what is the big deal with NEIL PERT ?

[rav440]

i asked this quwstion in another thread but i figured it would be answered better in it own thread .
what is the big deal with NEIL PERT ?  sure RUSH has been around forever but alot of their music is mello and they are far far away from METAL i think drummers like NICKO , LARS and other METAL drummers that have been around for 25+ years blow PERT away because they are always playing at an intence high speed level .

[1BAD68]

That depends on what you think is talented.
For instance, I think a good jazz drummer blows them all away because they can keep great time and play musically at the same time.
I've never liked double bass drumming, it seems annoying and monotonous but they have a place in metal.
One of the greatest in my opinion is John Bonham. He wasn't very fast or intricate but was a master time keeper and funky at the same time.
Neil Pert is in the same league as Carter Beauford, very intricate and creative and always changing it up.
Some people like fast drumming and think thats talent, which to a certain extent it is but a guy that can just play a 4/4 all day long like a clock has plenty of talent too.

[0X01B8]

Neil Pert - too many fills, too much flash.  A camshaft is to an engine what a drummer is to a band, IMO.  Pert is like a gold platted camshaft - what's the point?  He's talented though.

By my own logic the best drummer is Marky Ramone.  I don't think he's the best, but he's my favorite.

Cozy Powell was good on the Ronnie James Dio Rainbow albums.  Now I've contradicted myself, because Powell was in the Guiness book under fastest drummer.   

[Nacho-RT74]

dunno the best but Stewart Copeland on the top list...


I think is imposible to say the best of the best. Everyone has its own shine. On guitarrist is the same... to me Mark Knopfler, Maybe not the faster, but yes on the feeling one of the best

[Big Sugar]

Neil is very talented no question, but it's very hard to Rank Musicians.
For me I enjoy Musicians that develope their own distinct sound.
Look at all the Big so called top ten Singers, Lead Guitarists,bassists,and Drummers.
They all have their own style.
Too say one is better than the other really is more about your personal preference, but to rank them in a Top 10 or 100 list really isn't right.

Needless to say
My favorite Drummers are (in No particular order)

Keith Moon....    The Who
John Bonzo Bonham....   Zeppelin
Mick Fleetwood ....   Fleetood Mac
Mitch Mitchell....   Jim Hendrix
Buddy Miles ....   Jimi Hendrix
Bill Ward....    Black Sabbath
Cozy Powell ....  Dio, Rainbow, Purple
Ian paice ....   Deep Purple
Brian  Downey ....  Thin Lizzy
Nicko McBrains ....   Iron Maiden


Not necesarily in that order.


Ron

[mikepmcs]

Neil Pert is in the same league as Carter Beauford, very intricate and creative and always changing it up.

I was trying to figure out a way to respond but you said it perfect, thanks.

No tommy lee fans out there.

The mere fact hat anyone can pound the skins and all that blows me away period.  They are all masters of their craft IMHO and I appreciate the tunage.

[Brock Samson]

Neal can probably best be appreciated with Brand X.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqF_6V8ratg
Heavy Metal?.. Not!
bottom line, if your just into 4/4 or on the one,.. you won't "get it".

[hemi-hampton]

Neil Peart uses to many Roto Toms. I like Keith Moon the Best Tommy Aldridge & Carmine Appice Jam on the Drums. LEON.

[Todd Wilson]

How bout that guy from Def Lepperd  he does it with one arm!   



Todd

[elacruze]

My all-time fav is Neal Smith from Alice Cooper.

[moparstuart]

I have seen neil live several times and he is always great definatly one of the best .


  would have to say bonzo is my all time favorite .  man that guy hits the drums with some tree trunks .

[dodgecharger-fan]

I think if you make the distinction between "drummer" and "percussionist" the rankings may change.
Add "rock" in front of those words and they change again, in my opinion. I'm sure there are many classically trained percussionists that'll give him a run for his money.
A drummer lays down the beat, maintains the rhythm and can drive the song. A percussionist does much more than that. A percussionist does that and adds to the song in much more complex ways. In one case - I'm trying to remember the song - all three members are playing the melody - guitar, bass&keyboards (with foot pedals), voice and percussion - all playing the same notes at the same time. That's not drumming. It's something different, and it's not Heavy Metal.

RUSH started out as a metal band - many called them a Led Zeppelin knock off (a good example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slJq8F2i46s remember it's late 60's early 70's Metal not Heavy Metal. Big difference.) - mostly before the days of Neil Peart. Once he joined and made his mark with his lyrics, they transformed into something more like progressive rock. I don't really ever remember them calling themselves "metal," though. That was before my time, I guess. Like Brock said, "Heavy Metal?.. Not!"

They've changed over the years too. That's the reason for their longevity. They listen to all kinds of music and are influenced by it and they let it influence their own music without trying to copy it. Hell, "Roll The Bones" has rap in it! but it works well in that song. I think they might have changed the definition of "prog rock" from the jazz-rock fusion that it started as in to what the words really mean: progressive rock. Their style has progressed with the times as they've matured and have been influenced by other music, their surroundings and experiences. All while still making it their own and having a blast while doing it.

Anyway, Neil will be the first to point out that he's not the greatest and is always learning. He is truly a humble person. His jazz project was testament to that. He did that because he admired Buddy Rich so much, but was more or less pushed into the project, kicking and screaming. The whole thing scared the hell out of him because he knew he was stepping into someone else's sandbox and he was a nobody in that realm. The thing is, he did it and did it fairly well. He'll be the first to tell you he's got a ways to go, but he's comfortable enough to put some jazz into his drum solo while touring - and it is fun to watch and listen.

As for the fills and frills, you know he doesn't write his music, right? Geddy and Alex usually give him the music after they write it. Sure, he adds to it, but the framework is there to allow for the fills and frills. If he did nothing in those spots, what would the songs sound like then? And he's a guy that doesn't do something for the sake of doing it. It's got to make sense in the overall concept of the song. So, they're not really frills if they are integral to the song, are they? Besides, what's jazz drum solo made up of? fills and frills... but again, he's not a drummer, he's a percussionist.

Yes. I am a big RUSH fan, but I wouldn't put myself in the RUSH "nerd" category. Neil Peart grew up around here. The song, "Lakeside Park" is about a place in my city called, oddly enough, Lakeside Park. My niece used to babysit Geddy Lee's kids. Aside from that though, I just plain admire these guys for being so successful and staying very grounded people. They are family men through and through. They are extremely private people but at the same time very friendly and open with the public. How they balance the two is something that they should bottle and sell. All through it they stay humble. I watched a somewhat regional reality show a while ago that documents the trials and tribulations of tribute or cover bands. In the one about RUSH tribute bands, Geddy was interviewed and when he was told some of the songs that the tribute band had in their set list, his comment was (paraphrased) "Wow! I can't even hit those notes anymore. Good on him if he can."

Geez, I'm rambling... I must be huingry.

To the point, Neil Peart is not a Heavy Metal drummer. Never was.

[covet66]

Wow, a cool topic for a car forum.
I think Neil is a fantastic drummer, I am not a huge Rush fan but they are three very talented guys and their music is pretty phenominal for a three piece- they are also great live. I have been fortunate to see them as long ago as '79, right up until their last few shows here in Torornto- and my son, now 17 has seen them twice live as well.
Most of what has been said above is true- it is very hard to catagorize musicians- just enjoy them for what they provide. I was a huge KISS fan, ok- still am, and no one would mistake them for great musicians- but for what they do- they are the best at their craft.  I would also say, that Rush is the best band for 'prog rock' or whatever you call it.

[dodgecharger-fan]

Besides, how can ya dis a band that uses a Plymouth on their album artwork and their website.   

www.rush.com  click the news link.

[1972Rallye]

Neil Peart is not (technically) a Metal drummer because RUSH is not a Metal band (at least not by today's standards). Could he play Metal like Nicko McBrain, and Lars Ulrich?  YES!... and probably even better than some (I bet either of those guy's would agree).  Neil is a MUSICIAN first and a Percussionist second.  A lot of the drummers you hear can not make that claim. What makes Neil such a big deal is his ability to play exactly what is needed for the song while still being a technically superb drummer.  He can play odd time signatures without the casual listener even realizing it. He can play 4/4 like it was his own invention.  He changed his playing style/technique to bring even more influences into his playing.  As mentioned above, he let himself be dragged into the jazz world (where he felt totally inadequate) to pay tribute to somebody he admired (Buddy Rich). The man never stops growing as a musician.

I've always liked RUSH, but have never been a rabid fan.  I really like a lot of their music.  As a drummer, I can see the brilliance in his playing even on the songs I'm not too fond of.

Is Neil my favorite drummer? No.  Mike Portnoy is.  His influences? Neil Peart, John Bonham, Terry Bozzio, Bill Bruford, Phil Collins, Vinnie Colaiuta, Nick Mason, Keith Moon, Carl Palmer, Vinnie Paul, Simon Phillips... I'll bet you won't find a single drummer in the modern progressive rock/metal genre that doesn't list Neil as one of their influences.

[NHCharger]

I've always liked Bill Ward of Black Sabbath. Love this video of War Pigs, he beats the snot out of his drum set.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtqy4DTHGqg&feature=related