New music: Arcade Fire, The Muffs, Rush, Bobby Cole

A new studio album from Arcade Fire and several special edition reissues are definitely worth celebrating this week.

Artist: Arcade Fire

Title: WE (Columbia Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Arcade Fire, Radiohead, U2

Tell me more: On the heels of the band's mesmerizing last-minute appearance at Weekend #1 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival last month, Arcade Fire has released their sixth full-length studio album WE. Divided into two disparate sides ("I" and "WE"), the seven-track album conjures up the exhilarating spirit of the band's most ambitious albums (2007's Neon Bible and 2010's The Suburbs) while moving the Canadian heroes into the future via a terrific 40-minute ride. The impacts of the extended COVID-19 lockdown affected most of the world including Arcade Fire whose Win Butler and Régine Chassagne (the husband and wife duo at the center of the band) wrote much of the music sans their bandmates. Lyrically, WE touches on alienation, technology overload, survival, romance and parenthood. Such lofty ambition wouldn't matter if the songs didn't have the melodic sweep and overarching power heard across the disc; fortunately WE delivers in spades. The anthemic "Age of Anxiety I," burgeoning "Age of Anxiety II (Rabbit Hole)," "The Lightning I, II," majestic "Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)," Neo-electronica "Unconditional II (Race and Religion)" featuring Peter Gabriel on backing vocals and acoustic-flavored album closer "WE" are among the powerful originals on Arcade Fire's marvelous return. Information: ArcadeFire.com. 

Artist: The Muffs

Title: Really Really Happy (Omnivore Recordings)

You might like if you enjoy: The Muffs, The Pandoras, Pixies

Tell me more: Nearly 18 years after its original release, an expanded and essential edition of The Muffs' 2004 album Really Really Happy will be released May 13 through Omnivore Recordings. The original album's highlights include the catchy opener "Freak Out," yearning "A Little Luxury," tuneful "Something Inside," hard-hitting "And I Go Pow," heartfelt "How I Pass The Time," the introspective closer "The Story of Me" and a parade of other great songs. The lineup of 22 bonus tracks includes 16 of Kim Shattuck's original demos for the album along with the previously unissued "My Imagination," "Just The Beginning" and "I Hate Gym." The fusion of tight melodic punk rock, melody-anchored songcraft and strong production make for a fantastic listen across the double-CD title. In addition to Shattuck (vocals, guitar, harmonica), the Muffs' lineup includes Ronnie Barnett (bass, toy piano) and Roy McDonald (drums, percussion). Information: OmnivoreRecordings.com.  

Artist: Rush

Title: Moving Pictures 40th Anniversary Deluxe (Mercury Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Rush, Triumph, progressive rock

Tell me more: Rush's best-known album, 1981's Moving Pictures, has been reissued in several first-rate configurations. Moving Pictures 40th Anniversary Deluxe edition reviewed here is a 3-disc version featuring the 2015 remaster of the original album (available on audio CD for the first time) and the complete, unreleased Toronto concert from March 25, 1981. Also included is a booklet with new illustrations by Hugh Syme, plus liner notes by Kim Thayil, Les Claypool, Taylor Hawkins, Bill Kelliher and Neil Sanderson. It's clear that disc 1 features stellar versions of many of the rock trio's most beloved originals ("Tom Sawyer," "Red Barchetta," "YYZ," "Limelight"), and the aforementioned concert features a terrific track listing sure to please fans of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart. The audio quality of the historic concert in the band's hometown of Toronto includes outstanding sounding versions of classics such as "Freewill," "Limelight," "The Trees," "YYZ," "Xanadu" and "Closer To The Heart." Information: Rush.com.  

Artist: Bobby Cole

Title: A Point Of View (Omnivore Recordings)

You might like if you enjoy: Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett

Tell me more: One of 1967's most legendary albums is finally available via a remastered and expanded version sure to please fans of jazz and '60s recordings. Bobby Cole's A Point Of View exceeds its legendary status thanks to the late artist's incredible talents as singer, songwriter and pianist as well as contributions from Grammy-winning producer Cheryl Pawelski and remastering from Michael Graves. Currently available on audio CD and digital, a double-LP version is slated for Fall 2022. The lovely "But It's Spring" is soaked in melancholy, Cole's vocal strengths showcased in each distinctive note of his delivery. The inspired jazzy gems that are revisited on the collection include the fleet "Heat," affecting ballad "You Could Hear a Pin Drop," soaring "A Perfect Day," evocative "Elegy For Eve" and reflective "I'm Growing Old." There a number of previously-unissued bonus tracks to discover too; the rollicking "Checkerboard Life," mournful "How The Lonely Spend Their Time," haunting "I Never Saw The Shadows," stirring "When She Was In Love With Me" and romantic "The Midnight Flower" shed abundant light on Cole's virtuosity. Information: OmnivoreRecordings.com.  

Robert Kinsler

Rush's 'Permanent Waves - 40th Anniversary' expanded reissues to be released on May 29th

Here you go fellow Rush fans! I can't even believe 'Permanent Waves' came out 40 years ago. Here is the official media release...

GET INTO THE SPIRIT OF RUSH’S ‘PERMANENT WAVES’

Canadian rock legends commemorate classic album’s 40th anniversary with 

imagination-capturing expanded reissues on May 29th

 
LOS ANGELES, CA – March 26, 2020 – On May 29th, UMe/Mercury/Anthem label group continues its extensive Rush 40th anniversary album series with a new, imagination-capturing expanded edition of all the magic music that comprises the band’s remarkable 1980 release, Permanent Waves.
 
Permanent Waves, Rush’s seventh studio album, was originally released in January 1980, and its forward-thinking music signaled a new direction for the Canadian band as it entered a new decade. The six songs encompassing the album encapsulated the breadth of Rush’s formidable progressive chops meshed with its knack for creating radio-friendly arrangements, all elements that were embedded within the grooves of their previous album, 1978’s widely acclaimed Hemispheres. Permanent Waves also signified Rush’s first of many recording sessions at Le Studio in Morin-Heights, Quebec, which was at one point nicknamed the trio’s own personal Abbey Road recording studio.

The album’s explosive lead-off track, “The Spirit Of Radio,” roared out of the gate with a fine appreciation for the joy of experiencing great music on the airwaves, itself becoming a favorite FM staple for the ensuing decades in the process. Next came the time-signature-challenging “Freewill,” a manifesto for embracing the independence of making one’s own life choices, while “Jacob’s Ladder” chronicled an aurally cinematic interpretation of the lyrics’ palpably invoked religious imagery.

Side 2 commenced with “Entre Nous,” a deeply introspective examination of how to bridge interpersonal differences, followed by the moving balladry of “Different Strings,” and ultimately concluded with the formidable sonic cosmic vortex of the longtime concert favorite, “Natural Science.”
Permanent Waves-40th Anniversary will be available to fans in four distinct configurations, including the (1) Super Deluxe Edition, (2) two-CD Deluxe Edition, (3) three-LP Deluxe Edition, and (4) Deluxe Digital Edition. 

The Super Deluxe Edition includes two CDs and three high-quality 180-gram black vinyl LPs. The set encompasses the Abbey Road Mastering Studios 2015 remastered edition of the album for the first time on CD, along with previously unreleased and newly restored bonus content newly mixed from the original analog live multi-tracks by the band’s original producer, Terry Brown. The unreleased bonus live tracks come from three stops on the Permanent Waves World Tour 1980: (1) Manchester Apollo in Manchester, England; (2) Hammersmith Odeon in London, England; and (3) Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri.

The Super Deluxe Edition of Permanent Waves-40th Anniversary will also include several exclusive items, including a 40-page hardcover book with unreleased photos, reimagined artwork by original album designer Hugh Syme, and an extensive & exclusive 12,000-word essay; a replica of the Permanent Waves 1980 official tour program; The Words & Pictures Volume II, a replica of the band’s rare 1980 UK-only tour program; a 24x36-inch two-sided wall poster of the original album cover model photo shoot and photos of the band recording at Le Studio; three replica bandmember 1980 tour backstage laminates; three Neil Peart-handwritten lyric sheets for “The Spirit Of Radio,” “Entre Nous,” and “Natural Science”; and a 20-page 5x7-inch notepad emblazoned with Le Studio letterhead.

The second configuration of Permanent Waves-40th Anniversary will be released in a two-CD Deluxe Edition digipak that includes the remastered original album and the live bonus tracks, plus a 20-page booklet with unreleased photos and reimagined artwork by Syme.

The third Permanent Waves configuration will be offered as an audiophile black vinyl 180-gram three-LP Deluxe Edition featuring the original album on LP1 and all 12 bonus live tracks on LPs 2 & 3, all housed in a slipcase, along with a 20-page booklet with unreleased photos and Syme’s new artwork. Jacket 1 features Syme’s original 1980 album artwork in a single-pocket jacket, while Jacket 2 contains the Permanent Waves 1980 Tour bonus content in gatefold form.

The fourth configuration, the Deluxe Digital Edition featuring the original album and all 12 bonus live performances.

CD2 in the Super Deluxe Edition and the Deluxe Edition will feature 11 of the 12 live bonus tracks due to CD run time constraints.  “A Passage To Bangkok (Live in Manchester)” was previously available on the 2112 – Deluxe Edition in 2012 so will not be featured on CD2 for both of these configurations.

Rush — bassist/keyboardist/vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist/vocalist Alex Lifeson, and drummer/lyricist Neil Peart — maintains a large and uniquely passionate worldwide fanbase that acknowledges and respects the band’s singular, bold, and perpetually exploratory songcraft that combines sterling musicianship, complex compositions, and distinctive lyrical flair. Rush has sold more than 25 million albums in the U.S. alone, with worldwide sales estimated at 45 million (and counting), and has been awarded 24 Gold, 14 Platinum, and three Multi-Platinum album distinctions. Rush has received seven Grammy nominations, and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.

The world continues to mourn the loss of Neil Peart, who passed away on January 7, 2020 at age 67 after losing his incredibly brave 3½-year battle with brain cancer (Glioblastoma). The band requests that friends, fans, and media alike respect the family’s ongoing need for privacy and peace, and suggest that those who wish to express their condolences can choose a cancer research group or charity of their choice and make a donation in Neil Peart’s name.

‘PERMANENT WAVES’ – 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITIONS: TRACK LISTINGS

SUPER DELUXE EDITION

CD 1
Original Album – Produced by Rush and Terry Brown / 2015 remaster on CD for the first time

1.  The Spirit Of Radio

2.  Freewill

3.  Jacob’s Ladder

4.  Entre Nous

5.  Different Strings

6.  Natural Science

CD 2Permanent Waves World Tour 1980 / previously unreleased

1.    Beneath, Between & Behind (Live in Manchester)

2.    By-Tor & The Snow Dog (Live in London)

3.    Xanadu (Live in London)

4.    The Spirit Of Radio (Live in Manchester)

5.    Natural Science (Live in Manchester)

6.    The Trees (Live in Manchester)

7.    Cygnus X-1 (Live in London)

8.    Cygnus X-1 Book II (Live in London)

9.    Closer To The Heart (Live in Manchester)

10.  Jacob’s Ladder (Live in Missouri)

11.  Freewill (Live in London)

3-LP VINYL SLIPCASE

Original Album – Produced by Rush and Terry Brown

LP 1 – SIDE 1

1.  The Spirit Of Radio

2.  Freewill

3.  Jacob’s Ladder

LP 1 – SIDE 2

1.  Entre Nous

2.  Different Strings

3.  Natural Science

BONUS LIVE CONTENT
PERMANENT WAVES WORLD TOUR 1980 / Previously Unreleased except *

LP 2 – SIDE 3

1.  Beneath, Between & Behind (Live in Manchester)

2.  By-Tor & The Snow Dog (Live in London)

3.  Xanadu (Live in London)

LP 2 – SIDE 4

1.  The Spirit Of Radio (Live in Manchester)

2.  Natural Science (Live in Manchester)

3.  A Passage To Bangkok (Live in Manchester)*

4.  The Trees (Live in Manchester)

LP 3 – SIDE 5

1.  Cygnus X-1 (Live in London)

2.  Cygnus X-1 Book II (Live in London)

LP 3 – SIDE 6

1.  Closer To The Heart (Live in Manchester)

2.  Jacob’s Ladder (Live in Missouri)

3.  Freewill (Live in London)

2CD DELUXE EDITION

CD – DISC 1

Original Album – Produced by Rush and Terry Brown / 2015 remaster on CD for the first time

1.    The Spirit Of Radio

2.    Freewill

3.    Jacob’s Ladder

4.    Entre Nous

5.    Different Strings

6.    Natural Science

CD – DISC 2

Permanent Waves World Tour 1980 / previously unreleased

1.    Beneath, Between & Behind (Live in Manchester)

2.    By-Tor & The Snow Dog (Live in London)

3.    Xanadu (Live in London)

4.    The Spirit Of Radio (Live in Manchester)

5.    Natural Science (Live in Manchester)

6.    The Trees (Live in Manchester)

7.    Cygnus X-1 (Live in London)

8.    Cygnus X-1 Book II (Live in London)

9.    Closer To The Heart (Live in Manchester)

10.  Jacob’s Ladder (Live in Missouri)

11.  Freewill (Live in London)

3LP DELUXE EDITION 

Original Album – Produced by Rush and Terry Brown

LP 1 – SIDE 1

1.       The Spirit Of Radio

2.       Freewill

3.       Jacob’s Ladder

LP 1 – SIDE 2

1.       Entre Nous

2.       Different Strings

3.       Natural Science

BONUS LIVE CONTENT
PERMANENT WAVES WORLD TOUR 1980

Previously unreleased except *

LP 2 – SIDE 3

1.       Beneath, Between & Behind (Live in Manchester)

2.       By-Tor & The Snow Dog (Live in London)

3.       Xanadu (Live in London)

LP 2 – SIDE 4

1.       The Spirit Of Radio (Live in Manchester)

2.       Natural Science (Live in Manchester)

3.       A Passage To Bangkok (Live in Manchester)*

4.       The Trees (Live in Manchester)

LP 3 – SIDE 5

1.       Cygnus X-1 (Live in London)

2.       Cygnus X-1 Book II (Live in London)

LP 3 – SIDE 6

1.       Closer To The Heart (Live in Manchester)

2.       Jacob’s Ladder (Live in Missouri)

3.       Freewill (Live in London)

DIGITAL DELUXE EDITION

DISC 1

Original Album – Produced by Rush and Terry Brown / 2015 remaster

1.       The Spirit Of Radio

2.       Freewill

3.       Jacob’s Ladder

4.       Entre Nous

5.       Different Strings

6.       Natural Science

DISC 2

Permanent Waves World Tour 1980 / previously unreleased except *

1.       Beneath, Between & Behind (Live in Manchester)

2.       By-Tor & The Snow Dog (Live in London)

3.       Xanadu (Live in London)

4.       The Spirit Of Radio (Live in Manchester)

5.       Natural Science (Live in Manchester)

6.       A Passage To Bangkok (Live in Manchester)*

7.       The Trees (Live in Manchester)

8.       Cygnus X-1 (Live in London)

9.       Cygnus X-1 Book II (Live in London)

10.   Closer To The Heart (Live in Manchester)

11.   Jacob’s Ladder (Live in Missouri)

12.   Freewill (Live in London)

www.rush.com/band
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Neil Peart Remembered: TJR and Robert Kinsler discuss legacy of the Rush drummer

Check out the video where TJR and Robert Kinsler discuss the life and legacy of Rush drummer Neil Peart:

Celebrate Neil Peart's legacy via stellar titles

Neil Peart of Rush performs on a rotating drum kit at Honda Center in
Anaheim, CA on Nov. 17, 2012. Photo courtesy of Rod Veal

The classic rock world was shocked and saddened last week with the announcement that Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart had died on Jan. 7, 2020, in Santa Monica, CA. He was only 67. Peart passed away after a three-and-a-half year battle with Glioblastoma, the same aggressive form of brain cancer that killed senators John McCain and Edward Kennedy. Along with singer-bassist-keyboardist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson, Peart created an incredible legacy that included Rush being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. In this column I feature several far-flung titles that provide a deeper look at Peart's unique talents as both virtuoso drummer and gifted writer.

Title: Ghost Rider: Travels On The Healing Road
Author: Neil Peart
Publisher: ECW Press
Hardcover: 460 pages
Tell me more: News of Neil Peart's passing hit me hard; I was a long-time fan of Rush and had seen the Canadian trio a number of times in concert dating back to the mid-1980s. Yet, I had never read any of Peart's acclaimed books until this past weekend when I immersed myself in Ghost Rider: Travels On The Healing Road. The compelling book chronicles Peart's 55,000-mile solo motorcycle ride following the death of his 19-year-old daughter Selena Taylor in August 1997 and common-law wife of 23 years, Jacqueline Taylor in June 1998. Peart stepped away from Rush to take the 14-month solo ride and subsequently wrote the book chronicling his marathon journey that took him from Quebec to Alaska, then down the Canadian and American coasts and south to Belize before he returned to his home in Canada. Peart, notoriously shy throughout his career, opens up about loss and his life throughout the fast-moving travelogue. I found myself gaining a far greater appreciation of Peart the person, and was fully moved by his ambitious journey that ultimately led him to return to Rush in 2001 despite the immense sense of grief that fueled his odyssey. Those moved by Peart's literate lyrics featured on countless Rush masterworks will want to read this captivating book first published on July 5, 2002. Information: ecwpress.com.

Artist: Rush
Title: R40 Live (Rounder)
Tell me more: Released via several different configurations in November 2015, R40 is an audio-visual keepsake of the highest order. The collection (I have the version that includes three audio CDs and one DVD) is truly a celebration of more than 40 years of top-tier progressive rock. With the 2015 R40 Tour marking the Canadian band's farewell tour, R40 is an excellent showcase for a troupe captured while still at the top of their game. The centerpiece is how the stage is given the "de-evolution" treatment as the band performs their most recent material on a more dazzling set; as the band performs increasingly-older songs, the stage is stripped down courtesy of stagehands who recast Rush's surroundings artfully during the performance.  What's more, the audio and video quality across the audio/video discs is amazing. Recorded over two nights in the hometown of Lee, Lifeson and Peart, the concert film was captured via 14 cameras and really immerses the viewer in the moment. Peart shines across the performance, and his drum solo is outstanding. Information: amazon.com.

Artist: Rush
Title: Clockwork Angels (Roadrunner Records)
Tell me more: While many classic rock fans have to be content with their heroes touring courtesy of nostalgia alone, Rush continued to challenge themselves and their listeners with sharp and searing prog rock until the end. Clockwork Angels, the band's final studio album, was released in June 2012 and is a concept album about a young man’s search to follow his dreams. It doesn't hurt that the probing tale was supported by one of the trio’s most accessible and compelling collections since the 1976 album release 2112. Information: Rush.com.

Artist: Rush
Title: Feedback (Atlantic Records)
Tell me more: A fun detour in the history of Rush was 2004's Feedback, an eight-track EP of rock 'n' roll classics that Rush covered with obvious zeal. In the album's liner notes, Peart notes: "It was April of 2004, but Geddy, Alex, and I were channeling back to 1966 and 1967, when we were thirteen- and fourteen-year-old beginners. We thought it would be a fitting symbol to commemorate our thirty years together if we returned to our roots and paid tribute to those we had learned from and were inspired by...The music celebrates a good time in our lives, and we had a good time celebrating it." Indeed, the songs here explode anew in the capable hands of Rush. "Summertime Blues" kicks off the exciting set, with Rush offering up a shimmering remake of Blue Cheer's hard rock cover (the song was written by Eddie Cochran and his manager Jerry Capehart in 1958). Other notable offerings include fiery takes on The Who's "The Seeker," Neil Young's "Mr. Soul" and Cream's blues rocker "Crossroads." The nuanced take on Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" also amazes. This is truly a side of Rush never heard before. Information: Rush.com.

Neil Peart / Photo courtesy of Drum Workshop Inc.

You can read my review of Rush's concert staged at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA on Nov. 17, 2012 here. You can read my review of Rush's July 31, 2015 performance at Irvine Meadows here.


Robert Kinsler