Portal:Rush
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Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in 1968 in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario comprising bassist and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer Neil Peart. There were several ephemeral lineup fluctuations between 1968 and May 1971, and drummer/lyricist Neil Peart replaced original drummer John Rutsey in July 1974, two weeks before the group's first U.S. tour, completing the present line-up. Since the release of the band's self-titled debut album in 1974 Rush has become known for the instrumental virtuosity of its members, complex compositions, and eclectic lyrical motifs drawing heavily on science fiction, fantasy, libertarian philosophy, as well as addressing humanitarian, social, emotional, and environmental concerns.
Musically, Rush's style has evolved over the years, beginning in the vein of blues-inspired heavy metal on their eponymous debut to styles encompassing hard rock, progressive rock, a period dominated by synthesizers and, more recently, modern rock. Rush has influenced various modern artists such as Metallica,[1][2] The Smashing Pumpkins[3] and Primus,[3] as well as many notable progressive metal bands such as Dream Theater[1], Coheed and Cambria[4][5], and Symphony X.[6]
Rush has been awarded several Juno Awards and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994. Over the course of their career, the individual members of Rush have been recognized as some of the most proficient players on their respective instruments with each member winning several awards in magazine readers' polls. As a whole, Rush boasts 24 gold records and 14 platinum (3 multi-platinum) records. These statistics place Rush fifth behind The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Kiss and Aerosmith for the most consecutive gold and platinum albums by a rock band. Rush ranks 77th in U.S. album sales (tied with Nirvana, ZZ Top and Faith Hill) according to the RIAA with sales of 25 million units. [7] Although total worldwide album sales are not calculated by any single entity, as of 2004 several industry sources estimated Rush's total worldwide album sales at over 40 million units.
References
- ^ a b Austin Chronicle Music Rush's 30th Anniversary Tour, Accessed 16 August 2006
- ^ Metallica thanks Rush Accessed August 15, 2007
- ^ a b CNN.com Rush profile Accessed 17 August 2006
- ^ Interview with Coheed & Cambria's Joshua Eppard - Spectrum
- ^ Coheed & Cambria No World For Tomorrow CD
- ^ Symphony X Official website FAQ Accessed 16 August 2006
- ^ RIAA Website
Neil Peart is a Canadian musician and author. He is best known as the drummer and lyricist for the rock band Rush.
The History of Rush spans almost forty years, from a fluctuating early lineup between the summer of 1968 and May 1971, to Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and John Rutsey at the release of the band's debut album in July 1974. The lineup finally settled after the replacement of Rutsey with Neil Peart in July of the same year. This membership has lasted over thirty-five years. Over this time span, Rush has changed their style of music dramatically, changing from a sound very derivative of Led Zeppelin on their eponymous debut to styles encompassing hard rock, progressive rock, and a period dominated by synthesizers. Today their style of music can best be described as modern rock. Presently, the band continues to produce music and tour extensively.
- That members Lee, Lifeson, and Peart are all Officers of the Order of Canada, the first rock musicians so honored?
- The band released their first single "Not Fade Away", a cover of the Buddy Holly song, in 1973, and Side B contained an original composition, "You Can't Fight It", neither of which has ever been released on CD?
- The album, Caress of Steel sold below expectations and the promotional tour consisted of small venues which led to the moniker the "Down the Tubes Tour?"
- "Lifeson" is a loose translation of Alex's real surname "Zivojinovich", which means "son of life"?
- Geddy Lee's parents were both survivors of Nazi concentration camps?
- Geddy Lee's real name is Gary Lee Weinrib?
- Neil Peart uses Paragon cymbals, a special line created just for him by Sabian?
- April 11, 2008 - The second leg of Rush's Snakes & Arrows Tour begins with their first ever show in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- October 3, 2007 - Alex Lifeson confirmed an extension of the tour that will run through the summer of 2008 with 45 additional tour dates.
- June 13, 2007 - Rush begins their 2007 North American and European tour in support of Snakes and Arrows in Atlanta Georgia.
- May 8, 2007 - Snakes And Arrows debuts at #1 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart, and at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart.
- May 1, 2007 - Rush's eighteenth studio album Snakes & Arrows released.
- March 12, 2007 - First single for Snakes & Arrows album released to radio.
- March 8, 2007 - Track listing for Snakes & Arrows released.
- February 14, 2007 - New album Snakes & Arrows due in stores on May 1st!
- February 12, 2007 - June tour dates are rumoured.
- December 8th, 2006 - Neil Peart blogs about recent Rush news, saying final recording of the new album should be finished by the end of the year with the mastering beginning early in the new year. He claims the band is well ahead of schedule.
- October 19, 2006 - The album 2112 has been chosen for preservation by the MasterWorks by the Audio-Visual Preservation Trust.
- October 19, 2006 - Drummer Neil Peart revealed few details about the new upcoming record, except to say that reflections on faith emerged as a clear theme from the very beginning.
- October 19, 2006 - Guitar Center is making a once-in-a-lifetime, limited production (only 30 are being produced) DW Neil Peart Commemorative R30 Drum Kit available on October 30th at $30,000.00.
- "I have a lyric-writing room at one end and they have the little studio at the other end, so we're running back and forth all the time, of course, with feedback, and we both give each other a lot of encouragement and criticism." - Neil
- "I know my name pops up in these keyboard polls from time to time, and it's really unfair, because I really am not a good keyboard player." - Geddy
- "We felt we were successful for a long time before we had any kind of financial satisfaction." - Alex
- "It's always a happy day when YYZ appears on our luggage tags." - Neil
- Keep the news up to date.
- Add more details to the album pages.
