Dayton's Blog: A pimple on the ass of the Internet.

...and any other Rush fans on my f-list, MusicRadar.com recently posted an extract from the blog of drummer Neil Peart, discussing what's next for the band:

MusicRadar.com: Neil Peart says Rush are poised for "reinvention"

The complete blog entry, which makes for some damn fine reading on a Sunday morning, can be found here: NeilPeart.net: November 2009 - Autumn Serenade.

Whatever you guys decide, I'll be here.

So, I recently discovered that this event was coming to Kansas City in December. I've talked it over briefly with Michi and Kevin, and we finally decided we were going to go. The idea sounds fun enough on the face of it: the entire Star Wars saga presented with highlights from the six movies shown on massive HD screens and accompanied by live performances of music from the films. Sounds like a bigger, louder version of Star Wars: A Musical Journey, a DVD feature included with the soundtrack CD to Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.

Sweet.

Being a Star Wars fan, this sounds like it could be a fun evening. Anybody else heard anything more about this, or -- better yet -- seen it themselves? If so, whaddaya think about it?

Folks who know me know that I like to write with music playing in the background, and to this end I employ my rather sizable collection of film, classical, and other instrumental music. I'm always on the lookout for something new to add to said collection, and one of the highlights of this year's Comic-Con (Yes, I know I still need to write a full-blown report on that) was that I was able to make a few key fanboy purchases in this regard. In particular, I snapped up a few film soundtracks.

The first was inspired by all the Tron: Legacy hoopla taking place at the con: the soundtrack to the original Tron film, composed by Wendy Carlos. For whatever reason, this one kept escaping me over the years, but when I saw it at a dealer's table while wandering the exhibit hall, I could not resist grabbing it. It's as 80s as I remember it, but it's still fun to listen to.

(It also helped to replace the endless repeating of "A Man's Gotta Do" from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog that's been playing in my head the past few days. Of course, that was prompted by my decision to buy a new CD edition of that soundtrack while at Comic-Con and get it autographed by several of the film's performers. I couldn't help it; they do the weird stuff.)

The choice buy, however, was the newly expanded edition of the soundtrack for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, by James Horner. The version that's been available all these years is like a sampler compared to this juicy new edition. I've been running it this evening while I work and it is, in a word, sweet. If you're a fan of Star Trek music or film music in general, don't pass this one up.

The CD currently is available here: Screen Archives Entertainment: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

A lot of rock bands burn hot and quickly. Maybe they have but one good album, or even just one hit single. Afterward, they're never heard from again, except when that one single pops up on "classic rock" stations.

Some rock bands seek to reinvent themselves with every new album, daring to be different or to push beyond expectations, whether their own or those of their fans. Some times the risk pays off; other times, the band flames out in spectactular fashion, becoming fodder for jokes offered by morning show DJs.

Then, there are the bands who just keep doing what they do so well.

AC/DC is one such band.

I just heard their new single, "Rock 'N' Roll Train" from their forthcoming CD Black Ice, on the way to work this morning. Yes, the lyrics are new. Yes, the guitar riffs are new. Still, the song is recognizable from the first notes as an AC/DC tune. Why? Because one AC/DC song is pretty much like all the others: Easy to remember, easy to sing along with, easy to air guitar with, and easy to get a speeding ticket with.

And that's okay, because it's AC Fucking DC. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

So, for those about to rock (again), I salute you.

Rush.

Their new single, "Far Cry" from the upcoming album Snakes & Arrows, was released on the 12th. I heard it for the first time on the radio during the drive to work this morning, and you can hear it by following the link above to the band's official site. The CD's due in stores on May 1st, with a concert tour still to be announced for later this year. Looks like Addy's first concert will be a Rush show, after all.

(Of course, this also means that Kevin and I have a whole new batch of song titles as potential titles for future Corps of Engineers tales. Hehehehehehe....)

All is right with the world on this day.