![]() ![]() In an age of envy and relativism – and mystical fanaticism, for that matter – it can be shocking to hear someone sing about earning your way, or promoting reason and accountability. Let me reiterate that Neil’s style can be clumsy and sophomoric despite its best intentions, but I don’t mind the Rand-ish thoughts in comparison to the confessional, fantastical, or hypocritical things that you might hear elsewhere. At other times, Neil balances verbiage with flow, and clarity with poetry, and I would say that his best lyrics emerged around the time the band made its best music, in the early 1980s.Ī lot of those who brickbat Peart’s lyrics take shots at his early Ayn Rand influence as well. Overblown narratives like “2112” and “Hemispheres” are Spinal Tap fodder despite having solid ideas at their core. Later lyrics ditched the fiction but retained the rigid, pseudo-poetic character. Peart’s lyrics present some problems in that their iambic stiffness and fantasy character (at least in the Tolkeinish ‘70s) don’t age well. I don’t know of any other rock drummer who takes the craft more seriously than Neil. I’m not one of those who regard Neil Peart as the greatest drummer in the whole wide universe, but he’s inventive and likes challenging himself. Lee also started playing keyboards, first as a side item, then as a main instrument to enhance the writing. Geddy Lee is well known for his hyperactive bass style and high singing voice, which gradually descended from its initial wailings. A couple of obvious influences aside, Alex Lifeson devised an original mix of rhythmic prowess and vivid solos, more proficient than the average bear. Individually, the band members each set a high standard for themselves. Rush isn’t a jam band, and one could argue the opposite: if you spend time creating good parts and arrangements for songs, why change them on a whim live? ![]() (I don’t count throwing a drumstick in the air as being dangerous.) But I’m being unfair. As someone who gravitated toward jazz, King Crimson’s improvisations, etc., I came to assume that musicians with Rush’s ability ought to take chances when they perform, but they generally play it safe. T-Shirt in the audience can air drum everything that happens on stage. In other words, the songs become holy writ, recreated in performance where Mr. The only problem I’ve really ever had is that they tended to adhere to Big Rock Band Rules: Write the album, record it, learn how to play it live, go play it live, repeat cycle. Bassist and vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer Neil Peart are clear-headed musicians with a work ethic beyond reproach. Whether one likes their music or not, Rush is an admirable group. B) Nothing else on the stove at the moment.Ĭ) I don’t mind if it shanks my credibility with jazz-only folk.ĭ) The glory days of artistically progressive rock groups are long over – notwithstanding a few modern exceptions – and given the sorry state of today’s popular music, why am I apologizing?Į) All of the above, plus a couple of cold ones. ![]()
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