"U.S. Protests Mexi-Canadian Overpass"

"U.S. Protests Mexi-Canadian Overpass", detailing the building of an overpass from Mexico to Canada which bypasses the U.S. One U.S. citizen complains "the honking, the chickens, the sound of thousands of cars going back and forth to Canada and Mexico is more than I can take. I can hear those goddamn radios blaring Mariachi music and Rush all day and night." - The Onion, May 15, 2002

Coming Soon: Rush.com

With little fanfare but after a long legal battle, Rush has won the rights to www.rush.com from cybersquatter Bob Ames.

"Work is being completed on the official Rush website www.rush.com and it will have all the bells and whistles. You'll find tour dates, streaming music, words from the guys, and more!" - Rush Backstage Club, April 5, 2002

Alex Lifeson's "Andromeda"

Alex Lifeson composed and performed the theme music for the first season of Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda, the Star Trek creator's final series which premiered the week of Oct. 2, 2000. The theme is now available as the opening song of the Andromeda soundtrack album. It is rumored that star/executive producer Kevin Sorbo (of Hercules fame) never liked the theme, and was behind changing the theme after the first season.

"It all began when co-executive producer Robert Hewitt Wolfe was talking to executive story editor Ethlie Ann Vare, a former rock journalist (Hollywood Reporter, E! Entertainment Television, ROCK magazine). He said that the top band on his wish-list to do music for Andromeda would be Rush. Inspired, Vare made some strategically-placed calls. Since Alex Lifeson is as big a science fiction lover as some science fiction fans are Rush lovers, he seemed a good fit for the job. Lifeson composed and performed the Andromeda theme, 'March of the High Guard'. Lifeson created the whole piece in his home studio, overdubbing an astonishing 20,000 guitars for a sound quite unlike any other main title theme on television." - www.andromedatv.com, Aug. 2000.

"The strongest composition on this collection is actually Alex Lifeson's invigorating 'Season One Main Title.' The cue lasts for only 59 seconds, but it packs a punch that, for the most part, is lacking throughout the rest of the CD...With the exception of Lifeson's lone contribution, the 25 cues on the collection are all written and played by Matthew McCauley...While McCauley's artificial Andromeda arias are invariably expressive, his tunes are also consistently mediocre and, in many respects, surprisingly rough-edged." - Scifi.com Review

Dave Bidini "The Sweet Rush Of Adolescence"

In The Sweet Rush Of Adolescence, a touching article by The Rheostatic's frontman Dave Bidini, Dave reminisces about his teenage years and "Rush, the first band with which I was truly obsessed with", changing tastes while growing up, and eventually recording with hero Neil Peart in 1992 for the Rheostatic's album Whale Music:

"The Barenaked Ladies were there, too; they'd laid in their background vocal to 'California Dreamline' earlier in the day and together we watched Neil warm up, a chimeric figure in his beaded African hat under the low studio lights. Head lowered, torso centered, feet kicking, his hands glancing over the drums, Neil played all afternoon. His touch was soft when it had to be, but propulsive, too, like a distance runner tugging the flow of blood to his heart. It's one thing to see your hero perform from a distant seat in Maple Leaf Gardens, but it's something else to feel close to his work, as I did that day. At one time in my life, I'd dreamed of what it would be like to simply attend a Rush concert, and there I was at the studio, not 20 feet from where he was crafting a part for a song that would appear on our album....As Neil commanded his kit, he painted my adolescence before me, evoking everything about it." - Dave Bidini, Toronto Star, January 6, 2002

Rocket Science "Foolscap"

The long awaited debut album from Rocket Science, Foolscap, was released October 9th, from Sonic Unyon Records. Foolscap was co-produced and recorded by Geddy Lee in his home studio, and includes his nephew Rob Higgins on bass and vocals. Geddy also provided backing vocal on "Space Suit" (previously available on Rocket Sciences' 5 song EP).

"It is rock, rock with a kind of technical edge to it. I have a home studio and we have been working here and gone into the smaller studios around town to do some sessions now and again. It has been fun for me and I think fun for them as well." - Geddy Lee, JAM! Showbiz, Jan. 18, 2000

The album is available in most Canadian retail record stores, but is only available outside Canada via mail order at this time. To order, send a check or money order for $15.49 (Canadian) or $10 (US) payable to Rocket Science, to 54 Phoebe St., Toronto, ON, Canada M5T1A9. - Rocket Science Online

Chronicles DVD Now Available

Rush Chronicles, the first Rush Region 1 DVD (playable in US and Canadian players) hits store shelves today.  Unlike the original VHS version, the DVD contains the "Le Studio" video of Tom Sawyer, versus the live version from the Exit Stage Left concert video. In addition, two videos from the Through the Camera Eye VHS compilation released in 1985 which were not included on the Chronicles VHS release are included as bonus "hidden" videos on the Chronicles DVD. The only previously released on VHS videos (included on Through the Camera Eye) not included on the Chronicles DVD are Countdown, Vital Signs, and The Body Electric.

Geddy Lee September 2001 "Guitar Center" Interview

Geddy Lee is interviewed in the September 2001 Guitar Center Catalog. Topics include his current bass setup, his home studio, as well My Favorite Headache and the current state of Rush. The catalog cover features a caricature of Geddy giving Willie Nelson a ride on a Harley Davidson motorcycle (both Geddy and Willie are interviewed in the catalog; the Harley is part of a contest).  Click here for more.

Alex Lifeson Produces Lifer

Produced by Alex Lifeson, the eponymous second album by the band Lifer was released August 14th. An edited version (minus explicit lyrics) is also available. Lifer (formerly 'Driver'; formerly 'Strangers With Candy') landed a six-album record deal with Universal/Republic Records after winning first-place in February 2001's MTV Ultimate Cover Band Contest.

Regarding their choice of producer, guitarist Aaron Fincke said, "We wanted a player, rather than just a standard producer," and said that the band expects to "sell a couple hundred thousand more copies" of their album because of Lifeson's reputation as a musician and performer. "We can only do so much with our songs, but he helped to clean up all of them." - The Crusader Online (Susquehanna University Newspaper), November 17, 2000.