Since internet access is easy to come by these days, the fact that I'm on vacation hasn't really slowed down my blogging too much. Even so, it's been fairly quiet on the Rush front this week. There are few things to report though.

Late last Thursday we got the first post-tour news update from Neil Peart via his website. Neil had a lot of great things to say about the tour although he's looking forward to a few weeks of rest and relaxation. Judging by Neil's update, I see no reason to doubt that Rush will be back with more new music and another tour in the near future.

Rush was the subject of a cover and 7-page feature article in the August, 2008 edition of the UK's Classic Rock Magazine, out on newsstands now. Thanks to reader freewilly Niels I was able to obtain scans of the article which you can check out in this post. It's a wonderful article and interview with this interesting revelation from Alex Lifeson regarding the band's next album:

We really need to sit down and decide what we want to do with our next record. Whether we do an album or whether we just write songs over a period of time and release them as we go along. That's kind of attractive to me.

So Rush might do something unconventional for their next release of new material. Very intriguing. We'll have to watch this closely.

Last weekend I let you know that Wired.com's Scott Thill decided to ask his readers whether they thought that Rush should be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His plan was to then forward the responses on to his contact at the Rock Hall. This site and several other Rush sites posted the link and over the last week the story was flooded with hundreds of comments from Rush fans. To check out all the comments or to leave one of your own if you haven't yet, just go to this link.

Rush will be featured in a new book on progressive metal, due out in the fall of 2009 from Bazillion Points Publishing.

The Songs for Tibet benefit album which features a newly-recorded live version of Rush's Hope, is now available on iTunes at this link. You can also purchase Hope on its own at this location. This version of Hope is slightly different than the original and was recorded at the May 25th show in Regina. You can listen to a 55-second sample clip of the song at this link. The album project was organized by the Art of Peace Foundation. It will be available to order on CD this coming Tuesday, August 12th. You can view the entire tracklist and pre-order the album at this link.

Reader ladlenitz started a fantasy football league on Yahoo for Rush fans only called Distant Two-Minute Warning. The league ID number is 282368 and the password is bangkok. The only two requirements to join are that you must be a serious Rush fan and not be a newcomer to fantasy football.

Last October I let you know about a documentary on Rush tribute bands which aired on E! in Canada called For the Love of Rush. It had been viewable online at this link for Canadian residents, but has now also been posted to YouTube in 6 parts at this link so everybody can watch it (until they take it down at least!). It's worth checking out if you've never seen it. Thanks to grizz for the heads up.

Reader Stephen let me know about a Rush reference on the Fox News Channel show Red Eye from August 7th. One of the show's commentators Andy Levy declared Peart the greatest drummer ever and host Greg Gutfeld added, their new tour is killer. You can watch the clip at this link.

Neil Peart is pictured with his bike and kit at the AMA museum in the Snapshots section of the September, 2008 issue of the American Motorcyclist Association's American Motorcyclist magazine and credited as the world's greatest drummer. Later on in an article titled Seeing Stars, his bike is pictured by itself with a little blurb about his 55,000 mile trip and the tragedies that started it. Thanks to hseldon for the heads up.

Longtime reader hermy recently had successful surgery to remove a tumor on his brain behind his eye. Let's all send out our thoughts and prayers to him and his family and wish him a speedy recovery.

I now return to my regularly-scheduled vacation. Have a great weekend everybody!

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