Geddy Lee announced via Instagram last week that he'll be releasing a bew baseball book in 2025 titled 72 Stories from the Collection of Geddy Lee, also announcing a special edition of the book that will be released in time for Christmas, with it then being offered for general release in the Spring. The special edition is an autographed, limited-edition book available exclusively from the Rush Backstage Club. The 160-page book comes encased in a red cloth-bound slipcase and includes an exclusive, custom-made Geddy Lee baseball, created specifically for this project. The special edition costs $249.98 and can be pre-ordered now with an expected ship date of early December. Geddy had written the book itself over a year ago and presented it as part of a package given to the winning bidders in a baseball auction that included much of Ged's extensive collection. Geddy also addressed the book in an interview with the Illinois Entertainer in the lead-up to the auction last year:
... It's a collection of stories from some of my favorite items in my collection. Maybe I'll release it on opening day next year, I don't know. I'm going to include a copy of the book to the winning bidders of those particular items in my sale that are also featured in this book. I'll give them a signed copy. [The book] came together in a relatively painless way. I wrote it with my co-writer, Daniel Richler. Richard Sibbald, who shot the Big Beautiful Book of Bass, took the photographs. They're absolutely stunning. ... So, there is a book, and I'm really pleased with it. I'm trying to get it printed now, in time for the auction. It's called 72 Stories from the Collection of Geddy Lee....
The book's listing includes some photos of the interior, and blogger Jay Roberts transcribed some of the text which can be seen in this post.
This past Friday Rush officially released a new box set which includes the band's first four Atlantic-era albums on vinyl. Rush The Albums: 1989-1996 contains vinyl reissues of 1989's Presto, 1991's Roll the Bones, 1993's Counterparts and 1996's Test For Echo. Each album includes a print of re-imagined cover artwork and is housed in a slipcase featuring new artwork from longtime Rush album artist Hugh Syme. The set is now available for purchase via the Rush Backstage Club and via Rhino.com.
Alex Lifeson's Envy of None project with Andy Curran, guitarist Alfio Annibalini and vocalist Maiah Wynne, will be releasing a new album in the Spring of 2025 and debuted a video for the album's first single Not Dead Yet last week. You can check out the video on YouTube at this location, and the song is available on most streaming services as well. From Prog magazine:
Speaking on the song's meaning, Wayne, who penned the lyrics, shared that it was inspired by Curran's raw chorus line "I'm not dead yet, come on along and see what I am good for". She describes the track as a cathartic anthem, one that embodies resilience and defiance against the forces that aim to tear us down. "Simply continuing to exist, to create, and to fight is inspiring and powerful. You have to continue to exist, to create, and to fight. That's the heart of the song: keep going and enjoy the ride."
Guitarist Chris Herin of Detroit-based prog rockers Tiles officially released his debut solo album Hiding In Plain Sight last Friday via The Laser's Edge, and one of the guest musicians on the album is Rush's Alex Lifeson, as first mentioned in this post from last summer. Alex plays on a track titled Second Ending which also features vocalist Matthew Parmenter of Detroit-based band Discipline. Some other notable guests on the album are Doane Perry, Michael Sadler, Peter Frampton, Kim Mitchell, and Crown Lands. Tiles has several connections with Rush, most notably their producer - former Rush producer Terry Brown - who also produced Hiding In Plain Sight. Brown introduced Lifeson to the band's work back in the 2000s and Lifeson ended up guesting on their 2008 Fly Paper album, adding guitar tracks to the song Sacred and Mundane. Rush album artist Hugh Syme also did the album's cover, as he did for most of Tiles' previous albums. Videos for three of the album's tracks are available on YouTube, including The Darkest Hour, Warning Signs, and The Heart of You. Distorted Sound magazine recently reviewed the album, giving it an 8/10 and concluding with this statement:
... A beautifully heart-breaking record that accurately captures the harder days, and yet still celebrates who his father was. There is no finer tribute.
The album is available on digipack CD and streaming, and you can order it online here.
Neil Peart's childhood friend Kit Jarvis recently sat down for a 20-minute interview with Roy's Studio Adventures where he talks about growing up with Peart (thanks Brendan B). Peart first made mention of Jarvis in his 1994 St. Catharines Standard article A Port Boy's Story. You can check out the interview below or on YouTube.
On the latest episode of Rush Roundtable (#250) on the Rushfans YouTube channel, the panel pits Rush's Permanent Waves against Moving Pictures:
That's all for this week. Have a great weekend!!
