This coming Monday, March 18th will mark the 50th anniversary of the March 18, 1974 Canadian release of Rush's debut album on Moon Records. The album was then re-released on Mercury/Polygram (with the revised pink logo) later that year on August 10, 1974. In 1995 it was given Gold status by the RIAA, and a 40th anniversary Rush Rediscovered vinyl box set was released in 2014. Back in January Pollstar published an interview with Geddy where his representative Meg Symsyk was asked about the upcoming 50th:

... the occasion of "R50" - 50 years since Neil Peart joined Rush, in time for the band's second album, Fly By Night - does not go unnoticed. "When the band is ready to share what they would like to do to celebrate R50, they will let everyone know," Symsyk says. ...

There have been other rumblings about what the band might do for their 50th, but no details have been revealed yet. Wisconsin-based company Artovision is celebrating the anniversary with the release of several 3-D artwork pieces depicting the album's iconic artwork. Over the past few years, they've released several sets of officially-licensed pieces based on Rush album art including Moving Pictures, Roll the Bones, Hold Your Fire, A Show of Hands, Signals (this desktop art piece too), Hemispheres, Clockwork Angels and Counterparts. As mentioned above, their latest addition is in celebration of this coming Monday's 50th anniversary of the release of Rush's debut album on Moon Records. They've released both 3-D Shadowbox and Desktop pieces for the original red cover, along with a pink option for the Mercury records edition. The shadowbox art pieces depict the iconic album art with the 3-D Rush explosion logo as seen here. These collectible shadowbox art pieces measures 14x14" x 2.5" and come ready to hang with an official Rush Certificate of Authenticity (COA). Each piece is printed on 1/8" thick optical-grade acrylic with vibrant UV cured inks and set in a high quality finished MDF wood frame. There are also corresponding Desktop versions available here, which are printed on 3/4" thick optical-grade acrylic with vibrant UV cured inks and also coming with an official Rush Certificate of Authenticity (COA). For more information on Artovision, and to see their complete line of officially-licensed Rush pieces, visit their website at artovision3d.com. You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and watch a YouTube video demonstrating the 3-D effect of their Shadowbox art here.

Speaking of Rush's debut album, heavy metal band Prong recently shared their cover of Working Man which appears on the band's latest album State of Emergency. Prong's Tommy Victor had the following to say about the cover:

... Rush had the big riffs and that's something PRONG always wants as well. Especially in the song 'Working Man' with that all-time classic opening riff. PRONG being a power trio also connects us to this great Canadian band, and ironically we're going out on tour with another great Canadian band, Vöivod! ...

You can listen to the track below or on YouTube.

Alex Lifeson and his new line of signature gear at Lerxst Amps is the focus of new article and interview in the latest edition of Guitar World magazine. Alex talks extensively about all the new gear he's offering including the Omega Chi amp, By-tor overdrive pedal, and his Lerxst Limelight signature guitar. The interviewer also didn't let Alex go without asking him about whether he has plans to work with Geddy again:

Umm... Don't know. [Laughs] Really, there's so much stuff in the airwaves these days about Geddy and I getting back together and doing something. And I think it's partly because of the way things went nine years ago, when we finished touring. We were at a high point, and we were playing really well. The show looked great. I think a lot of our fans felt, you know, why now? But we broke up the band basically for Neil. And he had valid reasons. He was tired. He couldn't play at the level he demanded from himself. So he felt it was time. But I think that for a lot of Rush fans there wasn't a feeling of closure. So there's a hope that we'd get back together. I will say that doing this book tour with Geddy [for Lee's 2023 memoir, My Effin' Life], I did a few of the stops with him, and it's kind of reignited interest in us getting out and playing. And the shows that we did last year for Taylor Hawkins [at the 2022 Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts] were inspiring, too. So for a little while I thought, you know, it'd be kind of good to get back out. And then I thought... nah, not really. [Laughs] I mean, we toured for 40 years. I'm not interested in going back out on tour. I don't wanna sit in a hotel room for hours and hours and hours to work for a couple of hours. Been there, done it, loved it. But that's in the past. So whether Ged and I get back together again and write or do any-thing, we'll see. Until then, there's plenty to work on, you know?

The issue also includes a 2-page spread on pages 60-1 on Rush's Grace Under Pressure album as part of the magazine's feature on albums from 1984. The article includes a few quotes from Lifeson where he recalls recording the album. You can check out the issue online here with the Alex interview on pages 32-6.

Former Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler has recruited an impressive lineup of all-star guitarists - including Rush's Alex Lifeson - for a new recording of his classic 1983 solo single Going Home (Theme from Local Hero) to help raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America. Mark Knopfler's Guitar Heroes was officially released today, and in addition to Lerxst, the song's lineup includes David Gilmour, Pete Townshend, Ronnie Wood, Brian May, Bruce Springsteen, Tony Iommi, Eric Clapton, Joan Jett, Joan Armatrading, Hank Marvin, Slash, Tom Morello, and the very last recording by the late Jeff Beck. It was produced by Knopfler's longtime collaborator Guy Fletcher. From the announcement:

... The new version of the song, an instrumental theme to the 1983 Scottish comedy-drama Local Hero, was recorded at British Grove Studios, in West London, with some artists taping their contributions in person, and others sending in sound files from their own studios. Guy Fletcher then edited the contributions into a nine-minute piece. Speaking of Jeff Beck's participation in the recording, Fletcher says, "It was absolutely meant to be. And what he did with it, it just brings you to tears." The song also features Ringo Starr on drums, Sting on bass, and Teenage Cancer Trust patron Roger Daltrey on harmonica. ...

You can listen to the full, 9-minute track on YouTube here, and purchase it here. All proceeds from sales of the track will go towards the Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America.

Geddy Lee has contributed a story for the latest edition of British Wine magazine Noble Rot, where Ged describes how he became a wine connoisseur. Geddy had the following to say about the story in a recent Instagram post (thanks RushFanForever):

Being a total wine geek, I was more than happy to be asked to contribute a story about the origins of my love for the "Heartbreak Grape". It appears in Issue #34 of the always fascinating @noblerotmag which, as it happens, also represents a group of my very fave restaurants in jolly old London Town... Noble Rot, of course... damn fine fun! You can get issue at @noblerotmag

To commemorate the 4th anniversary of the passing of Neil Peart back in January, Rush tribute band YYNOT hosted their 2nd annual Bubba Bash in celebration of The Professor at the Keswick Theatre outside Philly (Glenside, PA) on Saturday, January 6th. The show was "In Celebration of Neil Peart", and featured YYNOT along with special guests Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater, etc.), Frank Bello (Anthrax), Jason Bittner (Shadows Fall, Overkill, etc.), Jon Dinklage (Clockwork Angels string ensemble), Joe Bergamini (drum instructor, author, etc.), John Wesley (Porcupine Tree), Seven Antonopoulos (Opiate for the Masses), and more. All proceeds from the show go to benefit Cedars Sinai Hospital, and you can send along your donation here. The show was professionally filmed, and the band has been posting pro-shot video from the event over the last couple of months including a performance of YYZ with special guest Mike Portnoy which you can watch here, a performance of Hemispheres: Prelude featuring Ed Toth, Afterimage featuring Jason Bittner and John Wesley, Anthem with Frank Bello, and Different Strings featuring Jonathan Dinklage which you can check out here. Their latest offering is video of YYNOT showcasing their musical chops with their cover of La Villa Strangiato. Be sure to follow YYNOT on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for all the latest updates.

On the latest episode of Rush Roundtable (#221) on the Rushfans YouTube channel, the panel continues their Test for Echo album discussion series with Limbo.

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