Many of us have tried to air drum to a Rush song and could barely follow along to the legendary Neil Peart’s outstanding technical prowess on the kit. Starting out as a maniacal basher in the style of John Bonham and Keith Moon, Peart would become a drum virtuoso adding progressive jazz fills to his playing and leading Rush to superstar status. Rush’s electrifying live concerts usually featured an out of this world drum solo by Peart sitting on top of a monstrous kit. He was also the principal songwriter in the band, blending fantasy, science fiction and philosophical themes creating a magical universe. Peart, Geddy Lee, and Alex Lifeson will live on as the ultimate progressive power rock trio. We look at Neil Peart and Rush’s greatest songs.
Peart had been a drummer in many bands that went nowhere, he even went to England for a while to try and make it in the music business there. Nothing happened and he moved back to St. Catherines, Ontario, working at his father’s farm equipment company. He was talked into driving to Toronto in his beat up car to audition as the new drummer for Rush. While he didn’t look hip, Peart won over Lee and Lifeson with his amazing drummer. Lifeson in the book “Beyond the Lighted Stage” said about Peart’s audition: “I remember thinking, ‘God, he’s not nearly cool enough to be in this band.’ And then he started playing, and he pounded the crap out of those drums. He played like Keith Moon and John Bonham at the same time.” The band’s second album, “Fly by Night,” was Peart’s debut and he showed off his drumming and songwriting abilities on the title track.
View Neil Peart’s full obituary
After poor reviews for the album “Caress of Steel,” Rush created a prog rock masterpiece with 1976’s “2112.” Peart received inspiration for the songs in the writing of Ayn Rand, the author of “Atlas Shrugged,” which believes in individualism. At an older age, Peart distanced himself from Rand’s ideas. The 20-minute title track on side one is highly influential and concerts usually featured the band playing at least part of the song.
“Closer to the Heart” from the 1977 album “A Farewell to Kings” is one of the band’s most popular songs and was in regular rotation for their live shows. Peart wrote the song with his friend Peter Talbot. The song would be the band’s first hit in the UK. Geddy Lee said of the song for Rush retrospective, “I remember when we had to bring it back into the set for the Rio shows, as there was such a demand to hear it and we’d stopped playing it for a while. It’s always resonated with people for some reason, and it was a hit as far as we’ve ever had a hit.”
“The Trees” is from the band’s 1978 album “Hemispheres” and was one of the highlights of their live concerts. Peart wrote the lyrics which are about a battle between maple trees and oak trees. The maple trees want more sunlight while the oak trees are too tall. In the end, man cuts down the trees in the forest.
“Freewill” is from Rush’s 1980 release “Permanent Waves” and it really shows off Peart’s drumming virtuosity. The track features odd time signatures shifting from 13/4 to 15/4 and then 3/4 in the chorus.
“Moving Pictures” from 1981 is the band’s best selling album in their large catalog. The album features two classic tracks, “Tom Sawyer” and “Limelight.” “Tom Sawyer” is considered their signature song, written by all three members of the band along with Pye Dubois. In the December 1985 Rush Backstage Club newsletter, Peart said of the song: “Tom Sawyer” was a collaboration between myself and Pye Dubois, an excellent lyricist who wrote the lyrics for Max Webster. His original lyrics were kind of a portrait of a modern day rebel, a free-spirited individualist striding through the world wide-eyed and purposeful. I added the themes of reconciling the boy and man in myself, and the difference between what people are and what others perceive them to be—namely me, I guess.”
Peart wrote “Limelight” about being uncomfortable on the big stage. He was known as an introvert but the song became one of their biggest hits, keeping the band in the spotlight.
The band added a lot of synth for the music on their next album “Signals” (1981). The music for the lead-off track “Distortions” was written by Lee and Lifeson with lyrics added by Peart. “I listened closely, picking up the variations on 7/8 and 3/4, the way the guitar adopts the role of rhythm section while the keyboards take the melody, returning to bass with guitar leading in the chorus, then the Mini-moog taking over again for the instrumental bridge,” Peart said in “Stories from Signals.”
Neil Peart played some of the greatest drum solos during the band’s live shows. In control of that monster sized drum kit, Peart mesmerized audiences with his skill.
