Haha Neal Peart! I knew he’d show up somewhere in this walrus.
Yeah yeah, best ever. I know.
i just don’t really like Rush
2 Likes
Not a bad guess and it would have fit my category, too.
Blasphemy
Podium time. It worked out nicely as the podium is all the songs that I both unreservedly loved and also found the drumming a little bit special. There was a clear number 1 but 2 & 3 were really tough to split. In the end I gave second to the song with the highest highs. So that means the unluckier one is…
In 3rd place with 11 points
The Meters - Just Kissed My Baby
(Drums: ++)
I immediately went to funk songs when I read your category
Well played, whoever you are, as I bloody love funk drumming and this is a gorgeous example. It’s based on a really simple, slow 4/4 beat but then embellished and embellished. But, no matter what, the groove just keeps trucking along thanks to the hi-hat work. Because it’s a slower base beat then mere mortals like me can often figure out what funk guys are doing. Playing it is another matter, and the feel of the rhythm of funk is absolutely everything, but with most jazz I like then I can’t even do the first step.
I knew of The Meters by reputation but not by actual sound and the song itself is just great. I guess it’s not necessarily a love song but I think it would have worked in Pauwl’s category. Everyone is doing excellent work, but I might love the bass most—it will let entire bars go by before deciding to add a couple of perfectly timed stabs and keep everything rumbling along. But then there’s the backing singing, and the vocal ticks from the singer, and lots of other things too. Just a great track.
4 Likes
Rush - better than MRI machine, not nearly as good as Chicko Boom Dance.
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I am the worst podiumer in this category :(
This is considered the holy grail of Zigaboo’s drumming, but I just figured as a drummer you’d be really familiar with it. I guess I should have yolo and go with that (also being a non-musician myself, I just like “Just Kissed My Baby” more).
2 Likes
The good news is you’re now way ahead of me so I can go back to saying no one believes in me
I did suffer a crushing defeat in AndyBall tho, if it’s any consolation. I for one am happy to lose to @Rivaldo any day of the week.
3 Likes
In 2nd place with 12 points
Snarky Puppy - Lingus
(Drums: ++)
This is lovely. 10 minutes of ever shifting stuff from the always productive borderlands of rock, jazz, prog, funk and god knows what else. I think I’ll stop myself from going second by second, and just pick out a few things. Firstly the drumming, it’s really slick and precise and its only real fault is not ‘winning’ the song (for who wins see later).
The first half is enjoyable (especially the horn riffs), but it’s when it breaks down to just bass, drums and keyboard, who slowly build up to a mind boggling solo on the keys that this track really starts to hit hard. The horns come back for the finale, and given the momentum of genius is now firmly behind it the whole production is absolutely flying. The percussion has carried on building and building and is properly massive by then.
Anyway, this is firmly in the category of music that 1) there’s no point describing, and 2) I know is not everyone’s cup of tea, so I’ll shut up. But, seriously, that keyboard solo is incredible.
3 Likes
I’ll be honest, I didn’t even think about funk for a drumming category. Now if you’d have said “great bass lines” I might have immediately gone there.
1 Like
I’m dumb and I didn’t listen to any songs before the reveals. I got Snarky Puppy mixed up with Skinny Puppy. 
I was expecting something alot different.
3 Likes
In 1st place with 13 points
King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man
(Drums: ++++)
Whoever submitted this was either very lucky or possessed of true insight, I’ve known for years that King Crimson are a big hole in my musical knowledge but I’ve just never got round to filling it. That they seemed part of stadium prog always kept me away, but their reputation is noticeably a bit ‘better’ (at least in the terms I understand by ‘better’,) and people who I know played in them turn up on records I do like. But lots of releases, styles and line ups felt like too much to get stuck in to.
It immediately seemed pure madness when this came on. It kicks off with a psychedelic rock section that has a nice amount of aggression, with distorted vocals screeching away (Greg Lake out of ELP, apparently.) But it’s after that, when the instrumental part gets going, that this coasted into top spot for me and never left. It’s jazz-rock in the late 60s/early 70s British style. Stuff like Soft Machine, Nucleus, Keith Tippett and a million minor Canterbury bands, music I just love. The drummer’s almost comping, peppering the snare and the cymbals, but with a proper rock drive and volume and making sure to fill any possible space. It’s just great and I was somewhat amazed to read he left after this album citing musical differences and wanting to do more laid back stuff?!
The song doesn’t end there, though, fitting in a few feedback moments and also reprising the vocal section, before ending in a proper rock freak out. All very satisfying stuff and the only false move it makes is not ending with the traditional drum crash after he hammers the cymbals to bring everyone to the crescendo. It might be cliched but it got that way for a reason—it’s fucking great. Anyway, a worthy winner in a category I ended up enjoying listening to.
6 Likes
Dol Ammad was mine.
Danggit. Was looking for your category when I found this and thought it fit better here.
5th ain’t bad though. Can’t complain.
3 Likes
Cool song.
For any wrestling fans out there, CFO$ blatantly stole this riff for Asuka’s theme.
Some really interesting stuff here. Thanks for a great reveal, pyat. I know folks were worried about this category, but for someone who loves drumming, I found some new gems to listen to, and acts to look up.
5 Likes
Outstanding reveal as always goatnitski!
If we’re being honest, all our appraisals at this point are going to be in the shadow of “chicko bomb dance” but I still really enjoy your writeups.
3 Likes
Story checks out.
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HOWEVER!!!
My jimmies are rustled that once again, the great Stewart Copeland has been overlooked, and also because i found out my next week or so is going to be significantly busier than I had thought.
Soooooooooo would anyone be up for a doubleheader reveal tonight? As in…right now? My shit is all written out already.
6 Likes
I was going to take a victory bubble bath but I guess I can do that and listen to Walrus songs at the same time. Downside: My 1st place high might not last very long.
See:
2 Likes
Sweet back to back categories I bombed! Probably best to just get them out of the way so I can try to climb back in with the remaining categories (NBZ excluded).
1 Like