A new book from author Daniel Bukszpan celebrating Rush's 50 year career will be released a week from this coming Tuesday on October 8th. Rush at 50 comes in at 192 pages and examines the history of Rush through the lens of 50 milestone events and an illustrated gatefold timeline. From the product description:

... This richly illustrated and entertainingly written book from Rush expert and music journalist Dan Bukszpan pays tribute to the trio on the 50th anniversary of their debut album by curating and examining 50 of the most significant milestones in their career.

Bukszpan covers everything down through the decades:
* The band's formation by bassist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson in suburban Toronto and their early gigs and tours opening for the likes of Kiss
* Their breakthrough in the United States thanks to a Cleveland DJ
* The role of co-founding drummer John Rutsey
* Rush's early Led Zeppelin-influenced efforts and their breakthrough, 2112
* The band's ever-evolving musical style through the 1970s and 1980s
* The controversial influence of novelist Ayn Rand on Neil Peart's lyrics
* Geddy Lee's instantly recognizable vocal style
* Recording sessions with various producers in Wales, Quebec, and elsewhere

In examining 50 touchstones, Buszpan presents a unique look at Rush's career arc from Toronto bar band to international mega-platinum stadium fillers. Every page is illustrated with stunning concert and candid offstage photography, including gig posters, 7-inch picture sleeves, ticket stubs, and more. ...

The book is currently available for pre-order via Amazon at this location.

Independent Danish book publisher Bjooks has released a new, Kickstarter-funded book titled The Minimoog Book, which includes a foreword penned by Rush's Geddy Lee. The book began shipping last week and can be ordered at this location, with more details available on the Kickstarter page.

Progressive rock/metal project Humanness Test (Maurice Taylor and Chris Lucci) recently released their debut single, an homage to Rush's Neil Peart titled Tribute (thanks Brave Words). You can listen to the track below or on YouTube at this location. From the video description:

With passion, mystery, and soul, our new single and video honor the memory of Neil Peart, the iconic drummer of Rush. Inspired by his profound lyrics and unmatched drumming, this tribute captures the essence of his influence on us all. This heartfelt tribute echoes his influence, from the freedom of music to the battle of the mind, capturing the essence of a legend who left his mark on the world. ...

Consequence of Sound recently surveyed 65 drummers and asked them to name their favorite drummers of all time. As one can imagine, Rush's Neil Peart was mentioned on over a quarter of the lists, including David Lovering's (The Pixies) list:

Rush is another impressive array of three otherworldly musicians. The technicality and precision is jaw dropping. I was quite busy on drums early on in the Pixies because of him. Quite a formative band for me when I was younger and learning drums.

You can check out the entire list online at this location.

The guys at the RushRash podcast are back with a new series focusing on solo and side projects. They've released 2 episodes so far under their new moniker of RushRash 911, and you can check those out here.

NYC rockers Vampire Weekend played a show at Toronto's Budweiser Stage earlier this week, and one of the covers they performed during their encore was Rush's Tom Sawyer as described in this Exclaim! article.

On the latest episode of Rush Roundtable (#246) on the Rushfans YouTube channel, the panel continues their Vapor Trails discussion with Part IV of the "Fear" series, Freeze:

That's all for this week. Have a great weekend!!