Mr. Moderator

When not blogging Mr. Moderator enjoys baseball, cooking, and falconry.

Is There a Drummer in the House: Billy Cobham…Why?

Mar 292007

Why, Billy, why?

Why ask why, right? I bought The Mahavishnu Orchestra’s The Inner Mounting Flame a couple of months ago knowing that I’d be getting my money’s worth of guitar wanking from John McLaughlin. But that would be cool, especially after hearing a song on WPRB one night and hearing that scorching tone I’d loved so much over the years from his work with Miles Davis. The more of that tone the merrier.

I also knew I’d be hearing a lot of fusion noodling from his bandmates, including drummer Billy Cobham. I’d long known of Cobham from years of seeing him on 3 out of every 5 covers of my friend Sethro’s subscription to Modern Drummer, but I only knew his legendary fusion drumming in pass, or more like while running away from guys in the ’70s who tried to play me that stuff.

I had little trouble liking this album, and some of the full-band noodling added up to something cool and unintentionally funny, as seen in this clip of the band playing “Noonward Race”. On the following songs, however, Cobham’s ridiculous chopsmanship is a buzzkill to some otherwise fine hot licks from McLaughlin.

“Vital Transformation”
“Awakening”

Is there a drummer in the house? If so, I ask you Why? Why should Cobham be allowed to overplay the way he does? Who but subscribers to Modern Drummer and non-musician fusion fans who you’d never want to be alone with at a party care to hear all those distracting fills, fills that are counter the core rhythm of the song? Can’t they hold an Olympics for drummers who feel the need to express their chops to this degree?

Fantasy Rock Band League Draft Enters Developmental Pool

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Mar 282007

It is accomplished! The 5 rounds of drafting from the Talent Pool, that is. Next, we’ll be entering the final stage of the draft, the Developmental Pool, which bands requiring Powerhouse lineups and additional talent (eg, “Oliver” members, backups for Australian and Aisan tours, etc) may use.

First, let’s review the bands as they stand after 5 rounds!

1. Mockcarr, GM: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Mitch Mitchell, Mike Campbell
2. Ray Cooper Party Machine, Andyr, GM: Pete Thomas, Prakash John, Paul Shaffer, Sammy Hagar, Brian Emch “B”
3. Bob Seger and the New Dynamic Superiors; Hrrundivbakshi, GM: Al Jackson, Bob Seger, Keith Richards, Jack White, Alan Toussaint
4. Geo, GM: Prince, Benny Benjamin, Art DiFuria, Terry Adams
5. Even Worse Wizard, Saturnismine, GM: Roy Wood, Mo Tucker
6. The Subwoofers, BigSteve, GM: John Entwistle, Al Anderson, Garth Hudson, Ron Tutt
7. Meanstom, GM: John Bonham, Jack Bruce, Tony McPhee
8. American Metal, Sally Cinnamon, GM: Keith Moon, Tim Rogers, Peter Buck, Adam Schlesinger
9. The Death Rattle, Scottrodgers, GM: Bill Kreutzman/Mickey Hart, Bernie Worrell, Buck Dharma, Rick Danko
10. Division By Zero, Sammy, GM: Andy Gill, Jah Wobble, Stewart Copeland, Tom Verlaine
11. Afterschool Special; Mr. Mod, GM: Bruce Thomas, Roger Daltry, Mick Jones (Clash), Paul Thompson, Jimmy Page

The rules for selection from the Developmental Pool are simple:
Continue reading »

Don’t Look Back

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Mar 282007

In yesterday’s Dugout Chatter, Townsman Scott asked:

If it’s hard for white people to get into B.B. King, why do white people make up the vast majority of his fanbase?

Today, I’m no longer concerned with B.B. King, but I think the answer to this question raises a broader point: African American musicians and music fans seemed to have taken Satchel Paige’s advice to heart: Don’t look back. Something might be gaining on you.

It’s extremely rare to find an African American musician who tries to re-create a vintage sound the way white rock musicians have done since about a week after the genre was hatched. What’s the closest you find, Prince dressing up styles from the past and paying homage to the masters? A modern-day R&B singer dressing up like Diana Ross circa 1966 for a few quick cuts in a video? Where’s the African American artist who’s trying to re-create the sounds of a Motown record or record an old blues-style song in scratchy mono? Where’s the African American artist who’s trying to sound like Prince circa-Dirty Mind? I find this seeming disregard for re-creating the past both fascinating and totally alien to the white rock mentality. I have some ideas about what’s behind this, but I’ve never seen anything written on or heard anything talked about the subject.

By the way, I am specifically using the term African American to identify a particular group of people, not just to follow a style guide’s suggestions for race terminology. British blacks don’t have a baseball history, and as a result, they’ve had artists re-creating classic ska and other styles.

So here are my questions:

Has anyone read anything on what’s really behind this cultural tendency? I suspect it has a little more to do than reverance for Satchel Paige’s six “master maxims.” Any African American Townspeople out there who might have some insight or personal reactions to this issue?
Is there a form of “white” American music that white Americans have let be and not tried to re-create slavishly and reverently?

I look forward to your responses.

Dugout Chatter

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Mar 272007

It’s one of those days when a single hit may be all we need. Have one or see if you can empty this dugout. If anything’s left when you’re through, pass it on!

Are you cool with multi-instrumentalists who play their guitar while standing behind their keyboard?

Failure to launch…Abort mission…Is any artist’s career more in need of a pulled plug than Joss Stone‘s? Can she get transferred to American Idol? Does American Idol have some sort of “amateur status” criteria for contestants? Taylor Hicks had a few albums out before appearing on that show. Anyhow, that Joss Stone kid would kill, don’t you think?

Does anyone actually like the music of B.B. King, or do people simply bow down to his greatness as a reflex?

Are you more likely to trust the testimony of a police officer than you are the testimony of a regular citizen? (This is the question the judge asked me that finally led to me getting relieved of having to serve jury duty on a criminal trial expected to last 6 days.)
Continue reading »

Fifth and Final Round of the Fantasy Rock Band League Talent Pool Draft: Jimmy Page Goes Last

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Mar 252007

It is accomplished!

Picks from the fourth round are listed here.
Picks from the third round are listed here.
Picks from the second round are listed here.
Picks from the first round are listed here.

Andyr will receive Mr. Mod’s pick in this round. Sammy, Tom, and Mr. Mod have forfeited their fourth-round picks owing to free-agent signings. A number of bands are done drafting but are free to trade their picks for future considerations. For the fifth-round draft order and analysis…
Continue reading »

“So you’re telling me this will help us sell records?”

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Mar 252007

Dave Edmunds and Rockpile go through the motions to suit the new business model.

Sly’s Sister Makes Bid for Most Deluded Person in Showbiz

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Mar 252007

“My personal feeling is it’s not over. It’s just not over. We’re on a pause as far as the original group goes, but we’ve expanded from where we were and we’re all still very hot at doing what we do.” – Rose Stone, on the “probability” of new material from Sly & the Family Stone.

I don’t think so.

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