He never stopped being a student of the instrument. The part at 04:45 where he starts doing a double tap with his left foot. He seeked out lessons to learn and master that technique. He was also arthritic doing this as he got older.
He totally changed his style of drumming. Changing decades of knowledge and muscle memory for an instrument that is very physical is nothing but unbelievable. The entire band are musicians musicians. These are the guys that the pros aspire to be.
@@mikeshoe74 That literally is one of the hardest but simplest SOUNDING three beat foot patterns to keep consistent through a solo. Drummers are not set up that way initially. BOOM-CHICK BOOM-CHICK I can solo over all day long, but waltzing is a whole nuthah level only achieved by the Upper-Echilon of drummer. Thanks for bringing up that point. It goes greatly underappreciated IMHO.
@@cardinaldriver I'm not a drummer myself, but somewhat musical, and it sounds very unorthodox hence why I assumed it was difficult and did some homework to learn he sought out help with the technique. Let me ask you though, as I'm guessing you're a drummer. The change in tempo in La Villa Strangiato midway through the song. he does a rotating bass, high hat, with some snare rolls... is that difficult as well?
I saw Neil and Rush 26 times and EVERY show was totally incredible, Geddy and Alex are also incredible musicians!! If I could I`d see them again!! RIP Professor.
Never got the chance to see Rush live but I did get to meet Neil. I was traveling from AZ to TX on my motorcycle and somewhere in NM, I slowly started coming up on this guy on a BMW bike and we traveled together for about 20 miles. We both pulled into the same gas station and we struck up a conversation. As we were taking a break and sucking down some drinks, I keep telling myself, "I know this guy....where do I know this guy..." then it hit me that I'm talking to NEIL PEART. Having heard that he likes riding to escape, I didn't let on that I recognized him and didn't talk about music, drums, or anything related to Rush. We talked about bikes, places we've rode, the zen of motorcycling. After about 15min, we said our goodbyes, hopped back on our bikes, traveled together another 30min, then I had to turn on another highway and we went our separate ways.
Neil was 53 years old in this video. His drum solo crops up in the middle of a 3 hour live set and as you know he's full throttle during that time as well!
He was dissatisfied with this particular solo, however, as he was fighting the flu at the time and wasn't at his peak. Yes, this is Neil _off his game._
Not sure if they did it every show, but on the live in rio Neil played this to give Geddy and Alex a break, good 6-7 mins long. Then they come back and play an acoustic song for about 3 mins to give Neil a break, and he’s right back out there ready to go. Guy was a machine. Rip Neil hands down one of the best there ever will be.
Neil was the original GOAT . May the Professor rest in peace . He is greatly missed by fans around the world . I saw them live 15 times and will ALWAYS be a RUSH fan . 👍🇨🇦
The horn sections are played with the electronic drum pads and cymbals. He also plays the trumpet sounds and "clap trap", tambourine and other trigger effects with his feet. Here he explains and shows how he does it. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Nd2hRpVFRTQ.html I got to see him and Rush live 8 times. His drum solos were a major highlight of the concerts. He was considered the "Mozart" of drums because his solos were like songs and had melody. Any drummer can be a speed demon..there are a millions of those types of drummers. But when you can take African, Jazz AND Rock drumming and make it sound like song and make it 3 dimensional and interesting, then very very little drummers can do that. He put the drums in the forefront of Rush. Just like a lead guitar and lead singer..when you listen to Rush the first thing everyone says to themselves is "who is the drummer?" Great reaction btw! ;-)
Yeah that sh!t was like magic when he first introduced the "horn section" into his solo. First seen at Grace Under Pressure tour circa '84 . Mr. Peart was the main reason for me to take my early childhood work and take up Concert Band in the sixth grade. THEN the P/G solo...he was also almost the man that sealed my drumming's fate. Like, HITAF did he do that?!? My mind stayed warped months after. Remember, we didn't have internet and Rush wasn't very accessible to fans as they are now. You'd just pray for another Modern Drummer with Neil on the cover! Whimsical days!!!~
Neil Peart wrote a book called Ghost Rider. After dealing with serious tragedy, he lost his wife and his daughter, he took off on his motorcycle trying to find a reason to go on with his own life. It was a very moving and inspirational story. And of course he is a great story teller, being responsible for writing most of Rush's songs.
Seen them 8 times and videos don't do them justice. It wasn't just a concert it was an experience!!! RIP to the Professor... truly the greatest of all time. 🙏🤘
As a drummer neil is a og of rock and roll drums perfect blend of skill timing precision impact influence creativity and originality him John Bonham and Bill Buford changed the way all drummers play i could name 20 more names but ill save ya the reading haha great video mane.
I was lucky enough to witness Neil Peart's incredible drum solos in concert 5 times... he always got the crowd on their feet! 🤘🤘🔥🔥 Peart was such a perfectionist at his craft... anything less than a spotless performances would bug him... He was a huge fan of drummers like John Bonham (Led Zeppelin), Phil Collins (Genesis), Keith Moon (The Who) and Gene Krupa. Another incredible talent on drums was John Bonham of Led Zeppelin... his drum solo on 'Moby Dick' was always a concert highlight. Bonham would beat the drums w/ his bare hands, and they would often get bloody if he cut himself playing.
How is he doing that? Lol I can barely walk and chew gum at the same time. Crazy how much you can discover or see again in a different light, just by giving new things a chance. Great job again guys!!!!!!
I have followed Rush since 1976 when I first heard 2112. I have seen them 13 times and was never disappointed. One note about Neil was that his drum solo was never a rehearsed drum solo. He was such a master of his skill that he would just play what he felt like playing that night. R.I.P. Neil
This solo shows you exactly why he was called The Professor. I have seen many great drummers in my time, but he was the best in my humble opinion. His drums which went all the way around him were made up of 4 drum kits I believe. As he displayed in this video, his diversity in playing style and genre, technique was off the hook. Great reaction video! RIP Professor.
Neil was gifted with a feat called true limb independence. He could literally play a different beat with each hand and each foot at the same time and syncopate them. He had a lot of polyrhythm things going on here, some of which you pointed out. Great reaction!
@@RaymondBCrisp Well, it's both, actually. Even a natural gift needs practice to shine, but nobody gets that good on practice alone. It must start with god-given talent.
@@WOranos Again, having played music myself, I understand hard work is needed. I practiced for hours every day. But without that spark, that gift, you will only progress so far no matter how hard you try. It is what it is.
Neil Peart was a true student of music, not just drums. He was such an innovator that he redeloped his nervous system by training his mind to isolate his hands from his feet .If you go back and listen for it, he uses that mental conditioning to play two different tempos at the same time. Also, on some of his tempo changes his feet would make the change and his hands would change a beat or two later, very smoothly blending into the change.
As a drummer myself, Neil has always been an inspiration of mine. The "multi-tasking" you mentioned is called poly rhythms. 3 beats with his feet and 4 beats with his hands.
I’ve been a rush guy since I was around 8 years old. I remember fondly of 1st noticing nearl perts drumming so much, along side those groovy fast bass lines from geddy, plus those riffs from Elex. His drumming was on whole new level. He didn’t just do drum solo’s, it’s like he brought a story like element with them. Like a journey through time of all drumming techniques he learned throughout his life.
A ONE MAN marching band right. He was using triggers and samples before ANYONE new what it was. Rush were as a matter of fact the innovators and pioneers in using samples of their own material live in concert to reproduce the complexity and density of the recordings that they made. He makes it look simple tho we know it’s really not, but to his credit, he had been playing over 30 years before this. Only one Neil, only one Rush#RIP NEP🥁🥁🎸🎹🎤🤘🖖✌️
One thing I have been saying about Neil Peart is that He is a drummer of drummers. A one man drumline. He was never afraid to go out and learn new techniques to improve his drumming. This world lost one of the best drummers of all time. RIP Profressor
It wasn't just Neil's other-worldly skill as a drummer and percussionist, he also wrote lyrics for Rush. Not only lyrics...but epic, storytelling lyrics. MASTERFUL storytelling and second to none on the drums. Even Juilliard was enhanced by his presence there. Will never be another like him.
Rush was an amazing trio. Geddy Lee being able to play keyboard , bass and sing ......at the same time .....wow. Also, Neil himself wrote most of their songs .............all 3 of them are at the top of the pile.
Amazing reaction! The amazing "Professor" The best ever. " "Your favourite drummer's favourite drummer" Amazing lyricist, musician and writer Please react to "Roll the Bones" from Rush that has a rap in the middle of the song Rest in Power, Neil
I saw Rush 49 times from 1982 when I was 12 through their final tour in 2015. There were other drummers who were technically more able than he. There were other drummers with a better feel/groove than he. But I don't think there were many as creative, open, humble, compositional or influential as he. His humility is what gave him his aura. His knowledge and inner strength is what made him as original as he was. He has a place on the Mt. Rushmore of rock drumming because he made THAT big a difference and influenced THAT many drummers. His legacy is complete and undeniable. Future generations of drummers will have to sit in the Neil Peart class just as any guitarist will have to sit in in Hendrix, Chuck Berry or Eddie Van Halen class. He is on that level.
Neil Peart is the GOAT! Now add the fact he wrote most of the lyrics to RUSH songs. Listen to the lyrics. So deep. They make you think, and they take you places. The last song on the last RUSH album was "The Garden", about someone taking stock of their life, when they can see its ending. Makes my cry, I swear.
He's gonna have that throne for a long time coming...same thing with Rush in general. When you see some bands go up there, and the lead singer doesn't have his voice anymore, or the song is played in a far different key to accommodate it. Rush never once gave the audience a bad show.
@@mikeshoe74 Because of their level, they could have had huge egos. But they were about the music first. The best servants of the muse possible. The very best are timeless and inspire others.
How difficult is the 3/4 section? Sit upright, now tap your right foot once (the bass drum) then left foot twice (the high hat/tambourine sound). 1,2,3. 1,2,3. Over and over. Now... try to do anything with your hands. Try changing even slightly your hand patterns... and you will surely lose your foot pattern. Neil spoke about this in his Anatomy of a Drum Solo DVD, took him YEARS just to do basic fills while maintaining the R L L foot pattern in 3/4 time. Our brains just aren't wired to perform complex tasks with 4 limbs independently, but some drummers work on it daily so down the road, hopefully, it's in the toolbox if ever needed. Muscle memory and sheer determination are the only things than can help any drummer attempting to perfect this type of section in his performance. Neil was the GOAT.
i worked on his cousins car last week because i live near where he was from and it made my day just knowing that. what an amazing fact to know that your cousin was one of, if not the greatest and most influential drummer to ever live. rip neil
I've been enjoying all of your reactions, but this one had me super excited! He was so insanely good, best part of all of their concerts! (I was lucky enough to see them 8x) still hurts the heart that he is gone, so I cherish the memories!✌♥️
Yup, Neil always played full steam. Always jumped in with both feet. These three were bless to have come togehter as friends and musicians. Always to the benefit of us ,the fans of RUSH.
Thanks for checking out Neil's skills! I love that in this solo he added in some fusion, swing, etc to show a different side, proving how well-rounded he is as a percussionist. Sorry, was. Still haven't adapted to a world without Neil Peart in it. Peace, Love, Happiness and Music!
As other comments mentioned, I was also fortunate enough to see Neil Peart and Rush in concert back in 2010. Last part of his drum solo is Big Band Era. Neil is paying respect for his friend and mentor, Buddy Rich. Buddy is shown during the video behind Neil. Speaking of Buddy Rich, there is a video recorded live many years ago showing Buddy doing his drum solo. During that solo, Buddy experienced a mild heart attack. But it didn't stop Buddy completing his solo until the end.
There is a DVD featuring him, anatomy of a drum solo. One of the things that truly blew me away is the limb independence. As you said he's doing such different things with legs and arms. In the dvd he explains playing different rhythms and different time signatures, accross various limbs, simultaneously 🥲🤯
Neil Peart is the greatest rock drummer of all time. His skill, compositional ability, creativity, complexity and diversity of percussion are to this day unmatched nor ever will be. The ultimate multi-dimensional player with "angelic realm" ability.
RUSH is THE PERFECT EXAMPLE of the fluidity of MASTERING TIME SIGNATURES! I play drums and there are a few things that you need to know about Neil Peart’s ( pronounced PEER-T) character: First he writes the lyrics so he knows in advance what TYPE of song it’s meant to be ie ballad, driver, etc. Second he COMPOSES on the drums… like a carpenter who looks at a set of blueprints before building the object. Neil lays out a SKETCH in his mind of the VOICES of the drumset and builds the song from there. He is also a great LISTENER knowing when NOT to step over Geddy’s singing or Alex’s solos! Finally, he had perfect timing and fluidity of time changes. He said himself that it’s not about COUNTING the time signatures as much as fluid motion to change the tempo without counting: in other words it should FLOW! He hates repeating the same drum patterns in the same song meaning if he plays a fill one way the first time around he will play it differently the second time around. IE. Rolls down the toms the first time around and triplets or quads (all four limbs) the second time around. In short there will NEVER be another like him on planet earth 🌍 🌏 🌎! REST IN PEACE PROFESSOR! With heart felt admiration and sincerity! Gary
Neil once said that he wasn't very talented but he was very tenacious. It takes a special person to be able to get his hands and feet to move independently from each other
There is a reason why he has the nickname "The Professor". Inhave been a rush fan since I was 12. Seen them countless times. Always was amazing. His passing was very hard to swallow.
once I heard him play "Tom Sawyer" and "YYZ" on the 'Moving Pictures' album, I've become a loyal Rush fan/Neil Peart (RIP) fan....although that was 42 yrs ago, it still feels like yesterday that I heard him play for the first time....great reaction video you two!! you always give quality / meaningful feedback in your reaction videos....keep 'em rolling! 2022 is going to be a great year!
There just can never be another drummer with this much talent, it really does not matter how well one can copy what Neil has done, he invented it ! He invented it !
Please understand that he lost his wife and daughter and he put a lot on this and he had cancer. My heart and my love because he is amazing! Just gifted
I seen Rush in the 90s and Neil did like a 20 minute solo while the rest of the band went backstage and changed clothes, got drinks and probably took power naps. It was awesome
He never stopped being a student of the instrument. The part at 04:45 where he starts doing a double tap with his left foot. He seeked out lessons to learn and master that technique. This was a nice reaction video,.
That instrument he is playing is technically called a percussion controller. It’s a synthesizer for drummers that you play like a xylophone. Since it’s a synth controller you can make it sound like anything you want. In this solo he has a marimba or xylophone patch loaded (those instruments have wooden keys), and I believe he triggers the gong sound at the end on it. His drum kit has a number of electronic “pads” that have programmable sounds. Some of them look like drums, some are the black cymbals, and he has foot triggers, too. Kinda like Guitar Hero drum pads, but professional-grade. He is actually triggering the horn sounds at the end with various pads and pedals. The only pre-recorded loop was the jazz song at the very end. In the early days Neil used a real glockenspiel, but the versatility of the programmable pads teplaved it with this thing in the early 80’s.
Probably one of the top five drummer of All time next to Buddy Rich,Tommy Aldridge, Keith Moon, John Bonham. In my opinion . I’m sure everyone has there own list. Blessings to all….
Neil side gig was as principal drummer of the BUDDY RICH BAND!! BUDDY LOVED NEIL as a son....It's fun to watch him play like BUDDY!!! Switching from grip to traditional playing styles!! JUST LIKE BUDDY! It was crazy watching the switching like it was nothing!! WE MISS THE PROFESSOR!!!
Neil is a musician the goat of all goats!!!! Wrote almost all of Rush's lyrics. Lucky enough to see them 9 times What a powerhouse band arguably the best bassist and a top 10 guitarist and the goat!!!!!!
It's nice to see your girl get more comfortable as the videos progress. Girlfriend, know he values you and your input. Its evident. Be confident in that, be bold even. I have a big heart for drummers. My grandpa was a drummer and taught drums out of his house. Drummers and drum lines always make me feel connected to him. Keep stretching your genres, makes us old folks happy 🔥 😁🎶
One Man, Two Drum sets, Over 10 hours to assemble it, and total perfection. God Rest Niel Pearts Spirit, we can still hear the pounding of all them drums from Heaven.
I can think of many drummers that I believe are better players than Neil. But what he did for the drumming community is immeasurable. He was so influential and was just a wonderful ambassador for the instrument. R. I. P. Neil
Welcome #Canada 🇨🇦 🤙 #SaluteProfessor 🤙 There will never in minion years be another amazing percussionist the likes of #NeilPeart 🕊 #RestInPeace 🕊 🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯 👍🏻 #WHATARUSH 👍🏻
THE GOAT PROFESSOR IN HIS 60S DOING HIS THING. IF YOU SEEN HIM IN HIS 20S, 30S, AND 40S I DID, AND HE WAS EVEN GREATER, THERE WASN'T THAT MUCH VIDEO BACK BUT MAN WAS HE FANTASTIC I SEEN HIM 24 TIMES AND THEY WERE THE GREATEST DRUMS.......
Neil's big drum kit was not just for show. He hit every piece during the shows. His arms and legs were completely disarticulated - they played separately.
