Neil Peart ― The Latest News - 2004
 

December 28                                                                                                                              

In the December 24 edition of the Toronto Globe and Mail, Neil Peart gives his book recommendations for 2004:

Among many favourites this year, from John Barth's The Book of Ten Nights and a Night to Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything, I would have to choose The Big Year by Mark Obmascik, a non-fiction tale of epic sweep and depth about a competition among, of all people, birdwatchers.

In the birding Olympics, the quest is to list the greatest number of bird species ever seen in North America in one calendar year, and the obstacles are many, both human and natural, woven into a surprisingly compelling drama of obsession, competition, strategy, resourcefulness, and human nobility and fallibility.

The competitors strain themselves, their resources, and their jobs and families to catch even a momentary glimpse of a feathered rarity, as they race around the continent from the Aleutian Islands to Dry Tortugas, to the Colorado Rockies, to a garbage dump in a Texas border town.

A few others I can't resist recommending: Louis Riel by Chester Brown, French Revolutions by Tim Moore, The Inner Circle by T. C. Boyle and Middlemarch by George Eliot.

Neil Peart is drummer for the rock group Rush and author of three travel books, including Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road and The Masked Rider.

December 25                                                                                                                              

I received my copy of "Rhythm & Light" last week, and it did indeed contain signatures from both Carrie Nuttall and Neil Peart. What a great Christmas surprise!

December 18                                                                                                                                

Carrie Nuttall"Rhythm & Light" is now available to order from Rounder books for $29.99.

The Rounder Web site announced that they would ship autographed copies "while supplies last." This announcement was taken down as of Friday, 12/17/04. Initial copies bought from this site contained signatures by both Carrie Nuttall and Neil Peart.

Note that as of this date "Rhythm & Light" is still not available to order through Amazon .

Information about "Rhythm & Light" from the Rounder Web site:

"Composed of an intimate series of portraits, Rhythm & Light is a striking photo book documenting Rush drummer Neil Peart at work in a Toronto recording studio. The precise, accomplished style that has made Peart one of rock's most universally acclaimed drummers is beautifully illuminated by photographer Carrie Nuttall's gifted eye for motion, contrast, and tension. Equally essential for devotees of Rush, drumming, and fine photography.

"Carrie Nuttall is a photographer who works primarily in the music industry.
She lives in Los Angeles, CA."

December 7                                                                                                                                   

Rush was nominated for a Grammy Award for Neil Peart's drum solo "O Baterista" from "Rush in Rio." The 47th Grammy awards are for for recordings released during the eligibility year October 1, 2003 through September 30, 2004. The 47th Grammy Awards will be held on February 15, 2005.

Says Geddy Lee on Canada.com: "We are exceedingly proud of Neil in particular for his outstanding virtuosity which is fully displayed in this drum solo piece."

Here are the nominees in this category:

Category 19

Best Rock Instrumental Performance
(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, without vocals. Includes Rock, Hard Rock and Metal. Singles or Tracks only.)

Instrumental Illness
The Allman Brothers Band
Track from: One Way Out
[Sanctuary]


Onda
Los Lonely Boys
Track from: Los Lonely Boys
[Epic Records]


O Baterista
Rush
Track from: Rush In Rio
[Anthem/Atlantic Records]


Whispering A Prayer
Steve Vai
Track from: G3 Live: Rockin' In The Free World
[Epic Records]


Mrs. O'Leary's Cow
Brian Wilson
Track from: Brian Wilson Presents Smile
[Nonesuch Records]
 

November 12                                                                                                                                     

November 1                                                                                                                                     

October 27                                                                                                                                        

Charity Neil Peart Prints From Andrew MacNaughtan

From Rush.com: "This year RUSH photographer Andrew MacNaughtan will be providing another signed Rush print. This new print will focus on Neil and will be hand signed with all proceeds going to local Toronto charities benefiting those in need of food and toys for children. The prints will be the same size as previous (13.5 inches x 36 inches) as well as dated and numbered in a series of 500. For more details and information on how to purchase this print, go to http://www.andrewmacnaughtan.net."

There are two prints available for $155 + shipping and handling each:

Neil Peart, 30th Anniversary I

Andrew MacNaughtan writes:

"The image on the far left is of course Neil just “killing some time” between verses … as if he doesn't have enough to do already!

Next, you'll see an image of Neil smiling. I took this shot of him during the band's rehearsals for the Anniversary Tour in a North Toronto warehouse space. Most fans don't really see Neil smiling that often and I think this image depicts the true side of his warm personality.

The middle photo shows Neil's signature salute after he finishes his nightly drum solo. In fact, this photo was taken on the very last night of the entire 30th Anniversary Tour 2004. I'm sure he was thinking, “I'm so tired.”

The “formal” portrait of Neil with his 30th Anniversary drum kit was taken in Los Angeles, January 2004. I spent hours setting up all the lighting with my crew. It had to be perfect. I wanted to capture a “70's classic” drum kit portrait. Since Neil was having his kit built to mirror various drum kits of several of his rock music hero's, I couldn't get it out of my head that I wanted the setting to look similar to how a Rush stage would have looked back in the 70's … way before my time I might add!!! Plus, I wanted to highlight all the incredible 18-karat gold hardware. By the way, we shot this portrait in a music sound stage complex in Burbank. In the next room to the left of our space was Courtney Love and Hole making tons of noise and in the space to the right of us was Britney Spears dancing up a storm … too funny eh?

Finally, I love the pink and purple close up of Neil. He looks so intense as he stares me down the moment before he hammers away at his cymbals. Hummm…. not sure how I should take it - “Get that camera out of my face!” Hummm, maybe I should point my lens someplace else!

Neil Peart, 30th Anniversary II



Andrew MacNaughtan writes:

I am really excited about this print, because I wanted to capture several unique images of Neil in several different lights. The far left image shows his aggressive attack on his drum kit and the intensity of his playing. If you look closely, you'll see that his cymbal is warping due to the power of his strike. Personally I've never captured a picture like this before. I never noticed that his cymbals bend.

The image in the middle is one of those very, very rare moments that most photographers always wish for. The shot originally was composed to just capture Neil from behind his kit at Wembley Area. I wanted a really high-energy action shot. I got it, but also caught two other band members by chance. If you look closely, you can see Geddy and Alex peeking over his drum kit. By the way, I went deaf for several days after standing beside his kit that night!

The next image to the right was taken during sound check at the second Radio City Music Hall show in New York. The band had forgotten just how incredibly beautiful of a venue Radio City was. As most of you know, the last time they played there was back in 1983 during their Signals tour. I asked Howard Ungerleider to light Neil's kit with a brilliant spectrum of colors. I don't think Neil has ever allowed me to photograph him with his kit on stage during a tour. He usually likes to get all of his photography commitments out of the way before he begins any tour. Needless to say, this is a very rare portrait of him.

Finally, the next image is once again “classic” Neil. He just loves to see how high he can throw those drum sticks.

October 26                                                                                                                                        

  • The Sabian site contains an area called Sound Check where you can try out "virtual" Paragon cymbals and even compare them against other Sabian lines. Once you get to the Sound Check page, click Signature on the bottom right and look for Paragon cymbals.

October 21                                                                                                                                                             

I went down and bought this at Guitar Center tonight, and Jamie's playing is good; he's obviously spent a lot of time analyzing Neil's drum parts. He nails fills from YYZ, The Spirit of Radio, and Freewill, but seems to miss a lot of Neil's fundamental grooves (like the cymbal bell ride pattern). One other thing to note is the backing tracks are not from Rush but a "cover band." The DVD box says, "Backing tracks are included so you can play along," although I couldn't find any way to access the backing tracks on the DVD.

The eight songs played and analyzed by Jamie include:

  • The Spirit of Radio
  • Free will
  • YYZ
  • Red Barchetta
  • Limelight
  • Tom Sawyer
  • New World Man
  • Subdivisions

October 14                                                                                                                                        

  • New Sabian Paragon ad in the December 2004 Issue of Modern Drummer.

Neil writes:

"I had to let you know how well the Paragons are performing, now that I've been able to play them in the studio and onstage. Let me tell you, they shine, big time! From the bell of the ride to the swell of the crashes, they have exceeded my expectations―but equaled my hopes. From riding on my 18" crash (in my Keith Moon impersonation in "Summertime Blues"), to getting tight, precise hi-hat and ride cymbal definition, to the contrasting Chinese models―a soft wash of texture with the 19", a hard crunch of attack with the 20" ― and the punch "punctuation" of the splashes, the responses are truly spectacular. All the theorizing, testing, and development have really paid off, as the qualities I wanted to achieve with Paragon are absolutely there. - Neil Peart"

Click the thumbnail below for a larger view of the ad.

  • Pro-Mark Neil Peart Anniversary Sticks and Auction

According to an article/advertisement in the December 2004 Modern Drummer, there will be an auction for special Neil Peart 30th Anniversary sticks used by the professor himself.

"Pro-Mark and Rush drummer Neil Peart are celebrating the band's thirtieth anniversary by creating a special imprint that will appear on Peart's Autograph Series Oak 747 sticks throughout the rest of 2004 and into 2005. In addition, thirty pairs of "extra-special" sticks will be played by Neil and then returned to Pro-Mark. A silent auction will be conducted on www.promark.com allowing fans to bid on the sticks. All proceeds will go to Child Advocates, a charity organization that works with abused and neglected children.

"The top thirty bidders will receive a folder containing an 8x10 color shot of Neil behind his drums, a certificate of authenticity with Neil's original signature, and a pair of the special sticks in a black velvet bag embroidered with the band's thirtieth-anniversary logo. The person with the highest bid will also receive some additional "surprises" that will be announced when the silent auction begins. Anyone interested in bidding should watch Pro-Mark's Web site. Details will be posted there in advance of the auction's start."

Note that I will also post a note to The Latest News when the auction starts.

Click here to view the hi-resolution wallpaper.

September 26                                                                                                                                   

September 12                                                                                                                                   

  • Neil celebrated his 52nd birthday today.

September 1                                                                                                                                  

August 6                                                                                                                                  

August 2                                                                                                                                  

New interview with Neil on livedaily.com.

July 28                                                                                                                                  

  • On August 24, 2004, Atlantic Records will release remastered versions of all Rush studio albums on its label, including Presto, Roll the Bones, Counterparts, and Test for Echo. Read the news announcement on the Web.

July 23                                                                                                                                  

  • Neil Peart's first interview in two years is now available in Drum! magazine. Read the story on the Web. (You can read Part 1 without signing in.)

July 12                                                                                                                                  

Excerpt: "Cathy Rich, daughter of legendary jazz drummer Buddy Rich has acquired the film and television rights to produce the Neil Peart bio "GHOST RIDER" through her production company Scabeba Entertainment. The Drainie-Taylor biography prize finalist was also chosen as one of the five most exceptional biographies of the year."

July 7                                                                                                                                  

July 5                                                                                                                                  

June 22                                                                                                                                  

June 15                                                                                                                                  

  • Rush has just completed the first leg of its North American tour. Initial reviews of the concerts show the band is playing strong and throwing in a few surprises. 

June 1                                                                                                                                  

  • Neil started the Rush 30th Anniversary Tour on May 26 in Nashville, TN. Read the behind-the-scenes Sabian story.
     
  • New Rush 30th Anniversary Neil Peart Edge Snare Drum announced. The snare is rumored to list for $2000.
     
  • A new Rush CD, "Feedback," will be in stores June 29, 2004. The CD contains 8 covers of sixties-era songs that inspired the band. As Neil explains in the liner notes, ""It was April of 2004, but Geddy, Alex, and I were channeling back to 1966 and 1967, when we were thirteen- and fourteen-year-old beginners. We thought it would be a fitting symbol to commemorate our thirty years together if we returned to our roots and paid tribute to those we had learned from and were inspired by. We thought we might record some of the songs we used to listen to, the ones we painstakingly learned the chords, notes, and drum parts for, and even played in our earliest bands. The tracks on this collection are songs we liked from the era that we thought we could ‘cover’ effectively (meaning not too many backing vocals), and have some fun with. The music celebrates a good time in our lives, and we had a good time celebrating it."

May 10