About this episode
A modern day warrior's mean, mean stride; today's Strong Song has mean, mean pride! Yes, it's time for Kirk to tackle a song by the legendary Canadian rock trio Rush, and what better song than "Tom Sawyer"? Of course, what starts with Tom doesn't end there, as Kirk takes a broader look at Rush's musical legacy, with extra attention for the band's legendary drummer Neil Peart, who tragically died last month. It's a longer-than-usual episode covering a variety of topics, from odd meter counting; to "kite and anchor" solos; to drum snobs; to just what kind of person spends 30 years conquering the world of rock drumming, only to seek out a new teacher and reinvent himself. Band/Artist: Rush Album: Moving Pictures (1981) Written by: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart Lyrics by: Neil Peart and Pye Dubois Listen/Buy via Album.Link Note: This episode has been updated to correct the pronunciation of Neil Peart's last name, which, as it turns out, is pronounced "Peert" and not "Pert." ALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED: "La Villa Strangiato" by Rush from Hemispheres , 1978 "Jump" by Van Halen from 1984 , 1984 "Come Sail Away" by Styx from The Grand Illusion , 1977 The free (!) VST plugin OBXD Synthesizer "Autumn Leaves" by the Keith Jarrett Trio from After The Fall , recorded 1998/released 2018 "Whippersnapper" by the Wayne Krantz Trio from Two Drink Minimum , 1995 "YYZ" by Rush from Moving Pictures , 1981 "Spirit of the Radio" by Rush from Permanent Waves , 1980 "The Monster" by Buddy Rich from Krupa and Rich , 1956 (1994 CD re-release) Clips from various episodes of Freaks and Geeks Excerpts from the excellent 2002 documentary Neil Peart: A Work In Progress OUTRO SOLOIST: BJ CORD This episode's outro soloist is BJ Cord, a fantastic trumpet player based in Portland who recorded this, the first-ever Strong Songs outro solo. BJ works at Monette trumpets making some of the most beautiful horns in the world, and is a regular presence on their Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monettetrumpets -------------------- February 2020 Whole-Note Patrons AccessViolation - Andrew Walters - Caleb Rotach - Chad Barnard - Craig J. Covell - Dan Apczynski - Dave Florey - Glenn Jared Norris - Mark Schechter - Merlin Mann - Ryan Torvik February 2020 Half-Note Patrons AJ Schuster - Alex Singer - Alexander Polson - Amanda Furlotti - Andre Bremer - Andrew Baker - Andrew Lee - Arjun Sharma - Bill Thornton - Brett Douville - Brian Amoebas - Brooke Wilford - Chas Lednicky - Chris Brown - Christer Lindqvist - Cyrus N. White - Darryl Stewart - David Stroud - Earl Lozada - Eero Wahlstedt - Elliot Jay O’Neill - Emily Williams - Fishbones - Forrest Chang - Gavin Doig - Jacob Dye - Jaehoon Jeong - James Johnson - Jeffrey Olson - Jennifer Bush - Jeremy Dawson - John and Sharon Stenglein - Jon O’Keefe - Joujou - Juan Carlos Montemayor Elosua - Jules Bailey - Justin Liew - Justin McElroy - Kate Albury - Kevin Morrell - Kevin Pennyfeather - Mark Steen - Markus Koester - Matt Gaskell - Max Schechter - Melanie Stivers - Michael Blackwell - Miriam Juskowicz - Mueller - Nate from Kalamazoo - Nicholas Schechter - Richard Toller - Robbie Ferrero - Sam Fenn - Samuel Gardner - Shane DeLeon - Shaun Wiese - SP - Tanner Morton - Tom Clewer - Tom Lauer - Toni Isaacson ----LINKS----- 💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS! Patreon | One-Time Donation 🏠 HOMEPAGE 👚 MERCH 💬 DISCORD SERVER 📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTER 🎸 KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTS 🎶 KIRK'S MUSIC 📷 KIRK’S SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram | Bluesky 🎧 EVERY STRONG SONG: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music 🎨 SHOW ART: Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics