Rush announced last week that they will be releasing a Rush 50 Super Deluxe Box Set compilation anthology in celebration of the band's 50th anniversary this Spring. We first learned about the box set back in early December when a pre-release listing for a Rush 50th anniversary Super Deluxe compilation set appeared on Apple Music with an expected February release. The listing included the entire tracklist but was eventually taken down. Then Classic Rock magazine's February edition hit store shelves late last month and included an extensive cover feature celebrating Rush's 50th anniversary. The article confirmed the box set was in the works, but did not include any additional details. In the weeks since the article was released, listings for the set have been slowly popping up online (and subsequently being removed), revealing more details. But last Monday Rush finally made the official announcement, along with a few more details and an unboxing video. From the announcement:

On March 21, UMe/Mercury and Anthem Records label groups celebrate the half-century milestone marker for Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame icons with RUSH 50, a wide-ranging 50-track super deluxe anthology that encompasses the entirety of the band's long and storied career for the first time across all the band's label groups, bookended with the first ever reissue of their debut 1973 single and a live recording of the last song they ever performed together as a band at their final concert in 2015 at The Forum in Los Angeles. ...

"50? Is that all?...seriously...it's a cool collection...but look at all those songs - I'm exhausted just reading the effin list!" - Geddy Lee ...

The set will be available in five distinct configurations, including the (1) Super Deluxe Edition ($374.98), (2) Rush Store Exclusive Super Deluxe Edition, (3) 7-LP Deluxe Edition ($249.98), (4) 4-CD Deluxe Edition ($99.98), and (5) Digital Edition ($26.49). The Rush Backstage Store exclusive edition includes an additional four bonus lithos showcasing Rush through time, newly illustrated by FANTOONS from the characters created for the graphic novel depicting the band in the '70s, '80s, '90s and 2000s. As mentioned above, Rush 50 will be officially released on March 21st, and it can be pre-ordered via Amazon and other retailers. You can view all the details regarding the different configurations and what they include, along with the full tracklist at Rush.com.

Back in late 2023 in the lead up to his My Effin' Life book tour, Geddy Lee released 2 tracks from the My Favorite Headache sessions for streaming. The release was dubbed The Lost Demos and included the previously unreleased tracks Gone and I Am ... You Are. Yesterday it was revealed that an exclusive 12" vinyl release of The Lost Demos would be made available for Record Store Day on April 12. From the RSD website:

For Record Store Day 2025, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee and Rush lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist Geddy Lee releases The Lost Demos, two previously unreleased solo songs. Lee originally recorded this pair of demos, "Gone" and "I Am... You Are", during the writing sessions for his 2000 solo debut, My Favorite Headache. With the help of producer/engineer David Bottrill, he has unearthed them for the first time, properly mixed and mastered. Commenting on the project, Geddy said "I'm excited to see these two "lost demos" released - I loved the songs when they were written and in some ways they feel as fresh and perhaps more relevant all these years later." Both songs conjure the spirit of the classic My Favorite Headache, which originally arrived on November 14, 2000.

The release will be available at participating stores on Record Store Day 2025 on Saturday, April 12th. To find a store near you, visit recordstoreday.com.

Speaking of Geddy, the Stan Greenspon Holocaust and Social Justice Education Center in Charlotte, NC hosted the Rush front-man last Monday evening for a community commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The event was billed as a special one-off extension of Ged's My Effin' Life In Conversation book tour, and it followed essentially the same format as his prior appearances. Geoff Edgers of the Washington Post was the guest interviewer, and the second half of the event featured a Q&A session. Queens University Communications posted a review of the event earlier this week, saying the following:

... "Now that my mom is no longer here to tell her story, I feel I need to tell her story, and I need people to remember what can happen," said Lee. "Their stories are worth repeating for so many different reasons, and I find myself a beneficiary of the wisdom and the suffering that they went through."

The event, moderated by The Washington Post's national arts reporter Geoff Edgers, drew a large crowd of community members. Attendees expressed gratitude for Lee's willingness to share his family's story and his powerful message of hope and resilience.

"The response to Geddy Lee's conversation with our community has been overwhelmingly positive and exceeded all of our expectations," said Rabbi Judy Schindler, the Greenspon Center's Jewish Scholar-in-Residence and Social Justice Lead. "People came from far and wide to hear him and were touched by his stories and wisdom. He expanded the circle of those who care about keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive so that collectively we can work to combat hate in the many forms it comes." ...

Geddy himself posted some photos along with a short message to his Instagram following the event:

My heartfelt thanks to all - especially the survivors - that came out to hear my family's harrowing story of survival, and to mourn the inhumanity of 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust. So hard to believe it's been 80 years since my mom and dad were liberated.

Grateful to everyone at the Stan Greenspon Holocaust Center @stangreensponcenter for the important educational work you do.

Special thanks to our superb moderator, Geoff Edgers for handling this sensitive discussion so brilliantly. ...

Here's a 9-minute video of Ged speaking from the event, and you can also check out a pdf copy of the program here.

13 iconic tracks played in crazy time signatures
Mixdown Mag posted their list of 13 iconic tracks played in crazy time signatures this past week and Rush's Tom Sawyer made the cut:

Being one of the most famous progressive rock groups of all time, Rush have written their fair share of confusing, flashy tunes. However, their signature song 'Tom Sawyer' stands out as being a notable example in their discography, featuring an epic bridge written in the meter of 7/8 and made special by the exceptional groove and technique of the late great Neil Peart. Regardless of your thoughts on Rush, you simply can't deny the brilliance of his performance on this track.

On this past week's episode of Rush Roundtable on the Rushfans YouTube channel (episode #262), the panel continues thier Snakes & Arrows discussion with the first of three instrumentals on the album, The Main Monkey Business:

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