PROG Magazine's August 2014 issue included a compiled list of the 100 Greatest Prog Albums of All Time as voted on by "Thousands of readers and musicians..." While no Rush albums cracked the Top 10 on the list, there were five albums in total from the band's catalog that did appear throughout the list. Those albums, and their positions, were: 69. Permanent Waves (Rush) 53. A Farewell to Kings (Rush) 23. Hemispheres (Rush) 15. 2112 (Rush) 13. Moving Pictures (Rush) The albums occupying the Top 3 spots were: 3. Selling England by the Pound (Genesis) 2. In the Court of the Crimson King (King Crimson) 1. Close to the Edge (Yes) Of all the bands that were represented on the list, only Yes (7), Marillion (6), Pink Floyd (6) and Genesis (6) had more albums. The entire list, including the comments on the five selected Rush albums, can be viewed online via this LINK .

As a follow-up to his 2011 book FAR and AWAY: A Prize Every Time , Neil Peart and ECW Press have just released Far and Near: On Days Like These : Whether navigating the backroads of Louisiana or Thuringia, exploring the snowy Quebec woods, or performing onstage at Rush concerts, Neil Peart has stories to tell. His first volume in this series, Far and Away , combined words and images to form an intimate, insightful narrative that won many readers. Now Far and Near brings together reflections from another three years of an artist’s life as he celebrates seasons, landscapes, and characters, travels roads and trails, receives honors, climbs mountains, composes and performs music. With passionate insight, wry humor, and an adventurous spirit, once again Peart offers a collection of open letters that take readers on the road, behind the scenes, and into the inner workings of an ever-inquisitive mind. These popular stories, originally posted on Peart’s website, are now collected and cont

Earlier this week, the line-up for the 7th Annual Scott Medlock-Robby Krieger Invitational Golf Tournament and All-Star Concert was announced and Alex Lifeson will be among the line-up of stars and musicians taking place in the charity event. From the announcement : The seventh annual Scott Medlock-Robby Krieger Invitational Golf Tournament and All-Star Concert will return to Moorpark Country Club on Mon., Sept. 22 for the benefit of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The event will be hosted by artist Scott Medlock, renowned for his paintings in the world of sports, and Robby Krieger, the legendary Doors lead guitarist. The event has raised nearly $1 million for St. Jude, and the fundraising goal this year is $300,000. Microsemi Mercedes-Benz of Long Beach, Waste Management and Monster Energy are sponsors of the day-long event, which will kick off with a golf tournament at 10:30 a.m., followed by a 19thhole reception presented by A La Maison, Mastro's Steakhouse and

Today marks the 62nd birthday of Rush drummer and lyricist extraordinaire Neil Peart. Neil (born Neil Ellwood Peart) came into the world on September 12th in 1952 Hamilton, Ontario. He grew up in Port Dalhousie, Ontario, Canada (now part of St. Catharines) working the occasional odd job including the role of a Parts Manager for his father Tractor Supply company. His true ambition, however, was to become a professional musician. During adolescence, he floated from regional band to regional band and dropped out of high school to pursue a career as a full-time drummer. After a discouraging stint in England to concentrate on his music, Peart returned home, where he joined local Toronto band Rush in the summer of 1974. And the rest, as they say, is history. Join me in wishing Neil a very Happy Birthday - and many happy returns.

Durrell Bowman , the co-editor on the 2011 book Rush and Philosophy: Heart and Mind United will be releasing another Rush-inspired book this November. Titled Experiencing Rush: A Listener’s Companion , this latest Rush offering in print will attempt to "guide" the reader through Rush's extensive history. From the Amazon Listing : In Experiencing Rush: A Listener’s Companion, music scholar Durrell Bowman guides readers through Rush’s long career, explaining through the artful combination of biography, history, and musical exegesis how to listen to this unique act. From Rush’s emergence as an early blues-rock power trio of guitar, bass, and drums into the godfathers of progressive hard rock, Bowman marks the band’s first breakthrough with its landmark, sci-fi/individualist album 2112. From there, readers explore Rush’s movement from “prog rock” extended compositions into shorter, potential-radio-play “post-prog” songs, leading to Rush’s most successful album Moving Pict

Update (09/17/2014): Rush.Com have formally announced the R40 Box Set and have included more details behind the bonus disc. Click HERE for all the details. Update (09/14/2014): Amazon is now taking pre-orders for both the 6 Disc Blu-Ray and 10 Disc DVD version of the box-set. Release date for both is November 11th. Update (09/11/2014): It now appears that the box set will also be offered as a 10 disc DVD set . The UK-based website SpinCDs has just listed a new box set coming from Rush this November. The six Blu-Ray box set, titled R40 , will contain Rush's five most recent live concert films including Rush in Rio, R30, Snakes & Arrows Live, The Time Machine Tour and the Clockwork Angels Tour). The sixth disc will include some special bonus features. From the listing: 2014 marks the 40th anniversary of the release of Rush’s eponymous debut album in 1974. This superb collector’s box set brings together live performances by Rush from each decade of their career. It inclu