I'm too young to have caught Peart in his earliest days. I didn't discover Rush until the early 1990s, but it didn't take me long to obtain the back catalog. All three members have amazing skills, and I enjoy listening to just about everything they've done. Peart's drumming is especially impressive, particularly the solos that appear on every live album. I've seen Rush in concert twice, and the drum solos were certainly a highlight of each.
Incredible drum play isn't the limit of Peart's musical talents, though. He also writes the vast majority of the lyrics for Rush. He's written about everything: science fiction and fantasy worlds, youthful angst, love, justice, fate, etc, etc. Whether you agree with the words or not, you have to respect the craft that he's put into each song.
I'm glad I saw Rush on their tour last year, as I'm not sure how much longer they'll keep working before retiring. But as long as they keep playing, I'll keep listening to Peart and his bandmates.
