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R.I.P. Neil Peart

#405
BassFishingInAmerica said:
I’m glad to see that this tribute to Neil continues. I just wanted to point out that Neil’s lyrics were as significant as his drumming. So often, Rush’s music has been called cold and mechanical. And although this may be partially true at times, I have always thought that it is Peart’s lyrics that gave the music soul and emotion. Here’s a bit of Peart philosophy:


Natural Science — “Science like nature must also be tamed.”

“The most endangered species, the honest man will still survive annihilation.”

Circumstances — “Innocence gave me confidence to go up against reality.”

Second Nature — “It ought to be second nature, at least, that's what I feel. Now, I lay me down in Dreamland. I know perfect's not for real.”

Territories — “The whole wide world, an endless universe, yet we keep looking through the eyeglass in reverse.”

Vital Signs — “Everybody got to deviate from the norm.”

Analog Kid — “When I leave, I don't know what I'm hoping to find, and when I leave, I don't know what I'm leaving behind.”

Mission — “If their lives were exotic and strange, they would likely have gladly exchanged them for something a little more plain. Maybe something a little more sane.”

The Camera Eye — “I feel the sense of possibilities. I feel the wrench of hard realities.”

The Weapon — “Like a steely blade in a silken sheath, we don't see what they're made of. They shout about love, but when push comes to shove, they live for the things they're afraid of.”

A Farewell to Kings — “The hypocrites are slandering the sacred halls of truth, ancient nobles showering their bitterness on youth.”

The Spirit of Radio — “One likes to believe In the freedom of music, but glittering prizes and endless compromises shatter the illusion of integrity.”

Tom Sawyer — “What you say about his company is what you say about society.”

Jacob’s Ladder — “Follow men's eyes as they look to the skies. The shifting shafts of shining weave the fabric of their dreams.”

Losing it — “For you, the blind who once could see, the bell tolls for thee.” (It’s eerie that Peart could see this, long before his time).

Turn the Page — “How can anybody be enlightened? Truth is after all so poorly lit.”

Peart would mention how Geddy had the ability to sing his lyrics with the emotional integrity, as if they were his own. If anyone wants to read and learn a lot about Rush through Peart’s writings, check out some of the tour books. I was lucky to see Rush play 8 times, and have been able to collect all but 3 of their tour books. All combined, they read like one novel on the band’s history, and highlight some great writing from Neil. Peart would always emphasize that Geddy was first, a bassist; second a vocalist; and third, a keyboardist. Peart may have been a drummer first, but he was very much a great writer.
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Those are all excellent. I always thought Red Barchetta was a great example of storytelling, just to add to your list.

Another one that's a standout for me is Subdivisions. And as a 16 yo kid who never fit in with any "crowd" in high school, growing up in the ultimate suburb of Reston, VA (20 minutes west of Washington DC), it summed up my life perfectly. I played it for my son yesterday. He happens to be 16, growing up in the same town and attending the same HS I did. His eyes lit up when he heard the lyrics, struck by the fact that Neil could so perfectly describe his own experience.

"Any escape might help to smooth
The unattractive truth
But the suburbs have no charms to soothe
The restless dreams of youth"

The song describes the age and environment so well, it's always spoken to me, so here is the whole thing:

Subdivisions Lyrics | Rush.com
 
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#409
slagheap said:
chops don't make a musician. pert did not swing. bonham swung his ass off.
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There are plenty of people who contend Bonham couldn't have swung even if his life hadn't depended on it. Personally, I love Led Zep as a band, but I think Bonham was no better than many good drummers I see in amateur bands in terms of execution with the saving grace being the fact that he helped create some of the clichés in the genre. His ' caveman ' drum roll is impressive in isolation but he uses it a lot and seems to lack the breadth of expression on the kit that Peart (or his potential replacement Barlow) showed. The level of light, shade, rhythmic and time signature complexity that Peart displayed is a level above Bonham. And I'd put the likes of Bill Bruford and one of Peart's inspirations, Gene Kupa, a level above Peart. Basing it on one performance and the visual beauty of his playing the youngest of the three drummers in King Crimson (I have forgotten his name) is at the top for me personally. I've never seen anyone make polyrhythms and making it work when someone is deliberately playing at a different bpm seem so effortless before and the only drummer I've seen make drumming look as beautiful was a guy in an amateur band 20 years ago. The latter made it look like he could have stopped, sipped his tea, and still made the beat.
 
#410
bearhart74 said:
Thanks for standing up in the middle of the funeral and disparaging the deceased.
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^^^This. That tangent of this thread is now over. If anybody starts another "troll the memorial thread" tangent, please report instead of replying and the moderators will take care of it.
 
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#415
Late last night, I was driving down Rt.95 from New Jersey to Delaware. All along the way there are numerous LED billboards that cycle from one ad to the next every 20-30 seconds. Not once, but twice, I saw a picture of Neil mugging behind one of his drum kits while being framed by big letters proclaiming "Farewell to the King 1952-2020". :) :crying:

And speaking as a former art student and graphic designer, I really appreciated the extra touch they added to the text by using the "Farewell To Kings" type-font. Well done, People! :thumbsup:

Just a guess, but I'd bet a nickel that those ads were paid for by the big Philly rock station, 93.3 WMMR. After all, when I saw them play in Philadelphia, WMMR's longtime DJ/rock-guru, Pierre Robert (pronounced "Row-Bear"), came on-stage to emcee the band just before taking the stage. :headphone:
 
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#417
Malak the Mad said:
Late last night, I was driving down Rt.95 from New Jersey to Delaware. All along the way there are numerous LED billboards that cycle from one ad to the next every 20-30 seconds. Not once, but twice, I saw a picture of Neil mugging behind one of his drum kits while being framed by big letters proclaiming "Farewell to the King 1952-2020". :) :crying:

And speaking as a former art student and graphic designer, I really appreciated the extra touch they added to the text by using the "Farewell To Kings" type-font. Well done, People! :thumbsup:

Just a guess, but I'd bet a nickel that those ads were paid for by the big Philly rock station, 93.3 WMMR. After all, when I saw them play in Philadelphia, WMMR's longtime DJ/rock-guru, Pierre Robert (pronounced "Row-Bear"), came on-stage to emcee the band just before taking the stage. :headphone:
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Definitely a good possibility. Man, Pierre is an institution all by himself. I remember when he first started DJ'ing there close to 40 years ago!
 
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