Derek Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 He's written Ghost Rider, Masked Rider, Traveling Music, and Roadshow. Have any of you read any of them? I've read all but Masked Rider, and Ghost Rider is one of my all time favorite books. I highly recommend it for anyone. It's incredible how Neil tells his story of traveling on motorcycle as a way to get away and clear his head from the tragedies that had occurred to him in the months before the book (only kid, his teenage daughter dies in an accident, his wife dies of cancer a few months later, his best friend goes to jail). It's just overall an awesome book. Neil still manages to inject humor into the book as well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 I think one would view him as somewhat of a not very nice person after reading these books. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
W(TF) Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 I think one would view him as somewhat of a not very nice person after reading these books. Probably true...but so what? GR is high on my list of must read books, I just read slow and don't get through many books these days. Btw (somewhat On Topic): Ramblin' Man, the biography of Woody Guthrie was a fantastic read...highly recommend it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 Probably true...but so what?GR is high on my list of must read books, I just read slow and don't get through many books these days. Btw (somewhat On Topic): Ramblin' Man, the biography of Woody Guthrie was a fantastic read...highly recommend it. Well, sometimes I wish I did not know certain things about rock dudes. After reading those books - I sort of view him as a elitist prick. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Basil II Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 I saw Neil's drum kit in 1983..........compensating for sumthin'....small prick mebbe???? -Robert. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mountain bed Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 Well, sometimes I wish I did not know certain things about rock dudes. After reading those books - I sort of view him as a elitist prick.That often seems to be the case. But I can't help but read 'em anyway, ya know? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 I mean - it is rather heartbreaking what happened to him and the fact that he was told he would not have enough money to live on if he did not go back to work. That amazes me - after all those years. a bunch of aud shot vids from the current tour Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Kinsley Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Spoiler alert!!!! I've read Ghost Rider and Travelling Music. GR was fantastic, if a little slow in the travelogue sections. During the book he seems to be distraught about his daughter, but sort of 'gee, that kinda sucks' about his wife. It made sense when I realized he'd gotten remarried and was probably just trying not to go on too much about her and make the new wife feel bad/weird. When I found he'd moved to LA I decided to send him a copy of a 4 cd mix of songs about LA I'd made as a sort of welcome to the (very large) neighborhood present. I contacted his management about it and got a very terse/nasty reply saying basically why would he want a CD full of songs you've illegally downloaded you little pirate scumbag. I think of that everytime I listen to What Light when they get to the part about 'it's not wrong or right... you'll only get uptight.' Travelling Music by the way - sucked. He's obsessed with Frank Sinatra and Linkin Park. There. I saved you a few bucks. He also retells damn near the entire first book, so now I don't need to bother, even though I had been interested. Hmmm... seems as though he's pirating his own work and costing himself money. I guess we're even now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 What's the deal where he knocked down some dude who tried to get him to sign some albums? Or sped away and the dude fell down or some such thing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Kinsley Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 What's the deal where he knocked down some dude who tried to get him to sign some albums? Or sped away and the dude fell down or some such thing.Hmm, didn't hear about that but, unfortunately, doesn't seem at all out of character for him. The guy who wrote "I can't pretend the stranger is my long lost friend" isn't really the guy to go ask for an autograph. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Maybe I heard that story somewhere else. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Kinsley Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Maybe I heard that story somewhere else.Maybe you were thinking about this guy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 No - I know that story. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
W(TF) Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 I'm surprised at the flavor of this thread. Most rock stars are pricks, doesn't everyone know that?? Whether it be Dylan, Neil Young ("eggshells"..), or whomever. The more creative the force the more "difficult" (selfish?) they are. By many accounts Jeff Tweedy is a very difficult person to work with. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Maybe it's one thing to act human and another thing to read about your heroes acting human. I mean - I could do without the videos of Dylan preaching about how homosexuals are going to hell - but they are out there. The dude just comes off as better than everyone else most of the time - or at least that is the way I read it - and I don't much care for that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moltisanti Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 Man, I'm definitely not reading these books now. Sorry, thread-starter. Not that I ever held Neil Peart in that high of a regard, but I did love Rush growing up, I thought his lyrics were pretty effing great most of the time, and you know, his drumming and all of that. Beyond horrific what he went through, and I'm sure he's a master word-smith, but I'm just not in the mood for a downer road novel right now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Derek Posted June 21, 2007 Author Share Posted June 21, 2007 Maybe you were thinking about this guy. If you heard anything, you'd know that nothing was Alex's fault. His son got up onstage, the police went at him, and Alex tried to defend his song and got beat. The police handled it horribly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Kinsley Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 If you heard anything, you'd know that nothing was Alex's fault. His son got up onstage, the police went at him, and Alex tried to defend his song and got beat. The police handled it horribly.Yeah, I guess I lumped him in there in the "prickish" rock star behavior section, which I really wasn't trying to do. Just a Rush-related altercation. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moltisanti Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 Yeah, by all accounts, the Naples police on hand could not have handled that any worse. Still, even in his fifties, I wouldn't wanna fight Alex Lifeson. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Derek Posted June 23, 2007 Author Share Posted June 23, 2007 Still, even in his fifties, I wouldn't wanna fight Alex Lifeson. Exactly hahahaha Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JerseyMike Posted June 23, 2007 Share Posted June 23, 2007 elitist prick. You didn't get that vibe by listening to Rush? As a member of a band that has had close to 20 drummers over the last 5 years (the same one for the last 2 1/2) I have sworn to NEVER even audition a drummer who lists Peart as an influence. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted June 23, 2007 Share Posted June 23, 2007 He is a drum master though - I have never denied that. I have been listening to Rush since about 1978 or so I think. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mountain bed Posted June 23, 2007 Share Posted June 23, 2007 Maybe it's one thing to act human and another thing to read about your heroes acting human. I mean - I could do without the videos of Dylan preaching about how homosexuals are going to hell - but they are out there. The dude just comes off as better than everyone else most of the time - or at least that is the way I read it - and I don't much care for that.Well put. Townshend has put me off more than once by his interviews (esp. the Cincinnati fiasco), just for one example. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted June 23, 2007 Share Posted June 23, 2007 I know the interview you mean - I think I have it here somewhere. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 Neil in WV Neil comes to my hometown. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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