I'm not calling this the weekly blog rush any more, since I probably will only do it once every couple weeks or so. With that aside, I once more give you these Rush-related posts from around the blogosphere. Enjoy.

The Timekeeper talks about how an interview with Geddy and Alex (with "Redbeard" from Rock 103 out of Memphis) got him thinking about beer.

... During the course of the show Geddy was asked what he thought of different cultures worldwide during their travels and what differences, if any, he noted in various places. Geddy ... stated that in his travels that all the various countries claim to have the best beer in the world. He would be like, "how can you claim that when the country I was in yesterday claims to have the best beer in the world?" I instantly thought that if there is one thing in the world that draws different people from different parts of the world together, it's BEER ...

Mossy Stone drools over the SS Professor and talks about his handwritten postcard from Neil.

... One of my major influences was Neil Peart. ...and I recall slavishly drawing out the layout of his massive kit over and over and over (hey, its a Drummer thing....) ... One of my more treasured possessions is a handwritten postcard from him (20 yrs ago, now) offering thanks for a piece of fan mail I sent to Modern Drummer magazine. (Note to self: Get that framed!)... So one of my colleages happened to wander over to my veal-fattening pen cubicle just around lunchtime and mentioned, "I dunno what kind of music you like, or if you're a Rush fan or not.. They have one of Neil Peart's drum kits on display down at Sam the Record Man. I think it's there until 3." ... So....off I went down to Sam's...walked in....found it.....drooled and dreamed. There's something to be said about the latent power of a set of drums. ... Tell me....why did I sell my kit 10 yrs ago? (oh yeah...I needed the money...and you can't serenade someone with drums)

Ricardo discusses (and posts several cool pics) seeing the SS Professor when it made a stop in San Jose. The engineer who worked with Neil to develop the Sabian Paragon Series Cymbals was there and gave a little talk/q&a.

... I got to see the kit up close and I have to say it's very beatiful. The Drum Tech told us all that the only thing on that kit that you could not buy from DW (Drum Workshop) was the personilized finish on the kit. Everything else could be purchased if you wanted the exact same kit. ... What I found out by being at this event was that Sabian pretty much made their cymbals sound like Zildiian cymbals because they basically reproduced the sound of each cymbal and slowly replaced them with Sabians as time went on. Originally the Engineer said that each Sabian had a logo printed on each one but Neil insisted on removing the labels. He then asked Neil why he never had cymbals with logo's and he told him "Do diamonds have logos on them". It makes sense to me now but I also had that question in my mind ever since. ...

Bicyclemark is haunted by Rush ...

You've probably got a friend who likes Rush. I'm sure you have to think for a second, cause maybe you haven't seen him in a while (and its definitely a HIM) but he was that good friend who was wonderfully intelligent and lived in what often seemed to be his own world... a world where Rush was the greatest band of all time and the lyrics and music of their songs could answer all of life's questions. ...

Preston Parkhurst reviews R30 and loves it ...

... Always with a hint of mysticism and social statement, Rush's music has grown, changed, and matured over the years and this DVD set captures this growth and change leaving one with a renewed sense of respect of what Rush has accomplished throughout its history. Unlike many bands that have succumbed to the old adage of "Sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll" and band members growing weary of their group, Rush has managed to not only to stay together but thrive in a way that gives one the sense that the trio are really but a single entity, both on and off the stage.

To music fans I say, this is a must have work of one of the greatest rock and roll bands of our era as no music collection should be without, period!

To Alex, Geddy, and Neil, thanks for all the years of traveling down your own path and bringing to the world such wonderful music that is sure to resonate for years to come. What a great ride it has been so far!

Jonathan Jones talks about great drummers like Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich and Neil Peart and praises Der Trommler (The Drummer) from the R30 dvd:

... John popped round about 20 minutes ago. ... I bought a couple of tapes of Gene Krupa & Buddy Rich and as he's a drummer, felt he might be interested in listening to and copying them if he so wished, which he has done. ... He left a tape of Krupa & Rich he'd copied for me along with liner notes and a sheet on how to tune up a drumkit. ... I've wanted to learn for such a long time but have always been daunted by the tuning aspect but as Neil Peart said in one of the R30 interviews I watched last night, "don't pick up drum sticks expecting to play Madison Square Gardens, pick them up and expect to play the local church hall" and I totally agree. In other words, give whatever you have each and every time and who knows where you may wind up. The R30 dvd was brilliant. Neil's drum solo on the track Der Trommler (The Drummer) was the best solo from any drummer I've seen to date. Absolutely brilliant. Okay there are drummers of the same level of skill and experience but there's something about Neil's sound and way of playing that just does it for me. He comes across as a really nice bloke as well. Yay for Rush!

Doomed to Rock praises self-indulgent epic rock songs and has good words to say about Rush's Hemispheres:

This song is the first side of the excellent Hemispheres album. Can't really say anything band about this song or about my Canadian heroes Rush (except for maybe Geddy's hair in the 80s). Hemispheres showcases the bass playing talents of Geddy Lee combined with the awesome analytical drumming of Neal Peart.

Doomed Rating: 10 out of 10

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