I remember seeing El Darko sitting backstage at the R40 show in Lincoln, NE , and getting all excited, because I thought that I was going to get to hear those concert toms fills that I always loved. The long, concert tom fill in The Temples Of Syrinx was one of the reasons I became an instant Neil Peart and Rush fan back in 1976. Unfortunately, El Darko ended up sounding like it was still submerged in that lake in Romania. Even though DW made all those incredible shells and finishes, they still never sounded as good as the Ludwigs, Tamas, and Slingerlands IMHO.
I think it has much more to do with modern recording, mixing and mastering techniques. Neil’s drums have been poorly represented on every recording since Vapor Trails
@@davidduran1566 I agree. I also think that once they ditched the keyboards, they added layers and layers of other things, and the drums just got buried.
Personally I think Neil put more thought, care, and creativity into his drum sets than a lot of pro rock drummers put into anything they do with their band. Really bothers me that I missed their last tour.
I have a big kit, but I approached it very methodically, and precisely as far as positioning each piece. I think Neil started out as the proverbial kid in the candy store, but as technology changed and improved, he embraced that and sought for ways to simultaneously streamline and expand his arsenal.
Honestly Him skipping the 12” concert Tom is something I’ve noticed but never understood but in Xanadu the ‘77 video you can see him several times going from the 10 CT to the 12 “closes tom” pretty great stuff and really helps paint a picture of which drums sounded what way and how tuning can really change the contour of the kit and how Neil’s tuning changed kit to kit and album to album
The time machine kit was the most depressing experience I ever had at a Rush concert, it was the first time I ever realized that my eyes don't work anymore. I couldn't even see the kit clearly and I realized, f*ck I'm getting old and it's downhill from here. But I was lucky enough to have seen every kit since the black slingerland A farewell to kings tour, when they were still young, and just starting to make it big ! I think it was there first world tour as a headline act. I'm not one of these rich guys that's seen them 150 times , but I have seen 1 show from every tour since 1978, every time they came to Montreal
There's a new emerging technology called "eyeglasses" that employs curved glass lenses fitted into a wearable frame. The lenses, if properly machined, will give you 20/20 vision when you peer through them. You should look into it if you're having vision issues. I've heard of several broken down, elderly people whose eyes don't work anymore - some as old as 38 or even 40 (!) - who have been helped by this new invention.
Truly enjoyed this tribute to Neil and his kits, because there kind of inseparable. My first real introduction to the professor was when I bought the Work in progress VHS set! Absolutely became a fan of Neil and all of the bands work from the age of 17 until today. Thank you both for this one!!
The more you jump in and ask questions Bart the better. Like when you asked the guy about his opinion of the sound of the drums - the DWs etc. That's when it gets interesting. I want to hear people's opinions, experiences. Tough on this one because you needed like four hours just to get the facts! LOL.
Definitely we want to know more about Neil Peart and his legacy. He inspired thousands of drummers around the world including myself and he continue to do it. Thanks very much to both of you, this was great! 🥁
25:16 This was the information I had been waiting for my whole life, how Neil used Crash over a Ride! Thank you, and 2h on ep 3 its not enough! Absolutely awesome, magical explanations and details!
Re: the two 12" toms and how Neil often (though not always) handled roundhouse fills, etc., I think the first time I ever heard him speak or write on the subject was in a reply to a reader in Modern Drummer's Ask a Pro section. Haven't read it in years, but I believe Neil's response began with, "Well, an interesting - if esoteric - observation!" and ended with something to the effect of, "When I have to decide between two things I like, I take both!" Kind of a revelation, because I finally understood what was going on with the tom tunings and, therefore, had a much clearer idea as to how he was orchestrating his drum parts. Pardon the mutliple comments. Chalk it up to pure, unbridled enthusiasm.
This series was a Neil drum kit geek heaven! Such a great podcast I have subscribed brilliant presentation and you didn’t skimp on the details. Thank you.
I work 3-11. Its usually around 2 am before I get to bed. You guys don't know how much sleep you have cost me the last 2 nights. All of this information was priceless! Thank guys, Thomas, Mississippi!!
Many thanks for this series on Neil’s kits. I’m not a drummer but have loved Rush since Caress of Steel. This series has been like listening to a fascinating discussion from the golden age of radio. Outstanding work. Thank you ✌️
Great job with this guys. I watched all three segments, waiting for the drop of parts two and three. You did a great job here and did the man, the musician and his gear serious justice! Thanks for taking this on.
This could not be bettered and I would bet even Neil wouldn't have known every detail Paul has researched and shared in these podcasts. Truly truly exceptional ❤️
Wonderful x 3 =Thanks Bart and Paul for such a wonderfully detailed description of Neil Peart equipment! Drummers love this stuff- keep doing this with other drummers.
My favorite was the Ludwig then the Tama kits. I preferred the sound of those kits although every kit that he played sounded great. Maybe it was the era and production that made the biggest difference. The Ludwig and Tama’s just sounded so precise and had pop.
So much enjoyed the series. Have always been a fan of Neil. This series has given so much perspective on his brilliance and forever quest to improve and be better. He wasn’t called the PROFESSOR for nothing. Thank you Bart and Paul for being so precise and factual. Dank je wel!!
There is so much information in all 3 parts of these videos. I think I'll need to watch them all 10 times for some of the amazing information to sink in haha I really enjoyed the pictures too. Some of them I've never seen before! So cool... Thanks for doing this Paul & Bart!
What an excellent series of videos guys! Thank you very much for this gift! By the way...my favorite kit (looking and sound) is the Roll the Bones/Counterparts one. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
To help clarify, I don’t believe Neil wrote the Canadian Hockey theme song but rearranged and orchestrated with a modern sound featuring his playing on the drumset. The song was used on TV as the opening cue as early as the early 70’s as I remember. I also heard the RCMP play it live in concert during that era as well. Neil’s orchestration is beautifully done and is really thrilling to hear. I’m certain that someone has the definitive information on the song and who recorded it for the TV broadcast..
Well that was a most enjoyable 5+ hours. A tad unexpected, as I'm neither a drummer, nor a fan of Rush's music. I guess it's comforting to know there's this level of geekery/obsession in the world, and it's nice to see Mr Wells' visible excitement at being given the opportunity to expound at length on a subject he so obviously loves. Bravo, gentlemen...
It is, in fact, "Ay-AHT." (Imagine if Freddie Mercury had started a drum company called Ayo. However, I digress...) Would have been so interesting if Neil had gone with them. They have totally unique sound. Can't tell you how much I've enjoyed hearing Paul talk about Neil's kits. His knowledge is encyclopedic. Absolutely mindblowing. He's a world-class jazz player, so he has a far broader (and more compelling) perspective than someone who's just a Rush or prog or hard rock fan. He addresses so many things here that I wouldn't even know where to begin. Thank you both very much for this.
That is great, I appreciate it. I am working on one with Bernie Stone and the folks from the Percussion Center which should have lots of Neil info and beyond 👍
This series has been amazing! Thanks for the in-depth details. Learning so many new things! Nothing against DW drums but I'm a fan of his sound from Permanent Waves to Signals. The drums were punchy and not a ton of resonance. It also has to do with how they were mic'd and engineered. The DW era for Neil was too resonant for my ears but the snare drums were on point. Being a drummer myself, I have always kept that in mind when tuning my drums. I use coated Ambassadors to tame the tones without relying on tape or moon gel. It's cliché but Moving Pictures was the sound I always strive for.
I grew up with in the Moving Pictures era. Saw them first on that tour in 1981 in the UK. Then later on the Hold Your Fire tour. For me it was the Tama kit and the Zildjian cymbals all the way. Huge influence on me in terms of sound and aesthetics. Also I think the Terry Brown production sound. Came to Rush again much later and enjoyed the sound of the later albums and different production style but emotionally it’s always that earlier punchy Tama sound with which I really connect.
Man same here. I got my first drum set in 1981. There was no one bigger in rock then than Neil. Some great current players like Van Halen, Steve Smith, Phil Collins, etc. But he was already the king. Later on, I remember our local music store had that huge banner with the Artstars on the lake. That was the special time for me as a listener and young boy. But particularly that year when they were the it thing and those Superstars ruled!
Rush started to suck after Broon was let go. Having said that, they always remained my favorite band, but instead of loving them during the Broon era for being players with monster chops just going for it, post-Broon I loved them because the point of the band became (or maybe it was and I didn't notice) the friendship. Broon was always able to keep them focused on the song. After he was gone, they self produced, which is always a terrible idea because one cannot be objective about one's own work, especially at the time it is being created [see Tai Shan]. The rosewood Tama Superstars will always be my favorite of his drum sets, and I thought many times (given their love of in-jokes) that a kitchen sink should have been set on the front corner of the riser.....
I got to sit behind one of the Gold-plated DW kits with the Sabian 'Paragon' cymbals at the Birmingham Drum Centre.. they sounded incredible !! I took a lot of photos too
The real deep dive I haven’t heard yet is how was he tuning his stuff. Was he tuning his DW’s to the shell notes. Was he tuning top and bottom heads the same? Where is his number one Slingerland snare at now? If you could get Lorne on and really get into the nuts and bolts of how he was tuning his drums would be AWESOME. Just chatting with the techs for these guys would be incredible.
Such a great series! Learned quite a bit about Neil's drums. I know i'm late now, but I was hoping to hear a bit about some of the extra gear Neil had hidden away, like those little hand dryers, some of microphones and monitoring systems, and also how the electronic drums were handled by the techs, plus how the rotating stage was constructed. If ever there could be a part 4, would love to hear a bit more about the behind the scenes stuff too. Thanks again!
The 8x12 closed toms in Neil's Tama and Ludwig kits were, I always thought, the most expressive voices in his microcosmic orchestra. The sound was simply unlike anything else. They were tuned in a bebop range, but, thanks to the head combinations Neil favored, they didn't sound like bebop drums. They were warmer- and throatier-sounding. I was always most fascinated by the 8x12 double-headed tom, the 6" concert tom, and the gong bass when I was a kid. I never knew that those stacked cymbal stands were, in essence, "homemade," though I guess I should've known. There was a company who began offering commercially-manufactured cymbal stacking stands in the late 70s/early 80s. They advertised frequently in Modern Drummer at the time.
I was a huge Primus fan as a teen, and they played Rush songs and spoke how great Rush is, so I bought the R30 DVD without knowing anything else about Rush. I remember thinking how serious and stiff Peart seemed, and how tinny his toms sounded. But awesome songs and awesome drumset and stuff!!
One point of clarification. "The Hockey Theme" was not written by Neil Peart. it was written by Delores Claman. Neil simply arranged a newer version. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hockey_Theme
What a great series filled with great information and super entertaining. Cant help but becoming emotional when your talking about this man and the incredible music Rush gave us. We lived at goldenA time in music for progressive rock. Rush was the sound track of my life. Thanks for doing this your guys. What a great tribute to Neil Peart. As someone who has three toms over the highhat 11/12/13 on my Vintage Ludwig Vistalite kit. Your comments about how Neil considered the toms over the high hats made me smile. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
Again: 2 hours of livetime just flew away when listening to you two guys talking about Neil's Gear. I loved that series of podcasts although I was hoping on a little more details on the DW era as for me it was tackled a liitle too less. But okay, as Paul said: Everyone has its preferred era an mine definitely is the DW one. Thanks a lot for talking about the Hockey kit. Unfortunately Neil's tune is no longer played in Canada as they have changed the Hockey Night events on TV. But that's another story. To sum up: Thank you so much for this roughly 5 hours of entertainment.
I found this 3-part series of one of my favorite drummers so fascinating, I had to watch all three episodes for my second time. I just finished the third episode a minute ago. So I began listening to Rush when they came out with their Fly By Night album and wasn’t quite sure what to think. By the time I heard 2112 I became more interested. Began playing when I was 7 in 1972 so you could only imagine the impact Neil Peart had on me. I’d play and listen to him for hours. My dad and my first drum teacher kept telling me to just stick with it no pun intended, as I’d get so frustrated at times. Long story short I did and learned every Rush song from every hour. Now at 57 years old there’s some songs I can’t play anymore due to arthritis in my hands and knees. But with that all said, all you young drummers learning Rush right now Id advise you to learn all your rudiments. Practice your rudiments all over your kit so you avoid getting bored and just “Stick” with it! There’s no reward like being able to play Tom Sawyer for the first time, or La Villa Strangiato or whatever your goals are. Happy Drumming and a big thanks to Bart and Paul! I thoroughly enjoyed this three part session and I’ve learned so many things I never knew about Neil Peart! ✌️
Wow thanks so much Kevin, I am honored that you have watched through twice! That is very impressive that you learned all the songs when you were younger. I agree about kids learning rudiments and how to apply them to the kit. Thank you very much for the kind words!
Thanks Paul! I met Paul through Dean who owned Chromey. Definitely knows a lot. I learned a great deal through him. I got a photo of us (Paul, Dean and I) outside the Rhythm Discovery Center in my Chromey scrapbook. I definitely appreciate your contributions to the community! Great video series. Thanks for posting this.
Fantastic series ! Thank you so much !. I don’t know if it’s me, but I never warmed to the DW closed concert tom sound. My all time favourite of Neil’s drum sets are the Candy Apple Red Tamas
Right. To that end: I've been trying to give Snakes and Arrows a go these past few days. The sound is "big" but it just has no feeling or emotional impact on me. A lot of it is the music - far from their best IMO. But the drums (and cymbals) just have none of his personality and flair - for me. It's like a generic modern rock drum sound. That kind of annoying "Metallica" style bass drum sound that a lot of modern hard rock bands seem to have? I just never warmed to it. He didn't sound like Neil anymore. Or what I perceived that should be.
@@Twotontessie Well said ! Obviously Neil was happy with his sound, but I wonder how his style would've matured into had he not had Freddie Gruber's mentoring ?
@@commanderstraker6732 I can’t say I’m an expert on it and I never saw him live. But from the records and videos I don’t think he got any better, frankly. To your point maybe he felt better and was happier so that’s all that matters. As a fan, I thought he looked and sounded “off” a little bit during his last five or ten years. Not sure if it was health or burnout or just my imagination.
For me personally I like Neil’s Ludwig’s because I was younger and that’s what made a lasting impression on me. I like his Ludwig’s because all voices were represented with clarity, attack and resonance. Something that I haven’t been able to find with modern drum making. Put simply, most modern drums all kinda sound similar. I think that the more Neil changed his kits the more he would loose a portion of his identity and creativity. All of the things we loved him for. Thankfully, he never lost his compositional skill. Before Test For Echo there was usually a couple or more songs per album when Neil’s drum parts made the song. Such great drum parts like Mystic Rhythms, Scars, High Water, Red Sector A, Animate, Where’s My Thing etc. etc. Those songs are just really creative. His playing pre DW era was just bombastic, technical, and awe inspiring! Yet when Herr Freddie Grüber came into the mix and started to really influence every aspect of Neil’s playing and therefore his sound, I think that part of Neil’s identity wasn’t as strong. Neil’s Ludwig kits sounded great because all of the voices were represented by an actual drum. His Ludwig 6" tom sounded great because it was a 6" drum. Not a DW 8" drum trying to mimic a 6" drum through tricky tuning. Neil’s 22" Tama gong bass drum sounded like a resonant low pitched, guttural sounding tom because he had that specific acoustic drum present in his setup. His suspended 18" DW tom had a lower pitch but it was missing the resonant thunderous quality that was Peart’s Ludwig’s with a Tama gong bass drum . Neil’s Ludwig’s just had a congruent sound quality that his DW kits are lacking. As a huge Neil Peart fan I respect everything about DW’s craftsmanship and build quality. They make some truly amazing drums. But as a Peart fan I simply don’t care for the sound of his DW drum sets. Neil’s final Romanian River Oak kit was/is off the scale for detail but those drums are so dark and lack attack that I honestly thought they were electronic drums fitted inside wooden shells. As a fan I was just really disappointed ☹️ That said, regardless of how much I think Freddie Gruber was a snake oil salesman Neil was impressed by him. Because of Freddie’s influence the world got several more years of Rush music!!
Does Paul know what hats Neil was using in that Test For Echo era? Every resource I've found has them listed as 13" New Beats but they don't look or sound like them to me. My instinct says Zildjian Remix's but I have no way to prove it!
So glad I'm not the only fan who nerds out on this stuff. One of my favorite things in the tour program was Neil's update on the current kit and how it changed from record to record, so of course this is a treat.
Hey there, I’m a native of St Catharines Ontario and still live here. Actually just around the corner from where Neil grew up. I was hoping to get ahold of Paul Wells to exchange some information. I have a very early set of temple blocks that belonged to Neil that were found in a church basement near his original house where he grew up on Florence St. From my understanding, Neil used a space in the church for practicing from time to time. I also volunteer with the subcommittee for The Neil Peart Commemorative Task Force building the memorial in Lakeside Park. Please reach out to me with your contact. ~Anthony
Hi guys! great programm and such a thrill to hear about Neil's set up along the years! good to hear some secrets about the professor! great hug from a big fan of Rush and Neil, keep on goin' guys! Mariano from Argentina
Correction about the hockey bit, Neil didn't write the song, that's been the theme song for hockey night in Canada for, well I don't know exactly, but at least 50 years or more, he just did a modified version of it .
And I also add that my Neil's favourite drum kit is the blue one from Ludwig with Zildjian cymbals of Counterparts period (drums sounds massive in that record and live!) and the first DW's with Zildjian Avedis cymbals from Test for Echo period. thanks!
I always wondered what happened to his kits after he died. The answer is for the most part: donated to Canadian music programs in schools. What I found out is that there wasn’t just one kit, there were many. There were multiple Ludwig, Tama & DW kits. Apparently Rush had a warehouse in Toronto that was pretty full.
One Canadian drum builder/shop owner has the Presto/Buddy ich kit. The same person sold the Roll The Bones kit about 3 years ago. The Presto kit looks rough (I've seen pics of the kit in storage).
I don't mean to be a Nelly Nitpicker, but here I go.....Paul keeps referring to Neil's chimes as "wind" chimes. While Neil did have a few wind chimes, hanging from cymbal stands, around the A Farewell To Kings period, the racks of chimes, he primarily used, were bar chimes. Wind chimes have hollow tubes, bar chimes have solid tubes.
That closed 12" tom is "his sound" to me. It was so unique and it wasn't until the mid 80s that I realized what you're talking about - it was tuned higher than the 12" concert tom and he'd use it very strategically
Nearly forgot. I would really appreciate some links to Rush bootleg live recordings on youtube please? I searched and searched but didn't find any really good quality ones. Cheers!
In reference to the Fly By Night/Anthem videos, I've always assumed that that was rental gear, but why? So in March 1975 they were in Atlanta for a three-night stand at The Electric Ballroom, and it doesn't seem like it would have been that big of an issue to pack the gear up and move it to wherever they filmed and then move it back over to the venue. At the very least it seems like it would have been real easy to bring their guitars over. My guess is that maybe their gear was already packed up and on a truck headed out of town, or had not made it to town yet. There had to be some reason why they could not access their gear, if they couldn't even bring over their guitars. Also I've always really wondered where exactly did they film this? I think I remember hearing it was the Alliance Theater, which jibes with the Shakespeare stage set that's on stage. I've also always kind of thought it look like Center Stage Theater. Would love to hear some more info on this if anyone has it!
You make a very good point about the guitars... that would be very easy to just grab and bring with them. Good theory about being packed up. Thanks for watching
Does anyone know the address of the drum store that was in Ft. Wayne, IN? I know it is no longer there, but I was just curious...THANK YOU for this series!!!!!!!
In my early teens I listened to the Rush albums (from Fly By Night through Grace Under Pressure) so many times that literally every note is permanently seared into my memory. So when Paul references a part of a song by way of an example of how a particular piece sounded, I am pretty sure I know exactly what he is talking about without going back to any of the music.
I Soooooo enjoyed the hell out of this 3-part Neil series!!! RIP Professor.....
I’m glad you liked it! Thank you very much for the tip 👍
That's An Understatement!! Ha!! That was probably the Best Yet!!
I remember seeing El Darko sitting backstage at the R40 show in Lincoln, NE , and getting all excited, because I thought that I was going to get to hear those concert toms fills that I always loved. The long, concert tom fill in The Temples Of Syrinx was one of the reasons I became an instant Neil Peart and Rush fan back in 1976. Unfortunately, El Darko ended up sounding like it was still submerged in that lake in Romania. Even though DW made all those incredible shells and finishes, they still never sounded as good as the Ludwigs, Tamas, and Slingerlands IMHO.
Very boring, generic sound. Low end means nothing without the crack and attack.
Couldn’t agree more!
I think it has much more to do with modern recording, mixing and mastering techniques. Neil’s drums have been poorly represented on every recording since Vapor Trails
@@davidduran1566 I agree. I also think that once they ditched the keyboards, they added layers and layers of other things, and the drums just got buried.
I also agree Neal. I really didn't like the sound of that kit. To me it sounded over bloated with no great difference in pitch between each Tom.
Personally I think Neil put more thought, care, and creativity into his drum sets than a lot of pro rock drummers put into anything they do with their band. Really bothers me that I missed their last tour.
I agree completely, the level of complexity is incredible
I have a big kit, but I approached it very methodically, and precisely as far as positioning each piece. I think Neil started out as the proverbial kid in the candy store, but as technology changed and improved, he embraced that and sought for ways to simultaneously streamline and expand his arsenal.
@@DrumHistoryPodcastxfd
Me too. I just couldn't spare the cash. $100 is a bunch.
I also missed it. Don’t worry, they’ll comeback around closer next time, I don’t want to go to San Jose……. Damnit.
I have been impatiently waiting for part 3. Thank you so much!
Thanks for waiting :) I hope you like it!
@@DrumHistoryPodcast Most certainly did! Thanks again. Please have Paul Wells as a guest again!
As a casual Rush fan and 30+ year bassist - I would watch 20 parts of this - love it & thank you so much guys!!
Honestly Him skipping the 12” concert Tom is something I’ve noticed but never understood but in Xanadu the ‘77 video you can see him several times going from the 10 CT to the 12 “closes tom” pretty great stuff and really helps paint a picture of which drums sounded what way and how tuning can really change the contour of the kit and how Neil’s tuning changed kit to kit and album to album
That was an incredible series. I learned more about Neil's drums in these 3 parts than throughout my 30 plus years following Rush.
That is great to hear, thank you for watching!
The time machine kit was the most depressing experience I ever had at a Rush concert, it was the first time I ever realized that my eyes don't work anymore. I couldn't even see the kit clearly and I realized, f*ck I'm getting old and it's downhill from here. But I was lucky enough to have seen every kit since the black slingerland A farewell to kings tour, when they were still young, and just starting to make it big ! I think it was there first world tour as a headline act. I'm not one of these rich guys that's seen them 150 times , but I have seen 1 show from every tour since 1978, every time they came to Montreal
That’s impressive! It would be something to have seen them through all those tours.
I’m like you since Presto. I made it a point to see each tour at least once. It’s my one of a few lifetime achievements I’m proud of.❤️
I saw once, Vapor Trails. Thankfully, they've put out enough live albums and videos...
There's a new emerging technology called "eyeglasses" that employs curved glass lenses fitted into a wearable frame. The lenses, if properly machined, will give you 20/20 vision when you peer through them. You should look into it if you're having vision issues. I've heard of several broken down, elderly people whose eyes don't work anymore - some as old as 38 or even 40 (!) - who have been helped by this new invention.
5th time through the Neil vids, can’t get enough of it!
Truly enjoyed this tribute to Neil and his kits, because there kind of inseparable. My first real introduction to the professor was when I bought the Work in progress VHS set! Absolutely became a fan of Neil and all of the bands work from the age of 17 until today. Thank you both for this one!!
That is great to hear, thanks for watching!
This series was amazingly awesome. Thanks, Bart, for all you do.
The more you jump in and ask questions Bart the better. Like when you asked the guy about his opinion of the sound of the drums - the DWs etc. That's when it gets interesting. I want to hear people's opinions, experiences. Tough on this one because you needed like four hours just to get the facts! LOL.
Definitely we want to know more about Neil Peart and his legacy. He inspired thousands of drummers around the world including myself and he continue to do it. Thanks very much to both of you, this was great! 🥁
25:16 This was the information I had been waiting for my whole life, how Neil used Crash over a Ride! Thank you, and 2h on ep 3 its not enough! Absolutely awesome, magical explanations and details!
Haha thanks for watching, more to come down the road with Bernie Stone in a different episode.
Ginger Baker stacked cymbals like that. Did he do the same thing?
Quite common practice in the late 60’s.
Neil didn't wright the "Hockey Night in Canada" music. That has long been their theme. He just did a reworking of the song.
Re: the two 12" toms and how Neil often (though not always) handled roundhouse fills, etc., I think the first time I ever heard him speak or write on the subject was in a reply to a reader in Modern Drummer's Ask a Pro section. Haven't read it in years, but I believe Neil's response began with, "Well, an interesting - if esoteric - observation!" and ended with something to the effect of, "When I have to decide between two things I like, I take both!" Kind of a revelation, because I finally understood what was going on with the tom tunings and, therefore, had a much clearer idea as to how he was orchestrating his drum parts.
Pardon the mutliple comments. Chalk it up to pure, unbridled enthusiasm.
This series was a Neil drum kit geek heaven! Such a great podcast I have subscribed brilliant presentation and you didn’t skimp on the details. Thank you.
Just tremendous guys. Listened to the first 2 episodes intently. Thanks so much for all this amazing info on our hero.
Thank you, I really appreciate that! and thanks for subscribing :)
I thoroughly enjoyed this series.
Thank you for watching!
I really enjoyed this, I’m a major drum nerd and love every little detail about any drum kit, so I’ve always been obsessed with Neil Peart’s kits.
This was an amazing series! Thank you so much! The first real kit that I purchased was a Candy Apple Red Tama Superstar in 1986. I still have it :)
Thank you! That is a very cool first kit
Great job guys. Neil would be so proud and humble for this.
I work 3-11. Its usually around 2 am before I get to bed. You guys don't know how much sleep you have cost me the last 2 nights. All of this information was priceless! Thank guys, Thomas, Mississippi!!
I know how you feel, that happens to me late at night too. Thank you for watching!
I just discovered these videos. It's 3:48AM and I should have been asleep hours ago...😂
Many thanks for this series on Neil’s kits. I’m not a drummer but have loved Rush since Caress of Steel. This series has been like listening to a fascinating discussion from the golden age of radio. Outstanding work. Thank you ✌️
This was a joy to watch. Thank you both so much for making this 3 part series. Absolutely awesome.
I'm a bass player /former live engineer. I watched every minute of all 3 parts, thanks!!
Great job with this guys. I watched all three segments, waiting for the drop of parts two and three. You did a great job here and did the man, the musician and his gear serious justice! Thanks for taking this on.
Loved this entire series! Great information. Thank you Bart!
Thanks Bob, I appreciate you watching!
I really enjoyed all three videos you guys did on Neil's drums, great job!
Thanks Dave! It was a ton of fun to work on this with Paul, we appreciate you watching!
This could not be bettered and I would bet even Neil wouldn't have known every detail Paul has researched and shared in these podcasts. Truly truly exceptional ❤️
Glad you enjoyed it!
Wonderful x 3 =Thanks Bart and Paul for such a wonderfully detailed description of Neil Peart equipment! Drummers love this stuff- keep doing this with other drummers.
My favorite was the Ludwig then the Tama kits. I preferred the sound of those kits although every kit that he played sounded great. Maybe it was the era and production that made the biggest difference. The Ludwig and Tama’s just sounded so precise and had pop.
I saw Rush in '81 on the Moving Pictures tour and he did have the 12" double-headed tom really cranked up tuning-wise so it had a lot of "bark".
So much enjoyed the series. Have always been a fan of Neil. This series has given so much perspective on his brilliance and forever quest to improve and be better. He wasn’t called the PROFESSOR for nothing. Thank you Bart and Paul for being so precise and factual. Dank je wel!!
Thank you for watching Rob!
There is so much information in all 3 parts of these videos. I think I'll need to watch them all 10 times for some of the amazing information to sink in haha I really enjoyed the pictures too. Some of them I've never seen before! So cool... Thanks for doing this Paul & Bart!
What an excellent series of videos guys! Thank you very much for this gift!
By the way...my favorite kit (looking and sound) is the Roll the Bones/Counterparts one. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
What a fantastic and interesting series! Thanks so much gentlemen!
Thanks guys. You guys carried me through two ten hour days of work. And I watched this stuff multiple times. Again thanks from a huge rush/Neil fan
To help clarify, I don’t believe Neil wrote the Canadian Hockey theme song but rearranged and orchestrated with a modern sound featuring his playing on the drumset. The song was used on TV as the opening cue as early as the early 70’s as I remember. I also heard the RCMP play it live in concert during that era as well. Neil’s orchestration is beautifully done and is really thrilling to hear. I’m certain that someone has the definitive information on the song and who recorded it for the TV broadcast..
A most enjoyable series! Thank you for taking the time to put it together!
Well that was a most enjoyable 5+ hours. A tad unexpected, as I'm neither a drummer, nor a fan of Rush's music. I guess it's comforting to know there's this level of geekery/obsession in the world, and it's nice to see Mr Wells' visible excitement at being given the opportunity to expound at length on a subject he so obviously loves. Bravo, gentlemen...
It is, in fact, "Ay-AHT." (Imagine if Freddie Mercury had started a drum company called Ayo. However, I digress...) Would have been so interesting if Neil had gone with them. They have totally unique sound. Can't tell you how much I've enjoyed hearing Paul talk about Neil's kits. His knowledge is encyclopedic. Absolutely mindblowing. He's a world-class jazz player, so he has a far broader (and more compelling) perspective than someone who's just a Rush or prog or hard rock fan. He addresses so many things here that I wouldn't even know where to begin. Thank you both very much for this.
I'm wondering if tour support abilities were a major factor in Neil picking DW.
Great stuff! Thanks for pulling this project together.
Neil Peart was the greatest drummer ever even though he has passed i still listen to Rush all the time RIP 🙏 NEIL PEART
I love this channel,This is as cool as it gets
Thank you Bilham!
This was a phenomenal series gents. Great job and I'll be coming back to it for reference 👍🏻
I have checked just about every day since finding the first 2 in this series to see when this would be posted. Great stuff, thank you for doing this
Very illuminating docu!
Loved the other two episodes, enjoying this one...looking forward to more conversations about Neil!
That is great, I appreciate it. I am working on one with Bernie Stone and the folks from the Percussion Center which should have lots of Neil info and beyond 👍
@@DrumHistoryPodcast indeed
@Drum History Podcast that sounds fantastic! Looking forward to it!
This series has been amazing! Thanks for the in-depth details. Learning so many new things! Nothing against DW drums but I'm a fan of his sound from Permanent Waves to Signals. The drums were punchy and not a ton of resonance. It also has to do with how they were mic'd and engineered. The DW era for Neil was too resonant for my ears but the snare drums were on point. Being a drummer myself, I have always kept that in mind when tuning my drums. I use coated Ambassadors to tame the tones without relying on tape or moon gel. It's cliché but Moving Pictures was the sound I always strive for.
I grew up with in the Moving Pictures era. Saw them first on that tour in 1981 in the UK. Then later on the Hold Your Fire tour. For me it was the Tama kit and the Zildjian cymbals all the way. Huge influence on me in terms of sound and aesthetics. Also I think the Terry Brown production sound. Came to Rush again much later and enjoyed the sound of the later albums and different production style but emotionally it’s always that earlier punchy Tama sound with which I really connect.
Man same here. I got my first drum set in 1981. There was no one bigger in rock then than Neil. Some great current players like Van Halen, Steve Smith, Phil Collins, etc. But he was already the king. Later on, I remember our local music store had that huge banner with the Artstars on the lake. That was the special time for me as a listener and young boy. But particularly that year when they were the it thing and those Superstars ruled!
Rush started to suck after Broon was let go. Having said that, they always remained my favorite band, but instead of loving them during the Broon era for being players with monster chops just going for it, post-Broon I loved them because the point of the band became (or maybe it was and I didn't notice) the friendship.
Broon was always able to keep them focused on the song. After he was gone, they self produced, which is always a terrible idea because one cannot be objective about one's own work, especially at the time it is being created [see Tai Shan].
The rosewood Tama Superstars will always be my favorite of his drum sets, and I thought many times (given their love of in-jokes) that a kitchen sink should have been set on the front corner of the riser.....
Thank you, Thank You, Thank You :) x
Thanks for watching!
I got to sit behind one of the Gold-plated DW kits with the Sabian 'Paragon' cymbals at the Birmingham Drum Centre.. they sounded incredible !! I took a lot of photos too
Thanks for the info on the professor drum kits,really enjoyed all the details
The real deep dive I haven’t heard yet is how was he tuning his stuff. Was he tuning his DW’s to the shell notes. Was he tuning top and bottom heads the same? Where is his number one Slingerland snare at now? If you could get Lorne on and really get into the nuts and bolts of how he was tuning his drums would be AWESOME. Just chatting with the techs for these guys would be incredible.
Neil’s red DW is my favorite of his kits I think. There is just something special about it.
Such a great series! Learned quite a bit about Neil's drums. I know i'm late now, but I was hoping to hear a bit about some of the extra gear Neil had hidden away, like those little hand dryers, some of microphones and monitoring systems, and also how the electronic drums were handled by the techs, plus how the rotating stage was constructed. If ever there could be a part 4, would love to hear a bit more about the behind the scenes stuff too. Thanks again!
Thank you for watching! The mics and recording gear and all those little accessories probably could constitute a part 4 some day :)
The 8x12 closed toms in Neil's Tama and Ludwig kits were, I always thought, the most expressive voices in his microcosmic orchestra. The sound was simply unlike anything else. They were tuned in a bebop range, but, thanks to the head combinations Neil favored, they didn't sound like bebop drums. They were warmer- and throatier-sounding. I was always most fascinated by the 8x12 double-headed tom, the 6" concert tom, and the gong bass when I was a kid. I never knew that those stacked cymbal stands were, in essence, "homemade," though I guess I should've known. There was a company who began offering commercially-manufactured cymbal stacking stands in the late 70s/early 80s. They advertised frequently in Modern Drummer at the time.
Quite a few comments and good discussion in the episode about the 12 inch closed tom tuning. Not something I had clued into before, Thanks,
I was a huge Primus fan as a teen, and they played Rush songs and spoke how great Rush is, so I bought the R30 DVD without knowing anything else about Rush. I remember thinking how serious and stiff Peart seemed, and how tinny his toms sounded. But awesome songs and awesome drumset and stuff!!
Favourite?
I guess it has to be "subdivisions", show of hands. Great drum sound and Neil being Neil.
Nice!
One point of clarification. "The Hockey Theme" was not written by Neil Peart. it was written by Delores Claman. Neil simply arranged a newer version. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hockey_Theme
Thanks for the clarification!
HUMONGOUS RUSH fan here. (And also guitarist)
I know next to squat about drums BUT gear is gear and geeking out on gear is always cool in my book.
What a great series filled with great information and super entertaining. Cant help but becoming emotional when your talking about this man and the incredible music Rush gave us. We lived at goldenA time in music for progressive rock. Rush was the sound track of my life. Thanks for doing this your guys. What a great tribute to Neil Peart. As someone who has three toms over the highhat 11/12/13 on my Vintage Ludwig Vistalite kit. Your comments about how Neil considered the toms over the high hats made me smile. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
I also thought that was an interesting way to look at those higher toms. Enjoy those Vistalites!
*_Amazing_* series. Thank you, I learned a lot. Fan/drummer since ‘81.
Thanks for watching!
Well done, enjoyed it very much!
the 3 parts of legend neil peart was so good thanks guys
Again: 2 hours of livetime just flew away when listening to you two guys talking about Neil's Gear. I loved that series of podcasts although I was hoping on a little more details on the DW era as for me it was tackled a liitle too less. But okay, as Paul said: Everyone has its preferred era an mine definitely is the DW one. Thanks a lot for talking about the Hockey kit. Unfortunately Neil's tune is no longer played in Canada as they have changed the Hockey Night events on TV. But that's another story.
To sum up: Thank you so much for this roughly 5 hours of entertainment.
One of the best songs on the internet-Exit stage left Xanadu
Brilliant, thank you!!
I found this 3-part series of one of my favorite drummers so fascinating, I had to watch all three episodes for my second time. I just finished the
third episode a minute ago. So I began listening to Rush when they came out with their Fly By Night album and wasn’t quite sure what to think. By the time I heard 2112 I became more interested. Began playing when I was 7 in 1972 so you could only imagine the impact Neil Peart had on me. I’d play and listen to him for hours. My dad and my first drum teacher kept telling me to just stick with it no pun intended, as I’d get so frustrated at times. Long story short I did and learned every Rush song from every hour. Now at 57 years old there’s some songs I can’t play anymore due to arthritis in my hands and knees. But with that all said, all you young drummers learning Rush right now Id advise you to learn all your rudiments. Practice your rudiments all over your kit so you avoid getting bored and just “Stick” with it! There’s no reward like being able to play Tom Sawyer for the first time, or La Villa Strangiato or whatever your goals are. Happy Drumming and a big thanks to Bart and Paul! I thoroughly enjoyed this three part session and I’ve learned so many things I never knew about Neil Peart! ✌️
Wow thanks so much Kevin, I am honored that you have watched through twice! That is very impressive that you learned all the songs when you were younger. I agree about kids learning rudiments and how to apply them to the kit. Thank you very much for the kind words!
Great series! Thank you!!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks Paul! I met Paul through Dean who owned Chromey. Definitely knows a lot. I learned a great deal through him. I got a photo of us (Paul, Dean and I) outside the Rhythm Discovery Center in my Chromey scrapbook. I definitely appreciate your contributions to the community! Great video series. Thanks for posting this.
That's awesome! Paul is the man. Thanks for watching
Spot on with the nostalgia point. My first Rush show was when I was 14 and it was the Signals tour, so Tama for me.
Hooray can’t wait! 🎉
Fantastic series ! Thank you so much !. I don’t know if it’s me, but I never warmed to the DW closed concert tom sound. My all time favourite of Neil’s drum sets are the Candy Apple Red Tamas
Right. To that end: I've been trying to give Snakes and Arrows a go these past few days. The sound is "big" but it just has no feeling or emotional impact on me. A lot of it is the music - far from their best IMO. But the drums (and cymbals) just have none of his personality and flair - for me. It's like a generic modern rock drum sound. That kind of annoying "Metallica" style bass drum sound that a lot of modern hard rock bands seem to have? I just never warmed to it. He didn't sound like Neil anymore. Or what I perceived that should be.
@@Twotontessie Well said ! Obviously Neil was happy with his sound, but I wonder how his style would've matured into had he not had Freddie Gruber's mentoring ?
@@commanderstraker6732 I can’t say I’m an expert on it and I never saw him live. But from the records and videos I don’t think he got any better, frankly. To your point maybe he felt better and was happier so that’s all that matters. As a fan, I thought he looked and sounded “off” a little bit during his last five or ten years. Not sure if it was health or burnout or just my imagination.
For me personally I like Neil’s Ludwig’s because I was younger and that’s what made a lasting impression on me. I like his Ludwig’s because all voices were represented with clarity, attack and resonance. Something that I haven’t been able to find with modern drum making. Put simply, most modern drums all kinda sound similar.
I think that the more Neil changed his kits the more he would loose a portion of his identity and creativity. All of the things we loved him for. Thankfully, he never lost his compositional skill. Before Test For Echo there was usually a couple or more songs per album when Neil’s drum parts made the song. Such great drum parts like Mystic Rhythms, Scars, High Water, Red Sector A, Animate, Where’s My Thing etc. etc. Those songs are just really creative. His playing pre DW era was just bombastic, technical, and awe inspiring! Yet when Herr Freddie Grüber came into the mix and started to really influence every aspect of Neil’s playing and therefore his sound, I think that part of Neil’s identity wasn’t as strong. Neil’s Ludwig kits sounded great because all of the voices were represented by an actual drum. His Ludwig 6" tom sounded great because it was a 6" drum. Not a DW 8" drum trying to mimic a 6" drum through tricky tuning. Neil’s 22" Tama gong bass drum sounded like a resonant low pitched, guttural sounding tom because he had that specific acoustic drum present in his setup. His suspended 18" DW tom had a lower pitch but it was missing the resonant thunderous quality that was Peart’s Ludwig’s with a Tama gong bass drum . Neil’s Ludwig’s just had a congruent sound quality that his DW kits are lacking. As a huge Neil Peart fan I respect everything about DW’s craftsmanship and build quality. They make some truly amazing drums. But as a Peart fan I simply don’t care for the sound of his DW drum sets. Neil’s final Romanian River Oak kit was/is off the scale for detail but those drums are so dark and lack attack that I honestly thought they were electronic drums fitted inside wooden shells. As a fan I was just really disappointed ☹️
That said, regardless of how much I think Freddie Gruber was a snake oil salesman Neil was impressed by him. Because of Freddie’s influence the world got several more years of Rush music!!
Does Paul know what hats Neil was using in that Test For Echo era? Every resource I've found has them listed as 13" New Beats but they don't look or sound like them to me. My instinct says Zildjian Remix's but I have no way to prove it!
So glad I'm not the only fan who nerds out on this stuff. One of my favorite things in the tour program was Neil's update on the current kit and how it changed from record to record, so of course this is a treat.
We appreciate you tuning in!
Hey there, I’m a native of St Catharines Ontario and still live here. Actually just around the corner from where Neil grew up. I was hoping to get ahold of Paul Wells to exchange some information. I have a very early set of temple blocks that belonged to Neil that were found in a church basement near his original house where he grew up on Florence St. From my understanding, Neil used a space in the church for practicing from time to time. I also volunteer with the subcommittee for The Neil Peart Commemorative Task Force building the memorial in Lakeside Park. Please reach out to me with your contact. ~Anthony
Great series! Any way to know where each of these kits are today?
Hi guys! great programm and such a thrill to hear about Neil's set up along the years! good to hear some secrets about the professor! great hug from a big fan of Rush and Neil, keep on goin' guys! Mariano from Argentina
Hello Mariano! Thank you for watching my friend
Correction about the hockey bit, Neil didn't write the song, that's been the theme song for hockey night in Canada for, well I don't know exactly, but at least 50 years or more, he just did a modified version of it .
Thank you for the correction! (My brain had zero capacity for sports history, apparently!)
Wow you guys really know your stuff. Love your show!!🤘
Another dynamite episode!!! Most interesting drum podcast out there easy!! Nice work!
Thanks Chad!
And I also add that my Neil's favourite drum kit is the blue one from Ludwig with Zildjian cymbals of Counterparts period (drums sounds massive in that record and live!) and the first DW's with Zildjian Avedis cymbals from Test for Echo period. thanks!
Those are both great drum sets and periods in Rush history!
I always wondered what happened to his kits after he died. The answer is for the most part: donated to Canadian music programs in schools. What I found out is that there wasn’t just one kit, there were many. There were multiple Ludwig, Tama & DW kits. Apparently Rush had a warehouse in Toronto that was pretty full.
One Canadian drum builder/shop owner has the Presto/Buddy ich kit. The same person sold the Roll The Bones kit about 3 years ago. The Presto kit looks rough (I've seen pics of the kit in storage).
This video came up in my recommended, I can't watch it right now, but I am so in. SUBSCRIBED.
Yes he was very inovated.increating the sound he liked..
I don't mean to be a Nelly Nitpicker, but here I go.....Paul keeps referring to Neil's chimes as "wind" chimes. While Neil did have a few wind chimes, hanging from cymbal stands, around the A Farewell To Kings period, the racks of chimes, he primarily used, were bar chimes. Wind chimes have hollow tubes, bar chimes have solid tubes.
Neil Peart, is a drummer with Class!!
Excellent trip through History. Well done.
Thank you very much!
That closed 12" tom is "his sound" to me. It was so unique and it wasn't until the mid 80s that I realized what you're talking about - it was tuned higher than the 12" concert tom and he'd use it very strategically
Nearly forgot. I would really appreciate some links to Rush bootleg live recordings on youtube please? I searched and searched but didn't find any really good quality ones. Cheers!
Greatest drummer on the planet rip neil
Vinnie Colaiuta. Thomas Lang.
0:40 who won't want to know about the greatest drummer to ever walk the planet a true legend as is Geddy Lee I will watch
Great episode! I could’ve used a fourth!
Thanks for supporting the show John!
Drum heads on the El Darko concert toms were Remo clear ambassadors
In reference to the Fly By Night/Anthem videos, I've always assumed that that was rental gear, but why? So in March 1975 they were in Atlanta for a three-night stand at The Electric Ballroom, and it doesn't seem like it would have been that big of an issue to pack the gear up and move it to wherever they filmed and then move it back over to the venue. At the very least it seems like it would have been real easy to bring their guitars over. My guess is that maybe their gear was already packed up and on a truck headed out of town, or had not made it to town yet. There had to be some reason why they could not access their gear, if they couldn't even bring over their guitars. Also I've always really wondered where exactly did they film this? I think I remember hearing it was the Alliance Theater, which jibes with the Shakespeare stage set that's on stage. I've also always kind of thought it look like Center Stage Theater. Would love to hear some more info on this if anyone has it!
You make a very good point about the guitars... that would be very easy to just grab and bring with them. Good theory about being packed up. Thanks for watching
Great series! Vertical shell construction was Sonor technology dating back to the 50s
Does anyone know the address of the drum store that was in Ft. Wayne, IN? I know it is no longer there, but I was just curious...THANK YOU for this series!!!!!!!
In my early teens I listened to the Rush albums (from Fly By Night through Grace Under Pressure) so many times that literally every note is permanently seared into my memory. So when Paul references a part of a song by way of an example of how a particular piece sounded, I am pretty sure I know exactly what he is talking about without going back to any of the music.