The last song that Neil Peart ever played with Rush
Most artists approach their instrument as if it’s an extension of themselves. No matter how many extracurriculars go on behind the scenes to get someone up on that stage, it’s about that one spiritual moment where all the crowds fade away, and it almost feels like someone is at one with their guitar, bass, or anything else they’re working with. While Neil Peart was in tune behind the kit from the very beginning, no one could have predicted that he would fall silent after performing ‘Working Man’ one final time in 2015.
Then again, Rush had anticipated taking a break after the making of Clockwork Angels. While no one held any grudges towards each other, it was clear that they couldn’t be playing at the same level forever, especially with Alex Lifeson suffering from arthritis in his hands when performing on their last shows.
But whether in sickness or in health, Peart was the kind of lumbering beast that no one could match. For anyone who thinks that Keith Moon or John Bonham are the essence of rock and roll drumming, Peart absolutely wiped the floor with both of them, playing everything so precisely on the beat that it could be studied by musicologists for decades to come.
When someone gets to that level of virtuoso, though, things start to get a little bit stiff over the years. Peart wasn’t going to relinquish his skills as a drummer by trying to be absolutely precise, and working with Freddie Gruber in the 1990s helped bring out the best in his playing for the rest of his days. He was still performing at his best, but the swing that had been covered up for so long was back in full force.
Then again, Peart was the one electing to end Rush’s massive touring days. After settling down for the second time, he didn’t want to be away from his daughter for too long, which meant having one final run of shows in 2015, which ended at The Forum in California.
Throughout the entire night, Rush worked backwards throughout their career, starting with their most recent material and capping things off with an encore of their earliest hits. And despite not being in the group when ‘Working Man’ was recorded, their first hit is the best illustration of what Peart brought to the band.
Along with being a great showcase for his swinging rhythm, the difference between the recorded version with John Rutsey and the live rendition is like night and day. Rutsey was not a poor drummer by any means, but when put next to Peart’s borderline chaotic drum fills and raw precision, it is the percussive equivalent of Mozart turning one of Salieri’s compositions into a masterpiece.
And considering that Peart would pass away five years later, seeing him come out from behind his drumkit for the first time for a curtain call was especially poetic. Perhaps he knew that this would be the final time he would grace the stage, and given their final set, his legacy as the greatest drummer on the planet was secure without having to write another nine-minute drumming exercise.
