Song of the Day 1/11: Rush, “Tom Sawyer”
Neil Peart, widely considered among the best drummers in rock history, died this week at age 67, three years after learning he had brain cancer. Though he joined Rush after their first album, he quickly became the cornerstone of their sound, and not just behind the drum kit. He also wrote or co-wrote all the lyrics to the band’s complex songscapes, drawing mostly on the libertarian strain of science fiction. (Yes, he was an Ayn Rand fan, but he was still a nice guy according to everyone who knew him.) He also was an accomplished writer, publishing several well-received books, mostly about his travels. This track, released on “Moving Pictures” in 1981, is the band’s best-known song, and it’s also one of Peart’s showcase performances.
Peart’s reputation was such that David Letterman chose him to close “Drum Solo Week” back in 2011. His nearly 5-minute workout shows what a wise choice that was.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h78GTjofhbs
Rush are overrated.
Today would have been Max Roach’s 96th birthday. That’s a drummer.
Not a fan myself, but ask some drummers and get back to me.
Peart later disavowed Rand’s selfishness in her writing. Libertarianism is seductive to youth before they realize that the self is an illusion and that when one suffers we all suffer.
Very well said.