Traveling Music: The Soundtrack to My Life and Times

This book is by far the best book Neil Peart has written. This book is more biographical, in a very musical sense, than a travel book. What I mean by this is that Neil writes about his travels to the Big Bend area in South West Texas, several excursions he took while on that trip, such as a bird watching tour, and a hike up Emory Peak, etc. But the bulk of the content in this work is about his life and how certain songs, musicians, and bands have affected his life. Neil details his early childhood, how his father's music was something he ignored as a child but embraced it as his own later in life. Moreover, he describes how he eventually took up drumming, his earliest bands in his own hometown, and how he progressed as a drummer from childhood to the last current tour, Vapor Trails, at the time this book was published. He describes certain details from various bands he "passed through" for a certain time, his experiences in London, England as a young adult, and how touring with Rush and playing a typical 76 or so show stopping tour affected him; all these details are great, and make the book that much more interesting. However, the underlining greatness of this work, I think anyway, is Neil's descriptions of the music he is listening to throughout all these other details mentioned above. The way Neil describes how his "radar music" or his play list that is contained in the back of his mind resurfaces on occasion is the most interesting aspect of this work, since this is where Neil gets more personal opening himself up more than merely describing events. He details songs like they are personal parts of his life, exposing these parts with a serious vulnerability that is quite opposite to his personality, which is introverted and a bit hidden. What happens when you read Neil's descriptions of bands and their songs, is that you will find yourself searching for these bands, if you have not listened to them before, and sampling them for possible purchases. At least I found myself doing this. He should get paid for promoting these bands, since several of them gained a new listener and buyer of their music. All this being said, this is an excellent book, especially if you are a music lover, it is well worth the price, and if you are a Rush fan, then this book is a must to take a peak inside the life, mind, musical taste and musical influences of one of the greatest drummers in rock and roll history, I highly recommend this book.

Many of the reviews I've read regarding Neil Peart's "Traveling Music" treatise seem to focus on either a) his seeming arrogance at not wanting to have regular interactions with fans, or b) a seeming lack of eloquence in this work. I think those reviews are missing a vital element here. To be sure, Mr. Peart is not Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Steinbeck or any of the countless other revered novelists in history. I'm also pretty sure that he doesn't want to be any of them. I also don't think that people should hold him in low regard because he is so shy. No, I think the focus here should be on the central message of his book: That, whatever the genre...rock, country, jazz, classical...music helps us to understand the textures and feelings that pervade us as we live and breathe in this world. No matter what your mood, there is a song out there to describe it. No matter how fond your memories, there is a song out there that can engage those memories as if they just happened. Mr. Peart probably shares more than he needs to about his shyness with people. I will never be famous, but I know that many famous people are far more animated about having their space invaded. Note that he is also very uncomfortable lying about who he is when "outed" by someone. It's clearly a difficult thing for him, and I admire his honesty and courage in how he addresses it, so give him his space, and give him a break. Focus on the notion that music is the message here. The wonderful diversity that it provides us, and the many emotions and themes it elicits, whenever we plug in and listen.

The Masked Rider was almost strictly about his trip to Africa. Ghost Rider was about his riding trip all over North America to find himself again. Traveling Music is everything else. Neil takes a trip in his BMW Z8 convertible to Big Bend National Park after sending his new wife, Carrie, off to Mexico for surfing lessons, and tells the tale of that trip, plus reminises about the past, from places he had been to during past concert tours to his childhood. Yes, this book includes another thing many of us have wanted: a biography. Basically three chapters of this book include Neil's biography from (as I call it) birth to Rush (from the day he was born to the day he flew to Pittsburgh with Ged and Alex for the first time). Also included is a story about their one-off show in Toronto during the SARS-stock (which also explains further why they usually don't do these types of shows), and includes some more brief stories about his many other bicycling adventures. If you're that big a Rush fan, you should get this book (and the other two as well). He's a great writer and storyteller, and he sure as heck tells it like it is. GO NEIL!

I have always loved music, from the first time I listened to my Dad's records until now when I am a drummer in a rock/blues band. I know what it's like to have music as a constant companion in life, through good and bad times. I was pleased with "Traveling Music", and it was particularly good to read after "Ghost Rider", a book dealing with loss and grief. These two books go from the darkest despair to a rebirth of the joy of life. Some people think Mr. Peart sounds arrogant, particularly in the reviews of "Ghost Rider". Be patient, look beyond your initial gut reactions, and you will see a man going through a terrible time in his life. During the "Ghost Rider" journey, he was focusing on himself and his own hurts, and it's understandable when he seems cynical and aloof. It feels like the whole world and everyone in it is pointless, suspect, and perhaps a bit malevolent. This all comes out in a sometimes unpleasant attitude. Give him a break. If the same things had happened in your own lives, how well would you deal with it? In the end (thankfully for him), Mr. Peart comes back from wandering in the wilderness to take another shot at life. "Traveling Music" is a celebration of life, and it was a fun and emotional read. Bravo. And congratulations and thanks go to Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart for 30 years of inspiration and great musicianship. My gratitude to you for sharing your music with all of us.

I'd consider this the most well written published work of Neil Peart to date. He uses the songs of a solo drive over an extended weekend as the springboard for reflections on his past and his evolution to what he has become. The music and his life have many parallels. I found the diversity of music he likes fascinating and certainly got turned onto some music I never would have considered seriously before reading this (Frank Sinatra, Linkin Park) while others were fairly obvious influences that I directly related to. It was interesting how open Neil was about his past, esp. his Teen years and how the behavior of others so permanantly and dramatically impacted who he became as an adult. I think we can all relate to that. This book could easily have become confusing and bogged down in the changes from distant past stories to recent past to present time. But it doesn't. It easily kept my interest, had me nodding in agreement, and search in the music store and bookstore shelves for referenced books and albums. My one complaint, and it was a complaint with Ghost Rider as well, is that he doesn't include a biography of the books and albums he mentioned. I kept a bookmark and pen handy and wrote down most of the albums I want to check out and books I want to read, but it would be nice if they'd have been included with full information and potentially even comments in an appendix. If you're a fan of Neil or just a fan of well written biographies of interesting people I think you'll enjoy this book.