Rush To Test New Approach With Next Album
Rush fans worldwide are awaiting the next studio album, which is due to be released sometime next year. This time the group will be trying something new: Going into the studio right after the completion of their “Time Machine” tour to wrap up the work that remains to be done on the new album. They are shooting for a spring release, but that appears to be a rough estimate at this time.
According to guitarist Alex Lifeson, the new album, Clockwork Angels, is a little more than half done, and it sounds like they are looking forward to coming off their tour and diving right back into recording. This is a break with tradition, which usually saw Rush hit the road following the release of a new album, and then taking some time off before returning to the studio.
With Clockwork Angels, Rush will be recording the last half of the album while still in “top playing form.” It will be interesting to find out if there is any discernable difference between the energy level and musicianship when the tracks recorded before the tour and the tracks recorded after the tour are compared.
Two tracks from the new album have already been released online, giving fans a little taste of what’s coming. “Certainly these two songs are pretty heavy indications of where the record’s going,” according to Lifeson.
The “Time Machine” tour is five days away from kick-off in Albuquerque, and will mark the first time the band will perform one of their albums in its entirety. Rush’s 1980 album, Moving Pictures, was the album that Lifeson says, “…took us to the next level.” He also gives credit to drummer/lyricist Neil Peart for the idea of showcasing the entire album during the tour.
In other news from the world of Rush, the group has enlisted the help of an old friend for the unveiling of their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame tomorrow. Donna Halper has been recognized as a major influence that helped Rush break into the U.S. market back in 1974, when she was the music director for WMMS in Cleveland.
Halper has remained in touch with Rush through the years, and will be on hand at tomorrow’s ceremony to introduce the band. The group never forgot the helping hand that Halper offered when they were still relatively unknowns here in the U.S. and decided to invite her to be a part of the festivities as an acknowledgement of her contribution to the group’s success.
“For once, the good guys win,” Halper is quoted as saying – a sentiment that is probably shared with millions of loyal fans. Halper also makes an appearance in the award-winning Rush documentary, Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage.
Not that Rush fans are likely to need reminding, but the documentary is scheduled to be aired on VH1 and VH1 Classic Saturday.
More on these stories can be read on Billboard and The Boston Globe.
