Roadshow: Landscape with Drums: A Concert Tour by Motorcycle
by Neil Peart
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An account of the band Rush's thirtieth world tour, told from the perspective of its drummer and lyricist, traces their journey through nine countries, during which the band performed fifty-seven shows, and the author traveled by motorcycle.Tags
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The late, great Rush drummer Neil Peart's account of his experiences during the band's thirtieth anniversary ("R30") tour in 2004, during which he traveled between venues by motorcycle, racking up more than 20,000 miles over the course of the tour. (This is the fourth book he wrote about music and motorcycles, but the first one I've read.)
It's full of little details of the trip (including very mundane ones), passing thoughts, stories about various people he knew (although less about his bandmates than you might expect), facts and histories about some of the more interesting places he visited, etc. Also an awful lot of him looking back on the journal he kept and seeing that, at the end of the day, he'd written something along the lines show more of, "This was such a full day while it was happening, but it's all slipping from my mind and I'm frustrated that I can't get it down in words." (Which, y'know, relatable, even if it's not exactly literarily gripping.)
Most of this stuff isn't especially compelling in itself, but I tend to find that there's something about this kind of real-life day-by-day accounting of someone's experiences that holds my attention unexpectedly well even when the things they're talking about aren't necessarily all that exciting, and that was mostly true of this one, too. Plus, it was really interesting to get a look at the perspective from the other side of the stage, so to speak, to get a feeling of what it's like for a touring musician for whom playing is simply his job. A rewarding and interesting job, to be sure, but a very different experience from the one we're having in the audience.
Plus, Neil was just an interesting and thoughtful guy... and one who very much defied the stereotypes of the rock star. How often do we get to hear what that life is like for someone who's a shy, intellectual, slightly socially awkward introvert? Also, ye gods, if the man who had a truly viable claim to the title of "world's best drummer" -- no matter how much he disputed that -- a man so unquestionably at the pinnacle of his profession, if this guy could feel inadequate, self-critical, and perhaps even subject to imposter syndrome, what does that say about the rest of us? Maybe that we should all be a little easier on ourselves, I don't know. What I do know is that his honesty on this stuff provides some worthwhile food for thought on the question of how any of us looks to ourselves on the inside vs. to others on the outside.
And, of course, there is a bittersweet poignancy to reading this now, as the band prepares to kick off its new reunion tour, knowing that he's gone and we'll never get to see him doing his virtuoso thing on the drums live, ever again. RIP, Neil. You are missed. show less
It's full of little details of the trip (including very mundane ones), passing thoughts, stories about various people he knew (although less about his bandmates than you might expect), facts and histories about some of the more interesting places he visited, etc. Also an awful lot of him looking back on the journal he kept and seeing that, at the end of the day, he'd written something along the lines show more of, "This was such a full day while it was happening, but it's all slipping from my mind and I'm frustrated that I can't get it down in words." (Which, y'know, relatable, even if it's not exactly literarily gripping.)
Most of this stuff isn't especially compelling in itself, but I tend to find that there's something about this kind of real-life day-by-day accounting of someone's experiences that holds my attention unexpectedly well even when the things they're talking about aren't necessarily all that exciting, and that was mostly true of this one, too. Plus, it was really interesting to get a look at the perspective from the other side of the stage, so to speak, to get a feeling of what it's like for a touring musician for whom playing is simply his job. A rewarding and interesting job, to be sure, but a very different experience from the one we're having in the audience.
Plus, Neil was just an interesting and thoughtful guy... and one who very much defied the stereotypes of the rock star. How often do we get to hear what that life is like for someone who's a shy, intellectual, slightly socially awkward introvert? Also, ye gods, if the man who had a truly viable claim to the title of "world's best drummer" -- no matter how much he disputed that -- a man so unquestionably at the pinnacle of his profession, if this guy could feel inadequate, self-critical, and perhaps even subject to imposter syndrome, what does that say about the rest of us? Maybe that we should all be a little easier on ourselves, I don't know. What I do know is that his honesty on this stuff provides some worthwhile food for thought on the question of how any of us looks to ourselves on the inside vs. to others on the outside.
And, of course, there is a bittersweet poignancy to reading this now, as the band prepares to kick off its new reunion tour, knowing that he's gone and we'll never get to see him doing his virtuoso thing on the drums live, ever again. RIP, Neil. You are missed. show less
I recently read Neil Peart’s fourth book, Roadshow: Landscape with Drums: A Concert Tour by Motorcycle. It’s an incredible memoir that recounts Neil’s motorcycle journey from concert to concert during Rush’s R30 tour in 2004. The book is meticulously written chronologically, following their tour schedule throughout North America and Europe. Neil always had a riding partner and friend who also worked in his security detail.
Neil’s writing is exquisite, and his tales are both entertaining and captivating. He paints vivid descriptions of the landscapes and locations he visited, making me wish I was there with him. I particularly enjoyed reminiscing about places I’ve been, such as the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Flagstaff, Key West, show more and Stuttgart, Germany. It was a surprise to learn that he was in a small town called Rushville, Ohio, just outside of my childhood hometown. I smiled when he mentioned visiting Lexington, Kentucky, as it made his list of places he’d like to live. The book also inspired me to dream of many other places I’d love to visit. He also mentions some of which I think I’ll even avoid in the future.
Neil’s honesty shines through in his candid writing about the people and places he encountered, both positive and negative. He shares his opinions about the performance trends of drivers in various states and doesn’t hold back his feelings about those who don’t use turn signals. While traveling through the United States, it’s common to see church signs, and throughout the book, Neil shares some of the most memorable and entertaining ones he found.
Unfortunately, being a celebrity brings out the most obnoxious people. Neil writes about some frustrating experiences of being followed by entitled fans demanding autographs. On the bright side, he also got to meet some pretty cool celebrities. One that stood out to me was Jack Black. They talked about the part in the movie “School of Rock” where Jack Black’s character assigns a student to listen to Rush’s album and notes that Neil Peart is one of the greatest drummers of all time. I’ve included a video clip below for your entertainment. (please see my blog linked below for the video)
Neil’s heart ached as he revisited places that evoked memories of time spent with Jackie and Selena. It must have been an emotionally taxing journey to grieve for his family while building a relationship with his new wife, Carrie. I can only imagine the challenges of being separated from Carrie during this tour. It was heartwarming to see them spend quality time together at various venues. Neil’s stories of wanting to impress Carrie during concerts were endearing.
As an avid reader, Neil frequently references books he’s read and enjoyed during his tours. One book that particularly caught my attention was Barbara Kingsolver’s Prodigal Summer. Although I haven’t read any of her books yet, her work keeps appearing in my book feed, and I’m eager to read it someday, especially if Neil recommends it!
After reading four of Neil’s books, I continue to appreciate his approach to touring as a job. It’s something he didn’t necessarily enjoy, so he made the experience meaningful for himself by traveling by bicycle or motorcycle. It’s challenging when something you love becomes a job, as it can diminish the joy and passion associated with the initial activity.
I’m concluding my review of Roadshow with an interview Neil gave on the topic of motorcycles and writing. Enjoy! (please see my blog linked below for the video)
I purchased the audiobook of Roadshow using my Audible membership. I’m thrilled that Brian Sutherland has narrated all of Neil’s books so far. His narration is simply incredible!
I have photos, videos, and additional information that I'm unable to include here. It can all be found on my blog, in the link below.
A Book And A Dog show less
Neil’s writing is exquisite, and his tales are both entertaining and captivating. He paints vivid descriptions of the landscapes and locations he visited, making me wish I was there with him. I particularly enjoyed reminiscing about places I’ve been, such as the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Flagstaff, Key West, show more and Stuttgart, Germany. It was a surprise to learn that he was in a small town called Rushville, Ohio, just outside of my childhood hometown. I smiled when he mentioned visiting Lexington, Kentucky, as it made his list of places he’d like to live. The book also inspired me to dream of many other places I’d love to visit. He also mentions some of which I think I’ll even avoid in the future.
Neil’s honesty shines through in his candid writing about the people and places he encountered, both positive and negative. He shares his opinions about the performance trends of drivers in various states and doesn’t hold back his feelings about those who don’t use turn signals. While traveling through the United States, it’s common to see church signs, and throughout the book, Neil shares some of the most memorable and entertaining ones he found.
Unfortunately, being a celebrity brings out the most obnoxious people. Neil writes about some frustrating experiences of being followed by entitled fans demanding autographs. On the bright side, he also got to meet some pretty cool celebrities. One that stood out to me was Jack Black. They talked about the part in the movie “School of Rock” where Jack Black’s character assigns a student to listen to Rush’s album and notes that Neil Peart is one of the greatest drummers of all time. I’ve included a video clip below for your entertainment. (please see my blog linked below for the video)
Neil’s heart ached as he revisited places that evoked memories of time spent with Jackie and Selena. It must have been an emotionally taxing journey to grieve for his family while building a relationship with his new wife, Carrie. I can only imagine the challenges of being separated from Carrie during this tour. It was heartwarming to see them spend quality time together at various venues. Neil’s stories of wanting to impress Carrie during concerts were endearing.
As an avid reader, Neil frequently references books he’s read and enjoyed during his tours. One book that particularly caught my attention was Barbara Kingsolver’s Prodigal Summer. Although I haven’t read any of her books yet, her work keeps appearing in my book feed, and I’m eager to read it someday, especially if Neil recommends it!
After reading four of Neil’s books, I continue to appreciate his approach to touring as a job. It’s something he didn’t necessarily enjoy, so he made the experience meaningful for himself by traveling by bicycle or motorcycle. It’s challenging when something you love becomes a job, as it can diminish the joy and passion associated with the initial activity.
I’m concluding my review of Roadshow with an interview Neil gave on the topic of motorcycles and writing. Enjoy! (please see my blog linked below for the video)
I purchased the audiobook of Roadshow using my Audible membership. I’m thrilled that Brian Sutherland has narrated all of Neil’s books so far. His narration is simply incredible!
I have photos, videos, and additional information that I'm unable to include here. It can all be found on my blog, in the link below.
A Book And A Dog show less
Well, I suppose I eventually had to be done savoring this one. Neil Peart died on January 7th and I still had this unread on my shelf. There are three more travelogue/memoirs that I must find but for now, I say goodbye with this one. With the backdrops of Rush's R30 tour and the countrysides he rode through on his motorcycle, Peart's prosaic skill rolls smoothly, if punctuated with stops of interests. I have thought that Peart saw a lot - he rode more than 200,000 miles on his motorcycle as of that writing - but he seemed to only observe the things that mattered to him. I can appreciate that. I've found myself doing much the same in the past 20 or so years. And as with his previous books he recounts some of those observations here. I show more flagged several dozen lines and passages, and as is usual, I'll have to sift for what I share here ... his chapters are long! ... but I'll start with the first few paragraphs of his epilogue "on with the story":
Peart talks of the preparations for the performances (Geddy said he was the only person who rehearsed to rehearse!) and his travels, the routines he'd adopted to ensure he could maintain his privacy, perform as well as he could, see as much as he could. Glimpses into a touring life, a touch of candid here and there, church signs noted from the roads, fan interactions, correspondence. He talks of taking a couple of Bufferins for the pain - as someone with arthritis and chronic pain, I have no idea how that could do anything more than a small dent, but I guess his physiology is different. Books he'd read - several making their way onto my List, music he liked and disliked, a smattering of television and movies. Tribulations of motorcycle and (band) technology breakdowns. Memories of loss - daughter, wife/partner, long time crew, friends. Memories of past tours. He collects fridge magnets, and yet...watches Family Guy?? These stories are the best, and now only, way for someone outside his tight circle to get to know him just a little. And I appreciate that.
Now, a sampling of things that caught my brain, or that I just noted for some reason...
Admiration for his bandmates, and some of the problems of being so multi-talented: "...Geddy, who found himself shouldering a heavy double-neck guitar while he played keyboards with his hands, pedals with his right foot - leaving all his weight on his left - while singing the lead vocals. It was an ergonomic nightmare, a mental tapdance, and it didn't leave him much room for jumping around and having fun." Or how Geddy always had a baseball game on, and played fantasy baseball. "Before a tour, Geddy would work for months with the film companies on developing animation and mood-pieces for the big screen behind our stage, to complement a number of songs in the show. The previous year, Alex had spent weeks of long days in a Toronto recording studio with engineer Jimbo, working on the audio mixes for our Rush in Rio DVD." or "In one part of the long instrumental “La Villa Strangiato,” Geddy and I played a quiet jazz riff while Alex stepped to the microphone and told a little story. As on the previous tour, his monologues would be different every night, springing from the endlessly inventive and spontaneous brain of our 'musical scientist.'" And concern..."I was fairly well protected behind a barricade of drums and cymbals, but I always worried about Alex and Geddy—they were so vulnerable out there."
On composition of his solos
Church signs, bumper stickers and things he'd read...
On driving
And speaking of Florida, he nails it:
On writing and publishing:
When copies of his The Masked Rider finally caught up on the eighth show of the tour, it was missing all of the photographs and maps, a section title had been changed from "White Man, Where You Going?" (a quote from an African in the story) to "White Man, Where Are You Going?" He says, "I was terrified to read further and see what other solecisms the book contained, but this was enough." (They were able to force the publisher to recall all 5000 copies from the first printing.)
And advice from his editor on his early travel journals: "One good example was Mark's forbidding me to use words like 'beautiful' and 'interesting,' explaining that those words were meaningless to a reader who wouldn't know what I might consider beautiful or interesting." And staying away from the trap of Hemingway ("No sentences like 'It was a good road.'")
And lyrics: He talked about Coleridge, his original intent for Xanadu being inspired by Citizen Kane but after reading Coleridge's "Kubla Khan", he said
Now, being a travelogue, there is a lot of description of the places he saw and you'll have to discover that yourself... about the "constellation of greater Los Angeles", or the national parks he was obsessed with hitting on this tour, or the Alps: "To my eyes, and to my soul, the most beautiful part of the world was the Alps, not just in Switzerland, but where they spilled into Germany's Bavaria, Austria, France, and Italy."
If you are a fan, highly recommended. If not... why are we still talking? show less
On a tour of fifty-seven shows, in nine countries, I played in front of 544,525 people, and went through 257 pairs of drumsticks, one 20-inch cymbal, three 18-inch cymbals, six 16-inch cymbals, two China cymbals, fifteen drumheads, 21,000 motorcycle miles, nineteen countries, twelve oil changes, five sets of tires, one lost luggage case (including Patek Philippe watch and Cartier engagement ring - as Michael suspected, my fickle Good Samaritan must have found them and changed his mind; he never did call back), thirty-four bottles of The Macallan (my riding partners helped), four cartons of Red Apples (ditto), 18,617 words of journal notes, an immeasurable outpouring of physical and mental energy, and an undetermined amount of hearing loss.Still confounds me that a man who thinks the way he does, reads what he does, appreciates the finer things of life - The Macallan! - can smoke "Red Apples", but it was his life and not mine.
I celebrated my fifty-second birthday, almost forty years of drumming, thirty years of making music with Rush, twenty years of bicycling, ten years and almost 200,000 miles of motorcycling, and four years of marriage.
I laughed, I cried, I ached, I sweated, I despaired, I was joyful, I was miserable, I hated it, I loved it, I made friends, I made enemies, I made music, I made gas money, I made time to live and love.
[...]
Peart talks of the preparations for the performances (Geddy said he was the only person who rehearsed to rehearse!) and his travels, the routines he'd adopted to ensure he could maintain his privacy, perform as well as he could, see as much as he could. Glimpses into a touring life, a touch of candid here and there, church signs noted from the roads, fan interactions, correspondence. He talks of taking a couple of Bufferins for the pain - as someone with arthritis and chronic pain, I have no idea how that could do anything more than a small dent, but I guess his physiology is different. Books he'd read - several making their way onto my List, music he liked and disliked, a smattering of television and movies. Tribulations of motorcycle and (band) technology breakdowns. Memories of loss - daughter, wife/partner, long time crew, friends. Memories of past tours. He collects fridge magnets, and yet...watches Family Guy?? These stories are the best, and now only, way for someone outside his tight circle to get to know him just a little. And I appreciate that.
Now, a sampling of things that caught my brain, or that I just noted for some reason...
Admiration for his bandmates, and some of the problems of being so multi-talented: "...Geddy, who found himself shouldering a heavy double-neck guitar while he played keyboards with his hands, pedals with his right foot - leaving all his weight on his left - while singing the lead vocals. It was an ergonomic nightmare, a mental tapdance, and it didn't leave him much room for jumping around and having fun." Or how Geddy always had a baseball game on, and played fantasy baseball. "Before a tour, Geddy would work for months with the film companies on developing animation and mood-pieces for the big screen behind our stage, to complement a number of songs in the show. The previous year, Alex had spent weeks of long days in a Toronto recording studio with engineer Jimbo, working on the audio mixes for our Rush in Rio DVD." or "In one part of the long instrumental “La Villa Strangiato,” Geddy and I played a quiet jazz riff while Alex stepped to the microphone and told a little story. As on the previous tour, his monologues would be different every night, springing from the endlessly inventive and spontaneous brain of our 'musical scientist.'" And concern..."I was fairly well protected behind a barricade of drums and cymbals, but I always worried about Alex and Geddy—they were so vulnerable out there."
On composition of his solos
I also spent a lot of time working after hours to put my drum solo together. I always preferred to arrange my drum solo, to compose a structure that would be consistent for each night's performance, but still allow room for improvisation and inspiration. Often I would listen to the previous tour's solo and think, "I'm not really finished with that structure - I could keep working on that." But as a matter of principle, I forced my self to change it all around, or at least put the parts I liked in a different order.He talks of the good - the magic - nights, and the less than good as well.
[...and later, when on tour...from his journal]
The show last night so nearly perfect, already felt that autopilot mentality, the pleasant flow of things coming out of me without having to ... be provoked.
Especially the drum solo, finally got everything I wanted in there, in terms of elements and transitions, each of them very spirited, and free-spirited - truly improvised. What I've been trying to get into the waltz section, of interposing the odd times over it, I managed to get a really nice pattern of seven going over the three, and now it's time for five. And the four over three too - got it perfectly together.
Church signs, bumper stickers and things he'd read...
...and once I passed a truck with a big sticker on the back showing a waving U.S. flag with a golden Christian cross superimposed over it. In big letters, the caption read, "WE WANT IT BACK." A little shocked at this blatant mixture of symbols - American equals Christian - I made a wry face and shook my helmet sadly, "You already have it."Not my reason either.
[At the Grand Canyon] Transfixed by the sweeping majesty of the setting, we stood before a deep, striated gash cut into the earth, a spectacular creation of erosion and geological upheaval. Multicolored layers of rock were shaped into dendritic canyons, battlements, and deep gorges, all of it on a scale that staggered the sense. I thought of that Tennessee professor teaching that it had been made in three weeks - because "scripture trumps interpretations of physical data." Not my scripture.
Or the church sign, "FAITH IS A HIGHER FACULTY THAN REASON." Not my reason.
On driving
In my experience, Florida was the worst state in the Union in which to drive a car, ride a motorcycle, or ride a bicycle. Turn signals seemed to be a deleted option on all vehicles; on multi-lane highways there was no such thing as a passing lane, and the general mood on Florida roads ranged from oblivious to discourteous to downright hostile. Those attitudes often prevailed elsewhere in North America, of course, from coast to coast, but nowhere near as universally as in Florida.Hear! Hear! (Virginia is a close second in my book.)
And speaking of Florida, he nails it:
Somehow Florida was not generally thought of as a "Southern" state, in the ways that Mississippi and Alabama were, but certain regions of central Florida I had passed through, away from the beaches and Disneyfied resorts, were the most abject manifestations of Deep South you could find anywhere. Well away from the Mickey Mouse ears, the Art Deco theme park of South Beach, and the vulgar showplaces of the rich and tasteless, the locals could seem as inbred and xenophobic as those characters in Deliverance. The Confederate flag and gun racks decorated as many pickups and mobile homes as you might expect to see in Alabama or Mississippi, and place names like Yeehaw Junction, Dixie Ranch Acres, and even Suwanee River are all found in Florida.Sad, but true.
On writing and publishing:
When copies of his The Masked Rider finally caught up on the eighth show of the tour, it was missing all of the photographs and maps, a section title had been changed from "White Man, Where You Going?" (a quote from an African in the story) to "White Man, Where Are You Going?" He says, "I was terrified to read further and see what other solecisms the book contained, but this was enough." (They were able to force the publisher to recall all 5000 copies from the first printing.)
And advice from his editor on his early travel journals: "One good example was Mark's forbidding me to use words like 'beautiful' and 'interesting,' explaining that those words were meaningless to a reader who wouldn't know what I might consider beautiful or interesting." And staying away from the trap of Hemingway ("No sentences like 'It was a good road.'")
And lyrics: He talked about Coleridge, his original intent for Xanadu being inspired by Citizen Kane but after reading Coleridge's "Kubla Khan", he said
...I was so powerfully impressed by it that the poem took over the song. In the end, there was entirely too much "honey dew" in it - too much Coleridge, that is to say - and though musically the song was one of our earliest big "epics," I never cared much for the lyrics.
Now, being a travelogue, there is a lot of description of the places he saw and you'll have to discover that yourself... about the "constellation of greater Los Angeles", or the national parks he was obsessed with hitting on this tour, or the Alps: "To my eyes, and to my soul, the most beautiful part of the world was the Alps, not just in Switzerland, but where they spilled into Germany's Bavaria, Austria, France, and Italy."
If you are a fan, highly recommended. If not... why are we still talking? show less
An interesting book. Peart writes about what it was like to tour by motorcycle through the continental US and Europe during Rush’s R30 tour. Reading it really feels like you are simply spending time with someone who is well read, interesting and interested as they bike from worksite to worksite making casual observations along the way. I certainly appreciated Peart’s discussion of drivers in Florida comparing them to the driving culture in Europe. Ditto the policing culture in the US vs Europe. Something that is quite insightful is Peart’s experience with fans who assume they are owed something from those who are the recipients of their fandom. It seems to me that fans forget that the objects of their fandom are also normal people show more trying to live a normal life that includes working to entertain fans and produce music for music lovers. Neil Peart was voted for many many years before he died to be the greatest drummer in the world. I remember reading one survey years ago polling readers who the best drummer is 2nd to Neil Peart because he was always listed number one. What is interesting to read in this travelogue is how this adulation and appreciation for his drumming prowess never seemed to go to Peart’s head. Despite being acknowledged as the greatest drummer he continued to try and develop his technique, skill and artistry being his own worst critic. In reminds me that we are often the unreliable narrator of our own lives. Finally, what is it like to reach the pinnacle of your career having seemingly come to your own physical limitations in terms of being able to further improve? It is interesting to read Peart’s assessment that even though drumming with Rush was difficult work, it was always enjoyable in the first half of his career especially on tour when he felt the feedback from the audience and the gelling with his band mates Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. However, after he reached his physical limits, touring became a grind. Peart continued playing and released two more studio albums with Rush and doing another tour (R40) before dying in 2020. He may have felt that he reached his pinnacle as a drummer back in 2006, but he still released with Rush two more excellent albums: “Snakes and Arrows” and “Clockwork Angels.”
I like this rating system by ashleytylerjohn of LibraryThing (https://www.librarything.com/profile/ashleytylerjohn) that I have also adopted:
(Note: 5 stars = rare and amazing, 4 = quite good book, 3 = a decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful.) show less
I like this rating system by ashleytylerjohn of LibraryThing (https://www.librarything.com/profile/ashleytylerjohn) that I have also adopted:
(Note: 5 stars = rare and amazing, 4 = quite good book, 3 = a decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful.) show less
How does a band work up a setlist for their next tour when the guitarist doesn’t want to use the same guitar two songs in a row, the drummer doesn’t want the same tempo twice in a row, and the vocalist/bassist doesn’t want to spend too much time behind the keyboards? Apparently, when you have 17 studio albums across 30 years to choose from, you can still come up with a 3 hour show that satisfies all the members’ wishes and makes the fans happy, too. These kind of behind-the-scenes tidbits kept me interested throughout this story of Neil Peart’s motorcycle journey during Rush’s R30 tour in 2004. He traveled almost exclusively by motorcycle between each show, taking the smallest and remotest possible roads, hitting as many US show more national parks as possible, and taking notes on his experiences and observations along the way.
Unfortunately, he did not keep very detailed notes during his North American journey, as he was apparently too exhausted after traveling all day and performing that night to note much more than his various aches and pains, the traffic, mileage, meals, and how well he felt he performed behind the drums. He does sprinkle the narrative with his observations during the show, recollections of past tours and events, and crazy fan behavior. The European journey was far more interesting, with more detailed descriptions of the scenery and people he encountered.
I think it helped that this was on audio, although Brian Sutherland’s reading was fairly uninspired, because the relatively dull North American section required no reading effort from me. I don’t think I’d recommend this book for non-Rush fans, or non-motorcycle fans. Truthfully, this was a 3 star read, but I added an extra star because Rush.
Crossposted on Booklikes show less
Unfortunately, he did not keep very detailed notes during his North American journey, as he was apparently too exhausted after traveling all day and performing that night to note much more than his various aches and pains, the traffic, mileage, meals, and how well he felt he performed behind the drums. He does sprinkle the narrative with his observations during the show, recollections of past tours and events, and crazy fan behavior. The European journey was far more interesting, with more detailed descriptions of the scenery and people he encountered.
I think it helped that this was on audio, although Brian Sutherland’s reading was fairly uninspired, because the relatively dull North American section required no reading effort from me. I don’t think I’d recommend this book for non-Rush fans, or non-motorcycle fans. Truthfully, this was a 3 star read, but I added an extra star because Rush.
Crossposted on Booklikes show less
About a hundred pages in. So far very good.
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Neil Peart is an international bestselling and award-nominated author, and for thirty years, the Iyricist and Hall of Fame drummer for the legendary band Rush
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