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Subject: 12/20/90 - The National Midnight Star #138 ** Special Edition **
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The National Midnight Star, Number 138
Thursday, 20 December 1990
Today's Topics:
Frequently Asked Question List (FAQL) of 12/19/90
---------------------------------------------------------
[ Thanks again to Dan, the Keeper of the List - good job! This is being
posted now, since I don't know what my schedule will be like for the
next week or so... :rush-mgr ]
Date: Wed, 19 Dec 90 11:01:15 -0800
From: ddelany@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (Dan Delany)
The RUSH Fans Digest Frequently Asked Questions List: Updated Dec. 19, 1990
This file contains questions that seem to crop up frequently in the Rush
Fans Digest. It will be posted on or around the first of each month, or
whenever too many of these questions start to pop up in the Digest. If
you received a copy of this file in email, other than as a part of a
Digest, it is probably because you asked one of these questions.
If you want a copy of the current version of this file, email me and
I'll send you the most recent version. (Polyslo users: look in
If you have any suggestions for additions to the list or corrections,
please send them to me at ddelany@polyslo.calpoly.edu and I'll add them in.
I'd appreciate it if people who submit questions submit anything they know
about possible answers, since I don't have all of the answers myself!
DISCLAIMER: The information in this file is accurate to the best of my
knowledge, but I'm not perfect. If you have an answer to one of these
questions that doesn't match the one given here that you can verify, let me
know, and I'll put it in!
Anyway, on to the questions...
What albums has the band released?
A more complete version of this discography is available for FTP at
vacs.uwp.wisc.edu. (131.210.1.1)
{according to datta@vacs.uwp.wisc.edu, at least. I haven't looked.}
Mercury 822-541-2 (1974) Rush
Mercury 822-542-2 (1975) Fly By Night
Mercury 822-543-2 (1975) Caress Of Steel
Mercury 822-545-2 (1976) 2112
Mercury 822-552-2 (1976) All The World's A Stage
Mercury 822-546-2 (1977) A Farewell To Kings
Mercury 822-547-2 (1978) Hemispheres
Mercury 822-548-2 (1980) Permanent Waves
Mercury 800-048-2 (1981) Moving Pictures
Mercury 822-551-2 (1981) Exit...Stage Left
Mercury 810-002-2 (1982) Signals
Mercury 818-476-2 (1984) Grace Under Pressure
Mercury 826-098-2 (1985) Power Windows
Mercury 832-464-2 (1987) Hold Your Fire
Mercury 836-346-2 (1989) A Show Of Hands
Atlantic 7 82040-2 (1989) Presto
Mercury 838 936-2 (1990) Chronicles
Additionally, several collections are available: {sorry - no catalog
numbers, as I don't have these.}
Archives (includes _Rush_,_Fly By Night_, and _Caress Of Steel_)
_RUSH_ Through Time
_Everything Your Listeners Ever Wanted To Hear By Rush But You Were
Afraid To Play_ - this collection was targeted at radio stations.
It was never officially released, and is extremely rare. It's a
selection taken from FBN, CoS and 2112.
Are any videotapes of the band available?
Polygram Music Video 60285 (1981) Exit...Stage Left
PMV 60607 (1986) Grace Under Pressure Tour
(includes the video for _The Big Money_)
PMV 0741 760-3 (1989) A Show Of Hands
(The laserdisc version includes _Lock And Key_, which
isn't on the videotape version.)
PMV 60466 (1985) Through The Camera Eye (video compilation)
includes: Vital Signs
Tom Sawyer [live, from Exit...Stage Left]
Subdivisions
Countdown
Distant Early Warning
Afterimage
The Enemy Within
The Body Electric
PMV 082 765-3 (1990) Chronicles (video compilation)
includes: Closer To The Heart [live]
The Trees [live]
Limelight [studio]
Tom Sawyer [live, from ESL with some minor changes]
Red Barchetta [live, from ESL]
Subdivisions [from _Through The Camera Eye_]
Distant Early Warning [from _Through The Camera Eye_]
Red Sector A [live, from the p/g tour video]
The Big Money [the shortened MTV version, not the complete one
from the p/g tour video]
Mystic Rhythms
Time Stand Still
Lock And Key
Are these tapes available on laserdisc?
I don't know about Chronicles, but the other 4 of them are.
What songs has the band made videos for?
A Farewell To Kings
Closer To The Heart %
Xanadu
Circumstances
The Trees %
Tom Sawyer
Tom Sawyer [live, from ESL] %#
Red Barchetta [live, from ESL] %
Limelight %
Limelight [live, from ESL]
Vital Signs #
Subdivisions %#
Countdown #
Distant Early Warning %#
Afterimage #
The Enemy Within #
The Body Electric #
The Big Money %&
Mystic Rhythms %
Marathon [live, from ASoH]
Time Stand Still %
Lock And Key %
Show Don't Tell
The Pass
Superconductor
% These videos appear on the _Chronicles_ videotape.
# These videos appear on the _Through The Camera Eye_ videotape.
& This video appears in it's complete form on the end of the
_Grace Under Pressure Tour_ videotape. The shortened MTV version
appears on the _Chronicles_ videotape.
Can anyone list everything else that the members of Rush have ever appeared
on?
This is not a complete list. Please send me your additions!
"Universal Juveniles" by Max Webster (Rush in "Battlescar")
1980 (ANR-1-1027 Anthem)
<Lifeson-produced for "Wireless" around 1981. Can anyone I.D.?>
"Great White North" by Bob and Doug McKenzie (Geddy singing "Take Off")
1981 (ANR-1-1036 Anthem)
"Vignettes" by Marie Lynn Hammond (Lee on 2 tracks)
1983 (BTR 1002 Black Tie Records)
"Boys Brigade" by Boys Brigade (Lee produced)
1983 (ST 12278 Capitol)
"We Are the World" by USA for Africa with Lee in Northern Lights singing
"Tears are Not Enough"
1985 (40043 Columbia)
"Alien Shores" by Platinum Blonde (Alex on 2 tracks)
1985 (PCC-80105 Columbia)
"Champion" by Jeff Berlin (Peart on 2 tracks)
1985 (Passport Jazz PJ 88004 A)
"Beyond Borders" by Canadian Guitar Summit (with Alex)
July 1987 Guitar Player Magazine (flexidisc)
"Pieces of Eight" (Peart percussion complilation)
May 1987 Modern Drummer Magazine (flexidisc)
"Serious Business" by Greenway (Alex doing solo in "In the Danger Zone")
1988 (81827-1 Atlantic)
"Clean Slate" by Clean Slate (Alex produced)
1988 (ANM-1 5002 Anthem) (5 song EP)
"Dream on the Horizon: A Tribute to the Olympic Spirit" by The Big Picture
1988 (WSC-331 Chartwell Records) (Alex on 2 tracks)
"Smoke on the Water" (Mega-Rock Re-Mix)/Paranoid, by Rock Aid Armenia and
Black Sabbath, (Alex on guitar)
1989 UK ARMENT 001, ARMENTR 002, ARMENT 002
"Lost Brotherhood" by Larry Gowan (Alex on all tracks)
1990 (80160 Anthem)
CASSETTES:
"Star Jam Series: Neil Peart Style"
"Starlicks Guitar Lesson: Alex Lifeson Style"
In the January 1986 issue of _Modern Drummer_ magazine, while discussing
his appearance on the Jeff Berlin album, Neil says that he "...did a
similar thing with a musician named Ken Ramm in Toronto. That record
was released in Canada."
What was the first single released by the band?
The A side was a cover of a Buddy Holly song called "Not Fade Away."
The B side was a Lee/Rutsey song called "You Can't Fight It."
These songs are not on any Rush albums.
I just bought the CD of <Exit...Stage Left | All The World's A Stage> and
it's missing a track! Is a complete version of this CD available?
No. But if you absolutely have to have everything on CD, the 2 missing
tracks are on _Chronicles_.
What is Battlescar/Max Webster, who plays on it, what is the label/catalogue
number for the Universal Juveniles CD? Where can I write to get it?
Max Webster is a Canadian band that used to open for Rush. Battlescar
is a song from their _Universal Juveniles_ CD that was done as a duet
of the 2 bands.
Max Webster - Universal Juveniles 1980
Mercury SRM-1-3855 [6337 144]
Distributed by Polygram Distribution, Inc.
Polygram
810 Seventh Avenue
New York, NY 10019
Write: Anthem Records
Oak Manor P.O. 1000
Oak Ridges, Ontario
Canada L0G 1P0
One more note: "Battlescar" has a subscript: "recorded live July 28th,
1980 Phase One Studios -Toronto-".
Have any books been written about the band?
Rush-Visions:The Official Biography (c) 1988
By Bill Banasiewicz (The B-Man)
ISBN: 0-7119-1162-2 94 pages
From: Omnibus Press
Distributor: Music Sales Corporation
24 East 22nd Street
New York, NY 10010
Success Under Pressure (c) 1984
By Steve Gett
ISBN: 0-89524-230-3 48 pages
From: Cherry Lane Books
110 Midland Avenue
Port Chester, NY 10573
Rush (c)1982
By Brian Harrigan
ISBN: 0-86001-934-9 80 pages
The Putnam Publishing Group
200 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Somebody posted <item> in the Digest. I missed it - could somebody
please send me a copy? Does anybody have the lyrics to <song>?
An archive server is running at server@ingr.com.
The address of this archive file server is:
UUCP'ish: ...!uunet!ingr!server
ARPA'ish: server@ingr.com
This archive file server currently supports the following commands:
GET - request a specific file listed in the index
SEND - (same as GET)
HELP - request the help file (this file)
INDEX - request list of requestable files
MESSAGE - this is a message to server keeper (do not process)
NOTE - (same as MESSAGE)
Commands and file names are not case sensitive. The body of the
email is _ignored_ unless the command is MESSAGE (or NOTE), then
it is passed on to the keeper of the server, currently me.
To make something available on the archive server, send it with
the MESSAGE command so the server keeper can respond appropriately.
The server is limited to sending one megabyte of text a day. If
your request is processed after this limit is exceeded, you will
be notified that your request failed. You will also be notified
if your request contains an invalid command, unknown file name,
or other problem.
Use the MESSAGE command for questions. Do not contact anyone at site
INGR. This might cause problems and will put the existence of the
server at risk.
*
Additionally, an FTP site has been established. This is a read-only ftp
site; you will not be able to place items there yourself, only download
from here to you (more on this later).
The address to ftp to is (of course):
syrinx.umd.edu
or
128.8.2.114
for those of you who don't have name resolution. Once here, you will be
prompted for a name (userid) and password. Use "anonymous" for the userid
and your userid for the password.
Once you're logged in, 'cd' into the "rush" subdirectory. Once there,
you can list the files in the directory. There is actually only one file
(README) currently, the others being subdirectories.
The directories available now are:
"digest" - Contains back issues of the current incarnation of the
digest from issue # 1 to the current issue;
"lyrics" - Contains the lyrics for all the albums up through _Presto_;
"names" - Contains a recent (thought not always the latest-and-
greatest) version of the subscription list; and
"special" - (currently empty) which will contain the longer items -
interviews, articles, tour lists, etc.
The files in the "digest" and "lyrics" (and eventually "special") sub-
directories are compressed; you'll have to uncompress them on your end.
The names list is not compressed.
If you wish to submit something to be put into any of these directories,
send it to the 'rush-request' address; if it's of general interest,
it'll be a special edition, and then placed in the "special" dir. (Lyrics
won't be posted to the list.)
Remember, if you don't have ftp capabilities at your site, there is still
the mail server at "server@ingr.com".
What issue of the Digest is <item> in?
This list isn't complete, and it probably contains errors. Let me
know, so I can fix them!
Item Issue
---- -----
Neil's reaction to the Digest 5
Analysis of "The Pass" 21
Neil's editorial on Satanism 28
A Nice Morning Drive 34
Grace Under Pressure tour book 42
Permanent Waves tour book 48
1978 Article/Story on Rush 59
Alex interview: Music Express #132, 1989 62
"Kubla Khan" 64
Modern Drummer interview with Neil (Dec 89) 68
HYF tour book 69
Rockline interview 4/30/90 72
Peart Q & A 74
Definition of "peart" 80
Chronicles essay 81
"Kubla Khan" 88
Rush special from "The Source" 91
_Success Under Pressure_ (Part 1 of 4) 93
_Success Under Pressure_ (Part 2 of 4) 94
_Success Under Pressure_ (Part 3 of 4) 96
Anniversary issue (Part 1 of 2) 98
Anniversary issue (Part 2 of 2) 99
Lyrics to "Anthem" 100
Lyrics to "Beneath, Between, And Behind" 100
_Success Under Pressure_ (Part 4 of 4) 101
Interview with Alex 11/20/90 107
Updated Rush tour dates listing 108
"In The Studio" interviews/MP era 110
_Rolling Stone_ interviews: 5/15,80,6/26/80,5/28/81 114
Guitar World, March 1990 118
1978 _Sounds_ article 121
Rolling Stone album reviews
(Hemispheres,PeW,ESL,Signals,p/g,PoW,ASoH,Presto) 123
Dec 18, 1983 _Sounds_ article 125
"The Source" interview: 2/27/83 131
Modern Drummer interview with Neil (April 84) 134
I've heard about the "Rush Backstage Club." What is it, and how do I
join?
It's an outfit that sells Rush souvenirs (t-shirts, posters, etc) and
occasionally releases a newsletter. (I'm not a member, so I don't
really know. Could a member send me some details?) To join the
backstage club, just send $11.95 ($9 to join plus $2.95 shipping and
handling) to:
Rush Backstage Club
1055 E. Tropicana Avenue, #580
Las Vegas, Nevada 89119
Membership obligation is to purchase 1 item of merchandise each year to
stay on the mailing list. Also, they will answer any inquiries if you
include a self addressed stamped envelope. For those international
people, pay in U.S. money (NO CASH!!!) and include postage coupons with
information requests.
What are the birthdays of the band members?
Geddy Lee July 29,1953
Neil Peart September 12, 1952
Alex Lifeson August 27, 1953
What are the real names of the band members?
Geddy Lee Gary Leibovitz {This continues to be debated in the
Digest, but there seems to be more
written evidence for "Leibovitz" than
"Weinrib." I don't want to seem rude,
but this will only get changed if
somebody can quote a written source
or an interview of some kind. Sending
me email saying that "My friend told me
that his name was..." doesn't cut it as
proof. Looks like a good Rockline
question to me!}
Neil Peart Neil Peart
Alex Lifeson Alex Zinovinojivic
How is "Peart" pronounced?
It rhymes with "near."
Does anybody have an address I can use to write to the band?
This address was posted to the Digest, but I can't vouch for the
correctness of it.
RUSH
41 Britan St. (#200)
Toronto, ON
M5C 1R7, CANADA
The Backstage Club will probably forward mail as well.
Who says <phrase> in <song>?
Alex says "That's nice" at the end of "Chain Lightning".
Neil says "Subdivisions" in the song of the same name,
even though Alex is shown in the video and does it live.
The deep voice at the beginning of "Cygnus X-1" is none other than
Terry Brown.
Neil does the "Attention all planets of the Solar Federation - We have
assumed control" bit at the end of "2112".
Neil does the narrative during "The Necromancer".
What is a Lerxt?
A Lerxt is an Alex Lifeson.
Whatever happened to John Rutsey?
"John's still around. I see John quite often. He gave up playing
shortly after he left the band and went into bodybuilding. He
competed on an amateur level for a while, doing that for a few years,
and has sort of been in and out of that, but he still works out, and I
work out with him a few times a week at a local gym - at a Gold's,
here in Toronto." -- Alex Lifeson, in the 2/6/89 Rockline interview
In "By-Tor And The Snow Dog" By-Tor is the bad guy, but he's a hero in "The
Necromancer." What happened?
When asked about this on Rockline, Geddy said something along the lines
of, "He saw the light." Neil once commented, "I guess he's like
all of us - sometimes good, and sometimes he's bad!"
Where did the story of _2112_ come from?
2112 is _very_ loosely based on _Anthem_, by Ayn Rand. Much of
Neil's early work was influenced by Rand.
I read that "Xanadu" was based on a famous poem. Does anybody have a copy?
The poem is "Kubla Khan" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Your local
library probably has a copy. It appeared in the Digest issue #88.
Where does the name 'Rocinante' come from?
It was the name of Steinbeck's motor home in _Travels With Charlie_.
It was also the name of Don Quixote's horse.
What does "La Villa Strangiato" mean?
'Weird City' is a rough translation of the title. The song itself is
based on several of Alex's nightmares and some cartoon themes.
Why was the headline on the newspaper on the cover of _Permanent Waves_
blocked out?
"There are always the inevitable last minute crises, such as the Chicago
Daily Tribune being still so embarrassed about their 'Dewey defeats Truman'
error of more than thirty years ago, that they actually refused to let us
use it on the cover!" -- Neil Peart, in the _Permanent Waves_ tourbook
To clarify this: When Truman ran against Dewey for President, Truman
lost in most of the states with early returns. So, it looked like
Dewey was going to win. The Tribune released an early morning paper
the next day with a 'Dewey defeats Truman' headline.
What is "Free Will" about?
"The song is about freedom of choice and free will, and you
believing in what you decide you believe in." -- Geddy Lee, in the
12/4/89 Rockline interview
Where is "Lotus-Land?"
"Lotus-land as it appears in 'Free Will' is simply a metaphor for an
idealized background, a 'land of milk and honey'. It is sometimes
also used as a pejorative name for Los Angeles, though that was not
in my mind when I wrote it." -- Neil Peart
What building is on the cover of _Moving Pictures_?
The building pictured is the old Parliament building in downtown
Toronto. It is several blocks south of the Toronto Planetarium
surrounded by a park. There is a multilane road that splits into two
multilane roads to run around both sides of it and joins up again on
the south side. The entrance on the cover is on the south of the
building.
Who is Pye Dubois?
Pye Dubois was the lyricist for Max Webster. "Tom Sawyer" began life
as a Max Webster song called "Louis The Warrior," but Pye gave the
lyrics to Neil after "Battlescar" was recorded. Pye also helped
Neil write "Force Ten."
What is a Barchetta?
Barchetta is Italian for little boat.
The history of the Ferrari barchetta:
(note the lower case b, it designates a body style like coupe, spyder,
cabriolet or berlinetta, not an actual model name)
Ferrari 166MM -
V-12, 1995cc, 60x58.8mm, 140 bhp @ 6600 rpm, CR 10:1, single ohc per bank,
Weber carbs, 5-speed gearbox integral with engine, double wishbone front
suspension, rigid axle rear suspension.
First shown at the Turin Salon in November of 1948. It's simple but
effective barchetta styling became greatly admired and many times
copied. The MM designation was added to the 166 model number to
designate the 1948 victory of a 166 in the Mille Miglia. A total of
46 166MMs were built in Series I & II between 1948 and 1953. 25 of the
series I cars (1948-1951) carried the barchetta designation, none of
the Series II cars were barchettas.
Ferrari 195 Sport -
V-12, 2431cc, 65x58.8mm, 180 bhp @ 7000 rpm, CR 7.5:1, rest same as above
This car had essentially the same engine as the 166MM bored out to 65mm.
The body was very similar to the 275S discussed below. As a hybrid
prototype, it is not known exactly how many of these cars were made.
Probably at least one barchetta (certainly no more than three) were
made in 1950. The one known barchetta finished second in the 1950
Mille Miglia.
Ferrari 275S -
V-12, 3322cc, 72x68mm, 270 bhp @ 7200 rpm, CR 8:1, rest same as above
A prototype of the type 340 America series of cars, only two were made
in 1950. Both cars, in barchetta configuration, entered the Mille
Miglia in April but retired the race with clutch problems.
Ferrari 340 America -
V-12, 4101 cc, 70X68mm (?), 220 bhp @ 6000 rpm, CR 8:1, rest same as above
This car was a downsized formula 1 racer with a smaller displacement than
it's 4.5 liter F1 counterpart. These cars evolved into the 342 America as
the GT version and the 340MM as the sport. Of the 25 340s produced in
1951, 7 were touring barchettas.
Ferrari 225S -
V-12, 2715 cc, 70X58.8mm, 210 bhp @ 7200 rpm, CR 8.5:1, rest same as above
Considered as the final link to the extremely successful 3-liter 250
series of cars, 20 225Ss were built in 1952, but only 1 in the barchetta
configuration.
Since only 35-37 barchettas were built between 1948 and 1953 under various
model numbers it's not surprising that few people were even aware
they existed.
Source: "The Complete Ferrari" by Godfrey Eaton 1986 by Cadogan Books Ltd.
What does "YYZ" mean?
YYZ is the transmitter code for Toronto International Airport. Every
airport is assigned a unique 3 letter code, and that code is always
being transmitted so that pilots can tell,roughly, where they are and
verify that their navigational radios are tuned properly. These
codes are also written on your luggage tags when you fly. The intro
to the song is Morse code for "YYZ".
How does Neil play plywood?
"Well you wear gloves so as not to get splinters, you take a piece of
1/4" plywood, and smack it down HARD on the top of a wooden stool.
Very demanding, technically - took years of practice." -Neil Peart
Near the end of "The Camera Eye," there are some mumblings that I can't
quite make out. Does anybody know for sure what is being said?
No. {The first time I posted this FAQL, I received no fewer than 8
emails from people who claimed to know exactly what is being said
there. Unfortunately, none of them agreed with each other, which
tells me that at least 7 of them were wrong, so I'm only going to
change this answer if somebody can come up with proof that they are
right, such as an interview or magazine article.}
Who is T.C. Broonsie?
Terry Brown.
Who is the writer in "Losing It" about?
Neil discusses this song in _Modern Drummer_ magazine, in the April 1984
issue. The writer represents Ernest Hemingway. The dancer "...drew
a bit from that film with Shirley MacLaine called _The Turning
Point_..."
Who is Count Floyd?
He was a character on the Canadian TV show SCTV. {similar to "WKRP
in Cincinatti", but a TV station.} The Count Floyd character had a
show that featured really bad movies. {movies so bad that even
Elvira wouldn't show them.}
Is that crackling noise about 10-20 seconds into "Distant Early Warning" on
the _Grace Under Pressure_ CD supposed to be there, or is my copy
defective?
It's supposed to be there. There is a rumbling at that point on the
_A Show Of Hands_ CD and on the _Grace Under Pressure Tour_ video,
but people without subwoofers may be unable to detect it.
Who was Absalom?
He was King David's favorite son, who rebelled against his father,
and was killed by Joab, according to my trusty Websters. There is
also a Faulkner novel called _Absalom, Absalom!_
To quote Neil:
"Before I ever knew who or what Absalom was, I always loved the sound
of it. I had thought perhaps it was an ancient prayer or something.
There is a book by William Faulkner called _Absalom, Absalom_, which,
again, I loved the sound of. I wanted to put it in the song, as a play
on words with "absolute" and "obsolete", but I thought I'd better find
out for sure what it meant. So I called my wife and asked her to look
it up in the encyclopedia. When I learned the real story, and its
Biblical roots, I decided that it was still appropriate, as it was the
ultimate expression of compassion, which is what the song was really
about. "Absalom, Absalom. My son, my son. Would God I had died for
thee." (Now don't anyone go reading any religion into that!)"
Who is the boy in the "Distant Early Warning" video?
He is Geddy's son, Julian.
What songs make up the "Fear" trilogy?
The "Fear" trilogy consists of:
Part 1: The Enemy Within (Grace Under Pressure)
Part 2: The Weapon (Signals)
Part 3: Witch Hunt (Moving Pictures)
Has this trilogy ever been performed live?
Yes. It's on the _Grace Under Pressure Tour_ video.
Why do the songs appear in reverse order?
"It's really kind of strange how it turned out, and it's not meant to be
as mysterious and clever as it looks. It was more accidental. At the
time of _Moving Pictures_, I had actually sketched out each of the three
songs in my notebook and talked to the other guys about them and what I
was going to go for, but the easiest one for me to clarify in my mind
and in words was 'Witch Hunt,' because it was the simplest concept to
deal with, and then 'The Weapon' came next because my thinking led up to
that point, but in fact a couple snatches of lyrics and even both of the
verses for 'The Enemy Within' were written as long ago as that, and all
of the titles and everything were fixed on, and what I wanted to write
about, but 'The Enemy Within' was the most difficult one to deal with,
so it ended up being the last one done, so they happened to go in the
order 3-2-1." -- Neil Peart, in an interview on KGB 101 FM, San
Diego: 10/2/84
What is the Omega Concern?
As Alex realized that he had to play acoustic guitar for some Rush tunes
and then quickly switch to his electric (Closer to the Heart, etc.), he
crafted a stand (actually an attachment to a Tama Titan cymbal stand)
that holds his acoustic in an adjustable playing position.
He soon began to sell this as a product (1st to Music Emporium) under the
company label "The Omega Concern." Apparently, Alex's "company" also made
Geddy a light-up lyric stand and Neil got a newspaper/book holder so he
could read while he eats breakfast.
What do the three spheres on the _Hold Your Fire_ cover represent?
"It's so difficult to describe the album cover because you want to
leave a little bit of mystery, and you want it to be interpreted by
the person who is holding the thing in front of them. So I'm really
not going to say too much about what the cover says to me, but it's
nothing extremely mystical or anything. It has nothing to do with
brown rice." -- Geddy Lee, on Rockline 10/5/87
How many Rush symbols are there in the _Hold Your Fire_ inside photo?
the fire hydrant from "Signals"
the TV from "Power Windows"
the clock indicating 9:12 (21:12 military time)
the number 15 on the main building... in the "Hold Your Fire"
tour book, they mentioned that this was their 15th album to
date.
the juggler is clearly holding his fire.
at the very far left, underneath the chains is a trunk with
the logo from their first album. This was spotted on a 12
inch picture disk from the album. It cannot be seen in many
other versions of the picture.
The Chinese neon sign above the restaurant reads "Tai-Shan".
A friend told me that the car is a Mercury, but I don't know this
for sure.
Look right off of the juggler's right shoulder in the open window.
There is someone's hand shown holding a pistol.
In one of the upper right hand windows of the right hand most apartment
building you can see part of the head and crown of the Statue of Liberty
who we all know holds a burning torch in her right hand.
How did Pye Dubois come to be involved with "Force Ten"? What does
the title of that song mean?
"It was more or less an afterthought in the writing stage. We took
two months to do all of our writing and preproduction, you know,
preparation for the making of the record, and we had nine songs, and
we had about a day and a half left of time booked before we were
supposed to leave and get ready to make the record. And our producer
and all of us were pushing for ten tracks on the album, and some
lyrics had been submitted to us by a friend of ours, Pye Dubois, who
co-wrote 'Tom Sawyer' with us in years gone by. And Neil was able to
put some of his own thoughts to one of the songs that he had an
present it to us in the morning of the last day that we were there,
and we loved the results, so we got together and brainstormed for
about 2 or 3 hours, and we had Force Ten." -- Geddy Lee, on Rockline
10/5/87
What film are the clips in the "Lock And Key" video and the _A Show Of
Hands_ laserdisc, just before "Lock And Key," from?
It's called _The Last Mile_.
What is Tai Shan about?
Tai' Shan (from Hold Your Fire) is the name of an actual "holy mountain"
in China. The mythical (?) emperor Huang Ti had so much power that he
was able to summon all the spirits of the world to him on top of
Tai' Shan to proclaim his power.
Legend has it that if you climb to the top of this mountain and
"raise your hands to heaven," you _will_ live to be at least 100
years old. Neil wrote these lyrics while sitting at the top of
the mountain.
What is happening during the "censored" section of the Show Of Hands
video?
"That's kind of a joke, but it doesn't seem like many people are
getting that joke. Actually, Alex, at certain parts of that song,
would just start rambling into the microphone -- all kinds of various
nonsense, and it actually never got recorded anywhere. So no one had
any idea, including him, what he had actually said. But we loved the
shot of him just ranting into this microphone, so we decided we would
put up this bogus 'radioactive' warning about the fact that we had
'censored' what he had said, and we thought we did it in kind of an
obvious way -- it looked like it was phony, because we put the
radioactivity symbols right on the screen, but nobody seems to be
getting that." -- Geddy Lee, in the 12/4/89 Rockline interview
In the _A Show Of Hands_ video, does Geddy really say "Catch a Fish?"
Yes, he does. Nobody knows why.
In the _A Show Of Hands_ video, has anybody noticed that Alex's guitar
keeps changing?
Yes. This has been discussed several times in the Digest. The _A
Show Of Hands_ video was filmed during a 3-night concert series at the
National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England. Test footage was
shot the first night. The majority of the video comes from the second
night, but several shots were used from the third night's performance.
In some cases, this was because the shots taken on the second night
weren't quite right, but in a few places, like the beginning of _2112_,
it was Geddy having fun in the editing stage.
What is "Chain Lightning" about?
"I'm a weather fanatic - I really love weather, and I watch the
weather and look for a good weatherman. And, one night I was watching
it, and there are two incidents in that song that are synchronicity to
one weather report, where the weatherman showed a picture of sun-dogs,
and described them, and they are just two little points of light that
appear at sunset, often in the winter when the sky is clear and
crystalline, and they are like little prisms, and they sit about ten
degrees north and south of the setting sun, and they are just
beautiful little diamonds of light, and often-times there's a circle
of light -- one line, that connects them. So they are a really
beautiful natural phenomenon, and I love the name too. 'Sun-dogs'
just has a great sound to it. And in that same weather forecast, the
weatherman announced a meteor shower that night, and so my daughter
and I went out on the lake in the middle of the night and watched this
meteor shower. So the whole idea of the song was response and how
people respond to things, and it's a thing I've found a lot in
travelling around the world, too. It's not enough just to travel and
see things. You have to respond to them -- you have to feel them, and
a lot of the thrust of that song is how things are transferred, like
chain lightning or enthusiasm or energy or love are things that are
contagious, and if someone feels them, they are easily transferrable
to another person, or in the case of watching a meteor shower, it's
made more special if there is someone else there. 'Reflected in
another pair of eyes' is the idea that it's a wonderful thing already,
just you and the meteor shower, but if there's someone else there
with you to share it, then it multiplies, you know, it becomes
exponentially a bigger experience, so response is a theme that recurs
in several of the songs and was one of my probably dominant sub-themes
in the writing." -- Neil Peart, on the _Rush - Profiled!_ CD
What is the song, "Anagram (for Mongo)" about?
"It doesn't really say one thing; it says a bunch of little things, and
I think that's OK as long as it sounds good. You know, as long as it
rolls off the tongue kind of thing? So I think different songs are
different exercises, to a degree, and I think that if they feel like
exercises, then there's something wrong with the song. But if they
can slip by in a kind of cohesive and fluid way, or if the effect is
to be disjoint, and sometimes that's what you're after. Sometimes you
want it to be jarring and disjointed and nonsensical. I think it
depends on what you're trying to do, and whether you've achieved it in
your mind, and whether it actually worked, and 'Anagram,' I think,
did work, even though it's a game - the whole song is a game. The
choruses are quite smooth and quite interesting, and they have a nice
sound to them and they kind of mock the whole song itself, so I think
it was effective there." -- Geddy Lee, on the _Rush - Profiled!_ CD
What does (for Mongo) after "Anagram" on the PRESTO album mean?
It's a joke from the movie _Blazing Saddles_, referring to the
"Candygram for Mongo" scene, according to Geddy on Rockline 12/4/89.
When is the next album coming out?
"We've been working for about two weeks now, we're working on the new
record, we'll be working until probably the middle of December and take
a break then, get back into it in the new year, start recording the end
of February and hopefully finish by the end of June, take a few weeks
off in the summer, and then possibly start touring some time in the
fall next year." -- Alex Lifeson, November 20, 1990 at the Sheraton
Centre in Toronto
##############################################################################
Please send me your suggestions for additions or corrections.
"All the world's a stage | ddelany@polyslo.calpoly.edu
And all the men and women merely players: | Daniel Alan Delany
They have their exits and their entrances; -- Wm. Shakespeare (1564-1616)
And one man in his time plays many parts." _As You Like It_ II,vii,39
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