“Hugh Syme is a very clever and able designer,” says Lifeson. “He works very closely with Neil on all of the artwork. He has done some really dramatic artwork for this record. It made me smile; I got it.”
“The drum pattern on that song is one that I put together and Neil connected with it. I think I come from a different place than Neil does and sometimes he will find what I do as an interesting approach that he would have never thought of himself. It gave him a launching point.”
"Our intention is to take strings out on the road," guitarist Alex Lifeson tells Billboard.com. Orchestrations, arranged by David Campbell, feature on several of "Clockwork Angels' " tracks, and Lifeson says Rush will employ a small string ensemble, likely eight to 10 pieces, to recreate those pieces and to be added to some of Rush's older material. "It's just something different for us, and I can't wait to hear what it sounds like."- Thanks to Ed at RushIsABand for the headsup!
Lifeson says Campbell will be writing arrangements for the tour, which kicks off Sept. 7 in Manchester, N.H., and will likely appear at some of the shows as well. "Certainly in the beginning he'll be out for a bit," the guitarist says. "I think his intention is to use these musicians he's been working with for a long time, who he trusts, and once they're settled in he doesn't have to be around all the time and he can come out whenever he feels like it."
Lifeson says the production is "still in a planning stage" but promises that "it's a while new show. It's new staging, new lighting, everything is new and fresh about it. I would say that it's an evolutionary extension of what the (2010-11) Time Machine Tour was, but we are definitely freshening it up and bringing and there'll be a lot of new video stuff going on." And, of course, Lifeson and his mates expect to dedicate a considerable amount of stage time to "Clockwork Angels," a concept album that will be followed by a novel co-written by drummer/lyricist Neil Peart and Kevin J. Anderson.
"The set list is quite fluid these days," Lifeson reports. "We're dropping and replacing songs constantly, and that's the way it always goes before we get into rehearsals. There's a great deal of pressure on us now to do the whole record, which we don't anticipate. I think our intention is probably to prepare the whole thing; whether we'll do it or not we're still not sure, especially on the first leg of the tour. There's still a lot of older stuff we want to do, and we've got some great songs lined up from the past. We'd be loathe to drop them to add more of 'Clockwork Angels,' at least on the first leg. It's always nice to switch up on the second leg and make it a little different."
"Paula Turnbull became a noted model in Europe - enough that when I brought her back, she was appalled to know that I didn't have a trailer for her." - Hugh Syme, Chemistry- Thanks to Tony Riviere for the headsup!
"The Best Music in the World like you've never tasted it before".
"Nearly four decades after forming in Toronto, pioneering prog-rock band Rush soldiers on, continuing to engage fans around the globe with powerful albums and virtuoso musicianship.
"The trio's 20th studio album, the steam-punk inspired concept album Clockwork Angels, debuts Tuesday and a world tour begins in July.
"Bassist-singer Geddy Lee sat down with Peter Mansbridge on The National and discussed the band's enduring appeal.
"'What does Rush mean to me? To me it's this little group of experimenters. We're this group of guys who want to see what we can do. It's the simplest way I can put it,' Lee told CBC News.
"As other groups that started out in the same era began breaking up, Lee said he and his bandmates — guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer Neil Peart — became intrigued with the idea of staying together.
"'We wanted to see what the fruits of a long-term relationship can do. Here's a band 38 years on and we are pushing it, to see where we can go as a band.'" - CBCNews.ca, June 11, 2012
“Part of my responsibility as a producer – the biggest part of my job, really – is to be there for the artist and to help them see their vision through. This album was Rush’s vision. It wasn’t mine. I was there to make sure it was played as brilliantly as they could play it, sung as high as Geddy Lee could sing it, and have the guitar solos bring me to tears. I feel like we achieved all of those elements. There’s so much emotion that we captured, just total from-the-gut expression. Three dudes making music – that’s Rush!” - Nick Raskulinecz, MusicRadar.com, June 11, 2011
"It’s a youthful game and you can let yourself get old with it but one of the secret rewards of being in a band or being a musician or that you’re kind of allowed to side-step the rules of your adulthood. Rock is such a teen-connected thing. We think in terms if you’re going to rock you better have some youthful energy there or it ain’t rock no more."- Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!
"He shot us on the Monday and I guessed he passed away on Wednesday morning," said Lee, quietly. "It was a big, huge shock. I've known him since he was 15 so he was a lifelong buddy of mine, really. The last 35 years I've known him. It was a terrible blow to lose him. I just miss him and it just feels wrong that he's not here. I just can't believe he's gone frankly. It just doesn't make sense."
The UK's Planet Rock is giving away a ton of prizes over the next few days:"Rush release their long awaited new studio album CLOCKWORK ANGELS as a stunning, comprehensive CLASSIC ROCK MAGAZINE FANPACK on 11 June, and we are giving away an array of fantastic prizes all this week including copies of the fanpack, subscriptions to Prog Magazine, a subscription to Classic Rock Magazine and, best of all, a beautiful autographed Rush Time Machine Tour drumhead....For complete details visit Planet Rock.
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