| 1) What albums has the band released? Please refer to my Discography Page for lists of albums and songs and my Album Pages for more detailed information on each album. Additionally, several collections are available: Archives (includes Rush_, _Fly By Night_, and _Caress Of Steel) (Mercury SRM-3-9200 on LP) Rush Through Time (Mercury 6337 171 on LP) _Everything Your Listeners Ever Wanted To Hear By Rush But You Were Afraid To Play_ - this collection was targeted at radio stations. It was never officially released, and is extremely rare. It's a selection taken from FBN, COS and 2112. Rush - Profiled! - This CD was released to radio stations and is rather rare. It contains recordings of quotes, like "Hi, this is Alex Lifeson of Rush, and you're listening to the magic of radio," that a DJ can put on as a promo between songs. It also contains quite a few tracks of band members answering questions. The questions are printed in the liner notes, so a DJ can ask a question and play the CD of the appropriate person answering that question. The questions are mostly about Presto, since this CD was released shortly after Presto. Rush: The Roll The Bones Radio Special - Anthem, PF 10. Similar in concept to the "Profiled!" disk, for the album (I would've never guessed) Roll The Bones There's also an interview CD called "Rush -- The Story of Kings" out there. This CD contains no music. It is an interview with Alex around the time of HYF. (BAKTABAK CBAK 4055 on CD) * The Anthem release of ESL, available in Canada is [ADD], but the US CD is [AAD]. Some people have told me that their CD says [ADD] on the disc and [AAD] on the label. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) Are any Rush albums available on Ultradisc? Oh my yes! Moving Pictures, 2112, and Signals are all available on ultradisc. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) What album is (such and such song) on? Once again...Check my Discography Page, and Album Pages...OR go to the complete detailed rush discography available for FTP from ftp.uwp.edu for amazingly detailed information on this subject. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) When was (album) released? Here we go again!...(laughing)...one more time....pleas refer to my Discography Page or my Album Pages for more details. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) How many copies did (such and such album) sell? This is getting old i know...but...the status of each album is listed on my Discography Page! Assorted info about individual songs in charts: - "New World Man" made it into the US Top 40. - In the UK charts, Rush had the following Rel. Date Title Highest Weeks 11 Feb 78 Closer to the Heart 36 3 15 Mar 80 Spirit of Radio 13 7 28 Mar 81 Vital Signs/A Passage to Bangkok 41 4 31 Oct 81 Tom Sawyer 25 6 04 Sep 82 New World Man 42 3 30 Oct 82 Subdivisions 53 2 07 May 83 Countdown/New World Man 36 5 26 May 84 The Body Electric 56 3 12 Oct 85 The Big Money 46 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) What awards has the band won? - Juno awards: (1974) Most promising group of the year (1977) Group of the year (1978) Group of the year (1991) Best Heavy Metal Album (1991) Best album cover - "Presto" (1992) Best Hard Rock Album (1992) Best album cover - "Roll the Bones" (1993) Hall of Fame - Grammy's: (1982) Runner-up in Best Rock Instrumental "YYZ" - beat by The Police's "Behind my Camel" (1992) Runner-up in Best Rock Instrumental "Where's my thing" - beat by Eric Johnson's "Cliffs of Dover" - Geddy is in the Bass Hall of Fame for Guitar Player Magazine (he's won Best Rock Bass more than 5 times). - Geddy won "best Rock Bass player" in the 1993 "Bass Player" readers' poll. - Alex won Best Rock Talent in 1983 (I assume that it's on the same mag), and he was inducted into the Guitar for the Practicing Musician Hall of Fame in May of 1991. - Neil has received the following awards in the Modern Drummer magazine reader's poll: Hall of Fame: 1983 Best Rock Drummer: 1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985 Best Multi-Percussionist: 1983,1984,1985,1986 Best Percussion Instrumentalist: 1982 Most Promising New Drummer: 1980 Best All Around: 1986 Best Recorded Performance: 1981: Moving Pictures 1982: Exit... Stage Left 1983: Signals 1985: Grace Under Pressure 1986: Power Windows 1988: Hold Your Fire 1989: A Show of Hands 1990: Presto 1992: Roll The Bones 1994: Counterparts 1986 Honor Roll: Rock Drummer, Multi-Percussion As a member of the Honor Roll in these categories, Neil is no longer eligible for votes in these categories. The band received a "Lifetime Achievement" award from Musician's Institute in Hollywood, CA on January 23, 1992. The band also received "The Seventh Annual Musicians of the Millenium Award" from the Harvard Lampoon. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) Are any videotapes of the band available? This information is from the Midnight Star Mirror FAQ site. Polygram Music Video 60285 (1981) Exit...Stage Left Shot at The Forum, Montreal, Quebec March 27, 1981 Running time: approx. 60 minutes includes: Limelight Tom Sawyer The Trees Instrumental Xanadu Red Barchetta Free Will Closer To The Heart YYZ (with voice over) By-Tor and the Snow Dog/In The End/In The Mood/2112 Finale PMV 60607 (1986) Grace Under Pressure Tour Shot at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada September 21, 1984 Running time: approx. 69 minutes includes: The Spirit Of Radio The Enemy Within The Weapon Witch Hunt New World Man Distant Early Warning Red Sector A Closer To The Heart YYZ/2112: Temples of Syrinx/Tom Sawyer Vital Signs/Finding My Way/In The Mood The Big Money {video} The video for "The Big Money" is omitted from the European release of this tape. PMV 0741 760-3 (1989) A Show Of Hands Shot over a 3-night stand at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England April 21,23, and 24, 1988 Running time: approx. 90 minutes includes: The Big Money Marathon Turn The Page Prime Mover Manhattan Project Closer To The Heart Red Sector A Force Ten Lock And Key (laserdisc only) Mission Territories The Rhythm Method (drum solo) The Spirit Of Radio Tom Sawyer 2112/La Villa Strangiato/In The Mood PMV 60466 (1985) Through The Camera Eye (video compilation) Running time: approx. 44 minutes includes: Vital Signs Tom Sawyer [live, from Exit...Stage Left] Subdivisions Countdown Distant Early Warning Afterimage The Enemy Within The Body Electric PMV 082 765-3 (1990) Chronicles (video compilation) Running time: approx. 63 minutes includes: Closer To The Heart [live] The Trees [live] Limelight [studio] Tom Sawyer [live, from ESL with some minor changes] Red Barchetta [live, from ESL] Subdivisions [from Through The Camera Eye] Distant Early Warning [from Through The Camera Eye] Red Sector A [live, from the p/g tour video] The Big Money [the shortened MTV version, not the complete one from the GUP tour video] Mystic Rhythms Time Stand Still Lock And Key -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) What songs has the band made videos for? LOTS! The following list is complete as far as I know...Please correct me if im wrong! Anthem Fly By Night A Farewell To Kings Closer To The Heart % Xanadu Circumstances The Trees % La Villa Strangiato Tom Sawyer Tom Sawyer [live, from ESL] %# Red Barchetta [live, from ESL] % Limelight % Limelight [live, from ESL] Vital Signs # Subdivisions %# Countdown # Distant Early Warning %# Afterimage # The Enemy Within # The Body Electric # The Big Money %& Mystic Rhythms % Marathon [live, from ASOH] Time Stand Still % Lock And Key % Show Don't Tell The Pass Superconductor Roll The Bones Stick It Out Nobody's Hero % These videos appear on the Chronicles videotape. # These videos appear on the Through The Camera Eye videotape. & This video appears in its complete form on the end of the Grace Under Pressure Tour videotape. The shortened MTV version appears on the Chronicles videotape. Videos with no punctuation symbol next to them are not available on any home video compilation. If you want to see these videos, you have to find somebody who taped them from TV or copied them from somebody else's tape. Videos with the "live" comment are concert videos; all others have studio soundtracks. Some of these have minor edits to the soundtrack. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) Can anyone list everything else that the members of Rush have ever appeared on? Heavens to Bestsies!...talk about persnickity...lol...okay...here is as much as I could get off the Midnight Star Mirror FAQ.... Now I know that this is not liketly to be a complete list, so please send me any additions! "Universal Juveniles" by Max Webster (Rush in "Battlescar") 1980 (ANR-1-1027 Anthem) "No Static" by Wireless (Lee produced) 1979/80? "Great White North" by Bob and Doug McKenzie (Geddy singing "Take Off") 1981 (ANR-1-1036 Anthem) "Vignettes" by Marie Lynn Hammond (Lee on 2 tracks) 1983 (BTR 1002 Black Tie Records) "Boys Brigade" by Boys Brigade (Lee produced) 1983 (ST 12278 Capitol) "We Are the World" by USA for Africa with Lee in Northern Lights singing "Tears are Not Enough" 1985 (40043 Columbia) "Alien Shores" by Platinum Blonde (Alex on 2 tracks) 1985 (PCC-80105 Columbia) "Champion" by Jeff Berlin (Peart on 2 tracks) 1985 (Passport Jazz PJ 88004 A) Hear 'N Aid (1986 Polygram) <heavy metal famine relief thing> Live version of Distant Early Warning "Beyond Borders" by Canadian Guitar Summit (with Alex) July 1987 Guitar Player magazine (flexidisc) "Pieces of Eight" (Peart percussion compilation) May 1987 Modern Drummer magazine (flexidisc) "Serious Business" by Greenway (Alex doing solo in "In the Danger Zone") 1988 (81827-1 Atlantic) "Clean Slate" by Clean Slate (Alex produced) 1988 (ANM-1 5002 Anthem) (5 song EP) "Dream on the Horizon: A Tribute to the Olympic Spirit" by The Big Picture (Alex on 2 tracks) 1988 (WSC-331 Chartwell Records) "Smoke on the Water" (Mega-Rock Re-Mix)/Paranoid, by Rock Aid Armenia and Black Sabbath (Alex on guitar) 1989 UK ARMENT 001, ARMENTR 002, ARMENT 002 "Lost Brotherhood" by Larry Gowan (Alex on all tracks) 1990 (80160 Anthem) "Whale Music" by the Rheostatics (Neil on 3 tracks) 1992 (Intrepid Records, available in Canada) Call 1-800-663-1616 for info. "Burning For Buddy: A Tribute To The Music Of Buddy Rich" (Neil on 2 tracks) Produced by Neil Peart 1994 Atlantic Records 82699-2 "Ragged Ass Road" by Tom Cochrane (Alex plays guitar on some tracks) ** more info about the record would be appreciated ** CASSETTES: "Star Jam Series: Neil Peart Style" "Starlicks Guitar Lesson: Alex Lifeson Style" In the January 1986 issue of Modern Drummer magazine, while discussing his appearance on the Jeff Berlin album, Neil says that he "... did a similar thing with a musician named Ken Ramm in Toronto. That record was released in Canada." VIDEO: "1991 Buddy Rich Memorial Scholarship Concert" (Neil on a few songs) DCI Music Video For more information contact: DCI Music Video 541 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10011 Or call 212-691-1884 800-628-1528 Geddy sang "Oh, Canada" at the 1993 MLB All-Star game. (Thanks to Joel Rondeau for pointing this one out.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) Has Rush ever been on Saturday Night Live (SNL)? Now this one was a surprise....becaus I could have sworn that they had ben....but the answere is.... No. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) Rush seems to get mentioned a whole lot during Mystery Science Theater 3000. On Which shows do they get mentioned? Okay...once again...courtesy the MSM... From TNMS 1475, [email protected], came up with four: Time of the Apes: Tom Servo notices "Neil Peart on drums." Secret Agent Super Dragon: A long-haired brunette spy-lady draws this riff from Joel Robinson: "In this light, she looks like Geddy Lee." (And she does.) Operation Double 007: A dead body is wearing headphones. Tom: "He died listening to Rush." Joel: "2112." San Francisco International: A shipping crate of vital serum is marked "rush." Crow T. Robot: "Hey, guys, it's a crate of Rush albums!" All: "Whooo!" Later, over another shot of the crate, Tom says: "Serum. The new CD from Rush." More sightings from observers around the internet: Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster: Commenting on a letter, Joel says "Very trippy, and I bet you listen to Rush, don't you?" and later Tom Servo notes that Joel identified "The Rush Guy". Pod People: Tom Servo listening to the soundtrack: "Neil Peart on Drums" (Neil gets around on the Z-grade SF movies) Alien from L.A.: (I get a LOT of mail on this one. I've added it, okay?) Mike sees three guys who kind of look like the boys and says "Hey, it's the band Rush!". Girls Town: Someone in the movies calls for "Mary Lee", who isn't there, so Crow says "Well, then, is GEDDY Lee there?" The Deadly Mantis: Mike says "Man, I'm so baked right now. You gotta hear this Rush tape." Mike also reads Peanut's letter, talking about his "miraculous escape" to the year 2112. Hobgoblins: Someone is air-drumming when Tom Servo says "The true story of Neil Peart." The Touch of Satan: Mike starts the opening verse of "The Trees" but Crow stops him. Caught by yours truly: The Final Sacrifice: Crow: "Geddy Lee's birthplace" when Rowsdower and whatisface come across an abandoned cabin in the Canadian wilderness. Also the robots make fun of Canada, but Mike counters by saying "They gave us Rush!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) What was the first single released by the band? The A side was a cover of a Buddy Holly song called "Not Fade Away." The B side was a Lee/Rutsey song called "You Can't Fight It." NOTE: These songs are not on any Rush albums. If you want to hear them, you have to track down a copy of the single, which is very rare, or find somebody who has the songs on tape. There is no collection for sale that contains these tracks. If anyone out there knows of how to get a copy....wed all be glad to know im sure! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13:Are there any extra Rush songs that have been recorded and not used on an album? Good question...sooooooooooooooooooo.....From the "Horses Mouth....." "What we write is what you get on a Rush album. We don't.. we don't ever write extra songs. If a song isn't worthy to be on a record, we usually don't finish it, so it gets kinda tossed in the garbage. So, we may be the only band with a 20-year existence that has no material in the can, 'cause everything we've written has gone on record. So, you know, we're a great disappointment after.. if we all get killed in a car crash, or something like that, it would be a great disappointment to our record company." -- Geddy Lee, in the Counterparts era "Up Close" radio interview -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14) When the band plays live, do they use any additional musicians to play backup parts? No. ....all the music comes from the boys of the band themselves! The following excerpt is from the Geddy Lee interview in the October 1991 issue of Canadian Musician magazine: ( CM = the Canadian Musician interviewer, GL = Geddy Lee ) CM: It seems like you're making it very difficult for yourselves when it could be done a lot easier. You say it's an unwritten rule in the band, but... GL: Yeah. It could be a lot easier with another person. And I don't know why... We talked... Before the last tour we had very serious talks about adding another member. CM: Just for the tour? GL: Just for the tour, yeah - not in the band. But we came to the conclusion that our fans would rather see us use technology to try to pull it off than have somebody else on the stage. And I really think that that was the main reason why we opted to try to do it ourselves. We figured that people who have been coming to see us for 15 years would rather see us up there fighting our way through the show than hiring somebody else. We figured that technology was a more acceptable answer than not being a three-piece. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15) What is "Battlescar"/Max Webster? Who plays on it? What is the label/catalogue number for the Universal Juveniles CD? Where can I write to get it? Once again...this information is courtesy of the MSM... Max Webster is a Canadian band that used to open for Rush. "Battlescar" is a song from their Universal Juveniles CD that was done as a duet of the 2 bands. Max Webster - Universal Juveniles 1980 Mercury SRM-1-3855 [6337 144] Distributed by Polygram Distribution, Inc. Polygram 810 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10019 Write: The Anthem Entertainment Group Inc. 189 Carlton Street Toronto, Canada M5A 2K7 Tel: (416) 923-5855 Fax: (416) 923-1041 One more note: "Battlescar" has a subscript: "recorded live July 28th, 1980 Phase One Studios -Toronto-". -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16) Have any books been written about the band? Rush - Visions: The Official Biography (c) 1988 By Bill Banasiewicz (The B-Man) ISBN: 0-7119-1162-2 94 pages From: Omnibus Press Distributor: Music Sales Corporation Order number: 44387 (that's what my copy says, anyway) Music Sales Corporation PO Box 572 5 Bellvale Road Chester, NY 10918 Telephone: (914)469-2271 (ask for Kim) Success Under Pressure (c) 1984 By Steve Gett ISBN: 0-89524-230-3 48 pages From: Cherry Lane Books 110 Midland Avenue Port Chester, NY 10573 Rush (c)1982 By Brian Harrigan ISBN: 0-86001-934-9 80 pages The Putnam Publishing Group 200 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17) I heard that Neil Peart has published some of his writings. Can I buy any of them? Title: Raindance Over the Rockies Author: Neil Peart Date: 1988 Publisher: The Cumberland Press (Toronto) Neil has also written several articles and editorials, and in 1994, he coauthored a short story "Drumbeats" with Kevin J. Anderson for the horror anthology Shock Rock II. Neil has also written a book about his travels in Africa, called The Masked Rider, and another travelogue of -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18) I heard something about a Rush comic book. What comic book was it? Are we getting a bit esoteric here or what? The following is from the MSM: That was Defenders #45. It was dedicated to Geddy, Alex, and Neil of Rush on the first page. The story has an anti-collectivist theme to it. Since it was printed March 77 it makes sense that it would draw from "2112" to some extent. The Villain (Red Rajah) says, at one point, "Truth is false and logic lost, seek the Rajah at all cost." (winces) There is also a comic bio of the band from Rock & Roll Comics, issue #49. It basically tells the history of the band from its beginnings to "Roll The Bones." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19) What are some of the Rush newsletters out there? The Spirit Of Rush Published 4 times a year. Subscription for the next 4 issues: UK: #6.80, Europe: #10.00, Australia/NZ: #12.00 US/Canada: $20.00 (# = Pounds Sterling. All prices include postage.) Back issues: UK: #1.50 each, Europe: #2.00, Australia/NZ: #3.00 US/Canada: $4.00 (all prices include postage) Address for back issues, and UK/Europe/Australia/NZ subscriptions: 23, Garden Close, Chinbrook Road, Grove Park, London, SE12 9TG England Address for US/Canada subscriptions: A Show of Fans c/o Steve Streeter PO Box 292 Canton, CT 06019 UK readers should pay by crossed cheque or postal order, NOT CASH. Overseas readers should pay by bank draft or International Money Order, in STERLING ONLY please. If these are unavailable, cash sterling or cash dollars only. Personal cheques in foreign currency cannot be accepted. Cheques/postal orders/I.M.O/B.D. payable to The Spirit Of Rush US readers should pay by personal cheque payable to Ray Wawryzniak. A Show of Fans "A Rush Fanzine For and By Rush Fans" Steve Streeter: Publisher/Editor Send $3 for the most current issue. PO Box 292 Canton, CT 06019 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20) Odd bits and pieces.......Who says <such and such phrase> in <such and such song or video or other recorded media>? Once again I give a bow and thank the MSM for the blatant plagerism I am about to perform...lol - Geddy says "One, two, buckle my shoe" in "In The End" on ATWAS. - Neil does the narrative during "The Necromancer." - I've never seen anything definitive saying who whispers in "The Twilight Zone." - Neil does the "Attention all planets of the Solar Federation - we have assumed control" bit at the end of "2112." - The deep voice at the beginning of "Cygnus X-1" is none other than Terry Brown. - Neil says "Subdivisions" in the song of the same name, even though Alex is shown saying it in the video and does it live. - Alex says "That's nice" at the end of "Chain Lightning." - We don't know who says "I will be the judge" and "Give the jury direction." Yoav Gershon <[email protected]> has digitized those phrases and adjusted the pitch, and says that Neil Peart says those phrases. - According to Neil on the December 2, 1991 "Rockline," Geddy does the RTB "chat" section. 21) I think I've heard <such and such a quote> in <such and such a song> somewhere else - is it a reference to something? Oh my what a question!�Rush is well known by critics and die hard fans alike for its literary landmines, tho not everyone out there knows exactly where they all come from.I got this answer off off the midnight star mirror website�WARNING�this is quite a lot of information, and really only relevant tostuffy old English majoe and other literary know it alls like myself�but if you REEEEALLY want to know more�wade right in! Corey Harbaugh <[email protected]> sent me the following on June 1 1995: >Fellow page-turning Rush-Nuts: > >I hesitate to claim that this is the complete list of literary allusions in >Rush, but it is as comprehensive a list as I'm willing to compile. I am >forwarding this info on to the FAQ section, so any additions, etc. should be >sent to the attention of the editor. This was an exhaustive, completely >worthwhile process because it married two passions- literature and Rush- but >the list of allusions is not valuable in and of itself. It will only be >valuable if it leads to your own exploration of their meaning and how >different texts and mediums interact. Please use this list not for the >answers it provides but rather for the questions it raises. It is as >follows: > >*The story told on 2112 closely parallels the themes and narrative of > Anthem by Ayn Rand. "Anthem" (FBN) shares the title of the same > novel. >*"That's not what I meant at all" from "Open Secrets" (HYF) is also a line > in the poem "The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot. >*"The heart of a lonely hunter" (Lock and Key- HYF) is the title of a work > by Carson McCullers. >*"Entre Nous" (song, PeW) is a phrase used many times in the novel _The > Fountainhead_ by Ayn Rand. >*"Bastille Day" (song, COS) alludes to the events of the French Revolution, > fictionalized in the novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. >*"Let us not go gently..." (Red Tide- Presto) refers to the Dylan Thomas > poem "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night." >*Hemispheres mentions the pantheon of Greek mythology and also reuses myths > in ways similar to Friedrich Nietzsche in Birth of Tragedy. >*Rocinante (spaceship in Hemispheres and Cygnus X-1) is the horse of Zeus > from Greek mythology, the horse of the title character in Don Quixote > by Miguel Cervantes and the motorhome in Travels with Charley by > John Steinbeck. >*"We will pay the price but we will not count the cost" (Bravado- RTB) is > the line from John Barth's novel The Tidewater Tales that inspired > the lyrics. >*"Wilderness of mirrors" (Double Agent- Counterparts) is a line from the > poem "Gerontion" by T.S. Eliot. >*Xanadu (song, AFTK) is based on the poem "Kubla Khan" by Samuel Taylor > Coleridge. >*Tom Sawyer (song, MP) is the name of a character and novel created by Mark > Twain. >*Jacob's Ladder (song, PeW) alludes to the Old Testament story of Jacob and > his vision of a heavenly ladder. Genesis 27:12. >*Rivendell (song, FBN) is the name of a safe haven in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord > of the Rings fantasy series. >*All The World's A Stage (both the album and the line from Limelight, song > on MP) are from William Shakespeare's play "As You Like It." >*The Big Money (song, PoW) is the title of a novel by John Dos Passos. >*Grand Designs (song, PoW) is also the title of a novel by John Dos Passos. >*The Camera Eye (song, MP) the title of a section from the John Dos Passos > USA series. >*Losing It (song, Signals) refers to author Ernest Hemingway and two of his > novels The Sun Also Rises_ and _For Whom the Bell Tolls. The image > of the ballerina was inspired by the movie The Turning Point starring > Shirley Maclaine. >*Cold Fire (song, Counterparts) is an image introduced by Tom Robbins in his > novel The Jitterbug Perfume. >*The motif of women archetypes in Animate (song, Counterparts) is a motif > explored by Tom Robbins in his novel Skinny Legs and All. Carl Jung > also talks about male and female animas in his writings. (Incidentally, > Neil Peart is quoted praising Skinny Legs and All in the book's > opening page testimonials.) >*Between Sun & Moon (song, Counterparts) was inspired by a Pye Dubois poem. > Dubois' poem is reminiscent of the poem "The Hollow Men" by T.S. Eliot. >*Red Barchetta (song, MP) is reminiscent of the short story "A Nice Morning > Drive" by Richard Foster. (The story is available on syrinx in the > ftp/gopher/web site.) >*"Nothing to fear but fear itself" (The Weapon, Signals) is a line from an > inaugural address by Franklin D. Roosevelt. >*"Thy will be done" (The Weapon, Signals) is a line from The Lord's Prayer > in the New Testament. >*Necromancer (song, COS) alludes to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series. >*Panacea (song, COS) is the name of a mythological cure all. >*Lotus Land (Freewill- PeW) is a land described in "The Odyssey" by Homer. >*Absalom (Distant Early Warning- GUP) is a name from the Old Testament story > of King David. Absalom, Absalom is the title of a novel by William > Faulkner. >*Tai Shan (song, HYF) is the name of a mountain in China. In Chinese legend, > Tai Shan is a holy mountain. >*Cinderella Man (song, AFTK) parallels the movie "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town." >*Twilight Zone (song, 2112) refers specifically to two episodes from the > television show of the same name. >*"If we burn our wings flying too close to the sun" (Bravado- RTB) refers to > the Icarus myth from Greek mythology. >*"Rise from the ashes and blaze" (Everyday Glory, Counterparts) refers to > the mythological death and rebirth of the Phoenix. >*Sections titles of By-tor and the Snow Dog (song, FBN) include references > to the underworld of Greek mythology. >*"Another lost generation" (Between the Wheels- GUP) is from a quote by > Gertrude Stein used by Ernest Hemingway at the beginning of > The Sun Also Rises. > >While many allusions are quite direct (like Xanadu) and a reading of the >primary text would provide a clear connection to the song, most allusions >are indirect, subtle, or not central to the message of the song. For >instance, one does not need to read The Old Testament and Faulkner to "get" >the Absalom reference in Distant Early Warning. Again, the most important >thing that resources like the above list can provide is to help illuminate >the path. The walking is still up to each one of us. > >I'll check out the next album for additions to the list, but for now, as in >"Froggie Went A-Courtin'", if you want anymore you'll have to sing it >yourself. Still want more?�..Gluttons for punishment?�.keep on reading!�. .And this, a letter from Jim McGrath, pointing out yet more allusions and references from our favorite lyricist: From [email protected] Sep 14 22:51:19 1996 Date: Sat, 14 Sep 1996 14:08:51 -0400 From: Jim McGrath <[email protected]> To: [email protected] > I have few additions to the "literary references" section of the >FAQ. If you get this, please let me know, since I'm not sure you're the >one who I'm supposed to be send this to anymore. The references are as >follows: > > In "No One At The Bridge" from "The Fountain of Lamneth," the line >"I'm lashed, helpless, to the mast" is a reference to Odysseus/Ulysses, of >Lotus-land fame, who when passing the Sirens had his crew members tie him >to the mast of the ship so he could hear their seductive melodies. (Think >"the x-ray is my siren song.") > > In 2112:Overture, "And the meek shall inherit the earth..." is a >quote from the Bible; the line is in both the Book of Psalms (37:11) and >the Gospel according to Matthew (5:5.) > > The following is a quote from Edith Hamilton's Mythology: "..one >story was...about the god Pan, how he loved a nymph named Syrinx who fled >from him and just as he was about to seize her was turned into a tuft of >reeds by her sister nymphs. Pan said, 'Still you shall be mine,' and he >made from what she had become 'A shepherd's pipe/ Of reeds with beeswax >joined.'" With reference to 2112: The Temples of Syrinx. > > The phrase "fool's paradise" appears in _Bartlett's Familiar >Quotations_ under "Anonymous." The source is given as "Paston Letters >[1462], no. 457." > > On the very last page of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations is the >heading "Anonymous: Spirituals." There is a spiritual entitled "Swing Low, >Sweet Chariot" containing the lines "Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for >to take me home." This is almost exactly the same as the line at the end >of "Totem," from Test for Echo. > > The phrase "every dog has his day" in "Dog Years" is from a >children's book called "Water Babies" by the English novelist and clergyman >Charles Kingsley, written in 1863. > > "I can resist everything except temptation," as in the line from >"Resist," is a quote from the play "Lady Windermere's Fan" by Oscar Wilde. > > With reference to "Carve Away The Stone:" The following is a quote >from Edith Hamilton's Mythology: "SISYPHUS was King of Corinth. One day >he chanced to see a mighty eagle, greater and more splendid than any mortal >bird, bearing a maiden to an island not far away. When the river god >Asopus came to him to tell him that his daughter Aegina had been carried >off, he strongly suspected by Zeus, and to ask his help in finding her, >Sisyphus told him what he had seen. Thereby he drew down on himself the >relentless wrath of Zeus. In Hades he was punished by having to try >forever to roll a rock uphill which forever rolled back upon him." > > Hope these are helpful! > Jim There you are luvs!�..Probably more literary refernce info than you ever wanted to know!�lol�I warned you!. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24) What is the marital status of the band members? Do any of them have kids? All three are family men. The kind of good guys we wouldnt mind our kids trying to imitate! Geddy has a son: Julian, a daughter: Kyla Avril, and a wife: Nancy. Alex has 2 sons: Justin and Adrian, and a wife: Charlene. Neil has a daughter: Selena, and a wife: Jacqueline. Sadly however he lost both of them within a year of each other, when Selena was killed in a car crash in 1997, and Jacqeline passed away from cancer in 1998. However, after a period of grief and adjustment, he was blessed to find love once again, and began a new chapter in his life, when he married Carrie Nuttall, on September 9, 2000. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25) I've heard <such and such a rumor> about <such and such a band member>. Does anybody know anything about the truth of it? Does Neil Peart really have cancer? Is he dying? ...(sighs)�If Neil were reading this he would probably either roll his eyes or hit the delete button!�These rumors have been popping up for years� Here are just a few of the ones that have been passed around until shown to be wrong over the years by the contiued activities and obvious good health of the members of the band: - Alex is dying of cancer - - Neil is dying of cancer - Geddy is dying of cancer - Geddy has throat cancer; he's not dying, but can never sing again - Geddy is going blind from stage lights. - Neil is giving up the drums, breaking up the band and becoming a hermit. Obviously, none of these dire announcements have come to pass� neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeext ?. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26) I've seen nicknames being used. Can you tell me who is who in the nickname game? Not a problem�we all love nicknames! - Lerxt is the nickname of Alex Lifeson. - Geddy and Neil also have nicknames: Dirk and Pratt. Hence the names: "Lerxtwood Mall," "Olde Dirk Road" and "B.J. Pratt & Assoc." on the map on the back cover of Signals. Also, Neil is mentioned as "The Professor (on the drum kit)" in All the World's a Stage. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27) What is the educational background of the band members? (graons)...This is a good question, and one that I answered wrongly the first time I heard it. I like many others had heard over the years that one of the boys had a masters degree in music. Being a classically trained musician myself, and hearing classical influences in their music, this made perfect sense to me, and so I continued to pass on the rumor�.however�NOT TRUE�..(sighs)�soooo...The rumor is that Neil has a PhD of some kind, and it is apparently, false. from my favorite source, the MSM...once again I quote: In �Visions,� Neil is quoted (on page 65) as saying that he is a high school dropout. Considering all the time he devoted to building the band, it would have been a minor miricle for him, or any of them for that matter, to have found the time to finish school and earn a degree.Also, according to the COS press kit, Alex and Geddy "turned pro" after graduating from high school. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28) What are the birthdays of the band members? Well...to save time, I would prefer to just refer you to my biography pages, but there has apparently been some controversy over Geddy Lee's birthdate, so I will cover it here... Geddy Lee - July 29, 1953 --- Neil Peart - September 12, 1952 Alex Lifeson - August 27, 1953 SOooo...for the record...Geddy Lee's birtthdate is JULY 29the...not JUNE 29th... ONCE AGAIN� from MSM�and I quote� In "Thrice Told Tales," it says that Geddy's birthday is June 29! Well, every article written on the subject agrees that Neil Peart joined Rush on Geddy's birthday. In Visions, Alex Lifeson says that Neil came down "on the second day of auditions." It has also been documented in several places (Visions and "Thrice Told Tales," to name a few) that when Neil joined the band, he had about 2 weeks to learn the show before his first gig with Rush, which took place in Pittsburgh, opening for Uriah Heep. On June 28, 1974, Rush opened for ZZ Top in Cleveland. On July 1, 1974, Rush opened for Nazareth in Toronto, Ontario. On July 20, 1974, Rush played an "MZ Bennett summer dance." On August 14, Rush opened for Uriah Heep in Pittsburgh. This was Neil's first show with Rush. Based on this information, I believe that the day that Neil joined the band, and therefore Geddy's birthday, is July 29, not June 29, and that the June 29 date is a typo. Geddy Lee said that July 29th was his birthday in an interview taped before the May 31, 1992 show in Mountain View, California. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29) What are the real names of the band members? Okay...for this you CAN go to the biography pages...no controversy there. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30) How is "Peart" pronounced? Thats easy...It rhymes with "near," according to Neil on the "Rush - Profiled!" CD, and the "t" at the end is not silent. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31) Does anybody have an address I can use to write to the band? Im not sure how accurate this info is, as I got it off an old website....but hey!...give it a go. Rush 41 Britan St. (#200) Toronto, ON M5A 1R7, CANADA Also, their booking agent is ICM in New York - (212) 556-5600. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 32) What's the story behind Alex's "Hentor Sportscaster" guitar? Straight from the "horses mouth,"...Mr. Alex Lifeson himself: "'Hentor' was the name that we had for Peter Henderson, the producer of 'Grace Under Pressure.' When he wrote his name out to leave us his number, it looked like Peter Hentor instead of Peter Henderson, so we nicknamed him Hentor The Barbarian. I got some Letraset and put it on this white Strat that I had. It has a Shark neck - these are unlabeled replacement necks - so I threw 'Hentor Sportscaster' on there. Amazing all the mail we used to get over that [laughs]: 'Where can I buy a Hentor? How much does a Hentor cost?'" - Alex Lifeson, in the April 1986 Guitar Player magazine -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33) What is The Omega Concern? Per the MSM..... As Alex realized that he had to play acoustic guitar for some Rush tunes and then quickly switch to his electric ("Closer to the Heart," etc.), he crafted a stand (actually an attachment to a Tama Titan cymbal stand) that holds his acoustic in an adjustable playing position. He soon began to sell this as a product (1st to Music Emporium) under the company label "The Omega Concern." Apparently, Alex's "company" also made Geddy a light-up lyric stand and Neil got a newspaper/book holder so he could read while he eats breakfast. |
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