Alex Lifeson on the new Rush Album

As a group, Rush have been juggling a few projects lately:

01 – creating a 5.1 surround remix of their 1981 classic, “Moving Pictures”
02 – creating a new remix of 2002’s “Vapor Trails”
03 – gearing up to resume their Time Machine tour as of March 30
04 – working on new material for their next album, “Clockwork Angels”

Beyond that, Neil Peart has a new book coming out in May, and Alex Lifeson is in the midst of launching his new custom guitar, the Alex Lifeson Les Paul Axcess.

With all this going on, Lifeson took some time out to chat with Gibson.com about a bunch of things, including an update on how the new album is shaping up:

G: When we spoke last year, you had two songs in the can for Clockwork Angels. How far has work on the album progressed?

AL: Well, you know, we had six songs written. Those two were the two we decided to record just prior to the tour start, around this time last year. Since then, Geddy and I have been writing. We’ve been writing for the last couple of weeks and I think we’ve got the makings of another song. Pretty close. Some other snippets of ideas. Once we get back into the writing full-steam in the next week or so, with all those bits and pieces, I’m sure we’ll be able to get at least another song or maybe two. In which case, I think we’re looking at eight or nine songs as the magic number.

G: Are you starting to get a sense of when the album might come out?

AL: Well, you know, that’s been sort of in flux lately because we decided to go back on the road. We finished the last tour and there was such a movement to keep us out there. (laughs) And we gave in to that. You know, our intention was to get into the studio and record as soon as that brief tour ended, but that didn’t quite happen. So we’re back from this tour in July. We’ll take a short break in the summer, start recording in September and hopefully have the new album out for the start of the next tour, which would be in the spring of 2012.

Moving Pictures 5.1 Surround Sound Remix tracklisting:

'Tom Sawyer'

'Red Barchetta'

'YYZ'

'Limelight'

'The Camera Eye'

'Witch Hunt'

'Vital Signs'

Disc: 2
'Tom Sawyer' (Audiophile 5.1 Surround and Stereo)

'Red Barchetta' (Audiophile 5.1 Surround and Stereo)

'YYZ' (Audiophile 5.1 Surround and Stereo)

'Limelight' (Audiophile 5.1 Surround and Stereo)

'The Camera Eye' (Audiophile 5.1 Surround and Stereo)

'Witch Hunt' (Audiophile 5.1 Surround and Stereo)

'Vital Signs' (Audiophile 5.1 Surround and Stereo)

'Tom Sawyer' (Music Video - 5.1 & Stereo)

'Limelight' (Music Video - 5.1 & Stereo)

'Vital Signs' (Music Video - 5.1 & Stereo - Previously Unreleased)