Your Survival Guy’s favorite version of Rush’s “Xanadu” is on the iconic live album Exit…Stage Left. Listen here: Here's a description of the making of "Xanadu" from Mystic Rhythms Live on YouTube: "Xanadu" is a song by the Canadian rock band Rush from their 1977 album "A Farewell to Kings." It is approximately 11 minutes long, beginning with a five-minute-long instrumental section before transitioning to a narrative written by Neil Peart. This song is based on an unfinished poem called Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who started writing it while under the influence of drugs. … [Read more...]

The Newport Jazz Festival was this weekend. Norah Jones performed on Friday night, closing out the first day of the three-day event. It was a beautiful weekend. You could hear the music from the water or your backyard. Jones’s albums are a staple in our household. Here’s the Come Away with Me 20th Anniversary Livestream from earlier this year. … [Read more...]

Taylor Hawkins, drummer for the band Foo Fighters passed away on tour in Colombia over the weekend. Rolling Stone's Kat Bouza discusses Hawkins' life, writing: Taylor Hawkins, the jovial, ferocious drummer for Foo Fighters for more than two decades, died Friday at the age of 50. The band announced the musician’s death in a statement but did not reveal a cause. “The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins,” the group wrote. “His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever.” Foo Fighters are … [Read more...]

Michael Lee Aday, better known to the world as Meat Loaf, passed away last week. In The Wall Street Journal, Dominic Green discusses Meat Loaf's career, writing: Meat Loaf met his Wagner in 1973, in the form of the composer, lyricist, producer and playwright Jim Steinman, when Meat Loaf auditioned for a Steinman musical, “More Than You Deserve.” It took them four years to get “Bat Out of Hell” into the studio, onto a major label, and into the shops. Their passion and persistence was of a piece with their music: obsessive, grandiose, perverse. The critics always hated it. “If this isn’t … [Read more...]

Received this email from a friend and had to share it with you. It linked to Stern Pinball's official Rush pinball game. Unveiling Virtually at Consumer Electronics Show CHICAGO, IL and LAS VEGAS, NV – January 4, 2022 Over 40 million records sold.  More than 40 years of unparalleled creativity.  Countless sold-out tours.  An impassioned global fan base.  A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Inductions into the Canadian and U.S. Rock and Roll Halls of Fame.  Officers of the Order of Canada.  Countless other awards and recognitions. That’s all very nice. For the three band … [Read more...]

pic.twitter.com/VfcR1dEpC4 — Mick Jagger (@MickJagger) September 21, 2021 In the Boston Globe, Mark Shanahan reports on an emotional tribute to Charlie Watts, performed by his Rolling Stones bandmates. The event was hosted by Robert Kraft at Gillette Stadium. Shanahan writes: The veteran rockers, who kick off a US tour Sunday in St. Louis, played some of their best-known songs for an invite-only crowd of about 300 people. The band’s 15-song set opened with “Let’s Spend the Night Together” and also included “Tumbling Dice,” “Under My Thumb,” “Gimme Shelter,” “Start Me Up,” “Miss You,” … [Read more...]

Neil Peart would have turned 69 this week. His playing lives on. … [Read more...]

An inside look at the life of Zac Brown Band drummer, Chris Fryar. … [Read more...]

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