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Fri, Mar 29, 2024

New Neil Peart interview

Thu, Jan 11, 2007@9:35AM | comments removed/disabled

[Neil Peart Lightens Up]

Yesterday's edition of the Toronto Metro newspaper contained an article/interview with Neil Peart. The article is titled Neil Peart Lightens Up and mentions Neil's many exploits of late including his appearance in the upcoming Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie, his newest book Roadshow, and his recent appearance on the Rick Mercer report. You can view a pdf of yesterday's edition at this link - the interview is on page 29. The article is also online at this link. Here are some excerpts:

... Neil Peart will guest voice in a film version of Aqua Teen Hunger Force - a U.S. Cartoon Network animated series - scheduled for release in March. "I get to work with a meatball, a bag of fries and a milkshake," laughs Peart. "It's quite a surreal departure."

Perhaps mindful of his serious-musician reputation, the 54-year-old seems to be putting more emphasis on lightening up. This past November, he appeared on CBC's The Rick Mercer Report giving drum lessons to his amused host.

And his fourth book Roadshow: Landscape With Drums, A Concert Tour By Motorcycle, released in September, is laced with drummer jokes ... backstage anecdotes, long motorcycle journeys plus a bizarre on-stage cameo from obvious Rush fan Jack Black, who cited Peart in his 2003 flick The School Of Rock.

"He had a lot of fun," says Peart. "I know he has great respect for Rush. For me personally, just the fact he made a nod to me in the movie was very personally rewarding." ... Peart has endured his share of life-altering seriousness: In 1997, his daughter Selena died in a single-car accident; nearly a year later, his common-law wife Jaqueline Taylor lost her battle to cancer. ... "I'm in a much better state of mind now," says Peart, also an avid cyclist. "There's something about whenever I go for a ride - it's like I'm going through a closed community where I get to explore and escape from whatever contagious monkeys might be on my back."

During his various travels across the U.S., as he accounts in Roadshow, Peart began noting a number of religiousbased signs he came across ... Many of these signs have given Peart lyrical inspiration for next Rush studio album, which the band is currently recording and expected to be released this year.

"Part of it is just me reporting, but I'm also overwhelmed by the spiritual landscape of America," Peart says. "But it got me thinking so carefully at how much we need to look for the positives in life. Too often we put up an armour to protect us from all the bad."

No new information but it's always nice to hear a few choice words from the Professor. Thanks to reader Andy G for the heads up.

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