I was reading a review that Barry wrote over at WTDO and he mentions a 10 minute drums solo. It got me wondering both as a drummer who doesn't like taking a solo and as a music fan who doesn't like listening to a drum solo and as a drummer who doesn't like listening to a drum solo, who out there likes drum solos.
Don't get me wrong either, I like good drummers and a flashy fill is fun every now and them. I really enjoy when bands trade solos for a couple rounds or when there is a nice drum breakdown (i'm thinking Matt Chamberlain's drumming on Fiona Apple's "Limp"), but I just don't get the big old fashioned rock and roll drum solo.
Re: Drum Solos - Highlight of the night or time to go have a smo
Not a fan at all...or, as much a fan of that as I am on guitar wankery. Take a tasteful quick solo and get on with the song...
But drum solos? I got over that "fascination" with Neil Peart 2 decades ago....
I hate them almost as much as I hate drummers that cannot simply hold a good beat and feel the need to do something flashy every 4 bars, regardless of whether the song even warrants it....the mark of a "drummer" for the sake of drumming, not for the music which would make you (gasp) a musician. In my eyes anyway.
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Re: Drum Solos - Highlight of the night or time to go have a smo
I think that for me it would depend on how expressive it was. I remember once that myself and a couple friends got free passes to a Terry Bozzio drum clinic in CT. I think we were there for five minutes until we were out the door. Are you expressing something or just wanking? I feel that way about all solos, guitar included.
Re: Drum Solos - Highlight of the night or time to go have a smo
Quote:
It's hard to feel bad for you and your complaint about drum solos at a drum clinic hahahah. I worked a Bozzio drum clinic once and clinical is the perfect word for how he plays. There were a ton of people really into it though. Maybe even enough to warrant all these drum solos elsewhere.
Re: Drum Solos - Highlight of the night or time to go have a smo
Without drum solos, we would never have time to go to the bathroom.
Re: Drum Solos - Highlight of the night or time to go have a smo
There are maybe three people who ever walked the face of the earth worthy of playing an extended drum solo _ all jazz guys _ and, to my knowledge, they never took one. That's one of the things that made them great.
And please, don't ask me to name them. I can't spend the time right now digging out my jazz vinyl.
Re: Drum Solos - Highlight of the night or time to go have a smo
I love a good drum solo. When I was around 5 I got my first drum set and I have vivid memories of watching Buddy Rich on the Mike Douglas show and going to my drums after to try and duplicate what I saw. Perhaps I can appreciate a good drum solo because I have seen some of the best drummers on the planet do them.
Mike Mangini is without a doubt the best drummer I have seen, probably the best in the world, certainly the best rock drummer in the world. He now teaches at Berkley and holds the world record for Worlds fastest Drummer. When he was playing with Rick Berlin, I saw him close to 100 times and at every show there was a drum solo. Every one was brilliant. Great timing, not too long, amazing rhythm, just the right lenght of time, all the things that I think make up a good drum solo.
I saw Mike recently in the audience at a Dream Theater show and I am sure it was planned, he got on stage with Mike Portnoy,(In my top 5 of best rock drummers, also a Berkley guy)
They did a double drum solo on Portnoy's enormous kit and it blew me away.
One more example of a great drum solo was at last years Phil Collins show. I think most musicians recognize Phil as a great drummer first and a crappy songwriter second so when he started his farewell tour shows off with a 15 min drum solo off I was ecstatic. he came on stage alone, started the solo, then was joined by Chester Thompson (longtime Genesis/Phil Collins touring drummer, also with Weather Report) for their "Drum duet" that they first did together in 1978, then were Joined by a percussionist and you had this amazing full sound that filled the place. It reminded me of a great boston band from the 90's called Concussion Ensemble.
Anyone remember them? 5 drummers on stage at once with a guitarist and bassist. Instrumental songs based around this wall of percussion and I never got tired of seeing it live. It didn't translate well to the 45 I bought but I still saw them live whenever I could.
I am not a big fan of guitar solos but the G3 tours always do well. I propose a D3 tour. Mike Mangini, Mike Portnoy and Terry Bozzio drumming all night long. Each year then can rotate in different drummers, Neil Pert, Dave Ghrol etc. I would spend good money on that.
I know What I Like And I Like What I Know
Re: Drum Solos - Highlight of the night or time to go have a smo
This is a tough one. I have had no problem watching neil peart go off. The dude from the dave matthews band was pretty interesting. I could watch jayson from diecast play all day long as well.
I have also seen some shit that just flat out put me to sleep. Rikki Rockett(actually most cock rock drummers for that matter aside from rod morgenstein and maybe tommy lee), the drummer for Lenny Kravitz(seriously did a lame 5 minute snare roll, crowd went bezerk ) and the king. The king of the terrible drum solo mick fleetwood.
His solo started on a fresh beer. I finished it, waited in line, came back to my seats. He ends his drum set solo and straps on a bongo. Bum bum bum bum dun dun bum bum screams "HEY" repeat for another 10 minutes or so. I finish another beer, wait in line, come back to my seats and the dude is just starting act 3 "drum body suit solo". God awful. He was on stage for what seemed like an eternity. The crowd just started pouring into the parking lot.
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