Neil Peart's Books

[presto123]

Of the ones I've read Roadshow hands down. Love reading about different parts of the country and behind the scenes of a concert tour type of stuff. I bet I've read Roadshow 30 times. Edited August 9, 2012 by presto123

[JohnnyBlaze]

[kkdalloway]

Tough call. I've read them all at least twice. I loved Traveling Music because every time he mentioned another obscurish or unlikely band or artist, I was like "Cool! Me too! (Icehouse, Tears for Fears, Jeff Buckley) But I think it's probably down to Masked Rider and Ghost Rider for me. Scenes and passages from those two books still resonate through my head all the time, on a weekly basis even.

[Rhyta]

I am almost 200 pages into Roadshow and I am enjoying it since it was the tour that I saw Rush on for my first time. I have learned some funny things like where their nicknames came from and why the dryers and other machines are on stage. :) I have to say that I find Neil a bit whiney, I don't understand why he thinks he is so put upon because he chooses to do these rides and yes they are going to tire him out. I think this shows how musicians are often put on a pedestal by fans and it is a bit of a shock to find out they are human with their own quirks and prejudices. So I guess I can't vote yet since I haven't finished it yet but I will and I think it will have been a good read overall.

[Territorial_Game]

Ghost Rider because emotion

[Rhyta]

I finished Roadshow tonight and feel like I have a better appreciation of what work it is for the guys to tour. That being said, I am less fond of Neil, his constant complaining wore thin after awhile and I just don't get why he has to be so rude to people. But I will commend him for a detailed and informative story of a tour and his travels.

[TheAccountant]

Ghost Rider for me (although I have not read Far and Away).

 

Around the time I read Ghost Rider a woman I supervised lost her son (who was about 21 or 22) when he shot himself to death and I kept looking at Ghost Rider and being like "oh - thanks Neil. After reading this I get why ABC (the lady I supervised at the time) is doing this or reacting that way." The book was a help to me in supervising that woman at a very hard time of her life. Gave me some (very tiny) insight into what she was going through and a few ideas in how to work with her / what to say / what not to say to her. Without I would have been totally clueless. With it I was just mostly clueless - but at least that was an improvement. A bit of help to me and, hopefully, in some small way it enabled me to be a bit of help (or least not harmful) to my employee.

 

Plus, the book its self is just the most open, honest and emotional book of all of them. Its just a good read.

[Cygnus 2112]

I've read Masked Rider and am halfway through Ghost Rider. I'm not sure which is better.

[barney_rebel]

Finished Roadshow. Can't compare the two, but I enjoyed it a lot more than Ghost Rider.

[Aikenrooster]

Ghost Rider. Emotionally powerful and ultimately uplifting.

 

All the books though, it was surprising how much I enjoy them. They get serious re-reads.

 

The thing I love about Neil's writing is the unaffected honesty and almost brutal self evaluation. Neil is profoundly guileless, but that is something that could be said of the other two members of the band also.

 

Beyond the snippets of band history and insight into playing in a band, I enjoy reading about the traveling style of Neil as it is philosophically, (albiet not physically as I don't ride a motor cycle or like to ride bike on the road) similar to how I like to travel. Get up and get going in the morning, go off the beaten path, backwoods, going for a hike, going to national parks, birdwatching, and nature in general, observing locals without really being a part of it, having some sort of quest.

YES! This is the ultimate.

[Rhyta]

About halfway through Traveling Music now and I think I like it even more than R30. I have enjoyed the memories Neil shares that are linked to certain pieces of music. I think we all have our own favorite traveling music which has led me to write some of my own memories down. I bought a copy so I can take my time with this one. I do wish he had a list in the back of the book of the artists/albums he discusses but I have been logging the ones that interest me as I go. Love that he mentions Mahavishu Orchestra and Jean Luc Ponty...not your typical rocker fare :D

 

I think I like this better since Neil is more relaxed, not in the middle of a tour and feeling the stress etc. It has been a fun read.

Edited May 24, 2013 by Rhyta

[EagleMoon]

I read Ghost Rider a couple of years ago when my mom passed away. It helped a lot. I like all of Neil's books and I can't say that there are any of them that bored me. I enjoy reading the travel logs. I've also read The Masked Rider, Traveling Music, and am currently reading Roadshow.

[Rhyta]

Finished Traveling Music and I have to say I liked it a bit more than Roadshow. Once again it was fun to get some inside info, like where the title of Workin' Them Angels came from and he uses lines from that song as chapter titles... I have a list of artists to listen to now to see if I agree. He puts the Beatles down (no one is perfect :P ) so we will see how his other choices sound to me. I plan on reading Ghost Rider later in the year and the african story at some point. :sundog: Edited June 15, 2013 by Rhyta

[JohnnyBlaze]

Ghost Rider. Emotionally powerful and ultimately uplifting.

 

All the books though, it was surprising how much I enjoy them. They get serious re-reads.

 

The thing I love about Neil's writing is the unaffected honesty and almost brutal self evaluation. Neil is profoundly guileless, but that is something that could be said of the other two members of the band also.

 

Beyond the snippets of band history and insight into playing in a band, I enjoy reading about the traveling style of Neil as it is philosophically, (albiet not physically as I don't ride a motor cycle or like to ride bike on the road) similar to how I like to travel. Get up and get going in the morning, go off the beaten path, backwoods, going for a hike, going to national parks, birdwatching, and nature in general, observing locals without really being a part of it, having some sort of quest.

YES! This is the ultimate.

I think that interacting with the locals is much more rewarding and important than observing and guessing what's going on with them. Talking, eating, DRINKING, dancing, playing games (pool, darts, cards, mahjong, etc.), DRINKING with locals is more interesting than simply watching them from a safe distance. But, of course, that's connected to Peart's well-known, general shyness.

 

note: I'm not talking about being the obnoxious, loud, and intrusive traveler wanting to take pics of every person or scene that crosses their path

Edited June 15, 2013 by JohnnyBlaze

[Spindrift82]

I haven't read any of them. I need to remedy that.

[hcm]

Hubby got them all for me one year for Christmas. I had had my dad, nephew,brother,and sister all die within a few years. Ghost Rider helped me so much. The other books I enjoyed because I know I would never be able to go to so many places. Edited July 4, 2013 by hcm

[Rhyta]

I just finished Ghost Rider and I am glad I read Roadshow and Traveling Music first. I was prepared for his abrupt and rude responses towards people more and of course cut the guy some slack since his world had imploded on him. I found I had to read it in parts though, he repeats a lot of stuff from his journal entries when he writes to Brutus. I think the ending was a bit a rough, just kinda cut it off and the epilogue seemed too hurried. One thing you have to credit Neil for, he is very well read in some great literature; Saul Bellow, Jack London among many quoted in this book. He also doesn't stint on his love of birds and wildlife. Every Rush fan should read this book at some point, just to get a look inside the guy who has written such great songs.

[Rod in Toronto]

I liked Masked Rider the most because of the exotic location, and because it's about cycling.

 

Speaking of Neil's books, Ghost Rider will soon be translated to Portuguese and released in Brazil. I'm thinking about re-reading it in my mother language.

[temporary madness]

I have read them all, but my favorite is the Masked Rider because I love the story. I love travel writing, it makes me feel like I can see the world through others' eyes without having to actually stay in a nasty hotel with a little toilet in a closet. I think he wrote the book very well and the native cultures really come across. That being said, I think all his books are great. The one that held my attention the least was actually Road show.

[jruiz2112]

in Ghost, he really opens up - like a glimpse inside his mind....

[jruiz2112]

I just finished Ghost Rider and I am glad I read Roadshow and Traveling Music first. I was prepared for his abrupt and rude responses towards people more and of course cut the guy some slack since his world had imploded on him. I found I had to read it in parts though, he repeats a lot of stuff from his journal entries when he writes to Brutus. I think the ending was a bit a rough, just kinda cut it off and the epilogue seemed too hurried. One thing you have to credit Neil for, he is very well read in some great literature; Saul Bellow, Jack London among many quoted in this book. He also doesn't stint on his love of birds and wildlife. Every Rush fan should read this book at some point, just to get a look inside the guy who has written such great songs.

very nice review...=)