Thursday 11/26/2020 6:15pm ET: Feature LP: Rush – Signals (1982)

Signals is the ninth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in September 1982 by Anthem Records. After the release of their previous album, Moving Pictures, the band started to prepare material for a follow-up during soundchecks on their 1981 concert tour and during the mixing of their subsequent live album Exit…Stage Left. Signals demonstrates the group continuing with the use of synthesizers, sequencers, and other electronic instrumentation. It is their last album produced by their longtime associate Terry Brown, who had worked with them since 1974.

The album peaked at No. 1 in Canada, No. 3 in the United Kingdom, and No. 10 in the United States. In November 1982, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling one million copies in the United States. Rush released three singles from the album: “New World Man”, which became the band’s highest charting single in the United States and a number-one hit in Canada, as well as “Subdivisions”, and “Countdown”. The group supported Signals with a concert tour from April 1982 to May 1983. Signals has been reissued several times, including a remaster with a new stereo and 5.1 surround sound mix in 2011.

1. “Subdivisions” 5:35
2. “The Analog Kid” 4:47
3. “Chemistry” 4:57
4. “Digital Man” 6:23
5. “The Weapon” (Part II of “Fear”) 6:24
6. “New World Man” 3:42
7. “Losing It” 4:53
8. “Countdown” 5:49

Geddy Lee – bass guitars, synthesizers, vocals, arrangements
Alex Lifeson – electric and acoustic guitars, Moog Taurus pedals, arrangements
Neil Peart – drums, percussion, arrangements, brief vocals on “Subdivisions”
Ben Mink – electric violin on “Losing It”

Monday 11/23/2020 11:15am ET: Feature LP: Rush – Moving Pictures (1981)

Moving Pictures is the eighth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released on February 12, 1981, through Anthem Records. After touring to support their previous album, Permanent Waves (1980), the band started to write and record new material in August 1980 with co-producer Terry Brown. They continued to write songs with a more radio-friendly format, featuring tighter song structures and songs of shorter length compared to their early albums.

Moving Pictures received a positive reception from current and retrospective music critics and became an instant commercial success, reaching number one in Canada and number 3 in the United States and the United Kingdom. It remains Rush’s highest-selling album in the United States after it was certified quadruple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for over 4 million copies sold. “Limelight”, “Tom Sawyer” and “Vital Signs” were released as singles across 1981, and the instrumental “YYZ” was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Rush auditioned some of the songs on a tour before recording the album (September 11 to October 1, 1980), and supported the album on tour from February to July 1981.

1. “Tom Sawyer” 4:34
2. “Red Barchetta” 6:10
3. “YYZ” (instrumental) 4:26
4. “Limelight” 4:20
5. “The Camera Eye 10:58
6. “Witch Hunt” (Part III of “Fear”) 4:46
7. “Vital Signs” 4:46

 

Monday Labor Day Special 6 LPs (2): Rush – Moving Pictures (1981)

Moving Pictures is the eighth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released on February 12, 1981, through Anthem Records. After touring to support their previous album, Permanent Waves (1980), the band started to write and record new material in August 1980 with co-producer Terry Brown. They continued to write songs with a more radio-friendly format, featuring tighter song structures and songs of shorter length compared to their early albums.

Moving Pictures received a positive reception from current and retrospective music critics and became an instant commercial success, reaching number one in Canada and number 3 in the United States and the United Kingdom. It remains Rush’s highest-selling album in the United States after it was certified quadruple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for over 4 million copies sold. “Limelight”, “Tom Sawyer” and “Vital Signs” were released as singles across 1981, and the instrumental “YYZ” was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Rush auditioned some of the songs on a tour before recording the album (September 11 to October 1, 1980), and supported the album on tour from February to July 1981.

1. “Tom Sawyer” 4:34
2. “Red Barchetta” 6:10
3. “YYZ” 4:26
4. “Limelight” 4:20
5. “The Camera Eye 10:58
“I. (“a.k.a “New York”) 5:58
“II. (” .k.a “London”)” 5:00
6. “Witch Hunt” (Part III of “Fear”) 4:46
7. “Vital Signs” 4:46

Geddy Lee – bass guitars, synthesizers (Oberheim polyphonic, Oberheim OB-X, Minimoog, and Moog Taurus pedals), bass pedals, vocals
Alex Lifeson – 6- and 12-string electric and acoustic guitars, Moog Taurus pedals
Neil Peart – drums, timbales, gong, orchestra bells, glockenspiel, wind chimes, bell tree, crotales, cowbell, plywood
Hugh Syme – synthesizer on “Witch Hunt”

Rush – production, arrangements
Terry Brown – production, arrangements
Paul Northfield – engineering
Robbie Whelan – assistant engineering
Albert, Huey, Dewey, Louie – computerized companions
Peter Jensen – digital mastering, editing
Bob Ludwig – mastering and remastering
Hugh Syme – art direction, graphics, cover concept
Deborah Samuel – photography

Tuesday 12am ET: Feature LP: Rush – Power Windows

Power Windows is the eleventh studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released on October 14, 1985 by Anthem Records. After touring in support of their previous album, Grace Under Pressure (1984), the band took a break and reconvened in early 1985 to work on a follow-up. The material continued to display the band’s exploration of synthesizer-oriented music, this time with the addition of sampling, electronic drums, a string section, and choir, with power being a running lyrical theme. Power Windows was recorded in Montserrat and England with Peter Collins as co-producer and Andy Richards on additional keyboards.

The album reached No. 2 in Canada, No. 9 in the United Kingdom, and No. 10 in the United States. In January 1986, the album reached platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for one million copies sold in the United States. Rush released five singles from the album between 1985 and 1986: “The Big Money”, “Territories”, “Manhattan Project”, “Mystic Rhythms”, and “Marathon”. The band supported the album with their 1985–1986 tour.

1. “The Big Money” 5:36
2. “Grand Designs” 5:07
3. “Manhattan Project” 5:09
4. “Marathon” 6:11
5. “Territories” 6:20
6. “Middletown Dreams” 5:19
7. “Emotion Detector” 5:11
8. “Mystic Rhythms” 5:54

Saturday 12am ET: Feature LP: Rush – A Farewell To Kings (1977)

A Farewell to Kings is the fifth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in September 1977 by Anthem Records. It was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales.

1. “A Farewell to Kings” 5:51
2. “Xanadu” 11:05
3. “Closer to the Heart” 2:54
4. “Cinderella Man” 4:20
5. “Madrigal” 2:35
6. “Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage”
“Prologue”
“1”
“2”
“3” 10:25

In Memoriam: Neil Peart (1952 – 2020)

Neil Ellwood Peart, OC (September 12, 1952 – January 7, 2020) was a Canadian musician and writer best known as the drummer and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush. Peart received numerous awards for his musical performances, including an induction into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1983, making him the youngest person ever so honoured. His drumming was renowned for its technical proficiency, and his live performances for their exacting nature and stamina.

Peart grew up in Port Dalhousie, Ontario, (now part of St. Catharines). During adolescence, he floated between regional bands in pursuit of a career as a full-time drummer. After a discouraging stint in England to concentrate on his music, Peart returned home, where he joined Rush, a Toronto band, in mid-1974.

Early in his career, Peart’s performance style was deeply rooted in hard rock. He drew most of his inspiration from drummers such as Keith Moon and John Bonham, players who were at the forefront of the British hard rock scene. As time passed, he began to emulate jazz and big band musicians Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. In 1994, Peart became a friend and pupil of jazz instructor Freddie Gruber. It was during this time that Peart decided to revamp his playing style by incorporating jazz and swing components.

In addition to serving as Rush’s primary lyricist, Peart also published several memoirs about his travels. His lyrics for Rush addressed universal themes and diverse subjects including science fiction, fantasy, and philosophy, as well as secular, humanitarian, and libertarian themes. Peart wrote a total of seven nonfiction books focused on his travels and personal stories.

On December 7, 2015, Peart announced his retirement from music in an interview with Drumhead Magazine, though bandmate Geddy Lee insisted Peart was quoted out of context, and suggested Peart was “simply taking a break”. However, in January 2018, bandmate Alex Lifeson confirmed that Rush was retiring due to Peart’s health issues. During his last years, Peart lived in Santa Monica, California, with his wife, photographer Carrie Nuttall, and daughter Olivia. After a three year long battle, Peart died of glioblastoma on January 7, 2020, at the age of 67.

Tuesday 6pm: Feature Artist – Rush

Rush was a Canadian rock band consisting of Geddy Lee (bass, vocals, keyboards), Alex Lifeson (guitars), and Neil Peart (drums, percussion). Formed in 1968, the band went through several configurations until arriving at its longest and classic line-up when Peart replaced original drummer John Rutsey in July 1974, two weeks before the group’s first tour of the United States.

Rush is known for its musicianship, complex compositions, and eclectic lyrical motifs drawing heavily on science fiction, fantasy, and philosophy. The band’s musical style has changed several times over the years, from a blues-inspired hard rock beginning, later moving into progressive rock, and including a period marked by heavy use of synthesizers. In the early 1990s, Rush returned to a guitar-driven hard rock sound, which continued for the rest of their career. Rush announced plans to cease large-scale touring at the end of 2015. After nearly three years of an uncertain future, Lifeson reluctantly announced in January 2018 that the band was not going to continue.

According to the RIAA, Rush ranks 88th with sales of 25 million units in the U.S. Although total worldwide album sales are not calculated by any single entity, several industry sources estimated Rush’s total worldwide album sales at over 40 million units as of 2017. The group has been awarded 24 gold, 14 platinum, and 3 multi-platinum albums.

Rush has received nominations for seven Grammy Awards. The band has won several Juno Awards, won an International Achievement Award at the 2009 SOCAN Awards, was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. Over their careers, the members of Rush have been acknowledged as some of the most proficient players on their respective instruments, with each band member winning numerous awards in magazine readers’ polls.

On January 16, 2018, Lifeson told The Globe and Mail that it was unlikely that Rush would play any more shows or record new material. He was quoted as saying, “We have no plans to tour or record anymore. We’re basically done. After 41 years, we felt it was enough.” In October 2018, Rolling Stone published an interview with Lee, who stated, “I’d say I can’t really tell you much other than that there are zero plans to tour again. As I said earlier, we’re very close and talk all the time, but we don’t talk about work. We’re friends, and we talk about life as friends. I can’t really tell you more than that, I’m afraid. I would say there’s no chance of seeing Rush on tour again as Alex, Geddy, Neil. But would you see one of us or two of us or three of us? That’s possible.”

Thursday 10pm: Feature Band – Rush

Rush is a Canadian rock band composed of Geddy Lee (bass, lead vocals, keyboards), Alex Lifeson (guitars, backing vocals) and Neil Peart (drums, percussion, lyrics). Forming in 1968, the band went through several configurations until arriving at its current line-up when Peart replaced original drummer John Rutsey in July 1974, two weeks before the group’s first United States tour.

Rush is known for its musicianship, complex compositions, and eclectic lyrical motifs drawing heavily on science fiction, fantasy, and philosophy. The band’s musical style has changed several times over the years, from a blues-inspired hard rock beginning, later moving into progressive rock, and including a period marked by heavy use of synthesizers. In the early 1990s, Rush returned to a guitar-driven hard rock sound, which has continued to the present.

According to the RIAA, Rush ranks 86th with sales of 25 million units in the U.S. Although total worldwide album sales are not calculated by any single entity, several industry sources estimated Rush’s total worldwide album sales at over 65 million units as of 2017. The group has been awarded 24 gold, 14 platinum, and 3 multi-platinum albums.

Rush has received nominations for seven Grammy Awards. The band has won several Juno Awards, won an International Achievement Award at the 2009 SOCAN Awards, was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. Over their careers, the members of Rush have been acknowledged as some of the most proficient players on their respective instruments, with each band member winning numerous awards in magazine readers’ polls. Rush announced plans to cease large-scale touring at the end of 2015. – Wikipedia