Rush Icon Neil Peart’s Respectful Words For KISS
Back in 2011, the late Rush drummer Neil Peart talked with CBC’s George Stroumboulopoulos. In the interview, Peart sent respectful words for the rock pioneer KISS. If you wonder what Neil Peart said about KISS‘s hugeness, keep scrolling it.
Born on September 12, 1952, Neil Peart was a Canadian-American musician who first met with music during his childhood when he started taking piano lessons. When he was 13, he got his first drum stick as a birthday gift given by his family. Alongside the sticks, he also got his first practice drum as well as took some lessons. Officially taking his first serious lessons from Don George at the Peninsula Conservatory of Music, Peart had his first drum kit at his 14th birthday party.
In a very little time, Neil Peart, who showed his admiration for playing drum as a child, became a master playing it. At the age of 22, he joined the rock band Rush and gained world fame in the adventure he started with the band. Throughout his journey in music, Peart earned numerous awards for his musical performances. Although he is still an inspiration for the drummers, Peart had his own influences as well, such as Keith Moon, John Bonham, and Ginger Baker.
When Rush was newly gaining international fame, they opened for KISS on their few tours from 1974 to 1976. Supporting KISS during the band’s four different tours, they slowly gained fame and made an important peak with their fourth studio album, named 2112, released in 1976. Following those days, Rush became one of the most influential bands, and they still are.
However, focusing on the words Neil Peart said about KISS, he mentioned respectfully about them. Let’s read what he said.
Neil Peart Sent Respectfully Words For KISS
Speaking about KISS during an appearance in 2011, Neil Peart said he thought KISS was a very perfectly focused corporation. Explaining why he thought they were perfect, Peart admitted that Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons always knew exactly what they had to do. He also touched on the band’s other legends, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, and shared his opinion on why they were damaged by KISS at the time.
“Kiss always were a perfectly focused corporation, and in those days, I saw Gene Simmons, his notebook of all the costumes for KISS from their high school days,” Peart said. “He and Paul knew exactly what they were doing and how they were gonna do it.
“For the soft-hearted ones like Ace and Peter, you know, they couldn’t play that role with that same cynicism, and they became damaged by it in a tragic way. Because they were such lovable people, and that’s what you often see the drummer equivalent.”
“If you think of the tragedies along the way… I read biographies of Dennis Wilson or Keith Moon, for example. It’s just so sad because they were so loved as people, not just as drummers but as people, and felt unworthy of that love.
“You see that fatal flaw in them. That in the public eye and the portrayal of a celebrities role has an even more confusing effect. So those are the kind of things that we saw early on.”
In the past, KISS co-founder and bassist Gene Simmons said about Rush that they were Canadian Zeppelin. He also mentioned Rush‘s greatness, adding that the time had judged that they made a good decision.
