The Ghost Rider..To You, Neil Peart

January 7th, 2021

In all of the craziness that is going on in the United States right now, it’s all I can do to keep from wanting to write what happened in the capital yesterday and of the lunatic in office, but I won’t.  Well, I just did, didn’t’ I?  A steady stream of curse words with the letter F keep being written and spoken.  A distraction has taken over my mind today.  Last year, on this date, I was driving to Vermont and in the state of New York the radio announced that Neil Peart had died due to cancer.  Neil Peart, Rush’s infamous and astounding drummer had passed away at age 67.  Rush, in general, is a band to be in awe of.   Only three band members and so much sound coming at you with just those three members.  I remember the first time I heard them I was in 7th grade.   ‘Moving Pictures’ was out and ‘Tom Sawyer’ was the song of choice.  My male cousins loved them and the drums and beat that is the intro to that song lured me in.  I fell in love with Rush for a bit.  Did I take to them like Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, or Yes?   No, but I still loved them.  We’re going back to the early 80’s here.   Not many even know who Yes is.  Justin Bieber and Cardi B have taken over.  God help us.   

There is nothing like percussion.  I love watching a drummer have a go at it and put all of their chips or chops on the table.  From seeing Danny Carey of Tool play the drums live to seeing Aerosmith’s Joey Kramer performing his drum solo during every Aerosmith show I’ve been to, I am a fan of the drums.  In particular, now, I am a fan of Neil Peart.  I am reading his book, “Ghost Rider,” a true story of him taking a 55,000 mile trip on his motorcycle after both his daughter and significant other (mother of his child) died back to back.  He is a true story teller who makes you feel like you are on the ride, or journey with him.  From reading of his travels from Canada to Alaska and onward, and him pouring out his heart and journal entries of his grief and joys, I have fallen in love with the man he was.  A kind soul, a regular guy who wasn’t so regular who brings you along for the ride.  He was a good man, aside from being one of the best drummers of all time.  A man with compassion and concern for those in his life and those he didn’t know.  An observer who knew what people liked and needed.   

I always knew Neil Peart was an amazing drummer, but I didn’t know about his life.  I don’t listen to Rush regularly or even think about them, but this book has made me regret that I didn’t know more about him.  It has made me dig out my Rush CD’s that I had put away and turn the volume up to eleven.  In particular, ‘Different Stages Live,’ a CD that was given to me back in 1998 by WMMR.  An all time favorite song of Rush’s is, ‘Test For Echo,’ not a popular song, but one I could listen to over and over again.  I love, ‘Stick It Out’ and Neil’s kick-ass drumming on that tune and well, I could go on and on.  Rush was known as one of the top three bands to see live back in 2014 right before Neil retired due to his health issues.  I wish I had gone to see them live, but am fortunate that I can read his books and go on his journeys with him.  That’s what is so great about music, movies, and books; the writers are always available to us even after they are gone.  We can be in a room, or on a bike with them after they have left the station.  Just go to your shelf, grab a book or a movie and be transported to a time and place with someone you love.

To you, Neil.  Thank you for changing so many people’s lives with your music and thank you for being you.  I am hoping your wheels are turning and burning in heaven and because of you, I am now looking at small motorcycles for my own journey.  Or maybe I just want to feel that kind of freedom on a spring day on the backroads of Chester County, or Bucks County.   My dad would be thrilled!  Don’t worry, Dad, I am just looking and learning.  A moped could also be fun.  It’s a start and I could ease into it.  Or not.  

“Without knowing it, I had identified a subtle but important part of the healing process. There would be no peace for me, no life for me, until I learned to forgive life for what it had done to me, forgive others for still being alive, and eventually, forgive myself for being alive.”   On his grief -Neil Peart-     

“The measure of a life is a measure of love and respect, so hard to earn so easily burned.”  -Neil Peart.