This is a dual disc DVD that features Canadian drummer god Neil Peart. In this 3.5 hour movie, Peart performs all of the songs from the 1996 Rush album, Test For Echo. Neil is known for being the type of musician who doesn’t like to give interviews or sign autographs, but in this movie the viewer can definitely get very intimate and go within the mind of this legend.
You can find this item on amazon.com for $37. I rented it on Netflix myself, although I will probably end up purchasing it in the near future.
The thing that makes this movie great is, simply put, the teachings. Demonstrated by Peart, much of the knowledge and instruction can be applied not only into drumming but also in many aspects of life. That, I feel, sets it apart from other traditional drum lesson movies you can find out there on the market. Even if you are not much into Rush (Geddy Lee’s voice is not for everyone hehe), there are plenty of valuable lessons here. Peart plays along to every track of Test For Echo and then explains how he wrote his drum parts; inspiration, technique, and concept. Some of his ultra fast drum fills are replayed in slow motion so one can more easily grasp the pattern. A Work In Progress’ name marks a reinvention and reproach on the kit by Peart after so many years of touring and recording with Rush. Drummer Fred Gruber introduced many of the drum concepts that Peart teaches in this movie. Many of these concepts, as well as great Peart’s great advice and philosophical thinking are featured in between each song. It’s quite amazing how these few minutes of Peart’s plain talking can deliver such deep impact to one’s artistic development. These almost prophetic comments are what make this DVD unbelievably good. Another highlight for me is when Neil narrates is own 20 min long warm-up performance.
This amazing DVD could only be better if was shot in Hi-Def. The only thing I wish he had discussed a bit is his drum tuning techniques. He covers pretty much everything else, except that.
The movie is well made. Nice shots and close ups. I like how the comments in between songs were shot outdoors, instead of having 3.5 hours of Neil inside of the studio.
Hands-down one of the coolest and most worth-while drum-lesson DVDs out there. This is 3.5 hours of valuable information that sometimes is not easily found. The beauty is that you don’t have to play like Neil Peart to approach the kit like him. The concepts and lessons transmitted on this DVD are universally applicable. Go ahead and buy this DVD, enjoyment is 100% guaranteed.
