Today's edition of Knoxville's Metro Pulse has an interviewwith Rush producer Nick Raskulinecz. He says a lot about Rush and his experience producing the new album. Here are all the tasty Rush bits:
Like so many other hesher kids of his era, former Beardenite Nick Raskulinecz was a Rush freak when he was playing bass and guitar in local Knox rock bands circa 1990. ...
... Then imagine the excitement for Raskulinecz—now a well-regarded record producer living in L.A.—when the band's management called last year and offered him the chance to produce the venerable outfit's 19th studio album. Raskulinecz accepted, needless to say, and spent five weeks living and working with the trio in a remote woodland studio on a mountaintop in upstate New York. The resulting album, yet untitled, is set for release in April of this year.
"It was a dream come true, because they were one of my favorite bands since I started listening to music when I was 10 years old," says Raskulinecz, speaking from his home in Northridge, Calif. "Suddenly, I was sitting in Geddy Lee's kitchen, Alex Lifeson is there drinking coffee, and we're talking about preproduction."
"I think they needed someone to kind of come in and kick them in the ass, and I was able to do that. We had a great time, and I think we made their best record in 15 years." ...
... In his online blog, drummer Peart described his experience working with Raskulinecz by saying, "I have never enjoyed the recording process so much, nor been so satisfied with the results." According to Peart, Raskulinecz also "coaxed, coached, and inspired [Peart] into ever more outrageous drum parts... the very edge of my abilities," and "urged Geddy's [Lee's] bass playing into uncharted areas."
"For a few weeks, I was basically the fourth member of Rush," Raskulinecz says of his production method. "I become part of it. I have to really be able to get inside the songs; when I make a record, I can't just be casual about it."
He adds that the upcoming release will have "the sound and vibe of an old Rush record"—i.e. one of those gloriously overwroughtsci-fi prog-metal epics he grew up with, albums like 2112 and Hemispheres and Permanent Waves. ...
I'm even more pumped about this new album now. "Their best record in 15 years"!!!! The "sound and vibe of an old Rush record"!!! I really hope so. Thanks to reader Neil C for the heads up.
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