We’re back from our trip to Tulum. I finished the first book I’ve read in a very long time late this evening after reading most of it on vacation. I can summarize it in one word: jealous.
The book is Roadshow: Landscape With Drums: A Concert Tour by Motorcycle by Neil Peart. Most people who know him as the drummer for Rush. And if you know me then you also know I’ve been a fan of Rush since the early eighties. He’s written a number of books but this is the first one his I’ve read.
It’s a travel log of sorts compiled from his notes taken on the Rush R30 (Thirtieth anniversary) tour in 2004. Neil travels from show to show by motorcycle for both the North American and European legs of the tour. In his words the book is a “concert tour by motorcycle”. It covers his travels to 57 shows in nine countries while traveling over 21,000 miles on the seat of his BMW through nineteen different countries.
Why am I jealous? He logged some amazing miles in some of the most beautiful areas of the world. I hope I can do some of the same rides at some point in my life. However, I’d like to be able to do it at a little more leisurely pace and without the responsibility of “the job” hanging over my head. Concerts are work after all if you’re in the band, especially a three plus hour show sitting behind a drum kit.
My favorite parts of the book were the vivid descriptions of the rides and the surroundings. Neil’s descriptions provided exactly the kind of info I’d like to have when considering a bike trip to some destination. I’ll most likely go through it again taking notes on some of the roads he traveled in the southwest U.S. in preparation for our upcoming trip in the Cruiser later this summer. We’re planning on hitting the four corners region and possibly moving north to visit parts of Wyoming and Idaho. I also now have absolutely no interest in ever visiting the Florida keys.
There’s a significant portion of the book that chronicles the drudgery of being a famous (infamous? 
) member of a famous rock band. Neil’s evidently a well-practiced complainer especially when it comes to over zealous fans. It can get a little monotonous at times but after all it is a travel log and these are some pretty significant events along the journey. I did enjoy the background even if some of it was repetitive, i.e. some fans suck. At one point in time I considered myself a rabid Rush fan. I had a strange sense of pride about being able to recite the lyrics of every Rush song in album release order from their first album through Hold Your Fire which happened to be the last one I owned on vinyl. Even with that level of slavering fanboyishness I would have never considered plotting to tail his tour bus or could have even dreamed of the more nefarious incidents detailed in the book.
Who should read this book? Well, people like me. (Rush fans that enjoy riding motorcycles.) Even if you’re not a Rush fan I think you would still like the book. It’s a great narrative and something anyone that’s done long miles in the saddle will be able to relate to. However, if you’re a Rush fan and don’t ride I’d guess you would be disappointed by the book. It’s not a book for rabid fan(atics) to try to discover the hidden meanings and secret messages in all those years of Neil’s lyrics. This book is also not for people who aren’t mature enough to appreciate a “star” as a person rather than an object to adore while longing for them to scribble their name with a Sharpie on various prized trinkets. A quick read through Amazon’s reviews of the book will provide a clearer picture of what people liked and disliked. Biker types like the book, non-biker fans generally don’t care for it.
BTW, there’s an Illustrated Companion version of the book due out later this year. I plan to pick up a copy of that version as well one of Neil’s earlier books.