I was so shook up hearing the news yesterday that I couldn't listen to anything. In general, I am reluctant to answer the question of who is my favorite band. It depends on mood. But based on the metric of who I've seen the most times in concert, Rush is apparently my favorite band by a very, very large margin. I saw the original lineup of Van Halen five times. They tied with Pantera for second place (discounting local/regional acts). But I've seen Rush many, many multiples of that. I've lost track of how many. The last time I saw them was the Clockwork Angels tour (their last studio album). I bought a VIP package for it, and although expensive, I am glad to have had that experience.

So, tonight, after working in the yard all day, I decided to play some pinball, sip some bourbon, and jam out on Rush. The first Rush album I purchased was Caress of Steel. So, there was a time that this was the only Rush album I owned. I played it so much that I will know every beat, lick, and lyric forever. It was that and Hemispheres, because you know, La Villa Strangiato. This was the song that they so wanted to record in a single take, but realized that they had written beyond their ability to play. It took three takes to get it all on tape.

Here's to the "new guy”!