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branch_c's review against another edition
3.0
Neil Peart is a great writer - but for me, he's at his best when he's thinking deep thoughts and distilling them into pithy snippets of philosophy - in other words, writing Rush lyrics. All of his lyrics are worth listening to; some are among the greatest creations in rock music.
His first book, [b:The Masked Rider|175896|The Masked Rider Cycling in West Africa|Neil Peart|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1390434282l/175896._SX50_.jpg|1279659], was a surprise and a revelation, in the sense that suddenly we Rush fans had more insight into this brilliant (but until then closely guarded) mind beyond what we could get from his lyrics. But it was entirely separate from his musical life - an African travelogue, and a decidedly un-Rushlike creation.
In his next book, [b:Ghost Rider|129356|Ghost Rider Travels on the Healing Road|Neil Peart|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389827989l/129356._SX50_.jpg|124581], Peart showed us the authenticity behind the lyrics he'd been producing during all those years with the band. As I wrote on a Rush message board at the time, his use of song lyric quotes (both as chapter openers/closers and in the text) were what really made the book work for me. The important thing was that the lyrics rang true: although mostly written earlier, they applied to the situations he was writing about. And that's what his fans have always done - interpreted his lyrics and applied them to our own situations. I've read occasional comments that you can't tell what a lyricist really believes by reading his lyrics - after all, it's just art, or entertainment; there's poetic license, and all that. But I've always thought, and I think Ghost Rider confirmed this, that Peart's Rush lyrics were what he believed to be truths.
Ghost Rider also introduced us to Peart's motorcycling habit, and while it was fine to get a glimpse of something he obviously enjoyed, to us non-motorcycling enthusiasts, that aspect was less relevant.
Then came [b:Traveling Music|175920|Traveling Music The Soundtrack to My Life and Times|Neil Peart|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1390434307l/175920._SX50_.jpg|169959], and [b:Roadshow|175929|Roadshow Landscape With Drums|Neil Peart|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388268178l/175929._SY75_.jpg|169968], filled with Peart's extended observations not only on driving and riding and music and drumming, but also on life, death, human nature, the environment, friendship, and pretty much anything that came to mind. I enjoyed both of those books as well-written and informative chronicles of his time spent making Rush music, and what it meant to be the person he was. Then he started writing blog posts, and for me, to be honest, he was getting to the point of being overly prolific. His wry observations on human nature began to be just a bit predictable and repetitive. And more motorcycle riding... hmm.
So I didn't read his next two volumes - [b:Far and Away|10349111|Far and Away A Prize Every Time|Neil Peart|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389828647l/10349111._SX50_.jpg|15251949], and [b:Far and Near|22300583|Far and Near On Days Like These|Neil Peart|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1400955573l/22300583._SX50_.jpg|41688778].
For some reason, almost a couple of years after Peart's passing, I decided to pick this one up. I knew it covered the R40 tour, of which I attended the Buffalo show in June of 2015, and I think I realized that it may have collected some of the writing previously published on his website, as had the earlier two that I skipped. But again, I hadn't been keeping up with that, and I wasn't even thinking at the time I bought it that this might be the last example of his writing.
So, how is this book? Unsurprisingly, given all that I've said so far, I enjoyed the philosophizing the most. Where he thinks deeply about the human condition and makes incisive comments on it, the writing is nothing short of fantastic. An extended analysis of some of his own lyrics (Nobody's Hero) is probably the best part of the book for me (p. 246 - 249), along with his description of the final show of the tour, and of Rush's career, in Los Angeles. The interactions with his daughter were a new addition - these episodes are certainly poignant, knowing what we know now, and it's nice that they're documented here.
On the other hand, the obsession with motorcycle travel on the back roads of the country? Eh. It got a bit tedious for me. Commentary on his encounters with average folks in rural America? Mostly clever, but we've seen it before. Snarky and inside-joke-y banter with his riding companion Michael? We've seen that before too, as well as with his previous fellow rider Brutus. Okay, I don't know these guys, but as a reader, the ambiguity of friends versus employees in this context comes across as a bit awkward. But anyway.
In the end, this is an engaging collection of essays that gives us a rough view of that final Rush tour from Peart's perspective. It's not an exhaustive account, and he jumps back in time to comment on previous experiences where relevant; this makes the narrative structure a bit disjointed for me. Some chapters are better than others, but overall I'm glad I read it.
And yes, it really was coincidental that I finished reading this book on the two year anniversary date of Peart's death. Seems unlikely, right? But it's true - if it was planned, it was entirely subconsciously, since I just realized it upon finishing. I'm sorry he's gone, too soon, from the world to which he contributed so much, but I'm glad we have his writing, and more than that, his music, through which the best and brightest of his thoughts live on indefinitely.
His first book, [b:The Masked Rider|175896|The Masked Rider Cycling in West Africa|Neil Peart|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1390434282l/175896._SX50_.jpg|1279659], was a surprise and a revelation, in the sense that suddenly we Rush fans had more insight into this brilliant (but until then closely guarded) mind beyond what we could get from his lyrics. But it was entirely separate from his musical life - an African travelogue, and a decidedly un-Rushlike creation.
In his next book, [b:Ghost Rider|129356|Ghost Rider Travels on the Healing Road|Neil Peart|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389827989l/129356._SX50_.jpg|124581], Peart showed us the authenticity behind the lyrics he'd been producing during all those years with the band. As I wrote on a Rush message board at the time, his use of song lyric quotes (both as chapter openers/closers and in the text) were what really made the book work for me. The important thing was that the lyrics rang true: although mostly written earlier, they applied to the situations he was writing about. And that's what his fans have always done - interpreted his lyrics and applied them to our own situations. I've read occasional comments that you can't tell what a lyricist really believes by reading his lyrics - after all, it's just art, or entertainment; there's poetic license, and all that. But I've always thought, and I think Ghost Rider confirmed this, that Peart's Rush lyrics were what he believed to be truths.
Ghost Rider also introduced us to Peart's motorcycling habit, and while it was fine to get a glimpse of something he obviously enjoyed, to us non-motorcycling enthusiasts, that aspect was less relevant.
Then came [b:Traveling Music|175920|Traveling Music The Soundtrack to My Life and Times|Neil Peart|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1390434307l/175920._SX50_.jpg|169959], and [b:Roadshow|175929|Roadshow Landscape With Drums|Neil Peart|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388268178l/175929._SY75_.jpg|169968], filled with Peart's extended observations not only on driving and riding and music and drumming, but also on life, death, human nature, the environment, friendship, and pretty much anything that came to mind. I enjoyed both of those books as well-written and informative chronicles of his time spent making Rush music, and what it meant to be the person he was. Then he started writing blog posts, and for me, to be honest, he was getting to the point of being overly prolific. His wry observations on human nature began to be just a bit predictable and repetitive. And more motorcycle riding... hmm.
So I didn't read his next two volumes - [b:Far and Away|10349111|Far and Away A Prize Every Time|Neil Peart|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389828647l/10349111._SX50_.jpg|15251949], and [b:Far and Near|22300583|Far and Near On Days Like These|Neil Peart|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1400955573l/22300583._SX50_.jpg|41688778].
For some reason, almost a couple of years after Peart's passing, I decided to pick this one up. I knew it covered the R40 tour, of which I attended the Buffalo show in June of 2015, and I think I realized that it may have collected some of the writing previously published on his website, as had the earlier two that I skipped. But again, I hadn't been keeping up with that, and I wasn't even thinking at the time I bought it that this might be the last example of his writing.
So, how is this book? Unsurprisingly, given all that I've said so far, I enjoyed the philosophizing the most. Where he thinks deeply about the human condition and makes incisive comments on it, the writing is nothing short of fantastic. An extended analysis of some of his own lyrics (Nobody's Hero) is probably the best part of the book for me (p. 246 - 249), along with his description of the final show of the tour, and of Rush's career, in Los Angeles. The interactions with his daughter were a new addition - these episodes are certainly poignant, knowing what we know now, and it's nice that they're documented here.
On the other hand, the obsession with motorcycle travel on the back roads of the country? Eh. It got a bit tedious for me. Commentary on his encounters with average folks in rural America? Mostly clever, but we've seen it before. Snarky and inside-joke-y banter with his riding companion Michael? We've seen that before too, as well as with his previous fellow rider Brutus. Okay, I don't know these guys, but as a reader, the ambiguity of friends versus employees in this context comes across as a bit awkward. But anyway.
In the end, this is an engaging collection of essays that gives us a rough view of that final Rush tour from Peart's perspective. It's not an exhaustive account, and he jumps back in time to comment on previous experiences where relevant; this makes the narrative structure a bit disjointed for me. Some chapters are better than others, but overall I'm glad I read it.
And yes, it really was coincidental that I finished reading this book on the two year anniversary date of Peart's death. Seems unlikely, right? But it's true - if it was planned, it was entirely subconsciously, since I just realized it upon finishing. I'm sorry he's gone, too soon, from the world to which he contributed so much, but I'm glad we have his writing, and more than that, his music, through which the best and brightest of his thoughts live on indefinitely.
tobin_elliott's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
4.5
Just as everyone else says, this one's a bittersweet read, especially knowing that he only had four more years.
Very much more of the same as the past two books in this trilogy, but it's not the travelogue so much as the observances, the side trips, and the occasional glimpse into the deeper parts of Peart's mind that make each one of these a fascinating read.
My only complaint with this one is that he does get a touch repetitive with a couple of phrases, for example, the Christopher Hitchens one: "What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence." Hitchens's Razor is a fine quote, but more than a couple of times in a reasonably short book is a little overkill.
But it's a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things. Fantastic book, fantastic series.
Very much more of the same as the past two books in this trilogy, but it's not the travelogue so much as the observances, the side trips, and the occasional glimpse into the deeper parts of Peart's mind that make each one of these a fascinating read.
My only complaint with this one is that he does get a touch repetitive with a couple of phrases, for example, the Christopher Hitchens one: "What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence." Hitchens's Razor is a fine quote, but more than a couple of times in a reasonably short book is a little overkill.
But it's a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things. Fantastic book, fantastic series.
mylhibug's review against another edition
5.0
All his writing was simply amazing! Highly recommend reading the whole series.
rickwjr's review
5.0
Neil shares stories on his bike across North America on his final Rush tour in 2015. Thank you and RIP!
kat2112's review
4.0
We lost Neil Peart. Several days after the fact, I can think of very little to say about it except, "F--k."
Since the news broke, I've read many lovely tributes from fans and close friends, musicians and industry people. There's a sad consensus in all of the eulogies: Peart was a professional in every sense, not necessarily a person who chased fame but acknowledged that much of what he had came from it. Even that wasn't enough to stop death. Rush fans grudgingly accepted the band was done as far as records and tours, but that didn't mean the actual end. I had known there were hopes to see film adaptations of some of Neil's books. Ghost Rider had been optioned at one point, and members of a fan board had Tom Hanks cast in the lead. That was years ago, though. Colin Hanks would be a more logical pick now.
Neil was not as public as his bandmates, and that's okay. In life he slipped away from us after shows; a quick wave and off to the nearest exit to ride away while the rest of us stayed for the outro video. He kept it up until the very last day.
There's a passage in his last travelogue, Far and Wide, that talks a bit of other drummers to whom Peart is compared and listed among best of the best - Dennis Wilson, John Bonham, Keith Moon. Each suffered an untimely end due to different excesses, none of them making it to 40. Rush fans, having followed the exploits of "our boys" for decades, wouldn't expect any of them to meet a tragic fate of the rock and roll variety, but I think it's safe to say nobody expected cancer to fell our drummer.
At 67. Three years after retirement. In the brain. We call him The Professor for a reason, and for cancer to strike him there has quite a cruel edge to it. It f-----g sucks.
I've read most of Peart's books; not all are reviewed here. Some I've enjoyed, others I've critiqued. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be one of the Far series. I finished Far and Wide recently as part of a book group read, a spontaneous choice following Peart's death. It's an optimistic book, one that's almost painful to read given the context. Wide collects Peart's road essays covering the final tour, and is laced with wistful memories of roads already traveled and the revelation that he will enjoy the time spent with his young daughter more.
I said this f-----g sucks, right? It's not entirely clear how long after the tour Peart learned of his illness, but it's safe to say he spent what should have been his well-earned retirement fighting it. Wide appears to have been produced as a work of promise for a new journey, but I worry it may be looked on more as a bittersweet coda. Like when Charles Schulz died after drawing his last strip.
It also happens that my reading this coincides with my own father's declining health (he died two weeks after Neil). I was fortunate to have him around longer, but the loss is no less painful for me. A lot of memes circulating my social feeds implore us to not feel sad, but to smile for having breathed the same air as Rush, and having the music. I should feel the same way about my own dad, and perhaps the pain will lighten in time.
For young Olivia, too.
Since the news broke, I've read many lovely tributes from fans and close friends, musicians and industry people. There's a sad consensus in all of the eulogies: Peart was a professional in every sense, not necessarily a person who chased fame but acknowledged that much of what he had came from it. Even that wasn't enough to stop death. Rush fans grudgingly accepted the band was done as far as records and tours, but that didn't mean the actual end. I had known there were hopes to see film adaptations of some of Neil's books. Ghost Rider had been optioned at one point, and members of a fan board had Tom Hanks cast in the lead. That was years ago, though. Colin Hanks would be a more logical pick now.
Neil was not as public as his bandmates, and that's okay. In life he slipped away from us after shows; a quick wave and off to the nearest exit to ride away while the rest of us stayed for the outro video. He kept it up until the very last day.
There's a passage in his last travelogue, Far and Wide, that talks a bit of other drummers to whom Peart is compared and listed among best of the best - Dennis Wilson, John Bonham, Keith Moon. Each suffered an untimely end due to different excesses, none of them making it to 40. Rush fans, having followed the exploits of "our boys" for decades, wouldn't expect any of them to meet a tragic fate of the rock and roll variety, but I think it's safe to say nobody expected cancer to fell our drummer.
At 67. Three years after retirement. In the brain. We call him The Professor for a reason, and for cancer to strike him there has quite a cruel edge to it. It f-----g sucks.
I've read most of Peart's books; not all are reviewed here. Some I've enjoyed, others I've critiqued. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be one of the Far series. I finished Far and Wide recently as part of a book group read, a spontaneous choice following Peart's death. It's an optimistic book, one that's almost painful to read given the context. Wide collects Peart's road essays covering the final tour, and is laced with wistful memories of roads already traveled and the revelation that he will enjoy the time spent with his young daughter more.
I said this f-----g sucks, right? It's not entirely clear how long after the tour Peart learned of his illness, but it's safe to say he spent what should have been his well-earned retirement fighting it. Wide appears to have been produced as a work of promise for a new journey, but I worry it may be looked on more as a bittersweet coda. Like when Charles Schulz died after drawing his last strip.
It also happens that my reading this coincides with my own father's declining health (he died two weeks after Neil). I was fortunate to have him around longer, but the loss is no less painful for me. A lot of memes circulating my social feeds implore us to not feel sad, but to smile for having breathed the same air as Rush, and having the music. I should feel the same way about my own dad, and perhaps the pain will lighten in time.
For young Olivia, too.
More...