Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

The Art of Drumming - Sky Arts


Steve Browning

Recommended Posts

9 hours ago, Huge Hands said:

 

EDIT: @ezbass according to my Sky box that was episode 4 of 4, but happy to have more!

 

Just did a Google search and it confirms that it is indeed only 4 ☹️.

Now that they’ve done drums, I wonder if they’ll do other instruments 🤞.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I may be a bass player (of sorts) but my day job, for as long as I care to remember, is designing drums in all forms (kits, snares, marching, hardware etc etc).  I know Steve White pretty well (we worked together at Premier where I designed a range of kits and snares with him as a consultant) and, as with all programs of this type, you can’t please everyone and not everyone’s favourite will be included.  Overall, I thought it was a pretty good effort and most importantly didn’t fall into the ‘lowest common denominator’ style to pander to the masses which would have been just awful.  I thought the last episode was a bit poor as lists are pretty pointless and the time would have been better spent interviewing some of the other great drummers mentioned in the previous comments on here. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/10/2018 at 18:57, ezbass said:

Now that they’ve done drums, I wonder if they’ll do other instruments 🤞.

A bass one would be horrific. 

Man alive, it would just write itself and you can see it now; full of the usual suspects, the omission of loads who should be in there and a subtle nods to the likes of the previously unknown Blind Reggie Fingerblister who revolutionarily tuned to E/C/F#/H and played on a lone Sun Records b-side in 1957.

  • Like 2
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

52 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said:

A bass one would be horrific. 

Man alive, it would just write itself and you can see it now; full of the usual suspects, the omission of loads who should be in there and a subtle nods to the likes of the previously unknown Blind Reggie Fingerblister who revolutionarily tuned to E/C/F#/H and played on a lone Sun Records b-side in 1957.

You could say it's been done with the release of Beneath The Bassline, which is a brilliant film/documentary.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/10/2018 at 19:37, Huge Hands said:

Did anyone else watch the whole 4 episodes?

In the last one, they did a list of the "Top 20 Drummer's Drummers" - basically the top ones mentioned by the contributors.  They are below.  Discuss!

Note before you get angry, even the program (Steve White) said it wasn't the definitive list, it was just theirs, so don't take it too seriously.  No surprises with most choices, but I just thought it would be good to hear people's thoughts.  Like they said, if it inspires someone to go check someone out, it's worth it. 

1. Buddy Rich

2. John Bonham

3. Hal Blaine

4. Ringo Starr

5. Gene Krupa

6. Dave Grohl

7. Louie Bellson

8. Bill Ward

9. Billy Cobham

10. Ian Paice

11. Neil Peart

12. Earl Palmer

13. Ginger Baker

14. Steve Gadd

15. Cindy Blackman 

16. Dave Daddy Kane (didn't get mentioned in all 4 episodes until the list)

17. Carlton Barrett

18. Jeff Pocaro

19. Clyde Stubblefield

20. Keith Moon

Personally, and I am by no means an expert nor right, I was surprised they had Jeff Pocaro and not Bernard Purdie, as he just went further with BP's idea?   Also, with Cindy Blackman, it felt like they had put her in because they felt they had to include a female?  I admit she is good (and most likely much better than I ever was), but top 20 ever? 

Some of my personal idols that didn't make the series (not necessarily the list) were Mitch Mitchell (surprisingly barely mentioned at all) the Motown drummers, Al Jackson Jr (Stax), Greg Errico and UK drummer Pete Ray Biggin. 

I did love hearing Jabo Starks humbly praising Clyde Stubblefield as though he was nothing in comparison! 

I also have renewed love for Ian Paice, both his drumming and his personality after watching this series.

...and no doubt the most inflammatory bit for some - I totally agree with Ringo's inclusion - he was a massive influence on me.

 

I'm a drummist before I'm a bass player and haven't managed to see this series so will have to catch up but I'm perplexed at some of the inclusions here considering these are meant to be drummers' drummers.  I've never been a fan of Bonham, all power and no finesse IMO. Moon was just messy, Starr was functional, Grohl is there cos he's more famous than most. I'd have Art Blakey, Zigaboo Modeliste,  JR Robinson,  Michael Shrieve, Sly Dunbar, Stewart Copeland, Tony Thompson, Dennis Chambers, Dave Garibaldi, Tony Allen, Elvin Jones, Bernard Purdie and Terry Bozzio, instead of some of those listed. All these have idiosyncratic styles , supreme technical skills, widely recorded and influential

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I very much enjoyed the first three episodes and was looking forward to the fourth and final show but must admit I felt a little let down by it, not just because of the "top 20 drummers" list -- always a bit of a waste of time as these things can never be definitive (imho) -- but also because it just seemed like the programme makers had perhaps run out of steam and put together a compilation of clips from the previous three episodes along with the aforementioned top 20 list.

That said, I was pleased to see Tom Lang and his crazy 6-pedal kit, also Craig Blundell included in the series, one of the few representatives of the "7/8-9/8-13/8 Club" -- otherwise known as Prog Rock! ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
On 12/10/2018 at 09:35, ped said:

 

I really never saw the fascination with Buddy Rich.

Really! I can't take my eyes off his toupees over the years... 

Sorry bit personal that... I think his technique was pretty impressive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...