Neil Peart

Wow how did I miss that....

Are you saying Phil Collins is on another level than Neil....don't get me wrong I think hes a good drummer but personally I don't think of his style as being very technical...except for the fact that he can sing and play at the same time which to me is crazy hard....

Should have been more specific............Grant Collins, the Monster from Australia.
 
Should have been more specific............Grant Collins, the Monster from Australia.

Ahhhh....don't know much bout him...

people will say "(drummers name here) is better then Neil Peart." Only thing I could say is that I would imagine that, THAT drummer probably was influenced by Neil to some degree.

Is it my imagination or does there seem to be a trend of Neil bashing in forums lately....
 
Ahhhh....don't know much bout him...



Is it my imagination or does there seem to be a trend of Neil bashing in forums lately....

Not by me. It seems to be true though. I think guys that may not be in to or influenced by him discover guys that do the most extreme independence/speed/time changes and say, This drummer is better then Neil. He's over rated. But take a guy like Jeff Porcaro. He is known for having incredible feel and his shuffle. I don't think Jeff could have played what Virgil can or play like Vinnie can. BUT Jeff gets recognition for the drummer HE was, NOT the drummer that A, B or C is. Its just not that way w/Neil for some reason. People want to rip him up for what he has not done that others have. Just don't get it.
 
Went to my first Rush show in '80 and have caught numerous shows
per each tour since. Love that band.

Neil is another player I've had the good fortune to get to meet and interview
on a few occasions in the 90's. Very bright and rather soft spoken. I found him to
be really funny and down to earth.

He was by far my biggest influence as a teen in the late 70's / early 80's.
 
Thought I would share this link to a great blog by Neil about the BR concert....
http://www.neilpeart.net/news/

Some excerpts:
In 1992, I had my first opportunity to play with a big band, when Cathy Rich, Buddy’s daughter, invited me to play at a Buddy Rich Memorial Scholarship Concert in New York City. Though powerfully intimidated by the challenge, and naturally inclined to avoid it, I forced myself to accept. The results were . . . let’s say, “mixed.” .

This is why I cringe when people bash him for trying something different...He knows he struggled thats why he went to Freddie to loosen up....

I still had a nagging feeling that when I played in that style, I was just imitating it, not really feeling it properly. So, in early 2007, when Cathy Rich and I began discussing another Buddy tribute concert (agreeing, “It’s time”), I started thinking about trying to upgrade my “swing skills.”

Also why I cringe when Neil fanboys say that was a great performance....He is without a doubt probably my biggest drum hero but that concert is just painful to watch....

During a break in this summer’s Snakes and Arrows tour, I scheduled a lesson with Peter(Erskine). When I parked in front of his house in Santa Monica and walked up to the door, sticks in hand, I had to smile at myself. I was a thirteen-year-old beginner again, climbing the stairs to the Peninsula Conservatory of Music on St. Paul Street in St. Catharines, Ontario, for my Saturday morning lesson with my first teacher, Don George.

He is humble....its not his fault fans made him out to be "Da greatest drummah eva eva eva"...

Anywayz its a great read and theres plenty more insight into one of the most recognizable drummers of our time....
 
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Thought I would share this link to a great blog by Neil about the BR concert....
http://www.neilpeart.net/news/

Some excerpts:
In 1992, I had my first opportunity to play with a big band, when Cathy Rich, Buddy’s daughter, invited me to play at a Buddy Rich Memorial Scholarship Concert in New York City. Though powerfully intimidated by the challenge, and naturally inclined to avoid it, I forced myself to accept. The results were . . . let’s say, “mixed.” .

This is why I cringe when people bash him for trying something different...He knows he struggled thats why he went to Freddie to loosen up....

I still had a nagging feeling that when I played in that style, I was just imitating it, not really feeling it properly. So, in early 2007, when Cathy Rich and I began discussing another Buddy tribute concert (agreeing, “It’s time”), I started thinking about trying to upgrade my “swing skills.”

Also why I cringe when Neil fanboys say that was a great performance....He is without a doubt probably my biggest drum hero but that concert is just painful to watch....

During a break in this summer’s Snakes and Arrows tour, I scheduled a lesson with Peter(Erskine). When I parked in front of his house in Santa Monica and walked up to the door, sticks in hand, I had to smile at myself. I was a thirteen-year-old beginner again, climbing the stairs to the Peninsula Conservatory of Music on St. Paul Street in St. Catharines, Ontario, for my Saturday morning lesson with my first teacher, Don George.

He is humble....its not his fault fans made him out to be "Da greatest drummah eva eva eva"...

Anywayz its a great read and theres plenty more insight into one of the most recognizable drummers of our time....

Thanks, LD! Great analogy!



;-)
 
I like Neil for playing Neil's style. He will not (IMO) in my lifetime ever be regarded as a great jazz/groove drummer. I really like his big-band bit at the end of his Rush in Rio solo O batterista.

I have *all* of my Rush albums and DVD's on my MP3 player while I am deployed.

I enjoy Neil's work within his boundaries. It's works for his music and I really appreciate what he has accomplished over the years.

He does what he does very well. Conversely, Peter Erskine will never be regarded as great prog or metal drummers in his lifetime. That doesn't matter a whit to me, because what he does is also great...but he's not Neil, and Neil isn't Peter Erskine.
 
I like Neil for playing Neil's style. He will not (IMO) in my lifetime ever be regarded as a great jazz/groove drummer. I really like his big-band bit at the end of his Rush in Rio solo O batterista.

I have *all* of my Rush albums and DVD's on my MP3 player while I am deployed.

I enjoy Neil's work within his boundaries. It's works for his music and I really appreciate what he has accomplished over the years.

He does what he does very well. Conversely, Peter Erskine will never be regarded as great prog or metal drummers in his lifetime. That doesn't matter a whit to me, because what he does is also great...but he's not Neil, and Neil isn't Peter Erskine.

You express my thoughts exactly as I did above. Judge Neil on what HE has accomplished and how HE plays. Not, Vinnie, Virgil, Marco and so on. I bought a DRUM mag from G.C.18 months ago that had Rod Morgenstein on it. I asked the guy that worked there (about 20) if he liked him. He said he wasnt familiar w/him. I said, He is a great all around drummer that I like a lot. He can play almost anything. At that point he said, "Thats why I dont like Neil Peart, he cant play jazz. I like Steve Gadd." I tried to explaine the obvious about such a moronic comment, but I could never open his eyes. He has his opinion, but needless to say, I never talked to him again when I went in. And I bought a new kit and spent about $1000 and gave the commission to a guy I knew there that wasnt a moron. Anyway, drums have different styles like football has different positions. Cause one football player cant play quarterback as well as a quarterback doesnt make him any less of a player.
 
Thought I would share this link to a great blog by Neil about the BR concert....
http://www.neilpeart.net/news/

Some excerpts:
In 1992, I had my first opportunity to play with a big band, when Cathy Rich, Buddy’s daughter, invited me to play at a Buddy Rich Memorial Scholarship Concert in New York City. Though powerfully intimidated by the challenge, and naturally inclined to avoid it, I forced myself to accept. The results were . . . let’s say, “mixed.” .

This is why I cringe when people bash him for trying something different...He knows he struggled thats why he went to Freddie to loosen up....

I still had a nagging feeling that when I played in that style, I was just imitating it, not really feeling it properly. So, in early 2007, when Cathy Rich and I began discussing another Buddy tribute concert (agreeing, “It’s time”), I started thinking about trying to upgrade my “swing skills.”

Also why I cringe when Neil fanboys say that was a great performance....He is without a doubt probably my biggest drum hero but that concert is just painful to watch....

During a break in this summer’s Snakes and Arrows tour, I scheduled a lesson with Peter(Erskine). When I parked in front of his house in Santa Monica and walked up to the door, sticks in hand, I had to smile at myself. I was a thirteen-year-old beginner again, climbing the stairs to the Peninsula Conservatory of Music on St. Paul Street in St. Catharines, Ontario, for my Saturday morning lesson with my first teacher, Don George.

He is humble....its not his fault fans made him out to be "Da greatest drummah eva eva eva"...

Anywayz its a great read and theres plenty more insight into one of the most recognizable drummers of our time....

Thanks for posting. What a class act. A great article about a great event.

Paul
 
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Originally Posted by mikei  
He does look miserable or at least slightly constipated while playing. I always wished that he would "get into it" a bit more. 

One of the things I love about Portnoy and Bonham. You can just tell how much fun they are having.


I think Neil's stern look is a matter of him concentrating on his busy drum parts, not the fact he isn't enjoying himself.

I saw Rush in the early 80s and even then he had this "stern" look.

I play myself in a bar band and people have said to me I look fed-up when I'm playing, when in fact nothing could be further from the truth and I'm merely, concentrating on my part.

So true....so true. I actually play a lot of Rush. It makes you think, therefore the "stern" look. Its actually deep concentration and Zen at the same time. Being in the moment so deep that everything else dissolves. Yet your own innear joy, while not expressed via a smile, is as deep as your thoughts.
 
I like Neil for playing Neil's style. He will not (IMO) in my lifetime ever be regarded as a great jazz/groove drummer...

I hear where you are coming from. Setting the term "jazz" aside, one thing that I'm not sure about is how the term "groove" is being used here. However, if the term can be applied to any Rush tune at all, songs like Red Sector A and Kid Gloves come to mind as ones where the groove/backbeat was totally essential to the song.

There are so many good Rush tunes with totally unique drum parts.

Steve
 
I hear where you are coming from. Setting the term "jazz" aside, one thing that I'm not sure about is how the term "groove" is being used here. However, if the term can be applied to any Rush tune at all, songs like Red Sector A and Kid Gloves come to mind as ones where the groove/backbeat was totally essential to the song.

There are so many good Rush tunes with totally unique drum parts.

Steve

I was basically commenting on those that try to make Neil something he isn't. He is legendary in his genre.

Body electric and mystic rhythms are very unique. Bassline to BE is very cool too.
 
Saw him last year at the snakes and arrows tour. Drum solo was fantastic.

Ah I'm jelous! I was invited by my friends (they are twins) and they ended up bringing their mom instead. I understood completely, but I was kinda dissapointed that I couldn't see Neil Geddy and Alex. I think they will tour again though, so I will definatly catch them next time around.
 
Love Neil Peart and his technics. Recently I am trying to learn that Max Roach Shuffle that he talks about in his drum video. Watching him play is really worth. He is serious buisiness
 
This might be a stupid question but how exactly would you pronounce his last name? I heard that he doesn't really care on how it's pronounced. But is it Peart like the sound pearl? Or do you sound out the 'e' too in Peart?

He's one of my favorite drummers, and inspirations by the way, I just don't want to say his name wrong!
 
This might be a stupid question but how exactly would you pronounce his last name? I heard that he doesn't really care on how it's pronounced. But is it Peart like the sound pearl? Or do you sound out the 'e' too in Peart?

He's one of my favorite drummers, and inspirations by the way, I just don't want to say his name wrong!

Pronounced as "Peert."
 
I would not be playing drums if I had not bought my first 2112 CD back when I was 14.. I love PEart. I dont care how you say his name. He is a god amongst insects.
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