Well! I flattered myself that this would be one of your most stunned reactions, and I wasn’t wrong! Your face was a picture bro, a very happy picture! It’s a quite incredible solo on so many levels and I knew you would appreciate it and love it. Although I only joined your Patreon this month ( I wax travelling a lot, international relocation ) you’ll know from the comments on a lot of your reactions that I’ve been a fan of your channel for a while. Glad I’m able to support you in a more tangible way now cos I really enjoy your reactions and I know you’ve been through some tough times but have 2 lovely kids, it pleases me that I can help a little. Anyway, glad you enjoyed Neil. Now, how do I too that next month? 😎
You rock bro 💪 that was amazing. I don't think I've seen my face make those faces before LOL craziness. Thank you so much for you support it means so much. Truly. Glad to have you aboard 😀
@@L33Reactsas awesome as Neil Peart and this drum solo are, Neil tips his hat to Carl Palmer!!😮 So you should definitely check Carl Palmer out!! Also Led Zeppelin live in I believe 1970 John Bonham's drum solo for "Moby Dick"!! At one point he plays his complete kit barehanded, no sticks!!!😮😮
About a year or two, some music magazine ran a readers poll, the all time greatest musician in all music history. Chris Squire came in at 11th. Rick Wakeman surprisingly 4th. Is Jimi Hendrix number one? No. Hendrix is second only to the greatest musician in the whole human history, Neil Peart.
You should see Terry Bozzio's kit. It's 200 pieces. Carl Palmer's kit was extensive as well and it also revolved around during their concerts. There were dragons on the backs of his gongs that appeared to dance (part of the lighting show) when he struck them.
Great reaction!! Done on the eve of the 4th anniversary of his passing...RIP to our Professor, Neil Ellwood Peart! Seen them live 9 times - and I always looked forward to his drum solos. So rhythmic & melodic - he made a song out of it - no easy feat just on percussion. Some drummers get a kit that size for show, but Neil hit every one of those pieces in that solo. Cheers - and no, he's not human...he's Canadian!
Neil didn't feel that this was one of his best performances as he was dealing with having the flu at the time. 🤯 All the horns before the big band music came in were triggered off of his drumkit. Amazing!
At alot of Concert the drum solo was the time to go take a piss and grab another beer, but not at a Rush show, and I've been fortunate to witness 20 Neil Peart Solos
Definitely count myself lucky to have seen Rush over 10 times live and they just never dissappointed. Having seen them from the early 80s through the final tour in 2015, it was one of the coolest things on those later tours, seeing sons and daughters coming with parents to see them for the first time & share that magic of Rush live. Seeing people still enjoy Neil and the band as "new" to them is amazing and makes me smile so much.
I have seen Rush 13 times, amazing through the years, he is simply the standard. From witnessing 2112 Overture complete to all the later music, Neil you are Legend, RIP
Lee, do yourself a solid and listen to the first recorded Neil Peart solo from 1976! It's part of the medley on "Side 4" of the double-disk album "All the World's a Stage"! Neil Peart in his early 20's, in total BEAST-MODE, just destroying his kit1 Plus, you'll hear 1976 Rush metal-ing out on Working Man & Finding My Way! Killer end- of-the-show medley and drum solo! Neil Killing it!
Also, he was the main lyricist for Rush! You should really watch this band (3 members that sound like 6!). You will be blown away! always love watching this solo! Rest in peace, Neil! We all miss you very much! Neil is now in Heaven with his wife and daughter! My prayers go out to Geddy and Alex. They lost who they considered a brother!
RUSH LIVE……I was lucky enough to see one of the last shows before Neil died at SPAC N.Y. Simply the most talented three man band ever. Incredible performances every time. “In eight years I’ll be seventy one, I can play Charlie Watts drum parts when I’m seventy one, I can’t play Neil Peart’s drum parts when I’m seventy one” - Neil Peart at sixty three.
New sub!✅️ Thanks for your jaw dropping reactions! Just found your channel, love to see your reactions to these GREATS!!!🎉😁 Us who grew up in the 70's & 80's were beyond blessed, to witness these phenomenal great musicians!! The complete ART, these SUPER TALENTED musicians put out there for our enjoyment, is MIND BLOWING!!! The only thing better, is to witness such extraordinary talents LIVE!! What a treat it was to see "The Professor" jam this LIVE!!! WE ROCKED, WITH THE VERY BEST!!!🥳🙃
So glad to have you here my friend!! Glad you appreciate good music as well. That's all this channel is about. And you are so right and yall were so lucky to grow up back then. I grew up in the late 90s and 2000s and it was definitely something..lol
Besides his drumkit being huge, I LOVE the gold hardware on everything. It goes so well with the dark drum shells. And he does it justice by being as great a player as he is.
Neil played on and produced a couple CD's in the early 90's with various drummers playing with the Buddy Rich Big Band. That's when he discovered teacher Freddie Gruber, who improved his swing / jazz chops. Check out his last time playing at the Buddy Rich Memorial Concert in 2008 - he plays a couple different big band songs, then they join him and give a big band flavor to Rush's YYZ.
I am really looking forward to this. You are going to love it. Please be sure to check out his other solos as well they are all amazing and well worth your time especially since you are a drummer. Another great one that really shows his versatility is him playing "Cotton Tail" with the Buddy Rich band he has a solo in that as well.
Hi Jane, I only saw Rush twice, in Detroit in 1975 and 1978, then became impoverished by school debt and never saw them as a stadium band. Their long-time roadie Skip G was my friend but regrettably I never took advantage of his connections. RIP Neil and Skip.
@@mikemicrael5749 i’m pretty sure I saw the 1978 tour. Wasn’t that the release of 2112? Anyway I know I saw another time too and in addition to an amazing drummer the stage lights were always focused on him and it was brilliant. It was breathtaking.
Just for some tie-ins, the one section where he's playing a 3/4 beat with his feet (Bum tss tss, bum tss tss) - that was adapted from Max Roach's composition The Drum Also Waltzes; which was later covered by our man Bill Bruford! Check it out sometime
He was called The Metronome because of his steadiness. He was also their song writer, the lyricist. Was he the best? Who knows? He was the most original and took drumming to the next level. Rest easy Neil.😢
Neil was amazing saw Rush 9 times 8 times with Neil. The most amazing thing is his feet and hand independence. His mentors were Buddy Rich, Max Roach and Bill Bruford. The professor is a goat to be mentioned with John and Keith
RIP Neil. Thanks for all the music and memories. Would like to see your reaction to an Ian Paice solo. Deep Purple - The Mule (live). Another great performance.
The Drum Master- Modern Drummer magazine- 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."
The only drummers that ever came close to Neil were guys like Simon Philips and the immortal Tony Williams. I worked spotlights for Buddy Rich 40 years ago, and dude certainly had chops...but he was such an enormous dic you cannot imagine.
You must do a reaction to the most insane drum solo ever from the Buddy Rich tribute.3 drummers all going at one time, Steve Gadd, Dave Weckl and Vinnie Calluata.
After seeing Rush the first time it dramatically changes your perception of what a drum solo is like, usually it’s 5 minutes and it’s not a big deal, I’ve see many good drummers and their solos but nothing compares to Neil. It’s one of the highlights of the Rush show.
🥁 Apparently there is a Neil Peart drum solo reaction video in which the person reacting said they've seen better, this video has been looked for far and wide and it's yet to be found, leading many to believe it's purely a thing of legend. 🥁
Zappa Plays Zappa - look for a live version of “The Black Page” that features Terry Bozzio and Steve Vai, but especially Bozzio’s “Black Page No. 1.” part. It’s mind-blowing.
My Percussion Kit has 127 pieces (see vid) inspired by Neil's kit and my favorite Phil Ehart from Kansas..... 23 Snares from 8"-15". 14 of them tuned side by side to play melodies.... 21 Toms from 8"- 18".... 5 Kick Bass from 16"-24".... 4 sets of Bongos & Congas.... 5 High-Hat sets.... 27 cymbals from 6" - 24".... 16 Cowbells... 5 Tambourines....1 Xylophone....3 Woodblocks.... 4 Claves.... 4 chime cymbals... 2 Triangles..... 2 Gongs 16"-20".... and a Planters Mixed Nut Can because it sounds great.
In my opinion Neil is probably the best percussionist of them all but having said that, I think you will really enjoy watching a dual drum set piece from Phil Collins and Chester Thompson during a Genesis concert. They are on TH-cam to check out I am not being biased. Just being a huge prog head, I love them all. Peart, White, Collins, Bruford etc
It's so hard to pick a favorite... bruford is probably it because of the jazz influence and his solo work but they are ALL fantastic percussionists. Of the highest order.
It’s not as much about Niel’s speed and timing as it is about his creativity. Look at how Niel brought the “drum solo” to the audience. With the pounding bass drum at the beginning to the melodic xylophone to wowing you with his double bass and high-hat work to the horns he triggered at the end. His creativity in the songs he plays with Rush is like no other I have ever heard or will hear again. Whether he's the GOAT of drumming or not, that all just depends on your taste. It’s all subjective and I’m ok if he’s not considered “the best”. I just know what his drumming does to my sole. The seamlessly smooth transition to the next phrase of the song it largely (But not solely) Niel! RIP!
2:05 It's actually called a Marimba or Vibraphone. I was percussion for over 20 years. And it's also called a MalletKat. That he was using. A Xylophone is not electronic 🤣 They are basically just bells.
It's probably his best *solo* but as far as being a master drummer / percussionist the live Xanadu from Exit Stage Left is what I found most impressive as a part of a piece that's shared with other musicians. p/s: It's pronounced Neil PEERT.
Nothing more need be said... The Professor! The end of the the solo is a nod to Freddie Gruber... again nothing more need be said. R.I.P my friend 🐶😎🇺🇸 Spread the love Brother 👍👍
Totally awesome reaction to a great NP drum solo! I don’t recall The great Bill Buford ever doing a drum solo, I don’t think that is his thing. BB playing is almost “ all solo” ( I exaggerate 😂) But BB is one of NP’s favorite drummers as well as most of us drummers in your audience as well!! Google BB’s “ snare drum sound”! Carry on my man, love all your reactions!
Yeah solos aren't bills thing it seems. Every song he plays could totally be a solo in itself lol he is a genius! And so is Neil. This was fantastic. I loved every second of it. This was just the best.
On his Effin' Life tour, Geddy says that they never complimented him on his solos. He later found out Neil was waiting for feedback the whole tour! Kind of typical tho.
Neil is by far my favorite but if you haven't done so already, check out Tool's Danny Carey Vic Firth drum cam version of the song Pneuma. Danny was greatly influenced by Neil, and became friends with him before he passed.
Good reaction. Drummers use a Metronome to keep time. A Metronome uses Neil Peart to keep time. He does this in the middle of a 3-hour concert. Why doesn't anybody talk about his foot work? Nobody talks about his left foot with the tambourine sound. It must be so easy for Drummers to do. Is that why?
In the mid-nineties, despite decades of success and adulation, Neil Peart decided that he'd gone as far as he could on his own. So, he signed up for lessons with jazz drummer Freddie Gruber. Most drummers would probably have said, "I'm good enough" but not Neil.
Rush's Drum Tech gave an interview and demonstrated how they set this kit up for each show - you can see the interview and the construction of the kit at this link: th-cam.com/video/bHPfy7cRA_U/w-d-xo.html
Check out some of Barriemore Barlow's drumming, (Jethro Tull), he's very similar to Neils "stuff".. I bet you didn't see John Bonham twirling his right handed drumstick, near the very conclusion of Moby Dick, (Live 1970), you're the second "reaction dude" who was busy talking rather than watching & listening..✌️
Well!
I flattered myself that this would be one of your most stunned reactions, and I wasn’t wrong!
Your face was a picture bro, a very happy picture!
It’s a quite incredible solo on so many levels and I knew you would appreciate it and love it.
Although I only joined your Patreon this month ( I wax travelling a lot, international relocation ) you’ll know from the comments on a lot of your reactions that I’ve been a fan of your channel for a while.
Glad I’m able to support you in a more tangible way now cos I really enjoy your reactions and I know you’ve been through some tough times but have 2 lovely kids, it pleases me that I can help a little.
Anyway, glad you enjoyed Neil. Now, how do I too that next month? 😎
You rock bro 💪 that was amazing. I don't think I've seen my face make those faces before LOL craziness. Thank you so much for you support it means so much. Truly. Glad to have you aboard 😀
@@L33Reactsas awesome as Neil Peart and this drum solo are, Neil tips his hat to Carl Palmer!!😮
So you should definitely check Carl Palmer out!!
Also Led Zeppelin live in I believe 1970 John Bonham's drum solo for "Moby Dick"!! At one point he plays his complete kit barehanded, no sticks!!!😮😮
@@L33Reactsthe professor at work !
About a year or two, some music magazine ran a readers poll, the all time greatest musician in all music history. Chris Squire came in at 11th. Rick Wakeman surprisingly 4th. Is Jimi Hendrix number one? No. Hendrix is second only to the greatest musician in the whole human history, Neil Peart.
5:50 Well Neil Peart was a legend. Probably one of the greatest percussionists that ever lived. RIP Neil.
He is keeping one beat going steadily with both feet while playing over it in different tempos and time signatures. Incredible.
I heard it man that was incredible. So many different Influences thrown into one absolute monster solo :)
3/4 on the feet and 4/4 etc with his hands. That is control!
RIP Neil Peart!! Today is the 4th year of his passing. 😢 Sure miss this guy.
24k gold plated! Neil is the professor! Imitated but never duplicated! What a shame that we lost him!
You should see Terry Bozzio's kit. It's 200 pieces. Carl Palmer's kit was extensive as well and it also revolved around during their concerts. There were dragons on the backs of his gongs that appeared to dance (part of the lighting show) when he struck them.
Great reaction!! Done on the eve of the 4th anniversary of his passing...RIP to our Professor, Neil Ellwood Peart! Seen them live 9 times - and I always looked forward to his drum solos. So rhythmic & melodic - he made a song out of it - no easy feat just on percussion. Some drummers get a kit that size for show, but Neil hit every one of those pieces in that solo.
Cheers - and no, he's not human...he's Canadian!
love me some neal.
Watched this dozens of times, still gives chills. A true master of his craft. R.I.P.
The Professor.... RIP Neil you are missed...
Neil didn't feel that this was one of his best performances as he was dealing with having the flu at the time. 🤯
All the horns before the big band music came in were triggered off of his drumkit.
Amazing!
He had the flu....
@@L33Reacts Yep. This was Neil _off his game._
At alot of Concert the drum solo was the time to go take a piss and grab another beer, but not at a Rush show, and I've been fortunate to witness 20 Neil Peart Solos
Indeed, NP was a master!
That is amazing man... what a number. I'm quite jealous at this moment lol
I saw Rush Live 5 times. Neil's drum 🥁 solo were this perfect every time💙🔥 Brenda Nelson.
Definitely count myself lucky to have seen Rush over 10 times live and they just never dissappointed. Having seen them from the early 80s through the final tour in 2015, it was one of the coolest things on those later tours, seeing sons and daughters coming with parents to see them for the first time & share that magic of Rush live. Seeing people still enjoy Neil and the band as "new" to them is amazing and makes me smile so much.
I have seen Rush 13 times, amazing through the years, he is simply the standard. From witnessing 2112 Overture complete to all the later music, Neil you are Legend, RIP
Lee, do yourself a solid and listen to the first recorded Neil Peart solo from 1976! It's part of the medley on "Side 4" of the double-disk album "All the World's a Stage"! Neil Peart in his early 20's, in total BEAST-MODE, just destroying his kit1 Plus, you'll hear 1976 Rush metal-ing out on Working Man & Finding My Way! Killer end- of-the-show medley and drum solo! Neil Killing it!
“ the professor “ (that’s what they called him) is THE GOAT .
It’s been said by many that he was probably your favorite drummer’s favorite drummer.
Also, he was the main lyricist for Rush! You should really watch this band (3 members that sound like 6!). You will be blown away! always love watching this solo! Rest in peace, Neil! We all miss you very much! Neil is now in Heaven with his wife and daughter! My prayers go out to Geddy and Alex. They lost who they considered a brother!
RUSH LIVE……I was lucky enough to see one of the last shows before Neil died at SPAC N.Y. Simply the most talented three man band ever. Incredible performances every time. “In eight years I’ll be seventy one, I can play Charlie Watts drum parts when I’m seventy one, I can’t play Neil Peart’s drum parts when I’m seventy one” - Neil Peart at sixty three.
New sub!✅️ Thanks for your jaw dropping reactions!
Just found your channel, love to see your reactions to these GREATS!!!🎉😁 Us who grew up in the 70's & 80's were beyond blessed, to witness these phenomenal great musicians!! The complete ART, these SUPER TALENTED musicians put out there for our enjoyment, is MIND BLOWING!!!
The only thing better, is to witness such extraordinary talents LIVE!! What a treat it was to see "The Professor" jam this LIVE!!! WE ROCKED, WITH THE VERY BEST!!!🥳🙃
So glad to have you here my friend!! Glad you appreciate good music as well. That's all this channel is about. And you are so right and yall were so lucky to grow up back then. I grew up in the late 90s and 2000s and it was definitely something..lol
Besides his drumkit being huge, I LOVE the gold hardware on everything. It goes so well with the dark drum shells. And he does it justice by being as great a player as he is.
He was playing different rhythms with his feet and hands. There's drummers, there's percussionists, but Neil was rare because he was both.
I’ve been so looking forward to watching you react. It didn’t disappoint. A lot of fun watching your awed face. There’s truly no one like Neil.
The truly amazing thing is his age when this was done, and the fact that it was in the middle of a 3 hour concert ... the man was a machine!!
He's not human, he's a Canadian, thus Super- Human! And the best rock drummer I ever saw live
Neil played on and produced a couple CD's in the early 90's with various drummers playing with the Buddy Rich Big Band. That's when he discovered teacher Freddie Gruber, who improved his swing / jazz chops. Check out his last time playing at the Buddy Rich Memorial Concert in 2008 - he plays a couple different big band songs, then they join him and give a big band flavor to Rush's YYZ.
You just saw the best ever, I seen most bands in the early 80s, Neil is the GOAT
He one of the greatest to play the drums. What a drum set
Best you have seen. Nice. His solos were the best I've ever seen. 15 times over the years from 1978 through to thier last tour.
Got lucky and got to see him in Atlanta at the Omni. He was freaking GREAT !
R.I.P. Professor 🥁🥁🥁🕊🕊🕊😎
RIP Neil 🙏
There's a reason he's called The Professor! He can also pen a nifty line or two.🤘
Neil was absolutely the king of musical solos.
Peart and Palmer are my favs
There is also a video 26 minutes long of just him practicing......AWESOME!
I’m lucky. I was able to see Neil and Rush live once in 1983.
Your favorite drummers favorite drummer
Love the thumbnail. That side-mullet shot is epic !!
Haha thanks bro 🙃
I am really looking forward to this. You are going to love it. Please be sure to check out his other solos as well they are all amazing and well worth your time especially since you are a drummer. Another great one that really shows his versatility is him playing "Cotton Tail" with the Buddy Rich band he has a solo in that as well.
This was awesome!! He killed it! He really was the best of the best man...
I can't believe you're covering a drum solo. awesome. your selections recently have been next-level.
Two different time signatures, simultaneously….as a drummer that blows my mind every time I see it.
I saw them several times in high school, and he always has massive drum kits. Fantastic solo.
Hi Jane, I only saw Rush twice, in Detroit in 1975 and 1978, then became impoverished by school debt and never saw them as a stadium band. Their long-time roadie Skip G was my friend but regrettably I never took advantage of his connections. RIP Neil and Skip.
@@mikemicrael5749 i’m pretty sure I saw the 1978 tour. Wasn’t that the release of 2112? Anyway I know I saw another time too and in addition to an amazing drummer the stage lights were always focused on him and it was brilliant. It was breathtaking.
The master at work
There is also Neil Peart drum solo Cottontail
He has a great performance and solo on a kit 1/4 that size playing Rich memorial concert. You should see that
Just for some tie-ins, the one section where he's playing a 3/4 beat with his feet (Bum tss tss, bum tss tss) - that was adapted from Max Roach's composition The Drum Also Waltzes; which was later covered by our man Bill Bruford! Check it out sometime
GOAT! The Professor! He is missed.
You got to love how he switched up from match to traditional and back
I saw his drum solos live 32 times
Nowhere near enough.
He was called The Metronome because of his steadiness. He was also their song writer, the lyricist. Was he the best? Who knows? He was the most original and took drumming to the next level. Rest easy Neil.😢
Neil was amazing saw Rush 9 times 8 times with Neil. The most amazing thing is his feet and hand independence. His mentors were Buddy Rich, Max Roach and Bill Bruford. The professor is a goat to be mentioned with John and Keith
I would love to see a tour with Alex, Geddy and Gavin Harrison from Porcupine Tree and The Pineapple Thief. My prediction for 2024. 😊
Love Gavin Harrison! Only drummer I would accept for Geddy and Alex .
RIP Neil. Thanks for all the music and memories.
Would like to see your reaction to an Ian Paice solo. Deep Purple - The Mule (live). Another great performance.
I give you the Professor…..🙏🙏🙏🙏RIP Neil
"THANK GOD HE IS IN OUR BAND"😂
The Drum Master- Modern Drummer magazine- 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."
🤗 Eagerly awaiting the various 😳😌😄😙😀🤩🤯 looks on your face! 🥰🐰
Oh I think my face made every single one of those faces 😉
The only drummers that ever came close to Neil were guys like Simon Philips and the immortal Tony Williams. I worked spotlights for Buddy Rich 40 years ago, and dude certainly had chops...but he was such an enormous dic you cannot imagine.
I had that same Frazetta print on my wall as a young Man.
You must do a reaction to the most insane drum solo ever from the Buddy Rich tribute.3 drummers all going at one time, Steve Gadd, Dave Weckl and Vinnie Calluata.
After seeing Rush the first time it dramatically changes your perception of what a drum solo is like, usually it’s 5 minutes and it’s not a big deal, I’ve see many good drummers and their solos but nothing compares to Neil. It’s one of the highlights of the Rush show.
I would have loved to have taken one of these in person... I would have left the arena walking on air 😢
Neal said: "I wasn't talented, but I was relentless."
Assassin's chops.... ...with taste. Sorely missed, greatly beloved, supremely appreciated.
RIP the professor. He was the best of the best 😢💗
And Buddy Rich LIVE!
Remember he did this in the middle of a 3 hour concert.
🥁 Apparently there is a Neil Peart drum solo reaction video in which the person reacting said they've seen better, this video has been looked for far and wide and it's yet to be found, leading many to believe it's purely a thing of legend. 🥁
Well documented that he retrained his stick holding to more traditional like buddy rich and such to be able to do what we just watched.
Zappa Plays Zappa - look for a live version of “The Black Page” that features Terry Bozzio and Steve Vai, but especially Bozzio’s “Black Page No. 1.” part. It’s mind-blowing.
Check out the Buddy Rich "Impossible Drum Solo", and you will see the quickest left hand/snare ever. Buddy was Neils' hero.
My Percussion Kit has 127 pieces (see vid) inspired by Neil's kit and my favorite Phil Ehart from Kansas..... 23 Snares from 8"-15". 14 of them tuned side by side to play melodies.... 21 Toms from 8"- 18".... 5 Kick Bass from 16"-24".... 4 sets of Bongos & Congas.... 5 High-Hat sets.... 27 cymbals from 6" - 24".... 16 Cowbells... 5 Tambourines....1 Xylophone....3 Woodblocks.... 4 Claves.... 4 chime cymbals... 2 Triangles..... 2 Gongs 16"-20".... and a Planters Mixed Nut Can because it sounds great.
Check Neils big band solo too: Neil Peart - Cotton Tail (w/ Drum Solo) (HQ) with a smaller one drum set.
In my opinion Neil is probably the best percussionist of them all but having said that, I think you will really enjoy watching a dual drum set piece from Phil Collins and Chester Thompson during a Genesis concert.
They are on TH-cam to check out
I am not being biased. Just being a huge prog head, I love them all. Peart, White, Collins, Bruford etc
It's so hard to pick a favorite... bruford is probably it because of the jazz influence and his solo work but they are ALL fantastic percussionists. Of the highest order.
he is doing call and response on the marimba
I noticed he switched right hand grip to like Buddy Rich for snare solo and back to the other grip for everything else
It’s not as much about Niel’s speed and timing as it is about his creativity. Look at how Niel brought the “drum solo” to the audience. With the pounding bass drum at the beginning to the melodic xylophone to wowing you with his double bass and high-hat work to the horns he triggered at the end. His creativity in the songs he plays with Rush is like no other I have ever heard or will hear again. Whether he's the GOAT of drumming or not, that all just depends on your taste. It’s all subjective and I’m ok if he’s not considered “the best”. I just know what his drumming does to my sole. The seamlessly smooth transition to the next phrase of the song it largely (But not solely) Niel! RIP!
That kit is 18c gold plated.
2:05 It's actually called a Marimba or Vibraphone. I was percussion for over 20 years. And it's also called a MalletKat. That he was using. A Xylophone is not electronic 🤣 They are basically just bells.
Carter Beauford with Dave Matthews Band is another great drummer!
It's probably his best *solo* but as far as being a master drummer / percussionist the live Xanadu from Exit Stage Left is what I found most impressive as a part of a piece that's shared with other musicians.
p/s: It's pronounced Neil PEERT.
Nothing more need be said... The Professor! The end of the the solo is a nod to Freddie Gruber... again nothing more need be said. R.I.P my friend 🐶😎🇺🇸 Spread the love Brother 👍👍
Totally awesome reaction to a great NP drum solo! I don’t recall The great Bill Buford ever doing a drum solo, I don’t think that is his thing. BB playing is almost “ all solo” ( I exaggerate 😂) But BB is one of NP’s favorite drummers as well as most of us drummers in your audience as well!! Google BB’s “ snare drum sound”! Carry on my man, love all your reactions!
Yeah solos aren't bills thing it seems. Every song he plays could totally be a solo in itself lol he is a genius! And so is Neil. This was fantastic. I loved every second of it. This was just the best.
Glad you enjoy the videos! Plenty more to come ;)
His limb independence is unsurpassed.
If you haven’t seen it yet, search for “The Impossible Drum Solo” by Buddy Rich. Speed like you never seen. Buddy was an idol of Neil.
To watch a drummer absolutely give his all, please react to Bill Ward of Black Sabbath - "War Pigs" LIVE Paris 1971.
On his Effin' Life tour, Geddy says that they never complimented him on his solos. He later found out Neil was waiting for feedback the whole tour! Kind of typical tho.
Neil is by far my favorite but if you haven't done so already, check out Tool's Danny Carey Vic Firth drum cam version of the song Pneuma. Danny was greatly influenced by Neil, and became friends with him before he passed.
the professor is a huge buddy rich fan
Neil is quoted as saying, " i am not talented but i am relentless." he retaught himself three times mechanically during his career
There's a reason why he is called the Professor.
Did you even notice the polyrhythm with his feet?
Good reaction.
Drummers use a Metronome to keep time. A Metronome uses Neil Peart to keep time.
He does this in the middle of a 3-hour concert. Why doesn't anybody talk about his foot work?
Nobody talks about his left foot with the tambourine sound. It must be so easy for Drummers to do.
Is that why?
Have you seen the drum solo in Moby Dick by John Bonham of zeppelin? That is another special one, on a normal sized kit, it's a must see
There's nothing to say, he's the Professor for a reason, just take notes because school is in session.
And Buddy Rich!!!!!
In the mid-nineties, despite decades of success and adulation, Neil Peart decided that he'd gone as far as he could on his own. So, he signed up for lessons with jazz drummer Freddie Gruber. Most drummers would probably have said, "I'm good enough" but not Neil.
Did you catch he tossed his stick up and caught then played last lick of solo.
Rush's Drum Tech gave an interview and demonstrated how they set this kit up for each show - you can see the interview and the construction of the kit at this link: th-cam.com/video/bHPfy7cRA_U/w-d-xo.html
He and John Bonham are the goats now you need to see Zeppelins live Moby Dick and JB solo!
You should do Buddy Rich’s impossible solo.
Now you know why he is referred to as "The Professor".
Check out some of Barriemore Barlow's drumming, (Jethro Tull), he's very similar to Neils "stuff"..
I bet you didn't see John Bonham twirling his right handed drumstick, near the very conclusion of Moby Dick, (Live 1970), you're the second "reaction dude" who was busy talking rather than watching & listening..✌️
And before this solo he was playing for about 45 minutes.