Neil Peart (the pretty darn amazing drummer of the band Rush) speaks about his process for writing lyrics. Some of Neil's thoughts:
I don't like lyrics that are just thrown together, that were obviously written as you went along, or the song was already written and the guy made up the lyrics in five minutes. I can tell. Craftsmanship speaks. I'm not happy with spontaneity musically either. ... We do have improvisational periods during sound checks and we record them and at the end of the tour we sift through them and look for anything that happened that was magic. And there are ideas that we can mine out of that, taking advantage of the spontaneity of one day's mood. But to go on stage and expect people to indulge you; that doesn't work. I prefer organization.
The craftsman in me likes the thought here (take time to make it right, plan out the progress of the tune in advance), but the jazz guy in me screams bloody murder at the thought of removing both improvisation and winging it. To me, part of the excitement of live music is that it does change from night to night. Too much of either extreme tends to be a bad thing.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - duane
Peart is a terrific drummer, especially for a rock band. He has been a tremendous influence on the evolution of Rush. Given his precise drumming style, it's no surprise that he pays so much attention to detail when it comes to writing lyrics. I have been aware of Peart's tendency to include very awkward sounding words and phrases in some of his lyrics. Take it or leave it, that is just another thing that sets Rush apart from the crowd.
As for the improvisation issue...well... I kinda agree with you. But far be it from me to tell Rush how to play their music.
2 - Mark Saleski
both of Neil's books are work checking out. they give you a pretty decent perspective on the man. the second one, about his motorcycle trip after the death of his daughter and wife, is pretty amazing. sad and amazing.
3 - Dougal Campbell
That fits so well with what I've observed about Rush concerts before. I've seen them on the Hold Your Fire, Presto, and Counterparts tours (actually, I'm trying to remember if I saw them for either Grace Under Pressure or Power Windows, too -- it's been too long, and I killed some brain cells back in college). I've always *enjoyed* the shows, but I've been struck by the semi-mechanical performance. They don't perform the tunes *exactly* as they are on the albums, but even the improvisations are obviously "scripted" to some degree.
Despite that, I'm sure that I'll always be a big fan of Rush. All three are super-talented muscians. Peart has given me a real appreciation for good percussion, Geddy has done the same for bass, and Alex -- well, Alex just wails everything out beautifully :)
4 - JR
I think Rush should be listened to like classical music - it's all written, arranged and basically set in stone before you ever hear it.
Nothing wrong with that, it's just not rock and roll.
5 - Eric Olsen
excellent point JR, maybe that's my issue with them
6 - duane
"Nothing wrong with that, it's just not rock and roll."
Which just goes to show that rock and roll does not encompass all good music. Call it what you want, Rush brings virtuosity and give-a-shitness to a business infected with too many people that most garage bands would reject.
7 - Mark Saleski
ok mr. olsen...quit with all this analysis and give la via strangiato a listen.
you've gotta have a copy of it somewhere in that collection.
8 - Eric Olsen
Your wish is my command except I don't have the one you want me to hear so I did something else.
9 - Scott
Although I haven't listened to Rush since, oh, Roll the Bones, I have to say this: I've always thought their lyrics were the worst thing about the band.
In my book, they're tied with Toto for the worst lyrics ever (shall we put Rush's "Anagram" ["the saint is turning to stain"] up against "Africa" ["sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serrrrrrrrrengeti"] and see who wins?)
What was that comment about Toto back in the mid-80s? If they weren't such good musicians they'd be the worst band in the world?
10 - Chad Woodland
ok ouch. Yes Neil has had some funky lyrics but also many moments of shear brilliance.
"...those who know whats best for us. Must rise and save us from ourselves."
"Against the run of the mill, static as it seems, we break the surface tension with our wild kinetic dreams."
The song the The Trees
"Time may be the one with wings but we're the one's who have to fly"
"Run with wind and weather to the music of the sea. All 4 winds together can't bring the world to me. Chase the wind around the world - I want to look at life in the available light."
Vapor Trails the song...
And of course many more
cheers
chad
11 - BB
I had the privilege to record next door to these guys and play with Neil Peart's young protégé who was a virtual clone of his, and all that I can is AWESOME!!! For all the naysayers out there if you consider yourself a musician at all I challenge you to try and keep up with the fellas and then let me hear your comments.
12 - Sean
It's pretty easy to match up mistaken lyrics ("The saint is turning to stain") to other bad lyrics. But, when you look at the correct lyrics ("The saint is turning to sin"), particularly within the context of the song (anagram - a word or phrase made by transposing some or all the letters in another word or phrase... i.e., "sin" is an anagram of "saint"), it looks pretty clever to me... even if the lyrics as a whole seem pretty disjoint, I take it for what it is, not for what it isn't.
13 - jeff morgan
Rush Rocks!! Neil Peart...best drummer alive today...
14 - duane
Let's not get carried away. The "best drummer alive today"? Hehe.
15 - Casper
I will gladly admit that I am a fan of Neil's work. But there are a number of other monster drummers: Dave Weckl and Dennis Chambers just to name two off the top of my head.
16 - Courtney
Neil has a great body of work to be very proud of. His work, unlike most of the crap recorded today will continue to stand the test of time as it has for the past 25 years. Like Bach or Stravinsky, you don't have to actually like the music he makes - but you have to respect it as true artistic expression executed masterfully. That is why he is so highly regarded in Modern Drummer year after year (top 3). He has consistently brought his 'art' to new levels for more than 2 decades. For that, he has earned the unabashed respect of fans, critics, and peers alike.
17 - Courtney
Lest there be any doubt that Neil Peart is a true master among the great masters of percussion, one only needs to see three minutes of this great musician in his prime @
http://penz4.tripod.com/neilssolo.html
In the past twenty years, there has been no one more capable of carrying the torch of virtuosos like Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. To Neil's credit, he has built on those stellar reputations and like those two before him, his impact and legacy on modern music will be felt for a very long time.
18 - JohnnyLunchBox
Scott, to say the worst part of Rush is the lyrics is absurd. I think you may be baiting us. However, I'll bite. The lyrics are Rush. Rush is a worldview. Rush is quality. Neil is inextricably twisted, along with the other band members, in this phenomenon. Are any of these guys the best at what they do I would have to answer yes and no.
19 - Paul
"The Emperor Has No Clothes!"
...or as some of us might say, Neil Peart is NOT the drummer he used to be...
NO?
Please consider listening to the drum solo on "Rush and Rio" or any of the live stuff from the first side of "Different Stages." Tempo problems, awkward timing in "The Drum Also Waltzes," and a horribly embarrassing linearly-executed big band tune are some of the things that point to Neil's decline as a modern drum hero. Starting with "Roll The Bones" and continuing through "Vapor Trails," Neil sounds tired and uninspired to me.
My theory is that something horrible happened to his ego at the "Buddy Rich Memorial Concert" in the mid-90s. His Big-band performance at that concert, although not stellar-but not horrible, received much criticism and I think Neil took it personally. First and foremost, Neil IS NOT AND NEVER WILL BE a jazz drummer. Being a jazz drummer requires one to be open to the moment and to allow the unconscious to dictate the flow and energy of the music. Neil, being a self-admitted linear-minded logician, is not even mentally-equipped to approach an improvisational jazz musical structure. Anyway, with all that being said, after the Buddy Rich concert, it seems to me that Neil has consistently tried to evolve into a jazz drummer(traditional grip, trendy Freddy Gruber guru lessons, embarrassing big band tunes at the end of drums solos, etc...) Neil, you don't have to prove anything to us...Neil definitely has his own style and in my opinion, should have strived for the maturity of his own voice on the instrument rather than attempt to copy some of the modern virtuoso drummers. Sadly, Neil has slowly become the artist he wrote about in "Losing It" from the 1982 album, "Signals." Sigh....."Signals" now that was the Neil Peart I knew...Oh..and if you really want to read the words of an incredible lyricist, consider looking at the work of former Smith's frontman, Morrissey. I realize that most Progrock fans may not listen to alternative Brit-rock, but Mr. Morrissey is definitely one of the best lyricists in the business...
20 - JohnnyLunchBox
Yeah..!!!..???...well you're a poo-poo head.
21 - Rodney Welch
Is Peart responsible for that arrogant and self-righteous "Free Will" song?
22 - JohnnyLunchBox
Arrogant? Self-righteous? That song may have been a objectivist fueled Randian rant, but I would not describe it by the aforementioned adjectives. I think it's a declaration of independence from religion and other mysticism, and an homage to man's self-determination and ability to think independently.
23 - duane
Yeah, what Johnny said.
24 - JohnnylunchBox
Right on, duane. HOOHAH!!!!!
25 - felix
Rush lyrics aren`t the highest top.They are the kind you can like or dislike depending of your mood.They can sometimes sound upbringing like Free Will , but that song as many others are basicly pretensious.