Ep. 192: Andy Faulkner, Author of "Finding My Way: Half a Lifetime in Pursuit of Rush"

In episode 182, we detailed our failed attempt to rank all 165 Rush album tracks, and we put out the call for listeners to submit their own lists. This week, John Take of Rush Graphs (who first joined us way back in episode 32) analyzes the data--including the lists Steve and Gerry finally got around to completing--and finds some interesting trends, all of which are presented in amazing graphs. You can listen along with the graphs, which we'll be posting on X (formerly Twitter; @RushFanCast) and Instagram (@therushcast). Oh, and which is the top Rush song as voted by our listeners? Listen to find out! And after that, we talk with author and entrepreneur Ben Wiener, whose new novel, Fever Pitch, is both a guide for creating great business pitches and is simply packed with Rush references! You can buy Fever Pitch on Amazon or at  https://feverpitchbook.com and listen to a curated Rush playlist that accompanies the book at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0rVJZL9JchyI9WsmITNpjz?si=IgfcFBPjTWaYebARTQjHIA. Follow us on Bluesky: @rushfancast Follow us on Instagram: @therushcast Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): @RushFanCast Follow us on Threads: @therushcast Email us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we're talking to author Andy Faulkner, who has recently published a travelogue called "Finding My Way: Half a Lifetime in Pursuit of Rush." Andy tells us about his early obsession with Rush, the impetus for traveling the globe to see the band, and what it has all meant to him. You can order "Finding My Way: Half a Lifetime in Pursuit of Rush" here: Finding My Way by Andy Faulkner Follow us on Bluesky: @rushfancast Follow us on Instagram: @therushcast Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): @RushFanCast Follow us on Threads: @therushcast Email us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nick Raskulinecz is a Grammy-winning producer who has worked with the Foo Fighters, Alice in Chains, Evanescence, and, of course, Rush. Nick produced Rush's 2007 album Snakes & Arrows and their final masterpiece, Clockwork Angels, in 2012. he joins us this week to talk about his first meeting with Geddy and Alex, share stories from the recording sessions of Snakes & Arrows and Clockwork Angels, and what it was like to perform at Rush's 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Follow us on Bluesky: @rushfancast Follow us on Instagram: @therushcast Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): @RushFanCast Follow us on Threads: @therushcast Email us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back in episode 110, we spoke with David DeRocco, chair of the Neil Peart Memorial Task Force, about getting the project off of the ground. Now, 3 years later, sculptor Morgan MacDonald has been chosen to create the statues and fundraising for the project has kicked into high gear. We talk to David about choosing Morgan, the progress of the fundraising effort, and the lasting legacy of Neil Peart and Rush. Donate to the Neil Peart Memorial: www.stcatharines.ca/neilpeart Listen to our interview with Morgan MacDonald: https://tinyurl.com/psvssxn9 Follow us on Bluesky: @rushfancast Follow us on Instagram: @therushcast Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): @RushFanCast Follow us on Threads: @therushcast Email us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we welcome Greg Russell. Greg was a close friend of Neil Peart, and he's also the drummer of the Rush tribute band Natural Science. Greg tells us about the unusual circumstance that led to his friendship with Neil, designing Neil's first website, and working on Neil's later drum kits. Follow us on Instagram: @therushcast Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): @RushFanCast Follow us on Threads: @therushcast Email us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the last of our trilogy live from Henderson Brewing in Toronto! This week we welcome back our good friend Ray Wawrzyniak to stump us with Rush trivia. We also hear Rush Origin Stories from Bing from Houston, Texas, who also fills us in on a large language model he trained on the published works and lyrics of Neil Peart; Justin from Toronto, Ontario; and Morgan, also from Toronto. Check out Bing's AI project: https://rushologist-6171.chipp.ai Follow us on Instagram: @therushcast Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): @RushFanCast Email us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the second of our 3 episodes live from Henderson Brewing in Toronto! This week we interview RushCon Creative Director Jillian Maryonovich; hear Rush Origin Stories from fans Jeff from Traverse City, Michigan; Ian from Kitchener, Ontario; Nyki from Honolulu, Hawaii; David from Toronto; and Christopher from Rochester, New York; and talk with RushFest Scotland founder Steve Brown. Follow us on Instagram: @therushcast Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): @RushFanCast Email us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In August, the SFN team--Steve, Gerry, and Lex--recorded live from Henderson Brewing in Toronto for Rush Day 2024. In the first of 3 episodes from Henderson Brewing, we talk with owner Steve Himel about the event and Rush lighting director Howard Ungerleider, and hear some Rush Origin Stories from fans Phil from Hilton Head, South Carolina; Melissa from Orange County, California; Ray from Whitby, Ontario; Doug from Burlington, Ontario; and John from Seattle, Washington. Follow us on Instagram: @therushcast Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): @RushFanCast Email us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're rounding out our summer mini season with the incomparable Tyler Warren! Tyler is an incredible multi-instrumentalist and vocalist who tours with Queen + Adam Lambert, records with his band Flarelight, and has released full album covers of both Permanent Waves and, most recently, Grace Under Pressure on his YouTube channel. Tyler talks to us about falling in love with Rush, how he ended up touring with Queen + Adam Lambert, and the monumental task of playing every instrument on those amazing full album covers. You can watch Tyler's Permanent Waves cover here: Tyler Warren - Rush’s Permanent Waves (full album performance) (youtube.com) You can watch Tyler's Grace Under Pressure cover here: Tyler Warren - Rush's Grace Under Pressure (full album performance) (youtube.com) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we welcome back our friend Max Mobley to count down our top 5 favorite Alex Lifeson riffs. Max previously joined us on episode 97 to talk about his book "Rush FAQ," episode 122 to rank our top 5 Alex Lifeson solos, and again on episode 146 as part of our Hold Your Fire Redux series to talk about "Mission." You can learn more about Max, including where to buy his first novel, "Howard & Debbie," at Fiction-MaxMobley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices