of Commons today for a little bit of hand shaking:

OTTAWA - Lots of visitors stop by the public galleries of the House of Commons to watch question period, but few are closer to the heart of politicians than a visiting rock star.

The prog-rock puns were flying faster than Neil Peart's drumsticks as MPs and ministers paid tribute to the members of Rush and other Canadian artists in the Commons.

"Mr. Speaker, there they go, another rush to excuses when they get caught," NDP MP Charlie Angus said as he posed a question to the government on the government's use of limousines.

The iconic Canadian band are in Ottawa along with seven other recipients of the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards, the country's highest artistic honour.

Rush Feature In "Classic Rock Presents PROG" April Issue - Includes More Clockwork Angels Details

The April 2012 issue of Classic Rock Presents PROG is now available, and includes the two page story "Angels Are Go!".  The article shares for the first time additional Clockwork Angels track details, including the following from Neil Peart and Alex Lifeson:

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson originally worked on the music together in a basement studio, sometimes with Lifeson giving Peart two demos of a tune - one with a drum machine illustrating rhythmic ideas, the other a click-track. "Alex had put together one collection of ideas that turned out to be most of the song Clockwork Angels,' says Peart. "As soon as I heard its rhythmic feel, which was so different for us, my response was 'I want to play that!'"

Carnies and Headlong Flight were of 'furious jams', and there was an 'immediate spark of connection' with Seven Cities Of Gold, Alex Lifeson says, "We talked about having a raucous beginning that related to the middle 'solo' section, and as the song evolved it took on the appropriate character; entering the city with all the wild, dangerous sensory experience it offers." Peart asserts that Lifeson's solo on The Garden was, "A few takes recorded casually and assembled into an improvised performance that remains his personal favourite." Audiences throughout the Time Machine tour will have already heard the opening tracks, first single Caravan and its B-side BU2B, which were written early in the process. The Wreckers was the result of Lee and Lifeson swapping instruments during writing sessions but, "Once we switched into recording mode," says Peart, "it was back to the same old us."

Click here for the full transcript.  Thanks Reed Lover for the original article!

"Clockwork Angels: The Novel" Author Kevin J. Anderson: "My Record Collection"

Author Kevin J. Anderson, who is writing Clockwork Angels: The Novel (now available for preorder here), recently shared his comments on his record collection including his favorite band, Rush:

"When I wrote my first novel it was inspired by the Rush album Grace Under Pressure. I remember signing a few copies and sending them to the offices of their label Mercury Records. A few months later I got a letter from Neil Peart and we've been corresponding and good friends ever since. I dedicated the novel The Edge Of The World, which we based the Roswell Six record on, to Neil and we've written short stories together and he wrote the foreword to my short story collection [Landscapes].  I guess Rush are probably my favourite band. Over the decades they have consistently sought to improve and their work is amazing. Their new record, Snakes And Arrows, is just jaw-dropping" - for more visit ProgRockMag.com, April 5, 2012 - Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!

For more on Kevin J. Anderson, visit his entry on this website's "Rush Inspired Literature, Film, And Pop Culture References" page here. You might also be interested in Neil's introduction to Landscapes, Anderson's short story collection. Lastly, check out Anderson's blog post from 2010 telling of his spending time with Neil during Rush's visit to Colorado on the Time Machine Tour. - Thanks to Ed at RushIsABand for the headsup!

Lo-Fi Resistance - "Chalk Lines"

Prog fans, here's another upcoming release you will want to check out.  Dave Kerzner, the man behind SonicReality, and Sonic Elements XYZ: A Tribute To Rush Featuring Neil Peart Drums, is also an accomplished keyboardist who recently appeared on Steven Wilson's Grace For Drowning.

Coming this fall, Kerzner will be appearing on Randy McStine's next Lo-Fi Resistance album Chalk Lines along with Porcupine Tree's Gavin Harrison (all tracks) and Colin Edwin (sharing tracks with John Giblin).  The band may also go out on a mini-tour with additional guitars by John Wesley (three-fourths of Porcupine Tree as a touring band - not bad!). 

The album releases this fall, but a the single version of the title track was released today, May 1st.  Check out a sample of the Chalk Lines single here; to purchase the single, click here.

Clockwork Angels Tour Announcement

The Clockwork Angels tourdates have been announced at Rush.com.  The complete Clockwork Angels tourdates can be found in my Tour Archive here  (click tourdates under Clockwork Angels). Click here for the tour trailer from Artisan News Service, "Rush Headlong Flight Into 2012 Tour, Talks Music Biz Advice."

Rush has issued this press release, which includes details on special pre-sales for Citi cardmembers through Citi's Private Pass Program beginning April 23rd in select markets.  In addition, there are now purchase links listed at LiveNation, Ticketmaster and MusicToday.  The press release also announces there will be a special VIP Tour package available at vipnation.com which includes:

• One reserved ticket located within the first 15 rows of the stage
• Exclusive Rush tour shirt
• Collectible tour poster (numbered, limited)
• Official tour program
• Specially designed tote bag
• Set of official guitar picks
• Commemorative concert ticket
• Commemorative tour laminate

Related News

• Clockwork Angels tourdates
• Rush Announces Clockwork Angels Tour - PRNewswire.com, April 19, 2012
• Rush Headlong Flight Into 2012 Tour, Talks Music Biz Advice - Artisan News Service, April 22, 2012