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-   -   R.I.P. Neal Peart (http://www.oldrocketforum.com/showthread.php?t=18254)

jeffyjeep 01-10-2020 04:36 PM

R.I.P. Neal Peart
 
"The Vixen" just told me that the percussionist and the lyricist of my all-time favorite rock band, Rush, has just died: Neal Peart.

I first saw Rush at the Lansing, MI Civic Center in 1978--right after "A Farewell to Kings" LP was released. What a show! I've seem Rush a few times since then, but it never matched the magic of that small and intimate venue.

Peaceful rest to you Neal. You were without equal on the drum kit. And now, this old seadog is going to sob.

Scott6060842 01-10-2020 05:46 PM

Sad news for sure. Neil was devastated when he tragically lost his daughter some years ago so now they reunite in death.

I love Rush. The WMMS Cleveland connection (they call me the working man), the talent and the way they never sold out and did things their way. I'm glad I got finally see them a few years back in Columbus, Ohio (Time Machine Tour). Although not highly acclaimed, 2112 is one of my top 10 all time favorite albums.

jeffyjeep 01-10-2020 06:08 PM

2112 for sure! It was their breakout album. "2112", "Moving Pictures", and "Roll The Bones" are my (3) favorite Rush LP's (in that order.)

Good lord. Did I just type "LP?" :o

tbzep 01-11-2020 12:27 AM

Rush was my first ever concert outside of a few local cover bands in Murfreesboro and Nashvegas. There weren't many concerts afterward that could even start to compare. They were one of the best live acts ever.

Poor Alex had a bad batch of strings in that show. He broke a string at least 5 or 6 times. I'm not sure what strings he was using then, but he was in his G&L Strat phase at the time. He switched guitars on every song and the tech was retuning and restringing the whole show. I never saw so many broken strings, including many shows where the guy played just one or two guitars the whole night.

Neal just pulled a Todd Rundgren and banged on the drums all day... uh, night. He showed very little emotion other than a few concerned expressions where I'm sure he was upset with himself for not being absolutely perfect. He sounded absolutely perfect to me, though! His stuff was so complex that only he would ever know if he "messed up". If he did make a mistake, it was something small like leaving out a little fill...he kept time like a Swiss watch.

I loved everything they did up to and including Moving Pictures. The synth laden stuff after that didn't do much for me.

R.I.P. Neal

erik442 01-11-2020 12:39 AM

I still have the ticket stub from when I saw them at the Philly spectrum in December of 87. They have always been my favorite rock band since I was a kid. Talent without equal is right. May he rest in peace.

mycrofte 01-11-2020 05:49 AM

Rush has always been my favorite band. Saw them live outdoors up in Wisconsin in the 80's. I was home, on leave, and a friend gave me his ticket.
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jeffyjeep 01-11-2020 08:15 AM

1 Attachment(s)
I'm loving these testimonials! I found my first Rush concert ticket stub this morning. It was in the jacket of my "Farewell to Kings" LP. We were probably twelve rows back. The sound! The fury! The pyros! It was magical! The ticket was $8.

The last time I saw them was in the 90's during the "Roll the Bones" tour. The magic was gone--or maybe I just didn't feel it.

tbzep 01-11-2020 07:28 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffyjeep
The last time I saw them was in the 90's during the "Roll the Bones" tour. The magic was gone--or maybe I just didn't feel it.

Geddy was already having to work harder to hit the high notes in the 90's, but he still hit them much better than he has the last few years. I think a big part of the lack of magic for you was their much expanded catalog compared to the late 70's/early 80's. It included a lot of "progressive synth pop" for a lack of a better way to describe it. If you play a dozen soulless songs from those synth albums that came after Moving Pictures, you don't have time to fit in La Villa Strangiato and an album side of 2112 and still fit in the other good songs that came from the other albums that you were used to listening to.

jeffyjeep 01-11-2020 11:23 PM

Good point. The most memorable songs from the 1992 concert were “Trees”, “Freewill”, and a part of “2112” —all three of them 1980 and earlier.

The most memorable songs from the 1978 concert: every one of them! They opened with “Bastille Day” and closed with “A Passage to Bangkok”. Both Geddy and Alex were shredding double-necks for much of the concert. Neal was in constant motion and inexhaustible. They played for almost 3 hours. They were young. I was young. I went into the Navy the same year—still 17.

A Fish Named Wallyum 01-13-2020 05:30 AM

We saw them in 1982 at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio. One of my friends knew a girl at UD who was a friend of his girlfriend, and we went to visit her in her dorm. Three of the guys had girlfriends at home, but Bob and I grabbed a cooler of beer and walked through the halls. The doors were all open, and it seemed like we got invited in to every room we passed. The girls were lounging around in skimpy sleepwear, and at one point as we were walking down the hall Bob turned to me and said "Holy Schlitz, this is like Letters to Penhouse!" I had to agree. Got a bunch of invitations to come back and visit. Never did.
We had seats in the upper arena and it was like sitting in a fog bank. Some guys behind us had a propane powered bong. The Jon Butcher Axis opened. He was okay. Rush was awesome. One of the great nights of my teenage years.


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