The news of Neil Peart’s passing shook my family to its core. We’re a musical bunch, and given Rush is my dad’s favourite band by far, it goes without saying that the band’s music was a staple in our household growing up. As a result, their music provided a soundtrack for my childhood and teenage years, and has had a significant impact on my life.
I wanted to write this post as a sort of personal tribute to Neil, but before getting started it was important to me to take the time to properly reflect on all of the ways in which Rush has impacted me personally.
Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum
Growing up, I was always a bit of an outsider; sorting of fitting in everywhere, but truly meshing nowhere. Rush was a band I felt I could relate to in that regard, because they never bought into the whole “sex, drugs and rock & roll” theme that so many other bands of their time subscribed to.
Instead, songs like Subdivisions and Freewill spoke of the struggles of youth and provided a different perspective on religion, which was something I was also exploring growing up. The very second I passed my G2 driving exam, which meant I could operate a vehicle without requiring a more experienced driver in the car, I was on the road with Red Barchetta playing at full volume.
These songs don’t rely on profanity or grandiose visions of a lavish – and completely unnecessary – lifestyle, and that’s something I was able to immediately appreciate about the band. They were a group of three exceptionally talented musicians, one of whom also happened to be a master lyricist. Their songs stood on their own two feet, free of bells, whistles and other distractions; when you listen to Rush, you’re listening to good, clean rock music.
Three Guys with all the Talent of an Orchestra
In a Facebook post, my dad told a story about when he first brought his brother to see Rush perform live. Seeing Neil drumming, my uncle asked if he was actually playing the drums, because he couldn’t believe that one guy could make so much noise all at the same time.
My uncle wasn’t the first to question what he was hearing; musicians the world over expressed their disbelief that three guys could make so much noise on stage. The performances Rush put on often surpassed those of bands with four or even five members – these guys were that good. It wasn’t just on the studio albums, either; I always appreciated the fact that the band could recreate anything they wanted from their albums at a live performance. So few musicians today can pull that off without relying extensively on technology and pre-recorded loops.
The sheer magnitude of talent that was being condensed into three musicians is what inspired me to pick up the bass and guitar in the first place. I still own my Geddy Lee signature edition Fender Jazz bass, which was the first four-figure purchase I had ever made with my own savings.
Bringing Family and Friends Together
Rush was also my first live concert. I remember going to see them during their R30 tour, and being blown away by the experience. For all the songs I already knew and loved, they played so many more that I was hearing for the first time. The experience prompted me to listen through every song on every album to make sure I wasn’t missing any further gems.
I saw them a couple more times since that tour, and one of the most memorable was going to their Snakes & Arrows concert with my brother, my mom and dad, and my grandpa. We held up a sign that read “THREE GENERATIONS OF RUSH FANS” on it – I’ll never forget that. How many bands can have that same effect on a family? We’re talking legend territory here: the Beatles, Queen and the like.
Being a musical family, some of my most cherished moments were the times when my dad, my brother and I would get together in the basement and jam out to Rush. I’d be on bass, my dad on the guitar and my brother on the drums, and we sounded pretty good. In reality, though, it didn’t really matter how we sounded – we were spending time together as a family, sharing our collective admiration of the holy trinity.
The Dog and the Leash
When you take your dog for a walk, you’ve got them on a leash. While they’re on this leash, the dog may stray ahead of you, and it may at times lag behind… but in the end it’ll always return to its owner.
The same can be said of my taste in music. I may stray from my favourite band and spend time listening to other types of music, but in the end I always find myself coming back to Rush, and I learn something new – about their music, and often about myself – every time I do.
As I move through different phases of my life, I find the lyrics of different Rush songs resonate with me differently. No matter what I’m experiencing or going through at the time – be it joy, sadness, anger, or anything in between – there’s a Rush song that I can listen to that gives me exactly what I need at that moment in time. It may sound silly, but if you’re a true Rush fan, I know you get it.
Wrapping it Up
Reflecting on everything that I wanted to put into this post, I couldn’t help but tear up – Neil’s passing has left a terrible void in the world. Not just musically, either; Neil was a passionate advocate of environmental stewardship, writing songs like Second Nature and Red Tide back in the 80s and 90s, well before the dire situation we find ourselves in today. Beyond that, he was a kind person; an introvert who never found himself chasing the limelight the way so many other musicians do, he preferred to live quietly, keeping to himself and stealing away for motorcycle rides with his closest friends.
Neil, words cannot express the sorrow that the world feels now that you’re gone. Your legacy will live on, and your work will continue to inspire musicians and artists across the globe. You wrote in the prelude to The Garden that you “have come to realize that the gathering of love and respect – from others and for myself – has been the real quest of my life.” Lord only knows how much others respect and love you Neil, and with the example you set, hopefully you were able to respect yourself as well. I hope you’re up there tending your garden right now the very way you’ve inspired the rest of us to down here.
