Alex Lifeson talks Rush's Clockwork Angels track-by-track with Musicradar.com

Alex Lifeson walks us through Clockwork Angels track-by-track in a new interview with MusicRadar.com.

“We wanted something that was bold and stripped down. The goal was to make it real in your face and very much the sound of a three piece – a hard rock record in the classic sense. I’m happy to say that it really did come out the way we anticipated and hoped for.”

“It is a concept record...I think the songs stand on their own, though. I can listen to them independently of the story, but when I hear everything from front to back, it really makes sense to me. So it works on lot of levels.”

“I tried to pull myself back from yielding to the temptation of layering so many guitars and things that are kind of inconsequential. It’s really about the basic rockiness of the songs, so it was a lot of double-tracking and beefing things up. No six tracks of guitars, no rhythm guitar and solos – simple little changes that made the sound more impactful.”

Click here for more.

Clockwork Angels Vinyl Album Preorder Available

The Clockwork Angels 2LP vinyl edition is now available for preorder.  The vinyl edition will feature a unique album cover, and is also scheduled for release June 12th.

Rush.com: Finland pre-sale, Sweden Rock Festival, and more

HELSINKI, FINLAND – PRE-SALE STARTS THURSDAY MAY 24 @ NOON local time!
JUNE 10 – FINLAND, Helsinki @ Hartwall Arena

VIP Tour Package
Visit: http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=finland&query=detail&event=511111&interface=lne
Fan Pre-Sale
http://www.lippu.fi/tickets.html?fun=erdetail&affiliate=nfi&doc=erdetaila&erid=779381

JUNE 2nd 2013 – HOLLAND, Amsterdam @ Ziggodome
General on-sale starts July 2nd and fan pre-sale will start July 1. Links will be sent out closer to the date.

JUNE 8th 2013 – SWEDEN, Solvesborg @ Sweden Rock Festival
Rush made big news this week when they announced they would play their first European festival gig since '77! General On-Sale: September 25

Great seats are still available through our TOUR PACKAGE for some of the UK and GERMAN dates:
UK Tour Packages:
http://www.livenation.co.uk/vip/artist/rush-tickets
German Tour Packages:
Köln: www.ticketmaster.de/event/36167/?camefrom=de_va_01579
Berlin: http://www.ticketmaster.de/event/36147/?camefrom=de_va_01213

Rush Featured in PROG #26 On Newsstands Today

There are two Rush features in the new PROG magazine, issue #26 featuring Squackett on the cover, hitting newsstands today.

Besides the extensive five page feature interview with Geddy Lee, "Angels Upstairs", the issue also includes a very rare interview with Rush's long time graphic artist Hugh Syme in the "Art For Arts Sake" column.

Along with a detailed discussion of Clockwork Angels, Geddy has this to say regarding the Vapor Trails remix.

"[remixing Vapor Trails and including it in a deluxe edition of Clockwork Angels] was an idea but it's now been shifted down. Rather than remix the entire album we might now take a bunch of different songs from albums and get different people to remix them for fun, rather than just do Vapor Trails. It's an idea in flux."

- Thanks to Tony Riviere for the headsup!

Geddy Lee's Ludicrous Machines: Rush Frontman Talks New Album, Tour - Spin.com

Spin.com has posted an new interview with Geddy Lee.  In "Geddy Lee's Ludicrous Machines: Rush Frontman Talks New Album, Tour", Geddy talks about this being the first album length concept, and the difference between this album and previous concept pieces:

"I wanted the songs to be a collection that could stand on their own, outside of context of the whole story. When you look at a collection of songs like those on the Who's Tommy, you could pull "I'm Free" out of that and it still stands on its own. But in connection to the story, it takes on another interpretation. So there was a lot of discussion about that. I think at one point, Neil was a little frustrated with my determination to keep the story-line minimal in a sense...The three times we attempted side-long concept pieces in the past, the music was really like one song broken up into many parts. The thread connecting the music on Clockwork Angels is the story-line. That's the key difference."

and the lack of overdubs on this record:

"this time we wanted to restrict the way we used overdubs. We wanted it to be very much a three-piece record."

and in regards to the upcoming tour:

we're gonna expand upon the whole steampunk element that we brought on the "Time Machine Tour." We're gonna have fun with that whole kinda machinery and we're designing rear-screen things and have a fun little movies. Hopefully it can all tie together in some ludicrous way."

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.