wow, interesting. i think the number of Rush covers can be bumped up to 3 if you count the bit of the 3 Stooges theme and also the little snippet of "Earache My Eye" (Cheech & Chong) they used to close shows with.

i'm sortof looking forward to this.

It's definitely interesting in light of Neil's new book, Traveling Music: Playing Back the Soundtrack to My Life and Times.

I'm hoping that these aren't straight readings of the songs, that maybe they've been reworked to reflect what it was about the songs that the band saw as influential. I just can't hear Rush doing music like this today.

Ah, you wanker, Tom. :) That's the only problem I've had with Rush, their wanker fans. Geezus, won't some of you people ever allow "your band" to have any fun? Lighten up. Who cares what others say about this covers album. You think Rush cares?

Sorry 'bout the redundant post, Tom; I didn't see your article.

I have never quite understood why bands insist on doing covers-only albums. In many cases it is actually a record company ruze to have more product. A few covers on an album is fine but a whole album of covers? Why bother?

Can anyone name one that was worth the price of the CD?

I can think of only one that I rather enjoyed and that was Helloween's Metal Jukebox. It was a total piss-take with metal versions of songs by Abba, Jethro Tull and others.

Old Town - right on...

As a die hard RUSH fan, I can't wait to see them tackle a few covers. Good for them. They get to sell a few more albums, and not give a crap about what people think of them.

I can name another;
Toten Hosen, Learning English, Vol 1

Every song a cover of a classic punk song.

I remember as a child wholeheartedly enjoying "A Shirley and Squirly Christmas" or something to that effect. I believe it was a poor man's version of the chipmunks, what with the titular characters being squirrels belting out exceedingly high pitched Christmas standards. I didn't know any better, but they rocked. Imagine my surprise and when I learned that the "chestnuts roasting on a open fire..." song had been penned by Mel Torme, and hadn't been authored by the screeching rodents themselves. I was pissed off. What frauds they were. F'ing squirrels can't sing anyway. I'm not bitter.

Well, so far I'm the only commenter to have listened to a preview on the Rush web site it seems! The clip of Summertime Blues sounds GREAT and I reckon I'll enjoy this covers album a lot more than Vapour Trails which was just a little too heavy for me!

Vapor Trails was too heavy for you? Have you and I been listening to the same band for the past 30 years?
(N.B. I am using the proper spelling for vapor)
VP possessed the perfect intensity to symbolize the gathering energy whose expopsive release was long overdue.

Summertime Blues does sound pretty cool.

Vapor Trails was too heavy for you? Have you and I been listening to the same band for the past 30 years?
(N.B. I am using the proper spelling for vapor)
VP possessed the perfect intensity to symbolize the gathering energy whose explosive release was long overdue.

Summertime Blues does sound pretty cool.