The legendary Hollywood actor Jack Black once remarked of drumming ability of Neil Peart, “He’s not even human.” When talking about the subject at hand, many people immediately think of Peart. This is true not only of the sounds he produced in front of the kit, but also of the unmatched precision with which he delivered them. “Everything was just right on the nuggets,” as Black stated.
Peart produced drum sounds for Rush that went well beyond simple rhythmic accompaniment. Rather, he imbued songs with a level of technical proficiency and melodic allure. This left many scratching their heads as to how he was able to pull off such an apparently unachievable quality in the first place. For many, Peart was more than just a drummer; to them, he was a real visionary.
What’s even more amazing is that, for a while, Peart kept his talent a secret, only letting it loose at crucial times and absolutely crushing all of his fellow musicians. Many of his decisions, as Geddy Lee once recollected, just made sense, and it was astonishing that no one had ever accomplished such a feat before. In an interview with Beyond the Lighted Stage, Lee stated: “This kind of gangly guy shows up in a car. He began performing these drum rolls with his feet, and I was completely amazed.
Peart’s drumming was not just about durability and tenacity, as much of Rush’s discography suggests. Rather, it was about expert calculation. Patience in a way that allows sounds to flow, a steady yet deliberate intricacy that only a true artist could accomplish. Many people view Peart as the gold standard because of his talent, and many aspire to be like him. It defies logic that he would look up to anyone else.
But this was also the case with Hal Blaine of Wrecking Crew. Peart would mimic Blaine on the radio before attempting to make his own sound. “I played along to the radio when I was growing up. So, I played along to Simon & Garfunkel, The Beach Boys, The Association, and The Byrds. And I was really playing along to Hal Blaine,” he narrated in an interview with Music Radar.
To Peart, Blaine was the epitome of virtuosity, in fact. Years later, when he was building his own career, it’s possible that his effortless attention to detail and accuracy while playing the instrument inspired him to follow in his footsteps. In his own words: “Another drummer expressed his shock upon learning that his top six drummers were all Hal Blaine.
Even though a lot of other people ended up being Peart’s heroes and shaped his personal style of music and creativity, Blaine was a focal point and an important figure in the early stages of Peart’s own craft. The kind that allowed him to continue and forge his own distinctive style of play. This groundwork eventually led him to become one of the greatest drummers in history.
