Andy Greene of Rolling Stone magazine recently conducted an interview with Geddy Lee where the two discussed the progress on Rush's forthcoming studio album Clockwork Angels as well as the Time Machine Tour DVD, touring and more. What's the status of the next album? We're almost finished writing. We wound the machine back up about three weeks ago. After a sluggish start, we've had a very fruitful couple of weeks in terms of writing. I'm very pleased with the direction that the material has taken. And I think we have one or two more songs that we'd like to write, and then we'll start recording in earnest. Hopefully we'll have all of the recording done before Christmas. Then we'll mix it some time in the next year, and then get it out. Wow. So it'll be out sometime early next year? Yeah. I hope it'll be out by the spring anyway. Is the sound of the album similar to Snakes and Arrows? I think it's a little different than Snakes a

Over the years, there have been a number of Rush tribute albums published, ranging from straight-up rock equivalents to thrash metal versions of Rush classics to a number of classical music interpretations of early Rush tracks. Now we can add another musical genre to the list of Rush tributes - a lullaby version. That's right, the company known as Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Rock Star has released an 11-track CD of Rush classics, all toned down and softened. The tracks range from Rush's debut album through to Signals and include such favorites as The Spirit of Radio, Limelight, Red Barchetta and The Trees . A lullaby version of the Trees. Now I've truly heard everything. :-) You can purchase the CD via Amazon as well as download the tracks on iTunes . Thanks to RushFanForever for passing along the news.

The theatrical release of Rush's Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland launches tonight across the U.S. and Canada. The theatrical debut in the United Kingdom will occur on November 1st. Theater locations and showtimes are available at the D&E Entertainment website (see: www.rushtimemachinepremiere.com . Unlike the edited version of Live in Cleveland that aired on VH-1 earlier this month, the theatrical version will represent the entire concert! The Buffalo News posted a great review of the film: "...What the Canadian trio has been able to accrue since its formation at the dawn of the 1970s is displayed throughout “Time Machine 2011,” the new concert documentary presenting the band as it appeared in April before a packed house at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. It all comes down to the devout fan base that has supported this heavy prog-rock outfit from the beginning. These are folks familiar with every lyric, able to air-guitar their way through every solo, and

A short article appeared on MusicRadar today where Alex Lifeson looks back in time and discusses Rush's first release 45rpm single - Not Fade Away with the B-side original You Can't Fight It From the article: "...we decided it was the perfect time to speak with guitarist Alex Lifeson about Rush's first recorded work...some 38 years ago. Back in 1973, way before they were full-time, totally awesome stadium and arena-fillers, Rush, then comprised of Lifeson, Geddy Lee and the band's original drummer, John Rutsey (Neil Peart joined in 1974), issued a single on their own Moon Records label. The A side was a cover of Buddy Holly's Not Fade Away and the B side was a Lee/Rutsey original called You Can't Fight It. As you might expect, the 45 was raw, loose, rocking and bursting with youthful charm. Alex Lifeson picks up the story: Not Fade Away "Man, we were very young when we did this! We were playing the clubs and didn't know better. Beca

It was two years ago when we first introduced an exciting artistic project undertaken by UK digital artist Graham Whieldon. Graham, an exceptionally talented artist, decided to create artwork based on the songs of Rush: Creative inspiration is often hard to come by, but Rush as a catalogue of reference is a strangely untapped motherlode. Songs are stories, they provoke images with their lyrics as any written or spoken story does. Stories have been illustrated for millenia, so why not songs? His first Rush-inspired piece which was based on Rush's The Fountain of Lamneth . Now his second work, based on the classic Red Barchetta , is finally available . I wanted to paint the car not during the chase but after, in it's quiet, rural setting. This painting is about the heady smell of old oil and dust and leather and the memory of the chase in the droning lazy scent of a late country afternoon, a brief snapshot of a calm place between the lyrics. I can hear muted water running

Sean Murphy of PopMatters has posted a fantastic, in-depth review of Rush's seminal classic Moving Pictures : Every band, if they are lucky, is able to create a definitive work—a document that embodies their unique qualities. Most great bands, at some point in their career, successfully produce an enduring statement. Some artists, like The Beatles or Pink Floyd, are able to capture—or create—the Zeitgeist on more than one occasion On the other hand; there are plenty of worthwhile and beloved bands who have never quite been capable of distilling the necessary ingredients of a classic recording. Finally, there are those almost unfathomable works that only a handful of bands can claim credit for. These exceptional albums are wholly original yet fully accessible and remain influential and imitated long after their release. Moving Pictures is, without any question, not only Rush’s masterpiece, but one of those rare albums that epitomizes an era. It represents both a culmination an

Neil Peart will be the cover story in the December 2011 issue of Modern Drummer Magazine . The magazine cover features Neil behind his Time Machine Tour kit and includes the sub-heading Rush's Neil Peart: The Modern Drummer Interview . The December issue will hit the newsstands on November 1st. You can order/subscribe to Modern Drummer via this LINK . Modern Drummer has also reviewed Neil's instructional video Taking Center Stage where they wrote "...If you’re a Peart devotee, you’ll drool over the detailed shots of the concert performance revealing all of the intricate details of those classic parts. The overhead shots and slow-motion footage are particularly revealing of Neil’s complex choreography..." You can read the entire interview via this LINK . Thanks to Ed from RushIsABand for passing along the news.

Rush's sound engineer, Rich Chycki has posted an update to his blog where he provides a brief recording update on Rush's forthcoming album Clockwork Angels along with some information on the upcoming Rush "Sector" box set series. Regarding Clockwork Angels , Rich had this to say: ... Currently, Rush, producer Nick Raskulinecz and myself are reconvening to complete the recording of Rush's next studio album Clockwork Angels. Sorry, no timeline for completion yet ... Good news there that progress on the album is continuing. And regarding the Rush "Sector" Box Set series, Rich had this to say: ... Based on the strong feedback from the Moving Pictures 5.1 remix, Universal Records had asked me to remix Fly By Night, A Farewell To Kings and Signals in surround to be included in their 'Sector' series of box set releases currently underway. Like Moving Pictures, all the multitrack masters I worked with were transferred from the original analog ta

I've just uploaded one of the largest updates to the site in quite some time. The Complete Rush Videography page where you will find detailed information on every Rush Video Collection, Concert Film, Documentary and more. Similar to how each Rush album is presented, the Videography section of the site leads you to individual pages on every Rush video/film. You'll find complete liner notes, essays, track listings, Easter Egg information, trailers and more. And, of course, all of the package images are also represented, most in high-resolution. Over 300 images in all! You can check out Rush's complete Videography library at this LINK . Enjoy-

We're saddened to announce the passing of Freddie Gruber; the drumming legend that inspired many drummers through the years including, of course, Neil Peart. Freddie died on October 11th at the age of 84. As well as being a respected jazz drummer, Freddie enjoyed a long and successful career as a drum teacher. In adddition to Neil Peart, he counted drum heavyweights such as Dave Weckl, Steve Smith and Vinnie Colaiuta as among his students. Last year Freddie's was honoured by Zildjian for his lifetime of achievement in the drumming world. Read more about Freddie's history via this LINK . Our condolences go out to Freddie's friends and family. Below is a segment from Rush's Beyond the Lighted Stage documentary that featured Neil Peart and Freddie Gruber. The man will be missed.

The reissuing of Rush's back catalog of music during their Universal/Mercury Records days is nothing new. However Rush will now receive an interesting "Box Set" treatment. According to the Universal Music Group, three distinct Rush "Sector" Box sets will be released this November 21st. Within each "Sector" box set, one album will receive a 5.1 surround sound treatment. From the Universal Music Group's Distribution Infosheet: "On November 21st, Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) celebrates the legacy of Canadian rock trio Rush with the release of three separate six-disc box sets which together spans their entire historic Mercury Records recording career. Each 'Sector' contains five of their 15 Mercury albums in chronological order, all transferred to high resolution 96kHz/24-bit and digitally remastered for optimal quality. In addition, each volume includes and exclusive booklet packed with unpublished photos, original album lyrics

Using excerpts from his Far and Away: A Prize Every Time book, Neil Peart and his riding partner Brutus have put together a 2012 Wall Calendar called appropriately Bubba's Far and Away Calendar 2012 . Bubba’s Bar ’n’ Grill Presents the FAR AND AWAY Calendar for 2012 Bubba and his sidekick Brutus have put together some of their favorite images and excerpts from the book FAR AND AWAY: A Prize Every Time, by their friend and best customer, Neil Peart. (Among regulars, that book is affectionately known as “F ’n’ A.”) From Yellowstone National Park to the winter woods of Quebec to the highways of North America, South America, and Europe, each month offers a scenic escape and some words to ponder. Order now, in time for the Pagan Midwinter Festival! The calendar is now available for pre-order and is set to be released October 17th. Thanks to Ed from RushIsABand for passing along the news.

Update: November 1st, 2011 The auction is over and Alex's painting sold for $7,000 ! Update: October 20th, 2011 The auction is now underway. Click HERE to access the auction for Alex's painting. Good luck, all. As he has done numerous times in the past, Alex Lifeson has donated one of his personal paintings to the Kidney Foundation of Canada's A Brush of Hope project. Lifeson's painting, along with artwork from many other Canadian artists will be auctioned off to raise money for the charity. The auction will take place at eBay.ca between October 20th and 30th. Simply type "kidney foundation" into the search field and Bid away! The proceeds from the auction will support all Canadians and help the Kidney Foundation reduce the burden of kidney disease. For more information on The Kidney Foundation of Canada and the Brush of Hope project, please check out their website and/or their official Facebook Page . Thanks to RushFanForever and Melissa '

A number of updates have been made to the main website ( www.takingcenterstage.net ) for Neil Peart's upcoming instructional video Neil Peart Taking Center Stage: Lifetime of Live Performances . Among the changes are the addition of several video clips and trailers, including Neil discussing the complexities playing Rush's Limelight live, how he, Geddy and Alex went about selecting the setlist for the Time Machine Tour and more. In addition to all the changes made to the website , Hudson Music is also running a Facebook Contest where one lucky winner will receive a signed Neil Peart Anatomy of a Drum Solo poster! About the instructional video: Filmed in various locations over the course of a year, Neil Peart takes you on a behind-the-scenes look at Rush's 2010-11 Time Machine tour. This includes rare and exclusive footage of Neil's personal pre-tour rehearsals and backstage events at a Rush concert (including a visit to the soundcheck, and an unprecedented back