Alex Lifeson says Rush are "basically done"

Probably because what they're doing doesn't seem like a "job" to most people, and so many artists keep doing what they do in some form or other until they drop or are physically incapable, as is the case here.

Also, what pro musicians do is the sort of thing a lot of folks get up to when they retire. Some people take up music when they retire, but I doubt many take up being an accounts executive for fun.

 

It's hard to say what might've happened, though - the band was starting to move when Rutsey left, so they still might've done pretty well. But it was never going to last even if Rutsey was in fine health, given their differing musical interests.

 

I don't know that his health would have let him continue in that vocation even at a young age.

 

No doubt. I was just kidding about Rutsey. But Neil has been in the band for what? 43 years? 42?

Obviously the dynamics have shifted greatly over the years, but I know you get that

 

Thanks for the link to the new Alex interview. If you've watched the documentary and read Neil's final blog (so far) on his site, this is not new news. They did "Losing It" for a reason on that last tour. Neil coming out from behind the kit during the last gig may have seemed like a small gesture, but he was saying goodbye in his own way.

Sure, time and circumstances can changed anything. Neil sets a high standard. He wrote in Ghost Rider about how rusty he was in the early 2000s after his time off, and that was only a few years and he was much younger.

I would love for them to do a studio-only thing or an "unplugged" where they slightly suspended their perfection expectation; i.e. do it as quickly and as painlessly as possible for Alex/Neil's chronic conditions. But a tour? That probably won't happen again, and that verdict really hasn't changed since August of 2015.

Just like Live 8 and the classic Floyd lineup, Rush was able to forge their own ending on their own terms. I don't think they will tamper with that...

 

I'm proud to have been a fan for 40+ years, and have so much respect for their decision to retire gracefully. It's pretty much unheard of in these days of squeezing out every last drop of an artist's reputation on the touring circuit.

 

That’s not really true now is it? But every one has their opinions.

 

Well, Alex and Geddy can always make an album with other musicians and call it, Dirk & Lerxst.

 

... yes they have, and in my opinion it's true.

 

Ok.

 

Not a big Rush fan. I like a couple of their tunes, but for the most part, just not my thing. Definitely an acquired taste. I did greatly enjoy the documentary though - caught it one of the streaming channels a couple of months ago and those guys really impressed me as great musicians and quality human beings with terrific senses of humor. Just some of the most grounded rock stars I've ever seen.

Not exactly in my music wheelhouse, but holy hell, what a live act.

Never heard them. But I'm gonna miss 'em . . .

 

You're one of those people who live in the past, aren't you? "Oh no don't change and grow!" Ridiculous post. If you don't like anything after Grace Under Pressure, why even bother "contributing" to this thread? You're not a true Rush fan, you're a troll.

 

As a fan of theirs, I don't really mind this. Clockwork Angels is one of my favorite albums in their discography and an ultimately fitting end to the band.

 

Not surprised. Deep down you just had to know it.
I went to both R40 shows in Toronto with the notion that it would be the last time I would ever see them live. But the nail in the coffin for me was hearing Neil discuss how happy he was with the Clockwork Angels album. He clearly felt liked it couldn't be topped. With the success of that and both final tours, it is the perfect time to bow out. Going out on top!
I'm at peace with it.

 

Rush...there is no substitute.

 

................They're washed up.

 

The only remotely bad albums they released after Grace Under Pressure was Presto and Test for Echo. Everything else has ranged from good to fantastic with Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angels being some of their best work.

 

Let's see how the money holds up. They should be able to retire quite nicely. and rightfully so.

 

Without Neil's lyrics, they wouldn't have made it much past a second album, even if they'd gotten an equally talented drummer. Neither Geddy or Alex at the time showed any great promise in that department that would've separated them from the other Zep-tinged hard rock bands at the time. "Working Man" and "Finding My Way" are fun tunes, but we really only remember them today because of what came after.

 

Yeah, really!

 

I think I like almost every album they've made since more than Grace Under Pressure.


i still predict Geddy and Alex will do something together, be it some new music or some small shows. It will not be as Rush, so no need for anyone to get their panties in a bunch. When I watched the Time Stand Still movie, I didn't get the sense either of them were done playing music, and it's obvious they still have a real affinity for playing together, so I'm still optimistic 2/3rds of the band will resurface at some point, on a much more modest scale.

 

I was at that last show at the LA Forum (which was amazing) and when Neil came out to the front of the stage for the bows I knew that there was going to be some kind of change with Rush, but I wasn't even thinking of the possibility that it would be it for them - period. I was always assuming during that tour with the rumors and talks of it being it that they meant more in terms of large scale touring and that's it

I respect the decision, even if it is a total bummer that there won't be any new albums or tours from them to look forward to. It takes balls for one of the best drummers in the world to say enough is enough and end his career on a high note as opposed to not being able to deliver the same level of performance (or at least not being able to deliver it without a huge toll on his physical and mental well being on the road)

Rush was kickass right up until the end! Clockwork Angels is a powerhouse album and the last few tours were amazing.

 

But the reissues, remixes, concerts, outtakes and compilations will continue as long as humanity breathes...no worries there, then.

 

It's no surprise. Neil left plenty of clues in his book Ghost Rider that he mostly came back because he needed the money. Good thing he did otherwise we wouldn't have had the second wind with Rush. I wish them well and thanks for the music.

 

I'd bet it's been about 37 or so years since any of the Rush guys have had to worry about bills being paid. Each has likely been a multimillionaire for decades.