SPECIAL MONDAY EDITION OF PHIL’S PHRIDAY PICKS
As you likely heard over the weekend…Neil Peart, the drummer of the rock band Rush passed away from a 3 year battle with brain cancer at the age of 68.
This hit me particularly hard as he was practically a life-long musical inspiration for me. It started when soon after I started learning to play drums at the age of 10. My cousin heard of my new-found hobby and made me a mix-tape that contained the Working Man drum solo from All The World’s A Stage (“Ladies and Gentlemen, The Professor on the drum kit!”). Needless to say, I was hooked from that point on.
A couple years later, after saving money from birthday cards I received for a couple years I bought the 2LP All The World’s A Stage album pictured here and away we go!
Counting ticket stubs, I saw Rush in concert no less than 8 times, plus I even went to see a tour of his DRUM SET at one point along the way . I also read all his books about motorcycle riding and life all of which were pretty inspiring and inspirational, but a special shout-out goes to “Ghost Rider” if you only can read one.
You could say I was a pretty huge fan.
Also, my friend Hank wrote an excellent piece in Rolling Stone in tribute to Neil Peart that is worth reading.
Anyways, here is a playlist I made several years ago that collected all of the instrumental songs by Rush (tracks 1-12) plus chronicled all of Neil’s recorded drum solos (starting with aforementioned Working Man solo on track 13).
Let’s crank it up!
