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Classic Rock Briefs For November 19, 2008

New Rush DVD Close To Release As Group Takes A Break

Although I have not seen it yet, the new live DVD coming on the 25th sounds like a good one. As someone who is less impressed with lightning fast cut-away shots from camera to camera and more impressed with having the opportunity to actually watch a great group of musicians like these guys play, I’m looking forward to getting a look at this one.

Snakes & Arrows Live, recorded at the Ahoy Rotterdam Arena in the Netherlands last October is said to have taken a  different approach than earlier DVDs from the group. “With this one we wanted to focus on the playing," according to Geddy Lee. "So a lot of the camera work features the interaction between Neil, Alex and myself, a lot of the details that you don’t normally cover in a DVD performance.”

Lee also said that Rush is “a little burnt out right now,” and is planning on taking a break for a while. He does sound confident that they will start writing again in the future although he’s not specific about when that will be. Full Story.

Snakes & Arrows Live is currently available for pre-order at Amazon.com.

Chris Squire Talks About History of Yes and Feelings About Rock And Roll Hall of Fame

As the latest incarnation of the veteran progressive rock group continues their tour with stand-in frontman Benoit David, bassist Chris Squire takes some time to talk about his experience as the only member of the group who has remained continuously through their 40 year history.

When asked about not being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, Squire responds, “Who knows, I don’t know what you do about that. They just seem to have some anti-prog rock thing going on within their voting committee, and it’s just incredible that we’ve never been put forward.”

Personally, I think Squire is onto something. The fact that groups like Yes and Rush have yet to receive invitations for inclusion into the Rock Hall is a bit ridiculous, and the people in charge of making those decisions need to re-think some of them.

The decision makers out there in Cleveland should recognize the important contributions and outstanding musicianship demonstrated by both Yes and Rush, to name just two. Both groups have a very significant and dedicated fan base and have probably sold more albums than many artists who have been honored by being included among the other inductees. Full Story.

Paul Stanley Radio Interview Available Online

KISS fans might want to head over and check out the recent audio interview with guitar man Paul Stanley. He talked with the folks at radio station WBPM Classic Hits 92.9 in the Hudson Valley area of New York and commented about the group’s plans for a new album and possible tour. Full Story.

Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler And Joe Perry To Appear At American Music Awards

This Sunday marks the date for the 36th annual American Music Awards, which will be hosted this year by Jimmy Kimmel, and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry are scheduled to make a special appearance at the event.

Fans who want to catch Tyler and Perry should tune in or set their DVRs for 8:00 PM (ET) Sunday night on the ABC television network which will be broadcasting the event live from the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. Full Story.

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Tags: Aerosmith, American Music Awards, Chris Squire, DVD, Paul Stanley Interview, Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, Rush, Yes

Efforts Ramp Up For Rush Hall of Fame Induction

I’m not sure there is any more intense hot button issue with dedicated Rush fans than the group’s omission from the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame. Now it appears at least one blog author at Wired magazine believes the group deserves a place among the other rockers in that famous institution.

Wired blogger Scott Thill contacted a source at the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame and inquired about the chances of getting answers to three questions from readers — who also happen to be Rush fans — regarding the whole issue of the group’s exclusion.

The article resulted in 500 responses, which was said to be record-breaking – perhaps even breaking a site-wide record for reader responses.

To summarize, fans noted that Rush has 24 gold and 14 platinum records to their credit, with an impressive 40 million units sold worldwide. Also touted are the musicianship of the individual members of the group, who few are likely to argue with, I suspect.

There’s also the fact that the group is still together and still working, having released a new album not long ago and finished up an extensive tour in July.

Finally, fans asked if Jann Wenner – co-founder of the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame – simply dislikes Rush, and as a result, has excluded the Canadian trio from induction due to his personal feelings.

As the article points out, the ball is now in the court of the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame and we’ll be listening for any response. The 2009 inductees have already been selected and Rush seems to be absent from the list yet again.

Although comments from the group indicate that they are not losing any sleep over their exclusion, it’s clear that many fans believe that it’s high time they received the honor they have earned. As they say so often in the world of sports: “Maybe next year.”

Tags: Fan Questions, Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll, Rush, Wired

Rush Fan Takes Dedication To New Heights

When we New Englander’s think of Salem, Massachusetts we most often associate the city with things like haunted houses and witches. The city’s infamous history as the location of the Salem Witch Trials in 1692 live on today, although most often utilized in a fashion that lends itself more to the benefit of the tourist industry and steering clear of the hideously inhumane series of events that actually took place there.

Ironically, Rush included a track entitled “Witch Hunt” on their Moving Pictures album, that embodies the hysteria of those dark pages from the annals of our nation’s history.

It is in the historic city of Salem where we find Rush fan, artist and musician John Kane, who is undoubtedly one of the world’s most dedicated Rush fans. As a fan of the Canadian progressive rock trio since 1986, who has seen more than 25 Rush concerts at various locations around the world, Kane takes his Rush seriously.

Kane’s Rush-related artwork is soon to be available for public viewing at an event dubbed “Workin’ Them Angels: Rush through the Camera Eye”. The display will consist mainly of photographs that Kane has taken during three Rush shows that took place in the Boston area during their Snakes & Arrows tour.

“I wanted to show what it was like to be at a Rush show,” Kane said. “I was attempting to show Rush on stage from a fan’s perspective — showing the whole stage experience, capturing moments of each member in downtime, (during) solitary moments.”

For those in the local area who would like to view Kane’s work and for those dedicated enough to Rush to travel a bit, the event will take place on Saturday, November 8, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Front Street Coffeehouse, 20 Front St., Salem, Massachusetts.

And yes, there are fans dedicated enough to embark on a long trip to view Kane’s work. It is reported that a woman from Minnesota is on her way. What a rush indeed!

Read the full story at The Salem News.

Tags: Display, John Kane, Massachusetts, Photographs, Rush, Salem

New Interview With Alex Lifeson of Rush

In a new interview with Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson, Max Mobley – obviously a huge Rush fan himself – talked at length with Lifeson about his love for playing guitar and, of course, about Rush.

Some interesting highlights of the interview include word that the studio where the band recorded their most recent album, Snakes & Arrows, has gone out of business. Some earlier comments about Allaire studio back when the album came out revealed the group’s fondness for the unique atmosphere, and equipment that was available – something that Lifeson speaks of fondly again during this most recent interview.

For a moment, I wondered why a studio that was so highly regarded by musicians who worked there would be closing, but then Lifeson reminded me that this digital age we are living in has changed a lot about the way the music industry works these days. “But unfortunately, yeah, you can go anywhere now, take your Pro Tools, and make a record, and that’s what everyone is doing,” he says.

Much like the comments we are hearing from other classic rock acts that are still touring these days, Lifeson mentions his appreciation for seeing more kids showing up for their shows, some as young as 9 or 10 years old.

Although it is sad to hear about studios like Allaire going out of business, I also suspect that the same digital revolution that put them out of business is partly responsible for exposing today’s kids to music from groups like Rush. It is so easy to download a song or an album from iTunes or Amazon these days, or hook up a video game with a plastic guitar to your television set and pretend you’re on stage with Aerosmith, Heart, Rush and other classic bands. Obviously, some of these kids recognize great music when they hear it!

A common theme that seems to run through most of the interviews with the guys from Rush is how they remained true to their own ideas and style, and did not compromise for the sake of commercial success or due to pressure from managers.

While on the subject of the group’s independence throughout their career, Lifeson take a bit of a swipe at The Police by saying, “We don’t want to be like the Police or like a nostalgia band that comes back and plays all the old hits. We want to keep growing and progressing and we want to mix our sets up with new and old stuff.” Whether we hear any response from Sting and company regarding that comment remains to be seen.

In his closing comments of the interview, it sounds like Rush isn’t entertaining any plans of retiring any time soon. With comments like "We are all in such great shape right now. We’ve been playing with such confidence and ease…” it sounds like they are as satisfied with their abilities as they have ever been, and if the other two members of the group are still in love with playing (and in the case of Geddy Lee, singing as well) their instruments as much as Lifeson is with playing his guitar, there is no reason to expect that Snakes & Arrows will end up being the last we hear from Rush.

You can read the interview in its entirety at Crawdaddy.

Another thing Lifeson mentions during the interview was how 2112 seemed to be an album that really defined what their style of playing and songwriting was, which makes for a nice segue into this next bit of Rush-related news.

Sean Scallon has an article at American Chronicle that draws some parallels between the story from 2112 and the global financial crises we find ourselves mired in currently. I can easily see his point, and perhaps the new Priests of the Temples of Syrinx have indeed assumed control, as he suggests.

From the way things look now, I’m guessing they have been in control for a while.

Tags: Alex Lifeson, interview, Rush, Snakes & Arrows

Classic Rock Briefs For Friday, October 17, 2008

Jimmy Page Says Led Zeppelin Does Not Desire A Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Although Page expressed his appreciation for the efforts of dedicated fan Rocky Dickerson, who organized a campaign to secure a star for the legendary rockers, Page’s spokesperson says, “He (Page) has asked me to thank you for this interest but he does not feel that this is something that he can endorse.” Full Story.

Geddy Lee And Neil Peart of Rush To Appear on Upcoming Radio Show

Always refreshing to hear compared with a lot of other rock stars, the guys from Rush often come across as a bit more down-to-earth and brainy, but usually manage to be pretty funny and entertaining at the same time.

Bass player Geddy Lee and drummer Neil Peart (sometimes referred to as “The Professor”) will join Joe Benson for his syndicated radio program, Off The Record, on Sunday, October 19. For the full scoop on what station you can hear the program on in your area, or on the net, check out the Off The Record website.

Eagles Return For CMA Performance This Year

Once again, the Eagles will be performing on the Annual Country Music Awards. Also scheduled to perform at the event are Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Trace Adkins, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney and The Wailers, Alan Jackson, Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, George Strait, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, and Keith Urban.

The 42nd Annual Country Music Awards will take place at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Wednesday, Nov. 12 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) and be aired on the ABC Television Network. Full Story.

Tags: CMA Awards, Eagles, Jimmy Page, Joe Benson, Led Zeppelin, Radio, Rush, Walk of Fame