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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.

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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

Classic Rock Briefs For October 13, 2008

Ageless and Defiant, AC/DC Stays on Top Without Going Digital

The popularity of Aussie hard rockers AC/DC continues on with no end in sight, despite their rejection of new distribution channels, like digital downloads. Their new album, Black Ice, is scheduled for release on October 20 and will be available only at Wal-Mart which plans to set up special sections and displays for the new release. Full Story.

AC/DC Finds The Answer

In case you’re wondering, the question was: “Who is going to open for us on our up-coming tour?” And, ironically enough, the answer is The Answer.

The Answer, a group from Northern Ireland has accepted AC/DC’s invitation to open for them starting on October 28 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. It will be The Answer’s U.S. debut.

"It is an honor and privilege for The Answer to be offered the opportunity to support probably the greatest rock ‘n’ roll act on the planet," frontman Cormac Neeson said in a prepared statement. "We are incredibly humbled." Full Story.

Music is a RUSH for these guys

As a long-time Rush fan, I’m a bit ashamed to admit I’ve never heard of RushCon. A celebration of the Canadian rock trio that is described as “the annual summer convention of Rush fanatics held in the group’s birthplace city.”

Rush tribute band Limelight made their way to RushCon this year and obviously impressed the assembled fans with their ability to belt out the Rush favorites. Full Story.

Tags: AC/DC, Black Ice, Limelight, Rush, RushCon, The Answer, tour

New Live DVD Set Coming From Rush

Not all that long ago, Canadian rock trio Rush wrapped up their Snakes & Arrows tour, and headed home for a well-deserved break from the road. That does not mean that group is done making news, however.

Announced yesterday on the group’s official website was word that a brand-new 3-disk DVD set is in the works, and is set for release on November 25th by Zoë Vision/Anthem Entertainment. Snakes & Arrows Live sounds like a DVD set that no serious Rush fan will want to be without.

Filmed with 21 high-definition cameras in full 16:9 wide screen format, and available on Blu-Ray DVD, the featured concert footage was shot during two nights of the group’s show at the Netherlands’ Ahoy Rotterdam arena during October, 2007. There is also some additional footage in standard-definition that was filmed in Atlanta just a couple of months ago during July.

In addition to the performance footage that one can normally expect with a set like this, there are some extra features that showcase “the still emerging comedic talents of both Alex and Geddy who excel (and revel) in their roles as wild characters,” according to the press release on the group’s website.

Collector’s quality packaging will enclose this new DVD set, and also offers a choice of Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound or PCM Stereo for a superior audio experience. It was mixed by frequent collaborator Richard Chycki (who has also worked with Aerosmith and Mick Jagger). The total running time for the set is a little over 3 and-a-half hours, which should provide a very satisfying dose of Rush for their dedicated fans.

The track list for this set is as follows:

Disk 1:

1. Limelight
2. Digital Man
3. Entre Nous
4. Mission
5. Freewill
6. The Main Monkey Business
7. The Larger Bowl
8. Secret Touch
9. Circumstances
10. Between the Wheels
11. Dreamline

Extras:

1. What’s Thats Smell (DVD Content)
2. 2007 Tour Outtakes
3. What’s That Smell Outtakes
4. Far Cry (Alternate cut featuring rear screen footage)
5. The Way the Wind Blows (Alternate cut featuring rear screen footage)
6. Red Sector A from the R30 Tour

Disk 2:

1. Far Cry
2. Workin’ Them Angels
3. Armour and Sword
4. Spindrift
5. The Way the Wind Blows
6. Subdivisions
7. Natural Science
8. Witch Hunt
9. Malignant Narcissism - De Slagwerker
10. Hope
11. Distant Early Warning
12. The Spirit of Radio
13. Tom Sawyer

Encore:

1. One Little Passage
2. A Passage to Bangkok
3. YYZ

Disk 3:

Oh, Atlanta - The Authorized Bootlegs

1. Ghost of a Chance
2. Red Barchetta
3. The Trees
4. 2112/The Temples of Syrinx

Tags: DVD, Release, Rush, Snakes & Arrows Live

VH1 Classic Reveals Fall Programming Highlights

From the looks of VH1 Classic’s programming this fall, I’d say there is something for just about every classic rock fan to look forward to over the next few months,

A few days ago, I mentioned Rush Hashanah, which airs on September 29, at 7:00 PM, but that’s just the beginning of the classic lineup that’s on the schedule.

Next up is a special program dedicated to Bob Dylan entitled VH1 Classic Celebrates Dylan, which is scheduled for October 7 at 8:00 PM. Included will be the classic 1965 D.A. Penebaker documentary Don’t Look Back featuring behind-the-scenes moments with Joan Baez, Donovan and Alan Price, and Dylan’s iconic opening of "Subterranean Homesick Blues."

October 19 is a day AC/DC fans might want to get out of bed a bit earlier than normal. It’s a Sunday, which might make a normal "sleep in" weekend day a bit rough for fans without a DVR, Tivo or, dare I say, VCR. That is the day VH1 Classic has decided to call AC/DC Day, and it comes just two days before the release of the group’s new album, Black Ice. The 24 hours of AC/DC-only programming will feature archival footage of the Aussie rockers, BBC concerts, and one of the groups most seminal performances, "Live at Donnington."

In another clever play on words, 6:00 AM on October 31, otherwise known in this part of the world as Halloween, will mark the beginning of another marathon called WHOlloween. This special program is packed with sweet treats for fans of The Who, which will include VH1 Rock Honors: The Who, VH1 Classic Rock Doc: Amazing Journey - The Story of the Who, Classic Albums: Who’s Next, BBC Electric Proms: The Who and On Tour: The Who Virtual Ticket. At 9:00 PM fans will be treated to the premiere of The Who Live at the Isle of Wight.

On Thursday, November 27, which marks the Thanksgiving Holiday here in the U.S., VH1 Classic will present VH1 Classic Gives Thanks for Pink Floyd. I suspect Pink Floyd fans might also be thankful for the more reasonable hour chosen for the start of this presentation, which is 11:00 AM. This program will include documentaries including The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story, and Pink Floyd: Which One’s Pink? It will also recount the story behind the making of one of Pink Floyd’s most influential albums: Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon. The program will end with an encore presentation of the band’s iconic movie The Wall, and the premiere of David Gilmour: Live in Gdansk, which is soon to be released in various formats, which include CD and DVD.

In addition to these specials, VH1 Classic is also launching a new series called VH1 Classic All Time Top 10. The show will air every Friday at 10:00 PM, and will feature one specific artist or genre of music on each episode. Some of those planned for the spotlight are Def Leppard, Madonna, Van Halen, male singers, female singers, metal and more. The show will be hosted by Mark Goodman, whom I believe was a VJ for MTV back in the early days of music video.

All show times are reported to be ET/PT. For more, visit MarketWatch.

Tags: AC/DC, Fall Programming, Pink Floyd, Rush, The Who, VH1 Classic