I heard Neil Peart is retiring

This picture says it all....

They were talking about this over on the Hoffman forums. Apparently, he's been dealing with tendonitis pretty badly and the road is taking a toll. That and having young kids have been pulling towards the "pack it in" side of the road for a while. That said, it also sounds like he never explicitly said, "I'm done," as much as, "I'm getting near the point where I think I might be done."

With so many of these bands, they take a year off and then all of a sudden, they're back in it. Who knows?

In any case, it'd be well-deserved if he DID decide he was done. Hell, even with the 5-6 year layoff after Test for Echo, Rush has one hell of an extensive discography. Most bands of their vintage went from doing an album a year or every other year in the 70s to an album every 3 or 4 in the 80s and on up as the decades passed. Rush kept up a pretty punishing release schedule when you get right down to it.

(Radio.com) There is sad news for Rush fans. Neil Peart says in a new interview that he is now a "retired drummer." After wrapping up their supposed farewell tour in August, Rush began an indefinite hiatus.
While the band remains optimistic about making new music, less certain is whether they'll ever hit the road again together. Speaking with Drumhead Magazine for its November/December issue, drummer Neil Peart opened up about his future with the band.

Peart shared a humorous anecdote about his daughter. "Lately Olivia has been introducing me to new friends at school as 'My dad-He's a retired drummer,'" he told the magazine.

The description began to take on new meaning for Peart following the R40 tour. "True to say-funny to hear. And it does not pain me to realize that, like all athletes, there comes a time to… take yourself out of the game," he said. "I would rather set it aside then face the predicament described in our song 'Losing It' ("Sadder still to watch it die, than never to have known it")" (via Jambase).

Peart's family has been a large reason why Rush decided to stop touring once R40 concluded. Read more here.

Let's just file this under all the other "Bands/musicians that have announced their retirement" for now. Give 'em a few years off the road and away from the studio and then come back to me.

Geddy Lee has released a statement this morning saying the interview was taken out of context.

Geddy stated that Peart's remarks were about touring, not about retiring completely.

I agree that it's just "retired for now". He's had a heck of a run and deserves it but I bet he'll get that itch after a while.

007 wrote:

I agree that it's just "retired for now". He's had a heck of a run and deserves it but I bet he'll get that itch after a while.

Yea, I have no qualms with him wanting to hang it up. He's earned it. But I take any of these announcements with a grain of salt.

I think all bands/ artists of a certain "vintage" say this at one point or another (Scorpions, Stones, Priest, Cher!) but then realize they are amazing bands/ artists who love doing what they do and bring happiness to millions.

Rush are one of those bands whose music is technical, hence not easily accessible.

Although I own a lot ot their albums, I still find it hard to fully enjoy them from a first listen.

Which would be the easiest to get into?

Gilbert wrote:

Rush are one of those bands whose music is technical,  hence not easily accessible.

Although I own a lot ot their albums, I still find it hard to fully enjoy them from a first listen.

Which would be the easiest to get into?

Moving Pictures or Signals? Those were the first two I bought.

chewie wrote:

Gilbert wrote:

Rush are one of those bands whose music is technical,  hence not easily accessible.

Although I own a lot ot their albums, I still find it hard to fully enjoy them from a first listen.

Which would be the easiest to get into?

Moving Pictures or Signals? Those were the first two I bought.

I own both. maybe they just need a fresh listen. will start with moving pictures.

weirdly enough, I enjoy counterparts.

Gilbert wrote:

Rush are one of those bands whose music is technical,  hence not easily accessible.

Although I own a lot ot their albums, I still find it hard to fully enjoy them from a first listen.

Which would be the easiest to get into?

Probably anything from the 80s onwards. That's when they ditched the longer songs and for the most part went for standard verse/chorus structures.

Permanent Waves (1980)

A couple radio hits (Spirit Of Radio, Free Will), a couple epics (Jacob's Ladder, Natural Science) and an underrated gem (Entres Nous).

Permanent Waves is my favorite. If you are interested in keyboard era Rush, listen to Show Of Hands. I don't really care for the keyboard stuff, I thought there was a LOT of filler. However some of the songs from that period are excellent and that is why I say check out Show Of Hands. It has the best stuff from that time on that album.

S.D. wrote:

Permanent Waves (1980)

an underrated gem (Entres Nous).  

Yes it is!!!!

I personally like how each verse has a different drum pattern.... and not in an obnoxious way!


I think that Different Strings is an underrated gem as well. It just kind of sneaks up on you and you wish that the song was longer (clocks in at 3:50) as the solo fades out, but you just play it again.

Gilbert wrote:

chewie wrote:

Gilbert wrote:

Rush are one of those bands whose music is technical,  hence not easily accessible.

Although I own a lot ot their albums, I still find it hard to fully enjoy them from a first listen.

Which would be the easiest to get into?

Moving Pictures or Signals? Those were the first two I bought.

I own both. maybe they just need a fresh listen.  will start with moving pictures.

weirdly enough, I enjoy counterparts.

Counterparts... hmmm. Try Test For Echo as its the album after it or Presto which is a couple before or go with the live album A Show Of Hands (as mikeinfla suggests) that showcases the heavy synthesizer era.

....and if you like the heavy synth era, go with Power Windows. That is my personal favorite of that era.