In an audio special that is billed as an exclusive by Boston-area rock radio station WAAF, Rush fans can hear comments from each member of the group and a number of tracks from the latest release, a compilation entitled Rush Retrospective 3.

From the band’s humble beginnings where they had hoped to achieve five or so years of success to the present day which bassist and lead vocalist Geddy Lee refers to as “hyper reality,” when the group shares an onstage moment of realization that they have achieved a level of success they had not dared imagine more than three decades ago.

No comprehensive examination of the group’s history can avoid the tragic events in drummer Neil Peart’s life in the late 1990’s which nearly disbanded the group permanently. Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson talk about the series of events that led up to the group’s reformation after five years apart as Peart found his own unique way of dealing with tragic loss of both his daughter and wife in a relatively short span of time.

Among more recent topics covered included comments from Geddy Lee regarding their rare television appearances on Comedy Central’s Colbert Report last summer. Although the group has historically shied away from television appearances through the years, Lee says that they have softened their position on that issue and are now much more open to those kinds of opportunities.

This special is obviously very professionally-produced and sounds as if it was intended for syndication purposes, although, as mentioned earlier it is referred to as exclusive by WAAF.

The content of the special is mostly tracks from Retrospective 3 with comments and stories from the band in between. Although much of the information presented will not be new to Rush fans, it seems there is always a new tidbit or two that has not surfaced before and casts new light on the inner workings and thoughts behind the music that has earned the trio a fan base whose dedication is second to none.

The three-part special is available on WAAF’s website.