You’re dead on, Andrew. Everything in his catalogue is “intentional”. He has said “There are improvisational drummers and there are compositional drummers. I am definitely a compositional drummer. I play it the same way every single time. It’s how it was designed and meant to be played”.
Some of his critics often suggested that Professor was far to machine like. He was too perfect and that he could not adlib or flow based on mood etc., like John Bonham. Those kinds of people I used to think grew up with participation ribbons. I new that if I saw them live or heard an album I would get exactly the same product whether I liked it or not. After all these years I still love to listen to Tom Sawyer or XXZ(ed) about once a week and I wonder if they ever got better. It was so consistent I could never tell.
Neil was the principal lyricist of the band, but what impressed me was Neil using musical subdivisions to work alongside the message of the song. Rest In Peace Professor.
"Ride is very pingy." Heh. Neil played the same Zildjian 22" A Ping Ride for over three decades before Sabian offered to make him a signature line, Sabian Paragon. Neil sold scores of Ping Rides for Zildjian before then, though - every drummer my age had to have that sound. That rack tom you admire so much, closest to the snare, is a 13x9. Neil was quoted as saying 13x9 is basically the platonic ideal of the tom, and that he could build any kit around one great-sounding 13x9. 13s and I have never gotten along, but I'm not here to argue with The Professor. Given his remarks, Neil would be pleased that the sound of that one drum jumped out at you above the others. And yes, each and every one of Neil's drum parts were through-composed, and up until very late in his career, he played the same part the same way every time, just as you play the timpani part in the Ode To Joy the same way every time. He didn't "play drums" on Rush tunes - he *composed* drum parts for Rush tunes, and always executed them faithfully. He was not screwing around.
Most drummers who have bought multiple off the shelf standard rock kits will have a pile of 13s in the corner :) must be the lucky size... but, if you can get it to work for you; man, the most versatile drum size on the planet.
Because of my first and only 13” tom, I never owned another odd-size drum in my life. It was a theory I came up with; that odd-sized drums sounded bad; looking back on my theory, I’d now say that I was full of shit. Having said *that* to this day all my drum dimensions can be equally divided by 2 🤔🤷🏻
Got a 22" dry /ping ride. Have had it for about 35 years and have never seen another combo ride since. The kit I picked up when I was 17, was a custom made TAMA 8 piece, everything oversized. My floor tom sounds like a third bass drum. Never getting rid of these drums. They'll be passed down to whoever wants them.👍🏼🙂🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
As soon as you said “intention”… I thought…yep, that would be a pretty accurate one-word description of Neil, his playing, and his life. Thanks for another great reaction!
So many Rush fans relate to this song, since so many of us grew up (like the band themselves) in the suburbs. The Signals album was kind of panned in my high school because the reliance on keyboards took them away from the earlier, heavier sound, and in fact, I wasn't sure I liked the album when I bought it, but Neil's lyrics as you pointed out, are incredibly deep and I was happy that Alex's solo work on this album still kicked ass. It's kind of surreal because I've gone from really relating to "drawn like moths, they drift into the city; the timeless old attraction, cruising for the action, lit up like a firefly just to feel the living night" as a 17 year old when this album came out to "well, some will sell their dreams for small desires, or lose the race to rats, get caught in ticking traps, and start to dream of somewhere to relax their restless flight. Somewhere out of a memory, of lighted streets on quiet nights" as a 50+ year old.
Rob - I've thought of the same thing recently. The first verse applied to me back in my teens. Plus, my kids are now in their early 20s, and the song applies to their desire to chart their own path, coming from a suburban background where their choices are considered unusual. But it has also hit me that the end of the song now applies to me in my 50s. My desire to be a musician ultimately took a back seat to having a career, family, house, etc. Not that these are bad things - quite the opposite. But "relaxing my restless flight" resonates with me because that's still a part of me, and it started when I lived on a different lighted street on quiet nights. The lyrics really hit home on multiple levels. As a complete aside, "Losing It" was never my favorite tune. But my daughter was a dancer and hurt her knee, which ended her dancing. Every time I hear that song now I get a little choked up. The imagery from that song mirrors my daughter's situation. That's a song/lyrical combination that I didn't fully appreciate until I was much older. Peart's ability to craft such thoughtful lyrics around these issues is certainly one of the reasons I have always liked this band.
I was a freshman in high school when this came out, and it couldn't have described me any better. I was a classic nerd trying to be cool, but always cast out. It was one of may favorite songs for years before I understood the complexity of what Neil was doing on it.
I watched him play this from second row center on the Clockwork Angels tour in 2013. It was amazing. So many awesome RUSH show memories over the last 40 years for me. Simply the best.
Rush often presents an idea that works on multiple levels. Not only are the houses subdivided, but the people are subdivided. And the band is using subdivisions to bring the story to you. A great example of this is the jacket to the original vinyl for the Moving Pictures album. Workers are moving the pictures, which are themselves emotionally moving to the people watching them, all the while on the inner sleeve a crew is filming the scene as part of a moving picture.
His drums parts are so well composed and put together and such an integral part of the song. I could tell exactly what part of the song he was in, and hear the bass, vocal, and guitar, just from his drumming. I've heard this song ... THOUSANDS of times but I'm not a drummer. Still, I knew exactly where he was in the song based on the drum part. Just Amazing to me. To me, most drum parts are interchangeable within a song. Not his.
Your comment reminds me of something I wish he had talked about: Neil's arrangements. One thing he did that always stood out to me vs other drummers is to invent new parts for each verse -- you can never ignore any part and assume he's just repeating the old beats. Anyway, I think that's why you can easily tell which part of the song he's in.
I'm not a percussionist either (I haven't touched an instrument since High school band), but I've recently really begun to appreciate Rush and especially Neil's work in the group. "Subdivisions" especially stands out to me because it's a song where the drum kit often carries the melody. In most groups, it's the backbeat, the heartbeat of the song, important but not really noticable (until they do a drum solo). In this song, the drums are what move you through each verse, while the guitars and keys are providing the steady beat to keep the time.
A superb analysis video. The lyrics to this song really resonated with me as a kid growing up. I wasn't one of the cool kids, and was quite nerdy and shy. Rush's music and lyrics were part of the backbone to my childhood growing up, and still with me to this day.
Neil worked a lot in person with DW Drums to develop the tone of his kit. Playing with different combinations of wood types and grain direction until the sound was just so. It was something that he put a lot of thought, work and development in to when he had the resources and reputation to do so. I'm sure he would be pleased to know people noticed the impeccable tone and tuning on his kit. The same went for his cymbals. He released a few different custom cymbal lines over the years with Zildjian and Sabian. I used to have a set of the A Customs he developed with Zildjian. Also very bright. Rest in the pocket professor.
Neil said he tuned his toms slightly high so that when he hit them hard (as he generally did, so the details could come through the live mix with loud guitar and bass) the tone would bend to where he wanted it. He also tuned his snare very bright (as did Stewart Copeland), which makes it ring more.
This song spoke directly to the socially misaligned kids like me attending high school in the suburbs of Toronto. On the weekends we would cruise Toronto's downtown "Yonge Street strip", going to the arcades to play Asteroids, and buying records at Sam the Record Man. I don't know if there is any other song which quite captures that time or experience so directly. This was very much a song written about my lived experience at the time. Thanks for reacting, I'm a bit late to this one but enjoyed the nostalgic hit.
Rush has a high point that begins with the founding of the band, and ending with their retirement. Also, as a fan, I suggest you listen to the final song a few times before listening to this drum track. As he plays this, I can hear the rest of the song in my head. You don't have the memory of the song to know what part of the song you're in.
I've been finding something new in Neil's lyrics on that album every year since the 80s. This was the album where they made their strongest move away from sci-fi stories and fantasies, and more toward broadly relatable topics. Like getting stuffed into a locker at high school or ignored by the girls at the mall, for instance.
You really ought to have a look at Neil Preat DW 30th Anniversary kit check out. It was the first time Neil sat behind his newly created R30 kit and took it for a test drive. Not only does the thing sound amazing having been tuned, mic and recorded so well, but also shows his facility on the instrument even when just warming up. Love how he pushes and pulls time so effortless why keeping the pulse going and moving from upbeat to down beat on the hi hats, back and forth. You’ll love it.
Fantastic, keep them coming! "Losing It" from this same album is another great option, particularly if you want to explore unusual time signature structure... though, there may not be an isolated drum track.
Neil made a 90 minute documentary film named "The Anatomy of a Drum Solo". I've seen it posted (maybe not legally) on UA-cam. If you haven't seen it you might find it interesting. There is also an awesome video of the band sharing banter and conversation over dinner which is amazing.
I appreciated your deeper dig, especially in to the lyrics. For we fans, as good as the music is the lyrics really meant a lot to us =) Enjoying your discovery of Rush quite a bit.
All of rush' s improvs were extremely well rehearsed ! 😉 I remember Alex playing a bum note live . He nearly wet himself laughing ! It was such a rare occurrence. And about 15,000 of us all joined in . It was a great moment of band and audience comoradery. Peace and love brother 👍🏻☮❤
This song has a lot of connection, and personal meaning for people of a certain age when it came out.... Never forget the genius that was Neil Peart the lyricist...
This is him rehearsing for Rush's 2010-2011 "Time Machine Tour." During this rehearsal process, Neil filmed his instructional video, "Take Center Stage," which is where this footage is lifted from.
Neil was an amazingly heady player. His lyrics were indicative of his genius which was also reflected in his drumming. There were no accidents when Neil composed and played a tune.
Love your channel, it's neat hearing all these songs I've loved and listened to for 30-40 years new from your perspective. Makes me appreciate them even more, thanks again.
Intention is what makes Neil the best drummer ever. It wasn't that he could play such crazy stuff (although he could and did) it was why he chose what he chose to play. Just incredible!
I'm a guitarist and a wannabe drummer that has always been obsessed with watching this man play, and this is my favorite song to watch him on. My favorite part of watching him is the stoic expression that never changes regardless of the difficulty of the song. My favorite drum "licks" are the crossover hi-hat fills at the end of some of the verses... but the last quarter of it is insane, with him hitting the china crash alternatively with the ride, and with all kinds of crazy stuff going on the snare... it blows me away, and he does it to perfection every time with not so much as a flinch on his face. I would like to have seen you break that down. Is that a common thing to alternate back and forth like that... and over such a wide area? Like you said in the video, everything with him is deliberate and necessary to the composition of the song. Every time I've seen them live, I watched him like a hawk, and he never altered it.
Neil pearts final shorter solo in the middle section of WHERES MY THING, HERE IT IS, live in Dallas, with a great bass playing start to the instrumental by geddy Lee. Best wishes from the UK.
What Peart does with ride, hi-hat, snare, and bass in the introduction was what sold me on Rush when I first heard the band in the early 90s. His ability to do something that interesting on time told me that this was a musician and a band that were masters of their craft.
Absolutely love your vids, especially the Rush. I'm not a drummer 😂. I play bass. Use to play in a Rush tribute band. U always make it a point to Not just talk about how great Neil was but also Geddy and Alex. They were music for musician's 🎶👍🙏💪
I was a sophomore in high school when this came out . Lots of my friends didn't like it because it wasn't what they expected them to sound like after Moving Pictures. " keyboard's!!" . They changed from album to album always. I loved it .
Andrew you were also right as subdivisions in the musical sense (as well a the housing sense) the prof was always using words and themes with multiple meanings and metaphors as per "moving pictures" etc etc, his aim was to make to think and work it out or take from it what you wish
You may have seen it already, but there's a video on the Tube of a Rush show where the head on the tom you were pointing out broke. The band just kept chugging along as if nothing happened while Neil's tech pulled the tom, replaced the head and put it back during the song. Kind of like a NASCAR pit stop experience.
There's a guy on you tube. And his name is Joel something. And the video is called R40 a tribute to Neil Peart. And the guy is really good. He's got on headphones and playing a medley of Rush songs to a track. You can faintly hear Geddy and Alex in the background. But this guy obviously studied some Neil and hes nailing it.
Really appreciate you exploring Neil Peart and Rush. Subdivisions was one of my first exposures to the band back in the early 80s. I've been a fan ever since. I encourage you to take a look at one of the final songs in their decades-long career, "Headlong Flight". Wonderful example of all three exercising their prowess
One of the things that is so damn impressive about Neil you see in his drum solo. His feet are playing in one time signature and his hands are playing in a completely different time signature.
The fact Neil composed this song on a different kit with three toms in front, and toms over the high hat. On the RUSH R40 tour they made a recreation of his original kit from the 70's. Neil changed and used several kits over the years. As a long time Drummer and RUSH fan, I prefer the tradition set up with three Toms in front over the double bass drum set. But it was interesting that Neil was always growing and changing his kit and progressing his drumming. As far as this song.. it very much reflects what is was like growing up in Canada and feeling like an outsider. Lyrically Subdivsion and drumming wise is one of those songs that really stands out as a classic Rush Song.
The first word I learned how to spell was in my dads 1987 Nissan Sentra outside the laundry matt in Phoenix AZ when I was just a young lad was "Rush". I think he got tired of asking him to play the blue cd with the bolt on it (Counterparts).
Subdivisions can pertain to the suburban neighborhoods that are the focus of the song as well as the cliques we separate each other into, especially during our teen yrs. Genius.
Each song is basically an amazing drum solo, with fantastic lyrics and supporting instruments. I'm sure a lot of people attended concerts just to hear Peart play.
In one video you had asked if he was ambidextrous. I think you’re right about that. This song is a good example of that displays some of that clearly. He has some unusual changes that are difficult if you’re not ambidextrous to some degree.
You will sleep much easier at night once you allow yourself to know your listening to the best most technically perfect drummer to ever play the drums. I read someone's post that said "The world is billions if years old, and you just happened to be alive in the same time Neil peart was".
The sounds you describe about Neil Peart's drums are all familiar to Rush fans. One of his trademarks were those heavy tom fills. Everything had a purpose. O Baterista is a great drum solo. Check out the song "One Man Army" by Canadian band Our Lady Peace. Drummer Jeremy Taggart has said no one has been able to accurate replicate his fill. It's wild.
So Neil has his signature Sabian line here called the Paragon which is still for sale to this day. (Yes they made a whole custom line for him!) And the reason why the ride has so much definition is because the ride is a SUPER heavy ride. The ride is 8lb/3.63kg!
I’m not a drummer, but I know some of you use the same cymbals for years, or even decades. Read in one of his books that he went through several sets of cymbals on each tour. That’s hitting hard.
i dont know if neil peart was the greatest drummer who ever lived BUT I DAMN WELL KNOW HE WAS THE GREATEST LYRICISTS WHO EVER LIVED i will die defending that hill any day the guy was a genius
Neil's drums were DW. DW made special made drums for Neil, they worked him to get the special sound that he wanted. The same goes for his symbols Some symbol company worked with to get that special sound that he wanted.
I get such a kick out of you (Andy) seeing this stuff for the first time, Moving Pictures was such an earthquake for me and my friends that (and I hate to say it) we almost took Neil for granted for years. Many of my friends who are extreme metal drummer types all grew up on him as well... and I love the heavy stuff, I wonder if his complexity made us crave more ? As you have found out there are metal drummers doing amazing things, in retrospect Neil really had more impact across the landscape than he ever gets credit for.
Over time they would do change-ups in songs,. but they were always intentional. They started adding occasional segments/transitions between songs where they'd have more fun playing around...
wanted to bring to light a song off their latest, Clockwork Angels, it's not drum extravaganza but him playing the rhythm to the music. They included a string ensemble on this tour, Clockwork Angels for a few tunes on one of which is - The Garden Live. Very interesting use of bass and quite appropriate lyrics in reflection of one's life. Did such a emotionally, reflective job to bring this tune alive. If not to post a reaction, maybe give a listen to this tune, believe you would find it enjoyable in watching a lot of your other musical tastes, cheers.
You and niel would've got along great you talk just like him when it comes to music, drums, books you need to check out one of his interviews very interesting
I love his drum tone. A lot of drummers/producers can't seem to work with the open sound of large shallow toms and tend to err towards excessive damping or fusion sizes. Each to his/her own I guess. Personally; for drum tone my favourite 3 are Neil, Nicko and Vinnie Appice - all using a combination of drum size, depth, head thickness and tuning to arrive at very distinctive and musical open drum tones.
I love watching you break down and analyze each of the drum videos and how they differ from each other. If possible, could you do some punk rock drumming breakdowns and reactions? Preferably Erick "Smelly" Sandin from the band NOFX or Derek Grant from my favorite band ever, The Suicide Machines. If not them, any punk drummer. Punk rock and Hardcore always have fast, insane drumming to go along with simple bar cord guitar playing. Thanks either way!
Thats how they were as far as playing songs as written and recorded. But on tour they seemed to always pick one song and have fun with it . Like working man. They made a reggae kinda song out of then shredded their way out. Cloeer to the heart at the end Geddy and Alex went off on a dueling guitars kinda thing. Or Neil might throw in a drum solo on one. They actually had an alter-ego called Rash . And they would totally spoof their songs. Like do a polka version or a country version and just totally have fun with it. There's a video of rash on UA-cam where they were dressed up in costumes and all and acting out a little skit it's hilarious you should check it out.
Here’s a link to a copy of (Neil Peart: Taking center stage : subdivisions drum lesson) .. if still interested.. I will post the link in a separate comment incase YT shadows it ... but you can find it by searching the title I posted or by user : methanebomb
Signals was their move into their synth pop period during the 80s, following their move to more radio-friendly length songs from Permanent Waves onward.
A local station in my area uses the very beginning of 2112 as a part of their radio bumps, and it always makes me mad because I know they'll never play and never have played 2112 before. They only play subdivisions, freewill and spirit of the radio when they play Rush, which is fine, but Everytime I hear that 2112 intro I get hyped, but then I remember that they're not actually going to play it lol.
Neil writes all rush lyrics. Alex and geddy jointly wrote almost all music. They historically and famously always have split all writing proceeds three ways equally. There might be a few songs where the music was geddy or Alex alone, but the vast majority were both.
Going forward anytime you mention subdivisions in your react videos, you need to insert the clip of Alex (Neil really) saying “subdivisions” from the music video at 1:53-1:54. Fun little gag
You’re dead on, Andrew. Everything in his catalogue is “intentional”. He has said “There are improvisational drummers and there are compositional drummers. I am definitely a compositional drummer. I play it the same way every single time. It’s how it was designed and meant to be played”.
Love it!
Some of his critics often suggested that Professor was far to machine like. He was too perfect and that he could not adlib or flow based on mood etc., like John Bonham. Those kinds of people I used to think grew up with participation ribbons. I new that if I saw them live or heard an album I would get exactly the same product whether I liked it or not. After all these years I still love to listen to Tom Sawyer or XXZ(ed) about once a week and I wonder if they ever got better. It was so consistent I could never tell.
Everything in his LIFE was intentional. Quote: "Every day I ask myself 'what's the most excellent thing I can do today?'"
Love this comment.
I agree. A song can change somewhat drastically when the drums aren't kept as originally played.🙂👍🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Neil was the principal lyricist of the band, but what impressed me was Neil using musical subdivisions to work alongside the message of the song. Rest In Peace Professor.
"Ride is very pingy." Heh. Neil played the same Zildjian 22" A Ping Ride for over three decades before Sabian offered to make him a signature line, Sabian Paragon. Neil sold scores of Ping Rides for Zildjian before then, though - every drummer my age had to have that sound.
That rack tom you admire so much, closest to the snare, is a 13x9. Neil was quoted as saying 13x9 is basically the platonic ideal of the tom, and that he could build any kit around one great-sounding 13x9. 13s and I have never gotten along, but I'm not here to argue with The Professor. Given his remarks, Neil would be pleased that the sound of that one drum jumped out at you above the others.
And yes, each and every one of Neil's drum parts were through-composed, and up until very late in his career, he played the same part the same way every time, just as you play the timpani part in the Ode To Joy the same way every time. He didn't "play drums" on Rush tunes - he *composed* drum parts for Rush tunes, and always executed them faithfully. He was not screwing around.
Sabians that Neil uses where and still made near me in new Brunswick Canada
Most drummers who have bought multiple off the shelf standard rock kits will have a pile of 13s in the corner :) must be the lucky size... but, if you can get it to work for you; man, the most versatile drum size on the planet.
Because of my first and only 13” tom, I never owned another odd-size drum in my life. It was a theory I came up with; that odd-sized drums sounded bad; looking back on my theory, I’d now say that I was full of shit. Having said *that* to this day all my drum dimensions can be equally divided by 2 🤔🤷🏻
@Loss fer’ Words He actually played 13" Quick Beats for a long time.
Got a 22" dry /ping ride. Have had it for about 35 years and have never seen another combo ride since. The kit I picked up when I was 17, was a custom made TAMA 8 piece, everything oversized. My floor tom sounds like a third bass drum. Never getting rid of these drums. They'll be passed down to whoever wants them.👍🏼🙂🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
That was FUCKIN SWEET!!!!!!!!!.......plus a ring in the TOM -BONUS
As soon as you said “intention”… I thought…yep, that would be a pretty accurate one-word description of Neil, his playing, and his life. Thanks for another great reaction!
You got it Paul!
I’m tired just watching him. Can’t imagine playing that hard for a three hour concert! Miss him dearly 😢
So many Rush fans relate to this song, since so many of us grew up (like the band themselves) in the suburbs. The Signals album was kind of panned in my high school because the reliance on keyboards took them away from the earlier, heavier sound, and in fact, I wasn't sure I liked the album when I bought it, but Neil's lyrics as you pointed out, are incredibly deep and I was happy that Alex's solo work on this album still kicked ass.
It's kind of surreal because I've gone from really relating to "drawn like moths, they drift into the city; the timeless old attraction, cruising for the action, lit up like a firefly just to feel the living night" as a 17 year old when this album came out to "well, some will sell their dreams for small desires, or lose the race to rats, get caught in ticking traps, and start to dream of somewhere to relax their restless flight. Somewhere out of a memory, of lighted streets on quiet nights" as a 50+ year old.
Rob - I've thought of the same thing recently. The first verse applied to me back in my teens. Plus, my kids are now in their early 20s, and the song applies to their desire to chart their own path, coming from a suburban background where their choices are considered unusual.
But it has also hit me that the end of the song now applies to me in my 50s. My desire to be a musician ultimately took a back seat to having a career, family, house, etc. Not that these are bad things - quite the opposite. But "relaxing my restless flight" resonates with me because that's still a part of me, and it started when I lived on a different lighted street on quiet nights. The lyrics really hit home on multiple levels.
As a complete aside, "Losing It" was never my favorite tune. But my daughter was a dancer and hurt her knee, which ended her dancing. Every time I hear that song now I get a little choked up. The imagery from that song mirrors my daughter's situation. That's a song/lyrical combination that I didn't fully appreciate until I was much older. Peart's ability to craft such thoughtful lyrics around these issues is certainly one of the reasons I have always liked this band.
I was a freshman in high school when this came out, and it couldn't have described me any better. I was a classic nerd trying to be cool, but always cast out. It was one of may favorite songs for years before I understood the complexity of what Neil was doing on it.
I watched him play this from second row center on the Clockwork Angels tour in 2013. It was amazing. So many awesome RUSH show memories over the last 40 years for me. Simply the best.
Rush often presents an idea that works on multiple levels. Not only are the houses subdivided, but the people are subdivided. And the band is using subdivisions to bring the story to you. A great example of this is the jacket to the original vinyl for the Moving Pictures album. Workers are moving the pictures, which are themselves emotionally moving to the people watching them, all the while on the inner sleeve a crew is filming the scene as part of a moving picture.
His drums parts are so well composed and put together and such an integral part of the song. I could tell exactly what part of the song he was in, and hear the bass, vocal, and guitar, just from his drumming. I've heard this song ... THOUSANDS of times but I'm not a drummer. Still, I knew exactly where he was in the song based on the drum part. Just Amazing to me. To me, most drum parts are interchangeable within a song. Not his.
Your comment reminds me of something I wish he had talked about: Neil's arrangements. One thing he did that always stood out to me vs other drummers is to invent new parts for each verse -- you can never ignore any part and assume he's just repeating the old beats. Anyway, I think that's why you can easily tell which part of the song he's in.
@@bozimmermanThanks for your insight! Cool!
I'm not a percussionist either (I haven't touched an instrument since High school band), but I've recently really begun to appreciate Rush and especially Neil's work in the group. "Subdivisions" especially stands out to me because it's a song where the drum kit often carries the melody. In most groups, it's the backbeat, the heartbeat of the song, important but not really noticable (until they do a drum solo). In this song, the drums are what move you through each verse, while the guitars and keys are providing the steady beat to keep the time.
A superb analysis video. The lyrics to this song really resonated with me as a kid growing up. I wasn't one of the cool kids, and was quite nerdy and shy. Rush's music and lyrics were part of the backbone to my childhood growing up, and still with me to this day.
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing :)
Neil worked a lot in person with DW Drums to develop the tone of his kit. Playing with different combinations of wood types and grain direction until the sound was just so. It was something that he put a lot of thought, work and development in to when he had the resources and reputation to do so. I'm sure he would be pleased to know people noticed the impeccable tone and tuning on his kit. The same went for his cymbals. He released a few different custom cymbal lines over the years with Zildjian and Sabian. I used to have a set of the A Customs he developed with Zildjian. Also very bright. Rest in the pocket professor.
Cheers David!
Quite possibly your best reaction to Neil’s work yet! Excellent!
I would've bought tickets just for this. What a master he was 🙏🏼
Andrew,
Thank you so much for showcasing Neil's work. He was just an amazing drummer with a true composer attitude when he played. What a legend! 🤟
Couldn't agree more Mike!
Neil said he tuned his toms slightly high so that when he hit them hard (as he generally did, so the details could come through the live mix with loud guitar and bass) the tone would bend to where he wanted it. He also tuned his snare very bright (as did Stewart Copeland), which makes it ring more.
This song spoke directly to the socially misaligned kids like me attending high school in the suburbs of Toronto. On the weekends we would cruise Toronto's downtown "Yonge Street strip", going to the arcades to play Asteroids, and buying records at Sam the Record Man. I don't know if there is any other song which quite captures that time or experience so directly. This was very much a song written about my lived experience at the time. Thanks for reacting, I'm a bit late to this one but enjoyed the nostalgic hit.
Rush has a high point that begins with the founding of the band, and ending with their retirement.
Also, as a fan, I suggest you listen to the final song a few times before listening to this drum track. As he plays this, I can hear the rest of the song in my head. You don't have the memory of the song to know what part of the song you're in.
Signals is my all time favorite Rush album, as well as my all time favorite album of ALL ALBUMS !!!
I'd say it's a high point 🏆🥇😎
I've been finding something new in Neil's lyrics on that album every year since the 80s. This was the album where they made their strongest move away from sci-fi stories and fantasies, and more toward broadly relatable topics. Like getting stuffed into a locker at high school or ignored by the girls at the mall, for instance.
Although i am a rush fan for 40 years, i gotta say Signals was a let down for me. I preferred permanent waves
You really ought to have a look at Neil Preat DW 30th Anniversary kit check out. It was the first time Neil sat behind his newly created R30 kit and took it for a test drive. Not only does the thing sound amazing having been tuned, mic and recorded so well, but also shows his facility on the instrument even when just warming up. Love how he pushes and pulls time so effortless why keeping the pulse going and moving from upbeat to down beat on the hi hats, back and forth. You’ll love it.
Thanks for the tip!
Fantastic, keep them coming! "Losing It" from this same album is another great option, particularly if you want to explore unusual time signature structure... though, there may not be an isolated drum track.
This was recorded in the studio around the Time Machine tour in 2011, it's an instructional DVD called "Taking Center Stage"
One of my favorite Rush songs. Thank you for doing this 🙏👍👍👍👍
My pleasure!!
Neil made a 90 minute documentary film named "The Anatomy of a Drum Solo". I've seen it posted (maybe not legally) on UA-cam. If you haven't seen it you might find it interesting. There is also an awesome video of the band sharing banter and conversation over dinner which is amazing.
I just like watching your face while you watch him play. You look in awe, just like everyone else.
I appreciated your deeper dig, especially in to the lyrics.
For we fans, as good as the music is the lyrics really meant a lot to us =)
Enjoying your discovery of Rush quite a bit.
All of rush' s improvs were extremely well rehearsed ! 😉
I remember Alex playing a bum note live . He nearly wet himself laughing ! It was such a rare occurrence. And about 15,000 of us all joined in . It was a great moment of band and audience comoradery.
Peace and love brother 👍🏻☮❤
And I can hear the entire song in my head.
My favorite Rush tune.
Excellent Craig!
This song has a lot of connection, and personal meaning for people of a certain age when it came out.... Never forget the genius that was Neil Peart the lyricist...
This is him rehearsing for Rush's 2010-2011 "Time Machine Tour." During this rehearsal process, Neil filmed his instructional video, "Take Center Stage," which is where this footage is lifted from.
Neil was an amazingly heady player. His lyrics were indicative of his genius which was also reflected in his drumming. There were no accidents when Neil composed and played a tune.
Love your channel, it's neat hearing all these songs I've loved and listened to for 30-40 years new from your perspective. Makes me appreciate them even more, thanks again.
Fantastic! 🙏
Intention is what makes Neil the best drummer ever. It wasn't that he could play such crazy stuff (although he could and did) it was why he chose what he chose to play. Just incredible!
I love that you take the time to explain the sounds and rhythms of Neil's playing
I'm a guitarist and a wannabe drummer that has always been obsessed with watching this man play, and this is my favorite song to watch him on. My favorite part of watching him is the stoic expression that never changes regardless of the difficulty of the song. My favorite drum "licks" are the crossover hi-hat fills at the end of some of the verses... but the last quarter of it is insane, with him hitting the china crash alternatively with the ride, and with all kinds of crazy stuff going on the snare... it blows me away, and he does it to perfection every time with not so much as a flinch on his face. I would like to have seen you break that down. Is that a common thing to alternate back and forth like that... and over such a wide area?
Like you said in the video, everything with him is deliberate and necessary to the composition of the song. Every time I've seen them live, I watched him like a hawk, and he never altered it.
Neil pearts final shorter solo in the middle section of WHERES MY THING, HERE IT IS, live in Dallas, with a great bass playing start to the instrumental by geddy Lee. Best wishes from the UK.
What Peart does with ride, hi-hat, snare, and bass in the introduction was what sold me on Rush when I first heard the band in the early 90s. His ability to do something that interesting on time told me that this was a musician and a band that were masters of their craft.
Absolutely love your vids, especially the Rush. I'm not a drummer 😂. I play bass. Use to play in a Rush tribute band. U always make it a point to Not just talk about how great Neil was but also Geddy and Alex. They were music for musician's 🎶👍🙏💪
💯Ron! 🙌
Great videos! Thanks for making them!
I love to practice to old Rush stuff. My fav band growing up, so learned many Rush tunes, like half the drummers in the world....
I was a sophomore in high school when this came out . Lots of my friends didn't like it because it wasn't what they expected them to sound like after Moving Pictures. " keyboard's!!" . They changed from album to album always. I loved it .
Andrew you were also right as subdivisions in the musical sense (as well a the housing sense) the prof was always using words and themes with multiple meanings and metaphors as per "moving pictures" etc etc, his aim was to make to think and work it out or take from it what you wish
Love it!
You may have seen it already, but there's a video on the Tube of a Rush show where the head on the tom you were pointing out broke. The band just kept chugging along as if nothing happened while Neil's tech pulled the tom, replaced the head and put it back during the song. Kind of like a NASCAR pit stop experience.
HAHA! Love it!
There's a guy on you tube. And his name is Joel something. And the video is called R40 a tribute to Neil Peart. And the guy is really good. He's got on headphones and playing a medley of Rush songs to a track. You can faintly hear Geddy and Alex in the background. But this guy obviously studied some Neil and hes nailing it.
Think he recorded this for his DVD "Taking Center Stage" ...
That is correct. It’s part of that video released by Hudson Music.
another great review Andy
That's incredible groove for the song. Hard to fully appreciate when heard with the full ensemble.
The Neil Peart video you are watching is from a instructional DVD on his drumming called Taking Center Stage I believe.
Really appreciate you exploring Neil Peart and Rush. Subdivisions was one of my first exposures to the band back in the early 80s. I've been a fan ever since. I encourage you to take a look at one of the final songs in their decades-long career, "Headlong Flight". Wonderful example of all three exercising their prowess
One of the things that is so damn impressive about Neil you see in his drum solo. His feet are playing in one time signature and his hands are playing in a completely different time signature.
The fact Neil composed this song on a different kit with three toms in front, and toms over the high hat. On the RUSH R40 tour they made a recreation of his original kit from the 70's. Neil changed and used several kits over the years. As a long time Drummer and RUSH fan, I prefer the tradition set up with three Toms in front over the double bass drum set. But it was interesting that Neil was always growing and changing his kit and progressing his drumming. As far as this song.. it very much reflects what is was like growing up in Canada and feeling like an outsider. Lyrically Subdivsion and drumming wise is one of those songs that really stands out as a classic Rush Song.
This video is part of a documentary of his drumming. It’s 7 hours of Neil playing! 😍
Awesome sauce!😃💛✌
Hey Brooke!
👋
I can hear song when he played drums❤. And ten times voted best drummer on the world says something🥁.
Love that snare.
Yes!
Damn! I really miss Rush. Wondering what this album sounded like. Always a fun ass time. Thanks for your reaction.
The first word I learned how to spell was in my dads 1987 Nissan Sentra outside the laundry matt in Phoenix AZ when I was just a young lad was "Rush". I think he got tired of asking him to play the blue cd with the bolt on it (Counterparts).
Subdivisions can pertain to the suburban neighborhoods that are the focus of the song as well as the cliques we separate each other into, especially during our teen yrs. Genius.
There is a recorded version of Neil playing Subdivisions from a concert too , no UA-cam
Each song is basically an amazing drum solo, with fantastic lyrics and supporting instruments. I'm sure a lot of people attended concerts just to hear Peart play.
I'd guarantee it Wesley!
On the Live in Rio DVD, you can se people in the crowd air-drumming. How many other drummers ever got that reaction?
I agree. My favorite drum song in the Rush catalog.
In one video you had asked if he was ambidextrous. I think you’re right about that. This song is a good example of that displays some of that clearly. He has some unusual changes that are difficult if you’re not ambidextrous to some degree.
You will sleep much easier at night once you allow yourself to know your listening to the best most technically perfect drummer to ever play the drums. I read someone's post that said
"The world is billions if years old, and you just happened to be alive in the same time Neil peart was".
The sounds you describe about Neil Peart's drums are all familiar to Rush fans. One of his trademarks were those heavy tom fills. Everything had a purpose. O Baterista is a great drum solo.
Check out the song "One Man Army" by Canadian band Our Lady Peace. Drummer Jeremy Taggart has said no one has been able to accurate replicate his fill. It's wild.
The most frequent words printed on a Rush album: "Music by Lee and Lifeson. Lyrics by Peart."
14:15 - That main tom above the bass drum was 13x9 I believe.
The GOAT 🇨🇦
He once said that when writing a drum part he approached it like an author. This drum is a period. That drum is an explination piont. Ect..
Excellent. Thank you Mike
So Neil has his signature Sabian line here called the Paragon which is still for sale to this day. (Yes they made a whole custom line for him!) And the reason why the ride has so much definition is because the ride is a SUPER heavy ride. The ride is 8lb/3.63kg!
I’m not a drummer, but I know some of you use the same cymbals for years, or even decades. Read in one of his books that he went through several sets of cymbals on each tour. That’s hitting hard.
this is taken from a dvd "Taking Center Stage-A lifetime of Live Performances"
Thank you Anthony!
@@AndrewRooneyDrums and do yourself a favor and check out Jose Pasillas of the band Incubus. excellent drummer.
This DVD set is amazing. Eight hours of Peart!
i dont know if neil peart was the greatest drummer who ever lived
BUT I DAMN WELL KNOW HE WAS THE GREATEST LYRICISTS WHO EVER LIVED
i will die defending that hill any day
the guy was a genius
Neil's drums were DW. DW made special made drums for Neil, they worked him to get the special sound that he wanted. The same goes for his symbols Some symbol company worked with to get that special sound that he wanted.
I get such a kick out of you (Andy) seeing this stuff for the first time, Moving Pictures was such an earthquake for me and my friends that (and I hate to say it) we almost took Neil for granted for years. Many of my friends who are extreme metal drummer types all grew up on him as well... and I love the heavy stuff, I wonder if his complexity made us crave more ? As you have found out there are metal drummers doing amazing things, in retrospect Neil really had more impact across the landscape than he ever gets credit for.
Drum hits are like words. Everyone is important and should be heard. No subdivisions.
Over time they would do change-ups in songs,. but they were always intentional. They started adding occasional segments/transitions between songs where they'd have more fun playing around...
Hello from Canada
Wow, interesting. I always thought Geddy was saying " battle cars" until I read the lyrics about 10-15 years ago.
How he came up with these parts I'll never know??? Brilliant
There are 2 kinds of Rush fan. Those of us who studied music before we ever heard of Rush, ad those who studied music BECAUSE they heard Rush, lol
u should react to one of his interviews. he an extremely interesting and brilliant man
wanted to bring to light a song off their latest, Clockwork Angels, it's not drum extravaganza but him playing the rhythm to the music. They included a string ensemble on this tour, Clockwork Angels for a few tunes on one of which is - The Garden Live. Very interesting use of bass and quite appropriate lyrics in reflection of one's life. Did such a emotionally, reflective job to bring this tune alive. If not to post a reaction, maybe give a listen to this tune, believe you would find it enjoyable in watching a lot of your other musical tastes, cheers.
You and niel would've got along great you talk just like him when it comes to music, drums, books you need to check out one of his interviews very interesting
I lovw rush's 80ies records
in case no one else has mentioned this, its actually Neil's voice saying "subdivisions", even though it shows alex in the video
FYI The late CITY-TV news anchor Mark Dailey says the word "Subdivisions"
Neil does drum by feel. He has talked about it many times in interviews.
I love his drum tone. A lot of drummers/producers can't seem to work with the open sound of large shallow toms and tend to err towards excessive damping or fusion sizes. Each to his/her own I guess. Personally; for drum tone my favourite 3 are Neil, Nicko and Vinnie Appice - all using a combination of drum size, depth, head thickness and tuning to arrive at very distinctive and musical open drum tones.
This video is from his rehearsal for the tour.
I love watching you break down and analyze each of the drum videos and how they differ from each other. If possible, could you do some punk rock drumming breakdowns and reactions? Preferably Erick "Smelly" Sandin from the band NOFX or Derek Grant from my favorite band ever, The Suicide Machines. If not them, any punk drummer. Punk rock and Hardcore always have fast, insane drumming to go along with simple bar cord guitar playing. Thanks either way!
9:35 Good point, I always had the impression that he's not so much playing the drums, but more like working the drums.Intentional indeed.
Thats how they were as far as playing songs as written and recorded. But on tour they seemed to always pick one song and have fun with it . Like working man. They made a reggae kinda song out of then shredded their way out. Cloeer to the heart at the end Geddy and Alex went off on a dueling guitars kinda thing. Or Neil might throw in a drum solo on one. They actually had an alter-ego called Rash . And they would totally spoof their songs. Like do a polka version or a country version and just totally have fun with it. There's a video of rash on UA-cam where they were dressed up in costumes and all and acting out a little skit it's hilarious you should check it out.
The original video is gone! Does anyone please have a link to a copy somewhere?
Here’s a link to a copy of (Neil Peart: Taking center stage : subdivisions drum lesson) .. if still interested.. I will post the link in a separate comment incase YT shadows it ... but you can find it by searching the title I posted or by user : methanebomb
Signals is my favorite album
Neil wrote ALL OF THEM LYRICS!!! GEEZ, And I am a New Yorker!!!!
Apparently, Simon Phillips doesn't dampen his drums at all. He just skins them, tunes them, and lets "em ring ! Probably why his drums sound AWESOME.
YES!
What model of crash cymbals are those? I want one of those.
Signals was their move into their synth pop period during the 80s, following their move to more radio-friendly length songs from Permanent Waves onward.
A local station in my area uses the very beginning of 2112 as a part of their radio bumps, and it always makes me mad because I know they'll never play and never have played 2112 before. They only play subdivisions, freewill and spirit of the radio when they play Rush, which is fine, but Everytime I hear that 2112 intro I get hyped, but then I remember that they're not actually going to play it lol.
Neil didn't just play drums - He Composed his parts which allow for them to stand out among other drummers.
Well said!
Neil writes all rush lyrics. Alex and geddy jointly wrote almost all music. They historically and famously always have split all writing proceeds three ways equally. There might be a few songs where the music was geddy or Alex alone, but the vast majority were both.
Going forward anytime you mention subdivisions in your react videos, you need to insert the clip of Alex (Neil really) saying “subdivisions” from the music video at 1:53-1:54. Fun little gag
🤣👌