AWD is a drummer. Which means I’m really a frustrated guitarist. Neil Peart is one of the greatest drummers on Earth. Which means he is a frustrated intellectual idjit.
Yeah, we all thought Neil was smart with all those Ayn Rand-inspired lyrics in the early years. Who can forget the lessons about the evil of absolute government tyranny from the album 2112? Or the Rand-inspired lesson from “The Trees?” Well, it appears the guy who wrote the lyrics to those songs forgot the message!
It appears Neil Peart is just the latest rock star libtard! Don’t know what it is with those guys! He recently said as quoted in the Washington Free Beacon:
Peart outgrew his Ayn Rand phase years ago, and now describes himself as a “bleeding-heart libertarian,” citing his trips to Africa as transformative. He claims to stand by the message of “The Trees,” but other than that, his bleeding-heart side seems dominant. Peart just became a U.S. citizen, and he is unlikely to vote for Rand Paul, or any Republican. Peart says that it’s “very obvious” that Paul “hates women and brown people” — and Rush sent a cease-and-desist order to get Paul to stop quoting “The Trees” in his speeches.
“For a person of my sensibility, you’re only left with the Democratic party,” says Peart, who also calls George W. Bush “an instrument of evil.” “If you’re a compassionate person at all. The whole health-care thing — denying mercy to suffering people? What? This is Christian?”
So Neil thinks the Democrat Party is the place with a person of his sensibility? Does he really believe Hillary Clinton is the answer? He now embraces socialism??? And Rand Paul hates women and brown people? Well, Rand has been ‘randering’ to black people at every chance while railing against voter ID laws and fighting for allowing felons (mostly black) to vote.
I do agree that George W was an “instrument of evil” while President because he spent money like a socialist Democrat, gave us the worthless and hugely expensive Homeland Security and TSA, and partnered with Ted Kennedy to give us the stupid No Child Left Behind. Not to mention the ridiculously expensive Medicare Part D. Yes, W was an instrument of evil but not in the ways Neal Peart thinks!
And didn’t W spend billions of dollars we don’t have to solve AIDS in Africa (which cannot be done?).
Neil Peart these days would rather conform than be cast out.
You’d think the transformative nature of his time spent in Africa would be something along the lines of, “Oh please God, don’t left those virgin raping, limb hacking, AIDS reeking maniacs come over here.”
But that’s just me.
So now he marches to the beat of
a diff- …nah, that one’s too easy.
I’m not even gonna go there.
: )
Nice “Subdivisions” reference, Jerry!
He uses so much brain power playing the drums, I guess there’s nothing left for politics. Some of your fans are still free thinkers, Neil.
No loss for me. Rush is one of the worst bands to ever grace the face of the earth. If the nails-on-the-blackboard vocals don’t get you then the “songs” that whiplash from 7/13th time to 9/16th time should. Absolute crap.
Knowing that most IOTW readers are well aware of Rush, probably also aware of the fact that Neil is also an atheist. Ok carry on…
Irony, back in the old days, some of us used to laugh at the singer’s helium voice, which thoroughly pissed off the Rush acolytes among our group. I was so glad when the 80’s ushered in an era of men who weren’t falsetto squealers like the Rush guy or that guy in Yes. Granted, we still had to contend with the likes of Morrissey, but at least balls were back in style. I’d take Huey Lews any day over the bell-bottomed castrati of the 70’s.
Just another in a long line of entertainers who have forgotten why we pay them large sums of money. As the old saying goes (with a slight change to it): “Just shut up and play the drums!”
I am always amazed at how many ‘millionaires’ so soon forget how they got that way. Must be a guilty conscience thing.
Otherwise, he is entitled to his opinion…
…this is why we have drum machines now.
I never let political standing, gay, lesbian, or color get in the way of good players. All the world’s a stage….
Rush was always an Anthem in my life until the last few albums.
Irony, AWD loves when Rush played the multi-time signature stuff. Kansas did a lot of that too in their early days and Rush kind of took over. Their last albums have been horrible. And Geddy’s singing is just plain annoying these days.
But you should listen to the Hemispheres link I posted. That’s some pretty awesome music. I believe I heard you’re a musician so I’m puzzled that you wouldn’t enjoy the musicianship of Rush…especially on Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres.
But that’s just me…and I’m a musical genius. 😉
awd
As I always point out to my “enlightened” atheist friends and family: I’m surprised you subscribe to the worlds most dangerous religion – socialism.
Rush never appealed to me. When I think of great drummers, I always think about Ginger Baker during his days with Cream and Blind Faith. The guy can still play like hell, but he’s lost most of his marbles. Something about music + large doses of street drugs = unstable nut case.
I didn’t know that nor did I care however, it fully explains everything in terms of his”adjustment.” Being an atheist makes it easy to bend one’s self into a pretzel so as to conform to whichever way the wind blows.
I became a Rushie in 1976-77. I was high as a kite and listening to 2112. I was hooked by the bass-line. I soon found out that one either loved them or hated them (this was usually based on Geddy’s vocals). I took up guitar (bass) around this time.
I saw them in ’77 at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. I was in 7th grade. In think April Wine opened for them, or Cheap Trick. Holy crap, what an experience. It was either the All the World’s a Stage or Farewell to Kings tour.
I liked that they have always tended to shun the “rock star” image and rather focused on musicianship and lyrics. As a maturing adult, I was discerning enough to realize that their views on things were very different than mine – Rand is ok, but at the core she’s an Atheist. Rush conveyed this in their music and I believe they’re “true believers” in Humanism. I’m a born again Christian and spent 23 years in youth ministry. So, there was this lingering tension for a long time – knowing that your musical heroes are from “The Universe Next Door” (James Sire).
I guess what I mean to say is that their third album, “Caress of Steel” is actually fantastic, despite what the critics said about it, and “Hemispheres” still blows me me away to this day.
Oh, and it’s sad when your childhood idols turn out to be morons.
Wait, you can send a cease and desist order against someone quoting you?
Hey FUCKSTICK, in America we have the 1st amendment.
Therefore, stick it in your ass until ‘time stands still’…
That was me above.
Best Rush song ever, Working Man, a cover of a Merle Hagard tune.
But then again there was another band from exactly the same time period that had talent like no other. The Scorpions. Love Drive was just bad ass.
Well, I ain’t as old as some of you fellers. I was just learning to read and write in ’76 and multiplication and division in ’77. In fact it was 1977 that Les Howard turned me away for guitar lessons because my hands weren’t big enough to wrap around the neck of a stinking Tele… So my Dad bought me a 68 Gibson Kalamazoo (jr size) the next year when I started Kindergarten, and it was on then… (but I digress). My point is, I didn’t get to experience any of those incredible 70s concerts, and I probably never heard half of the albums put out back then. BUTT, Peart is/was the drummingest SOB that ever lived! The only thing that I’ve ever heard that created that “holy shit” moment like Peart did was the first time I ever heard Edgar Winter do Frankenstein!!! Now that blew me away! Of course, yes, I was stoned outta my gord, sitting in a bug with a pair of 12″ subs and what passed for hi-tech stereo system back around 1990ish!
Spot on….. That was my opinion,as well , when I first saw this article. The band sucks., he’s, at best, a mediocre drummer and no one gives two shits regarding his opinion.
I couldn’t understand why they were popular at all.
I was thinking they were “manufactured” by paying radio stations to play them a lot until idiots liked them because they were on the air so much and others had a “went along with the crowd” mentality.
They may be at the top of the list of worst bands foisted on the public.
He’s infected with liberalism and is now blind, deaf and delusional from it.
I admit to idolizing RUSH since the early 70’s, having to acknowledge the fact that a group of only three musicians could put out a symphony of music. It always astounded me, each man, Peart, Lifeson, and Lee all contributed in their own unique way. They not only succeeded in lasting 40+ years, but continued to put out music and perform live throughout, always doing it their own way, under their own terms. Not all music appeals to everyone, nor should it, we are all individuals with preferences far and wide.
That said, why does celebrity is whatever capacity it is, movies, books, or music have such power to move politics. I could care less what a musicians political stance, just as I could care less about an actors political stance. I use and pay for the entertainment they provide, and decide on that merit alone if they will have my continued support.
The best thing to do is create your own dialog around issues you feel are necessary for the betterment of our world, support those causes and take a musicians political stance for what it’s worth. No more than his individual vote in whatever election he participates.
If it differs from your own, then grow your own voice, not by tearing down differing opinions, but by building your own, with your own base. Then allow those ideas to grow and prosper.
There is common ground with Neil Peart and most of the contributors of this site, agree or disagree is up to you.
My opinion is RUSH is an outstanding band succeeding over decades, more so than nearly all others with very few exceptions. Rolling Stones comes to mind. Not my favorite, nor have I purchased much from them, but successful none the less.
However, Neil Peart’s political opinions are cancelled out by just my vote alone, so feel good that your vote can make a positive impact on moving this country in the right direction.
Rivertour Exits Soapbox. Rivertour out.
i love rush through “signals”, don’t care what they have done or said after 1982.