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Showing posts from December, 2012

2112 Re-enters the Billboard Top 200 Album List

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With the re-release of Rush's classic album 2112 in a Deluxe remastered package last week, the album has re-entered the Billboard Top 200 Album List , coming in at position #138. The Deluxe Remastered edition of 2112 includes: • 2112 remastered in 5.1 and released on CD, DVD and Blu-Ray disc. • 40-page comic book by story artist Tom Hodges (“Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” The Simpson’s “Treehouse of Horrors #17”). • Expanded artwork, liner notes, lyrics and unreleased photos. • Brand new liner notes by David Fricke, Rolling Stone. There are three versions of the Deluxe edition of 2112 available for pre-order on Amazon.com: 2112 [CD + Audio DVD Deluxe Edition] - $19.88 2112 [CD + Audio Blu-Ray Deluxe Edition] - $28.27 2112 [CD + Audio Blu-Ray SUPER Deluxe Edition] - $56.82 To view the complete liner notes, images and comics from the Super Deluxe Edition of 2112, click HERE . Related News Stories [ Rush to Release iBook for 2112 - December 14th, 2012] [ Deluxe R

Eddie Trunk Interviews Alex Lifeson on his Holiday Rush Radio Special

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Eddie Trunk and Mike Portnoy hosted the first-ever Holiday Rush Radio Special during the Friday Night Rocks segment from New York City's Q104.3. The special, which aired live last night for three hours from 11pm, was created to commemorate "Rush Day". In addition to discussions between Eddie and Mike, and numerous Rush songs being played, the highlight of the radio special was a 35+ minute phone interview with Alex Lifeson. During the interview, Alex talked about the Clockwork Angels album and tour, the new 2112 Deluxe Edition package, and Rush's future including their upcoming 40th anniversary. While Alex didn't reveal any specifics, it appears that the band has already made tentative plans well into 2014. You can listen to most of the 3-hour special via this LINK or the embedded player below. Thanks to Ed from RushIsABand for the links.

Holiday Rush Sled Race - Happy Holidays!

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2012. Clearly a year that will go down in Rush history. Between the release of their critically acclaimed concept album Clockwork Angels to the beginnings of their sold-out world tour to their nomination and induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - 2012 has certainly been a good year for Rush and Rush fans alike. To help ring in the 2012 Holiday Season, I've created a Rush-infused Sled Race video; fitting for three boys from the Great White North, wouldn't you agree? ☺ If the video does not appear in the player below, you can also view it at this LINK . May the new year bring you peace, joy and happiness.  Happy Holidays, everyone!  -John

Clockwork Angels Named Top Album of 2012 by T-MAK World

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In their annual ranking of the top albums of the year, T-MAK World, Toronto's site for music, movies and culture has named Rush's Clockwork Angels as the top album of 2012. Here's what the site had to say about Rush's latest release: Hometown heroes Rush keep on going strong - not only did they get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 they also released one of the best records of their career. Clockwork Angels is the band at its hard rocking best. The record is a concept album based on a steampunk world full of alchemy and magic. Society is ruled by the loving Watchmaker that dictates every move of his citizens. The Watchmaker has an opponent known as The Anarchist who likes to disrupt the perfect order of the world. In essence the album (and subsequent book) is based on a classic struggle of order and chaos and questions which one is better for humanity. Bassist/Vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer Neil Peart are widely regarde

Celebrate International Rush Day with Rush Day YouTube Channel

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December 21st is upon us and, outside of the coming apocalypse, 21/12 has always been celebrated as 'International Rush Day'. This year, there is a special celebration worthy of mentioning. A group of Rush fans have created a special "Rush Day" YouTube Channel which contains tribute covers of numerous Rush songs; all performed on their instruments of choice. There are over twenty amateur artists who have submitted their videos which were created specifically for this "Rush Day" channel. The videos will online on December 21st. You can tune in via this LINK . Below is an introductory video for the channel. Thanks to Martin Ford and Ben King for passing along the news.

Rush Nominated for Two Q104.3 "The Year That Rocked" Awards

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Update: (01/07/2013): The votes are in and Rush won in both categories they were nominated in. Click HERE for all the results. Thanks Rich Rhodes for the info! New York City's Rock Station Q104.3 has launched their first-annual Q104.3's The Year that Rocked Awards for 2012. Rush has been nominated in two categories - Classic Rock Album of the Year for Clockwork Angels and Best Live Performance for their Clockwork Angels World Tour. Voting for each category is open to the online public and available at this LINK . Voting will continue through the morning of 12/31. The winners will then be announced later that day. Many thanks to Alexis Greenan, the Interactive Producer for Q104.3 for passing along the news.

Author VIP Editions of Clockwork Angels: The Novel Up for Auction

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Kevin J. Anderson, the author of Clockwork Angels: The Novel is auctioning off two "ultra-rare" copies of the novel. The copies for sale are #107 and #110 (out of 150). Neither copy were ever made available for sale to the public, are signed by both Kevin and Neil Peart, and come directly from Kevin J. Anderson himself. Also, similar to the 'Silver Edition' novels offered up a few months back, these novels come in beautiful slip-covers and arrive shrink-wrapped. Kevin is auctioning off these rare novels to help support his friend Sean who is battling Brittle Bone Disease. For complete information on this auction, please click HERE . In addition to the auction, those willing to donate to the cause may do so via PayPal by using this email address: [email protected] . Thanks to Tracy Mangum for providing the information.

Rush Reference on Saturday Night Live

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The December 15th airing of NBC's long-running Saturday Night Live included a Rush reference during the Weekend Update segment of the show. "Anchorman" Seth Myers talked about the recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction announcement, indicating that Donna Summer, Rush and Public Enemy were part of the Class of 2013 inductees. A insert photo of the three artists was then displayed as Myers joked "Who are those other two?" said the fans of any one of them. We're still waiting to get a video of the segment. In the mean time, a screen capture is available at this LINK . Thanks to everyone who alerted me to this news and to Ed from RushIsABand for the screen capture.

Neil Peart News, Weather, and Sports Update - December 2012 - "Adventures in the Wild West"

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Neil Peart has posted another updated to the "News, Weather, and Sports" section of his website. In this December 2012 entry, titled "Adventures in the Wild West", Neil discusses his motorcycle travels during the third leg of Rush's Clockwork Angels tour which primarily took place during the month of November. The dates during that leg, as the title of this entry suggests, took place in Seattle, California, Nevada, Arizona and finally Texas. On the subject of riding through Texas, Neil had this to say: Texas truly is a country unto itself, beyond all the clichés, and its people are equally varied and unique. For example, it still remains true that rural Texans are the most courteous drivers in the country, perhaps in the world. Riding the two-lanes (which Brian was also delighted to see posted at 70 mph), cars, pickups, and larger trucks will pull right onto the shoulder as you overtake them. Sometimes you’re not even thinking about passing them yet, but ar

Rush to Release iBook for 2112

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Rush have just announced that, in addition to the Deluxe reissue of their classic album 2112 in 5.1, they will also be releasing their first-ever ibook. From the announcement: On December 18, 2012, RUSH will release their first ever iBook for 2112. The iBook will consist of unpublished pictures, black and white ink art and pencil sketches for every comic book cell, and preview music for the newly remastered Mastered for iTunes (mFit) audio of 2112 with 3 bonus live tracks. Originally released in 1976, 2112 was the creative and commercial breakthrough album. With lyrics written by Neil Peart, 2112 kicks off with the ambitious seven-suite title track (originally side one), set in a futuristic world run by the “Priests of the Temples of Syrinx” who regulate “every single facet of every life,” which includes books, music, work and play. “2112” conveys the story of humanity’s instinctual, inner need for one’s free will. iBook content includes: • 40-page comic book by story artist

Rush Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2013

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Update (12/12/2012): Smashing Pumpkin's frontman Billy Corgan comments on Rush's induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Click HERE to view the video. Thanks Steve Pavlopoulos ! Update (8:00pm EST): Click HERE for the video of the induction announcement. Update (4:45pm EST): Geddy Lee discusses the induction during a phone interview with Rolling Stone Magazine. Update (4:30pm EST): Alex Lifeson commented on the induction during a phone interview : "First of all, it's all water under the bridge and it was a very tiny bridge," he said in a phone interview from his home in Toronto. "I think our fans are more upset than we were because they feel a real bond to this band and it's been an important part of their lives in some form, and to be snubbed was snubbing them at the same time." “Perhaps there were times when I thought if this ever happens I'm not going to bother going, or who cares or whatever, but at the end of the day positive k

Liquid RUSH: Digging into Alex Lifeson's Wine Cellar

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Episode #70 of the Drink Bravely with Mark Oldman web series features an inside look at Alex Lifeson's personal wine cellar. From Mark's site: Mere days before we learn if legendary rockers RUSH will finally be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Mark provides another exclusive glimpse into the diverse wine cellar of guru guitarist Alex Lifeson. Alex reveals his penchant for Syrah-based reds from Australia and France, Madeira from Portugal, and even Aquavit from Scandinavia. You can view the video entry at this LINK or via the player below: This isn't the first time Oldman featured Rush in one of his web series videos. Back in 2010, he also featured Alex in a video discussing Geddy & Alex's week-long winemaker internships they took in at the Joseph Phelps Winery and at Turley Wine Cellars. Thanks to reader Alf Philips for the news!

Classic Rock Magazine's Band of the Year Features Rush

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Upate (12/07/2012): You can now read the entire article on Rush at this LINK . The United Kingdom's Classic Rock Magazine has just announced that their latest issue will be released with a "quintet of different front covers", one of which features Rush. This is in connection with their selection of the Band of the Year for 2012. From Classic Rock: Led Zeppelin… Rush… the Rolling Stones… Black Country Communion… Rivals Sons… But which is really Band Of The Year? The greatest albums, bands, gigs, bust-ups and more. This is what rocked our year… The new issue of Classic Rock is dedicated to The Best Of 2012: the ultimate review of the past 12 months. The Albums Of The Year. The Songs Of The Year. The Stories Of The Year. And, most importantly, The Bands Of The Year! We’ve produced five different front covers featuring Led Zeppelin, Rush, the Rolling Stones, Black Country Communion and Rival Sons. Each is a worthy candidate for the honour of Band Of The Year. But wh

Rush Confirms North American Clockwork Angels Tour for 2013

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It's official. Rush have formally announced the continuation of their Clockwork Angels tour through North America next year. The band just posted this on their website : Thanks to all the fans who came out to see the Clockwork Angels Tour 2012! It was an amazing run - from the Clockwork Angels String Ensemble, the filming in Dallas & Phoenix, and YOU. It proved, once again, how dedicated and loyal the Rush fans are and are such a part of the overall show. Europe, are you ready? Clockwork Angels 2013 in Europe is on sale now. And just because we had such a good time, we are now making plans for more dates in the spring and summer of 2013 in North America - so stay tuned for more announcements. Looking forward to seeing you out on the road again soon! Great news, indeed! Unfortunately no mention of dates in Latin/South America in 2013 were part of the announcement this time out, but hopefully the band will shed some light on possible dates in those areas soon. We'll have

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2013 Inductees to be Announced on December 11th

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Update: According to this article , the induction announcement will take place at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles this Tuesday at 11 a.m. PT. Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea will announce the respected performers who will make up the Rock Hall’s Class of 2013. It's been almost two months since fans across the globe were stunned when the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced the Class of 2013 nominations which included, at long last, Rush along with fourteen other nominees. Along with the nomination, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame instituted another first; a fan ballot allowing people to vote via an online poll . The results of the online poll, which Rush dominated, would count as one single vote towards the overall count for induction. However that one vote, which Rush obtained, would be counted along with votes from approximately 600 members who make up the voting committee for the Hall of Fame. One of those members, music critic Michael Norman, indicated

Rush for Robe on Clockwork Angels Lighting Feature - 2013 North American Tour Confirmed?

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A new article from Robe Lighting regarding the extensive lighting arrangements for Rush's Clockwork Angels tour was just published on the Robe website. The article discusses Rush's lighting and show designer Howard Ungerleider's concepts for the show and how it was accomplished by ROBE: Toronto-based Howard explains that they let him “Run wild” with the concepts and are extremely supportive of his ideas, as well as very appreciative of the ‘art’ in lighting. With this creative freedom, he has evolved many spectacular and surreal spaces in which they have performed, allowing – by now – several generations of fans to enjoy their music live. However, the most intriguing aspect of this news story is the apparent confirmation that there will be a North American tour in 2013. The article ends with the following statement: The tour continues in the U.S. into Spring 2013 and is then scheduled to visit Europe before returning to North America for the rest of the summer, when it

Clockwork Angels: The Watchmaker's Edition Coming March 1st

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Brilliance Audio has just announced that a special "Watchmaker's" edition of Clockwork Angels: The Novel will be released on March 1st, 2013. From the website: Clockwork Angels: The Watchmaker’s Edition features the unabridged audiobook edition of Clockwork Angels, a novel by bestselling science fiction author Kevin J. Anderson, based on the new concept album by the legendary rock band Rush. This compelling steampunk adventure is read by Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart, who first conceived the story for the band’s latest release. This special edition features the complete, unabridged audiobook packaged in a unique, working upright clock tower designed by the band’s album cover artist, Hugh Syme. Intricately themed and largely handmade, this is a beautiful and functional design piece that will be a must-have for Rush fans and steampunkers alike. There was some confusion surrounding the release date of this item as several online stores indicated that the release d

Rush Clockwork Angels Tour Update: 2012 Leg Now Complete

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Last night, before another sold-out crowd at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, Rush closed out the 2012 leg of their Clockwork Angels world tour. The tour began back on September 7th in Manchester, New Hampshire and spanned a total of 35 dates across the United States and Canada. As we've been reporting since the tour began, Rush continued to keep things fresh by shuffling the set list each night; adding and dropping songs along a somewhat predictable path. All of the set list changes are available HERE . Rush will now break for nearly five months before resuming the tour next year on May 22nd in Manchester, England. They are currently scheduled to play ten dates across Europe in 2013. There have been numerous rumors indicating that the band will also continue the tour during the Summer of 2013 across the U.S. and Canada as well, or perhaps play some dates prior to the trip across the pond. Talk of dates in Latin and/or South America continue to surface as well, but unt

Rush 2112 Reference on Fox's American Dad

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Sunday night's episode of American Dad including several Rush references throughout the episode. The episode, titled Error Guitar (Season 8, Episode 5), opens with Steve and Snot air-guitaring to 2112: Overture in their garage. Later, Stan (Steve's father) and Snot are air-guitaring to 2112 once again. In addition, a house/apartment seen in the episode has the #2112 on it. You can view the opening air-guitar clip at this LINK or via the viewer below. While this is the first Rush reference in an episode of American Dad , it's not the first time one has appeared in a Seth MacFarlane series. Back in November of 2006, Tom Sawyer was playing in the background of a scene with Chester Cheetah while he proclaimed that "There is no *^&$#*@ better drummer than Neil Peart". See the clip HERE . Then in an episode that aired in January of 2007, a 2112 sighting was spotted on a billboard. Click HERE to view a screen capture from the episode. Thanks to ever

Neil Peart Jet City Interview Now Online

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Jet City , the Seattle-based digital radio station, has posted a new interview with Neil Peart online at this location . The inteview was conducted by Michael Shrieve for his Notes from the Field program. This 40+ minute interview, which was originally conducted backstage at Seattle's Key Arena on November 13th during a stop on the band's Clockwork Angels Tour, centers around a number of topics including, of course, drumming, books and more. You can listen to the entire interview at this LINK . Thanks to RushFanForever for passing along the news.

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