Reveal Thread: Walrus Grab Bag 2 - The Walrus Strikes Back

Sports & Other Games
893

In 7th place with 7 points
Stewart Copeland - Bird of Prey
(Drums: 0?)

This one is a real cautionary tale, and also an exploration of my petty prejudices. So, the way I listen to these is on spotify, but this submission is a live performance off of Letterman. No worries, I thought, the album is on spotify, so when I’m out and about I’ll hear that and then I’ll supplement youtube viewings when at home.

First time through on spotify I enjoyed it. The name rang a bell and I’d looked up he was the drummer from The Police and that he composed stuff these days, and it sounded like a fun instrumental. The drums almost stayed in the background and were good. I looked forward to exploring his music more. Then I watched the video.

Well, the sound mix seems off now and the saxophone a little out of time on the first riff. Also I don’t like massive kits like that, it’s not the 70s any more. And why is he playing traditional if he’s just going to hammer it every single time? And the solo in the middle isn’t great. And some stick twirls as well? Hmmmm.

Anyway, at that point I wanted to put it way lower. On subsequent viewings I’ve managed to stamp down my pointless hatreds and recognise them for the lashings out of a bitter man. It’s still a really nice song, getting lots done in an enjoyably concise manner and I will still listen to more records by him. I’ll just try and forget the youtubes stuff. Still not a big fan of the solo, but I guess Letterman isn’t the arena for extended drum heroics.

I instantly knew who I wanted to pick for your category, but i had a ton of trouble deciding on what track because he’s done so much cool stuff. I listened to his 2004 album up and down, and then I realized that I like watching drummers as much as I like listening, so a live performance it is. I don’t know why the video is titled wrong, but the track is Birds of Prey from Orchestralli. (Bonus, this fits your original category, too!)

I definitely feel bad now, I obviously like watching drummers too. I sometimes arrive early to concerts to get a decent seat solely for that purpose. I think this is about where it would have always landed. I think.

2 Likes
894

lol now he heard the XTC song and began frantically dancing around and yelled “again” when the song ended (including a 15 seconds of just spinning around in the place flapping his hands during the outro).

great reviews to whoever sent it.

edit - he now asked for the “chicko bomb dance”, so that’s the official name of the song

5 Likes
895

OK, now we’re in to the territory where I’ve used the drum marks a fair amount. The songs themselves all had stuff I really liked but were quite different, so it was tough to say why one was above another. I have said that, though.

In 6th place with 8 points
The Gun Club - She’s Like Heroin To Me
(Drums: 0+)

I became a big fan of this one, another band I don’t know how I’ve avoided hearing until now. It sounded simultaneously like something from Highway 61 Revisited, and a song I was surprised came out as early as '81. It seemed to be close to alt-country at times, which I always believed was invented by folk with lots of REM records a bit later than this.

Anyway, it’s just a really satisfying, bouncy but skuzzy tune with as much pop as there is (post) punk and blues. The drums are part of that and give it that forward motion. Not a very complicated affair but a key part of the song. The submitter writes:

I like drums on dirtier songs

Fair play.

3 Likes
896

This was me. I’m quite happy with this placing. It was either this or a Roxy track, but the Roxy track had a big production that overshadowed the drums.

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897

this is mine. I chose my drummer then looked for something to submit.

Stewart Copeland is considered one of the top rock drummers of all time. I guess I should have gone with my gut and submitted Message In a Bottle, where no fill is the same and the rhythm drumming is ridiculously technical.

or this, which is just fucking cool, but you have to watch it.

2 Likes
898

I like this one. Dont know them. Still alive!

1 Like
899

Yeah, that would have been tough as I know Message in a Bottle very well but the drumming, the whole rhythm section really, is wonderful.

900

yeah the song is so well-known, that’s why i didn’t use it.

FPS kills another player :(

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901

In 5th place with 9 points
Dol Ammad - Stargate Pyramid
(Drums: +)

This was another one that went on a bit of a journey. Obviously when I added it to the playlist I thought it was no-hoper stuff from the youtube preview picture alone. Then on the first shuffled run through the very enjoyable opening drum workout tricked me into not realising what it was.

After that though, as the Electronicartmetal started up in earnest I began shifting in my seat. Then a choir started singing about fucking Stargate and it took quite a lot of will power to not yank the ear phones out. But I stayed strong.

After repeated contamination, however, I started, I dunno, I think, to enjoy most of it. Not all of it, but the section around 2:23 with the chanting is decent. Then they pull the prog classic move of stopping and starting a slightly different song, which is a better (i.e. heavier) one and it reminds me of a louder but way less complicated Magma. The chanting is back with a slightly discordant edge, and that part (around 3:37 to close) is proper.

The drums are very solid and the opening minute is really nicely put together. Have to lose points for the double bass pedal as ever, but at least it’s a locked in feature of lots of metal drumming and they use it to utter excess, which I sort of get the aesthetic of, so I’ll back off a little. Just wish they weren’t singing about fucking Stargate.

3 Likes
902

Wow my prediction was…

Not true. Still alive somehow

1 Like
903

I like this a lot

904

I had several songs on my short list that were basically all double bass. Dodged a bullet.

1 Like
905

In 4th place with 10 points
Rush - YYZ
(Drums: +++)

Now we’re talking for drums. I’ve never listened to Rush as they always seemed like the sort of stadium prog band I’d hate. I’m not certain the track overall dispels that, but the drums on this are just lush.

The timing is impeccable, everything sounds so crisp and precise. It’s all rhythm and you can tell it’s worked out to the last detail, but he’s doing all sorts and making sure he exploits every moment available. There’s a section in it where he plays a fast rhythm near the bell of the ride that I particularly loved, and his fills are just the right side of drum masturbation—so perfect.

I also have to admit that the song itself is pretty enjoyable stuff. A solid instrumental rock work out with a nicely in your face opening, before it settles down to a comfortable rhythm for most of it. I’m glad no one sang, that’s usually my main problem with big name prog stuff. I did find my mind drifting in some sections, but it’s not a long song and have I mentioned the drums?

3 Likes
906

I podiumed! hooray!

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907

Had to google Dol Ammad. Have to check them out.

908

i would have lost serious money betting on who sent it then

909

There it is. Really happy with 4th. Just grabbed a song I liked with some rocking drums

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910

Our boy @Rivaldo once again on the podium!

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911

In case you don’t know they play the morse code for YYZ (airport code for Toronto).

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912

I’m a simple man. I see

Dol Ammad is a heavy metal band formed in 2000 by Greek keyboard player Thanasis Lightbridge. Dol Ammad is characterizeded with instrumentation which layers conventional metal instrumentation (bass, drums, and electric guitar), synthesizers, and the vocal support of a fourteen-member four-part choir

I assume it’s LouisCyphre

2 Likes