This is too much. I mean, the year just started and already massive heartbreak. For those who aren’t aware, Neil Peart, insanely talented drummer, percussionist and lyricist for Rush passed away last week from brain cancer at the young age of 67. His presence at the drum kit and pure drum talent energy is the reason many drummers started playing in the first place. What a legend! There is so much to say about this great man, drummer, band mate and all around awesome human being that I’m not sure where to begin…

Neil Peart was a drum legend. You can put him up there with Buddy Rich, Max Roach, Art Blakey, etc., etc., regardless of whether you like his style or not. There are pages and pages about this incredible drummer if you want to review the history. For me, I choose to focus on the personal aspects of both Neil and Rush, as they were somewhat instrumental to my getting into playing guitar, establishing bands, performing music, writing songs, producing albums and the upward climb of becoming a true musician.

I first started listening to Rush at age 7. I’ll admit, I had some help with my music selection at a very young age from my father and uncle. However, from the first moment I heard Rush, it changed my musical direction forever–and I wasn’t even playing any instruments yet! Some years later, when I first started playing guitar, I was very much into the Rush album 2112. In fact, I learned the whole thing. It was this album in particular that made me go out and purchase my first analog delay pedal, so I could nail every riff on the album. It was also this album where I first heard many of Neil’s insane drum licks, solos and rhythms. As I moved on to the live versions on the album All The World’s a Stage, I was even more hooked by what I heard. I would spend many a day and night jamming with my guitar hooked up to the house stereo system. And many times blowing fuses!

In high school, in my first band, we looked at Rush as the band to emulate. If I remember correctly, some of our first covers were Working Man and Best I Can, both early classic Rush songs that were fairly easy to play (which is why we likely chose them) but also made us sound so good! We used Working Man as a platform to jump off and jam (like Rush) and we loved every minute of it. As we matured as players, we moved on to more difficult material; we were so psyched when we could finally play YYZ in its full glory! It felt like we were rock gods in high school!

I saw quite a few Rush tours in the late 80’s…Power Windows, Presto, Roll the Bones, to name a few. Each concert sounded like they could’ve burned a live CD right there and sold it–the live audio sounded every bit as good as Exit Stage Left. Every song was done so well. It was always amazing to watch such an insane amount of music come out of just three players! Of course, the main event was always Neil Peart’s drum solos. Each concert he added more drums, more licks and more cool noises to accompany his incredible drum solo compositions. The only person I’ve ever seen play more drums on stage is perhaps Bill Bruford. Sometimes the drum riser would spin; other times Neil would spin back and forth right in the middle of the solo, hitting triggers on the far left and right of his kit so he could play like 1000 notes in between. Then he would throw his sticks about 30 feet above him, catch them and continue playing like it was nothing. Most notably the solos would come in the middle of YYZ, but in later years he would change it up a little with the Rhythm Method. Of all those years, I only saw him miss one of those trigger hits! What a true professional and what a great live band!

Throughout the years, I grew more and more impressed with the trio of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart. Even though I had moved on to a lot of different, perhaps more jazzy styled music, I still held the trio in high regard. As I got older I couldn’t believe how great Geddy’s bass playing really was (tone too) and how I seemingly missed that listening as a kid (listen to the bass playing underneath the guitar solo in the live version Freewill, for example). Alex Lifeson was always crafting amazing songs and solos, but I didn’t really start to hear it until much later in the 90’s. Neil was always the consummate professional and writer. I don’t think he was ever left wanting of new lyrics–they oozed out of him at every level. I guess I didn’t really pay attention to the content of the lyrics until much later in life–they resonate loudly now.

More than anything, I attribute much of my early songwriting knowledge, composition and arrangement to Rush. They had such a great understanding of the “song” and its components. It’s really impressive that they wrote so many hits, but perhaps more so just the sheer number of published songs that the band has! Lyrically, it is always a thoughtful experience to tune into Rush and try and hear the message–Neil’s lyrics are so poignant even to this day. They are timeless expositions of some of the more routine issues that confront humanity on a daily basis, yet written so subtly and esoteric to hide that from plain sight.

For such a competent drummer, I couldn’t believe it when Neil decided to completely change his approach to drumming in the mid 90’s. After playing for 30 years, he broke down everything he had learned and basically re-learned drumming from legendary drum teacher Freddie Gruber. Neil called it “learning to dance on the drums”. Apparently he was feeling a touch too robotic with all the 80’s and 90’s click tracks, sequencers and midi clocks. He had lost his feel and wanted to get more in tune with his inner drummer. After Freddie, Neil spent some time with another legend, Peter Erskine (Weather Report, John Scofield, Bob Mintzer) who taught him how to “own the time.” From then on, although subtle, Neil’s playing really improved and became more fulfilling for him personally, as he finally felt fully in control of his sticks. You can hear this dynamic (if you pay attention!) by listening to works pre and post 1995.

Neil was always a thoughtful person and you can hear it in his many interviews over the years. There isn’t another musician that I can think of who had such a love and dedication for creating music that was truly innovative and inspiring. The integrity that he brought to the music is one of a kind. I am always warmed by listening to his well chosen words, soft spoken tone and the beautiful persona that emanated effortlessly from his character. He was an amazing human being in addition to world class drummer and musician. He will be missed for sure!

If you’re new to Rush, or perhaps are a drummer who has never heard of Neil Peart, I suggest picking up the album Exit Stage Left as a starter. This is a great line of demarcation between older 70’s more rock-based Rush and the 80’s and 90’s progressive Rush that used a little bit more synthesizer, keyboards and sequencing. While the music is top notch (and perhaps sounds quite different from all the crap out there today) pay attention to the lyrics. It will open you up to the inner world of Neil that many people have missed. If you like what you are hearing, start moving backwards and forwards from that point, analyzing the changes in sound, structure and production. It won’t take long for the listener to appreciate what they are hearing and to fully realize just how progressive of a rock band Rush really was for over five decades.

On a more personal note, I thank my lucky stars that Neil was in my life. He was such an inspiration to my playing (even though I’m a guitarist). I always felt connected to him, like we were on the same page. I will miss him dearly as he is one of the few players who affected me so deeply. As we grow older, it’s like watching a family member that you loved age and pass on. It reminds us that we too are growing older and will eventually pass as well. It is sad to think about but it keeps us striving forward, progressing in our craft with the aim of improving our skills and our ability to communicate with our fans, loved ones and perhaps the collective humanity. I will think about you often my brother–you will be missed! RIP Neil Peart 2020.