Rush & Paying Tribute to Pete Shelley of the Buzzcocks

Famous for its instrumental virtuosity and heady, sci-fi influenced lyrics, the Canadian prog-rock trio Rush has amassed an obsessive cult following. Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush join Jim and Greg to discuss the band's remarkable 40 plus-year career. Jim and Greg will also say farewell to the leader of the punk band the Buzzcocks, Pete Shelley, who died earlier in December at age 63.
Rush

Jim gets to unleash his inner thirteen-year-old this week as he and Greg sit down with Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee of the Canadian
Pete Shelley

Pete Shelley, the leader of the Buzzcocks, died at home in Estonia of a heart attack on December 6, 2018. He was 63 years old. Shelley's work was a major influence on a wide swath of musicians over the past 40 years. Greg points out the Buzzcocks were one of the first punk bands to eschew the safety pins and mohawks aesthetic, showing the movement ran deeper than fashion trends. He calls them "the next generation's answer to The Beatles."
Shelley and Buzzcocks co-founder Howard Devoto put on the Sex Pistols' first show outside of London. It turned out to be a confluence of the future of Manchester's music scene with members of Joy Division and The Smiths in attendance as well as Factory Records founder Anthony Wilson and producer Martin Hannett. It was recreated in the 2002 film, "24 Hour Party People."
Jim points out the Buzzcocks' devotion to melody and describes their sound as "the Beatles catalog shoved into two minutes." He also recounts how Shelley's first solo single "Homosapien" was banned by the BBC for "racy" lyrics. Fans have often wondered if Shelley's early embrace of synth-pop could have led to greater commercial success had the song been played on the radio. Jim plays "Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)" as a tribute, calling it one of the greatest songs ever. Greg pays tribute by playing "I Believe," which Shelley closed many concert sets with and was an audience favorite.
Featured Songs
- Rush, "Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres," Hemispheres, Anthem, 1978
- Rush, "Something for Nothing," Rush, Phonogram, 1974
- Rush, "Finding My Way," Rush, Phonogram, 1974
- Cream, "Spoonful," Fresh Cream, Reaction, 1966
- Rush, "Digital Man," Signals, Mercury, 1982
- Rush, "2112," 2112, Anthem, 1976
- Rush, "The Fountain of Lamneth," Caress of Steel, Mercury, 1975
- Rush, "By-Tor and the Snow Dog," Fly By Night, Mercury, 1975
- Rush, "Xanadu," A Farewell to Kings, Mercury, 1977
- Rush, "The Trees," Hemispheres, Anthem, 1978
- Rush, "The Spirit of Radio," Permanent Waves, Anthem, 1980
- Rush, "Tom Sawyer," Moving Pictures, Mercury, 1981
- Rush, "Freewill," Permanent Waves, Anthem, 1980
- Rush, "Subdivisions," Signals, Mercury, 1982
- Rush, "Stick It Out," Counterparts, Atlantic, 1993
- Rush, "Roll the Bones," Roll the Bones, Atlantic, 1991
- Rush, "Closer to the Heart," R40 Live, Anthem/Roadrunner, 2015
- Rush, "One Little Victory," Vapor Trails, Anthem, 2002
- Rush, "Limelight," Moving Pictures, Mercury, 1981
- Buzzcocks, "What Do I Get?," Another Music in a Different Kitchen, Nettwerk America, 1978
- Buzzcocks, "Orgasm Addict," Another Music in a Different Kitchen, Nettwerk America, 1978
- Buzzcocks, "Everybody's Happy Nowadays," Singles Going Steady, I.R.S., 1979
- Buzzcocks, "You Say You Don't Love Me," A Different Kind of Tension, Nettwerk America, 1979
- Pete Shelley, "Homosapien," Homosapien, Arista, 1981
- Buzzcocks, "Innocent," Trade Test Transmissions, Caroline, 1993
- Green Day, "Basket Case," Dookie, Lookout!, 1994
- Buzzcocks, "Ever Fallen in Love (with Someone You Shouldn't've?)," Love Bites, United Artists, 1978
- Buzzcocks, "I Believe," A Different Kind of Tension, Nettwerk America, 1979
- Moses Sumney, "Don't Bother Calling," Aromanticism, Jagjauwar, 2017
- Shame, "One Rizla," Songs of Praise, Dead Oceans, 2018
- Sen Morimoto, "Sections," Cannonball!, Sooper, 2018
- Sen Morimoto, "People Watching," Cannonball!, Sooper, 2018
- Brandi Carlile, "The Joke," By The Way, I Forgive You, Low Country Sound/Elektra, 2018
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