Andy Greene of Rolling Stone reports:
In a new interview with SiriusXM’s Eddie Trunk, Rush’s Geddy Lee revealed that not only is drummer Neil Peart done playing with Rush, but he’s done playing period.
“Neil is retired,” he said. “He hasn’t just retired from Rush; he’s retired from drumming. He’s not drumming anymore, and he’s living his life. Which is fine — Alex [Lifeson] and I are cool with it. We’re all still total pals. In fact, Alex and I were there just a few weeks ago visiting him, and we stay in touch. And, of course, Alex lives very near to me, so we’re constantly going out to dinner, ’cause he loves to drink everything in my wine cellar. We’re still pals, and we all talk, but that period of our life is done.”
Rush have been completely inactive since the conclusion of their R40 Live tour in 2015. The band’s 2016 documentary Time Stand Still revealed that Peart was battling enormous physical pain through much of the tour, including a foot infection that made it agonizing for him to even walk. “Neil was struggling throughout that tour to play at his peak, because of physical ailments and other things that were going on with him,” Lee told Trunk. “And he is a perfectionist, and he did not want to go out and do anything less than what people expected of him. That’s what drove him his whole career, and that’s the way he wanted to go out, and I totally respect that.”
Lee has focused much of his attention on writing his new book Geddy Lee’s Big Beautiful Book Of Bass since the tour concluded, but now that it’s done he’s beginning to think about creating new music. “Is there more music to come from myself and from Alex?” he said. “I don’t know when and what shape that will take. I don’t know if Alex and I will do something together. People keep me asking me and they want me to be definitive, and I can’t be, because I really haven’t thought that far.”
Read more at Rolling Stone.
source: rollingstone.com
16 Responses
This is probably the most irritating band on the planet; where the guys make good modern art; paradoxical as all get out. Where Geddy went from really bad singing to this solemn lecturing at around Signals; Geddy turned into Walter Cronkite; just lecturing us constantly with those third person lyrics because God forbid Rush would lower themselves as to have baser instincts like everybody else (this album has a fire hydrant on the cover….a freaking fire hydrant? The irony is just too much). Can somebody tell me who this New World Man is for God’s sake??
Read Ayn Rand’s novels and you’ll find out.
…ok, thanks….I just don’t know how he ended up in my record collection or what he’s doing in my house.
What clearly separates Rush from other rockstars in terms of not milking fans, not talking the same “we are the best” BS into every microphone when they are in fact way past their prime, not compromising their musical quality in any way, is their intelligence and integrity. Actually, it is all in their music, when you listen to that music you instantly know that it is the creation of intelligent as well as passionate people. Which is a wonderful combination of talents and feelings. If it was only intelligent, it would be boring. If it is only passionate, you end up having musicians yelling and making fools of themselves. Well done to leave when everyone out there would regret it.
what i do not get,and never will is this.just because your in a band and play music,people think that is it .if folks would think about their own lives and say to themselves in their own world,do they want to do the same thing until they die???.i was a police officer for over 27 years,and i loved what i did true.but it was time for a change.i still work now,but nothing to do with law enforcement.these folks are no different.and as we age what was a turn on in our youth,may not be so much anymore.yes the money and fame are a good draw for many of them ,and they just cant live without it,but many of them are normal folks as well.why does so many fans not get that.im shocked that our favorite stars have hung in there as long as they have…smh
Jeff,
Thank you for being a former Police Officer.
D 🙂
Hi all,
Just using this opportunity to say that Neil Peart is one of my favorite people in (or was) in music.Not only for his drumming, but maybe more importantly his intelligence & insight in the lyrics and books that he wrote, (on top of that he has some taste involving wheeled machines.) Don’t agree with everything he wrote, but to me it was certainly enlightening. I hope those three guys just enjoy what time they have left with their families as Geddy Lee said himself that his family has long taken a backseat to Rush. I myself am not looking forward to anything new from them, unless it was something really different. There’s plenty of reissues & cover bands, it was time for them to call it a day.
Great band going out on top – well done gentlemen.