Were seemingly pointless sidekicks especially prevalent in the 1980s, at least in the England? Whether they were actually pointless or not, it’s time we determine—once and for all—the Least-Essential Sidekick of ’80s Rock. The nominees and the RTH People’s Poll follow…after the jump!
Peace Warriors, unite. Can we recapture the unfulfilled promise of this Eric Burdon & War performance and take it to the next level? I think we can. I think we can… Meet me in Copenhagen if you believe.
This is your Rock Town Hall!
If you’ve already got Back Office privileges and can initiate threads, by all means use your privileges! If you’d like to acquire such privileges, let us know. If you’ve got a comment that needs to be made, what are you waiting for? If you’re just dropping in and find yourself feeling the need to scat, don’t hesitate to register and post your thoughts. The world of intelligent rock discussion benefits from your participation. If nothing else, your own Mr. Moderator gets a day off from himself. It’s a good thing for you as well as me!
We received a note from Steve Gadd‘s people informing us that he was a little bummed to have received no consideration, to date, in our ongoing discussion to determine—once and for all—Rock’s Greatest White Afro. The final paragraph of the note is worth sharing with our readers:
Although Steve would have been honored by the Hall’s consideration, he understands he would have been no match for his fellow drummer (and his personal selection) Sib Hashian. On Valentine’s Day, may we suggest that you run another thread to settle—once and for all—another age-old question: Rock’s Most Essential Drum Intro; that is, the one drum intro that is most essential to the success of the song that follows. Steve’s intro to Paul Simon‘s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” has got to rank among the Top 5 most essential drum intros in all of rock, possibly only challenged for the top spot by the intro to The Rolling Stones‘ “Honky Tonk Women.” Another Stones song to consider might be “Get Off My Cloud.” Would that song ever get off the ground without that intro? We ask that you bring this topic to your readers for them to determine—once and for all!
So there you have it, without the aid of an RTH People’s Poll, let’s determine—once and for all—the Most Essential Drum Intro in Rock, beginning with “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” and “Honky Tonk Women.”
What is rock's most essential drum intro?
Total Voters: 42
Loading ...Previously, you may recall, we suggested “50 Ways…” is a recipient of a Most Valuable Drum Part (MVDP) award.
What have you got?
One’s go-to Valentine’s Day song on a particular Valentine’s Day is subject to change. I’ve been humming “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” the last few days. I’ve always loved that song. I love how everything seems suspended while the arrangement slowly crescendos. Love can feel that way. Very romantic, if you ask this typically not romantic guy.
Yesterday my wife and I had an excellent lunch at Del Posto in New York. As we sat down and the waitstaff fussed with our napkins and water glasses the piano player played “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.” Nice!
Wah. Wah-wah wah-wah wha. Wah wah-wah-wha wah wah…
As 2000 Man wrote in his suggestion to conduct this discussion, “It was cool to talk through your guitar way before it was cool to Auto Tune!”
The Talk Box, I was amazed to learn, is almost as old as your youthful-looking Moderator (“But you don’t look a day over 47!” a colleague recently told me). Pedal-steel guitarist Pete Drake introduced this effects box that does stuff those of you more technically minded will better understand if you read about it for yourself, here. Such effects go back to the ’30s, which you can also read about on the effects’ Wikipedia page. Fascinating stuff that will go on my long list of “Things I Couldn’t Have Invented If I Had a Million Years to Think About Them.”
The Talk Box came into my world—and likely yours—in the 1970s, that glorious decade of extraneous technological developments. There are probably a dozen strong candidates for the Best Use of the Guitar Talk Box that I am forgetting, so you may write-in an “Other” candidate. The nominees and the RTH People’s Poll follow…after the jump!
Kind of makes you rethink the brains behind Boston, doesn’t it?
