The Rush appreciation thread

Rush are releasing their "first ever" box set in March, including a $375 Backstage exclusive super deluxe set. 

his Rush Backstage Super Deluxe Exclusive contains a bonus pack of 4 lithos! Rush Backstage is the only place you can receive this special offer.

Celebrate 50 years of RUSH with their first-ever complete career anthology. 50 tracks on 4 CDs and 7 180g LPs featuring selections from every studio, live and deluxe reissue album. Igniting the experience are the very first two singles "Not Fade Away" and "You Can't Fight It" remastered & reissued for the first time ever. The collection showcases 7 unreleased tracks including five 1974 live selections with the non-album songs "Bad Boy" and "Garden Road," a Vault Edition of "The Trees" with an alternate guitar solo, and the very last performance with Neil Peart in Los Angeles on August 1, 2015 of "What You're Doing / Working Man / Garden Road." The 104-page hardcover book features new Hugh Syme 50th anniversary artwork along with stunning new song illustrations, photos and liner notes by renowned rock journalists David Fricke and Philip Wilding. Exclusive to this Super Deluxe are 20 lithos illustrating one song from each studio album and a second 100-page hardcover book The Fullness Of Time, a brand-new graphic novel by Fantoons storytelling a conversation by Geddy & Alex reminiscing on the trials, tribulations and successes recording each studio album and how the band's sound evolved with contributions from the producers and engineers the band worked with on their studio albums. Exclusive to this Backstage Edition are 4 bonus lithos!

There is also a $250 7LP version and a $100 4 CD version. 

As a fan and a collector this is tempting, but really nothing I find worthwhile to make me want to fork out the additional bucks to make one of these part of my collection.

What thinks the rest of you?

Things change over time and now because of the internet people get into bands through albums that they probably wouldn't have in the 80s or 90s. I would say these days most people are getting into Rush through Moving Pictures (and Yes through CTTE but this is a Rush thread ).

CoS is definitely underrated and underappreciated. Not by me of course though. 

For sure they don't need it for a paycheck, both are multi millionaires. I am sure they miss playing live, Geddy more than Alex and for sure more than Neil. There is so much yack on the web about it, and I have heard Geddy say he would like to play live again. Even the recent CBS Sunday Morning interview he said it but also said it's not a guarantee, anything is possible, I think that's as far as he has gone. I've not heard or read that he or Alex have said publicly they are looking for a drummer, I am sure privately they have talked about it......I don't think they use someone like Portnoy, I mean Alex did not use a "name brand drummer" for his record, they can get away with many session drummers that don't need the chops that Neil had, I just don't see them making that kind of music anymore. People think they are going to make the next La Villa Strangiato or Xanadu....I think it will be very reminiscent of Geddy's solo album, maybe yacht rock .

Anyhow, it's nutz what people are saying like on FB.....

I've heard them a few times.....I like Gone, I Am is ok. Yea more mellow than would be my preference, but I suspect Geddy has been itching to release these.

I'm not sure I would expect anything from Geddy that matches the power of say Something For Nothing or of late like Headlong Flight. Alex has shown his cards with his release last year.

All this talk and posting on the WWW about them touring with a different drummer is (to me) click bait. I am sure personally Geddy and Alex have discussed it, but I really don't see Alex going on the road anytime soon especially after having stomach surgery recently, at his age is a long recovery. Geddy and his memoir book tour, even if they were serious nothing happens till next year late.

I would prefer they go into the studio and record a couple records (new music) with different session drummers and see how that works. If they still feel the need to go out and tour then fine, but honestly that's a few yrs away IMO, at best. I don't see Alex doing that though.....

I hope they think this thing thru really HARD....it could turn out to be kind not good.