I've been following Virgil for over a year or so now, I've checked out his solo stuff, purchased his DVD and his play along book, which are all fantastic. Despite is amazing skills, I still cannot stop watching this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8zbqhIORJE
I can't believe how awesome and simple that is. It's amazing that Virgil can do all this complicated stuff, but when it comes down to pure playing, he's awesome at the simple stuff.
I think some people tend to miss that out and try and progress on to advanced stuff with out mastering the simple concepts.
Although that is some awesome groovery he displays in that vid with Soul Sirkus (I recommend the album with Virgil on it if you wan to hear him play some nice "normal" Rock music), I would not call that simple. He is integrating some complicated rhythmic tricks in that 4/4 groove.
I can't say I like Virgil donati, I find his drumming very mechanical and boring, and constant doublebass in solo's gets to me after awhile. I tried really hard to get into him, but he just isn't my type of drummer.
I like Virgil's playing but it does appear to be sort of mechanical and sometimes kind of on the verge of sloppy.
Mechanical yet sloppy? Isn't that a bit contradicting? And moreover the words "sloppy" and "Virgil Donati" don't belong in the same phrase. Like him or not that is entirely up to one's personal tastes but if there is one think you can't say about Virgil it's that he's sloppy.
I said SOMETIMES KIND OF ON THE VERGE of being sloppy. that's a far cry from: Virgil Donati's always sloppy. I think a machine can be sloppy. would you trust a robot in a car factory to change a baby's diaper? a mecanical device can sometimes be built NOT to display tender nuances and so forth. I like Virgil's drumming a lot. but nobody's beyond criticism.
I never said Virgil was beyond criticism. I know that for a lot of people his playing comes off as stale... That is their feeling towards his drumming and that perfectly fine. But aside that subjectivity there is a certain objectivity when talking about the drums and music. My point is simply that Virgil is one of the most solid drummers around. His whole philosophy/approach is based upon the perfection execution of rhythms and he is flawless in that domain. That is what made Virgil's popularity in the first place."Semetimes kind of the verge" is an expression that I do not really understand, and I do not understand the analogy with a robot changing a diaper. Where does that relate with the execution of rhythms?
I hope you're not taking this the wrong way. I'm not yelling or anything. So I hope I'm not coming off as so. It's just that I have been following Virgil for many years and really, he is nowhere near sloppy, not even on the verge of it.
No worries mate. The diaper changing robot is in response to the claim that a mechanical system cannot be sloppy. Whereas a car building robot is precise in the welds or whatever is required of it to build a gigantic car or truck it lacks the subtlety required to change a baby's diaper. You said you didn't understand mechanical and sloppy, that that was contradiction. Just a non-drumming related side. Anyway I get what you mean about Virgil. He's good, really good. If I could play half that good I'd be satisfied. As far as his being on the verge of sloppiness claim, I've heard that mentioned a couple times. And I really do sense that in some of the things I've seen him do, not the totality of his playing. As a matter of fact, it wasn't until someone else said he seemed on the verge of sloppiness or being out of control that I noticed this.
He's over-rated.... very over-rated.......
He's over-rated.... very over-rated.......
phantastic statement.
Bernhard