National RUSH day!

RUSH: February 1st, 2012 a.k.a. 2112

Today, February 1st, 2012, is being referred to by some as National Rush Day in celebration of their fourth album, 2112. Fans are encouraged to crank up that 1976 album, which has been described as the first progressive metal album.

At the time, 2112 was do-or-die for Rush in terms of remaining with Mercury Records. Geddy Lee tells us the album "opened a lot of doors for us accidentally in the sense that even though it was not really considered a very commercial album...it had something about it that was vital and connected with people... and it created a whole new wave of fans for us." Rush is working on their next album, Clockwork Angels, which will be out later this year.

Rush drummer Neil Peart has written an essay remembering the band's longtime photographer Andrew MacNaughtan, who died last Wednesday of a heart attack in Los Angeles at the age of 47. In part Peart says, "Andrew's live shots really stood out from the rest; they were more vivid, somehow - highlighting both the drama of the rock stage and the personalities of the players. That was an unusual quality..." It was MacNaughtan who gave Peart the nickname Bubba, and introduced him to his wife Carrie.