Rush: Classic or Dud?

Neil was protective of his private life because intruders on it made him uncomfortable, but he doubted the existence of a hereafter so now that he is gone, by his own standards no discussion of him can hurt him.

If Peart was already diagnosed before the last tour, then his retirement may well have been due to other reasons than just old age making it hard to be a lithe drummer. Already with his death from cancer we have had to re-examime the statements from Alex and Geddy in the meantime, they weren’t giving an entirely accurate picture.

So what the Godsmack frontman said is simply something that will be relevant to potential biographers of the band. Historical figures don’t get a pass on scrutiny into their career and its aftermath just because they protected their privacy while alive.

I'm questioning that timeline/description of 'even up to a year ago or so' from Erna saying Peart in a wheelchair and unable to speak, due to what Kevin Anderson said in one of his posts about Peart: https://www.facebook.com/TheKJA/posts/10158284413957044 -- no specifics about when that last meeting took place beyond "As it became clear that the time was getting close," and that it was specifically last year, referring to his own father's passing in July, so it kinda seems like it was in the latter half of last year. He describes a long conversation over lunch out at a restaurant with Peart, them 'standing' in the doorway of his house saying goodbye, etc. Granted, it could just be Erna in a rush of words not entirely being clear but does seem strange.

I have to say, a funny, weird story has been cropping up in my brain these last few days. At some point in the late 80s -- don't know exactly how, don't know who from -- I remember hearing a classic 'did you hear about' story/rumor about a musician from a friend who also liked Rush and generally spoke from a place of knowledge. What's weird about the story was that my friend was, if not insistent, then sounded certain that Peart was in fact suffering from some form of cancer and that there was a photograph of him in a wheelchair being wheeled about by, of all people, Geddy himself (apparently smoking a cigarette at the time). Real bizarre fucking rumor in context then, now it seems even stranger.

Neil came down with bilharzia during the recording of Counterparts. It was the result of an bad decision to swim in a body of still water during one of his African trips, and it led to some pretty extreme symptoms until he got it identified and treated. I can’t remember where Neil told this story, perhaps it was on his website. Might there be a photograph of him ailing from that time, which an uninformed person might take for a much more serious disease?

I wonder if that was it. Like I said, I thought this was late 80s when I heard it, but it's distant enough now that I could just be shifting it around by a few years.

In the late '80s or so, when he started wearing that little hat, rumors spread that he had cancer and had lost his hair. Not that, you know, he was just losing his hair. I'm pretty sure he addressed it once or twice. Sometimes a hat is just a hat.

The piece from his book publisher friend upthread suggests that the whole “He was sick as far back as 2015” thing isn’t true. It does seem a little distasteful to be saying that stuff.

Great posts here since he passed – very much in keeping with the warmth these guys always conveyed. I’m spending time listening to all these pieces I never had much time for (the Cygnus X-1 epics) or songs I haven’t heard in 30 years. Man, the title track to Roll the Bones – pretty sure no other song in history married the kind wistfulness of the “Why are we here/Because we’re here/Roll the bones” section with the sheer dorkiness of the rap section (which has two verses!). It kind of makes me love them more.

Also, yeah – the “Neil is sick” rumors have been around for over thirty years. And I agree, they probably did have something to do with that hat.

That roll
The bones rap is shitty but the rest of the song is really good

I mean, he literally wrote a song called "I Think I'm Going Bald"

I honestly don't see a major gap in quality between the spoken/'rap' break and the rest of "Roll the Bones". It's as goofy as the reggae break in "The Spirit of Radio". Even the 'funky' riff seems pretty goofy to me.

the thing i loved/hated about the rap is that the band comes in after the first bit is over and I thought, phew, bit of a breather, then the rap returns....

I really like "Ghost of a Chance" from that album. Sort of a materialist, atheist love song (although idk why he doesn't believe in the stars and planets)? Lifeson's solo reminds me a bit of Clapton at his most lyrical.

I'm a sucker for "Bravado", "The Big Wheel" and "You Bet Your Life", I do think there's a melodic undercurrent to that album that is maybe slightly underrated

"although idk why he doesn't believe in the stars and planets"

It means he doesn't believe in astrology. He doesn’t believe lovers are fated to be together because of astrological signs.

Yeah, no, I get what he meant. I was just being a smartass about the way he phrased it.

Related, do you think "Christ, what have you done?" in "The Pass" just means "OMG what have you done?" or is it a comment on Christianity and the glorification of martyrdom (or both)? I heard it the first way as a kid but, later, I thought the second meaning might make more sense for Peart.

Oh yeah, "Bravado", I do like this one.

I always thought the "Christ, what have you done!?" was just an angry, shocked exclamation. Kind of a misplaced blasphemous profanity from an atheist. (See also: fellow atheist Ged, in that interview I posted a while back, admitting that being the child of holocaust survivors is his "cross to bear.")

I mean, he literally wrote a song called "I Think I'm Going Bald"

That song was quite the cheeky poke at two bands Rush knew. The title is a riff on Kiss's "Goin' Blind", while the lyrics referenced Kim Mitchell of Max Webster, who of course at the time, was developing quite the epic skullet.

Neil could be really, really funny in his songs, but his dryness was often lost on casual listeners.

That Neil Peart has cancer story goes back to the late 80s at least. I first heard it from crusty older Rush fans while waiting in line at Ticketron (lol) for Presto tour tickets.

Now that sends me back. I totally waited at Ticketron for Presto tour tickets!!!

Old-Timer here! I camped out at the box office for both Hemispheres and Permanent Waves tickets, and I recall around the time of the latter there was a rumor going through the line that Neil had leukemia.

And of course I studied the Neil photos in the Permanent Waves tour program very carefully, and convinced myself that he looked tired and had a bit of a pallor.

I love that we have dated the source of the original cancer rumors to Caress of Steel.

feel like Sully enjoyed the attention more he got from the article more than he actually cared about being sensitive to Peart and his family

get Ja Rule's thoughts while you're at it

This is literally the most I have thought or heard about Godsmack since I interviewed that dude maybe 13 years ago, and I still have no idea what they sound like, other than I can guess I won't like them.

“going blind” is an underrated kiss song

"feel like Sully enjoyed the attention more he got from the article more than he actually cared about being sensitive to Peart and his family"

Reminds me how one very close friend of Jeff Buckley (and their closeness has been conclusively proven) said that after Buckley’s death, all these people calling themselves "friends of Jeff" came out of the woodwork and made claims to the press even though she had never heard of these people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQmbozw6_H4

We are not worthy.

My 10 year old is listening to “The Trees” downstairs while I get ready to walk her to school. I will report back on her impressions.

IMO you should give her a Rush day off from school. 8 hours of education from Neil, Geddy, and Alex

I hope your 10 year old doesn't come back from downstairs as a union buster

https://youtu.be/Ed2KRddgv-4?t=95
xp

enjoying Power Windows this morning at work

Better the pride that resides
In a citizen of the world
Than the pride that divides
When a colorful rag is unfurled

Have mostly listened to Permanent Waves thru Signals, but after browsing this thread earlier today, decided to listen to GUP, Power Windows, Presto, and Clockwork Angels. Recognized a few from the first two, but none from Presto or Clockwork. Overall I found the 80s stuff enjoyable. Need more time to listen and digest, though.

Couple of fresh thoughts:

1) I started reading "Ghost Rider." It's often really beautiful and brutally honest. You can really hear his voice, in both sense, which lends it another layer of heartbreak.

2) Listening to "Ghost of a Chance," I was really struck by the nuance of its sentiment, the view of an atheist who believes only in the randomness of the universe, and yet who holds out just a glimmer of faith in the idea that two random people can cross paths and fall in love, "and make it last." Just a lovely, romantic idea.

3) Speaking of Peart the humanist, "Witch Hunt" is a particularly apropos song.

The righteous rise
With burning eyes
Of hatred and ill-will
Madmen fed on fear and lies
To beat and burn and kill

They say there are strangers who threaten us
Our immigrants and infidels
They say there is strangeness to danger us
In our theaters and bookstore shelves
That those who know what's best for us
Must rise and save us from ourselves

Quick to judge
Quick to anger
Slow to understand
Ignorance and prejudice
And fear walk hand in hand

Yeah, and a little early for his humanist stuff as well. Good find.

I was watching that R40 video, and the full clips of Alex miming smoking a joint in the middle of "Tom Sawyer" is followed by him shaking his finger and mouthing the words "don't do drugs," and then he bobbles his head and mouths "well, maybe a little."

"Geddy Lee: Music was changing, and radio was changing. Our access to great music – the way we were getting it on FM radio, for example – was dying and becoming more commercialised. The Spirit Of Radio carries that feeling, and I think that people related to that song because of the way the music industry was going. It wasn’t about love and getting laid, the typical rock stuff. So it was fresh. And there’s a very positive sound to that song as well. There’s a life to it.

Alex Lifeson: The opening riff in that song was based on the movement of radio waves. At least that was the idea!

Geddy Lee: The way that song changes from one style of music to another is to replicate an FM dial turning. Maybe it was too subtle. It makes me wonder if we should have been more obvious about it. Alex’s riff set the tone for that song. And while that riff was steadily blasting through, Neil (Peart) and I wrote these counterpoint punctuations all around it, started playing with the time signatures. We thought it was quite innovative. We recorded it live, using a sequencer, which in those days you had to manually program with switches, to get it to work that one time. So you couldn’t screw up."

I've got to admit, Peart's death has really made me reassess how much this band has meant to me. I've never not been a fan, but thinking back, and getting older, I recognize what that means.

otm

They were truly a lifer band in the best way. And honestly, I don't think any other band would have been able to write "Time Stand Still."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHyihY7TJsM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOVh_C7XTHA

Ha

Neil Peart used to race in the nutty 24 Hours of Lemons ("An endurance car racing series on dedicated road courses for $500 cars") under the name Bamm-Bamm Rubble:

http://www.neilpeart.net/news/september_2014/thumbs/b_belted_in.jpg