Neil Peart's "Work In Progress" DVD

haroldo_psf

Senior Member
In that DVD he explains why he switched to traditional grip, rearranged his set positioning, and spent about a year and a half training and reinvented himself after 30 years of playing, mainly due to his lessons with Freddie Gruber, in an effort to be more fluidic, relaxed, etc.

However, I know that in the following album or so (might be two albums, not sure), he went back to matched grip, and the last four times I saw Rush live he was always playing matched grip.

Does anyone know the story behind it, what might have driven him back to matched grip after all that effort to change?
 
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I don't know... but he does still switch to trad grip occasionally. I noticed it in the drum solo during the R30 video I think it was.
 
I've often wondered that too.

He has always switched to traditional grip for certain passages, but yes, on that DVD he makes such a big deal about going to all traditional grip, but since then, he went back to playing 90-95% matched like he always has.

Even on the Test for Echo's tour, he only used traditional grip on the songs from that album, while playing matched for all the older songs.

While I love Rush, and I love Neil, I never found that DVD to really be that insightful or educational.
 
While I love Rush, and I love Neil, I never found that DVD to really be that insightful or educational.
Same here. As much as he talked about Freddy Gruber's "circular" motion for everything, and nature abhors a straight line, let the stick do the work, yadda, yadda.... as soon as the video showed Neil playing, it was all straight lines and pushing the stick right into the head! Just like always!

As much as it all made sense hearing the talk about it, and as much as it might make sense for just about any other drummer, I don't think it made sense for Neil. His sound was based on his more linear than average physical approach. I get that that was what he was trying to free himself from, but at the same time, it was what always set him apart from other drummers (that and his not being afraid of playing a lot of well-organized fills). There was something natural and perfect about his particular brand of "stiffness" which was part of what made me like him so much and what made his drumming so recognizable.
 
I've often wondered that too.

He has always switched to traditional grip for certain passages, but yes, on that DVD he makes such a big deal about going to all traditional grip, but since then, he went back to playing 90-95% matched like he always has.

Even on the Test for Echo's tour, he only used traditional grip on the songs from that album, while playing matched for all the older songs.

While I love Rush, and I love Neil, I never found that DVD to really be that insightful or educational.

When I rented that video from Netflix, I knew it wasn't educational. I am just fascinated by his endless quest for perfection, and as a motorcycle fanatic myself, I admire his work from other fronts as well, specially his writting.

I thought the DVD was extremelly inspirational. I always thought he was super human, but after watching that, I realized he is just human...except he puts in a super human effort ito make everything as perfect and as efficient as it can be.

I thought his account of how Rush records their songs (independently from each other) was incredible, and probably one of the reasons why they are still together after 30
something years, and making good music! Or, as Jack Black said, "after 30 years, there is still sauce coming out of their bottle! " :)

Just that traditional grip thing got me wondering...
 
I've enjoyed his books immensely.

I just wish if he is going to make a DVD, he would break down some of his classic parts, and discuss what he was thinking at the time.

In other Rush news, Vapor Trails is going to be re-mixed:
http://www.hennemusic.com/2011/02/rush-set-to-remix-2002s-vapor-trails.html

Which should be interesting. It's not a bad album, but it's not great by any means. My biggest complain is all the songs feel like they're at the same tempo, which a re-mix isn't going to help. On the other hand, the album is a bit thin and dry sounding, so a re-mix could much improve on that.


And Moving Pictures is being re-mixed into 5.1
http://ww2.richardchycki.com/ (scroll down just a bit).

Which sounds neat, but given I don't have 5.1 in my car, and rarely sit in one spot when listening to music at home, I'm not sure I'll bother with this one.
 
I've often wondered that too.

He has always switched to traditional grip for certain passages, but yes, on that DVD he makes such a big deal about going to all traditional grip, but since then, he went back to playing 90-95% matched like he always has.

Even on the Test for Echo's tour, he only used traditional grip on the songs from that album, while playing matched for all the older songs.

While I love Rush, and I love Neil, I never found that DVD to really be that insightful or educational.


I don't think he has abandon those concepts. In reality some of the older songs may not really lend themselves to the traditional grip in terms of how they layout on the kit etc not to mention the fact that those tunes played in that original "style" kind of still need that approach.

When you stretch out in to new areas you certainly immerse yourself into it 100%. The real gains happen once you integrate it back into everything else you already do.
 
Im in the same boat.

Didnt really get significant info...I got something far more rare...

...motivation to completely re-examine my playing and venture into a zone where I wasn't comfortable.

It really payed off!
 
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