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Is There a Drummer in the House: "But I'm Different Now"
08/29/07 | by Mr. Moderator
The Jam - But I'm Different Now
Some of you many be aware of how much I think Rick Buckler held The Jam back from being a top-notch band. To me, no Buckler performance best illustrates how off the mark this guy could be. Is there a drummer in the house to explain the point of the drum beat he has chosen for "But I'm Different Now"? I'm not sure that the version supplied by Townswoman Sally C is the released version from Sound Affects, but that is the version that puzzles me. While you're at it, is there a bandleader in the house to tell me how Weller tolerated all those swishy hi-hits in the middle of his slashing guitar rhythms? I look forward to your responses.
10 comments
Comment from: BigSteve [Member] 
Actually my guess is that it was the song's composer who asked for a different kind of drumming, trying to get Buckler out of his comfort zone. I remember that kind of hammering away on the hi-hat with fast triplets as popular during that era, one alternative to more traditional rock rhythms. The problem is that the song itself is a pretty conventional rock song.
Note that Buckler doesn't play the drums the same way on every verse. On the third verse (after the first set of ay-ay-ay-ay's starting at about 0:44) the snare is doing the standard two and four, and there's only slightly too much hi-hat. The fast hi-hat triplets thing sounds perfect in the middle 8 (starting 0:59), where it acts as a contrast to the standard rhythm, illustrating one proper way to use it effectively.
The tomtom fill at 1:32 is heinous, but from about 1:39 till the end of the song, Buckler plays what I would characterize as his more typical approach to this type of song (leading with the snare). And it sounds fine. So I think this is a case where trying to be innovative failed, and I wish Buckler had "held them back."
I think everyone is over-playing on this, and a slower tempo would have helped immensely.
Note that Buckler doesn't play the drums the same way on every verse. On the third verse (after the first set of ay-ay-ay-ay's starting at about 0:44) the snare is doing the standard two and four, and there's only slightly too much hi-hat. The fast hi-hat triplets thing sounds perfect in the middle 8 (starting 0:59), where it acts as a contrast to the standard rhythm, illustrating one proper way to use it effectively.
The tomtom fill at 1:32 is heinous, but from about 1:39 till the end of the song, Buckler plays what I would characterize as his more typical approach to this type of song (leading with the snare). And it sounds fine. So I think this is a case where trying to be innovative failed, and I wish Buckler had "held them back."
I think everyone is over-playing on this, and a slower tempo would have helped immensely.
08/29/07 @ 19:37
Comment from: saturnismine [Member]
i don't find the fill at 1.32 as heinous as the way ricky rushes the crashes on the word "glad" right after that.
and they settled for this take!
i can never figure out why even drummers of exceptional talent are often unable to maintain meter when it's time to do that. drives me nuts.
in fairness to rick, however:
along the same lines as what BigSteve has suggested, i always figured rick's drum part on this song was at least a noble, if poorly executed, attempt to play a new way on a song that breaks very little new ground, and would've sounded at home on the first two jam albums. it's throwaway material on an album that ventures into some tricky territory.
i also never thought he was quite the hack that the mod has suggested over the years, although i've never been enamored either. he does lots of clumsy, loping fills that go from snare to tom (to other tom) to floor tom in a way that most drummers master very early in their development. i also never really liked the SOUND of his drums, particularly his toms. the big snare is okay. and when he locks into a nice part (for example "when you're young") he can be more than just solid.
but this may be the worst example of drumming by him that i can think of.
there's a doozy of a clutzy tv performance on the boxed set where he does a fill so poorly that the stick goes flying from his hand and they just end the song instead of trying to muck through it. i wonder if that was a somewhat regular occurence.
and they settled for this take!
i can never figure out why even drummers of exceptional talent are often unable to maintain meter when it's time to do that. drives me nuts.
in fairness to rick, however:
along the same lines as what BigSteve has suggested, i always figured rick's drum part on this song was at least a noble, if poorly executed, attempt to play a new way on a song that breaks very little new ground, and would've sounded at home on the first two jam albums. it's throwaway material on an album that ventures into some tricky territory.
i also never thought he was quite the hack that the mod has suggested over the years, although i've never been enamored either. he does lots of clumsy, loping fills that go from snare to tom (to other tom) to floor tom in a way that most drummers master very early in their development. i also never really liked the SOUND of his drums, particularly his toms. the big snare is okay. and when he locks into a nice part (for example "when you're young") he can be more than just solid.
but this may be the worst example of drumming by him that i can think of.
there's a doozy of a clutzy tv performance on the boxed set where he does a fill so poorly that the stick goes flying from his hand and they just end the song instead of trying to muck through it. i wonder if that was a somewhat regular occurence.
08/29/07 @ 22:26
I think that this is the demo version from Extras, though it sounds almost exactly the same as the album version (just a little rougher). What's weird is that in iTunes the tag says that it's the Sound Affects one, but when you just put your cursor over the mp3 link above, it'll say "Demo Song from Extras" here. I haven't listened to Extras in years, though, so I can't be sure here. Can anyone else unravel this mystery?
In any case, I have to be honest here. Since I'm not a musician, I've never listened to this song from that vantage point and while I recognized all of the tricks mentioned above, it doesn't make me enjoy the song any less. The song's melody, relatively simple but heartfelt lyrics, quick bridge (complete with what sounds like Weller double-tracking himself, which I love) and short length all make me not care one iota about Rick Buckler's supposed flaws here.
In any case, I have to be honest here. Since I'm not a musician, I've never listened to this song from that vantage point and while I recognized all of the tricks mentioned above, it doesn't make me enjoy the song any less. The song's melody, relatively simple but heartfelt lyrics, quick bridge (complete with what sounds like Weller double-tracking himself, which I love) and short length all make me not care one iota about Rick Buckler's supposed flaws here.
08/30/07 @ 12:45
Comment from: BigSteve [Member]
No, the version I have of this is a vinyl transfer from the LP, and the performance is identical to the file posted here. I can't vouch for what's on the Sound Affects CD, but I think this track is clearly not a demo.
08/30/07 @ 13:20
Comment from: BigSteve [Member]
Btw, can The Hall dock The Jam a few points for three bad pun album titles in a row (All Mod Cons, Setting Sons, and Sound Affects)?
Why not This is the Modern Whirl?
Why not This is the Modern Whirl?
08/30/07 @ 13:27
I've always loved this tune, actually. Of all the tunes on this uneven record, it was my go-to Jam track for comps. Buckler's drumming on it never really bothered me unlike on some other Jam songs. You guys know "Funeral Pyre," right? I think the drumming on that one is excellent. Must've taken him a million takes to do, just like Love's drummer on "7 and 7 Is."
08/30/07 @ 14:26
Comment from: hrrundivbakshi [Member]
Wow... I am a total doofus. I have never stopped to contemplate the pun of "Setting Sons." Never! Having said that, my life is distinctly un-enriched by my awareness of it, such is its stupid rock album title-ness. All I can think of is Spinal Tap's "The Sun Never Sweats."
08/30/07 @ 14:36
Comment from: mockcarr [Member]
Could have called the first one Art's Cool. after a different song on there.
08/30/07 @ 16:16
Comment from: andyr [Member]
I've always had a soft spot for this song as it was the first Jam song I really got into. I love the guitar and vox on this one.
The drums are OK. The verse/chorus beats are fine enough there are some really bad tom fills though.
As Big Steve said (and I have said it many time too). Buckler is a fine snare/kick drum person. Where he get's into trouble is on his tom-tom fills. If I were Weller I would hhave removed his 2nd rack tom and never allowed him to use it!
The drums are OK. The verse/chorus beats are fine enough there are some really bad tom fills though.
As Big Steve said (and I have said it many time too). Buckler is a fine snare/kick drum person. Where he get's into trouble is on his tom-tom fills. If I were Weller I would hhave removed his 2nd rack tom and never allowed him to use it!
09/02/07 @ 11:00
Comment from: Mr. Moderator [Member]
Great feedback. I love the song, but I think it took a heroic effort by Weller and the David Cassidy bassist to make it work so well.
09/04/07 @ 17:25
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