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Neil Peart, one of the greatest drummers in rock ‘n’ roll history, died on Tuesday (Jan. 7) at after a long battle with brain cancer.
He was 67.
Let’s take the chance to remember the Rush drummer and lyricist through his music. Here are seven songs that truly underscore Peart’s greatness.
“Freewill” (1980)
Choose “Freewill,” indeed, if you want to hear some classic Peart work.
“YYZ” (1981)
A powerhouse performance from Rush’s eighth studio album, “Moving Pictures,” “YYZ” takes its name from the Toronto airport (YYZ).
“Jacob’s Ladder” (1980)
One of those tracks that separated Peart from basically every other rock drummer on the planet.
“Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage” (1977)
Peart’s work is breathtaking on this 10-minute track that closes Rush’s fifth studio album, “A Farewell to Kings.”
“Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres” (1978)
And Peart might be even better (if that’s possible) on Book II of “Cygnus X-1,” which fills up the entirety of the first side of Rush’s sixth studio album, “Hemispheres.”
“La Villa Strangiato” (1978)
Clocking in at over 9½ minutes, and consisting of 12 parts, “La Villa Strangiato” is a delight for drum aficionados. It appears on the second side of “Hemispheres.”
“Tom Sawyer” (1981)
We’ve all heard this one so many times on classic rock radio that its greatness might almost come across as commonplace by now. But it’s truly anything but common. It’s a master at the height of his game.
