RIP Neal Peart

Mott the Hoople said:
Neal Peart, drummer for the famous Canadian Prog Rock band Rush, and arguably the greatest Rock drummer ever, died today from brain cancer...I feel like a part of me just died too.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/neil-peart-rush-drummer-dies-212443814.html
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Even though they were held in high regard by rockers of all stripes, I felt they were a band that belonged to the misfits and geeks. Rush was a rock and roll outlier who were thoroughly cerebral, they never put on the macho poseur act, and there is no question a lot of their songs reflected Neil Peart's obvious affinity for science fiction, fantasy, mythology, and dystopian literature.
 
Cypress said:
Even though they were held in high regard by rockers of all stripes, I felt they were a band that belonged to the misfits and geeks. Rush was a rock and roll outlier who were thoroughly cerebral, they never put on the macho poseur act, and there is no question a lot of their songs reflected Neil Peart's obvious affinity for science fiction, fantasy, mythology, and dystopian literature.
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Lord knows that at the height of their fame Rush was hated viscerally, by both the LA and NYC music scene. It was in the industrial Midwest where Rush made its audience and I think that had a lot to do with their non pretentious (ok well they did have their kimono moment) and working class aspect of their music. No glam, no schtick, no social engineering, just honest Rock with more than three chords and intriguing timing changes, thoughtful lyrics and one of the worst lead singers ever.

It was that Midwestern appeal that over time was built into an international following.
 
Mott the Hoople said:
Lord knows that at the height of their fame Rush was hated viscerally, by both the LA and NYC music scene. It was in the industrial Midwest where Rush made its audience and I think that had a lot to do with their non pretentious (ok well they did have their kimono moment) and working class aspect of their music. No glam, no schtick, no social engineering, just honest Rock with more than three chords and intriguing timing changes, thoughtful lyrics and one of the worst lead singers ever.

It was that Midwestern appeal that over time was built into an international following.
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I grew up in San Diego in the 70's and 80's, and there were a shit ton of Rush fans. I was never a fan myself. Nothing personal against the band, their sound just never appealed to me.
 
countryboy said:
I grew up in San Diego in the 70's and 80's, and there were a shit ton of Rush fans. I was never a fan myself. Nothing personal against the band, their sound just never appealed to me.
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Rush was virtually unknown outside of Canada and the Midwest USA until the 2112 album. And even then, they never received substantial airplay until Spirit of the Radio on the Permanent Waves album.

The iconic tune Working Man off their first album was only a regional hit in Cleveland and that song remained unknown outside the Midwest USA, and was only rediscovered when they got huge with their Spirit of the Radio tune
 
Cypress said:
Rush was virtually unknown outside of Canada and the Midwest USA until the 2112 album. And even then, they never received substantial airplay until Spirit of the Radio on the Permanent Waves album.

The iconic tune Working Man off their first album was only a regional hit in Cleveland and that song remained unknown outside the Midwest USA, and was only rediscovered when they got huge with their Spirit of the Radio tune
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Yea and when Working Man was released half the folks thought it was a Led Zeppelin song.
 
Mott the Hoople said:
Lord knows that at the height of their fame Rush was hated viscerally, by both the LA and NYC music scene. It was in the industrial Midwest where Rush made its audience and I think that had a lot to do with their non pretentious (ok well they did have their kimono moment) and working class aspect of their music. No glam, no schtick, no social engineering, just honest Rock with more than three chords and intriguing timing changes, thoughtful lyrics and one of the worst lead singers ever.

It was that Midwestern appeal that over time was built into an international following.
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Agree about the vocals. I could never really get past that. Rock is vocal centric, so that musician must be good (IMO)
I know it's subjective. I also hate it when bands sound great on record but can't actually pull it off on stage,
and it's usually the vocalist(s) who can't pull their weight.
 
Micawber said:
Agree about the vocals. I could never really get past that. Rock is vocal centric, so that musician must be good (IMO)
I know it's subjective. I also hate it when bands sound great on record but can't actually pull it off on stage,
and it's usually the vocalist(s) who can't pull their weight.
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With Rush it did become a bit of a anomaly as they were all very talented instrumentalists and Peart was a great lyricist.
 
Micawber said:
Agree about the vocals. I could never really get past that. Rock is vocal centric, so that musician must be good (IMO)
I know it's subjective. I also hate it when bands sound great on record but can't actually pull it off on stage,
and it's usually the vocalist(s) who can't pull their weight.
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Bob Dylan is a bad singer. Keith Richards is a bad singer. Lou Reed is a bad singer. Mark Knofler is a bad singer. All of them have about half an octave in vocal range and struggle to stay in tune.

People either hate or like Geddy Lee's vocals, but I do not think he is necessarily a bad singer. In his heyday he had a three octave range and generally sang in tune. His voice is what it is, it obviously works for Rush but some people cannot stand it.
 
Cypress said:
Bob Dylan is a bad singer. Keith Richards is a bad singer. Lou Reed is a bad singer. Mark Knofler is a bad singer. All of them have about half an octave in vocal range and struggle to stay in tune.

People either hate or like Geddy Lee's vocals, but I do not think he is necessarily a bad singer. In his heyday he had a three octave range and generally sang in tune. His voice is what it is, it obviously works for Rush but some people cannot stand it.
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As I said, it's totally subjective cuz it is art. I did like the accessible hooky melodies as in Limelight and I like the lyrics on Trees. But it isn't just his anomalous
pitch, he doesn't have a pleasing vibrato to me, he sounds weak and thin. "I don't always listen to a castrati, but when do" (lol) I listen to Klaus Meine, (with excellent vibrato, and a stronger voice)

In truth that "three octaves" includes a nice seamless false sotto. But this is about Neal, and he was unquestionably on the short list of drummers' drummer insofar as rock genre.
The best drummers usually gravitate to jazz, or at least fusion. 4 on the floor can be boring for a drummer I expect.

This all is in the pure opinion file though, one is absolutely as worthy as the next opinion. I wasn't a Rush fan, and it is absolutely because of the vocals. Replace that guy
with a top rock vocalist I'm sure I would have bought albums when I was that age, instead of just having to listen to them when at a stoner friends house.
 
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