It’s a sad moment for drummers around the world as we mourn the loss of drumming icon Neil Peart. According to CBC, Neil passed away earlier this week after a three-year-long battle with brain cancer.
The Rush official Instagram account also posted a statement.
Neil’s drumming and lyricism have impacted multiple generations of drummers across the globe over the years. I have no doubt his legacy will live on for many decades to come.
Neil is survived his wife Carrie and daughter Olivia.
Thank you, Pratt.
As a kid growing up, my late-uncle borrowed me four Rush albums, all of which I still enjoy listening. The music undoubtedly changed the course of my perspective on drums and percussion.
I was only able to attend three concerts nearing the end of Rush’s career, but they are moments I will remember for the rest of my life.
Table of Contents
Support for Neil Peart Rang Loudly in the Music Community
During the days following the news of Neil’s passing, the music community flooded social media with support — a level at which I haven’t seen in a long time for a passing icon.
Here is a just a small handful.
My heart is broken, even knowing that this day would eventually dawn. Bubba fought hard for 3 long years, which for most would be an impossible feat. He displayed that every night plying his trade on stage, and his off days on his trusted BMW motorcycle. Love you brother! 💔 https://t.co/7Xi2I0537k
— Lorne(Gump)Wheaton (@Lornewheaton) January 11, 2020
“The measure of a life is a measure of love and respect.”—Neil Peart (1952-2020). So much love and respect to you, my friend.
— Kevin J Anderson (@TheKJA) January 11, 2020
Still numb and in disbelief…but the outpouring of posts on social media has been absolutely incredible. Honestly I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many tributes to a passing musician like this…which speaks volumes… https://t.co/RWy36aq0CX
— Mike Portnoy 🤘 (@MikePortnoy) January 11, 2020
R.I.P. Neil. No words. This is heartbreaking. What a giant. His legacy will live forever. @ Westlake, Westlake Village https://t.co/NNNP70327U
— Thomas Lang (@thomaslangdrum) January 10, 2020
I am profoundly sad about the loss of our drumming brother #NeilPeart
— Steve Smith (@stevesmithdrums) January 11, 2020
My heart goes out to his family, friends & band mates. I’m grateful for the times we hung out & got to work together: Jeff Berlin’s album Champion and the Burning For Buddy project. Rest In Peace my friend.
RIP pal. A day I will never forget as long as I live.https://t.co/gff2kIVZ2Q
— Bubbles (@MSmithBubbles) January 10, 2020
This is a sad, sad day for drumming and the music world. One of the greatest ever has left us. Neil Peart, Rest In Peace. And thank you for your enormous gift to us. 🙏
— Vinnie Colaiuta (@vinniecolaiuta) January 10, 2020
This article originally dealt with the criticism of Neil being the most overrated drummer of all time and my defense of his playing. I have since updated it to reflect the news of his passing.
Neil Peart, adored by many drummers and non-drummers alike, has been the subject of criticism for being the world’s most overrated drummer of all time.
In fact, it’s so bad that I’m almost afraid to state that I like him and enjoy his playing publicly for fear of scrutiny.
I for one believe he is one of the best drummers of all time. Key
Could he be a bit overrated? Certainly. But I don’t think that we as drummers should associate ourselves with badmouthing someone simply because of their status in the world, especially when the one in question isn’t gloating.
Neil has had such a strong impact on the drumming community at large that I even included two of his drum parts from Moving Pictures in my songs with drum solos roundup article.
I read one piece recently that annoyed me recently.
The author of the post had based their entire opinion of Neil Peart being overrated simply because of the music Rush made, and how he didn’t like it (I’m not going to link to them, but you can find it easily with Google).
The author of the piece was upset because Ian Worrall wrote a separate article on a list of his favorite 30 drummers; Neil Peart was number one on the list.
Now before going further, yes, Neil has been at the top of many lists, similar to John Bonham and Keith Moon.
I think these three are some of the last remaining big name drummers who rose to popularity in popular culture prior to social media.
Forums of critics
A simple Google search of the query “Neil Peart Overrated” brings you to a list of forums with users complaining about how Neil’s groove sucks or how he has no feel when he plays.
Now Neil might not be Steve Gadd, but that’s what makes him unique. There isn’t anyone who sounds similar to him.
Despite receiving a plethora of awards and honors from notable magazines like Modern Drummer and DRUM! magazine, this opinion still has manifested and most likely won’t recede.
Why is this?
Because he happened to be in a moderately popular band (in terms of mainstream culture) that featured drumming that was far beyond that of the standard rock drummer in terms of precision and prowess.
On albums, he’d use intricate drum fills (deemed unnecessary by drumming elites), poly-rhythms within different time signatures, and he even was distinguishable by his signature ride pattern.
Of course, that’s just scratching the surface.
Whining over a popularity contest
Being overrated really doesn’t mean much. If enough people know about you, chances are more people will talk about you.
In Neil’s case, he happens to be a very popular drummer outside of the niche that is drumming and drummers. He was able to transcend into popular culture, especially in Rush’s latter years.
No matter how much I love Dave Weckl or Bernard Purdie, there’s a good chance that none of my friends will have heard of them before. Is this bad? Of course not.
Let’s take a look at some of the criticism.
Neil peart sucks …at playing jazz!
This one did make me chuckle a little bit.
While I do love Neil and his playing, it is clear to myself and many others that jazz drumming was not his forte.
That being said, I do commend him for studying with many great teachers to learn jazz and for his honor to the art form.
The Burning For Buddy events were fantastic tributes to the one and only Buddy Rich.
It took a lot of gusto to get up on stage with his big band players and perform when it’s something you aren’t the most comfortable with.
There’s no groove
You don’t have to understand Rush to listen to Neil’s playing objectively.
There may not be groove with Neil in the sense of someone like Bernard Purdie, but again, these are two different styles of playing.
For the first twenty year’s of Neil’s career, there wasn’t a remote control spinning kit or loads of percussion samples; bells and whistles can’t be the only argument to make against his playing besides his groove.
Neil as a drummer, lyricist
Neil joined up with Rush on their second studio album. His playing was decent, but nowhere near where it would be just a few years later.
He has written and performed countless parts that have been emulated by drummers of all ages and skill levels. To say that he isn’t a gigantic inspiration to a whole generation of drummers would be an falsehood.
I personally love Rush lyrics. They resonate with me in a way simple pop music lyrics cannot. I like reading things that are interesting and provoke thought, not cookie-cutter ideas meant for simple minds.
Neil Peart’s Drum Set Size
As Rush progressed creatively, so did Neil’s kit, in size. As the years went by, Neil began amassing extra pieces to his setup.
There were cowbells, timbales, tubular bells, temple blocks, and much more.
Neil’s kit size has always been a point of contention between drummers.
At one time, it was acceptable to have a big kit with lots of additional percussion. Today? Not so much.
The image above shows a visual representation of one of Neil’s drum kits from the early 80s. It was common for him to use percussion like concert toms, crotales, temple blocks, chimes, and gong drums.
Personally, I think bigger kits are awesome. I think it makes you far more unique as a drummer with different types of percussion. Thom Sonny Green, from Alt J, uses extra percussion with his kit and no cymbals.
Sure, his kit isn’t massive, but the unique quality is there. How boring is it to play the same setup countless other drummers have before you.
His charisma, pride, and integrity
There is a level of charisma that Neil emanates. You can tell that he is genuine and that he really did strive to always become a better drummer.
His sense of pride and integrity was also extremely inspiring to me as a young drummer.
I think that these three things trump his playing and technical ability altogether. They are the reasons I chose to learn from him and why I was initially so impressed with him as a drummer in a band.
You can’t say the same about the cocky arrogance of others.
Level of Endurance
Whether you like him or not, Neil had incredible endurance. Being able to play three hours of Rush tunes each and every night could not have been easy.
I think this is partly why Neil had to retire from drumming. It’s a lot on one physically.
The Fanboys
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: drummers absolutely obsessed with NP. I’ll admit, I am, well, sort of was, one.
There was a time when I thought there was no greater drummer on the planet. Times have changed and I have moved past that belief.
Don’t get me wrong — the level of admiration I have for Neil is immense, so much so that I’d say he’s had the greatest impact on me as a player. I also happen to love the music Rush made over the years, with the exception of Tai Shan (sorry Neil).
However, there still remains to be a loud, vocal minority of drummers and Rush fans who become irate at the notion that there may be some better players out there than Pratt.
This meme sums it up perfectly.
I tend to view drummers on a spectrum, rather than a hierarchy, even thought I’ve written an article on the best drummers of all time (they’re not in any order).
Neil is incredibly great and talented at what he did with Rush. He also never gave up learning and continued to study drumming and music until the end of his career.
Wrapping up
I think Neil certainly is a very popular drummer. Is there anything wrong with that? Absolutely not.
He could in fact be overrated in the same sense that the Beatles are overrated.
We all clamor about drummers who are super talented who should make it.
“They’re the ones that should be in the spot light!” Not this guy or gal who can’t drum their way out of a cardboard box!”
That’s not how it’s ever worked or ever will. Neither is it fair. And unfortunately, it’s not all about talent, especially these days.
Featured image credit: tankboyprime
I have seen Rush play from the bottom billing at Winterland to being Top Headliners at numerous venues! All are virtuosos, and Mr. Peart is a Master Percussionist posing as a Rock Fusion Drummer! 🙂 La Villa Strangliato showcases his brilliance. Thank you for the great article, brought back great memories!
I like to watch any drummer who says he’s overrated attempt to play La Villa Strangiato.
Completely agree! That piece was by far one of the biggest challenges when I was learning how to play. I was never close to playing it perfectly but had fun every time.
The words Freddy Gruber (former drummers’ guru) used to describe Neil’s playing were “very compositional.” Even though not the most technical or grooviest of all drummers, Neil will stand out forever as one of the most creative and most influential rock percussionists of all time. Ask Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Mike Portnoy, Mike Mangini and so on.
Freddy was a gift to the drumming world. I couldn’t agree more with what you said. Well put, Rick!
Basically, anyone who claims Neil is overrated isn’t really someone who knows the craft of drumming. They’re likely just one of those many folks on the internet who get their jollies tearing down people who have done what they can’t do themselves.
As to Neil’s large drum kit, his kit was his vocabulary, and with it he would write a story. You can’t spin a very good tale with 3 or 4 words, thus the large kit.
Being labeled as “best” in anything is so subjective, however anyone who thinks Neil Peart is overrated doesn’t really “listen” to Rush or him in particular. Taylor Hawkins summed up his drumming best, it is song writing. The thought and composition he adds to Rush’s music is second to none. Guitarists get credit for their song composition and a case should be made for drummers as well.
IMO, it’s not that he is better than anyone else, but that he plays up near his limit. Lots of people can play what Neil plays, or even better. But do they put those tracks down on an album? Usually not. Most rock albums are full of uninspired drumming that I could copy with an hour or two of practice.
If you CAN play a more interesting part, but don’t even try, then you kinda suck. Neil doesn’t suck.
Also, I love Tai Shan.
Neil’s playing and fill technique made Rush who they were. Remember, they were a trio…that’s it. The Cheetah was spot on. Rip Mr. Peart
RIP. To me the greatest aspect of Neil was his humility. Anyone who
watched his instructional video “A Work in Progress” witnessed Neil say
that he felt he was simply an “apprentice.” The real masters to him were
guys like Steve Gadd, Bernard Purdie, etc. But on the other hand, can
you imagine Purdie being the drummer in Rush? It wouldn’t suit the music
that Geddy and Alex wrote. This is why I could never understand the
people who disliked the guy and his playing. He was about the most
humble musician that there ever was. All he said was that drummers
should always strive to get better, and as the 2012 Rush cover story in
Rolling Stone Magazine said, Neil was STILL taking lessons (in this case
from Peter Erskine) in an effort to get better. The drumming world has
NEVER given him the respect he deserves for assembling the Buddy Rich
tribute CD’s and DVD. As Modern Drummer accurately said, Neil was the
only drummer in the entire music industry with the financial &
artistic clout to be able to put together those two amazing tribute
CD’s. So what did jazz fans do? Piss on him. Screw them. Ungrateful,
elitist bastards. Neil said in interview after interview that Rich was
from another world. For me what Neil meant as a drummer is that you
could be a great drummer through sincerity, practice and dedication. He
said many times that he wasn’t naturally gifted. That every drumming
ceiling he crushed through was the result of incredible hard work. But
he gave inspiration to those of us who weren’t like Buddy Rich – guys
who could be great without practicing. I can’t do that. I have to
practice my tail off. I think it is an absolute disgrace that this man
was disliked by so many in the drumming world when all he asked was for
drummers to be the best players they could be. To be artistically
dedicated and to not sell out their music. Rush never did that, and Neil
never did that. He leaves this world with the ultimate legacy: that a
guy with little naturally ability, through hard work and dedication,
could be one of the first drummers elected to the Modern Drummer Hall of
Fame. End of story. To his critics: may you rot in hell.
I’ve never heard one person state”I started drums because of Niel Peart.” None. I’ve been in tons of bands in 30 years. Yes. Overrated. Very good, yes. The best? Nah
Me either. However, I’ve heard dozens of people state “I started drums because of Neil Peart.” I did, too, though with more modest results. He wasn’t the exceptional because of his talent or performances; his attitude, or lack thereof, as a drummer, musician, lyricist, composer, and student made him exceptional.
[ My jazz drum teacher, who started playing in clubs before his teens and saw Rich perform live in “the early years”, always spoke of Peart with the highest regard as a “fellow life-long learner of the drum.” ]
Peart’s playing and approach to music influenced the people we’ve known who, in turn, influenced us.