Neil Peart has died

After suffering from brain cancer for three and a half years, rock's greatest technically gifted drummer and lyricist has died at the age of 67. This is a tragically young age to die and like all cancers, is a horrible way to go out.

As a drummer who grew up listening (and lamely trying to emulate) his playing throughout high school, this news has hit me way more than I was expecting. I remember once almost nailing the majority of "La Villa Strangiato" and feeling prouder than I should have. But to get anywhere near his abilities was a lifelong work in and of itself.

His writing was more pedantic than poetic. "One must put up barriers to keep one's self intact," is a lyric that immediately springs to mind. But for every Ivory Tower, there was some pure poetry. I think the greatest stanza he ever wrote, and the song I will never get tired of listening to, is "Lakeside Park."

Everyone would gather on the 24th of May

Sitting in the sand to watch the fireworks display

Dancing fires on the beach, singing songs together

And though it's just a memory some memories last forever.

This might be one of their greatest songs, as Alex Lifeson's guitar interplay at the end of the song, so gentle, and so gently increasing in volume and power is just perfect.

I enjoyed when he'd cut loose in word and sound. In the documentary Beyond The Lighted Stage, we learn he actually took jazz drumming lessons later in life to relearn how to play. not from his hands so much as from his soul. Only he could say if it worked, but I do know there was no one else like him.

One of my favorite albums from them was Fly By Night. Mostly because it is his first album in the band after replacing John Rutsey. There were some muscle work outs like By-Tor and the Snow Dog (the less you think about the lyrics, the better) but the best song on the album is the closer "In The End." There's a sweet moment when the acoustic guitar intro stops. Except it doesn't because ever so faintly you can hear them changing tune before it goes electric.

Is his drumming amazing on this song? Yes. Is it over-the-top? No.  Even his writing seems like he's finding his voice. And that's precisely why I love it.

Well, I can see, what you mean
It just takes me longer
And I can feel, what you feel
It just makes you stronger

You can take me for a little while
You can take me, you can make me smile in the end

Well, I can shine like you shine
It doesn't make me brighter
But if I think, no like you think
It don't make my load much lighter

I don't know for sure but I suspect Peart was an atheist or agnostic. I hope he found out he's wrong, because a talent like that should meet their maker. And then annoy or inspire them for all eternity with songs in different time signatures. At the very least he's at peace.