Geddy Lee, from Immigrants' Son to Rush's Lead Singer Scott Cohen Frost Taken from Circus -- October 27, 1977
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in your diary now and order those tickets ASAP please. You will also have found enclosed (all that paper .. .. ) a Rush poll/questionnaire (thanks Ray!). We have not done one of these for several years and thought it was about time we did. It's quite detailed and as an incentive to completing it and sending it in (deadline for completed forms is Saturday, 5th September) we are offering a prize which we will give away when we Editorial announce the results of the poll at the convention. So, get your thinking head on right away and start writing. This issue we have an exclusive interview with THIS ISSUE Is DEDICATED To JACQ!:lELlNE TAYLOR Mr Russ Ryan. Russ was Geddy's bass tech for the 2nd leg of last year's 'T4E' tour. Russ was real .....s top press ..... Just as we were about to go to nice to give up his time on a Sunday afternoon a print we received the following sad news ... ... couple of weeks back ...... for this we thank him. Next issue (No. 44) will be with you before the Rush Drummer's Wife Dies of Cancer convention (early Sept) and will be our best issue by Jane Stevenson, Toronto Sun, July 4, 1998 ever. We have lined up for you exclusive Tragedy has struck Rush drummer Neil Peart again. interviews with the following: Peart's wife, Jacqueline Taylor, is dead from cancer • 'JJ' - ALEX'S GUITAR TECH FOR OVER 20 yEARS .. ............. ... almost 1 year after the couple lost their 19 year old • 'GOWAN' - WE TALK TO LAWRENCE GOWAN daughter last August in a single car crash. A ABOUT 'LOST BROTHERHOOD' THE 1990 ALBUM spokesperson for Rush's Toronto based WHICH ALEX PLAYED ON .. .. .. management company confirmed that Peart's wife • 'SHIRLEY' - KEVIN (CAVEMAN) SHIRLEY TALKS had died, but declined to give details. ABOUT THE RECORDING OF 'COUNTERPARTS' AND MORE .. .. SOR would like to express its sincere condolences We are also hoping to interview 'Silversun' about to Neil at this time ......... their cover of 'Xanadu' in time for the next issue. See later in this issue for details of their single. Welcome to another instalment of your favourite Just enough space left to mention 'Dream Rush fanzine. Hot news from Anthem about the Theater' again (see centre pages for a more live album - it will be a three disc set which detailed tour report). They will also be releasing should see the light of day around October of this a double live CD set towards the end of the year year. Start saving those pennies now. as well (two great live CDs to look forward to) Anthem have also confirmed that they will be recorded in Holland and France at the end of supplying us with a bundle of various goodies June - it should be well worth your attention. for prizes at this year's convention (full details of Regards, what, next issue) ..... if the convention takes place that is. Let me explain - at the time of writing Editorial Address: (30th June) we have only received 12 orders for 23 Garden Close tickets. As you can imagine we need a lot more Chinbrook Road, Grove Park than that to go ahead. If you're planning to London SE129TG come please order your tickets now. You should ' ENGLAND Please e-mail letters etc. to: find a ticket order form inserted inside this issue. [email protected] We have also enclosed a flyer for you to advertise Editor: Mick Burnett, Co-editor !typist: l anet Balmer the convention in your area (local record Printers: Blue Print Printers store/ gig venue etc. etc.). Feel free to copy it as Contributors: Ray Wawnyzniak, Janet Balmer Th anks 10: Anna at Anthem, Ru ss Ryan much as you like and plaster them all over the Dream Theater, Ray Wawryzni ak place. Remember, put Saturday, September 19th ream Theater photos : Janet Balmer Dear Mick, the guitar sharper than on Hold Your Fi~e and Could you please put the following as an Geddy's vocals sounding very warm. I would advert in the next 'Spirit', unless we manage to agree that "Hand Over Fist" is not a good song persuade Geddy that his future would better be but I could think of worse Rush tracks. served by joining us! Hmn?! If I was going to pick one Rush album to , dissect, it would be "Signals" .... and if you want PROFESSIONAL MINDED BASS PLAYER to highlight an album for poor sound REQUIRED FOR SERIOUS BAND WITH production it has to be this album. It is the one ORIGINAL MATERIAL AND OPEN MIND. album where you might ask 'whatever GEAR AND TRANSPORT ESSENTIAL. happened to Alex Lifeson?' The songs are not CALL FOR A TAPE AND CHAT. bad, in fact "New World Man" is excellent and (01773) M762510 OR (01773) 533859. E.MIDLANDS BASED. "Losing It" is outstanding. Yet, if you compare Signals to the previous album, Moving Until later, cheers, Pictures, or the underrated follow-up Grace SHANE COUNTER Under Pressure, the songs do seem tame in HEAVER,DERBYSHIRE comparison and the production is poor. The songs, with few exceptions, are drowned in Dear Mick, synths and the guitar is buried low in the mix. Reference: Presto debate and Rush Mercury So all the songs lack bite and range. It is true Remasters. that the ultradisc and the recent remaster have I must admit to being completely baffled by improved the overall mix of the album, yet this the "Presto" debate within the magazine. At cannot change the fact that "The Weapon" is a first it went pretty much over my head but then pale shadow of the live· version and "Digital I began to read all these negative letters and Man" is just a poor song. Even "Countdown" reviews about the album. For myself, Rush and "Subdivisions" lack power but live these have always been a band whose music has songs were awesome, ground-shaking songs. evolved over time, with each album up to Still what do I know? I think Counterparts is Counterparts a development of what has gone Rush's finest hour since Permanent Waves before. Certainly over the last twenty one years days, but it takes all kinds to make a fan. If that I've been listening to the band, the music other fans don't like Presto or any album I can has changed and become more complex both accept that, after all, in the end it comes down lyrically and musically - and this is one of the to personal tastes. I know fans who loved "Roll fundamental strengths and attractions of Rush. The Bones" but hated "Counterparts", it takes They have matured and so have I. all kinds to make a world. However, of all the Rush albums, Presto is not The Rush Remasters the album I would have singled out for critical I was fairly shocked to see the recent remasters flak. · I cannot comment on the vinyl release taking some flak within the magazine, because I never bought it, I always had the CD. principally because the sound on almost all of For myself, Presto seems a strong collection of the CDs is noticeably clearer, stronger and in songs, except that I never rated "Show Don't many cases, radically better. The new CDs Tell" which I thought was cliched. After that feature the original sleeve artwork and lyrics in track, the music and lyrics are excellent with minature again - I liked that idea. Okay, the songs like "Chain Lightning", "The Pass", first album has not got lyrics but neither did t1;te "Presto", "Red Tide" and" Available Light" all original vinyl release. Obviously, it is true that being superb examples of Rush making good, the more recent albums are not significantly contemporary-themed material and the different to the previous CDs - this is especially production is to my ears, clear and crisp with true of Power Windows and Hold Your Fire. I However, Signals has been transformed and interested in a sort of fan poll, to see if there is a the overall mix is far better than any previous general consensus on the favourite top twenty release. I think Grace Under Pressure sounded songs (probably not!). better too, clearer and sharper defined, Also I had hoped that on the Retrospective sets although the sleeve artwork on this release we might get some rare material such as the looks wrong. Is it just me or are colours early singles, the edits of The Spirit of Radio, different? Yet all the 70's albums are far better, Vital Signs, The Big Money, Time Stand Still clearer, sharper and cleaner in sound and that and live material like Vital Signs, Red Sector A, has to be a good thing. Witch Hunt, The Weapon, The Enemy Within The early live sets are restored with the full etc, which appeared on the B sides. track listings and the sound is now much better Maybe Polygram are saving them for a box set? than the previous fairly dreadful CD releases. Then we might get Sir Gawain and the Green Although I personally would have thought that Knight and the live tracks recorded on the 1980 the band could have added material to the and 1988 UK tours? Or Battlescar (with Max three live sets, especially Exit Stage Left and Webster) and so on. Well I can dream, can't I? Show of Hands, but both are now better than Finally to stir up the live debate further, while I the original releases. The only releases I did can understand that Rush being Canadian not like were Retrospectives I and II, basically artists who live with their families in Canada for the same reasons I disliked the previous would not want to be parted for too long ....