Moving Pictures 40th Anniversary Edition desktop wallpaper

I now have a complete set of Moving Pictures 40th Anniversary Edition desktop wallpaper images available for your enjoyment, found on my main Wallpaper page as well as on my MP40 wallpaper page (where you'll also find tabs linking to the linernotes essays and other notes about the release). - Thanks to John Patuto for help with the scans.

Rush in Pop Culture Update - July '22

It's been awhile since I've updated my Rush Pop Culture References In Literature And Film page, and here's a quick update with a few additions:

• During the season 4 premier of the Netflix series Stranger Things, at the 11 minute mark, Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton) disperses pot smoke in his bedroom using Rush's debut album cover (the back of which is more recognizable).
• During the season 3 finale of the Amazon series The Boys "The Instant White-Hot Wild", ) Hughie (Jack Quaid) wears a Hold Your Fire t-shirt.
• During the Netflix series God’s Favorite Idiot, Melissa McCarthy's character is a Rush fan.  Early in the series premiere "B-Minus", Amily (Melissa McCarthy) plays “The Temples of Syrinx” from her scooter.  Then during episode 4 "God, Satan and All the Good Smells", "Tom Sawyer" is played in the breakroom and Amily screams out "I love Rush!" then begins playing air flute as she misidentifies the keyboard solo saying "I think it's a flute"..
• During the June 19th episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, a shady character is seen wearing a RUSH hat, and John Oliver mentions RUSH twice and later refers to the "Ontario's Power Trio".
• 2112 sighting: the LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens video game, released in June 2016, has an unlockable stormtrooper designated FN-2112, which wears only his helmet and Rush colored boxers (i.e. red and black), possibly a PG rated nod to the naked starman.  Check him out in this video at the 40 second mark.
• Destination Ontario's "Share Your Love For Local" television commercial which first aired December 16, 2020 features a cover of "Closer To The Heart".

Thanks to Kenny Bratz, Ab Rooswinkel, Tod O'Donnell, Darren DrDual, Jesse Maddox, and Horus Threesixteen for sharing these!  If you're aware of other references I'm missing on my page, please drop me a line.

Transcript: "Rush: Sound With A Score To Settle" - Toronto Globe And Mail, August 23, 1977

Reader RushFanForever sent in a transcript of an article that appeared 45 years ago promoting A Farewell to Kings. Check out "Rush: Sound With A Score To Settle" from the August 23, 1977 edition of the Globe & Mail, which includes comments from Anthem Records then manager, Tom Berry, as well as some words from Neil Peart: "We consider Kings a strong advance from 2112. We hope we've kept the important elements of other Rush albums."

Smartphone Wallpapers

I've been asked to create a single page which features all of my "smartphone wallpapers". To this end, I've added a tab to my Wallpaper page; the default tab is for "Desktop Wallpaper" which is my previous page complete with all of the stories about the album art as before, and I've added a "Smartphone Wallpaper" tab which is merely a chronological collection of the wallpapers previously only found in my discography pages. Thanks for sharing.

Transcript: "Grammy Nomination For Rush Instrumental Track" - RPM Weekly, January 25, 1992

Last night was the Grammy's, and, it reminded me of all those times RUSH was nominated for a Grammy. Yeah, not too often, but thanks for RushFanForever for sending me this old article, "Grammy Nomination For Rush Instrumental Track" from RPM Weekly, January 25, 1992 , which announced that "Where's My Thing?" had been nominated for Best Rock Instrumental.

Transcript: "From the Riser: A Drummer's Perspective II" foreword by Neil Peart

One of the last things he wrote, I've just added the transcript of Neil's foreword to David Lawrence Phillips' "From the Riser: A Drummer's Perspective II", published in September 2016.

Transcript: "Rush Album Art: The Stories Behind All 19 LP Covers" - UltimateClassicRock.com, December 24, 2011

Around a year and a half ago, UltimateClassicRock.com posted a series of 20 articles over a period of a few months each focused on one Rush album cover and fresh commentary by Hugh Syme. I have collected all of those posts and added them to my Transcript Archive as "Rush Album Art: The Stories Behind All 19 LP Covers". If you love Rush's album art as much as I do, I think you'll enjoy this one.

Transcript: "Introduction to 'Rush Gigs' by Ray Wawrzyniak" from Power Windows

Last December the Rush Backstage Club published Rush Gigs: Found On The Studio Walls And In Concert Halls, a unique book featuring "ads and gig posters promoting everything from Rush's first concert in America to the largest crowd they ever played (a benefit show in Toronto) to their final act, at the fabled Forum in Los Angeles".   This book features items from the collection of Ray Wawrzyniak; Ray has kindly sent us the book's introduction which you can read here.

Rush Reference in "The Expanse: One Ship" webisode "Night Watch"

During The Expanse: One Ship webisode "Night Watch" (aired December 31, 2021), the character Clarissa Mao (Nadine Nicole) is looking at a maintenance schedule for the Rocinante, and there are three drones listed as Peart, Lee and Lifeson. - Thanks to Chris Branch for headsup!

Transcript: "The Art of Rush" - PROG #125, November 2021

Back in November, PROG magazine published "The Art of Rush", another insightful interview with Hugh Syme to promote the updated and reprinted Art Of Rush: Serving A Life Sentence.   I enjoyed this snippet where he talked about the cover from the A Farewell to Kings 40th Anniversary edition:

"I enjoyed creating that cover. There was a slight nod to the fact that there had been retirements, so the thrones were empty now, just to say the band weren't there anymore. And then highlighting their specific interests: the set of golf clubs standing in the window waiting for Al to play a round, Neil's love of reading in those stacks of books, the open bottle of red, drinking obscenely expensive wine. I think everything's accounted for in that image."

- Thanks to RushFanForever for providing the article!

Transcipt: "Alex Lifeson: New World Man" - Guitar Player, November 2021

It's been awhile since I added a new story to the Transcript Archive, but last fall Alex Lifeson appeared on the cover of Guitar Player magazine once again.  In the feature story, "Alex Lifeson: New World Man" , he discusses his new Epiphone Alex Lifeson Les Paul Axcess Standard as well as his upcoming new solo album (can we call it a solo album?) Envy of None, among other things.

Transcript: "What's The Rush?" - Des Moines Register, October 31, 2002

It's been a while since I transcribed something. Here's an interview with Geddy given late in the Vapor Trails tour with the Des Moines Register, October 31, 2002. In "What's The Rush?", Ged says "We've just been a consistent, hardworking band. It's not a very sexy story, what can I tell you?" - Thanks to SWT for the original article!

Rush Reference in "Goon: Last of the Enforcers"

In the 2017 sequel film Goon: Last of the Enforcers, during the final game Liev Schreiber chirps to his fighting opponent, “Do you like Kim Mitchell? That's what I thought. I bet you don’t like RUSH either you fuckin....." then proceeds to throw down. Check it out in here, starting about 1 minute into the clip... - Thanks to Tod O’Donnell for the headsup!

Transcript: "Geddy Lee of Rush" - Greenwich Shoppers Helper, November 10, 1987

I have just transcribed "Geddy Lee of Rush", an interview which appeared in the November 10, 1987 issue of the Ohio Greenwich Shoppers Helper.   Geddy addresses the maturity of the band and the music reflected on Hold Your Fire...   "As much as some of our fans would hate to view it like that...we're changing and our music's changing with us." - Thanks to RushFanForever for providing the original article!

Tourbooks for Rush, Fly By Night and Caress of Steel - new transcripts and wallpaper

Last October, official tourbooks for the Rush 1974, Fly By Night, and Caress of Steel tours were published as the "Missing Tourbooks Collection".  Each tourbook offers many rare photographs as well as three never before seen press reviews written by Raymond Michael for Buffalo's Courier Express.  You can now check out each tourbook by visiting the Rush Bibliography page, or simply visit the Rush, Fly By Night or Caress of Steel discography pages and click on their respective Tourbook tabs.  All photographs are also now available as wallpaper; accessible on each album's Wallpaper tab, or on the main Wallpaper page. - A huge thank you to John Patuto for providing the transcripts and raw scans!

Transcript: "Rush's Music Reflects Work Ethic" - Orange County Register, February 15, 1983

I have transcribed another long lost interview with Neil Peart published 38 years ago this month in the Orange County Register during the Signals tour. In "Rush's Music Reflects Work Ethic" Neil reaffirms the band's work ethic five years after the band had finally achieved success in his view, and notes how Rush was incorporating more synths into their sound, while his lyrics had moved from sci-fi themes to personal relationships. - Thanks to RushFanForever for providing the original article!

Ready Player Two - small Rush reference

Finally was able to read Ready Player Two which was published in November. You may remember the first book had a slew of Rush references. This one picks up where the first book left off (after a deranged A.I. takes control of the OASIS), with all new pop culture references. In this book in the real world, Wade Watts (aka Parzival) lives at "2112 Monsalvat Boulevard" (Monsalvat was the mythical castle of the Knights of the Roundtable searching for the Holy Grail in Richard Wagner's opera, Parzival).

Transcript: "Geddy Lee's My Favorite Headache Turns 20" - Gearphoria, November 2020

Last November Gearphonia magazine included "Geddy Lee's My Favorite Headache Turns 20: A Conversation With Guitarist/Collaborator Ben Mink", which I have transcribed for your reading pleasure. - Thank you to Darren Michaloski for proving the original article!

Transcript: "Neil Peart: The Measure of a Life" - Rhythm, November 2020

Remembering Neil Peart on this sad day with "Neil Peart: The Measure of a Life", the complete transcript of Rhythm magazine's special commemorative issue published last November. - Thank you to John Patuto for sharing the transcript.

Transcript: "Neil Peart Doesn't Play for Stardom" - Detroit Free Press, November 7, 1982

I have transcribed "Neil Peart Doesn't Play for Stardom", a long lost interview with Neil Peart from the November 7, 1982 issue of the Detroit Free Press. Neil digs deep into the inspiration behind Subdivisions, including memories of growing up in St. Catherines. He also talks about the last minute addition to the album which became a hit single, New World Man. That said, the interviewer gets many facts about Rush's history wrong, as you will no doubt notice. - Thanks to Darren Michaloski for sending the original article!