From Rolling Stone · David Fear · · 3m
Rush doc honors Neil Peart with grace and Scotch
A new documentary celebrates the late drummer's life through intimate interviews, jam sessions with fellow drummers, and stories from his bandmates.
In brief
A new documentary celebrates the late drummer's life through intimate interviews, jam sessions with fellow drummers, and stories from his bandmates. Neil Peart: No One's Disciple uses performances by other great drummers and personal testimonies to create a living memorial that captures who Peart was beyond his…
A toast to the missing wingman
Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson sit down with Macallan 25, Neil Peart's favorite Scotch, and pour two fingers into a glass for their absent friend. The moment sets the tone for a documentary that celebrates rather than mourns.
“"The missing wingman," Lifeson says. "The chair that isn't here," adds Lee.”
A proper farewell to rock's greatest drummer
Neil Peart: No One's Disciple premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival as a moving tribute to Rush's drummer of over 40 years. The documentary extends Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen's 2010 film Beyond the Lighted Stage.
Why a documentary instead of a concert
Geddy Lee wanted to honor Peart after his death in January 2020, but the pandemic delayed plans for a large-scale tribute. He and Lifeson chose a documentary approach that filmmakers could handle with sensitivity.
Drum brothers jam on Rush classics
Lee and Lifeson invited four of Peart's closest drummer friends to perform Rush songs. Stewart Copeland, Danny Carey, Chad Smith, and Gavin Harrison each tackle tracks they knew Peart created.
Mastering Peart's impossible time signatures
These hall-of-fame drummers struggle with Peart's odd time signatures and intricate fills. Danny Carey, who fluently switches between 5/8 and 7/8 beats, needs several tries to nail the opening to 2112's Overture.
From gangly kid to rock god
The documentary traces Peart's journey from a skinny teenager in Hamilton to a worldly musician. Lee and Lifeson initially thought he was goofy until he started playing triplets.
The Professor becomes the lyricist
Lee and Lifeson noticed Peart read six to seven books a day and asked him to write lyrics. His first contribution was Anthem, launching a career as Rush's resident wordsmith.
“"We've noticed you read six to seven books a day, how'd you feel about writing lyrics?"”
Reinvention through jazz and grief
Peart studied with jazz drummer Freddie Gruber and reinvented his playing style. He later wrote Ghost Rider, a memoir about motorcycles and grieving the loss of his wife and daughter.
The prickly professor nobody really knew
Peart was intensely private and notoriously difficult about fame and fans. Yet everyone in the film shares a different side of him: loyal, funny, and generous with those he trusted.
Laughter and tears, never maudlin
The mood throughout is celebratory rather than sad. Lifeson does a devastating impersonation of Peart reciting lyrics, and stories balance reverence with humor about his notoriously difficult personality.
The headline
Neil Peart: No One's Disciple uses performances by other great drummers and personal testimonies to create a living memorial that captures who Peart was beyond his legendary technical skill.
