Bahamas

Fine, I guess one does have favourites and disappointments... Top Five 2112 (it's stood the test of time, iconic, simple, decades of reference) Test For Echo Permanent Waves (before anything like Photo Shop existed and super cool politics with the newspaper headline) Counterparts Hemispheres Least Five Hold Your Fire (although I have said before - the three dots meant very little until I saw the memes circulating with two dots, after Neil's passing - that was a kick in the gut) Snakes & Arrows (I like the hands and the prose theme, but it's more than that, as an album theme) Vapor Trails (although the album itself means a great deal) Clockwork Angels (busy and bright) Fly By Night (simple and the first album together, but always looked too simple to me) Using the same artist is not an issue for me, the guy's brilliant and I have at least one book of artwork (dedicated to Lorraine) - love the album covers and associated contextual artwork - but the inside artwork often matters more. And this a visual survey, not a musical opinion. Outliers are: Caress Of Steel - Super cool with backstory, but doesn't stand out in a stack of vinyl. RUSH - early days, a splash of colour and defiance, classic but against all the artwork of the rest, not a top contender.

There is a book I go back to, often. It's about the populating of (middle) northern Ontario and the advertising of "free land" parcels to immigrants. Realtors and government agencies travelled across Europe looking for settlers in the mid to late 1800s to come to Canada. Those parcels were often tracks of rock and lakes but by clearing some of the land, one could stake a claim and plant crops on the thin soils of the shield's rocky landscapes. Thomas Osborne: How I Survived 5 Years In The Canadian Bush Another (though not as often) is A Girl Of The Limberlost, by Gene Stratton-Porter, a more US story of pioneer history. I will check this out, hoping for some cross-over!

It sounded like the last few albums, found it in Test For Echo. ...Lives connect in webs of gold and razor wire... Time And Motion Those bonfire lights in the mirror of sky, the space between wonder and why

The Wreckers ( it was the sound of Geddy's voice that made me keep looking in Clockwork Angels ) Each emotional injury leaves behind its mark Sometimes they come tumbling out Like shadows in the dark...

Forgot to look here for a while, thank you, _hi_water._ I will try to reply this weekend. Anybody else? Sounds like Clockwork Angels? But these guys are sneaky. I will find it!

I had to "Like" everybody's response. It's so neat to hear all the reasons and times in life when the band was appreciated. My older brothers were fans. As a kid I also heard Johnny Winter, Rory Gallagher, Zeppelin, Frank Zappa, Pink Floyd, it all played loud when our parents were away. But RUSH stood out because it didn't sound the same, the other bands were different but I could always tell who it was once I knew the band. But with these three guys I would ask who is that? RUSH. And that? RUSH. Wow! And then on my early morning paper routes I would listen to them on my Sony Walkman, in the cold slush and snow, the bright warm summer mornings, always RUSH. Growing up in Willowdale, Ontario (Toronto) my friends and I (walking back and forth from Boy Scouts) felt we "knew" the band. Hardly (they all live in Casa Loma - that's how they can make so many albums!), but it was this sense of wanting to know them. We collected empty bottles of pop to return for refunds so we could buy bottles of pop and we collected misguided golf balls from a golf course on the Don River to sell for a nickle so we could buy more bottles of pop. There are some lines in the Necromancer "...the three travelers, men of Willow Dale, emerge from the forest shadow. Fording the River Dawn..." We thought it was the coolest song in the whole world. The rest of my life and the band are for another story, I guess, as this is How did you find RUSH... But leave it to say that I followed them until Signals and then family/life stuff got in the way and I was off to University. I heard news about tragedy, achievement awards, solo albums and remember there is very little radio play up here in Canada, then got married, worked on an old house and left the band behind - another CD on the mix of CDs. It was Clockwork Angels and R40 that brought me back and I have spent a lot of time (more than I care to admit) learning as much as I can. Books, every album, 40th releases, concert DVDs, interviews, building half a book shelf worth of stuff. Reading Neil's stuff and finding myself snowshoeing through a forest and realising I was finding a similar peace, it really had a big impact on me. I absolutely love these guys and still order more stuff every few months just to build up a collection, because each part means something to me in my life. My last concert was the R40 with my brother. "The best seat at a RUSH concert is..." "Where I am sitting". I am STILL finding RUSH and who or what got me into the band. Edit: Golf balls.

Logged in to say 2112 on the DVD of the Clockwork Angels Tour. Watched the concert over two days, now ending with the Encore, 2112, and just amazing. The audience shouting "Hey!" with instrumentals and the stage visuals, very fun to watch again.

Sent a tax receipt the very next day.

The Guys have created a mustard with Henderson Brewery and Kozlik Mustard - RUSH Golden Ale Mustard. Weird? Cool? I think it's cool. I do like their mustards, why not give this one a try? It's not listed on the website (Hmmm...) but is listed on RUSH Backstage, and I have ordered from there lots so I think it's a real thing. Alex offers a funny description of the science and significance of this new addition to the Kozlik category.

Clicked the link to Citizens First email to ask about fundraising. Will see what they suggest. Edit: Oops, the link is www.stcatherines.ca/neilpeart

Not sure if this is common knowledge, but Spielberg used Tom Sawyer in the movie version of Ready Player One. Is that why you are reading the books? No, not everything is about RUSH but it seems like a good reference/first step in being interested in the franchise?

I think a helmet somewhere on a shelf or on the floor with a map spread out (like a rug) would include a huge part of his life. (Not ignoring family and friends and challenges of being away - just saying the road and seeing so many of his self-shots on the bike with that big dark helmet would be great to see).

No kidding!

Thank you BetterCallSaul for seeing this and posting it here. What a gem, and as all above, hoping to see more! Cheers!

I will donate some, it looks great! And very happy it is about more than drumming. I will look again, closer, but some kind of motorcycle element would be very appreciated. Or even including a snowshoe somehow. But looks awesome!

We have just returned from a trip south of the border to Duluth for three days, our closest fun shopping and dining get-away destination. After almost three years, we are trying to return to a sense of "normal". At a small boutique shop (at Fitger's - in case said person is watching...) I was looking for an aged bottle of The Macallan, to see if the exchange rate and price was better than our local LCBO choices. Turns out the prices were not very different. So I asked the proprietor if he would consider a discount for Canucks long absent but returning to the scene - joking, in a sincere sort of way. Sorry, no. Prices are rising everywhere. Fine. Would you consider a discount to a RUSH fan, the drummer being a big fan of said label. He looked up at me and asked You're a RUSH fan? Yes, I said. I've seen three of their concerts, he said. I have only seen two, I said. I knew I was beat, right then. While it didn't get me a discount, and nothing gained, I was delighted to hear a stranger describe Neil's having learned new techniques from Freddy and how he, himself, was inspired to try to learn new techniques, also a drummer. Found another RUSH fan in the north-western wilderness. Sweet!

Wandering the Face of My Earth I'd Like To Go Back In Time

blueschica, Thanks for the "Like"! Here we are, in the forums. What podcasts did you find, what are you reading, now?

30 Rock had some great episodes, very fun!

Tina Fey is pretty cool, lots of experience in "show-biz". What do you like about the book?

My focus group (me, myself and I) wish to present the following options for a title: Are You...Are You In The Mood? Swearing Thru The Headaches Of Almost 50 years. It's In There Somewhere - Like A Digital Copy That's Wrong. The Way Out Is The Way In. Beneath, Between and Behind: My Life Being Voluntold As The Front Man For RUSH. Hundreds Of Days Touring Every Year - Hundreds Of Things I Never Shared. Anybody else care to suggest titles?

I have to agree with Entre_Perpetuo on this. I see the topic again and start thinking, yup front and centre - or perhaps a little higher to see more action. Then I remember being with my brother at the Friday night R40 in Toronto. Where we grew up. When we loved RUSH together - or apart (brothers, duh). I agree. "The best seat is the one next to the person you most want to see RUSH with". That should be in a music history book some day. Brilliant!

Any Grateful Dead concerts you care to share with us ?

I won't compare his memoir to anybody else. It will be so nice to read about his perspectives and stories of a long, wonderful journey.

Time lines always change, no hurry for me. It's going to be great to read and I love that he wants to do this. Let the editing go as it may, it will be a great thing to have. (Ahem...Mr. Alex? And what have you considered writing about? Hmmm?)