Morrissey’s Mozburger
Kindhearted mockery.
Drumming & Drummers
Slash on Guns N’ Roses’ search for a new drummer:
In the back of my mind I thought, “Sure, anybody can play drums.” Right . . .the three of us thought that finding a replacement would be easy considering that our songs were all pretty straight-ahead 4/4 rock rhythms with a few fancy time changes – how hard could that be? . . .After a few horrible days of trying to play with uselessly inappropriate candidates, though, we realized the depth of our naivete. The way a drummer plays involves such a personal feel for the rhythm and inflections on the beat that affect the entire vibe of the song – and the entire band for which he keeps time. (Slash, p. 305)
And then the impact it had on the band:
“Knocking on Heaven’s Door” was also the first song that we could listen to and get an idea of what the band sounded like with our new drummer. It came out great, but there was a definite difference in the overall feel of the new Guns from the old Guns. We had lost a little bit of the mayhem and punk rock, that raw chaotic, seat-of-the-pants feel. Instead we sounded more epic and and solid and huge. That was a good or a bad thing depending on who you asked. (Slash, p. 311, 312)
Whenever a guitarist (or any other musician) comes to see the light, I love it. I like Slash.
* * * * *
I’ve been drumming since the age of six. Most drummers I’ve met don’t hear songs. Rather, they hear drums. They don’t play with other musicians, they play to other musicians. Alex Van Halen gets it:
When Ginger Baker asked what the drummer’s role was in a band, he said it was ‘to make the other musicians sound good’. He didn’t mean it as an arrogant statement, but I know now what he meant. You want to fit in with the music. You could be a Buddy Rich, but you can’t do all those things when you’re playing a simple song. You have to play what’s appropriate for the tune. Jeff Porcaro understood that. He knew how to make things move without sticking out as though he was trying to solo (Modern Drummer, March 2008, 66).
Most drummers (the good ones) I’ve met also obsess about such things as tempo and time (among other things). However, such obsessions are misguided. Again, Alex Van Halen gets it:
The idea of trying to create strict metronomic time is nonsense. When you come to a part that needs a moment, you take a breath and slow down. Then you ramp it up and bring up the volume. When I listen to our early records, the time fluctuates, because the music breathes. Instead of having it in a box, it’s an organic thing. Most of it you don’t even notice because you’re caught up in the music (ibid, 70).
I’ve never been a big Van Halen fan, but Alex is an amazing drummer. Here he is at his best. Here is my favorite Van Halen tune.
Stand Up Philosopher
The best comedy makes fine distinctions and elucidates important concepts; very much like philosophy.
Twilight
What do you make of Twilight hoopla? Here is a good review of the move via John Nolte. Here are some thoughts about the attraction of vampires: The vampire myth is all wonky today because at root vampires are anti-Christians and without a fundamental cultural understanding and appreciation for the goods of Christianity, there’s no [...]
A Beautiful Life
A life lived beautifully: a description. (HT: The Anchoress)
Feels Just Like It Should
To use a Keithism, If these aren’t the two best musicians/performers/singers/songwriters out there, then there is no God. Morrissey‘s latest: Jay Kay (Jamiroquai) UPDATE: KBJ thinks these two songs suck.
The Power of the Face
I know, probably, you didn’t arise this morning thinking about faces – maybe individual faces (your husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc), but not faces generally. But you should think about faces. Faces are everything in life. Faces make us human. A covered face is a non-human thing. And it is important that we be human. Warriors mask [...]
How To Determine Greatness (The Beautiful)?
Do you think it is sometimes hard to tell the difference between the great and the ordinary (not always, but sometimes)? One test of greatness is history. Shakespeare, for example, is still read (400 years later) because his plays and poetry are great. Our proximity to the music, literature, and people of our time may work [...]
Wandrers Nachtlied (Wanderers Night Song)
Der du von dem Himmel bist, Alles Leid und Schmerzen stillest, Den, der doppelt elend ist, Doppelt mit Erquickung füllest, – Ach, ich bin des Treibens müde, Was soll all der Schmerz und Lust? – Süßer Friede, Komm, ach komm in meine breast! brust You who art from heaven, Who quiets all that is painfull, [...]
The Office
I read that The Office won the Emmy for outstanding comedy (see here) – but don’t hold that against the show. The Office is the funniest show on TV.