The Spirit of the Radio lives on in Rush Time Machine for iPad

I’m not worthy to write this review. I’m just a freelance journalist and Time Machine is the digital embodiment of one of the greatest rock bands in history. I’ll give it shot, though. At least I’ll get to express my love for Rush in public.

Rush, for the unenlightened, is a three-member Canadian band that took the world by storm in the 1970s by playing rock songs that weren’t about love. Their masterpiece album, the 1980 release Moving Pictures, with its thought-provoking lyrics and precision heavy metal riffs, was the basis of their 2010 tour called Time Machine. This iPad app was meant to be a companion to the tour but was released just as the last shows ended. For fans, the app is still worth the money to buy. For everyone else, it’ll give you some idea why Rush fans are so obsessed.

Time Machine features great music, quirky humor, news, and hardcore Rush trivia. The main element is the Time Machine Music Player, which features over 35 Rush songs, spanning four decades. Notes, describing when the song was played live or when it was written (as well as by who) accompany each one. This alone is worth the price of the app.

Fans who have seen them live know the band’s offbeat sense of humor. The app displays this charm in the “Bobble Head” section where you tap Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart, or Geddy Lee’s heads to hear them talk in funny soundbites. And, in “Gear,” you’ll find crazy tour essentials, like Kielbasa, in addition to the make and model of all their instruments and electronics. “News” pulls the latest Rush happenings from the web, including TV appearances, contests, movie releases, and more. A defunct section lets you search for tickets for the tour that’s already over.

Give this app as a gift for the Rush fan in your life.

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