The Clockwork Angels album has fallen only 3 spots from #48 last week to #51 on the Billboard 200 album chart in its 5th week of release. Cashbox magazine has posted their review of the album (thanks RushFanForever), saying the following:

... 'Clockwork Angel' sounds like the work of a much younger band, a much less famous band, almost the sound of a band demanding to be heard. That's probably the biggest surprise here and it shows in shorter, tighter songs and muscular musicianship. ...

It's a great review except for the fact that they get the name of the album wrong! :) The onslaught of band interviews continued this week with interviews from both Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. Geddy was featured in interviews at MusicRadar.com, with Terrorizer magazine, with UAE newspaper The National, and also discussed the Grapes for Humanity charity in this Samaritan magazine interview. MusicRadar.com also posted a 5-part video interview where Geddy discussed the Clockwork Angels album. Alex Lifeson was featured in a special Jubilee edition of Classic Rock magazine where he reminisces about the year 1977, and was also featured in the September issue of Guitar World. In Alex's Guitar World interview he addresses the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame question:

... I look at it like this: Last week we received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement, which is a very high honor in Canada. And we were also inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame, and all those sorts of things. So, in that sense, I'm quite satisfied with those accolades, particularly the Governor General's Award. That puts us in the company of some of the greatest Canadian creative minds of the last 20 years, since they started this.

I really don't feel the need to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame because, at the end of the day, it's just somebody's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They have a particular process, and they're welcome to do it however they want to do it. If they feel that they want to exclude a certain genre or certain bands from their hall of fame, they're welcome to do it. I don't need to be in there. I have no interest in going there. I think that so long as we keep this relationship, we probably both benefit. If Rush is not in there, the controversy continues, and it keeps Rush fans very pissed-off. There's some great bands in there that I really respect. Just recently, it was great to see the Chili Peppers get in - I love those guys. But I don't need it. I have no interest in going, and hope that we never will.

If I was a Rush fan, I'd be like, "No man, don't do it. Let's keep this to ourselves, this little special thing."

The latest issue of UK magazine Kerrang! continues a 2-page feature on Rush by Simon Young titled Mount Rush-more which profiles the band's rising popularity over the last decade. The issue hits newsstands in the UK next week.

According to reports from several members of the Rush road crew, preparations are underway for full tour rehearsals which will kick off next week. Also on the tour front, Music Today has begun shipping tickets for the first batch of Clockwork Angels tour dates and some fans have already received theirs. It's only 7 short weeks until the tour kick-off in Manchester!

The new David Barrett Trio (DB3) album - produced by Alex Lifeson - is just about done according to this Facebook update:

So after almost three years, we'll be done the DB3 album, we're mixing in late August, originally I thought it would just be me and Big Al in his studio making a guitar record, it turned into something where the credits will look something like this: Music written by DB, arranged by DB3 and Alex Lifeson. Engineered by Alexander 'Sascha' Tukatsch, Richard Chycki, and Alan Parsons. Produced by DB3, Richard Chycki, Alex Lifeson, and Alan Parsons. Mixed by Richard Chycki. Recorded at Lerxst Sound, Mixland, BAHM, and Noble Street Studios. DB/gtr, Jason/bass, Sascha/drums, Paul, everything else.

You can listen to a pre-release version of the album along with some previously-released DB3 tracks that were produced by Alex Lifeson on SoundCloud at this link.

The folks at RushCon have announced that Clockwork Angels: The Novel author and friend of Neil Peart - Kevin J. Anderson - will be Sunday's guest speaker at this year's convention. Kevin will read from Clockwork Angels and share his experience creating the novel with Neil Peart. Books will also be on sale and Kevin will be doing a book signing. The Clockwork Angels novel will release via ECW Press this September to coincide with the launch of Rush's North America tour. You can pre-order the audiobook version of Clockwork Angels (narrated by Neil Peart) at this location, and the hardcover edition here.

In celebration of Rush and the Clockwork Angels album release, Toronto-based chef Matt Kantor interpreted and deconstructed the music of Rush into a nine-course dinner that was held this past Wednesday and Thursday at The Cookbook Store in Yorkville (Toronto). Blogger Brilynn Ferguson was there and posted this gallery of photos from the event.

We learned earlier this week that Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo is financing a documentary on legendary bass player Jaco Pastorius. From USA Today:

... Tentatively titled Jaco, the documentary Trujillo took on two years ago is being directed by Stephen Kijak, who helmed 2010's Stones in Exile, about the Rolling Stones' creation of Exile on Main Street. Trujillo says he hopes to premiere the movie at the Toronto Film Festival in September. ...

According to the film's Facebook page Geddy Lee along with a number of other well-known musicians will appear in the film in some capacity.

Back on May 4th the Governor General of Canada - David Johnston - presented the Governor General's Performing Arts Award (GGPAA) for Lifetime Artistic Achievement to Rush during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. Video footage of the band receiving the award along with their acceptance speech is now available online at the GGPAA.ca website. You can watch the 3-minute video at this location - just click on watch speech on the left side of the page. For full coverage of the Governor General's Performing Arts Award ceremony and Gala, check out this post.

ESPN radio sportscaster Jared Max was recently profiled in a special sports-themed issue of Out magazine and talks about the importance of Rush's music in his life:

... "I didn't realize I could be Jared, who is into sports, who is gay, who is into Rush," he says, referring to his favorite band. College, he recalls, was "two years of hellish depression, where the most pleasant thoughts of the day were what people were going to say about me at my funeral." He listened to a lot of Rush. "They had a song called 'Bravado,' " he recalls. "For me, that song was a secret weapon that kept me alive every day and said, 'Fuck you,' to the world." (These days, references to the Canadian rock band are a staple of his ESPN show). ...

You can read the entire article/interview at this link.

Reader Peter C and his 5-year-old son built a full concert setup with Legos and shared some photos with me.

MusicRadar.com interviewed Mike Mangini of Dream Theater and asked him to list his 10 most influential drum albums (thanks drmike). Rush's A Farewell To Kings comes in at #6:

"I got this record by a fluke purchase through the Columbia Records Club - you know, you get to choose 10 albums for a penny? A Farewell To Kings was so pivotal for me at the time. I was in the school band, and a lot of kids didn't think this was a cool thing - it wasn't rock 'n' roll. But when I heard this record it gave me the strength to not fight my wanting to be in the school band and finding the purpose to practice at it.

"I didn't find the purpose to practicing orchestra bells and chimes before - it all like a waste of time to me because I didn't enjoy it. A Farewell To Kings opened my eyes to the combination of percussion. I mean, who uses a vibraslap? What is that? Hello? [laughs] Who plays that? But it was used perfectly here.

"There's so many things about this record. The music, it's always so over the top. The visuals - I had experienced them with Led Zeppelin IV, but with A Farewell To Kings, man, it's like, if other kids were experimenting with pot, all I had to do was listen to this album and get what I needed. I could close my eyes and just go somewhere.

"It's aggressive, it has time changes and dynamics - it's truly incredible."

Reader louisg let me know about this Calgary Sun article profiling 7-year-old drumming sensation Jaxon Smith. From the article:

... he literally taught himself by watching music DVDs of bands like Rush, Muse, Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters," ...

Jaxon appeared on the Today Show earlier this week and also has Jimmy Kimmel lined up. You can see him in action in this YouTube video.

Canadian broadcaster Jian Gomeshi is releasing his first book this coming September titled 1982. Gomeshi is the host of Q with Jian Gomeshi and has interviewed Rush a number of times on the show. From the publisher's book description:

... It is a bittersweet, heartfelt book that recalls awkward moments such as Ghomeshi's performance as the "Ivory" in a school production of Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney's Ebony and Ivory; a stakeout where Rush was rehearsing for its world tour; and a memorable day at the Police picnic of 1982. ...

Gomeshi talks about the stakeout mentioned above with Geddy and Alex in the uncut version of their interview from a 2009 appearance on Q. Thanks to RushFanForever for the heads up.

Here's part 5 of Geddy Lee's MusicRadar.com interview where Ged talks about Neil Peart and Nick Raskulinecz's unique relationship and how that aided the recording of the drum tracks for Clockwork Angels.

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

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