Rush drummer Neil Peart dead at 67

[Rooster_Ties]

Just seeing that Neil Peart, the drummer for Rush (and main lyricist), has died at 67.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/neil-peart-obit-1.5422806

Surely one of the 10 best "Rock" drummers of all time.  I'm sorry to say I never saw Rush live in concert, but I've been a growing fan over the last 20 years.  A masterful drummer, in his idiom, and from the one Rush documentary I saw late one night on cable several years ago, seemingly a quiet and thoughtful guy.

RIP.

[HutchFan]

Ugh. That's terrible news. I had no idea that he was even sick.

I've enjoyed Rush's music since back in my high school days.  Lots of good memories.  I'm grateful for the music.

R.I.P.

[Rooster_Ties]

I had no idea either.  Apparently a 3.5 year battle with cancer, not publicly known it seems.

 

[Hardbopjazz]

RIP Neil. He was a great drummer.  He also wrote great lyrics.  

[Kevin Bresnahan]

He was an incredible drummer. It always amazed me that it was only one drummer on some of those Rush songs. I used to think they were overdubbing.

[catesta]

Fuck me, what sad news this is. This guy was an absolute monster drummer and a great lyricist. He was a different type of dude, a somewhat shy, quiet, keep to yourself type. The fact the fans had no idea goes to show you just that. I suppose the retirement all makes sense now.

I don't believe in destiny
Or the guiding hand of fate
I don't believe in forever
Or love as a mystical state

I don't believe in the stars or the planets
Or angels watching from above
But I believe there's a ghost of a chance
We can find someone to love
And make it last....

I consider myself lucky have seen the band live twice in their prime and regret not going to see them on the final tour, especially now.

RIP Neil, thanks for doing it.

Cue the music....

Living on a lighted stage
Approaches the unreal
For those who think and feel
In touch with some reality
Beyond the gilded cage

 

Cast in this unlikely role
Well equipped to act
With insufficient tact
One must put up barriers
To keep oneself intact

 

Living in the limelight
The universal dream
For those who wish to seem
Those who wish to be
Must put aside the alienation
Get on with the fascination
The real relation
The underlying theme

 

Living in a fisheye lens
Caught in the camera eye
I have no heart to lie
I can't pretend a stranger
Is a long awaited friend

 

All the world's indeed a stage
And we are merely players
Performers and portrayers
Each another's audience
Outside the gilded cage

 

Living in the limelight
The universal dream
For those who wish to seem
Those who…

 

 

Edited January 10, 2020 by catesta

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

RIP, I AM SO SORRY

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

IM GOING TO JUST COME OUT AND SAY IT, HES RIGHT UP THERE WITH PHILLY & ART, RIP NEIL PEART 1952-2020

[Soulstation1]

Rest Easy 

Edited January 11, 2020 by Soulstation1

[Brad]

RIP. 

[Rooster_Ties]

Saw this on the Hoffman forums, and it's so true!

(from Bob Mould/Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster)

[CJ Shearn]

 RIP Neil.  I saw this on Antonio Sanchez' FB.  Antonio, who came from rock, Neil and Bonham, are just as much influences for him as Max Roach, Jack DeJohnette and Roy Haynes.  I was thinking of Neil the other day, so strange.  Such a creative, melodic player

[Kevin Bresnahan]

9 hours ago, Soulstation1 said:

Rest Easy 

You watch a video like this and it's much easier to understand why Peart retired after this tour. I can't imagine trying to keep playing at such a frenetic pace as a 20-something, much less a 60-something.

It's also easy to see why Rush isn't going to be one of those ghost bands that keep playing until every member is dead. Rush isn't Rush without Peart. I was glad when I read that they agreed with this.

[ghost of miles]

I and several other junior-high friends were quite the Rush-heads circa 1979-81 and went to see Rush on the Moving Pictures tour when they came through Indianapolis.  Oddly enough, pre-Internet and social media, we heard constant rumors back then that Peart was ill with cancer, which of course proved not to be the case... he lived nearly another 40 years.  Glad to see him getting so much respect from Sanchez and others.    

Edited January 11, 2020 by ghost of miles

[Jason Bivins]

Very sad news, indeed. Amazing musician. RIP, sir.

[catesta]

SiriusXM channel 27 (Deep Tracks) is temporarily a Rush tribute channel until 1/15/20. They're also doing a 2 hour special with David Fricke tonight at 9pm ET.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

17 hours ago, catesta said:

SiriusXM channel 27 (Deep Tracks) is temporarily a Rush tribute channel until 1/15/20. They're also doing a 2 hour special with David Fricke tonight at 9pm ET.

I've been listening to this for the last 2 days and it's caused to me realize three things about Rush:

1) I find myself listening to Peart's drums on most songs. Geddy Lee's vocals are almost a distraction

2) They made some pretty terrible and/or odd songs, which is why I don't own much of it.

3) Peart's drumming makes me wonder if this is what Monk would have sounded like if he played the drums. His keeps the time fine, but the wild, sometimes seemingly random accent beats are what really makes him sound so incredible.

After listening to this for a long while, I decided I wanted to hear "Moving Pictures". I know - gak and all that - but it's my favorite Rush record. Goofy shit lyrically, but as I said, listening to Peart is where it's at. "Red Barchetta" is my favorite Rush tune. He's also a little like Blakey with the drum roll transitions at odd spots. Just a fun drummer to listen to. I still think they overdubbed some of them or else Peart had 3 arms.  

Edited January 14, 2020 by bresna

[Rooster_Ties]

I only have a good smattering of Rush on CD -- all 3 vols of the Retrospective comps, plus 3 of their 80's studio albums, and one live album (late 80's).

Really some amazing music, imho.  I'm not as much of a fan of their 70's output (Geddy's voice is a bit more abrasive, but I think it mellowed considerably by the 80's, and beyond) -- but really almost any random Rush from 1980 or after is generally a pretty positive thing in my book.

I'm a 'music' person, first and foremost, so generally lyrics are almost always very secondary in my book.  But I would honestly count Rush's lyrics as being "above average", at least in terms of being interesting and something out of the ordinary.

I wouldn't quite count them among my personal "top 20" rock/pop/alternative acts -- but I could easily see 'binging' on Rush someday (probably via Pandora), and the quality of the more recent half of their catalog could easily put them up in my top-20 (at some point).  I'm the same way with Yes probably as well, a band of similar musicianship -- and frankly, I think Rush's lyrics are better than those of Yes.

There's an energy to most of Rush's music that I find very positive.  Most of it has a LOT of strong, forward momentum - largely due to Peart's really extraordinary musicianship.  There's a LOT going on, but I don't think he chronically "overplays" most of the time (sometimes, maybe? - but it never seems so busy that I'm like "why?").

And in terms of rock bands that were TRIOS -- Rush would have to be top-5 in my book, beyond any shadow of a doubt, maybe top-3 (Hendrix and The Police being the other two obvious candidates -- I'm not a big Cream fan, I'm afraid).

Interesting that as quiet and unassuming Peart was in real life (and interviews) -- in many ways I think Rush was the rare rock trio where both the bass-player and drummer outshined the guitarist? -- the only other arguable example perhaps being The Police (though I've always felt like they were very much a band of 3 very strong equals).

I think I'll set up a Pandora Rush station (something I'm surprised I've never done), put it on "deeper cuts" mode, and let that serve me up a bunch of Rush I've probably never heard.  I'll bet within 2 years, I'll have expanded my meager Rush CD collection 2 or 3 fold.

Really quite a band.  Cerebral, and not all about testosterone and machismo -- or certainly a DIFFERENT kind of testosterone.  Wish I'd seen them live, but I never got around to it.

RIP.

Edited January 14, 2020 by Rooster_Ties

[catesta]

Moving Pictures in an excellent album, all of it. if you've not watched it, there is "classic albums" documentary about how 2112 and Moving Pictures are the two defining albums. I found it very interesting, especially the input from Terry Brown.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

1 hour ago, catesta said:

Moving Pictures in an excellent album, all of it. if you've not watched it, there is "classic albums" documentary about how 2112 and Moving Pictures are the two defining albums. I found it very interesting, especially the input from Terry Brown.

I really like "Moving Pictures" but it gets so much flak from the rock cognoscenti that I almost feel embarrassed to say this. Tough. I like it and I play it for me.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Great interview with Peart.

 

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

 

[catesta]