BBC4 Drums, bass, guitar

For those in the U.K. the first in a three part series was broadcast on BBC4 this evening. Stuart Copeland on the history of jazz/rock drumming. I enjoyed it a lot.

Available on iPlayer, Bass next week.

 

Just watched it, very interesting stuff, I like his style.

 

I enjoyed it and some great footage but I feel you really need a series to do the subject justice, as it skipped so much.

Strange as well, considering who the host was, that they didn't cover reggae drumming.

 

The Drum (programme 1) was good, but I thought Tina Weymouth's Bass programme was excellent.

More Beatles, Cream, James Brown Band footage as well as a heap of other great treats!

BBC Four - Guitar, Drum and Bass

 

Yes I agree, much better. Really like how James Jamerson got some love, as he is my favourite bass player and he rarely gets the focus he deserves.

 

A pedant writes: I thought there was a really clunky editorial choice in the Bass episode, where they spent a minute or two talking about how Paul McCartney's playing changed when he moved from the Hofner 500/1 to the Rickenbacker 4001, and they played the bassline from Something as an example of his later, melodic playing... while cutting to an image of 1964 Paul with the Hofner.

 

Well the "guitar" episode was a weird one. Am I remember correctly or did they not once mention an overdriven amp as a way of achieving distortion?

 

The poorest episode of the three i think, partly because there is so much ground to cover that a one hour show is almost destined to fail.

 

They seemed to be struggling for guest talking heads - Howie Edelson? I don't really know him so apologise if I'm dismissing his huge guitar knowledge. It all seemed a bit of an alternate take on the history of guitar and maybe focusing a bit too much on effects as opposed to technique. Also a lot of top guitar players didn't get a mention (? I had drunk a few beers at this point so may be misremembering) - Jimmy Page, Brian May for instance. They did feature Eddie Van Halen but then play a section of "Jump" which didn't really feature any memorable guitar. The solo might've been more apt. Just lots of little things like that which bugged me. Joe Bonamassa contributed - but talking, not playing. Would've liked to hear some of the guest guitarists actually play something - Joe, Vernon Reid, Nancy Wilson, Lita Ford.

 

I wasn't expecting to enjoy the Guitar episode but have to say I was much more impressed with it than I thought I would be. Same comments apply to the Bass episode. Some good insights and footage. I thought the Drum episode was the least interesting of the three. I found all three episodes to be very welcome and watchable TV.

 

In the guitar episode I thought it was very odd they covered bottleneck by referencing the Paris, Texas soundtrack recording without mentioning the great Ry Cooder.