Article - Tommy Lee returns to DW Drums

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MÖTLEY CRÜE's TOMMY LEE Returns To DW Drums

Drum Workshop Inc. (DW) has welcomed back Tommy Lee to its family of artists. Tommy began his relationship with the company as a late '80s pedal endorser and later as one of the first mainstream hard rock players to play DW drums. He toured with his first DW kit during the "Dr. Feelgood" era and...
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I thought he was just a fictional character that long haired pot heads used to talk about. Rock on duuuuuuuuuuuuude!
 
Hes a great drummer ......most bands could lose their drummer and go on forever. Tommy is the face and feel of Motley Crue. Cant say that about aloy of modern Rock bands.
 
DB7 said:
Hes a great drummer ......most bands could lose their drummer and go on forever. Tommy is the face and feel of Motley Crue. Cant say that about aloy of modern Rock bands.
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I suppose you’re right, but to this non-fan, whenever I hear them on the radio I don’t hear anything that says “that guy is the perfect match for this band”. As an example, I know I’m hearing Van Halen because Alex has a sound that nobody replicates, but Tommy Lee kinda represents that homogenized 80s thick sound that so many bands use that it’s hard to tell them from the crop of the same types of bands coming out of LA at the time. No offense though, that’s just how I’ve felt about a lot of those LA bands from that era, Guns and Roses included.
 
Bo Eder said:
I suppose you’re right, but to this non-fan, whenever I hear them on the radio I don’t hear anything that says “that guy is the perfect match for this band”. As an example, I know I’m hearing Van Halen because Alex has a sound that nobody replicates, but Tommy Lee kinda represents that homogenized 80s thick sound that so many bands use that it’s hard to tell them from the crop of the same types of bands coming out of LA at the time. No offense though, that’s just how I’ve felt about a lot of those LA bands from that era, Guns and Roses included.
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He dated and married Heather Locklear so that alone makes him a hero. He didn't really have to be a drummer but it must have helped. He liked big sticks and apparently so did Heather so she must have liked his playing. He really bangs the drums hard with his big sticks and she dug his rhythm sticks-a match made in heaven and just so Freudian it seems. That's why I became a drummer-hopes of heather. I'm taking up baseball now cause I got J-lo in my sights-I like her rhythmic limbs. I bet she can throw a ball and handle a bat-dang Freud loves drumming and baseball-who knew?
 
Bo Eder said:
And?
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Honestly, I was expecting that reaction. This is tasteful, creative drumming, and the song wouldn't be the same had this been any other 80s rock drummer. If you don't recognize that then you've simply made up your mind you don't like the guy.
 
bud7h4 said:
Honestly, I was expecting that reaction. This is tasteful, creative drumming, and the song wouldn't be the same had this been any other 80s rock drummer. If you don't recognize that then you've simply made up your mind you don't like the guy.
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I'm not arguing the point, and try not to get offended since you think I've simply made up my mind that I don't like the guy. It isn't that at all. I hear that song played on our classic radio stations everyday, and in the rotation of songs I hear, that one simply doesn't stick out as a "must hear" tune. Considering the "hits" they do get played on the radio, I'd think two hours of Motley Crue concert would be a sleeper for me.

But it's not just Motley Crue - there are ALOT of bands that sound pretty homogenized. Take REO Speedwagon - for all the hits they have, except for the singer, any of those band members could be anybody. Joey Kramer with Aerosmith could've been Jim Keltner in the studio making the records. Michael Derossier with early Heart could've been anybody too. Considering how many ghost studio players were on the hit records from the early days up until the early 80s, it's hard to say who was playing on what. I even met a second engineer at Ocean Way studios in L.A. who worked with Metallica and he told me there are vaults of tape that the band recorded where Lars just couldn't get through a whole song. Much of their material is edited cuts spliced together. So I'm hip to what they do to make hit records, maybe this has jaded me about alot of artists. And a shameless plug here - Bermuda is a master at sounding like everybody else because of the nature of his work with Weird Al. I try to do the same thing when I'm playing in a cover band (especially subbing for Bermuda in one band out here) - I try to play it like, and sound like, the hit record. I think that's alot harder than being the artist on the hit record - having to be chameleon for a whole night, and then not even get thanked for it ;)

And Tommy Lee married Pamela Anderson. Heather Locklear married Richie Sambora ;)
 
Never been a fan of Tommy Lee or anyone in that sub-genre of loud, clunky drumming. The drumming in bands like Motley Crue, KISS and Guns and Roses. I like a handful of songs from them, but not the drumming in particular.

Tommy Lee is the Paris Hilton of drummers. Famous for being famous and just as vapid. He's all bluster. Take away his rock star persona and babes on each arm, and he's a nobody. Maybe that's a little harsh but it's true.
 
Bo Eder said:
I'm not arguing the point, and try not to get offended since you think I've simply made up my mind that I don't like the guy. It isn't that at all. I hear that song played on our classic radio stations everyday, and in the rotation of songs I hear, that one simply doesn't stick out as a "must hear" tune. Considering the "hits" they do get played on the radio, I'd think two hours of Motley Crue concert would be a sleeper for me.

But it's not just Motley Crue - there are ALOT of bands that sound pretty homogenized. Take REO Speedwagon - for all the hits they have, except for the singer, any of those band members could be anybody. Joey Kramer with Aerosmith could've been Jim Keltner in the studio making the records. Michael Derossier with early Heart could've been anybody too. Considering how many ghost studio players were on the hit records from the early days up until the early 80s, it's hard to say who was playing on what. I even met a second engineer at Ocean Way studios in L.A. who worked with Metallica and he told me there are vaults of tape that the band recorded where Lars just couldn't get through a whole song. Much of their material is edited cuts spliced together. So I'm hip to what they do to make hit records, maybe this has jaded me about alot of artists. And a shameless plug here - Bermuda is a master at sounding like everybody else because of the nature of his work with Weird Al. I try to do the same thing when I'm playing in a cover band (especially subbing for Bermuda in one band out here) - I try to play it like, and sound like, the hit record. I think that's alot harder than being the artist on the hit record - having to be chameleon for a whole night, and then not even get thanked for it ;)

And Tommy Lee married Pamela Anderson. Heather Locklear married Richie Samb
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Solid points. I keep hoping that Bermuda will write a book, and each chapter is an interview with a great drummer he has had to imitate, and a commentary on the challenges.
 
IBitePrettyHard said:
Never been a fan of Tommy Lee or anyone in that sub-genre of loud, clunky drumming. The drumming in bands like Motley Crue, KISS and Guns and Roses. I like a handful of songs from them, but not the drumming in particular.

Tommy Lee is the Paris Hilton of drummers. Famous for being famous and just as vapid. He's all bluster. Take away his rock star persona and babes on each arm, and he's a nobody. Maybe that's a little harsh but it's true.
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I work with his godmother here at the magic kingdom. She's cool. She told me little Tommy's wife is "so crazy". ;)
 
Bo Eder said:
That would be alot of pages! Just sit him down for lunch and ask questions instead ;)
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Spoken like a man who lives in coastal southern Cali. I’m in southwest VA. And with no prospects of another tour through here for a while. And I have more questions than an hour could fit
 
I turned 20 in 1980 and I think all those drummers that people bash from that era are really good drummers including Lars. Those people that say those things are just not fans of Rock. Having said all that I hardly listen to that era of Music anymore I appreciate your music rarely anything older than the sixties though.
 
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