9/7: O Baterista
In his first solo back, Neil does a passable job mimicking an entire drum line.
In honor of Brazil’s Independence Day, I’m highlighting “O Baterista,” from Rush in Rio Live (“baterista” is Portguese for “drummer”):
Drum lines have a big presence in Brazil, both in Carnival parades and in capoeira, a Brazilian dance/fighting sport. (I even participated in a baterista line once! I rocked a mean tambourine.) Their collaborative, call-and-answer nature is tough to mimic by a single person. However, Neil does a pretty passable job, as you might expect.
This isn’t Neil’s most creative piece. As far as I can tell, most of the solo is hacked together from “Pieces of Eight” and “Momo’s Dance Party", as well as some work he did for the Buddy Rich tribute.
But that’s okay. Neil even playing on this stage is a victory. It’s wild to think that this was his first tour back after the hiatus, when he was sure he’d never tour again. Somehow he sounds just as good as he ever did here, if not better. He remains a master, completely in control of his instrument. Check it out below.