This is a nice write up from NPR
https://www.npr.org/2020/01/11/795555335/remembering-neil-peart-a-monster-drummer-with-a-poets-heart
Remembering Neil Peart, A Monster Drummer With A Poet's Heart
When Canadian prog-rock innovators Rush were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, it was both somewhat surprising and totally appropriate that drummer Neil Peart opened the trio's acceptance speech. The musician and author, who passed away at the age of 67 on January 7 after a private, three-and-a-half-year struggle with brain cancer, famously eschewed the spotlight and rarely gave interviews. However, the Ontario native was a quiet leader who shaped Rush's voice, writing the bulk of the band's lyrics and maintaining a steely, rock-solid presence behind the drumkit.
"There's a stereotype about rock music, that it's mundane or predictable. Neil's lyrics were neither. ... [He] had the ability to express complicated ideas in a rock song," Donna Halper, an associate professor of media studies at Lesley University, tells NPR Music. A media historian and former broadcaster, Halper is credited with getting Rush their U.S. record deal and breaking the band: In 1974, while working as music director and a DJ at the legendary Cleveland radio station WMMS, she spun an import copy of Rush's early single, "Working Man," which promptly took off.
Peart didn't play on the studio version of "Working Man," but joined Rush that same year, replacing original drummer John Rutsey. Peart contributed his first lyrics to the band's 1975 LP, Fly By Night and, from there until Rush's final studio album, 2012's Clockwork Angels, he became known for his philosophical musings on road life and restless souls; sharp critiques of power and greed; fantasy-tinged vignettes; and incisive political and social commentary, cloaked in metaphor.
Peart's love of literature and reverence for history deeply informed his songwriting. "Red Sector A," for example, emerged after he read accounts of World War II concentration camp survivors. "Manhattan Project" addresses the U.S. dropping atomic bombs on Japan in 1945, from multiple viewpoints. For much of Rush's career, Peart was also dogged by long-ago praise for the author Ayn Rand, whose works were an influence on the sprawling 1976 song cycle 2112. (He later clarified that Rand's work no longer resonated with him.) In a 2015 Rolling Stone cover story, Peart self-described as a "bleeding-heart libertarian."
That streak of individuality is also there in his songwriting, making Rush's lyrics feel more like a manual for life, full of economical quips ("I'm so full of what is right / I can't see what is good," from "The Color of Right") and thorny questions ("Roll The Bones" and its skepticism about faith). Like the best songwriting, Peart's body of work was also malleable enough to grow with its listeners — his songs often mused about aging and the importance of dreaming; the ominous "Subdivisions" railed against the conformist suburbs that "have no charms to soothe the restless dreams of youth."
Peart's lyrical vulnerability also helped Rush's music resonate across generations. Even as a young man, Peart thought deeply about the future and how fleeting life could be; the facetious 1975 song "I Think I'm Going Bald" references going "grey my way." The fan-favorite 1987 single "Time Stand Still," which features Aimee Mann on background vocals, is an ode to being present ("Freeze this moment a little bit longer / Make each sensation a little bit stronger") that's shaded with melancholy, because the protagonist knows that the other shoe can drop at any time. "Experience slips away / The innocence slips away." Four years later, on 1991's "Dreamline," his thoughts crystallized into a bittersweet observation: "We're only immortal for a limited time."
"Writing lyrics, like drumming, was something he took seriously and respectfully," Halper says. "He made observations that the average fan could relate to, and he encouraged people to think for themselves, and to be themselves, too — to stand up for what they believed.
"And, above all, his lyrics made people think — Rush fans were liberal, conservative, religious, non-religious — but they all united around their respect for the band and their admiration for how Neil could articulate their experiences, or give them a new way to look at an issue."
Peart's erudition earned him the nickname "The Professor." It was apt: Carrying himself with an air of well-spoken authority, he possessed knowledge about a variety of topics, owing to his extensive global travels — on Rush tours, he was known for taking off on bicycle rides and, later, would hop on his motorcycle to travel between gigs — and a voracious curiosity about the world around him. In his 2002 book, Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road, he described going to art museums in the afternoons before Rush concerts "to feed my growing interest in paintings, art history, and African carvings."
While an interesting travelogue, at its root Ghost Rider was a chronicle of how to repair a shattered self. The book details how Peart embarked on a solo motorcycle trek "to try to figure out what kind of person I was going to be, and what kind of world I was going to live in" after his 19-year-old daughter, Selena, died in a 1997 car crash, and his wife Jackie passed due to cancer the following year.
All told, Peart released seven nonfiction books, several fiction collaborations and poured out thousands more words via his personal website. "What made Neil such a good writer is how much he loved to read," Halper says. "He really loved and respected books. He loved good literature — he and I sat around one night talking Shakespeare — he loved poetry, he loved philosophy. He valued good conversation. He was a thinker — in the truest sense of the word."
This mindset also made Peart a laser-sharp analyst of music. In a 1986 Modern Drummer interview, he discussed the virtues of Thomas Dolby and Peter Gabriel, and how they incorporated electronics into their work, and mused on the "new morality that has to be developed for sampling." A 2017 tribute to drumming hero Buddy Rich, meanwhile, found Peart describing the late jazz icon as having the "ears of a dancer."
Peart was an ardent admirer of ferocious, aggressive drumming greats such as The Who's Keith Moon and Led Zeppelin's John Bonham, and absorbed influences from a wide range of players besides, as he relayed in a 2003 interview: Gene Krupa, Yes' Bill Bruford, King Crimson's Michael Giles, an obscure English session drummer named Harold Fisher. His own playing — which he honed and refined via drum lessons for as long as Rush toured — covered vast ground, darting in and out of jazz, rock, blues, funk and all points between and beyond.
Despite an iconoclastic nature, Peart found musical, and personal, brotherhood with bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson. The trio's bond came alive during performances, which were immersive musical marathons that doubled as communal, spiritual experiences. Shows — of course — featured an extended Peart drum solo, performed with the precision of a surgeon and the creative freedom of a surrealist. But while highly technical, Peart's playing was always joyous: As any Rush fan will share, air-drumming to 1981's "Tom Sawyer" can be one of life's greatest pleasures.
Peart's peers saw him as an oracle of advice and support — as Metallica's Lars Ulrich and E Street Band's Max Weinberg shared in touching posthumous remembrances — as did fans: Peart was known for sending handwritten (and, later, typed) postcards to people who wrote asking him about drum techniques, musical or career advice, or the eclectic pre-concert playlists he curated for Rush tours.
On Friday, rapper Chuck D — also inducted into the Rock Hall in 2013, as part of Public Enemy — tweeted that he and Peart ended up alone together after the ceremony "talking and laughing low in relief the long night was over — a small table backstage sharing a unique moment without much word."
Such a low-key moment embodied Peart's preferred state.
"He was in many ways like an outsider — the guy who was often different from everyone else," Halper says. "But that was okay with him. He didn't want to be like everyone else. He just wanted to be Neil. He loved being a rock drummer, but he also loved literature. He loved poetry. He loved the outdoors. He didn't care what society thought a rock star was 'supposed to be' — he wasn't afraid to be himself, and he didn't really care about fame. He just wanted to be good at what he did — and he was! — and he just wanted to share his music with the fans."
Peart indeed made sure to credit the support of loyal Rush fans during his heartfelt and funny Rock Hall remarks. In addition to praising Rush's crew, the band's long-time manager Ray Danniels, and his bandmates, he drew laughter by noting previous inductees were like a "constellation of stars" and dryly noted that "among them, we are one tiny point of light, shaped like a maple leaf."
But he also talked about the grounding influence of family, and shared a favorite quote from Bob Dylan, taken from a 1978 Rolling Stone interview: "The highest purpose of art is to inspire. What else can you do for anyone but inspire them?"
After Rush wrapped up their 40th-anniversary R40 Tour in 2015 and effectively called it a day, Peart retreated from the spotlight, noting in a late 2015 Drumhead interview that his then 6-year-old daughter, Olivia, "has been introducing me to new friends at school as 'my dad — he's a retired drummer.' True to say — funny to hear."
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
For a band that has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide, whose streak of consecutive gold and platinum records is topped only by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones,
That pretty much sums it up.
And it is 3 guys playing progressive rock. A few singles here and there but people wanted the entire album.
People ask me what the guys in Rush are like and the honest answer is - Canadian. Nice guys who are happy to have done what they love. These guys could easily be your neighbor that you drink a beer with in the yard on a sunny day.
None of the ego music scene trip that the vast majority of others displayed.
Neil didn't like that part of music at all and over the years walked away from it completely.
Super smart guy - once I think I almost understood him. LOL - But I may have been high at the time and had false confidence.
With Neil's health, Alex's arthritis and tire of touring, I knew it was done. But I still held out hope for one more tour. All The World's A Stage in it's entirely.
For a band that has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide, whose streak of consecutive gold and platinum records is topped only by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones,
That pretty much sums it up.
And it is 3 guys playing progressive rock. A few singles here and there but people wanted the entire album.
People ask me what the guys in Rush are like and the honest answer is - Canadian. Nice guys who are happy to have done what they love. These guys could easily be your neighbor that you drink a beer with in the yard on a sunny day.
None of the ego music scene trip that the vast majority of others displayed.
Neil didn't like that part of music at all and over the years walked away from it completely.Super smart guy - once I think I almost understood him. LOL - But I may have been high at the time and had false confidence.
With Neil's health, Alex's arthritis and tire of touring, I knew it was done. But I still held out hope for one more tour. All The World's A Stage in it's entirely.
Wow,pretty amazing feat with the record sales.
In away I thought they might do a one off show, residency, headline a festival in the future , but yet again, not really knowing him, it does not surprise me he called it a day. They really kept his illness under wraps, which is fine with me. I am a private person and can respect that whole heartedly.
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
Cool drum kit with all the NHL logos
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
neils health keeps getting brought up as why they stopped touring after 2015. again is there something I am missing. neil peart DID NOT have cancer during the 2015 and if he did he was totally unaware of it. the band hinted that the 2015 tour was probably it and neil was not ill then
neils health keeps getting brought up as why they stopped touring after 2015. again is there something I am missing. neil peart DID NOT have cancer during the 2015 and if he did he was totally unaware of it. the band hinted that the 2015 tour was probably it and neil was not ill then
Don't quote me on this, but I think he had other health/physical issues more related to his drumming and not what took him. Lifeson has arthritic issues also. I could be wrong, but I think it was something along those lines. Who knows.... 🙁
Maybe Neil was just done at that point. He had a new family, years on the road, aches and pains, had nothing left to prove and maybe wanted to enjoy different aspects and and loves of his life going into his golden years. Nothing wrong with that.
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
neils health keeps getting brought up as why they stopped touring after 2015. again is there something I am missing. neil peart DID NOT have cancer during the 2015 and if he did he was totally unaware of it. the band hinted that the 2015 tour was probably it and neil was not ill then
Don't quote me on this, but I think he had other health/physical issues more related to his drumming and not what took him. Lifeson has arthritic issues also. I could be wrong, but I think it was something along those lines. Who knows.... 🙁
Maybe Neil was just done at that point. He had a new family, years on the road, aches and pains, had nothing left to prove and maybe wanted to enjoy different aspects and and loves of his life going into his golden years. Nothing wrong with that.
ok thank you. that makes a bit more sense if there was health reasons. on another forum a member stated that neil didn't even tell alex and geddy he was ill until sometime in later 2017
neils health keeps getting brought up as why they stopped touring after 2015. again is there something I am missing. neil peart DID NOT have cancer during the 2015 and if he did he was totally unaware of it. the band hinted that the 2015 tour was probably it and neil was not ill then
Don't quote me on this, but I think he had other health/physical issues more related to his drumming and not what took him. Lifeson has arthritic issues also. I could be wrong, but I think it was something along those lines. Who knows.... 🙁
Maybe Neil was just done at that point. He had a new family, years on the road, aches and pains, had nothing left to prove and maybe wanted to enjoy different aspects and and loves of his life going into his golden years. Nothing wrong with that.ok thank you. that makes a bit more sense if there was health reasons. on another forum a member stated that neil didn't even tell alex and geddy he was ill until sometime in later 2017
Yeah, regarding what he was dealing with , who knew and who did not, not sure. He was a private person and kept it that way. I can see where he is coming from , as far as privacy. I have always kept everything on the down low and respect it.
Saw this yesterday from Doane Perry. Very nice
JETHRO TULL Drummer DOANE PERRY: NEIL PEART 'Faced Brain Cancer Bravely, Philosophically And With His Customary Humor'
https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/jethro-tull-drummer-doane-perry-neil-peart-faced-brain-cancer-bravely-philosophically-and-with-his-customary-humor/
Doane Perry, drummer with JETHRO TULL, has paid tribute to his longtime friend Neil Peart, who died on January 7 in Santa Monica, California after a three-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. The iconic RUSH drummer was 67 years old.
Earlier today, Perry took to his Facebook page to write: "I want to thank all the people who have so kindly written, texted, posted or called regarding Neil's passing. Like so many, this has completely undone me and I haven't quite known where to start. I am working on something more substantial to be posted in the future when things have settled a little for everyone.
"During the last three and a half years, Neil faced this brutal, aggressive brain cancer bravely, philosophically and with his customary humor, sometimes light and occasionally dark — all very characteristic of him, even given the serious situation and the odds handed to him at the time of the diagnosis and subsequent surgery. But he fought it. By his own request for privacy, few people knew, but his understandable response to this news in no way excludes or diminishes ALL of those who also knew him, worked with him or loved and admired him from up close, or at a distance. His tenacious approach to life served him well during these last years and although he primarily kept his own counsel, he retained his dignity, compassion, understanding and his deeply inquisitive nature, which never deserted him. Remarkably, considering the severity of his condition (glioblastoma) and through the resulting aftermath, he really had no pain. This was always my first question when I saw him. 'Any pain?' I asked. 'No pain', came the reply. What a blessing that was. We were all grateful for that.
"For every one of us who loved him, near and far, this is a loss that is difficult and impossible to summarize in a few short paragraphs. The outpouring of love, respect and appreciation from every imaginable quarter for this extraordinary, singular talent and beautiful man with a mind like no one I have ever met, is touching beyond words. To those that had to guard and hold on to this information closely for three and a half years, for obvious and protective reasons; his wife Carrie, daughter Olivia, his loving family, band, colleagues and friends, they have my undying admiration. You know who you are.
"Apart from his deeply gifted, genius talent and prolific output, which he brilliantly displayed through music, lyric and prose writing and that staggering storehouse of knowledge across an array of subjects in multiple fields, he remained a kind, gentle, considerate and modest soul and a consummate gentleman… as well as an extraordinary friend. If you were his friend, you knew it and he understood how to be the best friend that you could ever hope to have. I think I speak for all, known and unknown to him, to say he will be deeply missed, eternally loved, appreciated and remembered for his many invaluable contributions to music, art and the written word. That will be forever celebrated.
"Despite what he knew and we knew which was inevitable, I believe there is some sense of relief that this long, difficult odyssey has finally ended.
"Thank you my dear friend, for passing this way. We are all richer for your presence and light in our lives."
Peart joined RUSH in 1974. He was considered one of the best rock drummers of all time, alongside John Bonham of LED ZEPPELIN; Keith Moon of THE WHO; and Ginger Baker of CREAM. Peart was also RUSH's primary lyricist, drawing inspiration from everything from sci-fi to Ayn Rand.
[Edited on 1/18/2020 by jszfunk]
[Edited on 1/18/2020 by jszfunk]
[Edited on 1/18/2020 by jszfunk]
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
RUSH's GEDDY LEE And ALEX LIFESON Thank Everyone For 'Outpouring Of Love' Since NEIL PEART's Death
https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/rushs-geddy-lee-and-alex-lifeson-thank-everyone-for-outpouring-of-love-since-neil-pearts-death/
RUSH's Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson have thanked everyone who has paid tribute to Neil Peart.
Peart died on January 7 in Santa Monica, California after a three-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. The iconic RUSH drummer was 67 years old. The band announced his passing on January 10, setting off shockwaves and an outpouring of grief from fans and musicians all over the world.
On Friday (January 17), Lee and Lifeson took to social media to write: "Our most heartfelt thanks go out to family, friends, musicians, writers and fans from around the globe for the incredible outpouring of love and respect for Neil since his passing. These touching tributes help to lessen the pain of this terrible loss and remind us all to celebrate his remarkable life and our connections to it."
RUSH's final show took place at the Forum in Los Angeles on August 1, 2015. Peart indicated at the time that he wanted to retire while he was still able to play well, along with a desire to spend more time at home with his young daughter.
Peart joined RUSH in 1974. He was considered one of the best rock drummers of all time, alongside John Bonham of LED ZEPPELIN; Keith Moon of THE WHO; and Ginger Baker of CREAM. Peart was also RUSH's primary lyricist, drawing inspiration from everything from sci-fi to Ayn Rand.
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
In the documentary I referenced above both Neil's and Alex Lifeson's various physical ailments are discussed in fairly significant detail.
I think Neil explained it most tastefully when in the documentary he referenced Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones and stated that he too could play Charlie's drum parts well into his seventies and maybe beyond....But not the drum parts for Rush music. It's certainly obvious to anyone who's heard both what Neil is illustrating. Rush drum parts simply put require an entire different physicality. Among other things....
I'll say it again, watch the documentary as it's very enjoyable viewing.
Even if a person has the skill the play his parts, the stamina required and precision would be hard to maintain.
People debate all things musical except for Neil Peart's skill. Even the biggest Rush haters on the planet say "The drummer is awesome but I hate that guy's voice.".
Given the landscape of the modern music industry, there will never be a bigger Canadian Band Ever.
Plus what other band did their laundry and roasted chickens on stage?
Peart played in Buddy Rich's band in the early 1990's. Rich died of brain cancer in 1987.
Just a few weeks ago I watched Peart play this very fast and challenging jazz turn Love For Sale with Buddy's band.
Having bad luck finding it but while I'm looking here it is with Buddy. This piece would be beyond many drummers but Peart nailed it.
One has to be an extremely accomplished drummer to nail this song and Neil Peart did.
People ask me what the guys in Rush are like and the honest answer is - Canadian. Nice guys who are happy to have done what they love. These guys could easily be your neighbor that you drink a beer with in the yard on a sunny day.
I'm still coming to grips with the passing of Neil and realizing selfishly I'll never get to see Rush again live..... I've been listening to all their albums and watching clips on youtube since the news.
I've seen the Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, Snakes and Arrows, Clockwork Angels and the R40 tours... never a disappointment and the one band I'd never think of a washroom break during the drum solo!
I'll admit that after Moving Pictures I did lose interest during the synth albums but I've grown to love them now and I wish I'd seen all those shows.
When I was very young I didn't pay much attention to them until a boyfriend of my sister's lent me Farewell to Kings.... I was hooked and when I listened to 2112 I was blown away!
Geddy and Neil lost a true brother, it must be an unimaginable lose to them.... what an amazing three musicians to find each other.
RIP Neil " The Professor " Peart.... they'll never be another like you!
