No Drums - No Dice |
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johnobvious
Forum Senior Member Joined: May 11 2006 Location: Nebraska Status: Offline Points: 1361 |
Topic: No Drums - No Dice Posted: January 10 2008 at 14:38 |
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I came to the conclusion long ago that if a song has no drums, it is not for me. A lot of prog has no drums and be it space, psychedelic, ambient, electronic, just soft music or whatever, if there are no drums, 99% of the time, I'll pass. I'm not talking of shorter pieces that may help fill out a concept album, but albums where the bulk of the material is sans drums. And it's not like my favorite instrument is drums. It is just a litmus test on how I feel about the music. Any thought?
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Biggles was in rehab last Saturday
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BaldFriede
Prog Reviewer Joined: June 02 2005 Location: Germany Status: Offline Points: 10261 |
Posted: January 10 2008 at 14:43 | |
Although I am a drummer myself I have no problems with albums that don't feature them. Not all music is suited for drum accompaniment.
There are a few live albums of Peter Hammill that are without drums ("Typical", "Room Temperature"). Perhaps you should try them; he does not need drums to really rock. Edited by BaldFriede - January 10 2008 at 14:45 |
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BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
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cynthiasmallet
Forum Senior Member Joined: October 01 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 545 |
Posted: January 10 2008 at 15:10 | |
As with every type of music so rudimentary, it's impossible to generalise.
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Would you like to watch TV, or get between the sheets, or contemplate the silent freeway, would you like something to eat?
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Sckxyss
Forum Senior Member Joined: May 05 2007 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 1319 |
Posted: January 10 2008 at 15:30 | |
I can't think of any albums that I've heard that have no drums, besides that popular Harmonium one, and that's pretty good.
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johnobvious
Forum Senior Member Joined: May 11 2006 Location: Nebraska Status: Offline Points: 1361 |
Posted: January 10 2008 at 15:43 | |
With the size of the sample that I have heard and my almost total disdain for it all, I think it is easy to generalize. |
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Biggles was in rehab last Saturday
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sleeper
Prog Reviewer Joined: October 09 2005 Location: Entropia Status: Offline Points: 16449 |
Posted: January 10 2008 at 17:08 | |
To be honest, I dont know, I havnt heard much music that didnt have drums.
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Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005
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Logan
Forum & Site Admin Group Site Admin Joined: April 05 2006 Location: Vancouver, BC Status: Online Points: 33107 |
Posted: January 10 2008 at 17:18 | |
I guess, obviously, we're limiting this to Prog since I listen toa great deal of music without drums. There is no instrument that is necessary for me in Prog and there are a great many "prog" songs that I like that don't have drums, and a number of albums that I like very much that don't have them. Commonly, if the drums aren't being played or integrated in an interesting way, then I'd rather they not be there at all. Generally, I do prefer for there to be "percussion," but so many instruments can be used for that.
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My 1960 to 2024 youtube playlist, one track per act and one track per year.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXcp9fYc6K4Jq6bFhyET |
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Yorkie X
Forum Senior Member Joined: July 04 2007 Status: Offline Points: 1049 |
Posted: January 10 2008 at 17:33 | |
Ten years ago I would have said no drums no dice but since then I started to find beats in the rhythmic approach to other instruments as well I love the drums as an instrument but I also love it when a bass player, vocals , piano or acoustic guitar can improvise rhythmic structures. Gets down to the song if its meant to rise up to the aggression drums are probably a handy thing to have but the drummer needs to to be very accomplished to impress me.
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Dim
Prog Reviewer Joined: April 17 2007 Location: Austin TX Status: Offline Points: 6890 |
Posted: January 10 2008 at 17:59 | |
I like prog regardless of lack of whatever instrument.
Except the Mellotron!
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rileydog22
Forum Senior Member Joined: August 24 2005 Location: New Jersey Status: Offline Points: 8844 |
Posted: January 10 2008 at 18:56 | |
Some of my favorite drumless albums:
Arthur Brown--Journey Art Zoyd--Any of their first three albums Aksak Maboul--Onze Danses Pour Combatre une Migrane (probably butchered the spelling there) Peter Hammill--Veracious Fred Frith--Guitar Solos I think it's absolutely childish and silly to disqualify music you haven't heard just because of the presence or lack of a specific instrument. |
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bizarro laplace
Forum Senior Member Joined: January 03 2008 Location: Underwater Status: Offline Points: 110 |
Posted: January 10 2008 at 19:06 | |
I really dislike standard rock drumming and often I'd prefer them to be omitted entirely.
blah blah yeah I know lappy hates rock mnmnmnmn |
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rileydog22
Forum Senior Member Joined: August 24 2005 Location: New Jersey Status: Offline Points: 8844 |
Posted: January 10 2008 at 19:17 | |
Yeah but you're bizarro lappy so you should like rock if lappy hates rock.
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Man With Hat
Collaborator Jazz-Rock/Fusion/Canterbury Team Joined: March 12 2005 Location: Neurotica Status: Offline Points: 166178 |
Posted: January 10 2008 at 19:37 | |
I do enjoy there being drums, but I don't find its needed for me to enjoy the album/song. I guess I might be more inclinded to like music with drums, but there is of course music with drums I don't like.
So last choice for me.
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Dig me...But don't...Bury me
I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
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BaldFriede
Prog Reviewer Joined: June 02 2005 Location: Germany Status: Offline Points: 10261 |
Posted: January 10 2008 at 19:55 | |
On some songs the drumming should definitely have been omitted. I only say "Sommerabend" by Novalis. Totally uninspired drumming.
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BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
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el böthy
Prog Reviewer Joined: April 27 2005 Location: Argentina Status: Offline Points: 6336 |
Posted: January 10 2008 at 20:18 | |
Art Zoyd is one of my favorite bands, and they dont usually have drums!
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"You want me to play what, Robert?"
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ES335
Forum Senior Member Joined: December 10 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 168 |
Posted: January 10 2008 at 20:27 | |
While not an aficianado, I really enjoy ambient music. And a lot of the non-prog I listen to has no drums (old time country, Delta and Piedmont blues, etc) |
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Soul Dreamer
Forum Senior Member Joined: October 17 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 997 |
Posted: January 10 2008 at 21:01 | |
When I read the title of this thread, and saw the voting, I was reminded of a thread which ran not so long ago: "How much Rock in your Prog" (http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=44144&KW=Rock+in+prog&PN=1)
Then I was already surprised that many pple here don't value much the "Rock" part of prog ROCK. Here it shows again I think... For me, concerning prog ROCK music, the drums (or any other form of percussion that accents the music and makes the typical "rock" feel), is an essential part of prog ROCK and therefore I agree with the opening post. |
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To be the one who seeks so I may find .. (Metallica)
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BaldFriede
Prog Reviewer Joined: June 02 2005 Location: Germany Status: Offline Points: 10261 |
Posted: January 10 2008 at 21:06 | |
I certainly do value the "Rock" part of Prog Rock; I am a drummer myself. You can really rock without drums though; anyone who has ever been to a solo concert of Peter Hammill will agree with me. And he is just one example. |
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BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
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Soul Dreamer
Forum Senior Member Joined: October 17 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 997 |
Posted: January 10 2008 at 21:55 | |
I agree that it DOESN'T have to be drums, but it surely makes it more likely to rock...eg. Harmonium's "Si on avait...." doesn't have drums, and although it's beautiful music, it really doesn't rock. Peter Hammill I don't know well enough to discuss here... IMO other instruments can also deliver a "Rock" feel to music (piano or other instruments which can carry the "beat") but generally the drums is the best instrument for that...(IMO). |
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To be the one who seeks so I may find .. (Metallica)
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johnobvious
Forum Senior Member Joined: May 11 2006 Location: Nebraska Status: Offline Points: 1361 |
Posted: January 11 2008 at 09:34 | |
When I first found prog on internet radio, I listened to Progressive Soundscapes. They were playing DT and some other bands that I was just getting into at the time and I thought, hey this is great. But then they would put on a 20 minute ambient-electronic thing. No singing, no drums and I would finally go numb from boredom. The Tangerine Dreams and Klaus Shulz's of the world are not for me and I am curious why people like that type of thing.
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Biggles was in rehab last Saturday
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