"Tom Sawyer" by Rush

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: RushAlbum: Moving Pictures (1981)Written by: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil PeartLyrics by: Neil Peart and Pye DuboisListen/Buy via Album.LinkNote: 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, 1977The 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 GeeksExcerpts from the excellent 2002 documentary Neil Peart: A Work In ProgressOUTRO SOLOIST: BJ CORDThis 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 PatronsAccessViolation - Andrew Walters - Caleb Rotach - Chad Barnard - Craig J. Covell - Dan Apczynski - Dave Florey - Glenn Jared Norris - Mark Schechter - Merlin Mann - Ryan TorvikFebruary 2020 Half-Note PatronsAJ 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, ORBuy 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