Pianist Brad Mehldau Discusses Rush In "Arcana VI: Musicians On Music"

American jazz pianist Brad Mehldau recently published the essay "Rock Hemiolas" in the new book Arcana VI: Musicians on Music, edited by John Zorn.

Mehldau has also placed the essay on his website.  In it, Mehldau on Rush, odd time signatures, music theory, etc.:

"When I was in sixth grade, I had a band – a power duo with my best friend Bill who played drums, called The Rolling Pebbles. Bill did most of the singing, but I had a couple of vocal features, and one was 'Subdivisions' from Rush. Bill and I were nuts about Rush, and that was the title track of their latest record at the time [sic], and the first single. 'Subdivisions' was the first song I played that used the odd time signature of 7/4. It planted the seed of all things '7' in my brain and I followed up much later, exploring that rhythmic meter in the jazz format with my trio."   For more visit BradMehldau.com.

- Thanks to David Suspanic for the headsup!

Geddy Lee Remembers Sam The Record Man

Canadian businessman Sam Sniderman, known as the founder of Sam the Record Man record store chain, passed away on Sunday at the age of 92.  Yesterday Geddy Lee remembered Sam in a new article with the Winnipeg Free Press:

"Sam took great pride in being the best friend of Canadian musicians. I remember the first time we were awarded a Canadian Gold Record; it was presented to us by Sam at a dinner arranged at Sam the Chinese Food Man restaurant. Sam truly helped change the way Canadians view homegrown talent." - Geddy Lee

- Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!

Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson on Q with Jian Ghomeshi - video now online

UPDATE (9/24): Previously only available as an audio interview, the full video interview of Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson's appearance on Q with Jian Ghomeshi, which originally aired on the CBC June 12th, is now available for your viewing pleasure.

"Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of legendary Canadian rock band Rush talk about their latest studio album 'Clockwork Angels'...After nearly 38 years, twenty studio albums and thousands of live concerts together they talk intimately about how they stay fresh in the studio and when they know it will be over." - CBC.ca, June 12, 2012

- Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!

Governor General's Awards

Rush received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement at Ottawa's Rideau Hall on Friday, May 4th.  You can view their acceptance speech at GGPAA.ca.

"We are especially appreciative for the presentation of this lifetime achievement award now - while we are still active (Too active, our families might say!)" said Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart in an emailed statement..."Since our performance 'lifetimes' aren't quite over yet, this high honour is not just a reward; it is an inspiration. We will continue to try to earn it." - Neil Peart, WinnipegPress, March 6, 2012

“That was great, it was fun and it made me proud to live in a country that recognises the performing arts and celebrates excellence in various fields.  A lot of the people were not mainstream artists but they’ve been working their whole lives perfecting their craft. In Canada we’re always fighting for support of the arts. In a lot of countries they subsidies a lot of industries but when it comes to the arts they view it as a gift. Yet the arts can be a very profitable thing to invest in. It’s as valid as investing in the car industry or whatever. So when you see an event like that which celebrates excellence in the performing arts, it sends a very positive message to the artist and the country and it informs young people that the arts matters and don’t be discouraged and follow your passion. Which is what we did.” - Geddy Lee, TapeToTape, May 15, 2012

South Park co-creator Matt Stone took to the stage to recognize Rush members Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart:

"I remember buying their cassettes, tearing home on my BMX, running inside and throwing them into my Walkman, and sitting down to my drum set and just destroying my mom’s afternoon.  Rush was definitely the first band I ever loved." - Matt Stone, Ottawa Citizen, May 7, 2012

The band Inner Volition, the garage band that appeared in the short film "Inner Rush" last month, thank Rush in a short story on Canada's National Arts Center website, May 15, 2012: A Heavy Metal Thank You

• Click here for a video of the news story showing the award ceremony
• Click here for a video of the Rush Tribute performance by the NAC orchestra and what may be the Bach Children's Choir (this is the exact choral arrangement recorded in the film White Noise 2)
• Inner Rush, the National Film Board of Canada’s online film tribute Rush
• MPs, ministers get a Rush from award-winning band's Commons visit - The Canadian Press, May 3, 2012
• Rush, Mary Walsh celebrated in Ottawa - CBCNews, May 4, 2012

Photo Galleries

• George Pimentel (includes great shots of Rush with Pete Townshend)
• The Governor General official website
• The Canadian Music scene
• Ottawa Citizen
• TheStar.com

Rush Smartphone App - Version 1.1 Now Available for iPhone

Today the Apple store released version 1.1 of the official Rush smartphone app with many new features.  Included in these features, as demonstrated by the screenshots in the Apple store, are the polka, country and disco versions of "The Spirit of Radio" performed by "Rash" from Gershon's Diner on the Time Machine Tour.   It is assumed that an update of the Rush Droid App will follow shortly.  The complete new features are as follows:

• All new art work from the Clockwork Angels Rush Tour for retina display.
• New list of the 2012-2013 tour dates with all new social media features
• 3 never heard before versions of Spirit of Radio (Rash)
• Never seen before images of Rash at Gershon’s Diner
• New Wallpapers
• New section titled 'Entre Nous' that allows quick access to social media
• The Music Player has been revamped and includes new music from Rush’s latest Clockwork Angels album
• Ability to control the music from anywhere within the app

Thanks to Mark Rosenthal for the headsup!

Clockwork Angels Album Reviews

Here's a list of Clockwork Angels reviews, with more to come:

• Rush, Clockwork Angels - JamBands.com, September 19, 2012
• RUSH Clockwork Angels One of This Year’s Strongest Releases - Guitar International, September 11, 2012
• The Fountain of Clockwork Angels - David Mack, July 13, 2012
• New album brings Rush closer to the heart - Joplin Globe, August 17, 2012
• Music Review: Rush - Clockwork Angels - blogcritics.org, August 14, 2012
• Rush Clockwork Angels - cokemachineglow.com, July 5, 2012
• Rush - Clockwork Angels - The Quietus, August 3rd, 2012
• Rush: 'We've found a groove ... It's only taken 38 years' - The Sun, July 27, 2012
• On My Turntable: Rush – Clockwork Angels - JamesStafford.com, July 18, 2012

Neil Peart on the cover of "Drum!" October 2012 - Transcript Online

Neil Peart is on the cover of the October issue of Drum! magazine. The cover feature Neil Peart: Master Class: "The Rush technician lets us in on the process behind the inimitable rhythmic signature of Clockwork Angels is now online, courtesy of John at Cygnus-X1.net.

Win A Copy of Alfred Publishing's "Clockwork Angels" Guitar and Bass Tab Books

UPDATE: TMR Zoo is holding a contest to win a copy of both the Clockwork Angels guitar and bass tab books recently released by Alfred Publishing.  The contest is open to all US residents and will run through October 17th. For details and to enter click here. - Thanks to RushIsABand for the headsup!

Alfred Music Publishing has just published two Clockwork Angels tab books, one each for both bass and guitar, as part of their Authentic Bass TAB series.  Over 100 pages each, both books contain complete tablature for all songs, as well as complete lyrics.  Click here for Clockwork Angels: Authentic Bass TAB; click here for Clockwork Angels: Authentic Guitar TAB.

Second San Diego Show Added for November 21 - Tickets On Sale Today

A second San Diego show will go on sale today for November 21st.  Although there has been no announcement from Rush.com, both the Rush Music Today website (the site that handles the fan pre-sales) and VIP Nation now have a show listed for Wednesday, November 21st at the Valley View Casino with fan and VIP pre-sale tickets on sale TODAY at 12PM PST. - Thanks to Ed at RushIsABand for the headsup!

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

Today is the 25th Anniversary of the release of Hold Your Fire, Rush's 12th studio album.  To commemorate the event, the Liverpool Student Newspaper has published a retrospective review of the album.  Check it out here. - Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!

Clockwork Angels Tour Merchandise

The Rush Backstage Club has just announced that they have brand new Clockwork Angels merchandise in store as well as a chance to win a meet and greet with RUSH.  Along with the usual tour merchandise including the tour book and tshirts, they also have some new and unique items never before offered. Click here for more.

"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.”

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.”

- Thanks to Kevin Kerwin for the headsup!

"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

ECW Press is holding a contest of sorts for all recipients of Clockwork Angels: The Novel:

"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

Roadrunner Records has posted a new interview with Kevin J. Anderson, author of Clockwork Angels: The Novel.  Kevin tells of how the collaboration with Neil Peart came about:

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!)...

"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

- Thanks to Frank Ray for the headsup!

Rush Tops Ultimate Classic Rock’s End of Summer Survey

UltimateClassicrock.com has posted the results of their End of Summer Survey. Rush topped the polls in two catagories: "Best New Album Of The Summer" while "The Wreckers" was voted "Best New Song". Click here for all poll results.

Rush on the UK's "PowerPlay" Magazine issue 144

UPDATE: This article is now online, thanks to John at Cygnus-X1.net for the transcript!

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."