Ever get disappointed in a drummer's music?

PorkPieGuy said:
To branch out the idea of the OP, I have a huge list of bands and/or albums that I absolutely should love, but for whatever reason, I don't.
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I hear ya. I can't tell you how many times someone has discovered I'm a Rush fan and said, "Oh, you must love Dream Theater!" Ummmm, no. lol
 
IDDrummer said:
I hear ya. I can't tell you how many times someone has discovered I'm a Rush fan and said, "Oh, you must love Dream Theater!" Ummmm, no. lol
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I hear you there. It never, ever translated for me.
 
Armor of Light said:
I was just thinking of starting a thread/discussion about this topic!
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I've replied to threads like these, and I often get crucified because my tastes are weird. And also keep in mind there are LOTS of bands that I've really, really tried to like but for whatever reason, they just don't do it for me.
 
I don't think this is exclusive to drummers.

I have heard solo music I did not enjoy from members of bands I really enjoyed.

I liked some of Phil Collins solo work as well as Billy Cobham.
 
I think this is a big picture question not something specific to one band etc..

To me the point of the drummer, aside from an occasional boring (to me) solo, is to be the string that ties the song together. Like a (cosmic? :) clothesline that all the notes are hung on and when you pull it in the song comes out.

I recall a thread about drum solos a few years ago and it was like this thread with many people voicing opinions on one side or the other. I think you get this idea or you dont. Not right or wrong but I agree with you in that I dont like drum-centric music or even music written by drummers at least none that I have heard.

Bo/Matt you are a great drummer who can play all kinds of styles and do so in all kinds of settings as we have learned over the years. Sounds like you have learned this after many years of doing it "right" (IMO).
 
Toolate said:
Bo/Matt you are a great drummer who can play all kinds of styles and do so in all kinds of settings as we have learned over the years. Sounds like you have learned this after many years of doing it "right" (IMO).
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Oh gee, thanks! I suppose I'm just a music historian. I've been listening to music for at least the last 47 years of my 51-year life, and although I'm not near as busy a player as I'd like to be (who is?) I've heard enough or been prodded on to give things a listen enough to feel if it will be a good thing or not. These days I kinda tell people who give me recommendations on what I should be listening to that, "I don't have time to listen to the music I actually BUY" ;)

But I'm not really knocking drummers who compose, 'cause like I said, I can't do it. And I think everybody basically finds their audience eventually. There's just more, after all this time listening, that doesn't move me as much as other things. But I do appreciate everyone's efforts. I just no longer voice an opinion on someone's music unless I really love it. No point saying bad things about someone's art, since it's all art, right? I'm sure there are plenty of people who don't like how I play or wonder why I did certain things on the kit that just didn't make any sense, so I'm definitely not above anyone else as far as that goes. And there's still a lot to learn out there!
 
You r welcome. Didn't mean to imply that you were saying all of that.

Really though, don't you think you just probably would rather hear music that is focused on a good groove or a great band feel/sound? To me that makes you a great drummer rather than someone who wants to blaze away and overwhelm the music with chops etc...

Groove is where it's at, not complicated math, not drum solos. The pocket. Make em bob their heads and you win. To me anyway.
 
Toolate said:
You r welcome. Didn't mean to imply that you were saying all of that.

Really though, don't you think you just probably would rather hear music that is focused on a good groove or a great band feel/sound? To me that makes you a great drummer rather than someone who wants to blaze away and overwhelm the music with chops etc...

Groove is where it's at, not complicated math, not drum solos. The pocket. Make em bob their heads and you win. To me anyway.
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I'm all about this. But I've learned over time that a lot of the greatest musicians know when to go for it and when to lay back. They know when to let the music speak - and there's a lot of that kind of stuff out there. When I hear Steve Jordan play with John Mayer, it's all groove, yet something incomprehensible too - something to make you want to work on your own groove. Contrast that with a new band I just discovered, Autolux, which is all groove, but more atmospheric and nothing to sink your teeth in to. So I'm riding this fine line - there has to be enough there for me to think there's something to work on, yet cleverly-disguised as groove music. If there's nothing there, it falls into "atmospherics" for me ;)
 
mikel said:
Agreed, and I do like Funk and Jazz. Not talking genre, simply not songs to my liking, and if they are being held up as special???
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Kinda my feelings too. I like lots of funk and jazz, just not that.

Each to their own obviously and for me personally, I don't pigeon-hole myself into genres. I like lots of heavy music but I hate a lot of heavy metal. I like lots of jazz and funk but I hate self-indulgent tripe.

What I'm saying is that I am very particular in what I like and what I don't. Genre only comes into it when I'm trying to explain to others what I like.

Look at Animals as Leaders. Their last album Joy of Motion was one of the greatest albums I've ever heard. Their new one has a completely different feel to it and I hate it.

So as a rule, I am generally disappointed by most music I hear, so the fact that I am with drummers music is not surprising.

What I would like is one to break the mould, one exception to the rule. last one I tried was Aristocrats and it's awful
 
JohnW said:
It goes back a few years, but Marvin "Smitty" Smith's album, Keeper of the Drums stands out. He wrote all of the tunes as well. Here's the first track:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHxuX4Atg9g
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Yes, that was a great album, the one that really put at the time Marvin Smith on the center of the scene, remember listen to it at the end of the 80´s (I also have the second one).

Best regards!
 
I don't know if I could really pinpoint a trend strictly with drummers per se, but I definitely notice a trend with the type of players whom you might expect to put on clinics, regardless of their instrument, putting out albums of music that is geared toward other musicians perhaps listening to it. The sort of thing that is more fun to play than to listen to. I mean, who really needs another adult contemporary/fusion crossover album with keyboards taking the place of vocals? Walmart maybe?...
 
Ghostnote said:
I don't know if I could really pinpoint a trend strictly with drummers per se, but I definitely notice a trend with the type of players whom you might expect to put on clinics, regardless of their instrument, putting out albums of music that is geared toward other musicians perhaps listening to it. The sort of thing that is more fun to play than to listen to. I mean, who really needs another adult contemporary/fusion crossover album with keyboards taking the place of vocals? Walmart maybe?...
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Maybe that's it. They want to make music that other musicians will appreciate.
 
It's odd because many times drummers make the best arrangers.


Bass players and drummers always seem to write really boring music, and I think it's because we are stuck thinking about rhythms, rather than melody. The music is usually complicated, and interesting, but there's no hook or melody line that pulls you into it. No one's sitting around tapping their feet or humming these songs.


To expand on it, I'd put many of the guitar virtuoso types in this category as well. Steve Vai songs, for example, are boring as hell! Much like drummers, and bass players, these songs are complicated, but are usually just a vehicle for someone to shred their chops over.
 
tcspears said:
It's odd because many times drummers make the best arrangers.


Bass players and drummers always seem to write really boring music, and I think it's because we are stuck thinking about rhythms, rather than melody. The music is usually complicated, and interesting, but there's no hook or melody line that pulls you into it. No one's sitting around tapping their feet or humming these songs.


To expand on it, I'd put many of the guitar virtuoso types in this category as well. Steve Vai songs, for example, are boring as hell! Much like drummers, and bass players, these songs are complicated, but are usually just a vehicle for someone to shred their chops over.
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Which is why Toto were such an interesting band. Chops for miles and miles. With fantastic songwriting.

I'm not even a particular fan of Toto - I can just sense the absolute craftsmanship of what they achieved.
 
 
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