I'm so happy reaction video people like yourselves are starting to find drum videos cause not a lot talk about how killer the drummers are. Some people are like "oh drums are so easy all you have to do is hit them" but coming from someone that played them in high school it's so much more then that. You have to get your arms and legs moving at different times while keeping in time, on top of having to remember everything else. RIP Neil.
What a lot of people didn't realize about Neil, was that he wasn't just a drummer.....he was a percussionist too. Consider that he played this (in the middle of a 3 hour set) in 2004 at the age of 51 is remarkable by itself. Arguably, THE greatest rock drummer of all time.....the GOAT. RIP Neil.
Love this succient description!! The other one I remember: He may not be your favorite drummer, but there is a good chance he is your favorite drummer's favorite drummer. All that talent in the body of an athlete.
You aren't kidding... I miss Neil every day, and I never even met the guy! But him and Geddy and Alex made music that is forever ingrained in my soul. The day he died, and it was news around the world... I had to take the trash out to the dumpsters at work, and I actually cried like a baby where no one could see me. I still get a tear here and there when I think about the great, amazing human we lost way too young. We will always love you Neil!
Neil's drum solo's were always about taking you on a journey of drumming history/styles. From Tribal, Rock, Marching Band, Military, Swing and Jazz. Always incredible to see him live and realize, he HIT EVERY DRUM in his set. Never missed a beat. Not to mention all 4 limbs are doing something different at different points. He is truly one of the greatest. RIP Professor. great reaction. keep it up.
Neil Peart was a true renaissance man, he traveled the world, much of it alone on a motorcycle or bike, wrote lyrics, books and obviously was a master class musician. R.I.P. Neil and thank you for all the gifts you gave us.
As a long time Rush fan (since 1978), I always enjoy seeing people’s reactions when they first discover them, especially when it’s one of Neil’s drum solos. The expressions on their faces are priceless. Welcome to the wonderful world of Rush. There’s LOTS to discover.
RUSH is THE PERFECT EXAMPLE of the fluidity of MASTERING TIME SIGNATURES! I play drums and there are a few things that you need to know about Neil Peart’s ( pronounced PEER-T) character: First he writes the lyrics so he knows in advance what TYPE of song it’s meant to be ie ballad, driver, etc. Second he COMPOSES on the drums… like a carpenter who looks at a set of blueprints before building the object. Neil lays out a SKETCH in his mind of the VOICES of the drumset and builds the song from there. He is also a great LISTENER knowing when NOT to step over Geddy’s singing or Alex’s solos! Finally, he had perfect timing and fluidity of time changes. He said himself that it’s not about COUNTING the time signatures as much as fluid motion to change the tempo without counting: in other words it should FLOW! He hates repeating the same drum patterns in the same song meaning if he plays a fill one way the first time around he will play it differently the second time around. IE. Rolls down the toms the first time around and triplets or quads (all four limbs) the second time around. In short there will NEVER be another like him on planet earth 🌍 🌏 🌎! REST IN PEACE PROFESSOR! With heart felt admiration and sincerity! Gary
I've watched at least 25 reactions to this drum solo, this was by far the best. Both of your facial expressions and look of disbelief were priceless. Neil is my favorite drummer of all time and now you know why. Nice job!!!!!
Nice!! Thanks for reacting to Neil Peart's drum solo in Frankfurt!! One of greatest drummers in music history along with John Bonham, Bill Ward, Buddy Rich and the list goes on and on!! R.I.P. Neil Peart!!😪💔
Thanks for pronouncing his name correctly. He remains the most influential drummer in recent history, inspiring millions. His creativity and commitment to his craft, and to his audience, were profound. Long live the king!
Thank you for this. I have no idea how many times I have seen/heard this, but it's just solid. I think you will find the thing that made Rush kind of a cult band early on wasn't just because they are all talented musicians. It was that they each truly believed in working hard on every aspect of their craft. Prog rock is committing to a life of learning new things. But there were only three of them. They each picked up new instruments to incorporate. They were only rock stars in the formal definition, these were guys who you know you could hang out with and have great conversations. I've been a fan a long time and read Neil's and Geddy's books, etc. The more you learn about them, the more you will appreciate them.
I was privileged to watch Neal back in the early 80's, 90's and there farewell R40 Tour. I have a tear in my eye right now knowing i will never see him play live again.😪 RIP PROFESSOR🥁🙏🎶
Neil is playing an electronic kit and an acoustic kit back to back. This is more than a solo. It is a total journey of percussion technical brilliance. Sorely missed RIP Neil
Рік тому+7
Neil was probably one onf the greatest drummer of all time. A mentor and inspiration for so many drummers of today. I saw RUSH live in Sweden 2011 and saw him perform this solo - EPIC.
Ah man. What an outstanding drummer Neil, was he influenced a generation of drummers. his technical ability and his phrasing around the Kit is unsurpassed. Samantha made a great point when she said he was making his own song on the drums. He was not just one of the greatest drummers to ever live. he was an outstanding lyricist. He wrote most of rushes songs. It is so sad. He is no longer with us, but his spirit and his legacy and his catalogue of work will live forever. RIP, Neil
Imagine watching a Neil Peart solo live like this but there are two roadies spinning his kit around on a merry-go-round platform while he’s playing, throwing sticks, catching sticks, spinning and drumming. And doing it all flawlessly. This was my first Rush concert Feb. 18th 1983 and I was hooked for life. Great reaction guys! RIP Professor❤
I love your expressions! When I saw Rush, each time he did a solo, I stood and watched with your same expressions....all 28 times. I'll never forget watching the greatest. Neil...the very, very best.
The trumpet section is played with triggers at his feet and drum pads along with other effects like snare drum and tambourine to free up his hands. Here is an article circa 1991- The Drum Master- Drumming has the power to unite people, no matter how varied their language or cultural background might be. On a recent trek through Africa, Neil Peart had a singular experience that proved just that. "I was in Gambia, walking through a small village, and I heard the sound of a drum. So of course I was curious! I looked into a compound and I could hear the drumming coming from a curtained room. I walked up to a woman doing laundry in front of the room. She could see my interest in the sound, so she waved me to go in. Inside I found a young, white missionary from a nearby Catholic school. Sitting across from him was the commanding presence of the local drum master. He was attempting to show the missionary how to play any kind of beat. The missionary was trying as hard as he could, but he wasn't having a lot of success." After a time the drum master, frustrated by the missionary's lack of ability, noticed the other man who had come into the room. The master had no idea who this person was, but he thought to himself, "Why not see if he can play?" According to Peart, what happened next was fascinating. "The drum master gestured to me to try and play a rhythm. So we began playing together, and he started smiling because he could tell I had a rhythm - maybe not his rhythm, but a rhythm of some kind. We were playing and playing, building the intensity, and little kids started coming in, laughing at the white man playing drums. Then a few women came into the room, and everybody began dancing to our beat! The master and I even started trading fours. It wasn't a spoken thing, but he could tell that I would lay out and listen to what he was doing for a certain amount of time, and then he would do the same. It was just a magical moment." When they finished, a confused and startled missionary ran up to Peart and asked, "How can you do that?" Chuckling to himself, Neil politely responded, "I'm in the business." World Inspiration Neil's love of bicycling and travel is well known - it's almost the stuff of legend. While on tour with Rush he's been known to avoid the tour bus and bike to the next town and venue. When not on the road with Rush, he has taken his bike to the four corners of the globe, including Europe, mainland China, and Africa. Upon entering Peart's Toronto home, one is immediately struck by the fact that this man has seen and experienced locales most people can't imagine. "Here's a prized possession of mine," he says proudly, showing a raw-metal sculpture standing about ten inches high and resembling a tribal version of Rodin's "The Thinker." "It's from Africa. It weighs about twenty pounds, and I had to carry it a hundred miles on my bike. but it was worth it." Neil's passion for authentic African art is obvious. Unique drums, with their rich, hand-carved elegance, are displayed in his home with reverence. Original Chinese gongs decorate a few of the walls. The decor hints at the fact that a drummer lives in the house, shouts at the fact that a word traveler resides there. Peart's love of travel is obvious, but does actually going to other parts of the world inspire him musically? "First of all, I think travel is very important for any person," he insists. "It's affected me enormously, and I'm sure it filters down to my work. Africa is not an abstraction to me anymore - neither is China. They're places I've experienced, places where I've met people, made friends - and just broadened my thinking. "I've written lyrics that were directly influenced by my travels abroad. In a drumming sense, I've had some interesting experiences in different countries, experiences that may not directly affect the way I play drums, but that certainly inspire my feelings about drumming. And I've gotten very interested in hand drumming. Lately I've been working on playing the djembe." One way Peart's wanderlust has directly affected the sound of his drums is through sampling. "One of the small drums I brought from China is an antique that's too fragile to play. So I took it and a few of the other delicate instruments that I own and sampled them - along with many of my other instruments like my temple blocks and glockenspiel. I've built up a huge library of sounds, and they've made their way onto our albums in many of the different patterns I play." A particular pattern Neil has recorded that demonstrates the value of "world inspiration" comes from Rush's last album, Roll The Bones. "On that record we had a song called 'Heresy' that had a drum pattern I heard when I was in Togo. I was laying on a rooftop one night and heard two drummers playing in the next valley, and the rhythm stuck in my head. When we started working on the song I realized that beat would complement it well."
One of the greatest ever! They called him Professor because he had his doctorate degree in music. He also wrote almost all the lyrics to Rush songs. All that talent and still cared more about others then himself!
I saw RUSH 13 times in three different states, they NEVER DISSAPPOINTED.Some of the best sound replication you could ever see. RIP to The great Neil Peart. 🥁☮
I do enjoy watching peoples reaction, and being blown away by music they haven't experienced, that I've known about for a lifetime. On the first live album they released WAAAY back in 76, Geddy referred to him as "The Professor on the drum kit", and so he's been called The Professor by his fans ever since. Glad you enjoyed it.
You both have watched the best drummer in history . He will always be missed by his fans and family but we have many memories and videos to touch our Rush hearts. 💖💖💖
Neil was not only an incredible drummer but a creative and imaginative composer and an arranger. “ Thinking Man’s Music” as it were. Neil marked an epoch in drumming history. For those of us who studied countless hours listening to Rush and learning Neil’s drum parts, we all studied at Neil Peart University. Glad you were able to see how riveting Neil is to watch at his craft. Thanks for sharing! Neil Peart University Alumni ( TM)
We will never see another person as talented as Niel Peart who took a Gift to make a career doing it, while inspiring people to play drums or to be a better person through his Lyrical content, We was blessed to have him as long as we did and he is so missed by his family friends and fans of Rush, What makes this so special is 3 of the nicest people youll ever meet, decided to come together to be in a band, little did they know in 1975 they would become the Best 3 piece band and niel Peart the best Drummer to ever be behind a drum set, Rush lasted 4 decades before they retired. after Niel's passing, Rush means alot to alot of ppl who have followed them through out there careers, i mentioned they was nicest people youll ever meet, not only that they was special because most of all they was the best of friends, and they loved each other as brothers, you can hear it in there music, and see it when all 3 of them is together, Rush is a one of a kind band because Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee, Niel Peart was one of kind good people, We will never see this again. RIP Niel Peart.
I've only seen Rush 4 times... Two nights in a row with Primus , and two other times. Every time was absolutely amazing! Seeing Neil do this drum solo live. Was always a jaw dropping experience. Best of the best
having watched Rush from the 3rd row seat during one of Rush's 30th Anniversary shows, we could see how Neil Peart (RIP) was locked and loaded from the start of the show til the end, and it was clearly obvious to us that he gave everything he had to every note and every song they played....we had no idea that all of the strange sounds and brass instrument sounds were coming from Neil's drum kit "trigger" pads...Once he learned how to get this technology to work for him so that he could explore different sounds and create unique moods with it, he used in a lot of his performances to add a new dimension to his playing and approach to drumming...when we first heard the trumpets blasting, we kept looking for the orchestra hiding behind a curtain somewhere, but there was none because it was all created/setup by "The Professor", Neil Peart....Legendary drummer for sure....thanks for sharing this reaction video! ✌
Greatest drummer of all time by far, and he was in his 60s in this video.Can u imagine in his 20s and 30s i seen them 23 times so i witness the Professor in the 70s 80s and 90s in his prime and every solo was mind blowing. I worked front row security and went to over 300 concerts and never seen a drummer close to THE PROFESSOR OR RUSH SIMPLY THE BEST.
Not just in many people's opinion one of the greatest drummers, he was also a funny, articulate, generous guy. Despite unimaginable tragedy he found love again with a wife & daughter. Breaks my heart to know he didn't get to spend many more years living the life of an ordinary retired guy with his 2nd family. RIP Neil, you will never be forgotten.
Had the pleasure of seeing Rush twice in concert at MSG. His solo, the drum stage raised about 20 feet in the air, and he played 20 minutes straight...INSANE EVENT
NEIL PEART’S NARRATION ON EXIT STAGE LEFT DVD: There’s a tremendous ambiance about a concert hall…to even before a band starts playing…from the time the doors open..this place feels electric you know! That’s one of the things I like most about the road that feeling of standing in the hall when the doors open feel the excitement bursting into the hall. I must admit I feel very comfortable playing live a lot! A very modern urban setting for that Tom Sawyer mentality and a very carefree stride and a very self-possessed kind of air. Xanadu: The question we tend to ask the most often is WHAT IF? I think of you had to simplify a motivation or simplify a moving force in our music that would probably…suffice! Red Barchetta: Well it seems to me a car is one of those handy metaphors and volumes have been written about the sociological and cultural impact of the car and what it represents but it also has a very fundamental sensual feel and it’s a metaphor for sexuality and freedom. We’ve certainly tried to guide everything by the principles that were interested in and the freedom of choice and the material we’ve been playing and expression of music that we found to be exciting would excite other people as well. If the songwriting is important and playing really well on stage is important it’s gonna make the difference between feeling good or not feeling good when I walk off stage feeling that I played as well as I can or as close to well as I can then I feel very satisfied and good for what you have done. YYZED: I think there is a very strong relation maybe not generally recognized between drums and between words as the rhythmic structure and phrasing and the rhythm of verse especially is very strongly rooted in the same syncopation as drums the same patterns of thinking overall work for me with words as much as they do with drum beats.
🇨🇦 Neil was/is the most outstanding Drummer, Ever ! Called the Professor by his peers ! One other thing you should be aware of, is that Neil wrote probably 80% of Rush songs, he was that talented !
I have heard he was sick during this performance, don't know though. there are a few minor mis-hits (how minor shows you what a perfectionist he was) but every world class musician deals with that
There can and never ever will be another drummer quite like Neil Peart, when God made Neil, he created something that is so hard to completely describe and then he broke the mold. Sure there are plenty that can play what Neil has created note for note in fact, what is 1000 times harder than playing it, is creating it . . . . . Great solo guy, glad to see you are as blown away as everyone else. It will be my pleasure to share your video. The looks on your faces is priceless! Stay well you'ze two !
Also... In addition to "hitting things with sticks" as The Professor would humbly descibe his work, watch how after striking a cymbal, he'll come back to it in two beats with his hand to mute it, before hitting it once again in two beats. Every performance was a master class from The Professor. So happy to see his legacy continue! Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦
Legend Neil Peart: your favourite drummer’s, favourite drummer Lucky to have watched this master live. "Some are born to move the world To live their fantasies" Losing It - Rush Sadly gone too soon
I had the extreme pleasure of seeing Rush 53 times including the final show at the Forum in LA.... 53 Neil Peart solos and watched him take his final bow.... I've been blessed indeed!
Neil Peart was always quick to attribute his proficiency on the drums to hard work rather than raw talent. In his view, talent meant very little if you weren't willing to put in the work. In his own words, "I wasn't talented, but I was relentless." His solos were the purest expression of one of the most intense work ethics in the music business.
On The R30 Tour Neil's drum set hardware was plated in 24K gold. befitting the late master. RIP Neil you are missed. The pad neil is playing is called a mallet cat it can be programmed for many different sounds.
This was on their 30 year anniversary tour, amazing how he kept improving the older he got. As for the size of the drum set, it grew over the years as their music got more complex. Fantastic drummer, RIP.❤️
Arguably the greatest drummer that ever lived. He was very modest and never satisfied with his performances always saying he could do better. And that, is what a true Master is, modest and great.
as a GenX kid growing up in Ontario, I was fortunate to see Rush and Neil play live on several occasions. He will be sadly missed. If you enjoy the Drummer perspective I suggest Tool’s Darry Carey isolated drum cam for “pneuma” It is very impressive viewing. I’m enjoying your musical journey. Also suggest Manchester Orchestra’s “The Silence” for reaction.
Humans have been playing drums for thousands of years. This man, Neil Peart, is the greatest percussionist in the history of humanity. It's a privilege to have experienced his talent.
"The real test of a musician is live performance. It's one thing to spend a long time learning how to play well in the studio but to do it in front of people is what keeps me coming back to touring. For me to call myself a musician, it's necessary to play live and it rewards so much, not just in the pay cheque sense but what it does for my playing. " - Neil Peart (drummer/ lyricist of Rush)🤘🤘
I'm so happy reaction video people like yourselves are starting to find drum videos cause not a lot talk about how killer the drummers are. Some people are like "oh drums are so easy all you have to do is hit them" but coming from someone that played them in high school it's so much more then that. You have to get your arms and legs moving at different times while keeping in time, on top of having to remember everything else. RIP Neil.
Admired for his talent, respected for his intellect, loved for his humanity.
RIP Professor.
1000 % agree R.I.P the professor
Very well stated. 👍
Neil was so much more than a drummer - percussionist, student, lyricist, traveler, biker, reader, and author. One of a kind❤
humanitarian...
"The Professor"!!
Absolutely loved “Ghost Rider.”
Renaissance man.
He was a devoted husband .
What a lot of people didn't realize about Neil, was that he wasn't just a drummer.....he was a percussionist too. Consider that he played this (in the middle of a 3 hour set) in 2004 at the age of 51 is remarkable by itself. Arguably, THE greatest rock drummer of all time.....the GOAT. RIP Neil.
Wild!
A special human...remarkable talent of which we may never see again.
We Will NEVER See Again!
Known as “ Your favorite drummers, favorite drummer “ fricking legend and been listening to them for 40yrs now. Only 47 myself 💯🤛🏼
The Professor at his podium giving a master class. One of a kind
Love this succient description!!
The other one I remember:
He may not be your favorite drummer, but there is a good chance he is your favorite drummer's favorite drummer.
All that talent in the body of an athlete.
Us Rush fans seriously miss The Professor....R.I.P. Neil...
Ive see Rush live 21 times and Neil's solos never failed to blow my mind every time!
You aren't kidding... I miss Neil every day, and I never even met the guy! But him and Geddy and Alex made music that is forever ingrained in my soul. The day he died, and it was news around the world... I had to take the trash out to the dumpsters at work, and I actually cried like a baby where no one could see me. I still get a tear here and there when I think about the great, amazing human we lost way too young. We will always love you Neil!
i'm glad you see the best the most the ultimate DRUM SOLO from NEIL PEART late/deceased.
Neil's drum solo's were always about taking you on a journey of drumming history/styles. From Tribal, Rock, Marching Band, Military, Swing and Jazz. Always incredible to see him live and realize, he HIT EVERY DRUM in his set. Never missed a beat. Not to mention all 4 limbs are doing something different at different points. He is truly one of the greatest. RIP Professor. great reaction. keep it up.
Now that he has left this world. His drum kit goes on worldwide tours by itself!!!!!
Boring.
@@dennisshaper4744Not big on satire, eh?
Neil Peart was a true renaissance man, he traveled the world, much of it alone on a motorcycle or bike, wrote lyrics, books and obviously was a master class musician. R.I.P. Neil and thank you for all the gifts you gave us.
I had the opportunity to meet him on the Hemispheres Tour. He was an extremely kind man. He will never be forgotten.
As a long time Rush fan (since 1978), I always enjoy seeing people’s reactions when they first discover them, especially when it’s one of Neil’s drum solos. The expressions on their faces are priceless. Welcome to the wonderful world of Rush. There’s LOTS to discover.
RUSH is THE PERFECT EXAMPLE of the fluidity of MASTERING TIME SIGNATURES! I play drums and there are a few things that you need to know about Neil Peart’s ( pronounced PEER-T) character: First he writes the lyrics so he knows in advance what TYPE of song it’s meant to be ie ballad, driver, etc. Second he COMPOSES on the drums… like a carpenter who looks at a set of blueprints before building the object. Neil lays out a SKETCH in his mind of the VOICES of the drumset and builds the song from there. He is also a great LISTENER knowing when NOT to step over Geddy’s singing or Alex’s solos! Finally, he had perfect timing and fluidity of time changes. He said himself that it’s not about COUNTING the time signatures as much as fluid motion to change the tempo without counting: in other words it should FLOW! He hates repeating the same drum patterns in the same song meaning if he plays a fill one way the first time around he will play it differently the second time around. IE. Rolls down the toms the first time around and triplets or quads (all four limbs) the second time around. In short there will NEVER be another like him on planet earth 🌍 🌏 🌎! REST IN PEACE PROFESSOR!
With heart felt admiration and sincerity!
Gary
Well said Gary
I've watched at least 25 reactions to this drum solo, this was by far the best. Both of your facial expressions and look of disbelief were priceless. Neil is my favorite drummer of all time and now you know why. Nice job!!!!!
Our pleasure! Thank you - glad you enjoyed!
Nice!! Thanks for reacting to Neil Peart's drum solo in Frankfurt!! One of greatest drummers in music history along with John Bonham, Bill Ward, Buddy Rich and the list goes on and on!! R.I.P. Neil Peart!!😪💔
And that's why he's called "The Professor"! GOAT!
I really miss him! He was visionary and revolutionary! That’s over 50 years of talent, dedication, and passion! Rest in Peace!
Thanks for pronouncing his name correctly. He remains the most influential drummer in recent history, inspiring millions. His creativity and commitment to his craft, and to his audience, were profound. Long live the king!
Thank you for this. I have no idea how many times I have seen/heard this, but it's just solid. I think you will find the thing that made Rush kind of a cult band early on wasn't just because they are all talented musicians. It was that they each truly believed in working hard on every aspect of their craft. Prog rock is committing to a life of learning new things. But there were only three of them. They each picked up new instruments to incorporate. They were only rock stars in the formal definition, these were guys who you know you could hang out with and have great conversations. I've been a fan a long time and read Neil's and Geddy's books, etc. The more you learn about them, the more you will appreciate them.
I was privileged to watch Neal back in the early 80's, 90's and there farewell R40 Tour.
I have a tear in my eye right now knowing i will never see him play live again.😪 RIP PROFESSOR🥁🙏🎶
Neil is playing an electronic kit and an acoustic kit back to back. This is more than a solo. It is a total journey of percussion technical brilliance. Sorely missed RIP Neil
Neil was probably one onf the greatest drummer of all time. A mentor and inspiration for so many drummers of today. I saw RUSH live in Sweden 2011 and saw him perform this solo - EPIC.
Ah man. What an outstanding drummer Neil, was he influenced a generation of drummers. his technical ability and his phrasing around the Kit is unsurpassed. Samantha made a great point when she said he was making his own song on the drums. He was not just one of the greatest drummers to ever live. he was an outstanding lyricist. He wrote most of rushes songs. It is so sad. He is no longer with us, but his spirit and his legacy and his catalogue of work will live forever. RIP, Neil
Imagine watching a Neil Peart solo live like this but there are two roadies spinning his kit around on a merry-go-round platform while he’s playing, throwing sticks, catching sticks, spinning and drumming. And doing it all flawlessly. This was my first Rush concert Feb. 18th 1983 and I was hooked for life. Great reaction guys! RIP Professor❤
Sempre será para mim o melhor do mundo , não tem outro.
Sentiremos saudades.
I was privileged to see him do this live. It was amazing.
It's why he was called the Professor ❤
I love your expressions! When I saw Rush, each time he did a solo, I stood and watched with your same expressions....all 28 times. I'll never forget watching the greatest.
Neil...the very, very best.
Neil Peart is best known as the professor, and for the longest time the best drummer in the world, the man can do anything possible with a drumset.
The trumpet section is played with triggers at his feet and drum pads along with other effects like snare drum and tambourine to free up his hands. Here is an article circa 1991- The Drum Master- Drumming has the power to unite people, no matter how varied their language or cultural background might be. On a recent trek through Africa, Neil Peart had a singular experience that proved just that. "I was in Gambia, walking through a small village, and I heard the sound of a drum. So of course I was curious! I looked into a compound and I could hear the drumming coming from a curtained room. I walked up to a woman doing laundry in front of the room. She could see my interest in the sound, so she waved me to go in. Inside I found a young, white missionary from a nearby Catholic school. Sitting across from him was the commanding presence of the local drum master. He was attempting to show the missionary how to play any kind of beat. The missionary was trying as hard as he could, but he wasn't having a lot of success."
After a time the drum master, frustrated by the missionary's lack of ability, noticed the other man who had come into the room. The master had no idea who this person was, but he thought to himself, "Why not see if he can play?" According to Peart, what happened next was fascinating. "The drum master gestured to me to try and play a rhythm. So we began playing together, and he started smiling because he could tell I had a rhythm - maybe not his rhythm, but a rhythm of some kind. We were playing and playing, building the intensity, and little kids started coming in, laughing at the white man playing drums. Then a few women came into the room, and everybody began dancing to our beat! The master and I even started trading fours. It wasn't a spoken thing, but he could tell that I would lay out and listen to what he was doing for a certain amount of time, and then he would do the same. It was just a magical moment." When they finished, a confused and startled missionary ran up to Peart and asked, "How can you do that?" Chuckling to himself, Neil politely responded, "I'm in the business."
World Inspiration
Neil's love of bicycling and travel is well known - it's almost the stuff of legend. While on tour with Rush he's been known to avoid the tour bus and bike to the next town and venue. When not on the road with Rush, he has taken his bike to the four corners of the globe, including Europe, mainland China, and Africa.
Upon entering Peart's Toronto home, one is immediately struck by the fact that this man has seen and experienced locales most people can't imagine. "Here's a prized possession of mine," he says proudly, showing a raw-metal sculpture standing about ten inches high and resembling a tribal version of Rodin's "The Thinker." "It's from Africa. It weighs about twenty pounds, and I had to carry it a hundred miles on my bike. but it was worth it." Neil's passion for authentic African art is obvious. Unique drums, with their rich, hand-carved elegance, are displayed in his home with reverence. Original Chinese gongs decorate a few of the walls. The decor hints at the fact that a drummer lives in the house, shouts at the fact that a word traveler resides there. Peart's love of travel is obvious, but does actually going to other parts of the world inspire him musically? "First of all, I think travel is very important for any person," he insists. "It's affected me enormously, and I'm sure it filters down to my work. Africa is not an abstraction to me anymore - neither is China. They're places I've experienced, places where I've met people, made friends - and just broadened my thinking.
"I've written lyrics that were directly influenced by my travels abroad. In a drumming sense, I've had some interesting experiences in different countries, experiences that may not directly affect the way I play drums, but that certainly inspire my feelings about drumming. And I've gotten very interested in hand drumming. Lately I've been working on playing the djembe."
One way Peart's wanderlust has directly affected the sound of his drums is through sampling. "One of the small drums I brought from China is an antique that's too fragile to play. So I took it and a few of the other delicate instruments that I own and sampled them - along with many of my other instruments like my temple blocks and glockenspiel. I've built up a huge library of sounds, and they've made their way onto our albums in many of the different patterns I play."
A particular pattern Neil has recorded that demonstrates the value of "world inspiration" comes from Rush's last album, Roll The Bones. "On that record we had a song called 'Heresy' that had a drum pattern I heard when I was in Togo. I was laying on a rooftop one night and heard two drummers playing in the next valley, and the rhythm stuck in my head. When we started working on the song I realized that beat would complement it well."
One of the greatest ever! They called him Professor because he had his doctorate degree in music. He also wrote almost all the lyrics to Rush songs. All that talent and still cared more about others then himself!
I saw RUSH 13 times in three different states, they NEVER DISSAPPOINTED.Some of the best sound replication you could ever see. RIP to The great Neil Peart. 🥁☮
Your favorite drummer favorite drummer, The professor
We were blessed to have him. God level talent.❤
Sends shivers down my spine,and a smile on my face!!!!!!!
Had the honour of witnessing Neil Peart in England. A total legend!
I do enjoy watching peoples reaction, and being blown away by music they haven't experienced, that I've known about for a lifetime. On the first live album they released WAAAY back in 76, Geddy referred to him as "The Professor on the drum kit", and so he's been called The Professor by his fans ever since. Glad you enjoyed it.
Magic. That's not talent. That's pure magic.
You both have watched the best drummer in history . He will always be missed by his fans and family but we have many memories and videos to touch our Rush hearts. 💖💖💖
As far as I know almost every live show had a drum solo. Amazing when you think about it.
If Neil Peart isn't your favorite drummer, he is your favorite drummers favorite drummer.
RIP Professor! 🙏
Always nice to see the Professor performing. He was a great guy!
Neil was not only an incredible drummer but a creative and imaginative composer and an arranger. “ Thinking Man’s Music” as it were. Neil marked an epoch in drumming history. For those of us who studied countless hours listening to Rush and learning Neil’s drum parts, we all studied at Neil Peart University. Glad you were able to see how riveting Neil is to watch at his craft. Thanks for sharing!
Neil Peart University Alumni ( TM)
To hear this drum solo live was absolutely amazing!!!!.. great reaction. Thank you
We will never see another person as talented as Niel Peart who took a Gift to make a career doing it, while inspiring people to play drums or to be a better person through his Lyrical content, We was blessed to have him as long as we did and he is so missed by his family friends and fans of Rush, What makes this so special is 3 of the nicest people youll ever meet, decided to come together to be in a band, little did they know in 1975 they would become the Best 3 piece band and niel Peart the best Drummer to ever be behind a drum set, Rush lasted 4 decades before they retired. after Niel's passing, Rush means alot to alot of ppl who have followed them through out there careers, i mentioned they was nicest people youll ever meet, not only that they was special because most of all they was the best of friends, and they loved each other as brothers, you can hear it in there music, and see it when all 3 of them is together, Rush is a one of a kind band because Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee, Niel Peart was one of kind good people, We will never see this again. RIP Niel Peart.
The Professor had the most creative and intricate drum solos ever-this can’t be argued 🇨🇦💪
RIP Professor 😢.... Thank you for another cover excuse to watch his incredible greatness yet again! Great reaction!
I've only seen Rush 4 times...
Two nights in a row with Primus , and two other times. Every time was absolutely amazing!
Seeing Neil do this drum solo live.
Was always a jaw dropping experience. Best of the best
I was lucky enough to see this live. He’s the GOAT!
I was blessed to have seen him in concert😊
5 times for me. Loved every one of them.
Seeing this band live was to be in the presence of Greatness.
He was the best a legend we miss you Neil RIP thank you for the music and memories
Why he's called The Professor, greatest drummer I've ever personally seen.... simply incredible!!
having watched Rush from the 3rd row seat during one of Rush's 30th Anniversary shows, we could see how Neil Peart (RIP) was locked and loaded from the start of the show til the end, and it was clearly obvious to us that he gave everything he had to every note and every song they played....we had no idea that all of the strange sounds and brass instrument sounds were coming from Neil's drum kit "trigger" pads...Once he learned how to get this technology to work for him so that he could explore different sounds and create unique moods with it, he used in a lot of his performances to add a new dimension to his playing and approach to drumming...when we first heard the trumpets blasting, we kept looking for the orchestra hiding behind a curtain somewhere, but there was none because it was all created/setup by "The Professor", Neil Peart....Legendary drummer for sure....thanks for sharing this reaction video! ✌
Greatest drummer of all time by far, and he was in his 60s in this video.Can u imagine in his 20s and 30s i seen them 23 times so i witness the Professor in the 70s 80s and 90s in his prime and every solo was mind blowing. I worked front row security and went to over 300 concerts and never seen a drummer close to THE PROFESSOR OR RUSH SIMPLY THE BEST.
Saw Rush in 83. Incredible show. RIP to Neil...your favorite drummers favorite drummer. Farewell to The King
Not just in many people's opinion one of the greatest drummers, he was also a funny, articulate, generous guy. Despite unimaginable tragedy he found love again with a wife & daughter. Breaks my heart to know he didn't get to spend many more years living the life of an ordinary retired guy with his 2nd family. RIP Neil, you will never be forgotten.
michaelatkinson, and Neil, you will always be loved by us too.
Had the pleasure of seeing Rush twice in concert at MSG. His solo, the drum stage raised about 20 feet in the air, and he played 20 minutes straight...INSANE EVENT
That solo never gets old. Drummers always impress by coordinating all four limbs while keeping the beat and tempo. HUGE focus.
NEIL PEART’S NARRATION ON EXIT STAGE LEFT DVD:
There’s a tremendous ambiance about a concert hall…to even before a band starts playing…from the time the doors open..this place feels electric you know!
That’s one of the things I like most about the road that feeling of standing in the hall when the doors open feel the excitement bursting into the hall.
I must admit I feel very comfortable playing live a lot!
A very modern urban setting for that Tom Sawyer mentality and a very carefree stride and a very self-possessed kind of air.
Xanadu: The question we tend to ask the most often is WHAT IF? I think of you had to simplify a motivation or simplify a moving force in our music that would probably…suffice!
Red Barchetta: Well it seems to me a car is one of those handy metaphors and volumes have been written about the sociological and cultural impact of the car and what it represents but it also has a very fundamental sensual feel and it’s a metaphor for sexuality and freedom.
We’ve certainly tried to guide everything by the principles that were interested in and the freedom of choice and the material we’ve been playing and expression of music that we found to be exciting would excite other people as well.
If the songwriting is important and playing really well on stage is important it’s gonna make the difference between feeling good or not feeling good when I walk off stage feeling that I played as well as I can or as close to well as I can then I feel very satisfied and good for what you have done.
YYZED:
I think there is a very strong relation maybe not generally recognized between drums and between words as the rhythmic structure and phrasing and the rhythm of verse especially is very strongly rooted in the same syncopation as drums the same patterns of thinking overall work for me with words as much as they do with drum beats.
🇨🇦 Neil was/is the most outstanding Drummer, Ever ! Called the Professor by his peers ! One other thing you should be aware of, is that Neil wrote probably 80% of Rush songs, he was that talented !
Neil once said he hated this performance as he made many mistakes but it looks pretty perfect to me!
Neil Peart's greatest mistake on the drums would be any mortal's greatest achievement on the drums
He was sick during this performance.
I doubt that....
I have heard he was sick during this performance, don't know though. there are a few minor mis-hits (how minor shows you what a perfectionist he was) but every world class musician deals with that
Where did he say he hated his performance? I want a link.
There can and never ever will be another drummer quite like Neil Peart, when God made Neil, he created something that is so hard to completely describe and then he broke the mold.
Sure there are plenty that can play what Neil has created note for note in fact, what is 1000 times harder than playing it, is creating it . . . . . Great solo guy, glad to see you are as blown away as everyone else.
It will be my pleasure to share your video.
The looks on your faces is priceless!
Stay well you'ze two !
Way too young for anyone to pass away. Shocking. Respected the man for his humanity as well.
Also... In addition to "hitting things with sticks" as The Professor would humbly descibe his work, watch how after striking a cymbal, he'll come back to it in two beats with his hand to mute it, before hitting it once again in two beats.
Every performance was a master class from The Professor. So happy to see his legacy continue!
Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦
OMG!!! This man was the pinnacle of a great percussionist!!! Was blessed enough to see them twice in my life!
Neil was and still is your favorite drummers, favorite drummer.
I've seen this man 79 times in concert. Every drum solo was AWESOME🥁
Only once for me brother 🤘
The 🐐 of all 🥁’s!
Seen his solos live many times and he never disappointed. RIP 💔🥁🥁.
Saw Rush live 5 times- geniuses all 3. This guy…. The professor is resting in paradise. ❤great reaction
A full body and mind workout by the one and only Professor. RIP Neil Peart
Simply the best ever!!! RIP!! Truly missed!!!
The Best of the Best Drummer of all time ! 🥰😍🤩🤘🥁🥁🥁👍
Legend
Neil Peart: your favourite drummer’s, favourite drummer
Lucky to have watched this master live.
"Some are born to move the world
To live their fantasies" Losing It - Rush
Sadly gone too soon
I had the extreme pleasure of seeing Rush 53 times including the final show at the Forum in LA.... 53 Neil Peart solos and watched him take his final bow.... I've been blessed indeed!
He's absolutely mesmerizing 😮✌️
My favorite Neil Peart solo is in the middle of YYZED on Exit Stage Left!
THE GOAT! 😊THANKS for great reaction! 😊
Neil Peart was always quick to attribute his proficiency on the drums to hard work rather than raw talent. In his view, talent meant very little if you weren't willing to put in the work. In his own words, "I wasn't talented, but I was relentless." His solos were the purest expression of one of the most intense work ethics in the music business.
R.I.P. Neil Peart, you LEGEND! Your talent touched many!
On The R30 Tour Neil's drum set hardware was plated in 24K gold. befitting the late master. RIP Neil you are missed. The pad neil is playing is called a mallet cat it can be programmed for many different sounds.
This was on their 30 year anniversary tour, amazing how he kept improving the older he got. As for the size of the drum set, it grew over the years as their music got more complex.
Fantastic drummer, RIP.❤️
I now know why he was such a a legend. That was insane.
Always loved his solo from their first live album All The Worlds A Stage ...so much raw power and energy on that one.
Arguably the greatest drummer that ever lived. He was very modest and never satisfied with his performances always saying he could do better. And that, is what a true Master is, modest and great.
I thought of Neil as a Musical Genius as well! Life long Fan here!!!
One of Canada’s greatest gifts to the world..forty years of sheer genius…..
Throughout the mayhem that left foot keeps perfect timing amazing.
An absolute master at his craft. R.I.P.
Neil was and always will be... the GOAT!!!
as a GenX kid growing up in Ontario, I was fortunate to see Rush and Neil play live on several occasions. He will be sadly missed. If you enjoy the Drummer perspective I suggest Tool’s Darry Carey isolated drum cam for “pneuma” It is very impressive viewing. I’m enjoying your musical journey. Also suggest Manchester Orchestra’s “The Silence” for reaction.
I believe that particular evening, Neil was feeling a little bit under the weather with a cold. You’d never have known it. What a guy!
Amazing limb independence. Each arm and leg moves independently and keeps different time. Unbelievable.
One of a kind drumming goat. Rip Neil.
Humans have been playing drums for thousands of years. This man, Neil Peart, is the greatest percussionist in the history of humanity. It's a privilege to have experienced his talent.
"The real test of a musician is live performance. It's one thing to spend a long time learning how to play well in the studio but to do it in front of people is what keeps me coming back to touring. For me to call myself a musician, it's necessary to play live and it rewards so much, not just in the pay cheque sense but what it does for my playing. " - Neil Peart (drummer/ lyricist of Rush)🤘🤘
Simply AMAZONING