The Rush FAQ (HTML version)

was last generated: Tue Sep 19 17:57:33 EDT 2000

SPECIAL UPDATE: GEDDY LEE'S HEADACHE

Testing...1...2...3.... Hello?

After a long hiatus, I am back to actually update this thing. The updates will be sporadic at first, but I will ramp it up here after Mid October (when a product I'm working on goes beta). The biggest news, which I'm sure you've heard the buzz by now, is the forthcoming Geddy Lee solo release. Here is mail I've received from Atlantic Records regarding the release:

      
  From geddy_lee@lists.atlantic-records.com Tue Sep 19 14:42:37 2000
  Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2000 17:23:18 -0400
  From: geddy_lee@lists.atlantic-records.com
  To: geddy_lee@lists.atlantic-records.com
  Subject: GEDDY LEE UNLEASHES HIS FAVORITE HEADACHE
 
  FIRST-EVER SOLO ALBUM FROM RUSH'S VOCALIST/BASSIST


  Anthem/Atlantic Records has announced the upcoming release of the debut
  solo album from Geddy Lee, the voice and bassist of the legendary power
  trio, Rush.  The highly-anticipated collection - dubbed ^ÓMY FAVORITE
  HEADACHE^Ô - is due in stores on November 14th.


  Following more than a quarter-century of success with Rush - including
  22 albums, all certified RIAA gold-or-better, with cumulative worldwide
  sales of over 35 million - ^ÓMY FAVORITE HEADACHE^Ô finds Lee joined in
  the studio by guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Ben Mink and drummer Matt
  Cameron (Pearl Jam, Soundgarden).  The album^Òs 11 diverse new Lee
  compositions were co-written with Mink (best known for his
  collaborations with k.d. lang).  This landmark recording sees Lee taking
  on a number of instruments - along with his bass and vocal duties - 
  including piano, guitar, percussion, and various programming elements. 
  Recorded in Seattle, Vancouver, and Toronto, the album was produced by
  Lee, Mink, and renowned studio whiz David Leonard (Santana, Barenaked
  Ladies, Prince), and also features drummer Jeremy Taggart (Our Lady
  Peace) on one track.

  http://feature.atlrec.com/geddy_lee/geddy_lee.jpg
      

The file you are reading now is current as of the date at the top of the file. If you are reading this within a few days of that time, please don't send me mail asking for the FAQ - you've got it! Note to people who want a copy of the current FAQ: I maintain the FAQ as an ASCII file, and it is auotmagically parsed into HTML. If you want it in any other format, its up to you. Feel free to distribute this document to anyone, but please do not alter it.

Additionally, I will only send the FAQ to the address that I receive the request from. Please don't send me mail asking me to send the FAQ to your friend's email address. I won't.

Non-English versions of the FAQ are starting to emerge. Listed below are languages that are supported, a URL pointer to that version, and the E-mail address of the translator/maintainer:

Japanese: http://member.nifty.ne.jp/tetu/rushfaq/ maintained by TAKAHASHI Tetsuro, HDA00302@nifty.ne.jp

Glad to report that it is alive and well. Thanks for letting me know, Tetsuro!

Also, there was someone working on Portuguese and Spanish translation, but I've not heard from them in a while. If you are seriously wanting to take on this project for either or both languages, please contact me.

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! I'd also appreciate it if anybody who wants to send me corrections makes sure that they have the most current FAQ before sending me corrections, in order to make sure that they don't send me a correction that has already been done.

THE FAQ IS A FILE OF FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT RUSH AND THEIR ANSWERS. IT IS NOT AN "OBSCURE RUSH TRIVIA" FILE. Please consider this before sending me a suggestion for an addition.

An additional thing to consider is that many questions are answered in, of all places, the liner notes on the albums. Please look there before posting a question.

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. But if you make a bet based on this information and you lose, don't blame me.

One more thing: If you send me mail and I don't answer right away, please be patient. I eventually read all of my mail. However, Rush FAQ-related stuff has a lower priority than my job.

CREDITS: I'd like to thank the following people for helping me with this FAQ:

Jimmy Lang and Meg Jahnke for running an excellent digest and web site. Where have they gone? If you know, let me know so I can cancel the milk carton printing run I have scheduled.

Geddy, Alex and Neil for making the music we love in the first place.

Dan Delany for "passing the torch" and having faith in my abilities.

Everyone who has submitted information. Keep up the good work!

A special thank you to Donna Halper for discovering Rush for all of us, and more love and thanks for being an all-round great person and a great source of information!

Here are the questions I get asked the most, so I'll put them here at the start:

What is The National Midnight Star?

It's a Rush fans newsletter that is distributed via email. Submissions are all sent to one address, and the moderator goes through the submissions periodically and sends out a digest containing lots of submissions.

(If you don't know where the name "The National Midnight Star" comes from, that means you don't watch enough Canadian TV. For a hint, listen to "Red Lenses".)

How can I subscribe to The National Midnight Star?

Send email to rush-request@tnms.com asking to have your name added to the list. Don't send email to me - I can't add you!

I'll repeat that. I have absolutely nothing to do with the management of TNMS. I can't add your name to the subscription list.

What other ways are there on the Internet for Rush fans to get together?

There is a newsgroup in the alt hierarchy, alt.music.rush. If you don't get it, bug your news admin!

There are two irc channels, #p/g! and #yyz. Both of them are on EFnet. The #yyz channel has a homepage at: http://www.system-one.com/rush/

#p/g! also used to have a homepage located at:

http://www.ewi.org/~rroberts/pg/

If you know of the new home for this, please let me know.

Some feel that the Rush content on #p/g! is sorely lacking. Others feel that some people sorely need a life. Check both channels out, make your own decision.

There was also a Rush chat board running at http://syrinx.yyz.com/cgi-bin/rushweb/Ultimate.cgi but it appears to be defunct along with the rest of the NMS site.

How can I get my very own copy of Neil Peart's The Masked Rider?

You must order the book directly from the publisher. The address is:

      
    Pottersfield Press
    83 Leslie Road
    East Lawrencetown
    Nova Scotia B2Z 1P8
    CANADA
      

What in the heck is The Masked Rider, anyway?

Neil Peart has a new book about his bicycle travels through Africa out.

Latest Word on the next album/tour:

Rush is currently on an extended break, and though rumours abound, there is no reason to believe that they are breaking up.

1 What albums has the band released? What are the catalog numbers for CD/LP/Cassette?

2 Has anybody noticed that there is now a gold Ultradisc II available for Moving Pictures?

3 Are any other Rush albums available on Ultradisc?

4 What are some titles of some good Rush bootlegs, and how might I go about finding some?

5 What album is (song) on?

6 When was (album) released?

7 How many copies did (album) sell?

8 What are the <Columbia House|BMG> CD Club code numbers for Rush albums?

9 What awards has the band won?

10 Has anybody ever noticed that the band has put out a live album after every 4 studio albums?

11 Are any videotapes of the band available?

12 Are these tapes available on laserdisc?

13 What songs has the band made videos for?

14 Can anyone list everything else that the members of Rush have ever appeared on?

15 Has Rush ever been on Saturday Night Live (SNL)?

16 Rush seems to get mentioned a whole lot during Mystery Science Theater 3000. Which shows do they get mentioned it?

17 What was the first single released by the band?

18 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?

19 Are there any extra Rush songs that have been recorded and not used on an album?

20 When the band plays live, do they use any additional musicians to play backup parts?

21 Has <song> ever been performed live?

22 Does anybody know if <band> ever opened for Rush? When did Rush play in <city> last?

23 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?

24 Have any books been written about the band?

25 I heard that Neil Peart was going to publish some of his writings. Has this been done? Can I buy this book?

26 I heard something about a Rush comic book. What comic book was it?

27 Somebody posted <item> in TNMS. I missed it - could somebody please send me a copy? Does anybody have the lyrics to <song>?

28 What issue of TNMS is <item> in?

29 I've been seeing <acronym> used in TNMS. What does it mean?

30 I've heard about the "Rush Backstage Club." What is it, and how do I join?

31 What other Rush newsletters are there?

32 Who says <phrase> in <song>?

33 I think I've heard <quote> in <song> somewhere else - is it a reference to something?

34 What is the marital status of the band members? Do any of the band members have kids?

35 I've heard <rumor> about <band member>. Does anybody know anything about the truth of it? Does Neil Peart have cancer?

36 I've seen <nickname> being used. Who does it refer to?

37 What is the educational background of <band member>?

38 What are the birthdays of the band members?

39 But in "Thrice Told Tales," it says that Geddy's birthday is June 29!

40 What are the real names of the band members?

41 What equipment does <band member> use/endorse?

42 How is "Peart" pronounced?

43 Does anybody have an address I can use to write to the band?

44 What's the story behind Alex's "Hentor Sportscaster" guitar?

45 What is The Omega Concern?

46 I recently saw an ad that said something about Alex Lifeson flying in a fighter plane. What's the story behind that?

47 I heard that Alex Lifeson opened a restaurant. Can anybody tell me about it?

48 Where did the name "Rush" come from?

49 Why did John Rutsey leave the band?

50 Whatever happened to John Rutsey?

51 Where did By-Tor's name come from?

52 What is The Sign of Eth?

53 Is Rivendell a real place?

54 In "By-Tor And The Snow Dog" By-Tor is the bad guy, but he's a hero in "The Necromancer." What happened?

55 Where is Lakeside Park?

56 What is the significance of May 24?

57 Has anybody noticed that "Didacts and Narpets" is an anagram for "Addicts and Parents"?

58 Does anybody know the lyrics to "Didacts and Narpets"?

59 In the COS liner notes, a city is mentioned in small print after each song. Why is this?

60 What does "Terminat hora diem, terminat auctor opus" mean?

61 Has anybody noticed that you can hear part of the 1812 Overture in 2112?

62 Where did the story of 2112 come from?

63 Has anybody noticed the whispering in the background in "The Twilight Zone"?

64 What do the voices at the end of the album (vinyl only) say?

65 What is "Cinderella Man" about?

66 I read that "Xanadu" was based on a famous poem. Does anybody have a copy?

67 Where does the name Cygnus X-1 come from?

68 Where does the name Rocinante come from?

69 What do the French lyrics in "Circumstances" mean?

70 Is there a message in "The Trees"?

71 What does "La Villa Strangiato" mean?

72 Where do the different parts of "La Villa Strangiato" start/end?

73 Has anybody ever noticed that the signs on the right side of the Permanent Waves cover say Lee, Lifeson and Peart?

74 Why was the headline on the newspaper on the cover of Permanent Waves blocked out? (Note: The Anthem Canadian release does not have this problem.)

75 What is the "words of the profits" quote in "The Spirit Of Radio" about?

76 What is "Free Will" about?

77 In "Free Will" which lyrics are correct (the ones on the album sleeve or the ones Geddy sings)?

78 But I'm *sure* that what the lyric sheet says isn't what Geddy sings!

79 Where is "Lotus-Land?"

80 I heard something about a song called "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." Apparently it was supposed to be on Permanent Waves, but was dropped. Is there a way to get a tape of it?

81 What building is on the cover of Moving Pictures?

82 What do the pictures on the MP cover mean?

83 What is "Tom Sawyer" about?

84 My Moving Pictures CD is missing the first half second or so from "Tom Sawyer." Can I get a new one?

85 My Moving Pictures CD contains pictures of Geddy and Alex, but not Neil. Why is this? Can I get a CD with all 3 pictures?

86 Who is Pye Dubois?

87 What is a barchetta?

88 Where can I get a copy of "A Nice Morning Drive," by Richard S. Foster?

89 What does "YYZ" mean?

90 How does Neil play plywood?

91 At 8:54 and 8:56 in "The Camera Eye," there are some mumblings that I can't quite make out. Does anybody know for sure what is being said? (These mumblings are at 8:55 and 8:57 in the MFSL gold pressing of Moving Pictures.)

92 What is the mob saying at the beginning of "Witch Hunt"?

93 What is that thing on Neil's chest in the "Vital Signs" video?

94 Has anybody noticed that Geddy says "Everybody got to evelate from the norm" at the end of "Vital Signs"?

95 Has anybody noticed that the ESL cover photo contains stuff from all of the band's previous studio albums?

96 What does Geddy say just before "Jacob's Ladder" on ESL?

97 Who is T.C. Broonsie?

98 What is the Signals cover supposed to mean?

99 I just picked up the MFSL CD of Signals, and I've noticed that some lyrics are omitted in "The Weapon". Has anybody else noticed this, and why did this happen?

100 Who is the writer in "Losing It" about?

101 Who are Young and Crippen?

102 What are the voices at the end of "Countdown" saying?

103 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?

104 Who was Absalom?

105 Who is the boy in the "Distant Early Warning" video?

106 Is "Afterimage" about anybody in particular?

107 What is "Red Sector A" about?

108 What songs make up the "Fear" trilogy?

109 Has this trilogy ever been performed live?

110 Why do the songs appear in reverse order?

111 What is the significance of 1001001 in "The Body Electric?"

112 Who is Count Floyd?

113 Has anybody noticed that Power Windows is "brought to you by the letter M"?

114 Why is Power Windows brought to us by the letter M?

115 What do the three spheres on the Hold Your Fire cover represent?

116 How many Rush symbols are there in the Hold Your Fire inside photo?

117 How did Pye Dubois come to be involved with "Force Ten"? What does the title of that song mean?

118 Has Aimee Mann ever appeared live with Rush? How are her vocals in "Time Stand Still" reproduced live?

119 What film are the clips in the "Lock And Key" video and the A Show Of Hands laserdisc, just before "Lock And Key," from?

120 What is "Tai Shan" about?

121 What does Geddy have sitting on his keyboards in the A Show Of Hands video?

122 What is the round thing on Alex's guitar in the A Show Of Hands video?

123 What is happening during the "censored" section of the A Show Of Hands video?

124 In the A Show Of Hands video, does Geddy really say "Catch the fish?"

125 In the A Show Of Hands video, has anybody noticed that Alex's guitar keeps changing?

126 What are the hands in the Presto liner doing?

127 What is "Chain Lightning" about?

128 What is "The Pass" about?

129 What is "Scars" about?

130 What is the song "Anagram (for Mongo)" about?

131 Has anybody noticed that "Anagram (for Mongo)" contains lots of anagrams?

132 What does (for Mongo) after "Anagram" on the "Presto" album mean?

133 What is "Red Tide" about?

134 Who does the RTB spoken "rap" section?

135 Who is the boy in the RTB video and on the RTB cover?

136 Is there a "Gangster of Boats" trilogy?

137 But why is "Where's My Thing" labeled as Part IV of the trilogy?

138 Is there a reason for the arrangement of the numbers on the dice on the RTB cover?

139 Has anybody noticed that the "Gangster of Boats" is mentioned in the HYF liner notes?

140 What does the pattern of skulls and bones at the bottom of the inside front cover of the RTB tourbook mean? Is there a pattern to it?

141 Is there any connection between "Where's My Thing" and "Leave That Thing Alone?"

142 What do the strings of ones and zeroes in the Counterparts liner notes mean?

143 What is "Animate" about?

144 What is "Stick it Out" about?

145 What is being said at the beginning of "Alien Shore"?

146 What is a mandola?

147 What is said in the middle of Limbo?

148 Who is/was Sisyphus?

149 What is the meaning of "Brought to you by the letter R-r-r-r?"

150 What do the runes on the edge of the Test for Echo CD mean?

151 What is the meaning/significance behind the Tinker Toy Pattern?