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

--------------------

💃STRONG SONGS LIVE!🕺
July 11, 2026 | Portland, OR
Buy Tickets Here (Livestream Tix Now Available!)

----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 | YouTube | Bluesky

🎧 EVERY STRONG SONG:
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music

🎨 SHOW ART:
Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics