Taking Center Stage companion book now available
While the official release of Hudson Music's companion book Neil Peart: Taking Center Stage - A Lifetime of Live Performance (book) is October 15, you can now order it online at the following stores:
It's also available at Rush shows.
The book is written by Joe Bergamini, who interviewed Neil for the DVD. I had a friend pick up a copy for me at the Chicago show, and it's definitely a book every fan of Neil Peart should own. Joe writes about Neil's drumming as someone who understands the details and nuances. Here's a passage about "YYZ" that's spot-on:
"One thing you'll notice if you attempt to play along to the song is that Neil tends to make his parts look easier than they are. "YYZ" goes by at a very brisk tempo, especially for some of the intricate drum parts that Neil has devised for the song."
I also think some non-drummers will enjoy this book as well, as it includes diagrams of Neil's kits and many photos (some of which I'd never seen before).
Here's more info from Hudson's website:
- Fifteen chapters devoted to Neil's musical approach and equipment on every Rush tour since 1975.
- Note-for-note drum transcriptions of 17 songs taken from the Taking Center Stage: A Lifetime of Live Performance DVD, including Rush classics like "Tom Sawyer," "YYZ," "The Spirit of Radio," "Free Will," "Subdivisions," "Time Stand Still," "Marathon," "La Villa Strangiato," and many others.
- Detailed text from both Neil and author Joe Bergamini, explaining his equipment and his approach to the songs.
- Exclusive photos, some never before published, showing Neil and his drums in vibrant detail.
- Detailed diagrams and explanations of all of Neil's drum sets.
- Other interesting images, such as Neil�s Modern Drummer magazine covers and print advertisements from DW, Tama, Sabian, Ludwig, Pro-Mark, and Zildjian.
Also check out the contest at Power Windows and Cygnus-x1.net where you can win autographed items by Neil Peart.
Labels: Taking Center Stage