Traveling Music: Playing Back the Soundtrack to My Life and Times

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 440 pages
• Published by: Ecw Press September 1, 2004
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 1550226665
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-1550226669
• Book Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Weighs: 1.4 pounds

Metro, Toronto
"Part biography, part travelogue, part music history, Peart makes you aware that a full life should be answering'Now, what?'" --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description
The music of Frank Sinatra, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, and many other artists provides the score to the reflections of a musician on the road in this memoir of Neil Peart's travels from Los Angeles to Big Bend National Park. The emotional associations and stories behind each album Peart plays guide his recollections of his childhood on Lake Ontario, the first bands that he performed with, and his travels with the band Rush. The evocative and resonant writing vividly captures the meanderings of a musical mind, leading rock enthusiasts to discover inside information about Rush and the musical inspirations of a rock legend.


Reader Reviews
This review is from: Traveling Music : The Soundtrack to My Life and Times (Hardcover) I certainly am not regretting the twenty bucks I spent on this book, but I think it could have been, well, tighter. Perhaps one would expect that an artist known for such machine-precision drumming would write prose the same way, but this book is neither tight and precise like Mr. Peart's drumming or cerebral and evocative like much of his lyricism with Rush. After reading the book, I read the reviews here on Amazon. I suppose the theme that keeps coming up in reviews for this book as well as "Ghost Rider" is an assumption that the voice in his writing is arrogant, snobby and/or elitist. Speaking strictly of "Traveling Music", I do not hear that voice in the writing. Riding solo on his motorcycle while the "rest of the band" is on the bus is basic to the personality Peart reveals in this book, and to me did not come across as elitist. Who knows... I'd rather be flying down the highway on a bike than in a bus any day. Ordering him to join the band every day on the bus might well tinker with the magic that is Peart's creative, driving force behind Rush, and besides, he'd just do his own thing anyhow. That is one of the points of this book: living individually while participating in community. Therein are lessons. Today's publicly visible artists, as Peart writes, are unfortunately not always treated well by those that claim to appreciate them (he mentions John Lennon... point made). If the man wishes to lead a life of seclusion and peace, who is to begrudge him? Like most people, he writes of wanting to go to work, give it his all, and then, well... go home or go private. Peart apparently is quite cognizant that there are those who feel he shuns them, and at least makes an attempt to address it. Peart writes of his frustration with people who invade his privacy. As for the "I love your work" quote - well, Peart seems to have appreciated it and, more to the point, appreciated the unobtrusive nature of the comment. Fans who feel short-shrifted by such behavior should remember that a person like Peart is essentially a captive audience... a target for far more people's attention than can be realistically accepted on an individual level. He gives us what the normal unspoken contract between star and fan agrees to give us... his professional hours on stage and wonderful art otherwise. Autographs are nice, and public appearances are good, but no wonder there is a tendency to carve out ones' own private space. I certainly am not defending the man, but I relate to the writing in this book about needing sanctuary. Anyone who works in a profession that deals with a crush of people (musicians, athletes, actors, politicians - OK, SOME politicians...) can understand Peart's desire for "down time". Basically, the desire to live a private life is not snubbing his fans... get over it, people... Back to the writing... as a road-trip junkie myself (and who has taken many of the roads Peart describes in my rather less inspired vehicle), I easily was transported along. Yes, the constant reference to The Macallan gets a bit impish, but, hey, the man's just that way. (Personally, I prefer The Balvenie, but who really cares, right...). The loose narrative style fits the subject matter well, and alternating the chapters between the current journey and the lifelong journey is effective. I enjoyed his presentation of his musical influences and CD collection immensely, and now have some new stuff to listen to. Those reviewers who complained about his focus on these musicians apparently forgot to read this book's title... Students of literature may well find Peart's writing a bit simple, but therein lies the beauty of this book... it is a road-trip... not a medical science journal. Peart may, or may not, be a self-centered, arrogant, unapproachable star. It really doesn't matter. The fact that he chose to share his basic life story, whether altruistically or with a profit motive (perhaps both) is unusual enough in a person of his professional standing. Rush fans... it is more information than we ever thought we'd see. Everyone else... at the least you may find Peart an interesting study. Comment | | (Report this)