Neil Peart's Powerhouse Percussion; 3rd Drummies V

As I have reported in the past, much to the dismay of many of the members of this forum, Neil Peart has, for some reason, won DRUM! Magazine's Drummies for a third straight time.

As a writer, I would rather not comment directly on his victory. However, it does indicate that there is a strong population of drummers and musicians, who respect him greatly.

There were many other winners this year, that made this year's Drummies very interesting.

Here's a link to the winners.

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=39067


or

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=123489

As much as I love Neil Peart, there are sure to be others who actually deserve the award. Especially progressive drummer? What has he/Rush done in the past 10+ years that could be considered progressive?

drummer40 wrote: Several members of this forum, have made comments on why Neil Peart. As I said, the Drummies are based soley on the voting by ANYONE. If you read the release that I included in the post, it makes it very clear that the Drummies are open to voting from anyone. Those musicians, drummers and fans made the decision on Peart. I appreciate all of your comments, but the Drummies have always resulted in questions like those that have been asked here. That's all I can say. If you don't like the results, Peart, for example, I ask this: Did you vote? DRUM! posted the voting rules and stipulations months ago. If you don't like the results, I encourage you to exercise your right to vote in the future. Thanks for your comments. I can only answer based on the information that I know...

Being a drummer myself I don't consider him to be anything special. There are a lot of drummers in prog which I find a lot more interesting. Peart's drumming is too predictable; I like drummers who do the unexpected. I love it when they come up with highly original fill-ins. My own playing style is like that too, influenced by drummers like Pierre Moerlen, Christian Vander or Mani Neumeier.
Peart has been playing one and the same solo live for years. This would be totally impossible for me; when I do a solo I go totally by impulse. There certainly will be some trained patterns in it, but which ones I choose and how I arrange them will be different every time. And I will often invent a pattern on the spot and use it. Music has to be alive! Peart is like a music bureaucrat; he doesn't take any risks.
His playing style somehow reflects in his being an admirer of the philosophy of Ayn Rand, by the way. I certainly see a parallel there.

Tony R wrote: BaldFriede wrote: Being a drummer myself I don't consider him to be anything special. There are a lot of drummers in prog which I find a lot more interesting. Peart's drumming is too predictable; I like drummers who do the unexpected. I love it when they come up with highly original fill-ins. My own playing style is like that too, influenced by drummers like Pierre Moerlen, Christian Vander or Mani Neumeier. Peart has been playing one and the same solo live for years. This would be totally impossible for me; when I do a solo I go totally by impulse. There certainly will be some trained patterns in it, but which ones I choose and how I arrange them will be different every time. And I will often invent a pattern on the spot and use it. Music has to be alive! Peart is like a music bureaucrat; he doesn't take any risks. His playing style somehow reflects in his being an admirer of the philosophy of Ayn Rand, by the way. I certainly see a parallel there. Peart has influenced far more drummers than your favourite three - fact. Most people have never even heard of those guys. Over the last 30 years it is generally accepted that in N.America Peart has been responsible for more people taking up drums than anyone else. However, I would have voted for Gavin Harrison too...

That may be true for the American continent, but I sincerely doubt it for Europe. Not that Neumeier, Moerlen or Vander would ring a bell with people here, but certainly Peart wouldn't either. I never heard his name until I joined this forum. In the circle of my elder brother however, who is ten years ahead of me, Moerlen was the Holy Grail. Fact.


Edited by BaldFriede - July 15 2009 at 18:40

Tony R wrote: BaldFriede wrote: Being a drummer myself I don't consider him to be anything special. There are a lot of drummers in prog which I find a lot more interesting. Peart's drumming is too predictable; I like drummers who do the unexpected. I love it when they come up with highly original fill-ins. My own playing style is like that too, influenced by drummers like Pierre Moerlen, Christian Vander or Mani Neumeier. Peart has been playing one and the same solo live for years. This would be totally impossible for me; when I do a solo I go totally by impulse. There certainly will be some trained patterns in it, but which ones I choose and how I arrange them will be different every time. And I will often invent a pattern on the spot and use it. Music has to be alive! Peart is like a music bureaucrat; he doesn't take any risks. His playing style somehow reflects in his being an admirer of the philosophy of Ayn Rand, by the way. I certainly see a parallel there. Peart has influenced far more drummers than your favourite three - fact. Most people have never even heard of those guys. Over the last 30 years it is generally accepted that in N.America Peart has been responsible for more people taking up drums than anyone else. However, I would have voted for Gavin Harrison too...

Not to steal Neil's thunder....but wow..simply...wow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udrfOJBi14o



Edited by StyLaZyn - July 15 2009 at 19:07

Sounds like your drumming wouldn't interest me and to say that Peart is nothing special makes me doubt your qualification to say it.

Afraid I have to stick my oar in on Peart's behalf too - yes, he plans solos in advance, but where's the crime in that? The fact he can do so shows his talent as a consumate musician & one who cares deeply about his playing (not that I'm implying otherwise about any of the other drummers I've seen mentioned here) and as a musician who has been consistently acknowledged as one of the finest (and one of the most entertaining to watch) rock drummers of his generation for the better part of the last three decades.

I'd also disagree with the implication his solos are sounding samey recently - luckily enough there is plenty of DVD evidence for the last few Rush tours, on which you can see although the solos tend to follow the same format, the sheer technical skill displayed is still increasing - Neil Peart is not a drummer to rest on his laurels.

However, I'm not a drummer, so what do I know?

BaldFriede wrote: StyLaZyn wrote: BaldFriede wrote: StyLaZyn wrote: BaldFriede wrote: Being a drummer myself I don't consider him to be anything special. There are a lot of drummers in prog which I find a lot more interesting. Peart's drumming is too predictable; I like drummers who do the unexpected. I love it when they come up with highly original fill-ins. My own playing style is like that too, influenced by drummers like Pierre Moerlen, Christian Vander or Mani Neumeier. Peart has been playing one and the same solo live for years. This would be totally impossible for me; when I do a solo I go totally by impulse. There certainly will be some trained patterns in it, but which ones I choose and how I arrange them will be different every time. And I will often invent a pattern on the spot and use it. Music has to be alive! Peart is like a music bureaucrat; he doesn't take any risks. His playing style somehow reflects in his being an admirer of the philosophy of Ayn Rand, by the way. I certainly see a parallel there. Sort of. He does change it up for every new tour. You should really check the solos out. Being a drummer you will hear the differences. The point is that he plans his drum solo in advance; he doesn't go with the flow. As I said, he is a music bureaucrat. I could never repeat one of my drum solos; I make them up on the spur of the moment. I would actually find it boring to repeat a drum solo. It's definitely a difference in approach. When I listen to a drum solo I want the drummer to go berserk, but Peart does just the opposite. Everything is completely calculated. Sorry, but that does not interest me at all. That planning of a drum solo is what makes him a cut above other drummers, rather than a Tommy Lee impromptu banging of fancy chops that come to mind as you are playing. It takes quite a bit of discipline to construct an involved, complicated drum solo and repeat it beat for beat, show after show. You have just help point out what makes Neil special!   Yes, Neil could readily play an impromptu solo but where is the challenge in that? edit: Neil improvising with other drummers! http://www.drumchannel.com/entertainment/51719.aspx Sorry, but it is rather the other way round. Where is the challenge in playing a planned drum solo? it is not difficult at all; you can practice it again and again until you can do it in your sleep. If you think it is difficult to compose something interesting for drums, you are absolutely mistaken. And, honestly: Isn't it much more complicated to come up with something interesting on the spot? By the way: Most classical composers were great improvisers, and they did improvise in their solo concerts. Examples are Bach, Mozart or Beethoven. Many of their compositions result from notating what they had played afterwards, not the other way round.

it is obvious that some people have a wrong impression about the nature of improvisation; they seem to think that improvisation is nothing but a random succession of notes played on the spur of the moment. however, nothing could be further from the truth. improvisation is picking up a theme, varying it. breaking it down, letting it reocur in another form - in other words, it is nothing but composing on the spot.
during the time of the classical composers there used to be competitions. there are many anecdotes about Bach, Mozart or Beethoven doing such competitions. in these competitions the musicians were given a theme and had to extemporate on it. the result was not an incoherent series of notes, the result was like a finished composition. in fact this is the true art of improvisatikon: to make the piece of music sound as if it is totally composed