Poll; Who is your pick for the greatest drummer in rock history?

@DC8091

11 ай бұрын

Peart Peart Peart & Peart

@Ganja-jh6iy

11 ай бұрын

John Rutsey

@ErikOosterwal

11 ай бұрын

Meg White. 😊

@fivestring65ify

11 ай бұрын

John Bohnam

@stephenbrown4211

11 ай бұрын

Bonzo of course Cozy Powell Neil Ringo, yes Ringo! And the most underrated drummer Cheap Tricks Bun E Carlos

In 1982, as a 13 year old, my friend called me into a room at school and said, "Listen to this!" He then dropped the needle on "Tom Sawyer". It was an explosion of revelation to me about music. I immediately became a die-hard Rush fan. To this day, they are still my favorite band. It all started with Tom Sawyer.

@mrpeartssandwich

10 ай бұрын

Exact same thing happened to me. Instant addiction!

@cherobinson6371

10 ай бұрын

A friend gave me the album when I was 14 spent the next 2 years listening too it as I pay in the dark with headphones on and high AF Early 80’s Hash.

@markh.7650

5 ай бұрын

I heard it on my local rock station in HS (Shout out to WBAB Long Island!) and immediately went out and got the cassette and eventually the CD, which I still own, and have since ripped into MP3s on all my devices.

I was born in 1967. I'd heard Rush on the radio and absolutely loved "The Trees". I was 14 and in a little rock band. One of the guys came to practice and asked if we'd heard this new song, "Tom Sawyer" and told us how great it was but he didn't know the band. I kept listening to our local rock station hoping to hear it. As soon as I did, I knew it was Rush (of course) and I couldn't wait to go out and buy the tape. I got my mom to take me out to the mall to get it within a few days. That was an awesome time to be a kid!

Alex Lifeson is the most underrated guitar player ever, in my opinion.

@jeffnobles214

10 ай бұрын

I've been a "casual" Rush fan since the eighties, and have just in last few weeks had the aha experience regarding Lifeson. He is an artist.

@denmar355

10 ай бұрын

He has been rated quite high. He was on the cover of several magazines and was voted best guitarists a few times. That’s highly rated.

@timsoutdoorlife

10 ай бұрын

He does not get the publicity of others but he is highly regarded in the music world. Even EVH considered him one of the best ever.

@spuds6423

10 ай бұрын

And Fellow Beer Drinker!!!😂

@BigBri550

10 ай бұрын

Especially by Rush fans. At the their R&RHoF induction, Lifeson got the least enthusiastic audience response at the mention of his name. &#*@ 'em. And that's what I think of Rush fans.

I don’t care how old, tired, and beaten down I become…when I hear the opening note/sound to Tom Sawyer, I get an energy like I can take on the whole world. It never gets old. Just better.

@bobthebear1246

10 ай бұрын

Absolutely 💯

@jtamsmom5

10 ай бұрын

😮

@jcatkins5536

10 ай бұрын

It is my a.m. alarm on my phone. 😎

@PWingert1966

5 ай бұрын

When I die, I intend to have all the people who attend my funeral listen to Tom Sawyer and Xanadu and leave them with the idea of the start and the end of my life.

@sandijohnson2216

5 ай бұрын

Yes!!! ❤❤❤❤❤

I hope Geddy and Alex agree to let you interview them some day. They should be honored to have the opportunity. You've earned it. Your coverage of classic rock is second to none.

@ChrisMusante

5 ай бұрын

He can interview me if he wants. You want to know how ruthless the industry is... now THAT I can tell you about. ~ unknown

My first concert was Rush in 1981, during their Moving Pictures tour. It was awesome. Couldn't believe all that sound was coming from only 3 musicians, and Neil Peart's drumming was incredible. My mom told me I couldn't go so I had to be a little sneaky to go to the concert. However, it wasn't that she had something against Rush. I was young, and my older friend who was driving us to the concert was a new driver, and the concert was in Los Angeles. She had valid reasons for saying no. It was dangerous. She probably knew I went to the concert, but let me believe I got away with it. Great concert. Best mom.

@ProfessorofRock

11 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing!

@marktait2371

11 ай бұрын

dude same lucky we had one hour drive got there early stood just below geddy neil just a few feet back highlight geddy shook.our hands thanked us for coming and rest of audience then encore 2112 start ro finish we could see geddys footpedals right in front of us ironically never saw the band again friend and i just turned 18 other friend 19 was my 2nd concert

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

11 ай бұрын

I would have asked her mom to go along on the ride!

@tedbecker4051

11 ай бұрын

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 - I didn't think of it at that time, but if I had asked my mom to go and to drive us, she probably would have done it. She was much cooler 😎 than me. My friends probably wouldn't have minded. My mom was like a mom to so many kids.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

11 ай бұрын

@@tedbecker4051 I’m glad you had a wonderful mother. My mom is like that too!

Rush is definitely one of those bands that literally became the soundtrack to my life. From the first time I heard them as a 13-year-old at summer camp somewhere in northern Pennsylvania, I was hooked. It was a rainy day, we were sitting in our cabin, reading, talking, etc., with the radio on in the background. One of the guys suddenly jumped and turned up the radio, yelling “guys you have to listen to this song, it’s amazing, this is Rush!” Also, this guy was from Toronto, so he knew something we didn’t, but yes, it was the summer of ‘81 and this song was getting air play on rock stations, including WAAL, out of Binghamton, NY, which was about an hour north. I honestly think of this moment every time I hear Tom Sawyer, even 42 years later. As a young guitarist and keyboardist, (and future bassist), this music spoke to me loud and clear. Upon my return from camp that summer, I ran out and bought Moving Pictures. A couple months later I got the newly released Exit Stage Left, followed immediately by the entire back catalog. I’ve been a devoted fan ever since, seeing them in concert 30+ times, and even played the role of Geddy in a Rush tribute band, and various one-off shows. One of the reasons I love this content, so much, is no matter how much I think I know about a particular song, artist, band, etc. you always seem to find more bits of info, missing pieces to the story. Thank you!

@rikfroschauer1743

10 ай бұрын

Love your post, well done my friend, here's to keeping them relevant!

@ejluvsrush8739

10 ай бұрын

Awesome post. RUSH has definitely been the soundtrack to my life with a song from pretty much each album marking a specific event or time in my life. One that still sticks with me to this day is Time Stand Still which was released as a single just after I had left everyone I had ever known behind and moved out of state as an 18 year old kid. It means even more to me as I look back on it now. First Rush song I ever heard was 2112 on vinyl as I read the gatefold In my classmate’s basement. I was instantly hooked. We listened to the whole album. Then FBN. We had skipped school that day and had I not decided to go along with him I may never have found them. Thanks Rick!

That bass line & those drums alone are enough to propel it into legendary status. The vocals, guitars, synthesizers . . . heaven.

Neil stated Tom Sawyer was the most difficult drum track he ever wrote and it made him feel great when he played it perfectely on stage. He also noted he was hitting the drums as hard as he could when they recorded this.

To say that RUSH was three musical geniuses in one band is a gross understatement. There will never be another RUSH and the world is that much poorer for it.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

11 ай бұрын

Best trio ever. Period.

@j_freed

11 ай бұрын

It's kind of mind blowing these three gentlemen found each other to form a band, two of them childhood buddies in Willowdale Ontario, and this random unemployed drummer from Port Dalhousie which is basically nowhere. It could not have been otherwise…

@sacramentalist

11 ай бұрын

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 if only The Police had liked each other...

@djs803

11 ай бұрын

I would say the world is much richer for it.

@marktait2371

11 ай бұрын

​@@j_freedyeh telling other viewer after he was turned down in england by various producers one said he couldnt keep time

My last Rush show was Permanent Waves and as much as I love early Rush, I don’t think their Spirit of Radio prediction came true. “All this machinery making modern music….” has actually ruined it. We live in a world of auto tune, pitch-correction, and songs that need 17 writers EACH, only to give us the UNLISTENABLE crap pouring out of radios today. Thank god for growing up in the 60’s and 70’s, where musicians played their instruments, sang their songs, and the little imperfections WAS the perfection. 🤘🏼✌🏼❤️

@marklittle8805

8 ай бұрын

I think they made the point. They were decrying the mechanisms being used to kill creativity. Listen to modern pop

@stephenmiller2337

7 ай бұрын

Rush never needed autotune and for the most part only needed 3 writers...Lee/Lifeson/Peart!

@Mike80528

7 ай бұрын

"Science like nature, must also be tamed" - They embraced technology but understood it could have a dark side...

@markscheppner5658

7 ай бұрын

It was the best feeling getting a Rush record from the store and opening it. The photos alone made you feel you made the right choice. Very talented great feeling .

@schafn

7 ай бұрын

"Art as expression, not as market campaigns, will still capture our imaginations" The problem with music today is that 98% of it is focus-grouped, market-oriented drivel. The singer has to be fabulously good looking. If they can sing a little that is a bonus, but machinery will care of that even if the singer can indeed sing. The machinery also grabs the various parts of music and aligns them in a strict rhythmic order to ensure that everything is exactly on the beat. The songs are written by committees whose goal is to capture some kind of lyrical or melodic hook that will grab the simple listener and have them humming the song all day long. All you have to do is follow the simple formula and you will get the streaming services to offer your song and millions will download it to their electronic device.

I saw Rush play this live, front row, the Signals tour. Hands down the best concert I ever attended! I got a wink from Geddy Lee so, of course, none other compares. ❤

Perfesser, you can cover Rush any time you want - any song, any album, doesn't matter. You'll get my thumbs-up. I remember first hearing this song in 7th grade music appreciation class (in 1981), where our teacher brought in the best rock albums from the 70's and just played one now-classic song after another. Tom Sawyer was one of them. Thanks for the retrospective on this fantastic song. It will NEVER get old!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

11 ай бұрын

Rock on 🤘

@BeeWhistler

11 ай бұрын

Did he look like Jack Black? ;) Man, I grew up in the deep south and if any teacher had played a band like Rush to 7th graders the parents would have formed an angry mob. Your teacher sounds great.

@BigTwinRiver

10 ай бұрын

This made me laugh! I do not lie when I tell you that I went to a Catholic high school, no we weren't rich my parents were trying to keep me out of jail :) this place was in the hood. Anyway, in religion class my freshman year we watched movies for an entire week one time and this included Revenge of The Nerds and the original Terminator both very much R rated HA! He (the priest) would say right before a crazy scene... "Now pay attention to the senseless violence in this next scene" or ""There is gratuitous sex coming up gentlemen" it was pretty crazy back in the 80s. @@BeeWhistler

@rfichokeofdestiny

5 ай бұрын

​@@BeeWhistlerSame experience here. Grew up in the "buckle of the Bible Belt" in the 80s. This teacher sounds awesome!

Love the shutout to Max Webster,great band. Terrific episode. Have a great day everyone.

Sometimes I will listen to Tom Sawyer 4 times in a row and try to focus my ears on a different instrument each time. Each one is an epic song of their own, then brought together into a masterpiece of music

@leoborganelli

10 ай бұрын

This is so true. Well stated

@jgunther3398

10 ай бұрын

it's an art form called "orchestration"

@rmedzoyan

5 ай бұрын

3 musicians, and it takes 4 listens.

@paulhargreaves1497

5 ай бұрын

@@rmedzoyan ..plus vocals lol

@rmedzoyan

5 ай бұрын

We're gonna need a bigger boat. More listens.@@paulhargreaves1497

I really needed the video today POR. I had emergency surgery last night to removed a very bad gallbladder (so bad the surgeon said is was essentially "half dead"). I remember the exact moment I heard about this song my freshman year in HS. It had just come out and a couple buddies and I were heading outside for gym class. One of them said how good "Rush's 'Tom Sawyer'" was. The moment I heard it on the radio, I was completwly mesmerized. I rushed out to get the album (sorry about the pun). I thought it was such a great album start to finish. I began to form friendships with guys because we listened to Rush, some of whom became lifelong friends. I can honestly say "Tom Sawyer" is one of the most important songs in my life. Great vid POR, I really needed it.

Saw them 6 times including the final R40 tour. So happy I did before Neal passed. As a lifelong drummer and intellectual misfit, Rush really had my number from the very first time I heard this song.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

11 ай бұрын

This song really does hook you in.

@googlyeyedcat

11 ай бұрын

I'm jealous

The greatest rock drum album of all time...Moving Pictures. The creation of the air drummer.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

11 ай бұрын

Peart will be sorely missed.

@kevinstaggs5048

11 ай бұрын

Actually, that honor goes to 2112.

@GrizrazRex

10 ай бұрын

Phil Collins' "In The Air Tonight" arguably created the air drummer.

@sabre0461

10 ай бұрын

​@@kevinstaggs5048Yeah, 2112 started it all. I still can't help myself, and I'm a professional drummer.

Tom Sawyer was my introduction to Rush when I was 13. Then I listened to the rest of the album, and my mind was blown. From then on I couldn't get enough. Discovering their previous albums, and eagerly awaiting the next. First concert was the Grace Under Pressure tour in 84 when I was 16. Still one of the greatest memories of my teen years. The soundtrack of my youth would Have so much of their music in it. Here I sit, now in my mid 50's, and Rush is still my favorite, and most listened to music.

@rikfroschauer1743

10 ай бұрын

Well said my friend, I'm 60 and still love their music as much as I did when I was 13!

@gcanaday1

10 ай бұрын

I grew up hearing them on Detroit radio stations (WRIF, WLLZ) all my childhood and teenagerhood. Born in '73.

@rikfroschauer1743

10 ай бұрын

@@gcanaday1you were lucky in the early days it was a rare occurrence to hear Rush on the radio. Like Dave Grohl said: When the fuck did Rush become cool?

@GEDDY37

8 ай бұрын

I think it was around 1983 when I was 19 that Rush clicked with me. Nothing has ever come along since to knock them off the top as my favourite band

I just love that the highest-charting single Geddy Lee has ever had was "Take Off" with 'Bob & Doug McKenzie' (Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas) on their Great White North album 🤣

@mimilini1

3 ай бұрын

I love that song! I have a dog walking business but my voice is soft. One day, I was walking two puppies. When they would get rambunctious, I couldn’t get their attention. Out of nowhere, I started going “coo-oo coo-coo coo-coo coo-coo coo-coo” and it worked! From then on, I’ve used that as a way to get dogs’ attention! 😂

Professor, thanks for another wonderful shout out to Canada's greatest musical export. Rush will always part of the Canadian fabric. So thrilling that the rest of the world caught on to one of rock's all time great bands. There will never be another Rush. A band in which, every member was a musical virtuoso. Love the fact that Geddy and Alex, never forgot their roots and continue to reside in Toronto. Such a brilliant, but such a humble band.

@waltjones40

11 ай бұрын

Gordon Lightfoot is up there too! BTO, etc.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

11 ай бұрын

Along with Michael J. Fox, Canada’s greatest entertainment exports period.

@Jagabot_Esq.

11 ай бұрын

Oh come on now, greatest? Shania Twain, Celine Dionne, Michael Buble, Paul Anka, Anne Murray, Joni Mitchell, The Guess Who, Neil Young, Bryan Adams, Blue Rodeo, Ron Sexsmith, The Tragically Hip, The Band, Leonard Cohen, Cowboy Junkies, Alanis Morissette, Heart, Triumph, April Wine, Loverboy, and on and on. There have been some seriously big impacts from Canadian music.

@fjcrod

11 ай бұрын

@Jagabot_Esq. it's very subjective. And, yes I love many of the artists you mentioned above. Rush, is by no means the only Canadian artist, I enjoy.

@janetleesteinman9165

11 ай бұрын

How are the guess who viewed

Rush is my favorite band of all time. Thank you for the video. RIP Neil (other professor)

@ProfessorofRock

11 ай бұрын

The #1 Professor! Did you see them live?

@dgarve

11 ай бұрын

@@ProfessorofRock Yes! 9 times between '92 and '15. I think they are probably the greatest band of all time when you put it all together in terms of lyrics, musicianship, evolution, experimentation and how these songs relate to the human condition. Rush is the human soundtrack in many ways.

@MkVIIIMaus

11 ай бұрын

Geekin out to RUSH!

@spuds6423

10 ай бұрын

Yes, from '81 to '15!!

I remember mowing lawns so that I could buy the album second hand - and - It still plays but I wore that thing out. I remember buying Grace Under Pressure - with my first paycheck from my first non-farm job - carrying it home under my letterman's jacket in the rain on my 380 Suzuki 2 stroke - Also bought mowing lawns, bucking hay or walking beans (cause back in the day - that was also a thing). Through the years - Geddy, Neil and Alex were always there - like old friends, just a happy part of your life. Saddened to see Neil pass - Thankful to have had their music a part of my life (also - back when that was a thing & music wasn't something that was relevant for the next 15 minutes). Always Entertainers - never drawn into thinking that they enjoyed capturing so many ears actually made them deities. Also thanks for mentioning Rushcon - Didn't know that was a thing. I'm still waiting on Rush Honey Ale to make it this far South. Also - You missed the golden Opportunity to mention Lil-Rush. You know a band is Euge when they merit an entire South Park episode.

A tribute from one Professor to another. Neil said he never tired of playing this song. As commercial as it became, it’s still complicated, and Neil said it was always a challenge to get it right.

@ncapone87

10 ай бұрын

I remember he said that an indicator of a good show was how well he played through Tom Sawyer

@lawrencesounddesign1862

10 ай бұрын

I tried to talk our drummer in to covering it once, and got a big blank stare back in response. "No way."

@gregrohsful

10 ай бұрын

​@lawrencesounddesign1862 do you hate your drummer?

I always thought Geddy was singing " the space invader he gets high on you ".

@onlyfromadistance7326

11 ай бұрын

Ive been singing it that way for years!🤣

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

11 ай бұрын

Me too! 😅

@imperialdragonshihtzu3165

11 ай бұрын

Me too

@moneyandtimefreedom3352

11 ай бұрын

That’s what he is saying and you can’t convince me otherwise, lol.

@tryithere

10 ай бұрын

I can’t understand half of what he says.

In an 80s tour Rush opened their show with a dark arena and the 'Spirit of Radio' introducing the stage lights and lasers with the volume gradually increasing. It was the best start of a concert I've seen. "Tom Sawyer" is timeless.

@ProfessorofRock

11 ай бұрын

It's so sinister! Love that opening note. How many times did you see them live?

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

11 ай бұрын

That is so amazing! Where was this?

@hbofbyu1

11 ай бұрын

SETLIST Intro The Spirit Of Radio Tom Sawyer Freewill Digital Man Subdivisions Vital Signs The Camera Eye Closer To The Heart Chemistry The Analog Kid Broon’s Bane The Trees Red Barchetta The Weapon (With the “Count Floyd” introduction.) New World Man Limelight Countdown Encore: 2112 Overture The Temples Of Syrinx Xanadu La Villa Strangiato In The Mood YYZ Drum Solo@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

@ultragroove1

11 ай бұрын

Yes! Thank you for reminding me about that stellar opening. It was the first time I had ever seen laser lights and the whole thing was mesmerizing. So grateful I got to see Rush four times in Tucson. Almost an indescribable experience.

@chrismichels4616

11 ай бұрын

I remember that opening. I also liked the three blind mice opening. I don’t remember which tour that was on.

Tom Sawyer was the first song from Rush I ever heard. I still remember it completely. I was walking across the field at Waipahu Intermediate School, I was in 8th grade, a guy was walking the other way with a boom box blasting that song. I stopped dead, listened for a while, then ran up to him to ask what it was. That was my introduction into Rush, back in 1981. Still an awesome song

Rush is my personal favorite band, no other band is even close. This was the album, and the song, that captured my mind in 1981. 42 years later, a lot of Rush shows and many more albums & songs later, they’re the soundtrack to this dreaming analog kid’s life.

I was fortunate enough to see Rush 5x before the Professor’s passing. The best band live, hands down. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Rush is music for your brain.

I recall some interview years ago with Geddy and Alex. Soon after Neil joined them they saw the books he had been reading and they said "I wonder what kind of stuff he'll be writing for us". Nearly 50 years later we know, and that's why they are Legends.

The tv show The Goldbergs perfectly captures what it was like when I first heard the opening 3 seconds of this song. Between Erica’s face, the camera work, and the narration, it shows what I felt the first time I heard it. No matter how many times I hear it, it still mesmerizes me.

@davidschad1472

11 ай бұрын

So true. They nailed that scene perfectly. That show has a lot of RUSH references, which as a long time fan, was AWESOME to see them getting some love.

@cherylk1518

11 ай бұрын

I had to find and watch that scene, thanks for the tip! I didn’t remember that. It does do a great job of illustrating how a song, especially this one, can just captivate a person with the first note

@johnperiard9594

10 ай бұрын

Heard Tom Sawyer 13 times live. Still remember first time i heard TS on vinyl in 1980 at age 12. TS, Red Barchetta!!!, and Limelight. The opening of Moving Pictures is emense , intense and awesome. Great video! I miss Rush!!

@SometimesMyself

10 ай бұрын

You ready to step into the musical cocoon and emerge a rock ‘n’ roll butterfly?

It was 1977. I was a 17 year old bass player, already in my 2nd band. A cover band playing the hard rock that we all loved, like Zeppelin, Queen, Aerosmith, Nugent, etc, etc. I still remember the beautiful fall day when my lead guitarist asked me to come over to work on some songs. That was the day that he turned me onto RUSH. Xanadu on his turn table was my introductory song. Blew me away! Instant life-long RUSH fanatic!!! I added Geddy to my short list of bass instructors lol. It included JPJ, Chris Squire, Dee Murray and a couple more fantastic bass players. By instructor, I mean every RUSH album was my bass lesson for that year, or until the next album. I'm admitting publicly that it took me about 15 years of playing Freewheel, before I got it down perfectly. Even though I thought I played it good in my 20's.....I really didn't. All those nuances had to wait until my technical skills were up to par. Tom Sawyer with the 7/8 time signature has always been my happy song that could brighten my mood no matter what. Anyway, I'm kind of still mourning the loss of Neil, and as a result of his passing, the loss of RUSH. I saw them 28 times. I'm happy that I took both of my daughters to see them, though at different shows. My oldest loves RUSH too. Well I guess I'm also mourning the fact that there will never be a 29th show! Even if they play with Mike Portnoy (which would be amazing in it's own right), it's not gonna be a RUSH show. But you know I'd just about give my left nut to see that show haha.

You are so good at telling these rock stories. No one could express their knowledge and passion for rock as you do.

My first exposure to Rush was on a high school band bus late at night. This sound started to emanate from the rear of the bus and just kept building until, suddenly, it was quiet. Then the opening salvo of (what I later learned was) 2112 exploded forth. A few weeks later, in the band room, one of the seniors comes in with a boom box and says “y’all have got to hear this!”…it was Tom Sawyer, which had just come out. I was already hooked on Rush, and this reeled me in. A few months later, I saw them at The Omni in Atlanta on the Moving Pictures tour. Rush has been in my life for over 40 years now.

I remember being a sophomore in high school and hearing this song and realizing music could be anything. I had never heard anything like it before. I still feel this way 45 years later. Thanks for this video. Loved it.

I was introduced to Rush when I was around 12. I was new in drumming. My older cousin who had been drumming a while, gave me a cassette of “Exit Stage Left“ and told me “listen to this”. Once I heard it I was hooked. Especially Neil’s live drum solo on YYZ, which is still my favorite drum solo of all time. Since then, he’s been my biggest drumming influence, and Rush, my favorite band. There will be no other’s that can compare. I’m so glad I grew up in the era that I could experience such greatness!

@JaredDoyle76

11 ай бұрын

Same experience!

Probably my most favorite band, ever. In their entire catalog, you can't find a bad song. Sure, some are better than others but they're not unlistenable. You can find magic in every song of their's. A drum line, a bass line, guitar riff or lyric, there's something for everyone in every song. That said, I think that's what made Tom Sawyer such a popular hit for them. Neil often commented that before every tour he had to relearn the drums to that song. Let that sink in for a moment, Neil Peart, the god of drums and percussion, had to relearn his own drum patterns for Tom Sawyer. I actually liked his drumming better in the later years of the band after he learned a more relaxed way of playing. But I digress, Tom Sawyer had it all for everyone. The rock hard drums, the driving guitar, the moving bass, the dark but all so accessible synth, and the lyrics...oh those lyrics. While, for me, it's not Rush's perfect song, it is the best at showing the world what they were capable of. R.I.P. Neil Peart

I was late to the Rush party till i got to be a crew driver on two of their tours. We were at Jones Beach, i was back stage in catering when they hit that first note of Tom Sawyer to open the show. The whole amphitheater vibrated and the audience erupted. What a night. What a tour. They were so good to us.

I got chills the 1st time i heard it, and played over again and again. One of the greatest rock songs ever written!

Rush absolutely was consistent and legendary in quality from start to finish. Easily 3 of the greats on their respective instruments, all of which influential on me to pick up all 3! Can never get enough of them, very important to Prog, which is my favorite genre!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

11 ай бұрын

That big sound came from only three guys!

I've heard this song, no exaggeration, at least two thousand times over my life. I don't even know, it could be much more than that. And it never ever gets old. It isn't my favorite Rush song, but no other song have I heard so many times and still get as much enjoyment as I got hearing the first time (whenever that was, I have no idea when I first heard it because Moving Pictures came out the same year I was born).

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

11 ай бұрын

Something about it gives you goosebumps every time. Every time you listen to it you discover something new.

@keithcamardelle739

10 ай бұрын

Yep! You either get it or you don't! (And y'all get it!) What a fkn album and first cut!

Tom Sawyer was the first Rush song I ever heard. I was 9, in my friend's basement who said "I gotta new record. These guys are from Toronto and the drummer is amazing". He put on Moving Pictures and I've been hooked for 45 years. And even after hearing the song thousands of times, the opening riff still gives me goosebumps to this day ❤

introduced to rush in 1976 as they opened for kiss in san antonio texas, and was immediately transformed..... my lifelong journey of music was enhanced beyond concept and I remain forever grateful for the experiences I've so enjoyed.....

"Ladies and gentlemen, The Professor on the drum kit" - Geddy really meant it!

@timsoutdoorlife

10 ай бұрын

Fun fact. Neil got the professor nickname because people thought he looked a lot like the professor on Gilligans Island.

There isn;t a song on this album that does not send chills down my spine with its opening notes despite hearing each hundreds of times at this point. A perfect example of a perfect album.

I couldn’t tell you the first time I heard Tom Sawyer, an I know I’ve listened to that song way over a thousand times because we played it in our rock band in high school. We played a lot of Rush songs! It wasn’t easy though. I remember saving up to buy a Rickenbacker 4001 just like Geddy’s. I also put the same strings on, Rotosound Roundwounds that a lot of bass players don’t like because they’re rough on your frets and your fingers. My fingers often bled until I developed proper clauses. Rush is difficult for me to explain my feelings for. I connected so completely with their lyrics and musics and I just don’t get tired of listening to them. Thank you for this tribute.

This has one of my most revered lyrics "changes aren't permanent, but change is". That is wisdom!

The first time I heard this song, I was blown away!!! I think it was my older brother that exposed me to it and I loved it. Those Neil Peart drum fills!!!! ❤❤❤❤ I'm pretty sure Rush is why my brother took up playing drums. My God, this song is timeless!! A true classic that holds up to this day. 😍

@TheOneSoulMate_

11 ай бұрын

I felt the same way. It blew my mind. It’s still one of my favorite songs ever.

@davidschad1472

11 ай бұрын

My brother got me into them. He was a fan, I've become almost obsessed with them.

I feel like you could have done another whole deep dive into the musicality, and production of the song. Niel saying right up to the end, he was relieved after playing it in concert because it was so difficult. That synth first note blew me away the first time I heard it. I felt I had never heard that kind of sound in music before. The base has such incredible runs, as do the drums and all the fills.... It is a sonic masterpiece as much if not more than a lyrical one. incredible song, and group.

Thank you so much for covering this iconic song and masterpiece album. The Moving Pictures album, in my opinion, is Rush's Sergeant Pepper. It is their masterpiece. I would like to share my memories of this song and album. The very first time I heard Tom Sawyer, it was early summer 1981. I was nine years old and riding as a passenger in the back seat of my cousin's suped up 1974 Camaro. He plopped in Moving Pictures on a clunky 8 track tape into his radio, and for the first time, I heard Tom Sawyer. From the intro, the sound blew me away. It was an experience. I became obsessed with that song and saved up enough money to buy the album on cassette. It was the very first cassette tape I ever bought. I literally wore out that cassette. I love every song on that album. To this day, just looking at the album cover gives me goose bumps. I am now 52 years old. I cannot wrap my head around the fact that it has been nearly 43 years since the album was released.

I was in about grade 6. I was a MTV viewer. My friend was over and mentioned seeing a music video called Tom Sawyer by Rush as a must see. We sat and watched MTV for a few hours and them the song came on and I was instantly a Rush fan. My life changed that day for the better. RIP Professor😢

So glad you made this today. Tom Sawyer was the first Rush song that my husband played for me after we met. I loved it the first time I heard it. Red Barchetta is high up on my list of favorite songs.

@ProfessorofRock

11 ай бұрын

Rock on!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

11 ай бұрын

They’re both classic songs.

Progressive genius that along with Kansas' "Carry on Wayward Son" moved me as a drummer from keeping time to parsing time. It took me forever to learn those time changes (hell I still blow it occassionally) but the first time I got it... It opened a magical portal in my playing that transcends 2 and 4.. Thanks Professor, I learned the lessons well. 🥁

My brother discovered Rush from the Old Grey Whistle Test (one of many) and we both loved them. I was fast-tracked for maths at school and my brother promised if I got an A or B, he would take me to see Rush 2112 in 1978. I got a B, and made my own tour shirt. Night of the concert it snowed so bad, buses to our area stopped so we walked there! One of the greatest events concerts of my life! Love Rush and RIP Neil . Much loved to all xoxo

When I discovered Rush, they took me to another plane of existence! Their music is magic.

Limelight is the song that really blew me away in 1981, I bought the record when it came out. I spent many an afternoon after school with my friends smoking herb and air drumming/guitar/bass to Tom Sawyer. And Neil Peart for me is the greatest in R&R.

I have been watching this channel for some time and I love it more and more after every video. It's amazing to take such a deep dive into music I have loved for decades. I always learn something new about music I have listened to thousands of times. That's where this channel separates itself from others. I'm a huge Rush fan having seen them 8 times over the years. I loved this insight into the creation of such an iconic song by one of the most musically talented bands in history.

I first heard this song at 17 years old (42 years ago). My husband had one of their albums when I met him in 1984 (married 38 years). Just shared it with my 17-year-old daughter. LOVE your channel!!

I think and it’s my opinion that 2112 had me emotionally involved more than any other album. Seen the 2112 tour concert at Massey Hall and from the first note to last this album really forged my love for this band. This album changed the fans and the band and they took off from there. Thank god for Rush’s ability to captivate a wide range of people without using sex, drugs and rock and roll like so many other top bands. These guys are true Rock Gods.

As teenager I was into the songs of Journey, Foreigner, Styx, and REO at the time Rush came out with Moving Pictures. I shamefully admit that I didn't like this song. Thank God I've matured (somewhat)...

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

11 ай бұрын

Do you like it now?

I can still remember my friend playing YYZ from Exit Stage Left (who got it from our drum teacher, (we were both taking drum lessons from the same guy)) for the first time when I was about 16. That drum solo of Neil's changed my life. As an 80s kid who only knew hair metal, grunge and pop music I had never heard anything like it. Now prog is my favorite music genre and Rush is at the top for me. Neil will always be my favorite drummer hands down. R.I.P The Professor Been a convert ever since.

OMG!! My fave song of the summer of 81!!! I was just understanding what music I, as an individual, really liked!! I'll never forget that summer. 1st year back on a military base as a child of an enlisted Father, new home, new friends...the best!!

Of course, this was the song that introduced me to Rush, and I've been a fan ever since. "Tom Sawyer" is such a great song; _Moving Pictures_ is such a great album. That trio are musicians' musicians.

@ProfessorofRock

11 ай бұрын

No kidding!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

11 ай бұрын

Moving Pictures is a masterpiece.

I was introduced to the catalog of Rush by way of Tom Sawyer. I bought the entire Chronicles double cd greatest hits just for this song. I immediately fell in love with every other song as well. Tom Sawyer is still though, one of my favorite Classic Rock songs ever.

@ProfessorofRock

11 ай бұрын

It's just SINISTER! In a good way! Thanks for sharing.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

11 ай бұрын

Tom Sawyer starts you off with a bang!

This song introduced to me the concept of the fill. I use it to this day to demonstrate what a fill is. Its a piece of jazz crammed into rock n roll.. Great stuff

Moving Pictures was my introduction to Rush with my entrance into the Columbia Tapes Club (11 tapes for a penny!) in 1982. My mind was blown! I played that tape until it finally shredded. And began my search for all the previous albums. In my mind, Moving Pictures is a perfect album - no bad tracks at.

@nicholasvinen

5 ай бұрын

I would say that's true of most Rush albums...

I was already deeply immersed in the Rushian Culture, having found them in 76, so this was just another mind blowing addition to my musical vocabulary! The next lp was even better, and the one after that, and the one after that, and...

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 Love Rush! Moving Pictures is a classic! Then Exit Stage Left......... then Signals. 3 great albums in a row. Tom Sawyer blasts off with that one singular note. Great stuff. And Red Barchetta..... Thanks for covering the under appreciated Rush. Have a great Friday!

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

11 ай бұрын

Definitely starts off with a blast that immediately grabs you!

I went to Toronto, Canada, all the way from Florida just for these guys. OK, fine, I also went to visit the CN Tower and walked on the glass floor, hoping it didn't break, lol The concert was packed to the brim, and it was loud as the light show left you mesmerized. Rush forever will be one of my favorite rock bands.

Grew up just outside Toronto in the 80's. Rush became my favorite band at 14. I'm a lifer! 🤘😁🖖🇨🇦

Rush came into their own with album making such powerful statements with just the album cover alone! Fantastic album, my absolute favorite at least!❤

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

11 ай бұрын

Definitely a game changing record.

@Fiona2254

11 ай бұрын

My favorite is Permanent Waves but Moving Pictures is up there. Their music always speaks to my soul.

Rush is just THE GOATS!! No matter how many times Tom Sawyer gets played, I just keep listing again & again, but, I do that with any Rush song ever (& really LOUD)🤘🤠

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

11 ай бұрын

They are just so cool!

@Fiona2254

11 ай бұрын

Same here. High school memories of playing air instruments to their music are so precious. I discovered them when 2112 came out and never stop living their stuff.

I just heard a musical breakdown on this on a different KZread channel and it's amazing. It popped up here too. But the fact that it wasn't more popular is mind-blowing to me. It was the first song I ever put on my first workout mixtape. That was 35 years ago or so. It's been the number one song on every workout mix I've ever made since.

Don't forget when you bought the album and were looking at the cover as you walked up to the cashier, you were "moving" the picture from the shelf to the register.

Great song!! What else. THE BEST DRUMER ALL TIME..great underated guitar player... moving pictures one of the Best albums all time....great video!

best rock show! period.... the sonic musicality was outstanding and visuals were jaw dropping !! It would be one of my life's regrets missing out on seeing them live !!!

Twice we saw Peart stay on stage and go into a 10 minute-ish drum solo while the other guys took a break. It was ungodly entertaining for drum solo's. Then the other guys came back and the concert continued. Amazing.

I was 10 years old and my older, cooler friend Robert was visiting with his parents. We were sitting in the back of my mom’s station wagon, and he put his Walkman headphones over my ears, pressed play, and I heard the spacey explosion that begins Tom Sawyer. My life was irreversibly, changed that moment. Rush quickly became, and remains, my favorite band. I became an English professor and writer largely because of the influence of Neil’s literary allusions in his lyrics.

This is the song that got me into rush. I bought the LP with Journey Escape and Foreigner 4. After being blown away by Moving Pictures, I started at the beginning and bought each album. Oddly enough, I never made it to a Rush concert. I thought they would always be there....

To me, Tom Sawyer is the perfect Hard Rock song. When I was a kid, I used to play TS and Back in Black...back to back to back. If that isn't enough to get your heart pounding, nothing is. There's no doubt that Rush made "heavy" tunes. That's why we love them.

Moving pictures was one of 3 of the first cd's I ever got! My older brother hooked me up and sent me down a musical journey that shaped what music I enjoyed from then on! That album is still amazing after all these years!

I keep coming back to this segment. Professor, this is exactly why you are the cornerstone curator of our generation's music.

The album cover analysis was really well written and delivered! "I better stop here or my head will explode." 🤣

stuff like this makes me miss the past. nowadays we are told that individual thought and thinking for yourself is a bad thing, and that we should believe every popular opinion we read on social media regardless of how wrong it is just because it's what the masses believe... we need more Tom Sawyers today to correct the wrongs of current society.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

11 ай бұрын

I feel you. Sometimes I do not need all that persuasion.

"Tom Sawyer" was the first Rush song I ever heard. That was only recently last year, & I was in my 60s. I grew up listening to mostly folk music; specifically, Joni Mitchell & CSNY. In the 70s & 80s, it was rock, a la Foreigner & AC/DC. in the 90s, it was progressive & grunge, the music of my daughter. When I heard Rush, I turned to my little sister, who loved Rush. She turned me onto their catalog. For the past year, I have been going through their entire catalog, & now I am a huge fan. I'm drawn to the lesser mentioned albums. My top three are "Snakes & Arrows," "Clockwork Angels", & "Roll the Bones." The music is like nothing I heard growing up. I find that their lyrics resonate deep within me. It's not a good thing that original Rush fans wanted a secret key to their clubhouse, so to speak. Great music needs to be celebrated & shared as much as possible. Music truly is the universal language. The more we can unite around its genius, the more we can come together. I downloaded this one, Professor. Thank you for your insightful analysis.

Was getting into Styx when transitioning to high school in 1979. Heard Sprit of the Radio on the local AOR station. Bought the album only to discover their back catalog was deep, inspiring, and available. Bought them all. My first concert was Rush. Listened to every song. And that was that... and I'm glad of it.

I am a translation of Tom Sawyer's spirit being born in '75. I have seen RUSH live more times than any other band. Gary sounded so good live, like he really did everything to be a great live singer 👽🤖👽

@chlebsco

10 ай бұрын

“Gary”…love that! The Gary Weinrib Band… yeah, RUSH works much better!

@chlebsco

10 ай бұрын

What I think of when I hear “Gary”…🐌 Thanks, 🧽-Bob.

Rush did become slightly more radio friendly in the early 80's, but never sold out like other former Prog bands that figured out the formula and started doing teenybopper crap (looking at you Genesis).

@johnwest7993

8 ай бұрын

Even musicians have to grow up and make a living in order to pay their child support.

@nicholasvinen

5 ай бұрын

How much child support did Geddy, Alex and Neil pay?

I grew up in a small Canadian town..so loving RUSH wasn't just patriotic it sort made u Canadian. For many of us there music was mother's milk and we weaned on their tunes as we grew up. Many of us became musicians because of them. Their burgeoning library of albums can become a lifetime of musical discovery for many and the lyrics are deep and thick. Some of their songs have the ability to transcend audio and take you on a mental journey almost a dream adventure. This powerful trio were sometimes called the high priests of metal other times ground breaking progressive rockers. Their music was deep, complex and dramatic. Going to a RUSH concert was almost an out of body experience. Like seeing the most epic film or play of your life. So loud, so powerful, so moving. Love them or not, they carved out a piece of rock history for themselves and we are SO proud.

Its not a question of liking this channel. Its a matter of needing this channel.

One could say that this was one of their most mainstream, popular and most recognizable song but the prof did acknowledge that it was the most difficult drum parts to play. Camera Eye is my fave track in this album. The lone track that connects their old prog days going into the new sound of the 80s and forward.

Rush is a band that was hard to warm up to, but thankfully my musical taste has expanded and I really appreciate and enjoy their music today.

@ProfessorofRock

11 ай бұрын

So true. Once you did... BAM!

@TJ-id6ee

11 ай бұрын

@@ProfessorofRock 👍💥

@timothyslaughter476

11 ай бұрын

Lol...the first time a friend played rush I was like this is horrible....this guy singing sounds like shit is this a joke? And I was a drummer...lol. so my friend wisely played me la villa strangiato.....I was then hooked on rush for life. True story.

@markallen2984

11 ай бұрын

I agree, I have always said that Rush is a band that is easier to admire than to love. Personally, I could never get past Geddy Lee's voice. I never warmed up to "Yes" or (Pink Floyd) for similar reasons. But, I am a big fan of ELP and a huge fan of Gabriel-era Genesis.

@merrywissemes

11 ай бұрын

Weird. From the very first note I heard I was hooked like no other band before or since.

I love the way you break down each song and explain them! Cracking stuff, keep it up 😊

Rush has always been in my top ten rock bands. Period. Words do not describe the skills and talents flowing through these artistic works.

A Rush fanatic up this point (1980) hell I even like and still play Caress of Steel today, Moving pictures was where my proclamation of Rush being the best band of all time started to take off into the stratosphere. Rush ruled the FM radio airwaves in 1981 and the rest is history. Rush is one of only a few Rock bands I will listen to their entire library of published music, reliving my teen years in the 70's and 80's. RIP Neil Peart !

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

11 ай бұрын

It’s a freaking great album.

If there was ever an album where side 2 could be under the radar better than side 1, it's Moving Pictures. As a 13 year old, Tom Sawyer was an anthem for the age.

I was a 17 year old private in the Army stationed at Ft Polk, LA in 1981. Rush played in Lake Charles about 45 miles away. That was the 1st Rush show I attended. It was simply incredible. Again in Frankfurt Germany in 1983. Blown away in the soccer stadium that was close to 1/2 GIs. Was able to introduce my teenage daughter and son to them live in Ridgefield WA in early 2010s. Truly the soundtrack of my life. Will always be in my top 5 along with Stones, Floyd. AC/DC & Aerosmith. RIP Neil.

Discovering Rush in the mid '70s as a young teenager was fortunate. I got to travel the full journey. What a great band! Only got to see them twice. Pre-2112 and Cygnus X-1, both in Montreal. 2112 gets a listen 2-3 times a year to this day.

Tom Sawyer is one of the great songs of the early 80's rock era.

@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980

11 ай бұрын

No doubt.