It seems that most everyone associated with Rush (well, drummer Neil Peart and guitarist Alex Lifeson anyway) have been making noises about a possible project of some kind in 2010. But nailing down just what form that project might take is, at the moment, an experience not unlike trying to hug a gust of wind.

In September, Lifeson was quoted on noisecreep.com: "Neil and his wife had a baby just a couple of weeks ago, so he's asked if we can just wait a little bit until he gets settled and see how he feels about getting back to work or when to get back to work. So we're sort of playing it open right now."

Then in October, Peart, writing on his website: "In this autumn of 2009, the three of us are poised on another kind of 'reinvention.' We have agreed to meet in Los Angeles in November, and discuss our future. ... [O]ur time-honored pattern of touring, recording, and touring is no longer the obvious way to do things."

Peart goes on to offer some hypothetical possibilities. "[I]f we decided to do a tour of some kind, maybe with an orchestra ... [w]e could write and record just a few songs, and release them some way. Or there were a couple of film-and-music projects we had discussed in the past."

After playing 120 dates on a 2007-08 world tour in support of their Snakes and Arrows album, band members readily agreed to a year off. The break is clearly now about to end.

Reality check: we're talking about band who has worked continuously since 1968 (Lifeson and bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee since the beginning, Peart since 1974.) Given that long history, anything they choose to do in their 42nd year will be significant.

^{Rush 2004 tour photo by Andrew Naughton}

Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child" is at the top of a Top 50 Guitar Riffs poll conducted by Music Radar, a website whose audience is chiefly comprised of musicians. The results prompted the site's editor-in-chief, Mike Goldsmith, to declare Hendrix "the undisputed heavyweight champion of rock guitar." (Do I hear any arguments? I didn't think so.)

Also landing in the poll's top five: Jimmy Page's treatment of "Whole Lotta Love" (Led Zeppelin); Ritchie Blackmore for "Smoke On The Water" (Deep Purple); and "Layla" (Derek and the Dominoes) by Eric Clapton. (Discuss.)

In fact, the dominance of 20th century talent in the poll results prompted editor Goldsmith to conclude, "Above all though, our poll seems to indicate one thing - in 2009 classic rock still rules." (Anyone? Anyone?)

^{Photo © Henry Diltz, courtesy Rhino Entertainment}

Scorpions are finishing up a new album and have announced plans for a lengthy world tour beginning in the spring. The "Get Your Sting and Blackout" tour will begin in the venerable hard rockers' home country, Germany and will, according to the band's website, continue for the next two years. The new album, Sting in the Tail is expected to be released prior to the beginning of the tour in May.

Dio Down
Ronnie James Dio has been so active on the hard rock scene for so long (Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell, and his own band, Dio) we tend to forget that he's a mere mortal. The 67-year-old singer-songwriter has been hospitalized and the upcoming Dio tour of Europe canceled. Dio's wife (and manager) Wendy reports on the Dio website: "Ronnie has been diagnosed with the early stages of stomach cancer. We are starting treatment immediately at the Mayo Clinic."

^{Scorpions photo by Jo Hale / Getty Images; Ronnie James Dio photo by Paul Kane / Getty Images}

There will be a Faces reunion tour in 2010, but Rod Stewart won't be part of it, according to a Billboard report. Says keyboardist Ian McLagan, "If we don't do it very soon, one of us is gonna check out. We've been waiting and waiting for Rod to say yes; now he's finally said no. So we're gonna do it."

While Stewart tours in support of his latest solo album, McLagan, guitarist Ronnie Wood and drummer Kenney Jones will tour as Faces with an as-yet-unnamed vocalist.

If Faces happen to tour in the UK in April, they'll find themselves in good company: Bad Company. That band's surviving original members (Paul Rodgers, Simon Kirke and Mick Ralphs) will play a handful of UK shows, according to Classic Rock magazine (who should know, since they are sponsoring the eight-city tour.)

Bad Company played a gig in Florida in 2008, but it was more legal exercise than reunion. The mini-tour will come a couple of months after the release of a live CD/DVD set in February.

^{Paul Rodgers photo by Jo Hale / Getty Images}