Neil Peart retires from music

[DragonGuitar]

Very sad to hear this, as I'm a big Rush fan and never got to see them live (although I almost made to the last show on R40, now I'm beating myself up for not making it happen). However, they might not be completely done: Geddy Lee clarifies Peart retirement rumours - Prog

 

[UV7BK4LIFE]

63 with a 6 year old? Yikes!

(He's younger than I thought)

He probably got destroyed at age 59 then.

 

[lemeker]

Very sad to hear this, as I'm a big Rush fan and never got to see them live (although I almost made to the last show on R40, now I'm beating myself up for not making it happen). However, they might not be completely done: Geddy Lee clarifies Peart retirement rumours - Prog

If you ever get the chance to, again, I highly recommend it. The best 3 piece band you will ever see. I've been lucky enough to see them 6 times. As a matter of fact Rush (Power Windows tour) was my first concert ever.

 

[wankerness]

Listened to Permanent Waves and Hemispheres, some good stuff on there. I was VERY familiar with Spirit of Radio and Freewill of course, and I'd heard "The Trees" several times cause it was in one of those Rock Band or Guitar Hero games, but the rest was all new to me. There really is some nutty bass playing on there, even though he uses a pick and therefore is a cheater. I'm going to have to get some good tabs of Hemisphere and play through it this weekend or something.

I just started Counterparts. I might like this even more, I like the modern guitar tone on stuff like "Spit it Out" cause I'm a heathen. It kind of reminds me of Falling into Infinity with the overall production and streamlining of their sound. I also like this more toned down version of Geddy. Classic though it might be, I really don't like the vocals on Freewill. Anyway, I'll keep listening. Thanks for the recs.

 

[lemeker]

Listened to Permanent Waves and Hemispheres, some good stuff on there. I was VERY familiar with Spirit of Radio and Freewill of course, and I'd heard "The Trees" several times cause it was in one of those Rock Band or Guitar Hero games, but the rest was all new to me. There really is some nutty bass playing on there, even though he uses a pick and therefore is a cheater. I'm going to have to get some good tabs of Hemisphere and play through it this weekend or something.

I just started Counterparts. I might like this even more, I like the modern guitar tone on stuff like "Spit it Out" cause I'm a heathen. It kind of reminds me of Falling into Infinity with the overall production and streamlining of their sound. I also like this more toned down version of Geddy. Classic though it might be, I really don't like the vocals on Freewill. Anyway, I'll keep listening. Thanks for the recs.

Counterparts is a stellar album. If you haven't yet, give Roll the Bones a spin. I'd also give Hold Your Fire a solid listen too.

 

[ASoC]

Listened to Permanent Waves and Hemispheres, some good stuff on there. I was VERY familiar with Spirit of Radio and Freewill of course, and I'd heard "The Trees" several times cause it was in one of those Rock Band or Guitar Hero games, but the rest was all new to me. There really is some nutty bass playing on there, even though he uses a pick and therefore is a cheater. I'm going to have to get some good tabs of Hemisphere and play through it this weekend or something.

I just started Counterparts. I might like this even more, I like the modern guitar tone on stuff like "Spit it Out" cause I'm a heathen. It kind of reminds me of Falling into Infinity with the overall production and streamlining of their sound. I also like this more toned down version of Geddy. Classic though it might be, I really don't like the vocals on Freewill. Anyway, I'll keep listening. Thanks for the recs.

What? Geddy has always played with his fingers. He just happens to play ridiculously hard and he has some pretty crazy fingernails on his right hand. He's said himself that he never liked using a pick.

 

[wankerness]

Seriously? It sounds like super-clonky pick playing ala a ton of guys in prog bands who I know for a fact use picks. That combined with really fast picking of single notes for long periods of time on stuff like "Animate" made it seem like a no-brainer. I've never seen the guy play nor seen a picture of him in action, so I didn't know!

I just looked it up and found interviews where he specifically says he tries to get a pick sound with fingers, so I think this is a reasonable mistake

 

[ASoC]

Yeah, he's probably one of the most monstrous finger style players there's ever been. He plays so loud, fast, and consistently from note to note, it's mind boggling. And the records don't hold a candle to live versions. I pretty much won't listen to the studio version of Freewill because Exit... Stage Left spoiled me. All 3 of those guys add so much to their songs when they play live

 

[QuantumCybin]

Playing a classic, Red Barchetta, from their most recent tour, R40. How he sings AND plays those bass lines at the same time....he is not of this Earth lol.

 

[ASoC]

Playing a classic, Red Barchetta, from their most recent tour, R40. How he sings AND plays those bass lines at the same time....he is not of this Earth lol.

Don't forget, he also plays synth pedals with his foot while still playing bass on some songs

Geddy Lee is one of my greatest heroes and really makes me wish I had been a bassist instead of a guitarist. That being said, it's seriously fun to play Alex's parts on their classic albums. The 2112 Overture is so fun, it should be a crime

 

[QuantumCybin]

Don't forget, he also plays synth pedals with his foot while still playing bass on some songs

Geddy Lee is one of my greatest heroes and really makes me wish I had been a bassist instead of a guitarist. That being said, it's seriously fun to play Alex's parts on their classic albums. The 2112 Overture is so fun, it should be a crime

Haha yeah I forgot to mention that! I went and listened to The Necromancer again...and holy sh!t man, for 1975 this was some heavy stuff. Such a raw recording, I actually really like how when Alex's solo comes in, there's no rhythm guitars. Just Ged and Neil absolutely killing their parts along with Lifeson's pissed off solo. Starts at around 4:25 in the song.



Yeah...my fanboyism is showing pretty hard right now

 

[ASoC]

Haha yeah I forgot to mention that! I went and listened to The Necromancer again...and holy sh!t man, for 1975 this was some heavy stuff. Such a raw recording, I actually really like how when Alex's solo comes in, there's no rhythm guitars. Just Ged and Neil absolutely killing their parts along with Lifeson's pissed off solo. Starts at around 4:25 in the song.

Yeah...my fanboyism is showing pretty hard right now

I've been convinced, ever since I started really listening to it, that The Necromancer might be one of the best songs they ever wrote (certainly one of Alex's best). As well as liking the back to back solos in the second part, the first part is the one that astounds me the most. At some times (like the beginning of the solo) there's as many as 5 different guitar parts layered at once. And the effect is awesome. It perfectly creates that sense of dread and foreboding that the lyrics describe. The solo in the last part is awesome too, you can really hear Pete Townshend's influence on Alex in that one

So yeah, I'm a fanboy too

Edit: Are you using headphones? The studio magic is a large part of what makes The Necromancer so cool. The backwards guitar passages swelling in and out of the texture and panning side to side is one of the coolest things ever. I also love that 70s tone and production. Caress of Steel is a masterpiece to me. Even if the band themselves are dismissive of it (a damn shame too)

 

[Bloody_Inferno]

Don't forget, he also plays synth pedals with his foot while still playing bass on some songs

Geddy Lee is one of my greatest heroes and really makes me wish I had been a bassist instead of a guitarist.

The fact that he juggles bass, vocals AND keys without missing a beat is what drew me on to Geddy. He's one of my biggest heroes on that merit alone.

Even when he upped the ante with more keyboards during the 80s, I still loved it. Geddy still holds the low end down when he's not playing bass with either synth pedals or his left hand. He's been doing that long before bands were playing to backing tracks so that deserves a high level of respect. Hell, I own a Roland PK-5 and a Keith McMillen 12-Step so I can play keybaord parts live while still playing guitar or bass. All because of Geddy worship.

 

[Alimination]

I like how this is slowly turning into a Rush appreciation thread. Hope it continues!

My favorite Rush moment!

 

[ASoC]

I'm digging the Rush appreciation too! I can't really talk about Rush with my irl friends (only one of them is a fanboy like me) so it's cool to hear everyone else's perspective on one of my favorite bands. I have to say, one of the neatest things about them that I haven't touched upon yet is how timeless their songs are. I cried the other day listening to Geddy wail in the Soliloquy portion of 2112 before Alex's solo kicks in and embodies all the sorrow of a life devoid of art and music. And I must say that Circumstances also speaks to me on a personal level. Anybody else have any Rush songs that they connect to like that? I know Subdivisions is really popular among the, often nerdy and outcast, Rush fanbase

 

[QuantumCybin]

Middletown Dreams will always resonate with me because I come from a Middletown. Just a sleepy retirement community where people become comfortable being disillusioned. But man if those lyrics about dreams transporting desires aren't beautiful. Plus, Lifeson's tone in that song is amazing. Crystal clear. And yes, I fully support a Rush appreciation thread. They're by far my most listened to band of all time.

 

[Tr3vor]

The necromancer is absolutely awesome. Xanadu is also one of my favorites.

 

[QuantumCybin]

Yeah, Xanadu is a classic. You know what's also good is Headlong Flight from Clockwork Angels. I love the little tribute to Bastille Day they throw in there. Also, The Garden is absolutely beautiful. One of Lifeson's best solos in my opinion.

 

[QuantumCybin]

Sorry for the double post but I just remembered there's a really good bootleg of their 1979 Hemispheres tour on youtube called "Universe Divided". Here's Cygnus X1 Book II from May 28th, 1979. So amazing.

 

[technomancer]

Absolutely love Rush, very glad I made it out to see them again on the Clockwork Angels tour.

Hopefully they continue to do studio projects, but I know Neal has some serious tendonitis issues so not sure it'll happen.