Sneak peek inside Neil's new book

[Wil1972]

I am not a fan of Neils' books. But I also try to refrain from bashing him beyond making that simple observation, but one phrase I see crop up in his writing from time to time that sticks in my crawl is "praise of the praiseworthy" ... It is like he is saying unless you are a fellow musician, your praise of his skills are nothing more than fanboi malarky. But if it comes from Stewart Copeland, it is "sweet" praise. Okay ... I am done. :7up:

 

Well, let's be honest about it. If you're highly-respected and world-reknowned for what you do, then you receive two levels of praise: The praise from your peers and the praise from everyone else.

 

Whether you're an artist, musician, pro athlete, surgeon, architect, ..... Praise from your peers IS superior to praise from everyone else.

 

Maybe so, I can see that, but coming from him it comes across as a little pretentious when he says it that way. Especially knowing how he feels about adulation from fans.

 

Perhaps his comment was a little snooty, but as we all know, Neil loves to use artistic license when he writes. A bit of poetry here, a dab of borrowing some famous quote there..... I bet he borrowed that line from somewhere!

 

Probably!

[x1yyz]

I like Neil's books. There, I said it.

 

So do I.

 

And I just received notice from the Rush Backstage Club that my book is being shipped. I guess I had pre-ordered it and forgot

[Blue J]

I've never read any of Neil's books, still. (I say 'still' because I've been saying that for awhile now). I'll definitely read this one.

[HemiBeers]

I don't buy his books. I'll hold out until they end up on youtube.

[EagleMoon]

To all those here who think Rush will do it again, they had better read this.

 

Very telling quotes from Neil.

Even the pictures - the back of him.

 

That's just a thing in his books.

[EagleMoon]

I know this will be a book I will read. For sure.

 

Thought you were only going to read one book? That lasted a long time.

 

[Permanent-Rush]

I know this will be a book I will read. For sure.

 

Thought you were only going to read one book? That lasted a long time.

 

 

This book sounds interesting. I read the preview.

[EagleMoon]

I know this will be a book I will read. For sure.

 

Thought you were only going to read one book? That lasted a long time.

 

 

This book sounds interesting. I read the preview.

 

I'm proud of you. :)

[toymaker]

I like Neil's books, too, and if this one is more "memoir"-like and less "daily-observations-of-life"-like, I'll definitely dig it.

[JohnnyBlaze]

I like Neil's books, too, and if this one is more "memoir"-like and less "daily-observations-of-life"-like, I'll definitely dig it.

Fine line between the two, but I agree.

[Lucas]

I am not a fan of Neils' books. But I also try to refrain from bashing him beyond making that simple observation, but one phrase I see crop up in his writing from time to time that sticks in my crawl is "praise of the praiseworthy" ... It is like he is saying unless you are a fellow musician, your praise of his skills are nothing more than fanboi malarky. But if it comes from Stewart Copeland, it is "sweet" praise. Okay ... I am done. :7up:

 

Well, let's be honest about it. If you're highly-respected and world-reknowned for what you do, then you receive two levels of praise: The praise from your peers and the praise from everyone else.

 

Whether you're an artist, musician, pro athlete, surgeon, architect, ..... Praise from your peers IS superior to praise from everyone else.

 

This I disagree with, and for a few reasons . .

 

Unless you are Ginger Baker, that praise is most likely coming from fellow musicians - drummers, to be exact - who enjoy their own comfortable clique ..

 

If Neil gets more from Mike Portnoy's praise than some random kid who might have had a life altering experience because of Rush or Neil himself, than I feel Neil is missing out on what is truly important ... Then again, what the heck do I know ..

 

And because I'm just sitting here eating dinner, I'll give a rambling example of what I'm getting at:

 

Years ago, I had a chance to meet Peter Criss ... I don't think it's a secret here how much I love KISS and how much they meant to me growing up ... Sure, Peter is a different animal because he is not put in the same league as Neil, but in the end, that doesn't matter to me ..

 

Anyways, having attempted to meet Paul Stanley one time and being, putting it mildly, disgusted, I had no idea what to expect .... Maybe it's better sometimes to NOT meet your heroes ..

 

I met Peter where he was signing autographs - by the time I started talking ( his ear off ) to him, there was a huge line waiting ... In short, I went into some detail about KISS and how much they meant to me, and how I sat on my Dad's shoulders when I first saw them perform .. At some point during my harangue, I saw that Peter was starting to cry .. He laughed, hugged me, and thanked me - I said, NO, THANK YOU ....

 

With Neil, it's unfortunate because no non-praiseworthy person would ever be able to get that out to him, and if so, I'm not sure how much it would mean ..

 

I didn't pay Peter anything - he told his wife to get the Polaroid and gave me a free pic ..

 

I'd love to tell Neil a similar story, and I think some of the harshness coming from fans towards Neil is just sort of frustration because he has been a part of something that is special in our lives

[Tombstone Mountain]

They're gonna make more music, they just ain't touring!

 

We all know this

[Lorraine]

I am not a fan of Neils' books. But I also try to refrain from bashing him beyond making that simple observation, but one phrase I see crop up in his writing from time to time that sticks in my crawl is "praise of the praiseworthy" ... It is like he is saying unless you are a fellow musician, your praise of his skills are nothing more than fanboi malarky. But if it comes from Stewart Copeland, it is "sweet" praise. Okay ... I am done. :7up:

 

Well, let's be honest about it. If you're highly-respected and world-reknowned for what you do, then you receive two levels of praise: The praise from your peers and the praise from everyone else.

 

Whether you're an artist, musician, pro athlete, surgeon, architect, ..... Praise from your peers IS superior to praise from everyone else.

 

This I disagree with, and for a few reasons . .

 

Unless you are Ginger Baker, that praise is most likely coming from fellow musicians - drummers, to be exact - who enjoy their own comfortable clique ..

 

If Neil gets more from Mike Portnoy's praise than some random kid who might have had a life altering experience because of Rush or Neil himself, than I feel Neil is missing out on what is truly important ... Then again, what the heck do I know ..

 

And because I'm just sitting here eating dinner, I'll give a rambling example of what I'm getting at:

 

Years ago, I had a chance to meet Peter Criss ... I don't think it's a secret here how much I love KISS and how much they meant to me growing up ... Sure, Peter is a different animal because he is not put in the same league as Neil, but in the end, that doesn't matter to me ..

 

Anyways, having attempted to meet Paul Stanley one time and being, putting it mildly, disgusted, I had no idea what to expect .... Maybe it's better sometimes to NOT meet your heroes ..

 

I met Peter where he was signing autographs - by the time I started talking ( his ear off ) to him, there was a huge line waiting ... In short, I went into some detail about KISS and how much they meant to me, and how I sat on my Dad's shoulders when I first saw them perform .. At some point during my harangue, I saw that Peter was starting to cry .. He laughed, hugged me, and thanked me - I said, NO, THANK YOU ....

 

With Neil, it's unfortunate because no non-praiseworthy person would ever be able to get that out to him, and if so, I'm not sure how much it would mean ..

 

I didn't pay Peter anything - he told his wife to get the Polaroid and gave me a free pic ..

 

I'd love to tell Neil a similar story, and I think some of the harshness coming from fans towards Neil is just sort of frustration because he has been a part of something that is special in our lives

 

Did he really start to cry?

[Lucas]

I am not a fan of Neils' books. But I also try to refrain from bashing him beyond making that simple observation, but one phrase I see crop up in his writing from time to time that sticks in my crawl is "praise of the praiseworthy" ... It is like he is saying unless you are a fellow musician, your praise of his skills are nothing more than fanboi malarky. But if it comes from Stewart Copeland, it is "sweet" praise. Okay ... I am done. :7up:

 

Well, let's be honest about it. If you're highly-respected and world-reknowned for what you do, then you receive two levels of praise: The praise from your peers and the praise from everyone else.

 

Whether you're an artist, musician, pro athlete, surgeon, architect, ..... Praise from your peers IS superior to praise from everyone else.

 

This I disagree with, and for a few reasons . .

 

Unless you are Ginger Baker, that praise is most likely coming from fellow musicians - drummers, to be exact - who enjoy their own comfortable clique ..

 

If Neil gets more from Mike Portnoy's praise than some random kid who might have had a life altering experience because of Rush or Neil himself, than I feel Neil is missing out on what is truly important ... Then again, what the heck do I know ..

 

And because I'm just sitting here eating dinner, I'll give a rambling example of what I'm getting at:

 

Years ago, I had a chance to meet Peter Criss ... I don't think it's a secret here how much I love KISS and how much they meant to me growing up ... Sure, Peter is a different animal because he is not put in the same league as Neil, but in the end, that doesn't matter to me ..

 

Anyways, having attempted to meet Paul Stanley one time and being, putting it mildly, disgusted, I had no idea what to expect .... Maybe it's better sometimes to NOT meet your heroes ..

 

I met Peter where he was signing autographs - by the time I started talking ( his ear off ) to him, there was a huge line waiting ... In short, I went into some detail about KISS and how much they meant to me, and how I sat on my Dad's shoulders when I first saw them perform .. At some point during my harangue, I saw that Peter was starting to cry .. He laughed, hugged me, and thanked me - I said, NO, THANK YOU ....

 

With Neil, it's unfortunate because no non-praiseworthy person would ever be able to get that out to him, and if so, I'm not sure how much it would mean ..

 

I didn't pay Peter anything - he told his wife to get the Polaroid and gave me a free pic ..

 

I'd love to tell Neil a similar story, and I think some of the harshness coming from fans towards Neil is just sort of frustration because he has been a part of something that is special in our lives

 

Did he really start to cry?

 

absolutely yes .. He actually said "You're making me cry" and that's when he laughed

 

Peter is notoriously an emotional wreck, but he could not have been any nicer to me

[Lucas]

I have the Polaroid somewhere .. I'll find it

[Lorraine]

I have the Polaroid somewhere .. I'll find it

 

Find it and post it.

 

:)

[Permanent-Rush]

I know this will be a book I will read. For sure.

 

Thought you were only going to read one book? That lasted a long time.

 

 

This book sounds interesting. I read the preview.

 

I'm proud of you. :)

 

Thanks!

[JohnnyBlaze]

I am not a fan of Neils' books. But I also try to refrain from bashing him beyond making that simple observation, but one phrase I see crop up in his writing from time to time that sticks in my crawl is "praise of the praiseworthy" ... It is like he is saying unless you are a fellow musician, your praise of his skills are nothing more than fanboi malarky. But if it comes from Stewart Copeland, it is "sweet" praise. Okay ... I am done. :7up:

 

Well, let's be honest about it. If you're highly-respected and world-reknowned for what you do, then you receive two levels of praise: The praise from your peers and the praise from everyone else.

 

Whether you're an artist, musician, pro athlete, surgeon, architect, ..... Praise from your peers IS superior to praise from everyone else.

 

This I disagree with, and for a few reasons . .

 

Unless you are Ginger Baker, that praise is most likely coming from fellow musicians - drummers, to be exact - who enjoy their own comfortable clique ..

 

If Neil gets more from Mike Portnoy's praise than some random kid who might have had a life altering experience because of Rush or Neil himself, than I feel Neil is missing out on what is truly important ... Then again, what the heck do I know...

But that's the thing..."truly important" to HIM was about being the best musician he could possibly be. It wasn't about making a powerful life impression on fans.

 

I hear you though.

[EagleMoon]

I am not a fan of Neils' books. But I also try to refrain from bashing him beyond making that simple observation, but one phrase I see crop up in his writing from time to time that sticks in my crawl is "praise of the praiseworthy" ... It is like he is saying unless you are a fellow musician, your praise of his skills are nothing more than fanboi malarky. But if it comes from Stewart Copeland, it is "sweet" praise. Okay ... I am done. :7up:

 

Well, let's be honest about it. If you're highly-respected and world-reknowned for what you do, then you receive two levels of praise: The praise from your peers and the praise from everyone else.

 

Whether you're an artist, musician, pro athlete, surgeon, architect, ..... Praise from your peers IS superior to praise from everyone else.

 

This I disagree with, and for a few reasons . .

 

Unless you are Ginger Baker, that praise is most likely coming from fellow musicians - drummers, to be exact - who enjoy their own comfortable clique ..

 

If Neil gets more from Mike Portnoy's praise than some random kid who might have had a life altering experience because of Rush or Neil himself, than I feel Neil is missing out on what is truly important ... Then again, what the heck do I know...

But that's the thing..."truly important" to HIM was about being the best musician he could possibly be. It wasn't about making a powerful life impression on fans.

 

I hear you though.

 

Right Neil has never seemed to be interested in making music for anyone but himself. Fans appreciating what he does puts food on the table, but he's not going to consider their opinions important as far as his drumming is concerned.

[Principled Man]

I am not a fan of Neils' books. But I also try to refrain from bashing him beyond making that simple observation, but one phrase I see crop up in his writing from time to time that sticks in my crawl is "praise of the praiseworthy" ... It is like he is saying unless you are a fellow musician, your praise of his skills are nothing more than fanboi malarky. But if it comes from Stewart Copeland, it is "sweet" praise. Okay ... I am done. :7up:

 

Well, let's be honest about it. If you're highly-respected and world-reknowned for what you do, then you receive two levels of praise: The praise from your peers and the praise from everyone else.

 

Whether you're an artist, musician, pro athlete, surgeon, architect, ..... Praise from your peers IS superior to praise from everyone else.

 

This I disagree with, and for a few reasons . .

 

Unless you are Ginger Baker, that praise is most likely coming from fellow musicians - drummers, to be exact - who enjoy their own comfortable clique ..

 

If Neil gets more from Mike Portnoy's praise than some random kid who might have had a life altering experience because of Rush or Neil himself, than I feel Neil is missing out on what is truly important ... Then again, what the heck do I know ..

 

And because I'm just sitting here eating dinner, I'll give a rambling example of what I'm getting at:

 

Years ago, I had a chance to meet Peter Criss ... I don't think it's a secret here how much I love KISS and how much they meant to me growing up ... Sure, Peter is a different animal because he is not put in the same league as Neil, but in the end, that doesn't matter to me ..

 

Anyways, having attempted to meet Paul Stanley one time and being, putting it mildly, disgusted, I had no idea what to expect .... Maybe it's better sometimes to NOT meet your heroes ..

 

I met Peter where he was signing autographs - by the time I started talking ( his ear off ) to him, there was a huge line waiting ... In short, I went into some detail about KISS and how much they meant to me, and how I sat on my Dad's shoulders when I first saw them perform .. At some point during my harangue, I saw that Peter was starting to cry .. He laughed, hugged me, and thanked me - I said, NO, THANK YOU ....

 

With Neil, it's unfortunate because no non-praiseworthy person would ever be able to get that out to him, and if so, I'm not sure how much it would mean ..

 

I didn't pay Peter anything - he told his wife to get the Polaroid and gave me a free pic ..

 

I'd love to tell Neil a similar story, and I think some of the harshness coming from fans towards Neil is just sort of frustration because he has been a part of something that is special in our lives

 

I was talking about the critical praise one receives for one's skill and body of work - as in Neil's drumming.

 

I was not talking about the emotional attachments that fans develop. That is a different subject altogether.

[HalfwayToGone]

I think people read too much into Neil's attitude about fans. Having read quite a bit of his blogs, he does seem to genuinely appreciate fans who let him know that he inspired them and helped bring about some joy in a person's life. It's the rabid ones, who tell him he's the God of drums, the greatest drummer and lyricist to ever walk the earth, etc that make him feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. And the ones like the nut who murdered Pantera's guitarist are the reason he's really super-nervous about random encounters. If he were Joe Shmoe drummer in a famous band it would be different, but he's not.

 

I love that Peter Criss story, by the way--I never got to meet him, but met the rest of KISS, and don't have nearly as sweet of a story about that, but I posted elsewhere here more than once of my one meeting with Geddy Lee, which is very similar except it was much more comical than emotionally touching.

[JohnnyBlaze]

I think people read too much into Neil's attitude about fans. Having read quite a bit of his blogs, he does seem to genuinely appreciate fans who let him know that he inspired them and helped bring about some joy in a person's life. It's the rabid ones, who tell him he's the God of drums, the greatest drummer and lyricist to ever walk the earth, etc that make him feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. And the ones like the nut who murdered Pantera's guitarist are the reason he's really super-nervous about random encounters. If he were Joe Shmoe drummer in a famous band it would be different, but he's not.

 

I love that Peter Criss story, by the way--I never got to meet him, but met the rest of KISS, and don't have nearly as sweet of a story about that, but I posted elsewhere here more than once of my one meeting with Geddy Lee, which is very similar except it was much more comical than emotionally touching.

So then yeah, what happened when you met Geddy that was comical? Dirk break out into a vaudevillian routine? ;)

[catherine]

Wow. Yeah he is absolutely done isn't he. It's been fun and thanks for the memories, huh?

[Ancient Ways]

I think people read too much into Neil's attitude about fans. Having read quite a bit of his blogs, he does seem to genuinely appreciate fans who let him know that he inspired them and helped bring about some joy in a person's life. It's the rabid ones, who tell him he's the God of drums, the greatest drummer and lyricist to ever walk the earth, etc that make him feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. And the ones like the nut who murdered Pantera's guitarist are the reason he's really super-nervous about random encounters. If he were Joe Shmoe drummer in a famous band it would be different, but he's not.

 

I love that Peter Criss story, by the way--I never got to meet him, but met the rest of KISS, and don't have nearly as sweet of a story about that, but I posted elsewhere here more than once of my one meeting with Geddy Lee, which is very similar except it was much more comical than emotionally touching.

Disagree. He's had professional musicians invited to the same events as him in pretty big bands just walk up to introduce themselves and been completely blown off by Neil.

[EagleMoon]

I think people read too much into Neil's attitude about fans. Having read quite a bit of his blogs, he does seem to genuinely appreciate fans who let him know that he inspired them and helped bring about some joy in a person's life. It's the rabid ones, who tell him he's the God of drums, the greatest drummer and lyricist to ever walk the earth, etc that make him feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. And the ones like the nut who murdered Pantera's guitarist are the reason he's really super-nervous about random encounters. If he were Joe Shmoe drummer in a famous band it would be different, but he's not.

 

I love that Peter Criss story, by the way--I never got to meet him, but met the rest of KISS, and don't have nearly as sweet of a story about that, but I posted elsewhere here more than once of my one meeting with Geddy Lee, which is very similar except it was much more comical than emotionally touching.

Disagree. He's had professional musicians invited to the same events as him in pretty big bands just walk up to introduce themselves and been completely blown off by Neil.

 

There's a difference between people you respect and everyone else. I think the list of musicians that Neil respects is on the small side.