Neil Peart--Drummer Extraordinaire of Rush

There are VERY special people that grace our planet from time to time. People in the right place at the right time with the talent to shine. Neil Peart was one of those people--IMHO. It is shocking to all of us out here that know of Neil that his passing was just announced! He was but 67 years of age and succumbed to brain cancer. Good God.

It was Neil's drumming and ability with words that brought Rush into its own as a Progressive Rock band. Bassist/Keyboardist Geddy Lee and Guitarist Alex Lifeson handled the music. But, it was Neil's lyric poetry that lead the band into all of the different worlds of thought that their catalog would eventually encompass. As a Drummer, he was a virtuoso. He took no prisoners!

He joined the band in 1974 and was first featured on Rush's second album "Fly By Night", after the original drummer John Rutsey dropped out. Listen to the first Rush album. Then, listen to "Fly By NIght". You will immediately notice Neil's contribution lyrically and in the drumming department. It was with that album that Rush began to earn it's title as "The Thinking Man's Rock Band".

I have played numerous selections from the repertoire of Rush on the Bass and Keyboards. If you play some of their stuff, you gain an appreciation for what Neil, Geddy and Alex created together.

I am going to write out the full lyrics for "Bastille Day" here to show you how--even early in Neil's time with Rush--his poetic ability was considerable. This tune is a historical commentary on the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris in July of 1789; one of the events that kicked off the French Revolution. That day is still celebrated in France. I will also interject that the lessons of that revolution and Neil's Peart's commentary on some of them are sober reminders for us today. That is one of the reasons Neil wrote the poem and Rush performed the tune set to it. And THAT is why I put the line, "Hear the echoes of the centuries! Power isn't all that money buys!" in my status box. How ironic that I would have very recently put that in my Xham status box! The population of the rich grows very slowly, the Middle Class is dying and the ranks of the poor and homeless are growing rapidly. The stupidity, indifference and greed of the the "haves" has, from time to time, caused great upheavals. Many times, the innocent are destroyed with the guilty in those fits of anger and vengeance. The French Revolution of 1789 is but one example of this.

BASTILLE DAY--From the Rush album "Caress of Steel"--Music by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. Lyrics by Neil Peart.

Oh, there's no bread! Let 'em eat cake! There's no end to what they'll take!
Flaunt the fruits of noble birth! Wash the salt into the earth!

But they're marching to Bastille Day! The guillotine will claim her bloody prize!
Free the dungeons of the innocent! The King will kneel and let this Kingdom rise!

Bloodstained velvet! Dirty lace! Naked fear on every face!
See them bow their heads to die! As we would bow as they rolled by!

And we're marching to Bastille Day! The guillotine will claim her bloody prize!
Sing, oh choirs of the Company! The King has kneeled! And let this kingdom rise!

Lessons taught, never learned! All around us anger burns!
Guide the future by the past! Long ago the mold was cast!

For they marched up to Bastille Day! The guillotine claimed her bloody prize!
Hear the echoes of the centuries! Power isn't all that money buys!



.......hear the echoes of the centuries......


Indeed.


PS--One of the things I didn't mention: Neil had two weeks.....TWO WEEKS!.......to learn Rush's song list before going on tour with them as their new drummer in '74. Check this dude out! A MONSTER drummer!