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Showing posts from February, 2016

Geddy Lee and Producer Terry Brown Talk 2112 In New Interview

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The March 2016 issue of MOJO Magazine, which features the late David Bowie on the cover, includes a Rush-focused article/interview titled Rush Make 2112, 1976 . Both Geddy Lee and long-time Rush producer Terry Brown talked about the impact 2112 had on the success of Rush, as well as some unexpected negative impacts the album's release had. From the article: Sales were slow at first. And then we had that terrible thing in England with the NME. 2112 was speaking out against totalitarianism, but the NME called us fascists. It made zero sense. Ayn Rand had a very controversial image as an anti-socialist and extreme right-wing capitalist, but that was a side of her work that was not of interest to us. My father Morris and my mother Mary were both in Auschwitz for a time, so I was really deeply hurt by that NME story. At that time in Britain, the press was hunting down anything that sniffed of fascism. I can't blame them for that. But they got the wrong guys with us. I am not

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Discuss Rush's Past and Future in new Sound Opinions Interview

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Both Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson were guests on Friday night's episode of Sound Opinions , a program that is part of Chicago's Public Radio station. The nationally-syndicated radio talk show, which focuses on rock music, is hosted by Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot. From the announcement: Rush & Opinions on Kanye WestFamous for its instrumental virtuosity and heady, sci-fi influenced lyrics, the Canadian prog-rock trio Rush has amassed an obsessive cult following. Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush join hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot to discuss the band's remarkable 40-year career. Then they review the latest album from polarizing rapper Kanye West Yes. Kanye West. Putting that piece of the interview aside, components of the interview focused on the future of Rush. Ed Stenger from RushIsABand transcribed those portions of the interview which included Geddy and Alex's responses about the future: Alex: I think right now we don't have any plans for anything. K

Hear Wintersleep's Soaring Song With Rush's Geddy Lee

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Though Rush is currently on an extended hiatus, that certainly hasn't impacted Geddy Lee's desire to continue to make music, even if it isn't with his band. Recently, Geddy lent his bass-playing skills on a track for the Canadian indie-rock band Wintersleep. Rolling Stone reports: When Canadian indie-rock band Wintersleep were recording their new album, The Great Detachment, they got sidetracked chatting about their love for one of their country's most famous musical exports. "We were talking about how amazing Rush was ... and how incredible Geddy Lee is," Paul Murphy, the band's lead singer, told Rolling Stone. "He can sing these incredibly complex melodies with complex lyrics, while playing perhaps even more incredibly complex bass parts, while also operating foot pedals. If there was an instrument he could play with his eyeballs, I'm sure he'd be able to!" Coincidentally, later that same night, the band ran into trouble while fine

Rush Named Top Canadian Band of the Year in 2016 Music Express Awards

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Winners of the 4th Annual Long & McQuade Music Express Awards have just been announced with Rush taking home the honors of Top Canadian Band . From the announcement: The winners of the 4th Annual Long & McQuade Music Express Awards reflect a diversity in many musical facets as Canada enjoyed one of the most productive years in its musical history with strong representation in Pop/Rock, R&B/Rap and Contemporary Country divisions. In an unprecedented photo finish, RUSH edged out Blue Rodeo for Top Canadian Group by a margin of only 27 votes! Rush were also nominated in the category of Best Live Act of 2015, however they fell to Bryan Adams in that category. Rush will receive a special microphone award, courtesy of Award sponsors, Long & McQuade. Click HERE for more information on the awards and a listing of some of the other winners.

Geddy Lee talks Rush's 2112 Track-by-Track in New MusicRadar Interview

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MusicRadar has just posted a new interview with Geddy Lee where the Rush frontman discusses the band's 1976 classic album 2112 , track by track. From the article: For an album set in a far-distant, dystopian future yet also celebrating its 40th anniversary later this April, there’s a small sense of irony in feeling the years have been kind to 2112. The fourth studio album from Rush sounds just as inventive and thrilling today as it did the day of its release – perhaps even more so when considering the long list of musicians that have drawn inspiration from the Canadian progressive rock master’s greatest opus. “Our fanbase is intense in their curiosity over what we’re about,” says singer/bassist Geddy Lee. “Maybe it’s something they sense in us, the fact that we are who we are. Nobody’s pretending to be something; we’re generally trying to play as hard as we can and make it as interesting as possible. And maybe that engenders a response to the authenticity of our work… it’s an

Rush Moving Pictures Signed and Framed Limited Edition Photo Set Coming in April

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To commemorate the 35th anniversary of the release of Moving Pictures , the Rush Backstage Club is offering a limited edition signed & framed photo set from the album's era: Limited to 100 sets, the Moving Pictures Photo Set contains three iconic photographs taken during the Moving Pictures Tour by renowned rock photographer Philip Kamen. Printed on high-quality photographic paper, each photo has been hand numbered and then signed by the respective band member, and every frame comes with a designated Certificate of Authenticity indicating both the photo and its number in the collection. Note that each piece will have a matching number (e.g. 3/50) to the other two in the set. Frames are approximately 17" x 17" (43 cm x 43 cm) and are made of molded plastic with glass.Limited to 100 sets, the Moving Pictures Photo Set contains three iconic photographs taken during the Moving Pictures Tour by renowned rock photographer Philip Kamen. Printed on high-quality photog

Clockwork Lives Nominated for an Audie Award

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Congratulations go out to Kevin J. Anderson, Neil Peart, and all others who were involved in the audiobook version of Clockwork Lives , the follow-up to the novelization of Clockwork Angels . The book has just been nominated for an Audie Award. The Audie Awards recognizes distinction in audiobooks and spoken word entertainment sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association (APA). 2016 is the 21st year of annual Audies Awards. Finalists were announced in 25 categories and Clockwork Lives received a nomination in the category of Multi-Voice Performance . Others involved in the audiobook version of Clockwork Lives include Morgan Hallet, George Guidall, Richard Poe, Jim Jenner, Tandy Cronyn, Pete Bradbury, Barbara Rosenblat, Brian Hutchinson, Luis Moreno, Lynne McCullough, and Jonathan Todd Ross. For more information on the Audie Awards, and to view other nominees, please click HERE . Clockwork Lives can be ordered HERE . Related News Stories [ Clockwork Lives: The Bookselle

Rush Basks In the Limelight of Moving Pictures - 35th Anniversary Vintage Interview

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North American syndicated Rock radio show and website InTheStudio: The Stories Behind History’s Greatest Rock Bands rolls out the red carpet for the thirty-fifth anniversary of Rush’s most successful album, Moving Pictures . "...Sales alone do not convey the importance of their eighth studio album Moving Pictures to Rush’s long career, nor to rock music itself. “Music was changing,” Rush lead singer/composer Geddy Lee tells us in this InTheStudio episode, and without Lee, guitarist/composer Alex Lifeson and drummer/lyricist Neil Peart embracing the fresh musical ideas in the crosswinds of the early Eighties with songs “Tom Sawyer”, “Red Barchetta”, “Limelight”, “Vital Signs” and “Witch Hunt”, it is doubtful that a path to mainstream success would have been cleared for later major bands including Metallica, Queensryche, Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, Dave Grohl’s Foo Fighters, Tom Morello with Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, and Dream Theater..." InTheStudio h

Rush's Early Years: Exclusive Interview with Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson

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Classic Rock Magazine has just posted a new, exclusive interview with both Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson on their TeamRock+ section of their website. Titled Rush's Early Years , the interview discusses the 50+ year friendship of Geddy and Alex and "...the story of the band’s formative years: their school days and early adventures in music, the struggle to make it, the difficult birth of the first Rush album, the tough decision to fire original drummer John Rutsey, and how the subsequent arrival of Neil Peart – drummer and lyricist – completed the classic Rush line-up that survives to this day..." From the article: 1973 Alex Lifeson: We made a single, a cover of Not Fade Away – based more on the Stones’ version than the Buddy Holly original. It was a song that people knew and could identify with, rather than an original Rush song. The feeling from management was: let’s do something that people will get as an introduction. I think that was bad advice. Playing that song

40th Anniversary of 2112 Featured in the February 2016 Issue of Prog Magazine

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Update (02/13/2016): The issue of PROG magazine has now been described. You can read each of the three feature articles that appeared in the issue via this LINK . Enjoy. Update (02/10/2016): The article from Guitar World is now ONLINE . Enjoy- Next month marks the 40th Anniversary of Rush's pinnacle album, 2112 . In celebration of the event, Prog Magazine's 63rd issue (February 2016) highlights the album on the cover and includes a feature story on Rush. From Prog's website : The brand new issue of Prog is on sale today, and we celebrate 40 years of Rush's iconic 2112 album... It was the album that pretty much saved the band's career and remains one of their most popular. Ironically we also discuss with the band themselves what the future might hold for the band following the recent R40 tour amid a raft of rumours suggesting the end might be in sight for Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart. The issue is on sale now in the United Kingdom and should be ava

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