Rating: 
Summary: A drummer analyzing a drummer?.
Review: A drummer analyzing a drummer....I have been playing over 17 years now, playing from Hard Rock to Jazz to classical drums and percussions. Everything that I see and learn in this DVD has been thought to me at the Conservatory of music of Quebec in Montreal. What I gain with this DVD is the concept of « The tools in the tool box » witch is one of the most important thing in playing drums and percussion. Every drummers went threw this moment of « heye !,I can put some colors in this partition ! » or when we accidentally go of beat, you want to make it up to your fellow musician by doing something different so it sound good at the end. I agree with Mr. Peart , when he say's , I never practice, I only play , or we (drummers) get in a world of our own when we play alone and it is really there, alone, that the magic come out sometime. That trick that sound good as you play alone IS a tool for your toolbox. This DVD IS the perfect tool for every drummer from beginner to professional whether you agree or not. Every drummer knows that: we all are eternal student and there are always those sequences that happen out of nowhere and we never did before! Trust me, after 17 years of playing, its still happening to me! ..... And I'm teaching basic rudiments to kids that are starting ! Conclusion : this DVD is absolutely priceless and a must, to understand in a « normal » language what you should know about drumming. We, drummers , are not making noise we create the basic, the foundation , of what is going to be called a melody or just simply a song. Regard , From : François M. from Hudson, Q.C. Canada.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: A huge fan of virtuoso musicians, I had no choice but to buy Neil Peart's "A Work In Progress". This video is awesome, and Neil Peart is a genius on drums. I myself am not a drummer, but I love watching guys like Neil....people who have mastered their instrument. If you like Neil's playing style, check out Dream Theater, anything by Steve Vai or Joe Satriani and Yngwie Malmsteen. Excellent!
Rating: 
Summary: a lesson from the "Professor"
Review: All things considered, "Test for Echo" was the perfect album for Neil to do an instructional video all, especially for beginning drummers; he tones down the amount of fills and pure techincal playing to focus on the songs as a whole, as well as his own pulse, or groove. (Although the Rush fan in me definitely wishes he did a video like this for all his albums). As he breaks down each song, one can realize how much goes into even the most basic level of drumming. As a side note, it helped me to appreciate "Test for Echo" to a much greater degree, particularily deceptively simple songs like "Half the World" and "Carve Away the Stone". Equally worthy to Rush live videos like "A show of Hands" and "Grace Under Pressure"...
Rating:
Summary: a lesson from the "Professor"
Review: All things considered, "Test for Echo" was the perfect album for Neil to do an instructional video all, especially for beginning drummers; he tones down the amount of fills and pure techincal playing to focus on the songs as a whole, as well as his own pulse, or groove. (Although the Rush fan in me definitely wishes he did a video like this for all his albums). As he breaks down each song, one can realize how much goes into even the most basic level of drumming. As a side note, it helped me to appreciate "Test for Echo" to a much greater degree, particularily deceptively simple songs like "Half the World" and "Carve Away the Stone". Equally worthy to Rush live videos like "A show of Hands" and "Grace Under Pressure"...
Rating:
Summary: FOR DRUMMERS OR NON-DRUMMERS
Review: First, I am not a drummer--just a big Rush Fan for the past 20 years. When I bought this I was worried it would be too technical (i.e. just for drummers). But, there is much more on the DVD. First, even if you are not interested in the technical stuff, there is a "performance only" track on the DVD, so it is basically watching a video of all of the TFE songs, with great close-ups and angles on Neil. The other option is to watch all of the videos and after each one Neil explains the drum parts, etc. I am kind of lost with this stuff, but it is nice to hear Neil speak, as he is not accesbile very much in other forums (i.e. interviews, etc.). There is also stuff in the beginning of the DVD about how Neil became interested in drumming, how he met Rush, etc. The only thing I was dissapointed about is that it would be cool to see this same thing with albums I like more (i.e. A Farewell to Kings, Moving Pictures, Presto, Signals, Vapor Trails, etc.)
Rating: 
Summary: Hoped for more
Review: Have to agree with the disappointed review. I was hoping to see more Neil and the Rush drumming that made him famous. This shows him talk about someone who changed his drum style. It was interesting to here him talk and it shows how much of a perfectionist he is. I still see him as one of the best in the world and can understand him wanting to explore other styles and continue to improve. I just wished he could have included more of the "old stuff". I found that Ian Paice of Deep Purple
has a good DVD for drummers. More live footage.
Rating:
Summary: Almost Perfect
Review: I am not a drummer but I used to play guitar in basement bands in the early 80s. Neil Peart has always amazed me with his complexity, speed, and power. I first heard him when All The World's a Stage was released and I was in the 7th grade. When I heard that drum solo, I was hooked. THAT is the Neil Peart I have followed. Rush just got better and better and they reached their pinacle with Moving Pictures. Signals marked their decline, in my opinion. These masters of hard rock got a little softer and lost some of what drew me to them in the first place. Each subsequent album got more and more like Techno Pop. I can't stand all the effect boxes that the guitars are put through. Less is more. An electric guitar sounds best through a Marshall 50 watt head with the phase shifters and flangers used sparingly. In recent years I have seen an attempt to create that raw edge but they don't quite do it. That early sould is what got their band off the ground and their best fans hooked. Neil Peart's style was very much a part of that. When I bought the DVD, I was hoping to see more vintage Peart. Instead I saw a more watered down easy-listening drummer. I enjoy watching his Warm Up Routine but the power and speed are missing. Could he be getting tired with age? I was disappointed. Neil, if you are listening, try to recall your roots. There are fans out there like me who have been there from the beginning and want to see more of what we heard (and saw) back then. I know that you are exploring new frontiers but occasional flash-backs would be appreciated. Had I seen more dynamic playing, five stars would not have been enough. I am glad I bought the DVD all the same.
Rating:
Summary: the drumming on here blows my fricken mind!!
Review: I am not a drummer, but I am a pretty big Rush fan and a fan of Neil's books so I decided to check out this drumming video. It definitely does not disappoint! Neil gives demonstrations from all of the songs on the album Test For Echo, one of my favorite Rush albums and their peak cd from the 90's. There is a lot of talking and technical terms, which is not as important to me because I play guitar, but to a drummer this might be a great video to learn from, if you are willing to listen. A lot of it seems to be very advanced, and if you do not have a disposisition that favors Rush's technical prowess and Neil's perfectionist attitude toward drums, you might not like this.
About 2 or 3 songs from Test For Echo are not very good, but the rest are awesome. You won't like listening to the song itself, but Neil's drumming is so mesmerizing that you can just focus on that and ignore the rest of the song. All of the drumming demonstrations are extremely good, and at times seem quite unbelievable. The reviewer who said that Neil was at the 2nd grade level is out of his mind. Just rent this video, and be taken aback. I honestly hope that non Rush fans will give this one a try, because it is quite worth it.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Have For Any RUSH Fan!!
Review: I don't know why I waited so long to buy this. Most people, (non-RUSH fans) would think we are crazy for spending $ for a single DVD, but RUSH fans are one of a kind and this video is just amazing. Mr. Peart goes into to so much detail on his drumming most of it step by step. I just finished reading "Ghost Rider" and now after watching the DVD, I realize that my respect for this man continues to grow more and more. Please purchase this DVD. And please, dont obtain any illegal copies of it, it is worth the money.
Rating:
Summary: Neil in your home!
Review: I have been a Neil Peart fan since I discovered Rush!
It has been awhile since I've listened to any rock and when I learned of the latest album, I quickly began to surf the web. Long and behold, I found "A Work In Progress".
This DVD was exciting! To see and hear Neil discuss drumming was great and it really shows his intelligence in how he described the various phases of his contributions to the band. Neil speaks well and has a good vocabulary. Not common for some rock drummers. I have played every Rush song on the the drums except for the latest album. I now feel closer to this amazing counterpart of music. Having Neil in my home to watch at random is a good honor to my collection of DVD's. If you enjoy or enjoyed Rush, you will enjoy this.
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