Rush releases 10” Picture Disc of “The Garden” for Black Friday Record Store Day

Rush has announced the release of a 10” Picture Disc of “The Garden” for Black Friday:

After a successful campaign last year for Record Store Day, Rush is again partnering with independent retail for an exclusive 10” picture disc for Black Friday – November 29th.

The 10” includes two versions of “The Garden” – the closing track from 2012’s Clockwork Angels. Side A features the studio version from the album, while Side B includes a live version of the song with the Clockwork Angels String Ensemble taken from the upcoming live release Clockwork Angels Tour. Designed by Crankbunny (Norma V. Toraya), the 10” features artwork from her stunning animated screen projections shown during the performance of The Garden during the Clockwork Angels tour.

This special 10” will be limited and available only for this special celebration of independent music retailers.

For a list of participating stores in your area, click here.

Parnelli Awards Video Director of the Year - David Davidian

The trade magazine PLSN, (projection, lights & staging news) has announced this years Parnelli Awards winners. David Davidian has won for best Video Director this year for his work on the Clockwork Angels Tour.  For more info visit PLSN.com. - Thanks to Greg Nosek for the headsup!

La Villa Strangiato Now on Jammit

Today "La Villa Strangiato" was made available on Jammit.  Jammit is a music app which allows you to play along to your favorite songs by giving you the ability to isolate instruments in the original master recording while you play along.  For more info visit Jammit.com. - Thanks to Peter Ulintz for the headsup!

Greg Critchley's long career includes drumming for Neil Peart's sister and partnering with Alex Lifeson

Hilton Head's "M Monthly" has posted an online interview with Greg Critchley, a songwriter and production engineer who has worked with many in the music industry who started out in a small town outside of Toronto.

"Greg was selected to join the house band at the Orbit Room in Toronto, where he partnered with hall of fame guitarist Alex Lifeson of Rush. The relationship led to collaborative studio projects with country music stars Clay Aiken, Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, the Dixie Chicks and Jo Dee Messina. A favorite stage memory is captured in photograph in his office of him playing the drums with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush. 'You’ve got to understand that growing up in Toronto and being a kid who played drums, all I dreamed about was one day being good enough to sit in and play with Neil Peart,' Critchley said. 'I was fascinated by him as a kid.'...He shared a story of the band learning to play Rush songs, and then inviting Neil’s younger sister over to the house to watch them play. 'I don’t know if Neil ever knew that or not. If so, he never said anything and I’ve never asked him.'"

Check out the full interview here.

Alex Lifeson on the Prog Magazine Radio Show - interview now online

Alex Lifeson was on the Prog Magazine Radio Show yesterday afternoon at www.teamrockradio.com.  Alex spoke with Phillip Wilding for the final hour of the show.  In case you missed it, you can hear the show on-demand here.

Alex was recently in London for the Classic Rock Awards where he won the Spirit Of Prog award and has been promoting the CD and DVD/Blu-ray for Clockwork Angels Tour Live.

"Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson discusses the band’s road less traveled" - Dallas News

Ad from the 1974 Dallas show

Yesterday the Dallas News has posted a new interview "Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson discusses the band’s road less traveled".  Mostly a Q&A about the current live DVD filmed in Dallas, he also looks back on Rush's first performance in on  Oct. 17, 1974, at the Travis Street Electric Company:

"And I remember having such a great show in Dallas that night,” says Lifeson. “We were playing a lot of our bar set — stuff we put together very quickly with Neil off the first show. We played ‘Bad Boy,’ the Beatles song. We were out with Uriah Heep, Rory Gallagher, Nazareth, relegated to a 20-minute, half-hour sets. So we would pick up these club dates where we would play for a couple of hours, and that was a really exciting night, because nobody knew who we were, and we won the crowd over that night. The place was just roaring by the end of it, and we all just thought, ‘Texas is awesome!’”

Check out the full interview here.

"Clockwork Angels: The Graphic Novel" Coming In April 2014

Kevin J. Anderson announced today that BOOM! Studios will be releasing a graphic novel version of his book Clockwork Angels: The Novel over six issues next spring.  To be scripted by Anderson, the first issue is tentatively scheduled to be published next April, 2014.  Neil Peart, along with Anderson, have approved an as of yet unnamed artist suggested by BOOM!  Like the original novel, the graphic novel will include various references to Rush lyrics from the back catalog.

Clockwork Angels: The Novel, by Kevin J. Anderson from a story and lyrics by Neil Peart, was published by ECW Press on September 4, 2012.  An audiobook is also available, including the limited edition "Watchmaker's Edition" read by Neil Peart.

Gene Simmons talks Rush in KISS Kruise 3 Q&A session - Remembers June 1, 1975 Show

On, June 1, 1975, when touring in support of Fly By Night, Rush opened for The Tubes and KISS at The Winterland in San Francisco, California.  As told by Gene Simmons in a Q&A on the recent KISS Kruise held three weeks ago, it was a memorable night for Gene who explains how when they arrived hungry at the venue, the promoter, Bill Graham, refused to provide food and refreshments for Rush, while he HAD been provided for KISS and "the Tubes had a big spread", a band which was also managed by Graham.   KISS stepped in and Simmons told the promoter, "You're going to feed these guys or we're not getting up on stage." You can see the discussion here. - Thanks to RushIsABand for the headsup!

Clockwork Angels Tour video coming to VH1 Classic And Palladia December 1st

According to DirectTV's online schedule, the Clockwork Angels Tour video will make its television premiere at 9 P.M. Sunday, December 1st, on both VH1 Classic and in HD on Palladia. The schedule shows a run time of 2:30, so it is likely not the full show. - Thanks to Ed @ RushIsABand for the headsup!

Rush 'Haven't Stopped or Quit… Just Relaxing' - Billboard

Billboard.com has just posted a new interview with Alex Lifeson in advance of tomorrow's live release, Clockwork Angels Tour. Alex reiterates that the band are taking the next year off, but does acknowledge:

"We committed to a year, so that's going to take us through to the end of next summer, for sure. That's the minimum. We haven't stopped or quit. Right now we're just relaxing. We're taking it easy and just enjoying our current employment...typically get a little bored, and so we enjoy writing and working together and I wouldn't doubt that some time in the new year we'll probably gravitate towards each other and start doing some writing. It's going to be interesting to see where we do go next. You know, the album is dying as a format. We're so used to it and we're so old school in that format, but will we get more mileage by doing a few new songs at a time, or do we do another album? It's hard to say what the future holds, and it's just changing so rapidly. It's always hard to speculate where you're going to go."

On next years' Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Alex says:

 "I put my votes in...Certainly with Deep Purple and Yes and Nirvana, I think they're all candidates, and I think Kiss deserves to be in there, too. We have lots of great memories of working together with them, and I think they've been influential and worked for a very long time and worked very hard. I think for all the indifference we had before, actually going through it and feeling the love in the room and the sense of community we felt with all the other musicians that are in there, it's a good thing provided it's inclusive and it's broad."

"The World According to... Rush" - Gibson.com

Gibson.com has posted a compilation of quotes from Rush over the years from various sources called "The World According to... Rush".  Check it out here! - Thanks to Falcon Gtho for the headsup!

Leonard Lawrence Elementary School's 3rd Grade Language Test

Who says school is no fun?

Check out this 3rd grade language studies test recently administered by teacher Robert Baker at Leonard Lawrence Elementary School in Omaha, Nebraska!  Mr. Baker is one dedicated fan; it even includes a dig aimed at Steve Lillywhite who reneged on his agreement to produce Grace Under Pressure! - Thanks to Mark Rosenthal for sending this in!

Alex Lifeson, Classic Rock's "Spirit Of Prog"

Congratulations to Alex Lifeson, winner of this year's "Spirit Of Prog" award at last night's Classic Rock Awards held in London.  

See below for comments after the show regarding being considered "prog", and who his prog influences were at an early age.  In addition, check out the short video interview with Alex after the show.

Rush #2 On RollingStone Readers' Poll "The 10 Greatest Canadian Rock Stars"

The Rolling Stone editors have shown little taste in the past, but they can't silence the readers! Rush came in second in the Rolling Stone readers' poll behind Neil Young:

"Anyone who doesn't know Rush is Canadian can probably figure it out about four seconds into their 1981 video for "Limelight." It begins with a wolf running in front of a hopelessly remote house, practically lost in a mountain of snow. There don't appear to be any neighbors around for at least one hundred miles and inside, the Canadian trio is playing in front of a large window that looks out into the vast Canadian wilderness.

"Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson grew up near Toronto and they cut their teeth on the local club circuit. They live there to this day, though drummer Neil Peart now spends much of his time in Los Angeles with his wife and young daughter" - RollingStone.com, November 13, 2013

Alex Lifeson on the BBC WM "The Paul Franks Show"

Today Alex Lifeson appeared on the Paul Franks Show on the BBC WM to discuss Clockwork Angels Tour which will be released next Tuesday, November 19th.  You can hear the interview during today's (November 14th) broadcast here beginning at the 1 hour and 47 minute mark. - Thanks to Mike Smith for the headsup!

Radio.com Clockwork Angels Tour DVD Preview Live Stream

Radio.com has a six-song preview of the live release, which started at noon EST today, November 14 and will run for 24 hours.  You can watch an exclusive stream of “Grand Designs,” “Middletown Dreams,” “Territories,” “The Body Electric,” “Red Sector A” and “The Wreckers,” shot during Rush’s 2012-2013 tour supporting Clockwork Angels, their 19th studio album. Then, starting at noon EST on Friday, November 15, we’ll have “Middletown Dreams” and “Red Sector A” available on-demand, plus an exclusive interview with Geddy Lee from our Radio.com studios.  Check it out here, or in the window below!  - Thanks to Alan Klivan for the headsup!

Nights With Alice Cooper Rush Marshall Fridge Giveaway

Nights with Alice Cooper is giving away a custom Rush Marshall Fridge which includes the new Clockwork Angels Tour CD and DVD, a copy of Vapor Trails Remixed, as well as a Rush merchandise package including a set of Rush bobbleheads, and more.  The contest runs through November 20th; click here to enter! 

Rush’s Geddy Lee Talks Baseball; Preview New Rush Live DVD

In a new video interview with CBS, Geddy Lee talks about baseball, including his donation of close to 200 baseballs signed by members off the Negro League back in 2008.   You can watch it here.

Peart/Bergamini's Book "Neil Peart: Taking Center Stage" nominated in Modern Drummer Readers Poll

Neil Peart and Joe Bergamini's book Neil Peart: Taking Center Stage, has been nominated for Best Educational Book in this year's Modern Drummer Readers Poll.  Click here to vote.

In related news, Joe has released a new book called Arrival Drum Play-Along, which features Zak Rizvi and Frank LaPlaca from 4Front.  In addition, Neil wrote the foreword for a new Gavin Harrison drum book that Hudson Music will be publishing in January 2014. Neil wrote the forward while at home after the tour had ended.  The book is a series of drum transcriptions of Gavin’s performances with Porcupine Tree, with accompanying text from Gavin himself. - Thanks to Joe Bergamini for the headsup!

Neil Peart's "News Weather and Sports" - November 2013

Neil Peart has just updated his website with the latest edition of News, Weather & Sports titled "Angels Landing".  Neil confirms that Rush have agreed not to talk about working on any new projects for a year, as well as the government shutdown, all wrapped in a trip in his new Aston Martin Vanquish where he visits Zion, Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon National Parks, as well as stopping for a photo at Roy's Motel (which is seen in the distance on the Snakes & Arrows Live cover) on Route 66.  Check it out here!