I love Neil but you need to listen to more music bro. Not being an azz, just there are more drummers out their with WAY more chops. Now a days every drummer that isn't a country drummer or some top 40 shmo is pretty bad azz. Derick Roddy, Gene Hoglan, Goerge Kolias, Chris Adler are some awesome metal drummers amazing feet. Vinny something I cant remember how to spell his last name he used to play for sting, its pronounced col-you-toe but spelled way different. Anyway he's a great drummer. Dave Weckle is in the same vein.
The days of idolizing guys from past rock bands is over imho. Technical playing has come a long ways. In the late 80s and early 90s I played in a touring metal band and everywhere I went people would tell me how my kickdrums were blazing fast or how brutal and technical my grooves and fills were but now I probably couldn't even get in a touring metal band if I had to audition, that's how far technical playng has come. The only part that has suffered from the technical advancment is most of the new drummers are pussified as they play with little tiny sticks and tap around on the drums like they don't want to break them. You gotta play with fire cause at the end of the day its what makes the music sound good, the right groove played with the right additude. That is why neil is so good he is balanced, good grooves, fills and played with fire! But he's definitely not the most tecnical.
Certainly not the most technical, he's more of an innovator making technical actually sound good. What I like about Peart is his composing. His drum lines can be technical and simple at the same time. Other "technical" drummers sound; well technical. Peart does the technical stuff (in an age well before Pro Tools, etc), yet it doesn't sound cluttered or forced, where a lot of guys who could out-drum Peart all day long, they sound cluttered and forced when they compose the drumming for a song.
Peart will go down as one of the greatest, because he's a monster musician, not just a technical drummer. I've seen several guys whom no one has ever heard of who are technically more sound, technically more gifted, and just tear up a kit much better than Peart.
But I've never seen a drummer like Peart who can hold his own with the best, is a master in his composing and making it all work in the song, to the better of the song, and not just to the better of Peart...and a work ethic of 40+ years of pushing the envelope of his craft. He's a world class musician...but there are oodles of drummers who are technically "better".
