Neil Peart

Well...


Thanks paradiddler! It's great that you are posting these. I find them quite interesting and enjoyable. Of course, as many know, I'm a rather huge follower of NP and what he's accomplished in his 33+ years of drumming, lyric penning, and recording. Not to mention his knack for non-fiction.

Keep up the good work, paradiddler. Some of us really do appreciate this.


Peace. ;-)

Hey Michael Drums.

My pleasure! I've been wanting to write about this topic for a while, and since Neil put out yet another solo for the Snakes and Arrows tour, it made the decision much easier! Lots of fun for me, and maybe I'll get people to talk about it (agreeing and disagreeing).

We all love drums, and although Neil Peart is my favorite drummer, there are so many good drummers that my blog should be well fed for a long time!

Anyways, enjoy the articles!
 
Hey Michael Drums.

My pleasure! I've been wanting to write about this topic for a while, and since Neil put out yet another solo for the Snakes and Arrows tour, it made the decision much easier! Lots of fun for me, and maybe I'll get people to talk about it (agreeing and disagreeing).

We all love drums, and although Neil Peart is my favorite drummer, there are so many good drummers that my blog should be well fed for a long time!

Anyways, enjoy the articles!

Exactly! ;-)

MANY excellent drummers out there. I try to pick up a little supom' supom' from each one I see/hear.

Thanks again! :)
 
I found a jan/feb 1989 issue of "drums" magazine.

This may be the last Zildjian ad Neil ever did.
 

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I found a jan/feb 1989 issue of "drums" magazine.

This may be the last Zildjian ad Neil ever did.

Cool. First time I've ever seen this add. Don't think he'll been doin' another one of these though.

Since he's now a Sabian Paragon partner for, what I believe will be, a LOOOONG time.


Nice, trkdrmr! ;-)
 
The man's a genius. He's the guy who got me into drumming in the first place.

Not to mention he's one of the few drummers I've heard who has sexy, enjoyable drum solos. Der Trommler's the best.

(And man, this backwards way of viewing threads is so confusing. I'm not used to it. Dx)
 
The man's a genius. He's the guy who got me into drumming in the first place.

Not to mention he's one of the few drummers I've heard who has sexy, enjoyable drum solos. Der Trommler's the best.

(And man, this backwards way of viewing threads is so confusing. I'm not used to it. Dx)

For the first time, I know that Neil Peart has SEXY drum solos...Where is the sexy side?
 
I'm gonna have to come out and say I don't like Neil Peart. Or Rush. His drumming has no soul as far as I'm concearned and Geddy Lee has an annoying voice =/
 
I'm gonna have to come out and say I don't like Neil Peart. Or Rush. His drumming has no soul as far as I'm concearned and Geddy Lee has an annoying voice =/

I know this was your opinion and I do respect it (as should everyone here on the best drumming website ever). What defines drumming as having soul? What is "soul" to you? I'm just asking for clarification from not only you but other members who continuously whip this type of comment out to describe Neil and others without any sort of backup. So I guess I need an education. And please read this as a friendly request, I really am asking this question politely to avoid any feuds which can safely take place over the internet. I'm sure there is a "search" function here that I can use but I want to hear about it now.
 
'Soul' to me is hearing the person through the music. The technique of the playing is irrelevant. If I listen to 'Interstellar Space' by John Coltrane - I hear a lot of notes, but I also hear John Coltrane. If I listen to a lot of technically demanding drumming I don't often hear a person making a statement there, I just hear a lot of technically demanding drumming. Almost invariably I like music because I'm hearing people, not notes.
 
I'm gonna have to come out and say I don't like Neil Peart. Or Rush. His drumming has no soul as far as I'm concearned and Geddy Lee has an annoying voice =/

And soul is what, Guz2?

You come on hear and say that you don't like him and that he has no soul, but don't elaborate. :-|


I believe you'll get many that totally disagree with that "no soul" statement.

Ever listen to La Villa Strangiato? The Trees? The Camera Eye? Cinderella Man? Jacob's Ladder? The Weapon? Digital Man? I could go on and on listing songs that, I believe, have huge soul in their drum parts.


Sorry, but I gotta disagree with ya. Not that that's a surprise. ;-)
 
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I'm gonna have to come out and say I don't like Rush.

You are right. I hate Rush. Fat, bloated, old with no soul at all. I can't stand the sound of....


...oh wait...my bad... you mean the progressive rock group RUSH, oops. I really dig those guys and the music and everything. I could have sworn you meant Rush Limbaugh....
 
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For the first time, I know that Neil Peart has SEXY drum solos...Where is the sexy side?

That's simply the way I describe a strong, moving beat that makes you want to dance in sexy ways.

Mystic Rhythms, High Water, and Middletown Dreams has them.
 
I'm gonna have to come out and say I don't like Neil Peart. Or Rush. His drumming has no soul as far as I'm concearned and Geddy Lee has an annoying voice =/

It depends on which era of Rush you listen to. I have to admit, Geddy's shrieking habit was annoying for the first couple of albums, but he's mellowed out since Permanent Waves, so there's no excuse that I can think of.

Okay, he doesn't sound the best live (since R30), but there are TONS of vocalists more annoying than him. ACDC on The Razor's Edge, for example. I've actually heard a lot of vocalists who sound like they're TRYING to sound like they're highschool ninnies who can't sing.
 
'Soul' to me is hearing the person through the music. The technique of the playing is irrelevant. If I listen to 'Interstellar Space' by John Coltrane - I hear a lot of notes, but I also hear John Coltrane. If I listen to a lot of technically demanding drumming I don't often hear a person making a statement there, I just hear a lot of technically demanding drumming. Almost invariably I like music because I'm hearing people, not notes.

See? An elaboration that was succinctly written and helps me understand that "soul" in music is hearing people and not just notes. That is a great answer to my question and I tell you what MFB, I will think about that for quite some time. Understandable coming from a premiere member.
 
See? An elaboration that was succinctly written and helps me understand that "soul" in music is hearing people and not just notes. That is a great answer to my question and I tell you what MFB, I will think about that for quite some time. Understandable coming from a premiere member.

It's just nice to occasionally get feedback like that. Particularly as I've just spent ten hours of my life I'll never get back on a neuropsychology essay. I'm not going to make any judgments about what people like and what people don't like - it's always about the argument rather than the statement. I get frustrated when there's blind hero-worship going on and unfortunately I see a lot of it on this thread and others with no argument. Just occasionally it's nice to have something to say that can apply to anything in any walk of life.
 
It's just nice to occasionally get feedback like that. Particularly as I've just spent ten hours of my life I'll never get back on a neuropsychology essay. I'm not going to make any judgments about what people like and what people don't like - it's always about the argument rather than the statement. I get frustrated when there's blind hero-worship going on and unfortunately I see a lot of it on this thread and others with no argument. Just occasionally it's nice to have something to say that can apply to anything in any walk of life.

In fairness, both side of the coin here. Neil is one of the many drummers subject to blind loyalty. He also a magnet for bashers. Neil is one of the few drummers that take flack from people that just don't like his popularity.

I accept Neil for what he does ( as I have stated before) but it is indeed unrealistic to say that he grooves and swings like so many drummers that are better at it than he is. I have no rose colored glasses for that.

There needs to be discourse and acceptance on both sides of the fence. IOW: I agree...there needs to be more solid argument, not just limitless praise or demonization.
 
I just want to say that I've never demonised the man. Just the blind followers that frustrate me. His style doesn't do it for me - that's a case of the 'soul' but I have an argument and I have stated it. All I ever get on this thread is an example of tautological non-reason from the faithful. That's why it gets heated.
 
I just want to say that I've never demonised the man. Just the blind followers that frustrate me. His style doesn't do it for me - that's a case of the 'soul' but I have an argument and I have stated it. All I ever get on this thread is an example of tautological non-reason from the faithful. That's why it gets heated.

I never got any "soul" from Peart... and I have listed to everything he's done. The closest thing to "groove" is mystic rhythms and body electric. I also wouldn't call Rush danceable music, and yes, I agree... his playing is on the stiff and robotic side of the spectrum.

To say he plays with soul is kind of stretching the definition. I believe the people who blindly praise are unrealistic about Neils limits and his sound. I know this may shock some fans, but yes, as much as I love Neils work...he has limits.

If someone asked me would I rather play like Peart or Coliauta, I'd opt for Vinnies abilities in a second. Vinnie could play everything Peart can, and then slip over and play megadeth, and then sit in and play big band swing or deep in the pocket. Peart stops at...Peart. His jazz sounds really rigid, like he is channeling Rush into Buddy's music. Doesn't work for me.
 
About this 'soul'/'moving the listener' thing. It's more about the listener than anything else.

For example I have a preference for strong and simple beats, usually with a kick on every quarter note. Neil's good at that sort of thing (especially Middletown Dreams, Territories and The Weapon), so he moves me pretty easily whenever he does it. He's also got some of it in Der Trommler, so I like the solo as well.

I know people who loved John Bonham's Moby Dick solo. I found it boring, just a list of techniques.



Okay, fresh observation, coming straight out of Territories: The power of Peart lies not just in the man himself, but in the entire band. Alex Lifeson's not as exciting when he's on his own. Neither is Geddy Lee, and neither is Neil Peart.

The power lies not in the skill of their playing, but in how well they go together. Get out a copy of Territories, and skip to the 1:27 mark. You have a guitar riff and a bassline that match each other like two pieces in a puzzle. The strong and simple beat just serves to add power and backing to them.

Neil Peart's strength is not his ability to play exactly like any other drummer besides himself. (Heck, I don't even consider that an important skill) If it was, he wouldn't really be himself, and be unable to piece himself with Alex and Geddy so well.

I see a similar sort of criticism with Alex Lifeson. Some people got pissed at him be cause he stopped playing a lead role. (Known as Alex Lifeson Disease) Thing is, it's not like he buried himself under the rest of the band. Rush isn't about Alex or Geddy or Neil. It's not about your big fancy solos and your shiny blonde hair. It's about Rush. In order for them to be able to compose powerful music, they had to learn how to play in balance and cooperate with each other.

When you're listening to Neil Peart, you're not listening to one man, you're listening to one part of a whole, the being known as Rush.

His jazz sounds really rigid, like he is channeling Rush into Buddy's music. Doesn't work for me.

Haha, I bet it's because Neil doesn't play jazz as much as Rush stuff. We've all got something to improve on.

Actually, I think Rush as a whole should get into more jazz & blues, or just something completely different from what they're doing now. If you listen to Vapor Trails (after remastering) and Snakes & Arrows, they're actually pretty tired albums. Your 'older stuff' does NOT count as something completely different, you sillies! (A reference to Alex Lifeson's Guitar Player interview in 2007) They did that back in the Permanent Waves-Grace Under Pressure era, when they realized they couldn't play 'just rock'. What came out of that? Strong reggae influences.


On a similar note, I believe more fans should not be blinded by their love and ignore their idol's mistakes. Rather, a true fan should be a little like a good teacher--they should be able to identify what is wrong with their idol's music and give suggestions to help them improve. There must always be a balance of Love and Reason.
 
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