Rush's recording contract...

[Wil1972]

I say I hope they do not release any more Greatist Hit albums. They have to much of those.

 

But I would be down for another Studio or Live album. :)

 

As far as the greatest hits stuff, I seem to remember reading that Rush gave Mercury freedom to issue greatest hits albums from their tenure on the label in pretty much any form they wish, but to only do so every ten years? But that doesn't jive, cause they have released them in far more frequency than that. So I don't know if that arrangement changed.

[rocket ignites]

My main worry concerning a new studio album is Neil thinking he'd be pushed/pulled from all sides to hit the road in support of it. He could nix the idea just because of that.

 

For Alex and Geddy it would be like opening a toy on Christmas morning and not be able to play with it. (touring)

[Phantom]

That's a great point rocket... I could see Neil hesitating to even think about recording new material for fear of what might be asked of him after recording is done

[Wil1972]

That's a great point rocket... I could see Neil hesitating to even think about recording new material for fear of what might be asked of him after recording is done

 

If Neil does not want to tour they will not pressure him to tour. Just like when it came time to do press and interviews after VT, he was never expected or pressured into it.

[Phantom]

Neil himself has said that in order for a band to consider itself a band, they really should play live..or something to that effect. I suppose that's another strike against the likelihood of a future.

[JohnnyBlaze]

Neil himself has said that in order for a band to consider itself a band, they really should play live..or something to that effect. I suppose that's another strike against the likelihood of a future.

At the same time, that doesn't mean it's impossible for him to just think of it as a "recording project"....though I do think that even THAT chance is extremely low.

[pjbear05]

Please, no more live. IMHO R40 Live was awful.

[Phantom]

Really PJ? I enjoyed it. What about it didn't you like?

[TexMike]

Anything short of complete financial hardship won't get Neil behind the set of drums again ever. Its over ! that is just my opinion , they may surprise me so there is always hope .

 

I think you're right. An expensive divorce is about the only thing I can picture that would make him reconsider hanging up the sticks.

 

He has his perfect story book ending with the final Rush gig being played at his hometown venue. He can earn enough just writing books at this point, without all the physical demands of drumming. Even just recording one more album (without touring) would require lots of rehearsal time to get back into playing shape.

 

He's achieved way more than he probably ever expected to and is now able to enjoy his twilight years with a loving family. It's over. It was a great run for him and for us.

[cygnify]

This makes me think of an item from the Time Machine tour book:

 

We definitely wanted to work on something new, and talked about just writing and recording a couple of songs. We could follow the wishes of our manager, Ray, and do a little touring in 2010 as well. Geddy brought up a project that has long appealed to him-collecting all of our instrumentals into one album, and perhaps writing a new one to go with them.

 

"Maybe something a little more extended," he said, and my ears pricked up. Years back, we had done our share of long works, lyrical concepts and instrumentals (always remembering the subtitle of "La Villa Strangiato" from 1978, "An Exercise in Self Indulgence"), but lately we had tended to make our songs, if not concise, at least more compressed. So that, for example, an instrumental like "The Main Monkey Business" on Snakes and Arrows was enormously complex, but worked through its movements in six minutes, instead of nine or ten.

 

At that suggestion, wheels started turning in my head. Now that we were talking about doing something a little more ambitious musically, I wondered if it wasn't time to think that way in terms of lyrics and concepts, too. The chorus line in "Caravan" seems apt: "I can't stop thinking big."

 

Maybe this would be an option to ease Neil back in (though he never took it easy on instrumentals!) This would be such a cool collection - especially if they added a couple of new extended instrumentals!

[Phantom]

Under normal circumstances, I'd have a strong feeling one way or the other about what I think might happen. In this case, I'm on the fence. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that they intend to record in studio. I also wouldn't be surprised if someone representing the band said they won't record or play live gigs again.

[ytserush]

Really PJ? I enjoyed it. What about it didn't you like?

 

For me it was most of the set. And they really didn't get humming too consistently until the tour has about half over and even then there were those moments of sadness that it wasn't going like it should.

[thirteen]

_{Please, no more live. IMHO R40 Live was awful.}

The R40 show they played at Las Vegas MGM Grand arena was phenomenal :haz: . Infinitively better than the show they filmed for the DVD.

[YYZ Working Man]

Their recording contract calls for a complete rebuild of LeStudio Morin Heights and 2 new albums to be recorded there..

That is my ultimate Rushscape....

[Mr. JD]

Their recording contract calls for a complete rebuild of LeStudio Morin Heights and 2 new albums to be recorded there..

That is my ultimate Rushscape....

 

That would be cool! Richard Baxter might beat them to it! He is now selling LeStudio t-shirts and pieces of the LeStudio floor. Sort of like the guy who was trying to sell pieces if the control room glass.

[Xanadu]

Alex and Geddy will release their 'Unplugged' album after their 'Unplugged' tour next spring.

Oh wait, I wasn't supposed to tell anyone.

 

And you remember where you heard about the Geddy & Alex acoustic tour first, right? ;)

[Empty Mindless Spectre]

This makes me think of an item from the Time Machine tour book:

 

We definitely wanted to work on something new, and talked about just writing and recording a couple of songs. We could follow the wishes of our manager, Ray, and do a little touring in 2010 as well. Geddy brought up a project that has long appealed to him-collecting all of our instrumentals into one album, and perhaps writing a new one to go with them.

 

"Maybe something a little more extended," he said, and my ears pricked up. Years back, we had done our share of long works, lyrical concepts and instrumentals (always remembering the subtitle of "La Villa Strangiato" from 1978, "An Exercise in Self Indulgence"), but lately we had tended to make our songs, if not concise, at least more compressed. So that, for example, an instrumental like "The Main Monkey Business" on Snakes and Arrows was enormously complex, but worked through its movements in six minutes, instead of nine or ten.

 

At that suggestion, wheels started turning in my head. Now that we were talking about doing something a little more ambitious musically, I wondered if it wasn't time to think that way in terms of lyrics and concepts, too. The chorus line in "Caravan" seems apt: "I can't stop thinking big."

 

Maybe this would be an option to ease Neil back in (though he never took it easy on instrumentals!) This would be such a cool collection - especially if they added a couple of new extended instrumentals!

 

Wow would I love to see something like this happen. But all any of us can really do is wait and see what the future brings. Sure, if enough of us guess and pull predictions out of our arses, someone by sheer happenstance will end up being right and be able to beat their chest and say "I told you so". Kind of like hitting the lottery and saying "see, I knew those were the right numbers to play!"

[JohnnyBlaze]

Alex and Geddy will release their 'Unplugged' album after their 'Unplugged' tour next spring.

Oh wait, I wasn't supposed to tell anyone.

 

And you remember where you heard about the Geddy & Alex acoustic tour first, right? ;)

Over the last 20+ years the acoustic idea has come up many times but in every article I've read Geddy says something similar to this: "We're not really interested in an acoustic tour since we're not an acoustic band."

 

Of course, they're old now, their feelings might've changed, and the band dynamics have certainly changed but this is what Geddy's said from the stuff I've read.

Edited August 21, 2016 by JohnnyBlaze

[Phantom]

I suppose anything is possible but I'd file the unplugged idea in the "least likely" pile.

[JohnnyBlaze]

I suppose anything is possible but I'd file the unplugged idea in the "least likely" pile.

I would too...or at least a contender for "least likely".

[Ged Lent's sis]

To the OP: Given they remained on Anthem/Universal in Canada, and everywhere I have looked the deal is described as nothing other than a partnership beginning with a live album and a new studio release planned for 2012, it is conceivable to me that any agreement has only to do with distribution rights rather than any other requirement traditional to the signing of a new band. Like maybe Roadrunner has first dibs, but somehow I doubt RUSH are on the hook for anything new out of the studio. And one would expect that if it had been a multi-album deal, that that would have been part of the press release.

 

But what do I know? One can dream away: One can dream that they'll be the first band to record in a re-opened Le Studio; One can dream that they'll ring up Terry Brown for one last Broon-Haha. One can dream that the trio's use of performance enhancing regenerative hormones might restore Lerxt's ligaments, Lee's larynx, and Neil's need to have negated what made him an unrivalled individual on batterie by seeking the counsel of someone who'd make him think he could swing like someone else — heck maybe he'd even head back to Fort Wayne to a reopened Percussion Centre for a set of Tamas.

 

I think this is what my dreaming largely amounts to. Sure, it includes wanting the creation of something new (and doesn't have to include the self-ironic parody of the previous paragraph) but I am afraid that it has as much to do with a struggle with getting old, never to be young again. When they've hung it up, another part of my life is over, only to be revisited by listening to the past.

[pjbear05]

You asked, so I will answer.

 

The CD of R40 Live sounded muddy and dull, like someone cut the midrange to zero. Even the instrumental parts seemed bogged down.

 

Geddy's vocals sounded strained as forced . Yeah I get it he's in his 60's and all, maybe that's why they are taking a very extended break.

 

Instrumentals that I've known and loved in the past just didn't move me in the same way.

 

I don't doubt for a minute there were better mixes done, (especially at Vegas), and perhaps in the future R40 will get a remix. But for now I will rely on my CD's and treasured memories of Rush concerts past. There weren't many of them, but they were all good. I'm gathering my resources, and probably buying some more, to put together a live Rush collage for permanent storage. Sort of an all eras live set to keep the memories good.

Rant OFF.

[Phantom]

It's interesting to stop for a moment and be mindful that each of us has a tipping point. All of us are likely to reach a point in our lives where we either don't want or need to do something that we've done all our lives, or we can't do it as well as we once did. The fact that Rush are either nearing, right at, or past that point is monumental to me... As they've been a huge influence on me for most of my life

[YYZ Working Man]

well said:

[EagleMoon]

I'm hoping that if they do out out another album that it's an instrumental one. Go out on a high note.