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Second San Diego Show Added for November 21 - Tickets On Sale Today
Prog Magazine's "Progressive Music Awards" - Rush wins Album Of The Year
Prog magazine's first annual Progressive Music Awards were awarded September 5th, and Rush's Clockwork Angels won Album of the Year. Also nominated was the Sectors box set in the Grand Designs category, losing to the Pink Floyd Immersion reissues.Rush recorded a short video of their receiving their award, including their acceptance speech, which you can watch here.
For complete details, visit the awards page, as well as coverage by the BBC News.
"They’re Not With the Band" - New York Times
Today the New York Times published an article about the fitness
benefits of drumming, which includes a few comments with Neil Peart. We learn of weight he lost during Clockwork Angels tour warm ups and his pre-tour regimen:
Neil Peart...said that in the three and a half weeks of rehearsals...he dropped at least 10 pounds....This year’s pre-tour training regimen began in February. Three times a week, Mr. Peart would bike 20 minutes to his local Los Angeles Y.M.C.A., swap his helmet for a bandanna, and spend 30 minutes on the cross-trainer (keeping his heart rate near his recommended maximum), followed by calisthenics, yoga sun salutations (he held each pose for a count of 20 Mississippi) and the return bike ride home. (His favorite workout track? Silence. 'The only activity I combine with music is driving,' Mr. Peart said. 'For me, exercise is an act of will.'). Click here for the full story.- Thanks to AndyO for the headsup!
"Hold Your Fire. 25th Anniversary Retrospective" - LSMedia.com
Clockwork Angels Tour Merchandise
"Rush has strings attached on its current tour" - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
In a new interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Alex Lifeson discusses Clockwork Angels, and bringing a string section on tour:
“I’m still kind of close to it, but I would definitely say it’s one of our better efforts,” Lifeson says. “It’s cohesive throughout. I always feel there are one or two weak moments on a record once I’ve had a chance to get away from it. So far, I don’t feel that with this record.”- Thanks to Kevin Kerwin for the headsup!
On tour, Rush is continuing to push forward and take its show to new places. For starters, Lifeson says, there’s a new light show and new video over a three-hour set that includes most of “Clockwork Angels” and a number of older songs that haven’t been played live in years.
Then, there’s something completely new to a Rush tour — a string section.
“ ‘Clockwork Angels’ has five or six songs with strings on them, and we thought that rather than triggering samples, why don’t we think about taking strings out for a change?” Lifeson says. “We can pull out some of the older material from the past that we did string arrangements for and include that. And, we sort of dove into it.
“It’s so nice to go out and do something that’s unusual and different and keeps you on your toes,” he said. “And, hopefully, you don’t wreck anything for them and they don’t wreck anything for you.”
"The Spirit Of Rush" - Grammy.com
The official website of the Grammy Awards has posted a new interview with Geddy Lee, titled "The Spirit of Rush":
"Rush frontman Geddy Lee discusses the band's upcoming tour, the challenges of picking a set list and the reason for their longevity" - Grammy.com, September 5, 2012
Hunt for one of ten Golden Tickets inside Clockwork Angels: The Novel - ECW Press
"The hunt is on, Clockwork Angels: The Novel fans! We've hidden ten Golden Tickets inside copies of Clockwork Angels: The Novel and distributed them around the world. Each lucky finder will be able to redeem their ticket for an 8-volume Kevin J. Anderson and Neil Peart library. Happy hunting!" - ECW Press.com, September 4, 2012
Interview: Kevin J. Anderson - Roadrunner Records
We were having lunch together in a café in Santa Monica, and he was telling my wife and I all these plans that he had and he mentioned the novel and my wife [author Rebecca Moesta] immediately said, “Well, who’s going to write the novel?” and Neil stopped and looked at us and said, “Well, Kevin, of course.” I was kind of hoping he would think of that as he was putting the story together, but he was just developing the framework of it. So from that point on, I was actively involved in working with him about how the pieces of the story would come together, that the character had to go through this and then the next thing and things had to get worse before they could get better and how the story would resolve. So we were plotting this from the very beginning.Kevin also talks a great deal about the ins and outs of the book, including the editing process:
...And then we edited it together when it was done, and he would say things like “I really feel we need to emphasize this part more,” or “We need to come up with something else.” For example, it was rather late in the game when Neil decided he wanted Owen to spend more time in Poseidon City, trying to survive in the streets. So he came up with the character of Guerrero, the Artful Dodger-type kid he falls in with, who’s stealing things…Click here for more.
Geddy Lee Tops Gibson.com's list of Metal and Hard Rock Bass Players
Yesterday Gibson.com posted their list of the Top 10 Metal and Hard Rock Bass Players; topping the list is Rush's Geddy Lee:
"There’s no denying the electric bass has been critical in shaping the sound, style and rhythm of the heavy music genres. But when it comes to instrumentalists, it’s my humble opinion that bass players often get a touch less fanfare than their guitarist counterparts. (I play bass, so I’m allowed to make this claim!)...- Thanks to Frank Ray for the headsup!
"If the only thing Geddy Lee did in Rush was play the bass he’d be implausibly accomplished. But, he does it all while singing and playing the keyboards; a near-impossible feat. Not many frontmen have successfully juggled this triple task. Add to that the confidence that comes from playing for a long time, and Lee remains one of the genre’s biggest and best players. " - Gibson.com, September 3, 2012
Rush Tops Ultimate Classic Rock’s End of Summer Survey
Rush on the UK's "PowerPlay" Magazine issue 144
Rush is on the cover of the UK's Powerplay Rock and Metal Magazine, issue #144. Of the article, their website's description reads:
"Featuring improvised drums, funky new Rush album “Clockwork Angels” is a revelation. Alex Lifeson shares the story of the album with Powerplay. We talk to rising Irish rockers Million Dollar Reload about their superb second album. And we chat to Luca Turilli about the first Rhapsody album since the band was split in two, plus we join Bullet In Germany and spend time with Katatonia in London. We also catch up with back-on-the scene hottie Lita Ford, Asia, Herman Frank, The Flower Kings, Fiona, and Soul Sacrifice, and we look at the new bad boys of rock and we have a Pro-File of Slipknot and Murderdolls man Joey Jordison."
Rush Release Official 'The Wreckers' Music Lyric Video
Rush has released a lyric music video for "The Wreckers", the second single from Clockwork Angels. Check it out here:
- Thanks to John at Cygnus-X1.net for the headsup!
Geddy a bit giddy as Rush hit 20 - The Star
The UK's Sheffield Star has posted a new interview with Geddy Lee titled "Geddy a bit giddy as Rush hit 20". Geddy talks about Clockwork Angels, singing Neil's lyrics, and Rush fans. On the length of the album, Geddy said:
"We’re pretty long-winded and it’s hard to shut us up when we get going on something,” grins Geddy. “It just seemed this album had moments that needed fleshing out. We didn’t really watch the clock, not that we ever really watch it carefully. We were kind of in a groove, writing what we felt were necessary parts of the story and when we added it up in the end...holy crap, there’s value for money.”
"Clockwork Angels: The Novel" Review at Power Windows
While many of the early reviews of the Clockwork Angels novelization hold it as a fine work of fiction which just happens to be based on the Rush album of the same name, I, like most other Rush fans out there, view this novelization as a rare, perhaps once in a lifetime opportunity to see the full lyrical vision of a Rush album brought to life.
Clockwork Angels tells the story of a naive young man whose dreams of adventure set him on a path which forever changes how he views the world. Along the way via his travels to various exotic locations we meet The Pedlar, The Anarchist, The Carnies (including "a goddess, with wings on her heels"), The Wreckers, and of course The Watchmaker and the Clockwork Angels, along with a few other characters not mentioned in the album. For a Rush fan who is already very familiar with the album, the novel paints the rest of the story, filling in the gaps between songs if you will, fleshing out the lyrics, and drawing the story from point A to point B.
In addition, besides drawing from and expanding upon the lyrics of the album Clockwork Angels to tell the story, author Kevin J. Anderson also liberally sprinkles the novel with lyrics taken from the vast Rush back-catalog. While at first glance this would seem to be a lovely addition to the novel, the results are mixed. Although the occasional subtle reference would bring a smile to my face, I did find that some of the references to be a tad overdone.
The novel itself is brief, clocking in at only 290 pages which includes all of Hugh Syme's original album artwork and more (one treat is a new illustration of a city wall which reads "The Watchmaker, Est. MMCXII" [I'll give you a moment while you remember your Roman numerals...]). While the novel does a fine job expanding on the album, the fast pacing of the story itself seems to have left little room for the author to build upon the relationships of the characters. This likely may have been intentional on the author's part, but this Rush fan would have liked something even more epic!
Rating: 8/10
Top 10 Rush Songs of the ’70s - Ultimate Classic Rock
Ultimate Classic Rock has posted their list of the "Top 10 Rush Songs of the '70s".
The Top 10 Rush songs demonstrate how Canada’s favorite power trio have always been more than the sum of their parts. Now obviously, those pieces — guitarist Alex Lifeson, bassist / vocalist Geddy Lee and drummer Neil Peart are at the head of the class when it comes to musicianship, but there is more than just virtuosity at play. One thing that often gets lost in translation is that Rush really do have a grand sense of humor. So if you are taking them more seriously than they take themselves, what can we tell ya? We think they’re just peachy. So let’s get ready to take off with the Top 10 Rush Songs of the ’70s. - Click here for more. Thanks to John at Cygnus-X1.net for the headsup!
"A Taste of RESURRECTION, INC." from author Kevin J. Anderson
Yesterday author Kevin J. Anderson published the first two chapters of his first novel, Resurrection, Inc., to his blog for your review, along with the following introduction:"My first novel RESURRECTION, INC. (originally published in 1988) has recently been reissued in eBook and in hardcopy. This book was inspired by the songs on the Rush album “Grace Under Pressure”—Someone to talk to and someone to sweep the floors; no swimming in the heavy water and no singing in the acid rain; suddenly, you were gone from all the lives you left your mark upon; are we the last ones left alive?; every muscle tense to fence the enemy within; one humanoid escapee, one android on the run; blind images flashing by, like windshields toward a fly….Click here for more.
"I see my novel, characters, and situations when I listen to the songs. You can order autographed copies from our webstore AnderZone Shop, including bundles with Clockwork Angels. EBook downloads in all formats from WordFire Press.
"Enjoy the first two chapters..."
Geddy Lee speaks out in support of Pussy Riot
"...Geddy Lee, frontman of Canadian rock band Rush, called the verdict a "shocking abuse of power" and a "Neanderthal overreaction to a fairly harmless prank. Clearly artistic freedom has no place in modern-day Russia," he wrote in an email to Evan Solomon, host of CBC's Power & Politics...."- Thanks to Ed at RushIsABand for the headsup!
The Rush Transcript Archive - Over 1,000 And Counting
To be notified of new additions to the Rush Transcript Archive, follow my Twitter feed at http://www.twitter.com/pwrwindows, or follow me on Facebook. New additions to the archive are also posted to the Site Updates page.
If you have any back issues of magazines or articles that you would like to contribute, please drop me a line. Also, as always, we take Paypal donations!
Dave Bidini Remembers Summer '75's "Fly By Night"
My family had a boat, a cruiser, which we docked in Atherly, Ont., just outside of Orillia. The thing I liked most about going there in the summertime was laying across the bow while anchored in the middle of Lake Couchiching, my radio/cassette player at my elbow. I’d listen to a few songs — hoping for Ringo’s No No Song or Pick Up the Pieces by the Average White Band — until something came on that I didn’t like, at which point I’d hop in the water, swim a little, then climb back to the bow.- Thansk to RushFanForever for the headsup!
That year, there was hardly any rock music on the radio — it was mostly Barry Manilow and How Long by Ace and Have You Never Been Mellow by Olivia Newton-John; even the hit version of Pinball Wizard was done by Elton John — so hearing anything on AM radio with a guitar was a big deal. Most rock music had migrated to FM radio, and my summer radio didn’t get that.
In context, Fly By Night was to 1975’s summer playlist what grindcore is to acoustic folk. Its opening chords sounded mean and nasty, even though, hearing them now, the guitar is more lightly flanged than fuzztoned, although I wouldn’t have known the difference at the time. There was also something about the chorus, full of punches and accents in strange places at a time when a lot of pop songs just kind of loped along stepping easily from place to place. Throughout the song, the sun climbed and the day grew hot, but I remember not swimming the rest of the afternoon, instead laying there sunburnt and wanting to hear Fly By Night again, wondering if what I’d heard the first time was, in fact, real.
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