Blondie question for Steve or others..

On a recent thread about favorite Rock Drummers I put in a plug for Blondie's Clem Burke. I think of him now cause I saw Blondie and The B-52's a couple of nights ago and I just marvel at how great this guy is. I am not a drummer and tend to watch guitarists at concerts (Chris Stein sounds great BTW and appears to be in good health) but Burke is, in my opinion the best rock drummer I have seen since Keith Moon. That good.

Which took me back to "Parallel Lines" on DCC gold. I had forgotten what a great album this is until I heard four of the tunes the other night
(Heart of Glass, Fade Away and Radiate, Hanging on the Telephone and One Way or Another) and popped in the disc.

This was more of a pop piece than a New Wave record but very,very strong. And of course Debbie Harry was the big attraction considering her great voice and striking looks (still looks and sounds pretty damn good too!).

My question is: Did we consider this guy a great drummer back then?
I mean was it obvious and I just missed it cause of the whole Blondie Hype or am I off base alltogether (any drummers out there??). I first saw him with Eurythmics of all bands and he just dropped my jaw
and I have been a fan ever since.

Steve: When you were working on Parallel Lines did you think
"Wow. what a killer drummer"?

Thanks and good weekend all.
Making a withdrawl from my joint account...

Norm

 

Ah Norm, tea time is it?

Yes Clem is a really good drummer, even though I don't play myself, but he can only stand in the shadows of the truely greatest drummer period. Neil Peart is by far the best that ever was, and still is! He makes Keith Moon look like he's still in first year percussion.

 

Rush

Dude: you are gonna get slammed on this one methinks.
Moonie is rock and roll royalty.
I'd run and hide if I were you.
Man you Canadians hang together

Peace,
Norm

real name: Bellboy

 

Hey Norm,

I'm ready! Bring it on! I am a musician, and say this with all purposeful truth. Nobody! And I do mean nobody, can hold a flame to Neil's syncopated rhythms and techniques. He's a percussion technical genius! Keith Moon was a great drummer though.

 

Re: Rush

No we don't! If you lay one finger on Dave we'll hunt you down with our Mounties and their Indian trackers. The Mounties always get their Man!

 

It is impossible to compare Keith Moon to any other drummer. If Clem was a "clean" drummer, then Moon was a "dirty" drummer. In reality, Moon was a terrible drummer because he refused to "keep time". Listen to his drumming on Live at Leeds. He plays in time, between time, out of time, all over time. He kind of plays “in time”, then he explodes with some strange series of drum fills that are "almost" in time. The only reason that Moon’s eratic drumming style was tolerated was because of John’s solid bass playing. Moon made up for his lack of “proper” technique by providing the driving power behind The Who. I believe that The Who are at their best when they have an explosive drummer pushing them along. The band stunk when Kenny Jones was their drummer because he just “played along”. The Who have regained their energy since they have Zack pushing them along. Moon was the pusher. The guy was like a locomotive!!! Moon’s greatest achievement was that he propelled the roll of the drummer from simply being the “time keeper” to being a front man having equal status with the lead guitar or lead singer. There will never be another drummer like Moon.

 

Mounties

Yeah but then they sleep with their horses.


Where's my USA backup?!

Peace,
Norm
real name: Dudley

Bonus Trivea Question:
What was Dudley Doorights horse's name?
Winner receives a free drum lesson from
Don Brewer!!

Out!

 

I must say Dave is 100% correct on this one Someone buy the man a drink

All the best - Andew

 

Re: Mounties

Are you implying there's something wrong with that?

 

But I still find Peart to be a bit dull because his style is so progressive. I prefer a good meat-and-potatoes drummer like Charlie Watts, or a powerful drummer like Keith Moon or John Bonham. I guess it's the pedestrian quality of so much of Rush's music which keeps me from truly holding Peart in high esteem. I realize he's great, maybe even classic, but the type of music he plays prevents a higher rating. Ginger Baker kind of reminds me of Peart, but I love Baker's finesse.

What was the guy who hit the skins for Booker T and the MG's name? Al Jackson? He was good. How about the guy who drummed on those early Rod Stewart albums? Martin Quintetton? (I probably misspelled the name) Another good drummer.

 

Nay

Are you implying there's something wrong with that?


I thought in the UK you ate your horses...



Out!
Norm

 

Re: Mounties

I think his name is just "Horse."

When's my drum lesson??

 

Ginger is great. He is very much like Watts, jazz drummers that play rock and roll on the side. Both are interesting rock and roll drummers because neither are LOUD, SLAMMING, stick breaking drummers. They both have the subtle touch of a jazz drummer.

 

Re: Nay

No way - It would be a brave man indeed that admitted eating horse in the UK - one million 11-15 year old girls with ponies would be after your hide - although at school here we are taught that eating horse is compulsory in France

All the best - Andrew

 

I was also at the Blondie/52's show and thought the drumming superb, but then again I knew it would be....he looked exausted at the end..I was in the 5th row on the aisle, I could see everything soooo clear
Blondie is underrated in the history of great rock bands. Their first 4 albums are loaded with outstanding tracks and Debbie still has 'it' as a vocalist. It was a great show.

 

YOU WIN!!

Congrats!

You correctly answered the trivea question!
Dudley Dooright's horse was indeed named "Horse"

Here is your free drum lesson from none other than Don Brewer:

Go home and put on the first Grand Funk Railraoad (red) album.
That's exactly how NOT to play the drums!
(or bass or guitar for that matter )

And as for that Blondie / B's show:
I wuz in the pit Mr. Lennonfan
and it was a great show indeed.
Look for you at the next one.

"Tin Roof...Rusted"

Peace,
Norm
real name: Cindy

 

Anyone here check out Ginger Baker's jazz recordings? I think they're actually quite good.

 

I wonder if it is harder to appreciate Moon's talent if you are a musician? Kinda the same point I was making in the "guitar solo" thread a couple days ago, but it seems to me that being a musician sometimes predisposes a person to prefer stuff that is difficult to play, technically proficient, and complex. Whereas I, being devoid of all musical talent, base my opinions only on "does it sound cool to me or not", regardless of how easy it might be to play, or how sloppy. Moon's stuff is spontaneous, sloppy, and out-of-control, which is the way rock-and-roll music should be. Peart may be a better drummer overall, but Moon was a better rock-n-roll drummer.

 

I'm all about meat and potatoes when it comes to the drums. Although impressive, Peart has that "I'm so obsessively perfect" beat attitude that bores my pores! Give me a Moon or Bonham any day. Living is full of mistakes........and so goes satisfying musical performances.

 

Well it's all just prefernce and opinion anyways...but I like Peart because he takes rthymes to a whole new level (can we say 2112 drum solo). No drummer that I've ever seen live can touch the energy that Neil puts out. As far as I'm concerned Neil Peart set an example of what a truely great drummer is and so far everyone else is just second place.

 

Great drumming is based on an apparent contradiction - you have to be loose and tight at the same time. Too tight - no power, tick tock, drum machine effect, no groove. Too loose - the beat falls apart.

Neil Peart is a great drummer, but he's got no WHOMP. John Bonham had it, Moon had it, Ginger Baker has it. His style is very complimentary to prog rock - but even there, I'd rate Carl Palmer (ELP) and Bill Bruford (Yes) ahead of him.