Rush Video Re-Releases And New Album Plans

Recent news from Billboard includes a brief conversation with Rush Guitarist Alex Lifeson, who reveals the group’s intention to re-release several classis live performance videos on DVD.

Available previously only on VHS tape, Exit…Stage Left, Grace Under Pressure Tour and A Show of Hands will all be re-released on DVD with new re-mixed 5.1 sound.

At this point, Lifeson hints that a boxed set may be the form this release takes, but he did not completely close the door on the possibility of individual releases either.

Asked about plans for any new solo material, Lifeson says he pretty much satisfied that urge a few years back with his 1996 release of Victor. I’m personally glad to hear that. I love Alex as much as any Rush fan, but I’m afraid that applies only to the work he does with Rush.

I don’t want to be too hard on the guy, but I had a chance to listen to Victor, and was surprised to discover just how much better he is when he’s in the company of Geddy and Neil. If you have not heard it and are expecting it to be anything like Rush, you will be seriously disappointed. I honestly don’t know how to describe it other than to call it poor quality heavy metal. I listened to it maybe twice and that was all I could stand.

Geddy Lee’s solo album on the other hand, My Favorite Headache, was much better and I actually enjoy that, although that isn’t terribly reminiscent of Rush either. I do hear certain elements that remind me of Rush however, and I’d have to say they every track on the whole album was quite listenable for me.

Rush is definitely a band that works best together and thankfully they plan to continue to do that. Lifeson repeated recent comments he made elsewhere regarding the group’s plan to enter the studio early next year to begin working on a new album.