Rush without Neil Peart

[Ripper]

so i'm watching rush's r30 concert... and suddenly it occurs to me that the trick to their really full sound from 3 people comes from the fact that Neil is just randomly bashing insanely on the drums.

so i start wondering... what would rush sound like if you cut the percussion track from it?

 

[Akeris]

Not like Rush.

 

[tplyons]

Rush is the culmination of three ridiculous players. Remove any part, and the band as a whole will cease to be.

 

[iamlowsound]

Rush is the culmination of three ridiculous players. Remove any part, and the band as a whole will cease to be.

This. If any of them ever left or couldn't play with them anymore, they could no longer be a band. Those three guys are Rush and no one else could be.

lowsound

 

[J.D.]

Dude, Neil Pert IS Rush.
Seriously, you can't have a whole with out all the parts now can you?

 

[Sterrrling]

It would be like early Rush...listen to the first album (although, they'd never be able to get John Rutsey back...he passed away last year).

 

[hbarcat]

. . . Neil is just randomly bashing insanely on the drums.

I'm not sure what you mean by this but "random" and "insane" aren't words I would use to describe Peart's drumming. He's precise, methodical and disciplined. In fact, I've heard him criticized as too "robotic".

 

[cripula]

I'm not sure what you mean by this but "random" and "insane" aren't words I would use to describe Peart's drumming. He's precise, methodical and disciplined.

+1. Neil doesn't do anything randomly. Everything he plays is thought out well in advance. He's ridiculously methodical.
He talks a lot about it in a few of his books - all interesting stuff if you're a Rush fan (I am).

The "secret of their full sound" is no big secret. Three amazing players, with 35 years experience WORKING AS A 3 PIECE, plus a liberal sprinkling of technology. Lots of sampled parts being triggered, etc.

 

[Valerus]

Rush is the culmination of three ridiculous players. Remove any part, and the band as a whole will cease to be.

It's the Trifecta, the Holy Trinity

 

[rfclef]

Insane, yes. Random? no.

That group is truly more than the sum of their parts. I hate saying stuff like that, because it becomes cliche, but in this case, it is true. Take any of the 3 away and it just would not sound the same... maybe a good band, but not Rush.

 

[Ron Plichta]

Rush would be lost without any of the three. Peart is also the primary lyricist for Rush and so that portion would be lost (along with his drumming style) if he ever left.

Peart is quoted to have left Rush after his daughter's death. After his wife's passing, he rode around North and South America on his motorcycle, wrote a book and reworked his drumming technique. Rush did nothing until Vapor Trails was released in 2004 (?).

 

[Nino Valenti]

They would sound like this:

 

[Nino Valenti]

IMO, Rush has so heavly influenced soooooo many musicians that if needed, I'm sure there are lots of top musicians that could fill their slots if needed. Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan, just a couple that I could think of. Claudio Sanchez on vocals.

I would never want to see that but I'm just saying.

 

[MonetBass]

+1. Neil doesn't do anything randomly. Everything he plays is thought out well in advance. He's ridiculously methodical.
He talks a lot about it in a few of his books - all interesting stuff if you're a Rush fan (I am).

The "secret of their full sound" is no big secret. Three amazing players, with 35 years experience WORKING AS A 3 PIECE, plus a liberal sprinkling of technology. Lots of sampled parts being triggered, etc.

+2. Neil is one of the best drummers around, if not the best. Just listen to some of his fills and how dead on they are. Even when playing triplets in 4/4, the beats are so exact. It blows my mind.



AND if Neil had left after his daughter's and wife's passings, then Rush would be no more, mainly at the behest of Geddy and Alex. It certainly would not be the same. (Read Neil's book "Ghost Rider" to get more insight on that period in his life.)

 

[JimK]

Yep, the debut Rush album (w/out Peart)...I definitely do recall thinking they were ripping off Led Zep.

Agree about Peart's insane drumming...more outta the Keith Moon school vs. Ringo.

 

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

IMO, Rush has so heavly influenced soooooo many musicians that if needed, I'm sure there are lots of top musicians that could fill their slots if needed. Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan, just a couple that I could think of. Claudio Sanchez on vocals.

I would never want to see that but I'm just saying.

If you have RealPlayer or any media player that can open .ram files, you can hear a soundcheck jam by Alex, Neil and Billy Sheehan [Invalid or Expired Link Removed].

 

[JimK]

+2. Neil is one of the best drummers around, if not the best. Just listen to some of his fills and how dead on they are. Even when playing triplets in 4/4, the beats are so exact. It blows my mind.

Maybe for that style.
I know Peart is a big fan of Buddy Rich (& I assume Big Band Jazz, right?).
I'm not sure I have heard in something other than Rush...any suggestions?

...'cause "the best", IMO, would be well-schooled/versed in many, many playing styles (Hamid Drake, anyone?).

 

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

I'm not sure I have heard in something other than Rush...any suggestions?

Although I must confess that I feel sort of disappointed to hear him playing his typical solo parts in a different context.

 

[JimK]

I'll have to check on that link once I get home.

I did have the Buddy Rich Tribute DVDs...I ended giving them away to a friend.
Not sure if I recall Peart playing on those DVDs.

 

[tZer]

They would sound like this:

WE HAVE A WINNER!