Music: Neil Peart greatest prog musician of all time?

[beowulf]

I can't really dispute it.. but then I also think that Danny Carey is the best progressive drummer ever and I don't think Tool would nearly the success they've had with any other drummer behind them.. while I think, Rush could have achieved a closer level to success with another prog drummer.

I don't know about that. At the very least they would have probably sounded a little different but lyrically would have also been a fair bit different.

 

[beowulf]

And I mean ya got to love the Rush references in pop culture and Archer here in particular lol

 

[Eisen]

I don't know about that. At the very least they would have probably sounded a little different but lyrically would have also been a fair bit different.

Yeah, but who listens to Rush for the lyrics? The lyrics I know (about half the discography) is not that great or stinks.

 

[beowulf]

Yeah, but who listens to Rush for the lyrics? The lyrics I know (about half the discography) is not that great or stinks.

The lyrics are great...it's a big part of what the band is.

 

[Teemu]

I ask myself "if Peart was still alive, would he win this poll?", to which I answer "no"

 

[Elvis P]

MSN

www.msn.com

 

[Unholy Diver]

I'm really digging Steely Dan these days. I guess this means I'm officially middle aged.

I still don't get Steely Dan, just not my cup of tea, like others had said it took me a long time to get into Rush after years of hating them, took even longer for me to come around to my current favorite flavor, The Moody Blues

 

[PANARIN BREAD FAN]

not sure if neal peart is the best progressive rock drummer, let alone musician. dennis chambers and danny carey from what i've heard on youtube clips seem to have more drumming chops.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Readers of Prog magazine name Neil Peart as the best-ever prog musician, not just drummer but musician. The magazine had a shortlist of just under 250 figures from the prog world, from which fans were encouraged to vote in an online poll – and it was Peart who came out on top.

Who agree or not?


Neil Peart voted the greatest prog musician of all time | Louder

For me, it is his catalogue of music that separates him from so many others. 18 albums over 35 years or so and he kept changing what he wrote about and the band changed out they sounded. Also, I found RUSH to have more solid albums than others who are considered prog--most of the bands may have had 2 or 3 good songs on each album but RUSH went on a streak there were there were not bad songs on their albums.

 

[Xelebes]

Neil Peart represents a lot of where prog rock is a particular deviation from rock where it is clear you have musicians who clearly listen to rock music but never completely get it, so tend to cope with using chordal motion instead of knowing how to use rhythmic motion. It seems the artists who were specifically understood the rhythmic motion or rock and blues went on to create fusion. Pearts early drumming takes a lot of cues from Jean Carignan and Fred Townsend, which is if at least a specific sound, going to make you sound like an outsider.

 

[VMBM]

I still don't get Steely Dan, just not my cup of tea, like others had said it took me a long time to get into Rush after years of hating them, took even longer for me to come around to my current favorite flavor, The Moody Blues

I 'got' Steely Dan already in my late teens (hearing "Do It Again" started it), so I guess I became middle-aged (musically) fairly early. I'm still not the biggest fan of either Aja or Gaucho, though; a bit too slick, sterile and dare I say AOR for me sound-wise, but the first five albums are all pretty awesome.

As for the greatest prog musician, I'd probably vote for Robert Fripp; in good and bad, he has always searched for something new, never satisfied. That's being progressive, yes? Tony Banks would be another one; there is just something about his compositions, harmonies and melodies that has always gone straight to my heart.

 

[Jumptheshark]

I 'got' Steely Dan already in my late teens (hearing "Do It Again" started it), so I guess I became middle-aged (musically) fairly early. I'm still not the biggest fan of either Aja or Gaucho, though; a bit too slick, sterile and dare I say AOR for me sound-wise, but the first five albums are all pretty awesome.

As for the greatest prog musician, I'd probably vote for Robert Fripp; in good and bad, he has always searched for something new, never satisfied. That's being progressive, yes? Tony Banks would be another one; there is just something about his compositions, harmonies and melodies that has always gone straight to my heart.

I am 52 pushing 53 and I am still not into Steely Dan

 

[WeThreeKings]

not sure if neal peart is the best progressive rock drummer, let alone musician. dennis chambers and danny carey from what i've heard on youtube clips seem to have more drumming chops.

Danny Carey is the best prog drummer; Neil was unreal but I honestly don't think Tool exists or achieves any heights close to what they have with any other drummer.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

Musically Rush is very good. Geddy Lee’s voice is nails on a chalkboard stuff. Can’t get past it

 

[#37]

No. He's not even the best musician in Rush...

 

[flyersnorth]

"Best" is such a subjective term and really comes down to how you actually intend to measure it for it to have any meaning.

I would say for many (most?) progressive rock/metal bands, the musicians themselves are all extremely competent, and then it becomes a question of personal taste.

 

[beowulf]

"Best" is such a subjective term and really comes down to how you actually intend to measure it for it to have any meaning.

I would say for many (most?) progressive rock/metal bands, the musicians themselves are all extremely competent, and then it becomes a question of personal taste.

Think is the article says greatest not best which could be splitting hairs but can mean different things.

An example of best vs greatest which makes one think, or at least did for me.



"And therein lies the rub: “GREATEST” is objective; “BEST” is subjective. Being the greatest is, by definition, “actual and real, factual or empirical, based on observable phenomena.” Conversely, subjective is defined as, “taking place in a person’s mind, based on experience, understanding or feelings.”"

 

[beowulf]

Danny Carey is the best prog drummer; Neil was unreal but I honestly don't think Tool exists or achieves any heights close to what they have with any other drummer.

You know how much I love Tool and Carey but I could say the same thing about Peart and Rush. Heck Rush was formed in 1968 and it took until 1974 for their first album to be released with John Rutsey on drums and sounds nothing like all their other albums. Rush really took off after Peart joined and with the released of Fly by Night mostly written by Peart and showing the first tones of progressive rock that made Rush the band we know and love. Without Peart I don't think they would have been at all the same.

edit: does not mean they could not have been successful without him, just saying the sound and progressive rock sound would likely not have been there.

 

[flyersnorth]

Think is the article says greatest not best which could be splitting hairs but can mean different things.

An example of best vs greatest which makes one think, or at least did for me.



"And therein lies the rub: “GREATEST” is objective; “BEST” is subjective. Being the greatest is, by definition, “actual and real, factual or empirical, based on observable phenomena.” Conversely, subjective is defined as, “taking place in a person’s mind, based on experience, understanding or feelings.”"

Thanks for the clarification... I'd say "Greatest" is also subjective unless specifically defined in measurable terms.

A simple example from my personal life.

Dream Theater is my favourite band. They happen to all be technically proficient musicians. Portnoy has been named drummer of the year umpteen number of times by various publications. Are there "better" drummers in the world on a technical level? 100%. Are there "better" drummer in terms of their composition and execution skills? Undoubtedly. Are there "better" drummers who do more with less? A resounding yes.

But Dream Theater, the band (and Portnoy, the drummer) have been the soundtrack of my life since Images & Words. There's an unquantifiable subjective measurement that, to me, makes them the best band.

Everyone has their version of the "best band," and for some people, it's Dream Theater. For most people, it is not.

Music is generally so intrinsically tied with subjective experiences and personal meaning that it's really hard - maybe even fruitless - to separate that into some measurable bucket.

If "best" means "most sales," or "released the most songs," or "performed at the highest BPM," or some other measurable, that makes sense and is objective. It's not really helpful in my enjoyment of the music, but it's at least measurable.

 

[S E P H]

I would be one of the ones who consider Peart's talents to have legendary status easily. However, his lyrical creation is too corny and gets some negative for me.

Steve Vai is absolutely up there in terms of talent, but is a guitarist more talented than a drummer? Hard to compare apples to oranges. Yngwie Malmsteen in terms of pure talent could be better than Neil, but again you are comparing different types of instrumentists. I am a drummer myself and even though Peart's pieces are not necessarily super challenging except for "La Villa Strangiato," they are super fun to play on the drums. You definitely have to think a lot more instead of reacting to easier drum songs, but all the top Rush songs are playable every time I play the drums. He gets a ton of credit for me for the creation of his famous drum fills, but he also gets a lot of credit for the songwriting process since he was integral to the band.

He cheques a lot of boxes and I would give him the nod over Portnoy in many categories, but Portnoy's challenging elements in his drums simply blow Peart's most difficult out of the water quite easily. By simply talent, Neil wouldn't even be the best drummer, but makes up for it in a number of other ways. And no, none of the drummers for Led Zepplin, Yes, Zebra, Genesis, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, and "other classic rock band insert here" comes close to Peart of Portnoy's drumming. Keith Moon maybe, but what made him very interesting is how unique of a drummer he was. Not a lot of hi-hat, but a ton of tom playing and cymbal crashing. Not necessarily more difficult or particularly challenging compared to the other two drummers, but just unique in the grand scheme of things. E: The most modern-day drummer that could challenge these two is Danny Carey from Tool.

 

[PANARIN BREAD FAN]

I would be one of the ones who consider Peart's talents to have legendary status easily. However, his lyrical creation is too corny and gets some negative for me.

Steve Vai is absolutely up there in terms of talent, but is a guitarist more talented than a drummer? Hard to compare apples to oranges. Yngwie Malmsteen in terms of pure talent could be better than Neil, but again you are comparing different types of instrumentists. I am a drummer myself and even though Peart's pieces are not necessarily super challenging except for "La Villa Strangiato," they are super fun to play on the drums. You definitely have to think a lot more instead of reacting to easier drum songs, but all the top Rush songs are playable every time I play the drums. He gets a ton of credit for me for the creation of his famous drum fills, but he also gets a lot of credit for the songwriting process since he was integral to the band.

He cheques a lot of boxes and I would give him the nod over Portnoy in many categories, but Portnoy's challenging elements in his drums simply blow Peart's most difficult out of the water quite easily. By simply talent, Neil wouldn't even be the best drummer, but makes up for it in a number of other ways. And no, none of the drummers for Led Zepplin, Yes, Zebra, Genesis, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, and "other classic rock band insert here" comes close to Peart of Portnoy's drumming. Keith Moon maybe, but what made him very interesting is how unique of a drummer he was. Not a lot of hi-hat, but a ton of tom playing and cymbal crashing. Not necessarily more difficult or particularly challenging compared to the other two drummers, but just unique in the grand scheme of things. E: The most modern-day drummer that could challenge these two is Danny Carey from Tool.

a drummer i know always has chambers, carey, cobham, and michael narada walden on his all time top drummers list. sometimes he'll briefly mention stewart copeland.

 

[beowulf]

I would be one of the ones who consider Peart's talents to have legendary status easily. However, his lyrical creation is too corny and gets some negative for me.

Steve Vai is absolutely up there in terms of talent, but is a guitarist more talented than a drummer? Hard to compare apples to oranges. Yngwie Malmsteen in terms of pure talent could be better than Neil, but again you are comparing different types of instrumentists. I am a drummer myself and even though Peart's pieces are not necessarily super challenging except for "La Villa Strangiato," they are super fun to play on the drums. You definitely have to think a lot more instead of reacting to easier drum songs, but all the top Rush songs are playable every time I play the drums. He gets a ton of credit for me for the creation of his famous drum fills, but he also gets a lot of credit for the songwriting process since he was integral to the band.

He cheques a lot of boxes and I would give him the nod over Portnoy in many categories, but Portnoy's challenging elements in his drums simply blow Peart's most difficult out of the water quite easily. By simply talent, Neil wouldn't even be the best drummer, but makes up for it in a number of other ways. And no, none of the drummers for Led Zepplin, Yes, Zebra, Genesis, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, and "other classic rock band insert here" comes close to Peart of Portnoy's drumming. Keith Moon maybe, but what made him very interesting is how unique of a drummer he was. Not a lot of hi-hat, but a ton of tom playing and cymbal crashing. Not necessarily more difficult or particularly challenging compared to the other two drummers, but just unique in the grand scheme of things. E: The most modern-day drummer that could challenge these two is Danny Carey from Tool.

What always amazed me and gave me great respect for Peart is that even after he had "made it" he didn't just coast he continued to learn new drumming styles from the best in those styles. He studied formerly with Freddie Gruber in the mid 90s and again in 2008 with Peter Erskine to learn/perfect his jazz drumming chops.

 

[S E P H]

mention stewart copeland.

That's a really good shout. He's one of those classic rock drummers that was supremely talented. He didn't really show a lot of his ability with Police, but he's had some side-project jazz bands that he goes nuts in. Definitely as talented as Peart quite easily.

 

[flyersnorth]

I think Neil Peart is a benchmark drummer when you consider what he did for drumming in the context of a benchmark band.

Incidentally, if you are interested in checking out a band that is essentially a tribute to Rush, check out Crown Lands.