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"Rush Make 2112, 1976" - Mojo, March 2016 issue
Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Visit WEBZ Chicago
Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson will join hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot of WEBZ Chicago to discuss the band's remarkable 40-year career tomorrow, February 26th. For details and streaming click here. - Thanks to Ed at RushIsABand for the headsup!
Behind The Vinyl: Tom Sawyer - Alex Lifeson from Rush
Alex Lifeson dropped by Toronto's boom 97.3 to share a story about Rush's "Tom Sawyer". Alex talks about the connection with South Park and the key ingredients to making their “Moving Pictures” album: cognac & volley ball. Check it out here:
Rush Featured in Prog # 63, Celebrating 40 Years of 2112
UPDATE (Feb 19): All three features are now available here. - Thanks to John Patuto for sharing the transcript!
Geddy Lee's guest appearance on Wintersleep's "The Great Detachment"
When Canadian indie-rock band Wintersleep were recording their new album, The Great Detachment, they got sidetracked chatting about their love for one of their country's most famous musical exports. "We were talking about how amazing Rush was ... and how incredible Geddy Lee is," Paul Murphy, the band's lead singer, told Rolling Stone. "He can sing these incredibly complex melodies with complex lyrics, while playing perhaps even more incredibly complex bass parts, while also operating foot pedals. If there was an instrument he could play with his eyeballs, I'm sure he'd be able to!"
Coincidentally, later that same night, the band ran into trouble while fine-tuning the bass line on one of the tracks, "Territory." "It was cool but the song didn't feel as lively as it should in the end," Murphy explains. "Someone was like, 'What would Geddy Lee do?' jokingly, and Tony [Doogan, producer] was like, 'Oh, the best bass player in the world? He'd make it incredible. Why don't we just ask him?'"
They did, and Wintersleep's "what if ...?" fantasy quickly turned into reality.
"Wintersleep contacted me a while ago and asked me to play bass on this track," Lee told RS. "I had a listen and loved the song and the vibe of the band. I had a blast laying down a bunch of takes and sent them off to them. I'm happy to support a fellow Canadian band and wish them all the best with their new album."
The result is "Territory" — no relation to the 1985 Rush song "Territories" — a muscular, hard-driving track that builds to a bright, yearning chorus. Lee's trademark gritty tone and melodic inventiveness are easily identifiable, but there's nothing showy about the performance; his bass lines blend perfectly with Loel Campbell's drums and provide a firm anchor for the rest of the track.
"The bass line we originally had for 'Territory' was just kind of playing the roots of the song," Murphy explains of Lee's contribution. "There was a sort of hook-line melody in the choruses, but that melody sort of combated with Tim [D'eon]'s lead line in a weird way. It's kind of an odd time signature, so it sometimes is hard thinking more creatively when a riff is long and kind of odd like that. In the end, the song just felt a little sticky and maybe a bit too dark, lacking the energy it needed. With a relatively dark lyric and a generous amount of minor notes in the progression, you have to be careful because it can just feel a bit dark and a bit too stone-faced or something.
"Geddy's part was perfect because it had this great groove and locked into the vocal melody in the song from time to time, bringing more weight to the melody in important spots. It added a certain playful dimension to the equation because it's so dynamic. Also, Tony was able to strip the song down more in the mix in sections because the bass had such a neat character and fuller sound, which was huge for the song dynamically."
- Thanks to Ed at RushIsABand for the headsup!
Geddy Lee Talks 2112 Track-By-Track - MusicRadar.com
In The Studio with Moving Pictures 35th Anniversary Special
Sales alone do not convey the importance of their eighth studio album Moving Pictures to Rush’s long career, nor to rock music itself. “Music was changing,” Rush lead singer/composer Geddy Lee tells us in this InTheStudio episode, and without Lee, guitarist/composer Alex Lifeson and drummer/lyricist Neil Peart embracing the fresh musical ideas in the crosswinds of the early Eighties with songs “Tom Sawyer”, “Red Barchetta”, “Limelight”, “Vital Signs” and “Witch Hunt”, it is doubtful that a path to mainstream success would have been cleared for later major bands including Metallica, Queensryche, Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, Dave Grohl’s Foo Fighters, Tom Morello with Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, and Dream Theater.
InTheStudio host Redbeard speaks to Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart about the significance of Moving Pictures to the Rush legacy.
“It (Moving Pictures) gave us a kind of acceptance and credibility that none of our previous records had previously done.” - Geddy LeeRUSH Moving Pictures @ 35/ InTheStudio interview is now available for STREAMING here. For a complete list of InTheStudio broadcast affiliate radio stations click here.
“It was very enjoyable making Moving Pictures. It flowed, everything sounded good. The vibe was good, everybody was in great spirits during the whole process.” - Alex Lifeson
“Being a trio is something that is special to us and I think it’s special to our fans too... We are known as a trio. Our reputation has a lot to do with our live show and what the three of us can do live.” - Neil Peart
Neil Peart's "News Weather and Sports" - January 2016
Feedback and Snakes & Arrows Vinyl Reissues Now Available
Rush has been reissuing the complete Mercury and Atlantic era albums on 200-gram heavyweight vinyl in semi-chronological order throughout 2015 and into 2016, with the final release being Snakes & Arrows (the only albums not getting the vinyl treatment are the Atlantic era live albums). Previous vinyl reissues include Rush reDISCovered, Fly By Night (vinyl and blu-ray pure audio in 5.1 surround sound), Caress of Steel, the 2112 hologram edition, A Farewell To Kings (vinyl and blu-ray pure audio in 5.1 surround sound), Hemispheres, Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures (vinyl and vinyl/t-shirt bundle), Exit...Stage Left, Signals (vinyl and blu-ray pure audio in 5.1 surround sound), Grace Under Pressure, Power Windows, Hold Your Fire, A Show of Hands, Presto, Roll The Bones, Counterparts and Test for Echo. These vinyl reissues include a 320kbps MP4 vinyl ripped Digital Audio album download, and can also be purchased separately as high resolution Digital Audio.
Thinking Out Loud: Geddy Lee - Prog
Rush's Power Windows a window into record-store owner’s past - TheStar
Originally, Cunningham became involved with the project by happenstance. His friend Marcus Pearson was working for photographer Dimo Safari, who was crafting the cover for Rush’s upcoming record — a transitional, pop-leaning album awash in chilled synths — and was seeking a “skinny blond” punk for the cover. Cunningham happened to be skinny and blond (“still am”) and leapt at the opportunity. “Dimo had been working with Madonna, so I was all excited at the idea I could be on a Madonna cover,” he recalled. “When he said Rush, I was like, ‘yeah, oh, all right. Not bad either.’” The shoot was conducted over two arduous nights in Cabbagetown, with the March wind snapping through the open window. Once captured, the photo was painted over by Hugh Syme.
Check out the full interview here.
"David Bowie was a monumental artist...immortal" - Rush
Upon learning of the passing of David Bowie this past Saturday, Rush have posted the following on their Facebook page:
"Woke up to the news of David Bowie leaving this world. Crushed is the right word. He was a monumental artist...immortal. We used to play Suffragette City in our bar days...RIP David Bowie"
Rush Lands at #26 North American and #42 Worldwide on Pollstars Lists
Grace Under Pressure, Power Windows and Hold Your Fire Vinyl Reissues Now Available
Rush has been reissuing the complete Mercury and Atlantic era albums on 200-gram heavyweight vinyl in semi-chronological order throughout 2015 and into 2016, with the final release being Snakes & Arrows (the only albums not getting the vinyl treatment are the Atlantic era live albums). Previous vinyl reissues include Rush reDISCovered, Fly By Night (vinyl and blu-ray pure audio in 5.1 surround sound), Caress of Steel, the 2112 hologram edition, A Farewell To Kings (vinyl and blu-ray pure audio in 5.1 surround sound), Hemispheres, Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures (vinyl and vinyl/t-shirt bundle), Exit...Stage Left, Signals (vinyl and blu-ray pure audio in 5.1 surround sound), A Show of Hands, Presto, Roll The Bones, Counterparts and Test for Echo. These vinyl reissues include a 320kbps MP4 vinyl ripped Digital Audio album download, and can also be purchased separately as high resolution Digital Audio.
Rush R40: Canadian Trio Looks Back on 40 Years of Epic Songs - International Musician
Geddy Lee video interview with uDiscover Music
uDiscover Music has posted an extensive 40 minute video with Geddy Lee which you can watch below. "Geddy Lee from Rush talks to Kylie Olsson at Abbey Road Studios supporting the release of the band's 40-LIVE filmed at the band's Toronto shows on June 17th and 19th 2015 - released by Universal in Nov 2015. Geddy talks about how their popularity has continued over their 40 year successful career & discusses the background of the stage sets & theatrics for their retrospective R40 tour. Includes a live clip of their classic song Jacob's Ladder taken from the new R40 release." - Thanks to Ed @ RushIsABand for the headsup!
Heavy Load: Geddy Lee - TeamRock.com
Rush: Recording & Mixing R40 Live - Sound On Sound
Rush At 40: Geddy Lee Talks the Past, Present and Future - Paste Magazine
Pop Culture References Update (and more) - December 2015
It's time for the next update of Rush References in Pop Culture. Since my last update two months ago, quite a few items have already come to light.
During the Nike commercial "Short A Guy" which premiered back in July (and I'm sure you've seen a dozen times), a kid is first asked to join a game of pickup basketball, before being asked to join various other sports activities with associated athlete celebrities. When he joins the marathon he is given bib number 2112.- Adam Sandler first performed version 4 of his "Chanukah Song" live in concert in San Diego on November 18th, and this updated version includes Geddy Lee among notable Jewish celebrities. You can watch the performance here.
- Rush has been referenced on the animated series Family Guy twice in the past, and for their 248th episode (titled "Fighting Irish") which aired May 3, 2015, Peter tries to lure Liam Neeson into a fight by selling black jeans from a vendor cart. Among other taunts he yells "Don't be the only one at the Rush concert without a pair of black jeans!"
- During episode 3 of the new Marvel Netflix series, Jessica Jones ("AKA It's Called Whiskey") which aired November 20, 2015, the numbers for an address that are spoken aloud are "2112".
In 2011, Ernest Cline published his first novel, Ready Player One and it was a sensation among Rush fans (including this one). His followup novel, Armada, was published back in July, and like its predecessor, also includes a few Rush references. Taken from the story itself, the book even includes artwork for an 80's cassette "Raid The Arcade Mix" tape which features "Vital Signs", and a character who plays to a continuous loop of Moving Pictures:
"...He was bobbing his head in time to his favorite Terra Forma battle soundtrack song, 'Vital Signs' by Rush. Ray claimed that its unique time signature matched up perfectly with the alien Spider Fighter drones' erratic swarming patterns, making it easier for him to anticipate their movements and rate of attack. He also claimed that each of the other songs on Rush's Moving Pictures album was perfect for battling a different Sobrukai drone. Personally, I'd always assumed this was just an excuse he'd concocted for playing that same album on a continuous loop, day after day.
- The video game Guitar Hero Live was released October 20, 2015, and "Limelight" is one of the songs available in the game's TV mode. For more game details including videos click here.
- During the October 30th episode of Dr. Ken (season 1, episode 5), after being dosed with a pain-killer lollipop, Pat (Dave Foley) is listening to headphones, and yells to people in the office "Do you like RUSH?! This drum solo is sick!" You can view the episode here.
- Caustic Casanova's new video for "Show Some Shame", from their new album Breaks released September 25th, is a near complete recreation of Rush's "Time Stand Still" video, including the same spins, camera girl, industrial pillar, etc. The video begins with a Rush Chronicles style placard, and ends with the tribute "We thank Geddy, Alex and Neil for over 40 years of timeless music. Freeze this moment a little bit longer.
X-Men: Apocalypse is set for release on May 27, 2016, and as seen in the official trailer (at the 1:50 mark), Quicksilver (Evan Peters) wears a 'Moving Pictures' t-shirt.- Since my last update, there has been another Rush sighting on The Goldbergs. During the episode “Boy Barry” (season 3, episode 5, aired October 21st), the high school sax player is seen two more times throughout the episode (apparently on two different days) wearing the same Moving Pictures t-shirt (does he ever wash that thing?).
As covered previously, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson guest starred on NBC's Chicago Fire in an episode titled "2112" which aired Tuesday, November 17th. The storyline involves Rush performing a concert in Chicago and a few lucky Firehouse 51 fans snag free tickets to the show. You can view the episode here.- ESPN's pregame show on December 13th featured Cincinnati Bengals fan Jeff Wagner, who hand makes banners for every home game. Interviewed while wearing an R40 Live tour shirt, Jeff says he starts off creating his banners by "turning on Rush, greatest rock band in the history of the world." Check out his story here.
- In John McEnroe's biography Serious, published June 10, 2002, he talks of being a fan of Rush, and of getting a guitar lesson by Alex Lifeson.
- We've recently added a couple of songs to the Rush covers page:
- "The Spirit of Radio", performed by Rekha on Milky Ocean (iTunes), was released October 15, 2005. You can hear it Youtube.
- "Witch Hunt", performed by MolchMon on Expose, was released November 19th. The track is available on their bandcamp page.
- And finally, here are two fairly recent documentaries that have been released which feature Rush:
Rush are interviewed in the Rob Cohen documentary Being Canadian, released April 26, 2015. In the documentary, famous Canadians (and some non Canadians) are interviewed in an effort to explain Canada to the world. Check out the trailer here; Rush are at 1:36.
Geddy Lee is one of the many musicians interviewed in Jaco: A Documentary Film, which premiered November 22, 2014. The film tells the story of legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius (a short snippet of Geddy discussing fusion music from the documentary can be seen here).
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