dlockeretz's Full Review: Neil Peart - Roadshow: Landscape With Drums a Conc...
After reading Neil Peart's harrowing, ultimately triumphant account of his darkest times in "Ghost Rider" and taking an enjoyable dual jaunt with him along the roads of the southwest and through his childhood in "Traveling Music", I was glad to have the opportunity to read of his experiences on the R30 tour with Rush, the band that put him on the map.
Like Peart’s other writing, “Roadshow” mixes Peart’s past and present. The band started in the United States and then worked their way through Europe on an exhaustive 57 show tour. Peart traveled primarily by motorcycle with his loyal riding companions, Brutus and Michael. As he navigated through big cities and back countries, Peart described the present experiences, and worked in memories of past visits and local history.
Fans of Peart’s travel narratives will undoubtedly be entertained and inspired by “Roadshow”, but it is not as strong as his previous work. While Peart’s vivid descriptions of the national parks he visited, the historical European landmarks and sumptuous meals are powerful, he also spends more time than necessary on minutiae. Is it really necessary, for example, that we know how many cymbals he cracked, how many total miles he rode or how many cigarettes he smoked?
Peart’s humor is evident throughout the book; most of it nicely enhances the narrative, although some of it becomes a little tiresome. He comments on the trend of arenas selling naming rights to corporations, and refuses to mention the venues by name: there is the “Office Supply Superstore Center” in L.A.; the “Vodka Distillers Arena” in Dallas, and many “Financial Services Corporation” and “Cellular Telephone Network” arenas. This trend is amusing at first, but soon gets old. However, Peart’s best moments come when dealing with people--be they his long time friends or rank strangers. A tourist in Scotland “asked me if I was me” as he recalls.
If some of the above makes it sound as if I was disappointed in “Roadshow”, that was not my goal; I definitely enjoyed the book. I am doubtful, however, of how its shelf life will compare to that of Peart’s previous efforts.
Free standard shipping on orders above $199. A Concert Tour by Motorcycle. General Book (not sheet music). With Hardcover. 6.25x9.25 inches. 398 page...More at ActiveMusician
Neil Peart is an internationally acclaimed, bestselling, and award-nominated author, and for more than thirty years has been the legendary drummer and...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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