While Gibson may be known for guitars, that hasn't stopped them from reaching out into other musical areas. Accordingly, a new section of their website discusses the Top 10 Rock Drummers of All Time where Neil Peart came in at the #2 spot: 2. Neal Peart (Rush) Drummer and lyricist for Rush, Neal Peart is hailed in many circles as the quintessential rock drummer. He’s known for his ingenious drum parts and intense solos with lead passages that rock hard and prove the drums, indeed, can be a lead instrument. No Rush concert is complete without Peart’s sparking, obligatory drum solo, and his syncopated drumming style certainly has its own distinct sound and aura. You can always tell when it’s Peart playing. Taking the top spot is, not surprisingly, John Bonham of Led Zeppelin which makes Neil the #1 Living Rock drummer of all time. You can check out the entire Top 10 list via this LINK . Thanks to Eric from Power Windows for passing along the news.

Last month Neil Peart taped an audio interview with Jeff Woods prior to the Hamilton, Ontario show. The interview was taped as part of the syndicated radio show The Legends of Classic Rock where the discussion centered around Neil's fifth full-length book Far and Away: A Prize Every Time . They’re Canada’s #1 musical export to the world, and so not surprisingly, guitarist Alex Lifeson, bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee and drummer/lyricist Neil Peart, have been so busy touring over the past year, that they haven’t had a chance to finish what they started: recording their 20th studio album; “Clockwork Angels”. While recording is scheduled to resume fall 2011, in the meantime, RUSH’s stock has never been so valuable, with thanks in part, to the acclaimed film, that tells the story of ‘RUSH Beyond the Lighted Stage’. It seems everyone has seen it, everyone that is, except their drummer. How could THAT BE? You will find out how, and much more, from this revealing conversation wi

According to a "Release Notes" posting at MusicTap , a new Rush DVD is scheduled to be released on September 27th of this year. We can only assume that this relates to the concert DVD from the Cleveland show filmed on April 15th. The release notes go on to say that the DVD will be released by Concord Records ; the company that purchased Rounder Records last year, and also distributed the last three Rush concert DVDs. We'll have more information as it becomes available. Thanks to Ed from RushIsABand for passing along the news. Related News Stories [ Rich Chycki Blog Update: News on Moving Pictures 5.1 and Rush Live in Cleveland DVD - May 15th, 2011 ] [ Rush Rock Cleveland / New Concert DVD Information - April 16th, 2011 ]

Update (May 26th, 2011 08:55am EST): Below is a video of the wake-up call along with Mike Fincke's reaction to the playing of Countdown . Thanks RIAB! Update (May 24th, 2011 10:00pm EST): The playing of Countdown for the Space Shuttle Astronauts has been postponed by one day due to the fact that astronaut Mike Fincke is preparing for a spacewalk and, as such, would not have been available to listen to or respond to the song. Countdown is now scheduled to be played on Flight day 11 on Wednesday May 25th, 2011 at 6:54pm CDT. Rush's classic song "Countdown", from their 1982 Signals album, will be beamed to the Space Shuttle Endeavour on Tuesday, May 24, 2011. A one-minute edited clip of the song will be transmitted into space to wake up the Space Shuttle crew and start flight Day 10. It will be played for Mission Specialist Mike Fincke . The song was cropped and spliced to include some of the best parts and lyrics and to fit it into the required one-m

According to a posting at RushOnRock , Rush may be returning to the UK next summer, perhaps headlining in the High Voltage Music Festival at Victoria Park. "...Rush could break with tradition and play one of the big British festivals next summer in support of upcoming album Clockwork Angels. Blown away by fans’ passion for the their Time Machine shows in the UK this month, the prog rock trio are already planning a swift return to these shores. And the band’s Canadian management company is looking at booking a high profile festival slot for summer 2012..." Rush has never been known as a 'Festival Band' but with the popularity of the current Time Machine Tour and the anticipated tour in support of Clockwork Angels , it appears that the band is in high demand. As always, this should be treated as a rumor until an official announcement comes down from Rush and/or their management team. You can check out the entire article at this LINK . Thanks to Ed from RushIs

PopMatters Magazine has posted an in-depth article on the subject of Progressive Rock ; listing out their take on the Top 25 Best Prog Rock Songs of All Time . The reason, at the end of the day, that so-called classic rock (in general) and progressive rock (in particular) endure is the most simple of all: they deliver the goods. Prog-rock satisfies the faithful and is entirely capable, on its own without aspiration or interference, of converting new acolytes every single day. Not one, but three Rush tracks made the list: 22. Rush, “Cygnus X-1, Book II: Hemispheres” This was the last side-long “suite” Rush attempted, and it remains the last necessary one any prog-rock group ever did. Not as incendiary or influential as 1976’s “2112”, it will have to settle for merely being flawless, and the pinnacle of the band’s output to this point. By 1978 the trio was truly hitting on all cylinders, musically: arguably the most ambitious of all the progressive bands (which is really saying so

...sitting in the sand to watch the fireworks display. Dancing fires on the beach, singing songs together. Though it's just a memory, some memories last forever ... Happy Victoria Day to all of our friends in the Great White North. Observed on the Monday on or before May 24th, the Canadian holiday is celebrated in honour of both Queen Victoria's birthday and the current reigning Canadian sovereign's official birthday. It's also considered the unofficial start of the summer season, not unlike the celebration of Memorial Day in the U.S. Rush fans the world over recognize May 24th for its inclusion in the song Lakeside Park which appeared on the band's third studio album Caress of Steel . The "Lakeside Park" mentioned in the song is in St. Catharines, on Lake Ontario in Canada. Neil Peart lived very near Lakeside Park, and spent summers as a child working and playing there. It's interesting to note that Geddy Lee gave a somewhat unfavourable me

A new interview with Geddy Lee was just published in the Birmingham Post titled Rush are Laughting in the Limelight . Geddy touches upon a number of topics including his love of wine, his time with Alex and Neil, the current tour and more. Here's an excerpt from the article: Like a fine wine, Rush seem to get better and better with age – uncorking a spectacular three-and-a-half hour show on their current Time Machine Tour, which rolls into the LG Arena this weekend. “Yeah, it’s a working job, manual labour... but it’s great work if you can get it,” Lee jokes. Playing full pelt for that long is no mean feat in itself, but especially when you’ve known each other – and many of the songs – for longer than most folks’ marriages. Lee says the secret is not only a shared musical vision, but the ability to have fun at the same time: “We’re really pleased with the way we’re playing on this tour,” says Lee. “In all immodesty I think we’re playing as well as we’ve ever played; I feel

Back in 2004, the very first Rush Wall Calendar was released, featuring a nice collection of studio and live photos of the band. Each year since, Rush has released a new wall calendar and 2012 is no different. Amazon is now accepting pre-orders for the Signals inspired 2012 Wall Calendar. As was the case with the 2011 Wall Calendar , which focused on the 30th anniversary of Moving Pictures , the 2012 edition celebrates the 30th anniversary of Signals: Marking the 30th Anniversary of their Signals album, this 2012 16 month wall calendar features images from that period and celebrates the longevity and constant ingenuity of one of the most successful bands in rock and roll, Rush. The release date is set for September 1st, 2011. To see all the previous wall calendars, please access the Image Database section of the site. Thanks to Ed from RushIsABand for passing along the news.

Rush's omission from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has been a long-standing issue, brought recently to light once again after Rush played to a sold-out crowd in Cleveland ; home to the Hall of Fame. Yesterday, the issue was resurrected as Ohio Governor John Kasich met with the RRHoF Board of Directors and demanded to know why Rush has been excluded from the institution. The governor tweeted the following: "Just met w/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame board & demanded to know why @RushtheBand isn't in the @Rock_Hall of Fame." For an extensive look back into the history surrounding Rush's exclusion from the HoF, check out this page from Power Windows . Thanks to GeddyWannaBe for alerting me to the tweet.

Guitar amp company Hughes & Kettner conducted an interview with Alex Lifeson on May 12th, 2011 at the O2 Arena in Dublin, Ireland. At the interview, Alex was presented with the very first TubeMeister 18 off of the production line. You can watch the four-minute video interview below or via this LINK . Alex has been a long-time fan of Huhges & Kettner amps and has used them for over a decade now.

Rush's sound engineer Rich Chycki has updated his blog today with some information on the deluxe edition of Moving Pictures . I received an email from Sound and Vision Mag editor Mike Mettler who sent me a preview of his upcoming review of Rush’s Moving Pictures 5.1 Deluxe Edition in the Summer 2011 issue of the magazine. With his kind permission, I’ve posted his review below: Rush Moving Pictures — Deluxe Edition (Mercury CD+Blu-ray) Music 5 stars Sound 5 stars *** SOUND + VISION 2011 REFERENCE BLU-RAY *** Moving Pictures? More like Moving Mountains. This 1981 touchstone ably frames the crafty Canadian trio’s shift from its progressive/hard-rock roots by positioning the new wave and reggae influences even more at the fore. It’s a concise masterpiece that serves as the centerpiece of the ongoing 30th anniversary Time Machine tour, and it’s the star of a brilliant DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround-sound mix on Blu-ray courtesy of longtime collaborator Richard Chycki. Chy

Gibson has a new 'Best of List'; this time focusing in on the Top 10 Rock Trios of all time. In the article, which is titled Three’s Company: The Top 10 Rock Trios , Rush came in at the #3 spot. Here's what Gibson had to say about the band: 3. Rush Via regular reinvention, perseverence and undeniable musicality, Rush have reached legend status. It’s a weird set-up: drummer Neil Peart writes the lyrics; Geddy Lee has a “unique voice” and manages to play bass/synths/footpedals and sing it all simultaneously. Alex Lifeson continues to chop out riffs and solos that all bear his unique signature. Rush remain a band no one would ever have invented, yet they remain huge after 37 years together. Even Rush instrumentals can send a crowd ballistic… Rounding out the Top 10 were Cream at the #2 spot and The Jimi Hendrix Experience coming in at #1. Pretty exceptional company, wouldn't you say? View the entire top 10 list at this LINK . Thanks to Eric from Power Windows f

Comedy's Central's long-running animated show South Park included a Rush reference in last night's episode titled Royal Pudding (Season 15, Episode 3). Here's the official synopsis of the episode: The prince of Canada is about to take a princess and thousands have gathered for the royal wedding. Ike Broflovski is obsessed with it. When they're about to get married, the princess is abducted. All Canadians must find her, and Ike answers the call to arms. In the episode, Rush are playing live, performing at a candlelight vigil for the princess. They're playing a very Rush-infused version of Candle in the Wind . During the song, Geddy sings the verse, "... it seems to me you lived your life like a flower breaking wind..." after which he promptly breaks his own wind which is followed by Alex, distraught over the kidnapping, shooting himself in the head. The scene ends with Geddy breaking down and crying. The full episode is now online and can be vie

Rush is sponsoring a new contest where you can win the band's entire music catalog, along with the 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of Moving Pictures , an autographed Moving Pictures lithograph and a concert tour program from the original 1981 Moving Pictures tour. In order to enter, you need to play -- successfully I might add -- some online Rush-related games, the first of which is a classic 'Find the Difference Between the Two Pictures'. A modified version of the cover of Moving Pictures is used in the first game where you need to spot 8 differences between two subtly different images. Better yet, the quicker you locate the differences, the higher your score and the more likely you are to continue with the contest. For complete details on how to enter and play, click HERE . Good luck, everyone!

MusicRadar just announced that Sabian Cymbals is holding a contest where two lucky people will get an on-stage tour of Neil Peart's kit by none other than Neil's drum tech Lorne Wheaton. From the article: There are many drummers through history who warrant legendary status, but few are more deserving than Rush's prog drum prodigy Neil Peart. Excitement in the UK drum community has hit fever pitch this month as Neil and the band are about to hit British soil as part of their Time Machine tour. Thanks to the guys at Sabian Cymbals , we are pleased to offer a once in a lifetime experience to two lucky Rhythm readers. 

 Enter this exclusive competition and you, along with a friend, will be in with a chance to meet Neil's right-hand man, drum tech Lorne Wheaton who will take you onstage for a guided tour of Neil's phenomenal drum set-up ( click here for a sneak preview ). The kit tour will take place at London's O2 Arena on Wednesday 25th May, and the prize als

With Rush about to embark on a five-date stop in the United Kingdom next week, Alex Lifeson took the opportunity to speak to both The Star and Journal Live UK . In The Star article titled Rush Hour ... Or Three , Alex touches upon a variety of topics including a look back to the development of the band and their sound during the 'Moving Pictures' era: “It was a new era, a new decade, music was changing. We were reaching our late 20s, excited about where we were going as a band. We were getting away from longer, more involved pieces of music to shorter, economical songs, so it was a heady time for us. And then the success all of a sudden, having much larger audiences, was probably the biggest change for us.” You can read the entire article via this LINK . The article appearing in the Journal Live UK is titled Preview: Rush at Metro Radio Arena . Here, Alex talks about the impact on Rush's popularity from the documentary Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage as well as th

Ahead of Rush's first ever appearance in Ireland this coming Thursday, Geddy Lee was interviewed by DJ Marty Miller of the Irish Radio station Radio Nova . The interview, which aired earlier today, was part of a larger hour-long Rush special which also included Rush's lighting director Howard Ungerleider. Geddy discussed a number of topics during the interview, most notably why Rush had never before visited Ireland. He also touches upon the anniversary of 'Moving Pictures', the Time Machine Tour, his love of wine, and his deep friendship with both Alex and Neil. The interview is available as an MP3 file (20.5mb) via this LINK . It should also be available as a podcast on Radio Nova's website in the near future. Thanks to Ed from RushIsABand for recording the interview. Related News Stories [ Rush Resume their Time Machine Tour in Europe -- First Stop: Helsinki, Finland - May 4th, 2011 ] [ Geddy Lee Speaks to the Irish Times - April 28th, 2011 ] [ Ru

The latest issue of Spin Magazine includes an article titled Playlist: The 30 Greatest Instrumental Songs Ever . Rush's YYZ from Moving Pictures is included among the 30 'Best of' list: Rush, "YYZ" (1981) With Moving Pictures, Geddy Lee and Co. proved they were mightily virtuosic, historically nerdy (rendering the letters "Y-Y-Z" in Morse Code via various musical arrangements), and capable of damn catchy melodies. Then, of course, there's the drum solo. Check out the entire list of 30 instrumentals via this LINK . Thanks to reader Kirk Bedevian for passing along the news.

MusicRadar has published an article titled Alex Lifeson Talks Moving Pictures: Track-by-Track where, as the title suggests, Alex Lifeson talks about each track on Rush's seminal classic. From the article: “It was a beautiful time,” says guitarist Alex Lifeson, recalling the summer of 1980, when he and his Rush mates (singer-bassist Geddy Lee and drummer-lyricist Neil Peart) rented a house in Stony Lake, Ontario and wrote their eighth album, Moving Pictures, together. “We’d spend the weeks working, and on weekends we’d drive back to Toronto. Rehearsing, figuring out arrangements – everything just flowed. Electricity was in the air.” On the following pages, Alex Lifeson walks us through Moving Pictures track-by-track. “It’s a very optimistic album,” he says. “There’s a brightness about it, which I think is why people respond to it so much. Playing it live every night is interesting – The Camera Eye, which we hadn’t performed in a long time because it’s pretty difficult, has n

Last month, we reported that Rush appeared on the cover of Issue #16 of the UK magazine Classic Rock: Prog. The magazine had a lengthy spread on Rush, consisting of five separate articles as well as a review of the Deluxe Edition of Moving Pictures . One of the articles, titled Like Clockwork? is a discussion with Geddy Lee on the writing and recording process behind Rush's forthcoming album Clockwork Angels . Here are some excerpts from the article: "We're going in a conceptual direction on this record, for sure," says Lee. "We started with a 10-minute song idea that then turned into a concept and it's feeding off itself. It's like that question that Steven Colbert asked us in the movie. 'Are your songs so long that by the end you're influencing yourself?' I think we're doing that now. We're like a feedback loop, influencing ourselves now. We're spending so much time on this concept. It's been fun, because we haven'

In the May issue of Classic Rock magazine, Alex Lifeson chose Pete Townshend as his pick for "The 100 Greatest Songwriters" in rock. Lifeson, a die-hard Who fan, explained, "The Who were always a major influence on everything that Rush ever did, from the very start. While I'd never question the Beatles' right to be regarded as the greatest songwriters in history, nonetheless what Townshend did with the Who made more of a mark on us. What he's generated is an amazing body of work, with songs so diverse yet also connected by the fact that we're dealing with a man who wasn't ever afraid to give us a glimpse into his world, his thought process, (and) the way he dealt with his problems." It's hard to argue with Alex's point. He went on to say, "(He) made me aware that it was OK to for a great musician to prove he wasn't infallible. That's great quality we've never forgotten in Rush. . . It's so hard to choose just o

Rush is set to take the stage again tonight at the Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland, beginning the European leg of their 2011 Time Machine tour. This marks the second time Rush has performed in Finland; the first time occurring on October 29, 2007 during the Snakes & Arrows Tour . Following the show in Helsinki, Rush will play a dozen dates throughout May, including additional stops in Sweden, their first-ever stop in Ireland, Scotland, five shows in the UK, Holland and Germany. The band will then take another week-long break before returning to the United States to close out the 2011 Time Machine Tour with 13 dates that will take place primarily across the western US. (Click HERE for all the dates). For all of our European friends who are seeing Rush over the course of the next month, have fun and take some pictures! For numerous pictures from the first leg of the tour, click HERE . Related News Stories [ Geddy Lee Speaks to the Irish Times - April 28th, 2011 ] [

Dave Clark, the former drummer of the Rheostatics has a new band called The Woodshed Orchestra . The band have just released their new self-titled album which includes a track called Geddy Lee . The 2 1/2 minute song includes the following lyrics: Geddy Lee is a Canadian National Treasure playing the bass in the greatest rock band ever All around the world people flock to see our Geddy Lee play. "Limelight" and "Twenty One Twelve" and "Tom Sawyer". How many kids living in the Great White North started up a band because Rush seemed the sort of guys who would encourage you to start up a band! How many kids! Their CD is available for purchase or download via this LINK . You can also watch a video of the band performing Geddy Lee below or at this HERE . Thanks to Dave Clark for passing along the links and news.

The Black Sea Station's new album Transylvania Avenue includes two guest appearances by Geddy Lee. According to Rounder Records , the label distributing the album, Transylvania Avenue is a collection of traditional and original Klezmer and Rumanian music. Another Rush connections stems from the fact that the album was produced by Ben Mink; the longtime Rush friend and collaborator. From Rounder's website: This collection of traditional and original melodies comes from a band of musicians that straddle the North American continent and the traditions of Klezmer and Rumanian music. On this, their debut CD, The Black Sea Station displays a love and respect for their Eastern European roots. They bring this world to life in various scenes - a wedding, an intimate café, village streets, quiet moments and celebrations - all reflecting on and celebrating the rich history and culture of their heritage. Geddy makes an appearance on the track When I Close My Eyes where he pla

The Geneva Centre for Autism , an organization which has been helping autistic children and their families since 1974, will be holding their annual gala and art auction, The Autists , on May 17th at Koerner Hall, Telus Centre for Performance and Learning in Toronto. Prior to the event, the center will be holding an online silent auction which, among other items, will include a 2011 Les Paul Studio guitar donated by Gibson and signed by Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart. For more information, please click HERE . Many thanks to Eric from Power Windows for passing along this news about this great cause.

It's been nearly two years since long time Rush and philosophy author Durrell Bowman, along with co-editor Jim Berti announced that they were creating an anthology of various information on the topic of Rush and Philosophy. The final product, a 288 page paperback book, is now available and shipping and can be ordered HERE via Amazon.Com. Below is an excerpt from Amazon: Fiercely independent of trends, Rush has maintained a clear mission and purpose throughout their career. With a unique sound, best described as the "Rush sound," the band has been able to blend thought-provoking lyrics and music for almost four decades. The Rush style of music can trigger the unusual combination of air-drumming, air-guitar, singing along, and fist-pumping, just as much as it can thoughtful reflection and deep thinking, making Rush "The Thinking Man's Band." Rush and Philosophy does not set out to sway the public's opinion, nor is it an awkward gushing of how much t