Farewell to Neil Peart

The spontaneous genius and ripe glory of the late Neil Peart spawned a unique generation of hard rock ‘n’ roll music players and listeners.

Peart’s youthful obsession with books and music enabled him to become the percussionist, drummer and lyric writer for the Canadian rock trio Rush.

From 1968-1974, Rush singer and bassist Geddy Lee along with his best friend, Alex Lifeson, the guitarist were a stereotypical hard rock band. In 1974, when Rush first toured the U.S., the band acquired Neil Peart.

With the acquisition of Peart in 1974, Lee and Lifeson had found a drummer that was able to keep time with their intricate musical notes and changes. By the time Rush released their third album, “Caress of Steel” in 1975, Peart was their full-time lyric writer. Egos immediately took a sidestep in the odyssey of Rush; music by Lee and Lifeson, words by Peart.   

   

Beyond the idea, presentation is everything and must take on the spark of possibility from an inner ear potential to a realized work, Peart said in the 1989 “Presto” tour program book. Rush reflects and responds to life and filters it through their own lenses, Peart said.

When 67-year-old Peart died on January 7 of glioblastoma, an incurable and aggressive brain tumor, https://ultimateclassicrock.com/rush-thank-fans/ the musical gods shed tears on Earth while possibly rejoicing  in the heavens far beyond the Milky Way.

At the beginning of making a new album, we have no idea what well come up with, only the desire to do it, and the confidence we can. In that sense we don’t know what we’re doing, but it seems right, Peart said upon the release of the bands 13^th studio album “Presto.”

“Roll the Bones,” Rush’s first album of the 1990s, yet again show cased Rush’s musical prowess, and Peart’s wisdom and straight forward philosophy. We continue to learn, grow and change. Keep moving, roll the bones, gather no rust. A dream is over only until you give up or it comes true, that’s irony, Peart wrote in the Rush “Roll the Bones” tour book.

As someone who has an infinite passion for words on the printed pages of time, and the tragic passing of rock ‘n’ roll icon Neil Peart, I decided it was time to re-enter into the blogosphere.  

The book, “Rush 1977-2004” made this blog possible. When the album “Permanent Waves” found its way to the masses in 1980, “Personal Waves,” by Neil Peart pointed out an interesting fact about the albums cover. The album cover features a young woman walking nonchalantly amidst a hurricane destroying everything in its path. The newspaper on the bottom left blowing away has unreadable words on it. Peart and his two counterparts in Rush wanted the front page of 1948s The Chicago Daily Tribune that read; “Dewey Defeats Truman.” 

Several decades later, the heads of the Chicago Daily Tribune newspaper were still embarrassed by their Major Factual Error in 1948, and would not allow Rush to show that on the cover of “Permanent Waves.”  

The percussion domain and words of Neil Peart have forever fueled my restless soul.

You might have lived your live as an exemplary Christian only to be met at the gates of heaven by Mohammed. Anything can happen, we're only immortal for a limited time, Peart said.

Mark Izzy Schurr