Pure mastery – there really is no other way to describe the career of Neil Peart – drummer and lyricist for RUSH – the amazing power trio from Canada.
I first heard Peart in the basement of a friend’s house in the late ’70s. 2112 had just been released and it was unlike anything any of us had ever heard. The precision, the power – the artistry – you knew that this band was something special – these three men were something special.
Thus began my love affair with not just the music of RUSH – but the musicianship of Neil Peart. From that point on all I could do was sit back and watch slackjawed as this band – and Peart continually pushed the boundaries of what rock music was.
The amount of time that my friends and I spent air drumming to the stylings of Neil Peart is not measured in hours – but in days – possibly weeks – alright, years.
The world lost a true visionary when Neil Peart left this world on Jan. 7th after a 3 year battle with brain cancer.