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Neal is not just a drummer. He is a drum composer. One of my favorite quotes is "Neil Peart may not be your favorite drummer, but he is your favorite drummer's favorite drummer". That right there says it all.
Listen, the other three drummers normally named in the best of conversation John Bonham, Ginger, Baker, and Keith moon are all amazing and play very different styles from Neil in someways so I would understand if someone likes one of them better, but for me, Neil’s complexity, composition, flawless, perfect execution, versatility and creativity put him ahead of the others by a mile. He is always going to be the greatest in my mind, and it’s not even close. And that doesn’t even count his contributions as a lyricist, author, and all around amazing intellectual human being. He is my hero.
He’s the only one outta the Bunch u mentioned that wasn’t a Alcoholic. It’s clear that Alcholics stop flourishing Physically and Mentally once they go that Path.
I don't know why but Ian Paice is almost not included in the best drummer category but after seeing John Bonham who most consider the best I much prefer Ian Paice if you get the chance listen to a solo by Ian Paice you will be amazed
that is also the one thing about rush that no other band does; they make you question what you are hearing, how it is so full with only 3 people - precision, and expertise - that is why they are the best and how expansive they are - timing, precision - he has written a few books ,also the writer of most songs - he was a genius
Want to blow your mind? Seek to 4:00 in your video when he starts playing the ostinato pattern with his left foot on the hihat. It sounds like chirping. Now, tap your left foot to it and imagine doing that for that long, let alone playing all the other drums (at different tempo!) simultaneously. Crazy!
"big band" era at the end there. He's a fan of Buddy Rich from that genre. Its all choreographed. He's built this solo throughout his career. If you go back and listen to previous tours where there are solos included, he takes bits and pieces and just keeps adding. The last tour, Clockwork Angels, his solo was broken up into 3 different sections.
Neil had sections where he'd improvise, but I don't think he started doing that until later (post Power Windows, maybe? Not sure exactly). He discusses it in some of his tutorial vids. In one of his drum solos you can hear him tap out the theme to the Jetson's during the snare roll! 😀
Many concerts the drum solo was when you got up to hit the head or grab another beer... never at a Rush show... you knew you were going to see/hear something special since he always so brilliant and that he changed up his solo for every tour and it was its own composition. RIP Professor.
I saw that same routine some years ago, and was also able to go to their last concert. It was exactly like that. He is not improvising, he plays the same routine. Impressive and the cheering and clapping of the crowd made this a special moment in my life. All three are master musicians.
My understanding is all.the sounds you hear he is trigging by hand or foot. He solos changed and grew over the years. His song writing had a profound change on my life. The chemistry and friendship he, Alex, and Geddy had makes you like them even more.
Excellent that you noticed his unique ability to separate what each limb is doing. He dedicated 3 years of practice to just that. Having the kick drum (right foot), tambourine (left foot), and each hand working separate rhythms is just one of the things that sets him above the rest. Also good that you recognized his precision. You won't find any edge hits in this entire piece, which is extra amazing giving the reach he needs across all of the pieces of this kit. This isn't a drum solo, it is a percussion composition of the highest musicality possible.
By the way, I highly recommend to you his drum solo from Rush's first live album, "All the World's a Stage" (1976). It's on the end of a medley of songs from their first album, "Working Man" and "Finding My Way". This early solo is very savage and raw, from the 20-something Neil Peart. Killer solo! He was breaking out at this time -- really making people notice how incredible he and the rest of the band was -- and his solo was a big selling point for Rush. That is, a lot of people were going around telling their friends "you have GOT to hear this!!". Rush's fame was created, in large part, from this kind of "word of mouth" buzz, especially after their "2112" album came out, in 1976. You have to hear side one from that album too! Legendary Prog-Metal!
I'm not sure if anyone can say for sure that Neil is the greatest drummer of all time because there have been so my great and different drummers through the years. In my personal opinion he's the greatest percussionist and probably most respected during his era. Xanadu from "Exit stage left" should be your next reaction. I believe you are ready for it and will appreciate it.
It’s objective, of course, and I agree with you. There are so many fantastic drummers out there and it’s hard to quantify. To me the argument for it is that he managed to be world class in technique, incredibly precise, and knowledgeable while composing beautifully complex rhythms and being melodic and funny. Not to mention he was a blast to watch. He’s always in my top 5 along with John Bonham, Gavin Harrison, Danny Carey, and Tim Alexander. And 50 others lol.
'percussionist'? Remember there are many percussion instruments - think timpani, 'mallets' like xylophone, marimba, vibes, etc. And there are just SO many people. An international competition would be cool, huh?
Neil’s first solo was captured on ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE which is the 2112 tour Live. The solo comes during Working Man. 1976. 1981 Moving Pictures live album called: EXIT STAGE LEFT during an instrumental called: YYZ the Z pronounced ZED. This performance is from Germany.
I had the pleasure of seeing Rush 53 times including the final show at the Forum in LA.... Neil's solos were always impressive from the first to the last.... Best of the best!
You don't see too many people switch from the traditional grip to overhand, in the middle of a freakin solo! For my money, Neil was the GOAT. Man, do I miss this guy.
Except for the booming echos (you hear at the beginning) he is making or triggering all the sounds. Even horns and videos are all triggered by him. There is a great video on RU-vid somewhere we he shows how it works.
His solos were rehearsed. He was a perfectionist. This performance he nailed perfection. I had the privilege of attending about a dozen Rush concerts. Every solo was just amazing.
In addition to being entertaining in themselves, Neil's drum solos were always a retrospective and a lesson covering various styles of percussion in different times and places.
I can think of one authority on the topic who would wince at the suggestion that Peart was the GOAT. His name was Neil Peart. He explained that he strove to be excellent every night out, to give his fans what they paid for. That's also why he retired in 2015, because he knew age would eventually cause his body to fall short of the expectations he set for himself. What he would have said is that he was a great student of drumming. That's why, for example, after having already been inducted into Modern Drummer's Hall of Fame in his early 30's, Peart sought out a revered jazz drummer, Freddy Gruber, to strip down and rebuild his technique. That's where he picked up how to play using traditional grip. He explained that his objective was to get in touch with the fluidity of drumming - having already found fame as by far the most technically proficient drummer of his time. Over the final decade of his career, Peart sought to become more improvisational in his drumming. Sadly, I think one would need to be a veteran, professional musician to be able to hear just how he accomplished that. By the time he performed this solo, he was starting to introduce some fluidity and improvisation, although obviously the solo's general course was plotted out and relentlessly rehearsed in advance.
I was at the Birmingham NEC,UK show for this tour,but his solos on all 6 tours I saw him on were of equal high quality,he was the best drummer as far as I am concerned.
He's in his fifties here, this is not just a solo, it's an actual tune you can hum to, and if this isn't awesome enough, he wrote the lyrics to most of their songs,
Neil's kit is basically a DW Drums acoustic kit, a Roland V-Drum Electronic kit along with other trigger pads (including the thing that looked like a xylophone) and pedals. The V-Drums and the electronic triggers and pedals are all midi devices meaning that they can be loaded with virtually any sound that you can record. All of the horn sounds towards the end are coming from his kit and triggered by him either striking a V-Drum or one of the other pads or pedals. Once the song starts properly when the dance video begins, at that point he is playing along to a pre-recorded track. Up until then, it is all him.
That section around the middle does leave room for improvisation, but most of what he does is highly rehearsed because it needs to be, like those double handed crossovers around the kit shortly afterwards. Always amazing, he strived for constant improvement throughout his 40 year career. Not only that but he also wrote all the lyrics for Rush too!
I think comparing drummers is the same as comparing guitarists. Nobody can truly say who's the best because the styles differ so much so it's a matter of taste. What I will say is that Niel was the best at what he did and an inspiration to many, including myself. As a drummer of over 50 years I can say that the coordination and limb independence comes with time and practice, not to mention the thick calluses on the hands. Niel will be remembered as one of the greats and musicians around the world, including myself miss him greatly. ✌️❤️🇬🇧
If you want to understand his drumming better, I recommend listening to some interviews that are available on YT. He answers questions thoughtfuly and in depth, with a sense of humor and humility. He was not a fan of the spotlight but when he did sit down for an interviewer he was very generous with his thoughts on many subjects. If he wasn't a drumming icon, he would still be a fascinating guy to listen to. Enjoy your reactions!
he has to remember where 30 drums and cymbals are and how each sound, the notes on his cowbells, the notes on his little xylophone and the sounds/notes on all the 'triggers' at the end. did you notice what he was doing with the hi hat half way through? it was totally different than everything else he was doing. he was the master. I was lucky enough to have seen him 4 times beginning way back in the 70's
Hi there!! I'm from Mexico and I can tell you guys that I'll have the privilege to seen these guys a live!! And these drum solo watching a live is an awesome experience. Completely insane!!! Is one of things or remembers that I'll keeping in my mind for life. The "Profesor" had all ready programing and set the electric drums. Sorry for my English. My Spanish Is not good to. But these band is one of the most influential bands of all times. Pece out kids👍🏽🙋🏼♂️🤟 And keep rocking with RUSH ✌🏻
You guys mentioned his limb independence, but he really showed it a bit later when he played 3/4 (waltz) time with his legs and several other time signatures with his arms. Ridiculously difficult. And IMHO, Neil's the GOAT. I know people mention Bonham all the time, and he WAS great, inventive, and had such a groove. But I've always said, Neil could have been Zeppelin's drummer. John could not have been Rush's.
You were correct in your first assumption that the brass sounds you 1st hear are triggered by his electric kit, then the swing section at the end was just a programmed track that he played along to
Yes, the electronic pieces of his kit are programmed at different points of the composition to generate different sounds, or to drive pre-recorded orchestral hits and movements. He has foot-switches which change up what each piece is programmed to do, so that they can produce all of the results he needs. Imagine kicking switches with your feet in the middle of such an intense piece, even that is as complex as playing the instrument itself. He was called The Professor for many reasons, and that is definitely one of them.
His electronic vibraphone is a MalletKat, super cool percussion triggering device; Neil said he wasn't really into drum solos for the sake of it, he felt a drum solo should be a song in itself, it should have a reason for being and not just a demonstration of drum skills because that's kind of boring and self-indulgent for the sake of it. I've seen Neil perform a drum solo at 11 concerts, each was different though some trademark elements remain from the earliest recorded live drum solo on "All The World's A Stage" (highly recommend that one) ...wouldn't say Neil is the best and neither did he, another thing he said once was he never felt he was gifted or exceptionally talented, he was just relentless [in his drive for perfection]; Neil also stated once he was never bored for a single moment of his life
I thought you guys might do this one next…he really is the best IMO ( some great drummers out there, but they all seem to get compared to Neil…he’s the constant). I dare say Xanadu….Exit Stage Left version would be a great one to check out on your Rush journey …keep rocking ✌️
I agree "Xanadu" from their "Exit Stage Left" tour is a mind blowing performance. It is from 1981 and you will get to see them all in action live. The multitasking that all of these guys do live is amazing.
He developed his solos over time, expanding, changing, etc. You can see other videos where he's developing or using different parts of this solo. So it isn't improvised, but sort of a showcase of his different skills. He kept expanding his repertoire over his lifetime, studying different types of drumming including jazz, African, etc. The brass sounds were indeed triggered by him, with his foot I believe. So each of those separate blasts was triggered until he set off the longer bit at the end. Since Rush's music is very complex, involving numerous changes in time signature, and some of those time signatures are already complex, there wasn't much room for them to improvise on stage, although they would work out new twists to their songs for their live performances. Even with jazz, one of the things that allows jazz musicians to improvise is that a song would have a particular tempo, a particular key, etc, so they work out variations within that song structure. Where they strayed, they had to quickly return to the main structure. There are rules to a jazz song. But when the song itself is full of changing tempos, you don't have the luxury of playing around with the song's basic structure. The amazing thing about Rush is that where other guitarists, for example, can showboat by just playing fast, and it doesn't matter if some of the sounds they make are accidental, with an Alex Lifeson solo, you know that every single note, every single beat, no matter how fast he plays, is intentional, which is an amazing level of control many guitarists cannot achieve. And the same goes for Peart and Lee.
His solo was obviously insane at shows, but what makes him the BEST to me is is drumming in their songs. If you have ever been to a rush concert or watched many on here you would see the ENTIRE crown know every drum part by heart air drumming. Its so good. And the most humble guy ever. Try out Far Cry from Snakes and Arrows for some edgy RUSH !
So much conjecture to who is the greatest. He is called the human metronome for his duplication of what is constructed in the studio was unreal. He was not one to improvise at the moment per say. But his discipline was never duplicated
First Neil's drum kit is huge and has a bunch of conventional drums and cymbals as well as electronic versions. The xylophone is also electronic. All of the electronic pad can be programed to any of the sounds that he has sampled which include horns. Neil's solos were all pieces of music that he composed rather than mere improvisation. He did leave one section of the solo where he was free to improvise. Neil triggered all of the horns in the solo individually with various electronic pads and peddles except for the section at the very end when it sounds like a full jazz band is playing with him. That portion is a pre-recorded track that he triggers and then plays along with. Neil Peart is definitely one of the greatest drummer of all time but their are several other legendary drummers as well. Neil is my favorite by far. His drumming style is as distinctive as Geddy Lee's voice. Neil was always learning and evolving. As you guys noticed his limb independence was amazing and he had the ability to make drums melodic. His grooves and fills accent the other instruments and vocals in a mind blowing way. Also, I am not sure if you were aware but Neil was the primary lyricist for Rush and his lyrics tend to be much more reflective and inciteful than most rock lyrics.
I was lucky enough to see Rush three times in person but I really regret not going to more of their shows. Neil's solos were always amazing and was seen as one of the highlights of the show by most Rush fans. There are videos of several of Neil's solos from different live shows. Neil had several different sections that he worked on for years. The reason I generally recommend this solo is that it is one of the best to show his versatility, incorporating several different musical styles in one solo.
The professor 😂Love them live. I've seen them twice and met them when I was a kid. They were so cool. Geddy and Alex gave us guitar picks and Neil gave us drumsticks they were so down to earth and humble and talked to us about a half hour. And then I saw them live twice. Once in front of 500,000 crazy Canadians at the SARS relief concert in Toronto in 2003. Great reaction to the best drummer in the world ❤️ RIP Neil 🙏. I've never witnessed anything like it before or after. The only one that comes close to Neil is John Bonham from Led Zeppelin.
He triggers the brass instruments with his left foot, with different foot switches. All of the horn sounds he sampled himself. He did 2 solo albums burning for buddy, he was a big buddy rich fan.
My ALL time favorite drummers are Neil Peart, John Bonham (Led Zeppelin), Ian Paice (Deep Purple), Bill Ward (Black Sabbath). Keep up the good work 👍 🤘❤️🇨🇦
Just to add to some of the previous comments.... Neil Peart was already a peerless drummer, but decided that he needed to relearn his style and technique - so he found himself a drum teacher and more or less went back to basics. How many other wolrld-class drummers would even consider doing that after already spending decades at the top of their game? That's why Neil Peart was the GOAT.
I saw Neil play his solo 5 times. Jaw dropping perfect every time. The same every time. Decades of practice and touring. Rest in Peace Neil Elwood Peart. September 12th, 1952-January 7th, 2020. 🥁
You are correct that during that one section, he is triggering the brass instrument punches with electronic drum pads, that he is hitting to make the sound. However, in the jazz "big band" section that follows, he is play along with a pre-recorded track.
The brass sound is recorded to fit with the solo. As @AthonyWilson stated below, Neils biggest influence is Buddy Rich, one of the best jazz drummers ever. Neil issued 2-3 albums called Burning for Buddy which included several excellent drummers making appearances. I have seen Neils solos evolve in live performances over 40 years as I seen them live 38 times. I miss him so much.
Neil rarely did a solo which had much improvisation to it. He was obsessed with quality composition. This routine is 100% composed and rehearsed to be exactly what you hear.
I saw Rush in 2 of their tours back in the early 90's. Roll the Bones tour and Counterparts tour. Neil was a big influence in my drumming. He will always be my all-time favorite drummer, although I have other drummers I like very much.
Much like the NBA, there’s always going to be the goat argument. The same goes for drummers. It’s hard to say who’s the goat of drums, because of all the different styles of drumming. Neil is the greatest rock percussionist of all time, IMO. Before electronic drums came around, he Incorporated numerous orchestral, percussion instruments in his drum kit, and use them all in their music. Many point out the live version of Xanadu is a great example of this. He was also a pioneer in electronic drum sounds and orchestration. While many drummers in the 80s incorporated electronic drums in their kit, they were basically drums that sounded electronic. (if that makes sense). Neil would incorporate sounds that did not sound like a drum, compose drum parts, and use those in songs as well.
You don't just make up a solo like this, It has years in the making, RIP Neil. He was the one who got me into drums 30 some years ago. The best Hummm Maybe Buddy Rich.
Neil Peart definitely one of the very best. He wrote most of the lyrics for RUSH. He also wrote a few books, I read Ghost Rider and it was extremely good. Currently, you may want to check out another awesome drummer from TOOL, Daney Carey. Check out the LIVE drum cam video Pneuma. Another great drum video is GODSMACK drum dual between the singer and drummer, LIVE.
The horns are triggered by a foot pedal. But he incorperates both electic and acousitic and has the electric cymbals set to different inbetween sounds offsettring his accoustic cymbals.
To answer one of your questions - does he freestyle or is it rehearsed? It's a combination of the two. Neil has a certain framework that we always works in, but he allows himself improvisation within that framework, so each drum solo is unique - but the same. :)
The solo is pretty consistent from show to show, however…. The section when he steadily hits the kick drum once followed by the hi-hat twice the stick work was improvised nightly to demonstrate his ability to separate his feet and his hands. He also used an electronic drum pad to trigger parts of different songs and also the brass notes and sections of his solo. If you liked the jazz section at the end you should also check out his performance at the Buddy Rich tribute. Buddy was one of his heros along with John Bohnam (Led Zeppelin) and a few others.
All of Neil's solo's are the bomb. If you really want to see how good he is, find one of his solo's from the 70's or early 80's where there is less electronic drumming and more acoustic drumming. Not putting down the electronic drumming just a different type of drumming. The swing ending are electronic drums with triggers that play the parts when he strikes them.
He triggers all the trumpets using his electonic pads, best example here is 09:38 when he hit the left pad (of the two white ones to his right) multiple times... later he hits the right-most to trigger the main video sequence. He has other triggers for other notes spread around him (one to his left, a small one one in front (between snare and tom) and left foot pedal (there might be a right foot pedal too, not sure)
I was lucky enough to see Rush 5 times. He always has a free form section so every solo is somewhat unique. You can check out his solo from each decade and those are completely different. RIP Professor. Jon Bonham is considered best rock drummer. Molby Dick contains his solo. I prefer the ‘69 version but 70’s is amazing too.
The reality is that Neil incorporated a drum solo into his live performances even before he was in Rush. For decades it went from amazing to absolutely incredible. His solos were a journey through worldwide drumming styles. I recommend checking out the solo from “Rush in Rio”
The solo evolved, but it was a very calculated piece. Neil has commented that he struggled mentally regarding his drumming because he WAS so structured and precise that he had no satisfying improvisational component. Then he explains how he also expects to perform the pieces they play live as true to the writing as possible for the benefit of the paying fans. Basically, he can't risk having a bad show by relying too much on improvisation. He has said many times, "you are only as good as your last performance..."
There’s a reason that so many people consider him the greatest drummer ever. I know I do. Of course you can’t discount John Bonham, Phil Collins, Kieth Moon or Bill Bruford. The amazing thing about Neil is that he NEVER stopped working at his craft, always striving to get better.
OK so while Peart is one of the true masters one of the best drum performances I ever witnessed was with two drummers. The Grateful Dead who saw over 30 times had two drummers Billy Kreutzman and Mickey Hart. They sat on opposite sides of a huge stage. During their solo's you could see a drum stick go flying all the way across the stage only to be caught and used by the other drummer. It was truly astounding.
