Anatomy of a drummer.

Despite the interview with John Ware, the tribute to Tommy Ardolino and now this, I promise, this blog is not morphing into a drumming blog. After all, do you see the words "paradiddle", "deep shell" or "stick size" being thrown around? No. And you won't.
The piece below is drum-centric, but hopefully entertaining to the general audience. Or at least to you, my faithful, music-loving reader. I just wanted to put myself in the picture for this one. You may enjoy the ride. 



In November of 1984, a couple weeks before my 12th birthday, I was digging around a large closet in the family room of the house I grew up in North Andover, MA. The sizable space was filled with miscellanea: photo albums, my mom's old paintings, portable files containing bills and documents, a ton of paperbacks from the 50's-60's, a book about sex from the early 60's (which, though I was initially psyched to find, was about as convoluted and unsexy as a law book), and, at the bottom of one pile, a thin, glossy book that looked like this:

 There was a $1.99 price tag on it from Sav-On or Thrifty (from our Orange County, CA days), which showed that my parents bought it for me when I FIRST expressed interest in drumming--when I was 6 and just wanted to hit things.

64 pages and lots of pictures. And an alternative method to learning what to hit, when. Instead of notes on a staff, it was like colored dots and x's or something, if I remember correctly (I don't have the book anymore).
I had no idea who the guy on the cover was (I think he's from Golden Earring). There were also a lot of other drummers inside that I didn't recognize, but whose names I remembered for future reference (Max Roach, Elvin Jones, Baby Dodds, Billy Cobham...). There were photos of Ginger Baker and Ringo Starr which I later cut out and put on my wall. 

I read the History section, the explanation of the notation, and then...a photo that probably set my sexual maturity back a few years, because suddenly, I cared not about the naked ladies in the weird sex book, or about baseball any more. What I saw was a full page photo, taken from maybe 8 feet high, looking down on a red sparkle 4 piece drum kit, brand new milky white skins, with high hat, crash and ride cymbals. And..YOU COULD SEE THE PEDALS! It felt nearly pornographic. I could imagine my feet pressing down on those pedals. I could imagine the different sounds the kit would make as I hit those pristine heads and shiny, thin, gold cymbals. Oh my god. This was a match made in heaven. I'd never lusted after anything so much before. Ok, MAYBE that 30 inch Easton aluminum bat 2 years prior, but I was so over that.

I decided I wanted to start playing the drums. NOW. My parents said "Woah there, Mr. Baseball, where'd this all come from? We don't think it's a very wise thing to get you something so loud and heavy and space-consuming if it's just a whim.  Maybe next year".

Grr. This is what sucks about December birthdays. You get all your gifts in one month. When you're a kid, the rest of the year seems SO long, and, you're pretty much a different person with different interests by the next birthday/holiday season. Sucks for the kid. Great for the parents. So, they knew if I STILL wanted drums by the following December, that a) I was really committed and b) they (as well as my sister and the two cats) were damned to have a 14 year old practicing drums in the house.

So, no drums for my 12th birthday.

But what did I get? I got a Doors tape from my sister. This one. It was exciting. I listened to it 9,758 times.

Although I was listening to a lot of radio and watching a lot of V66 at that time, it meant a lot to have my own tape. I had a favorite band. In the following months, I got into more bands, but for a while, it was all Jimbo all the time.

Since I was so horny to become a drummer,  here's what I did:
I cut out pieces of cardboard to the exact sizes the book said the drums were (minus the bass drum). Then I placed the 14", 12" and 16" cardboard discs on my bed, positioned my feet on imaginary pedals, sat facing the mirror, and played along endlessly to tapes and to the radio.
Why the mirror? I knew that half the battle was to look cool.
For sticks, I had a pair that my mom had sympathetically swiped from the school she worked at.

I also was constantly tapping on my knees, tabletops, and air drumming--all habits that continue to this day, and completely unconsciously. It's just that there's never NOT a song running through my head, and it's my job to keep the godddamn beat!

The following year, yes....I got my first kit. It was from Sears catalog, and was complete shite. Kick, rack, snare, and one tiny, useless cymbal attached to the kick. No hi hat or ride.

Thank god for sites like WishbookWeb.com. I found the page from which I assembled my first kit. 1985 Sears Wishbook.

I asked for, and received:

M: the "small scale drumset" for $99.99
G: the hi hat stand, with cymbals included! $29.99
H: 16 inch cymbal: $19.99
and
J: steel boom stand for $29.99

(I know, if I got the Synsonics and the timbales, I could have started my own Prince tribute band). 

 As you might have guessed, from those low, low prices, the cymbals sounded like tin pie plates. The drums sounded like comical sound effects and were barely tunable. But it wasn't from the toy section, and fulfilled its function.

Much like how there's no way to really expect how your first kiss will feel, no matter how much you read, hear or watch, there was no way to know the feeling of that first bounce of the stick against the drum. The feeling of going from the snare to the tom for my first fill. Or from the hi hat to the ride. Or the sound of my first 4/4 beat as I steadied my eager limbs like a baby lamb taking its first uncoordinated steps.

My parents were pleasantly surprised that I already knew many of the basics.

(Though I also realized that I played weird--left handed, right footed. This was a hang up for a while and made me wonder if I could be taken seriously--but I eventually noted other drummers who do the same "open handed" style. In fact many years later, a close friend and excellent excellent drummer, Dave Hower--Winterpills, Spanish For Hitchhiking-- is one of them.)

I said "No Way!" to lessons. I'd been taking lessons from the greats, up in my room for the last year. By spring, I was jamming with the one good guitar player in 7th grade (Pete Turpin). Our tastes weren't necessarily the same, but we were the only people we knew who could do something like play rock and roll together.  I used to have a cassette of that first jam. Fuck, I wish I still did.
It was like seeing my life laid out in front of me. Playing music with another person was the most fun I could ever imagine a human having.

A few months later, I convinced my dad that I needed better cymbals. I got some Camber IIs (a crash/ride and a hi hat), which were sort of the best cheap cymbals. Did the trick.

The following year, I upgraded to a Dixon set. A white 4 piece. A floor tom! Woo! That was the kit I played my first ever gig on (one song. more about that later). It was better than the Sears, but still bottom of the line. And I was getting very, very serious. I can't remember what we did with it. Probably the classifieds.

Next came a 5 piece Ludwig Rocker kit in 1987 (my main kit until 2001 and still being played at weekly practices at Rub Wrongways Headquarters) and then a 1966 Rogers 4 piece the following year (the snare of which is my favorite possession and has been on a dozen albums). That Rogers was languishing in the corner of the Daddy's Junkie Music in Salem, NH, having been marked down to (get this) $250.00. This was before the vintage craze. I had to have it.
Anyway....this isn't a gear blog. It's about the people and parts who, added all up, formed my drumming style and aesthetics.

                             THE MAKINGS OF MY DRUMMING DNA

My first drumming hero, when I didn't really know what went on behind a drum set, was Peter Criss from KISS. Mostly, it was the sound of his snare on the Love Gun album. I still love it. It just sounds DANGEROUS. Like the sound you hear in your ears when you get hit in the face with a basketball.

KISS--Shock Me




As I became aware of my burgeoning drum lust, I'd get my kicks watching, of all things, Name That Tune. It was on at 3 or 4pm. Fun post-school viewing.  Tommy Oliver was the leader of the band in 1984-85, but I can't seem to track down who the drummer was.
Who ever you were, nameless guy, I loved seeing you in silhouette, and admired all the different beats and styles you'd play in such a short period of time. Thanks, man.

Name That Tune--1985




Something else that got my blood pumping in my first drumming days was watching The Buddy Holly Story (which was one of the first ever things I taped off TV when we got our first VCR. The very first thing? Elvis '68 Comeback Special)--in particular the live segments, because the band are actually playing live. And it was a modern day interpretation of a 50's rock and roll band giving it their all on stage, and thus came across as a garage/punk band. Loud, simple, energetic.

Don Stroud, who played "Jesse" (based on Jerry Alison) learned drums for the part. I think I get off on his playing the same way I really dig Micky Dolenz's playing, once The Monkees became a recording/touring band. There are fundamental fuck ups, but the "holy crap this is fun!" spirit is there. (For a good example of a fundamental mistake, check out Don's entrance into the first song. He sorta panics and hits the cymbal in a way and at a place that a trained drummer never would). 

Scene From The Buddy Holly Story--1978




At this time, my sister was firmly in her U2/Talking Heads etc phase. So I was exposed to a lot of the alternative rock of the time, both when I hung out in her room, or when we'd watch Hot Hit Video with Bill Smith, or V66. One of the things I did to demonstrate that her schooling me in music was paying off, was to play that beat that seemed to be going through (at least) three of the most popular alt rock songs of the day. It's an important beat to know. It came to me easily. The 16th notes on the hi-hat, the syncopated snare/kick pattern..some say if you play that beat alone at midnight on a full moon, you will conjure Molly Ringwald. Or was it Judd Nelson?

The Beat of 1984-5: How Soon is Now (the Smiths), Don't You Forget About Me (Simple Minds),
Pride (U2)









Around when I got my first Doors tape, the Doors live/rarities album Alive She Cried was released. The single from it was a version of Van Morrison's "Gloria", recorded at a soundcheck in 1969. The song was all over WBCN, and the video was all over V66. I particularly loved the slow down/speed up dynamic (sexual, yes, but to me, not yet) as well as John Densmore's energetic fills in the chorus. I also loved the shot in the video of Densmore going nuts on his cymbals. His drums look so tiny in comparison. From then I always preferred to sit up high, hitting down on the drums. Showing them who's boss. I hated the idea of big shells, deep toms, 7 foot high cymbals, parts you could barely reach, etc. I wanted to be the dominant one.
Oh, another thing I greatly admired was Densmore's jazz-ish syncopated roll at in the last minute, while Morrison sings "keep the whole thing going...". Because it was put in a rock context (much like Densmore's use of bossa nova beat on "Break On Thru") I digested it easily. If it was in the pure jazz context, I'd have been intimidated and thought it too difficult. 

Gloria--The Doors




V66 was great because, not only did they show things like "How Soon is Now" and The Cure's "In Between Days", but they also gave props to the classics. That Doors video was just one of several they'd show. They also would show this next video. Creedence Clearwater Revival, live in 1969-70, doing Born on the Bayou. I loved this. Why? Much of it was due to Doug "Cosmo" Clifford bashing the living daylights out of the biggest ride cymbal I'd ever seen (I think his hi hats are oversized too).
I bought CCR The Concert on cassette and practiced along to it a bunch. One of my favorite moments in all rock drumming is the thing he does around 3:40 on the clip below. Watching it, you can't really tell. But on the Concert record, it's just one of those things that taught me how to keep things, uh, "chooglin" while the band is just riding on one chord, feeding back. I'm sure I quoted that moment a few times.

Born on the Bayou--CCR




And so, of course, it was only a matter of time until I got into the Beatles. The first Beatles tape I owned was a compilation called "Rock and Roll Music Vol 1".

It taught me a whole host of rock and roll basics, as done by the Liverpudlians. I'd work up quite a sweat just keeping up with one side of those amphetamine-aided raves. This track always got me pumped. Plus, I marveled at Ringo's sorta straight, sorta shuffle (see: Tom Ardolino) beat. 

Long Tall Sally--The Beatles




This next song was like a manual of cool rock fills.
At my first ever gig, playing a cheesy Van Halen (Hagar) ballad, I refused to play Alex Van Halen's bombastic lead in fill, and played the "Lovely Rita" fill instead. Ha ha. That should get me into heaven, right?

Sgt Pepper Reprise--The Beatles





Another thing Professor Starkey taught me was the 6/8 blues beat (although so did John Densmore on the "Little Red Rooster"on Alive She Cried). 

Oh Darling-The Beatles




Then came the inevitable. I rented The Kids Are Alright from the video store. What did I get from Keith Moon? Well, it's hard to really say, it's so ingrained. But I think: 1) don't make it look like you're trying too hard 2) flick your wrists and wave your arms so people can't always tell what you're doing 3) Don't play the DRUM KIT like AN instrument, play THE DRUMS AND CYMBALS like you are controlling the entire PERCUSSION SECTION of an orchestra 4) Don't live so fast that you're already past your peak at 26 years old.
I also had no idea what "French Blues" or "Black Beauties" were, so I thought that if Keith could get around the kit that fast, I should too! He looks so young and innocent...no way he's on drugs! So I'd practice doing that kind of stuff...perhaps aided by a can of Coke and a couple Chips Ahoy. Gateways if there ever were...

Can't Explain--The Who




What follows is perhaps the most exciting piece of rock and roll ever caught on film. I'd watch this just before leaving for a show back in high school. When I got into punk etc, I always retained the thought, "this is 10x more punk than (fill in the blank)". Plus, it was punk dressed in paisley, so that's double cool. Punk in hippie clothes. Keep them guessing.

The Who--My Generation (Monterey Pop Festival 1967)




Though I eventually became annoyed by Mitch Mitchell's playing (it's one thing to be super busy if your guitarist is Pete Townshend, but it's another thing when it's Jimi Hendrix), I loved to drum along to, and get all jazzed by this version of "Killing Floor". This was the first song the JHE ever played in the US. Mitch's constant chatter during Hendrix's two solos is totally great and endearing here, and he always played amazingly on the JHE records...but I always tired easily listening to long jams on live albums because Mitch just could never stop freaking the fuck out and stomping all over Jimi, with no real interplay between the two. Like two fighting cats.

Killing Floor--The Jimi Hendrix Experience






Then there's Micky Dolenz!
I know what you're thinking. How do you go from learning from expert drummers to a guy who had been playing for a year and sounds like it? Not sure. It's kind of like when you realize you totally root for that number 8 hitter who, after 130 games, is batting 228 with 1 HR and 22 RBI. Or when people say The Shags are the best band ever. Rooting for the underdog.
Perfection is lame. And is a myth.
I love the audacity of Micky Dolenz bashing away simplistically, but with major cojones, high on adulation and chemicals, occasionally attempting a heroic fill, and driving the wobbly, clunky Monkee machine while 20,000 girls scream. Well, check this out. I have many times used that dorky fill that he plays before the outro chorus.





When I first saw HEAD, in 8th or 9th grade, it was really the only way I could see young Dolenz in action (as opposed to miming on the The Monkees series). Again, I was rooting for him and his ambitious drum part. It's a bit sloppy, but I can see what he's getting at and it's very cool. When I convinced my high school band to do this song, I played this part, but unslopped it a tiny bit. Dolenz deserves much credit, and it sucks that he gave up drumming for 20 years shortly after this.

Circle Sky (live 1968)--The Monkees



Normally, double bass drums annoy me. I feel they aren't needed, and I always say "why not aim to be like John Bonham, and do two feet worth with one foot?"
However, despite the double kick, I really like Ginger Baker's feel. It's completely unique. I even started putting my toms at a totally straight angle like him because I liked how it looked.
He is Mr. Triplet (think of the fills during "Sunshine of Your Love") and I took a lot of that from him. Also, he had a very nice dance beat. And, don't forget, that tribal thing on the toms, hitting on all four beats. I could never really listen to "Toad" very much, but I appropriated one of his common licks for whenever I'm forced to do any sort of solo. I can't really describe it. In any case, this song, which is just a blues, is made most interesting by Ginger's style (and Clapton's falsetto--and perm).

Strange Brew--Cream (1967)




Oh, Charlie! In my mid 20's, my favorite drummer became Charlie Watts. I knew I wasn't going to die young, and I came to grips with the fact that I'm much too much of a lightweight and too cautious to ever be a Keith Moon type. So, I looked at Charlie--sharp suit, small drum kit, sophisticated, looks great, not trying to prove a damn thing. All about preservation. But if he wants to suddenly get into hard drugs for a couple years when he's 45 years old, let him. If he wants to punch "his singer" in the jaw out of the blue, that's good too. Then, quietly, go back to being a horse farmer, married for 47 years.
But as far as my teenage drumming goes...
Charlie immediately made me believe that metronomes and click tracks are a symptom of a scared society. Like getting boob jobs. Scared to be the imperfect beings that we all are. Taking the easy way out, and selling your soul. The Rolling Stones are (to many) the greatest rock band ever (at least their first 10 years). They say a band is only as good as their drummer. Thus, Charlie Watts, who has no fancy fills in his repertoire, no "how does he do that?" tricks, and who so often comes in a fraction early or late with a fill, and who hits the rim of the snare every once in a while, is the greatest drummer ever. So why would someone NOT want to play like Charlie? I have no clue.
I'll tell you this right now--I've never wanted to be Neil Peart, Stuart Copeland or Alex Van Halen. It's just who I am.
So listen here. Charlie comes in a fraction late, brings the dynamics up and down at seemingly odd times, and does nothing special--except be Charlie Watts...and thus, plays a part that I memorized note for note when I was 15.

Rolling Stones-Jumpin' Jack Flash (live 1969)




(another song that greatly influenced me--say in a few Figments songs--was the Get Your Ya Ya's Out version of "Sympathy for the Devil")

Here's more Charlie, from 1968. Rock drumming was stretching out and Charlie's contribution to it was priceless. Although he didn't play the famous grooves and fills in "You Can't Always Get What You Want" (producer Jimmy Miller did), in many ways I prefer his drumming on this song. The formula is the same. Heroic fills and double time at the end. I love his drumming on this song ("Salt of the Earth"), "Stray Cat Blues" and "Jigsaw Puzzle". All from Beggar's Banquet, and all part of my DNA.

Rolling Stones--Salt of the Earth




The Grateful Dead. I've never been much of a Mickey Hart guy, but Bill Kreutzmann, when he was the only drummer (in 1965-67 and 1971-74) kicked very much ass. What did I take from him? Something that I've tried to explain to my students:
That, if you picture the beat of a song like a ruler (or like a digital recording interface), know that every beat and division of that beat means something different depending on when and where you accent that beat. It's what jazz drumming is all about, but it took me a long time to realize that, because I've always thought of jazz drumming as a foreign language I may not ever have time to learn. But this concept works in rock/pop as well.
For example, it's standard and unremarkable to hit the kick and crash cymbal on the "one" beat. BUT, it's a whole different plate of pasta if you hit the SNARE and crash on the "AND one" (the quarter note just before the one). THAT gets people's attention, and acts as a pinch in the bum, or a slap in the face. Some love that stuff, some find it too jarring. I love it.
If your band mates allow you the freedom, as long as you don't stray from the overall meter of the song, you are free to stress or accent any division of that beat. But only if it's adding something. Kreutzmann, when too coked up (see: 1974 European tour) could turn his brilliance into a major CALM THE FUCK DOWN AND KEEP THE DAMN BEAT situation.

But also, if you listen to the first Dead album from 1967, Kreutzmann was a hell of a conventional pop drummer. In early high school, my friend and I used to LOVE his fill in the middle of "Cold Rain and Snow". We thought that that kind of "quick, snappy fill" drumming and Lou Reed's "fast, rubber wrist" style of rhythm guitar in the Velvet Underground could be a winning combination.

I suppose the Wedding Present had that. Don't worry. I'm getting to them.

Anyway, hear how Kreutzmann divides up the beat in this song--half time, real time; AND does those quick wristed fills.
They are the drumming equivalent of interjecting 3 quick words between someone's monologue, instead of trying to interrupt.

One More Saturday Night--The Grateful Dead




One more Dead thing. I never had a prog rock period. I don't really like songs that change time signatures every 3 measures, just to show..I don't know what. I don't like listening to it, or playing it.
But if a song is in an odd time, and sticks with that time, well, then I like it because you get into a very odd trance. By 9th grade, I loved practicing along to this song by the Dead. It's called "The Eleven" because...guess how many beats per measure?  I would play to the version on Live/Dead. But this will suffice. The song doesn't shift into 11/4 until about 2 min in.
SIDENOTE: playing along to other Dead songs got me comfortable playing in other odd times, such as 7/4 and 10/8. 

The Eleven--The Grateful Dead 1968)




I already gave my pros and cons of Mitch Mitchell spiel, right? This is how I came to that opinion. Listening to Hendrix play a 7 minute solo, with a steady rhythm section. Not a couple of insecure British dudes trying to upstage Hendrix, but a couple of Jimi's soul brothers, who knew that if they just held it down tight, Jimi could just stand and deliver. To me, it makes it so much more fun and less distracting to listen to a long guitar solo. As far as the drumming, it taught me the effectiveness of not competing, but supporting**.

**The extreme version of this would be Mo Tucker of the Velvet Underground playing an unwavering, unsyncopated, straight beat for 12 minutes in the middle of a long Velvets jam like "What Goes On" on Live 1969 or "Follow the Leader" from The Quine Tapes.
I can't do that because I have this male ego to deal with. As well as ADD that makes me get bored very easily.

I also took away some of that excellent Buddy Miles kick/snare syncopation. Love it.

Jimi Hendrix/Band of Gypsies--Hear My Train a Comin' (1970)

SORRY, ALL TRACES OF THIS SONG HAVE VANISHED FROM THE INTERNET. YOU'LL HAVE TO BELIEVE ME OR DOWNLOAD IT SOMEWHERE. THE HENDRIX ESTATE IS VERY PROTECTIVE.


John Bonham. Fucking monster. He started out in Zeppelin when he was 19. Thus, there are some youthful errors that have always pissed me off. Like "DON'T PLAY FULL TILT OVER JIMMY PAGE'S ACOUSTIC SOLO IN 'YOUR TIME IS GONNA COME' OR 'THANK YOU'. THANK YOU!"
But by Zep 3, he was the man.
I was once asked "Moon or Bonham"?
Bonham any day.
Why? He was heavy AND funky AND tasteful AND completely understood Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones' weird rhythmic curve balls. And played a single bass drum kit, with only one rack tom and two floor toms (yeah, yeah, and a gong and a kettle drum. But, whatever). He could do more with one kick than most double kick players. And yes, I stole a lot from him too. If a song I'm playing is heavy, I know that there's a Bonham trick or two I can use.

Whole Lotta Love (live 1973)--Led Zeppelin



Away from the heaviness and back into the canyons of LA. This song (the finale on Forever Changes) influenced me so much both in my drumming and songwriting. It's a perfect song, the drumming is perfect and...I don't know. It left a huge stamp on my over all feel. Can't really put my finger on it. Two distinct feels here. Playing to this sort of prepares one for playing along to any theatrical type song.

You Set the Scene--Love




This next one's all about visual style.
It wasn't until 10th grade that I got into the Beach Boys. In early 11th grade I rented The Beach Boys, an American Band. Though I mostly just watched the 1966-71 bits, I did take note of the early Dennis Wilson. He ROCKED OUT, and looked fucking cool doing it! Even in those horrible shirts! I was already aware that I couldn't assimilate Keith Moon's craziness, but I saw the girls screaming at Dennis, and thought "there's my new role model". The other thing was, I was still self conscious about my "incorrect" open-handed style, and Dennis W was the first drummer I saw who looked awesome doing it. 

Dance, Dance, Dance--The Beach Boys




I was beginning to leave behind the bearded, stoned, 7 minute jam music that had taken me to this point, and was shifting towards punk/new wave/alternative, and tuning in on Sundays to hear "Boston Rocks" on WFNX and "Boston Emissions" on WBCN. After all, I wanted that to be my future--not to be in a classic rock cover band. At the same time, I was also pointing out to my friends that much of the 60's music they scoffed at actually contained an energy that can only be described as punk (I know I already said that about The Who).
I used to play along to The Live Kinks--which was difficult with all the screams. But the songs are all taken at a much speedier pace, and this final medley is just manic. At this point I started shifting away from wanting to "jam and relate and interact and have a musical conversation" with my band, to acting my fucking age! I was 17, had a lot of pent up energy and just wanted to explode. Like these guys.

Medley: Milk Cow Blues/Batman/Tired of Waiting--The Kinks (live 1967)




Ahh...and then...I was lent Buzzcocks' Singles Going Steady. Wow! Every song is a winner (except "Orgasm Addict" embarrassed me). The songs are all pop gems, the playing is sloppy but tight (the drummer wavers like Charlie Watts, but plays great parts) and boom. I had myself a favorite non-classic rock band. I practiced along to this and set my inner metronome up a few BPMs.

Buzzcocks--Love You More



Buzzcocks--Ever Fallen in Love




I was already into XTC by this time, but found nothing to gain, drumming wise, from Oranges and Lemons or Skylarking. They seemed too "adult" and I didn't want to go there. Sophistication is not what I got in this game for.
But I did love the early stuff, and Terry Chambers, while playing some complex parts, seemed human. And of course, remains a huge influence. Go Terry!!!!
Senses Working Overtime is an excellent song to expand one's pop drumming vocabulary. There are four distinct feels, and a heroic fill that helps to bring in the irresistible chorus. My drumming benefited so much from getting (way) into XTC.


 XTC--Senses Working Overtime




Drums and Wires is a goldmine of fascinating beats and feels and fills.
"Making Plans For Nigel" was my first conscious exposure to one interesting drum pattern occupying a whole song--sort of a human imitating a machine. But I'll get to that below, with Joy Division, who also did that masterfully, and of course, Gang of Four.
But "Helicopter"--keeping that disco beat, but with closed hi hat-- was fun to do. But then comes the chorus. What Terry does while Andy is singing "..just like a helicopter...copter" was pretty challenging to learn. The beat doesn't waver or alter, but the crash accent happens in a place that doesn't come naturally. And this opened the door to a new bag of tricks for me. The "sitting on a tack" accent. Snare and crash hit simultaneously on an offbeat. It makes the listener jump like they sat on a tack. Early XTC was ALL about that. It's a shot of adrenalin. Thank so much, Andy and Terry for opening my ears to all that.


XTC--Helicopter



And thank you Topper! Playing along to London Calling was like using the ska/punk tricks I learned from XTC, but in a more relaxed, less self conscious way. Whereas early XTC took pains to be MODERN!, The Clash had no qualms about occasionally sounding like the classic rockers they supposedly hated (but didn't really hate). I fucking love Topper's drumming.

The Clash--Lost in the Supermarket



Getting back into the robotic, as interpreted by a human. Stephen Morris was an extremely creative drummer, although, something tells me that their producer, Martin Hannett, had a lot to do with his drum parts. I say this because if one listens to a live or Peel Sessions version of say, "Love Will Tear Us Apart", or "Transmission", Morris is playing like a Keith Moon wanna-be. Over the top fills coming out of his arse. Not exactly robotic or cold and dark. But on record, there is a lot to be learned from Joy Division. Patterns, man. Patterns. Economy. Say a lot with a little.

 Joy Division--Transmission




Patterns vs Fills. 

As I listened to more and more punk and new wave, I noticed that a new school had developed, especially in England (though DEVO did this a lot too). Basically, human imitating the machines that were invented to imitate humans. These days, with digitized everything, we're used to reverse progress leading to progress after all. Progress is inevitable, so even when we're consciously going backward, we're going forward. It's just that if you're a Republican, what you call "going back to a simpler time" equals "going forward into the abyss".
Anyway.. the next three songs are examples of throwing all the classic rock and roll rules out the window.
No fills, no dynamics. These are men playing inventive, effective and distinctive mechanical sounding patters on acoustic drum sets. All three of these songs were very influential to me.

Joy Division--Colony



Gang of Four--Natural's Not In It



XTC--Rocket from a Bottle





1990: The Manchester thing. That beat. You had to do it. I was happy to do it, because it made people dance and as a drummer, that's my job. I play, they dance, they watch me, I watch them.
You can't argue with the Stone Roses' eponymous debut. Ok the lyrics are sometimes dumb, but the music is top notch. Well written, arranged and played. I loved playing along to this song because the first half has the 1-2-3and4and thing that's always fun. Then it shifts into an all out jam--with a couple of scripted parts. Very, very fun. And I felt like it was a very promising blend of cutting edge and classic. That's where, I suppose, I'm most comfortable.

The Stone Roses-I Am the Resurrection





So...now I was getting to the end of 11th grade, and had a band that was playing original pop (and hip covers) and were looking to maybe get some attention from the Boston music scene. The band we (or some of us) loved the most was a power pop trio, 2 parts Who, one part Beatles....ladies and gentlemen, The Cavedogs!

I wanted us to BE The Cavedogs--difficult, since we had 6 people in the band. But, I was so happy that their drummer, Mark Rivers, brought a total Keith Moon vibe to a modern pop band. The problem was, though, as witnessed by Nirvana and Dave Grohl's Ringo-meets-Bonham style, record buyers wanted a more predictable, less creative type of drumming. Thus, the Seattle power trio's earnest and humorless 1992 major label debut exploded,  and the Boston one's more snarky, witty one sank after a few weeks on the college charts. That's when history changed. You had to not sound well-read, or make people wonder what chords you were playing or where you picked up that crrrazzzy beat. Nirvana were great, but their lack of subtlty ended up attracting a lot of the people (jocks, metal heads) they got into punk rock to avoid. Jocks and metalheads, on the other hand, would never give a band like The Cavedogs a second look.

I still dig The Cavedogs, and Mark Rivers has had a nice career in showbiz.

The Cavedogs--Tayter Country




I was hearing more and more of my classic rock roots in much of the so called "cutting edge" music of the time. Jane's Addiction's "Mountain Song" reminded me of Hendrix's "In From the Storm" (just the riff). Still, I loved Jane's Addiction, saw them three times, and my band covered "Summertime Rolls" and "Mountain Song". What I picked up from Stephen Perkins' part on this song is that crash-snare-crash-crash on the 3 sixteenth notes leading up to the 1.
Um, huh? I think I described that as best I can. It happens after Perry sings "and I say" and before he says "cash in!".
Anyway, it's a valuable trick for heavy tunes. You can vary it any way you want too, once you have it down and know when to do it.

Jane's Addiction--Mountain Song




Yesss...Daydream Nation. First time I heard this album, I put on headphones and was sent into another world. But what I got most from Steve Shelly's drumming was that I shouldn't shy away from Keith Moon hyper fills. He did them plenty. Lots in this song. I also felt like there was a place after all for spacey jams that, to me, evoked the best Grateful Dead--the 1968-74 noise stuff. Tribal and spacy at once. That whole acid thing. Seeing SY at the Orpheum in 1990 is still one of the best shows I've seen. Redd Kross opened. 

Sonic Youth--Teenage Riot




Back to the punk/new wave/ska influence. Though it was a gradual process, and it wasn't until a few years later that I found a good band in which to use his influence, I've always loved Pete Thomas. Talk about someone who is great because of no click track! SO many early EC songs speed up by the end. But, Pete Thomas has a very distinct style. I can't describe it any other way but "snappy". He hits hard, nothing rings or sustains very long, and he's on top of every beat. He also utilizes that "turning the beat around" thing to great effect. I love the guy. He's tall and lanky and plays that way. For me, Topper Headon, Terry Chambers and Pete Thomas are the punk/ska/new wave Big Three. They gave me a HUGE fondness for the snare hit/crash hit on the 4 AND. That "wake up!" thing.
The one thing that prevented me from absorbing too much Stewart Copeland (who could easily fit among this group) was simply the size of his drum kit. I'm too pragmatic for all those bells and whistles. Oh, and, uh, lazy.


Elvis Costello and the Attractions--Radio Radio




We're getting to where I stopped being influenced by other drummers and felt like I now had the tools to throw it all in a pot, jump in and let the big mess become my style. But there were still two or three more things I picked up...we're now in senior year of high school.

You can''t listen to the Wedding Present and not take note of the drumming. The guy (for a good while anyway) is named Simon Smith (oh, boy. How many horrible jokes has he heard with that name?). In the age of big deliberate dumb fills, Simon brought back the quick wrist-ed fills of Eddie Hoh and Hal Blaine. The drumming on Seamonsters is a big part of why I love that album so much. Hard to choose between these two songs, so I won't make myself.


The Wedding Present--Corduroy




The Wedding Present--Dalliance




And finally...though he was made to look a bit foolish in the Death to the Pixies documentary, David Lovering found a way to play to Charles Thompson's odd phrasings and feels. To me it's always sounded like a Rush fan playing punk rock. That may in fact be the case. Anyway, I was a couple years late coming to this album. In the summer of 1991, it did not leave my car tape deck. I still associate it with extreme heatwaves, which we definitely had that summer. It was the soundtrack to my sendoff to college, in Amherst, MA, where I hoped to take all these influences in my kitbag, and become known as a guy people wanted to play with. It's 21 years later, and I suppose I achieved that to some degree. I mean, I'm far from famous, but having drummed with as many artists and on as many albums as I have is not a bad record. Thanks to all of the drummers on this list. You are all swirling through my unconscious every time I sit behind a kit.

The Pixies--Oh My Golly!





To wrap it all up,  here's an admittedly vain-as-all-fuck series of You Tube clips I uploaded, with small samples of some of the stuff I've drummed on in the last 15 or so years.

Interview with John Ware (yes, THAT John Ware)

The Where's That Sound Coming From Interview with

John A. Ware

"You know too much. Ever pondered that?"

And with those rather intimidating words, I was invited to send along my interview questions to John Ware. 

The problem with digital correspondences is the lack of verbal cues and nuances. If you were face to face with a stranger, and one of the first things they said to you was "You know too much. Ever pondered that?", depending on the tone and inflection, it could either be cause to a) laugh and and offer a humble "thanks" as pint glasses clink together; or b) turn and run with your life flashing before your eyes as you look for the nearest bullet-proof structure to duck behind.
I assumed that Mr. Ware was being complimentary, since he soon was giving me more information than I ever could have dreamed of getting on my first blog interview.  After reading his responses I thought, "Well, NOW I might know too much!".

And if you continue reading, dear readers, you too will know too much. Or rather, just enough.

Oh, and in case you DON'T know who John Ware is, he and some of his buddies have a two-word answer for you:

The First National Band, 1970--one of the many notable acts in John Ware's drumming resume. L to R: Red Rhodes, John London, John Ware, Michael Nesmith

I kid. In fact, judging from this interview, John Ware, legendary drummer--and much more (artist, photographer, movie producer--please see his official site and prepare to be amazed...)--who's played with some very famous names (more about that, later), is about as pleasant and humble, proud, yet candid and down to earth of a guy as I could have ever hoped to have as my first interview subject.

Some may find this interview curious and suspicious in its timing. But it was, I swear to your god, conceived weeks before I ever read the following Michael Nesmith quote (on his Facebook page):
"... I connected with John Ware about reforming what is left of the First National Band for a short live tour doing the RCA material."

While that is indeed awesome, amazing news,  I've learned not to hold my breath regarding such things. I had to sit through a Nesmith-less Monkees concert in 1997 because I bought the tickets before Nesmith backed out of the tour. Boo. No, this interview actually came about because of another recent Monkee event.

UPDATE: It's now 16 months later and I've since seen Michael Nesmith THREE times on stage. Twice with the Monkees, playing his 12 string Gretsch, singing a generous amount of his best Monkee-era songs and having a great time; and once, playing a lifetime's worth of solo material with a band, at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, MA. A stage I've played on probably 30 times in the last 10 years, and a 10 minute walk from my place. Oh, and I also met Nez's lovely daughter Jessica when she introduced herself to my friends and me while we were having a pre-show dinner and chat with Andrew Sandoval backstage in Boston. 
Later that night, a friend presented me with Nez's autograph on a flyer I'd designed for an all-star (locally speaking) tribute to his music on his 70th birthday last year that I organized and played at...
Life is...weird?

It's a bit strange to say, but I must be honest. All this started with the death of Davy Jones. I was told to check out Michael Nesmith's Facebook page to see his lengthy, philosophical and hyperbole-free eulogy of his former Monkee-mate. Scrolling through, and reading the first couple of comments, I saw one by a John Ware. "Is it...THE John Ware?,  I wondered. I clicked his name and saw, yup. That's him. A couple days later he accepted my friend request, and I poked around his FB page, which led me to his website. I was so fascinated by this humble guy who had played in so many places with so many giants in rock and roll/country music, that immediately, question after question filled my head. I flashed on the inspired notion to interview him. I jotted down 20+ questions. I hadn't even requested the interview yet! But I finally did (after hemming and hawing for a month) and he said yes (and the comment about me knowing too much) so, here we are. 

Useful information about The First National Band is pretty hard to come by. Thus, when writing questions for John, one seemed to lead to another, to another....until I had so many questions, I was afraid he might change his mind.

Though his days with The First National Band was my focus (and it was really barely one year--1970), I was also well aware--if less informed--of Ware's years drumming with both Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris. So we spent a bit of time on that too, as well as on what he's up to now.

Before we start, let's take a You Tube tour of some of John Ware's career highlights.

ANOTHER UPDATE:

The once-included clips below were slowing up this entry so much and to such a maddening extent, that I've decided to cut them and just include the links. 

These first two clips are so historically significant. Linda Ronstadt--then, still a pretty new voice on the scene-- had her first hit the year before with Michael Nesmith's "Different Drum". And she was continuing to establish herself mainly as an interpreter of country and folk rock. But she was still a few years from the 70's superstar she became.

1) Living Like a Fool-- from Hugh Hefner's VERY HIP Playboy After Dark series (check out the Byrds, Harry Nilsson and the Grateful Dead clips). Taped October 1969; Broadcast April 1970: This is about as close as we'll ever get to First National Band footage. The rhythm section here is John London and John Ware from FNB (the studio version of this song includes pedal steel giant Red Rhodes, also from the FNB. But he's not on the TV version). Also in this band is country/rock legend Bernie Leadon (Dillard and Clark, Flying Burrito Brothers, The Eagles) and Chris Darrow, who at the time had been in Kaleidoscope (the L.A. one, not the U.K. one) and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

A mere three months after this taping, London and Ware would be recording Magnetic South, the  first of three First National Band albums, with Michael Nesmith. Meanwhile,  Leadon would be jumping aboard the Flying Burrito Brothers in time for their second album, Burrito Deluxe.

A tangled web of country rock indeed! And I didn't even mention that Ware would join Emmylou Harris' band soon after the death of the man who helped establish her name in the business, Gram Parsons (founding Burrito Brother). Well, I just mentioned it, didn't I. Anyway, watch that clip.

2) Tengo Amore (featuring Ware's genius percussion ensemble. From 1:01-1:10 would make a great drum loop. Just cite your source, please, if you do it.

So, yes. Then came the First National Band, led by Michael Nesmith. They lasted a little over a year, releasing three excellent albums and two successful singles. But they never got the props they deserved. As you'll read in the interview, there is no footage of the FNB. So we have to deal with fan videos. But if you've never heard these songs, you're in for a treat. The Burrito Brothers may have been sexier and more elegantly wasted, but the FNB had more ideas per album side than most bands have in a career. All songs written by Michael Nesmith (though we'll read about Ware's important arrangement contributions below).


3) Amarillo

Soon after, Ware joined Emmylou Harris and The Hot Band, which took him through the 70's. Some legendary players there, too. Elvis Presley fans may recognize a couple faces--Glen D. Hardin and James Burton --who were in the first incarnation of The Hot Band when they weren't with Elvis (meanwhile, Elvis' drummer, Ron Tutt, at this time, was moonlighting with the Jerry Garcia Band).

Well, that's enough of a resume, don't you think? So let's let the man tell the story himself.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr John A. Ware! 

(note: he answered in all caps. I don't believe he was yelling at me the whole time..)

Where's That Sound: What is your first recorded work that's still readily available? 

John Ware: I REALLY DON'T KNOW. THE FIRST RECORDING I EVER PLAYED ON WAS "CRAZY" BY BOB BECKHAM. IT WAS A PUBLISHING COVER OF THE PATSY CLINE SONG THAT ACTUALLY WAS A JUKE BOX HIT. I'VE BEEN TOLD IT SOLD OVER A MILLION COPIES. THAT WAS IN 1957. PROBABLY THE EARLIEST STUFF WAS WITH LINDA IN '68 OR '69. "SILK PURSE."

WTS: I own a used vinyl copy of the Linda Ronstadt compilation, Different Drum. There are no musician credits, but on a couple NON-Stone Poney cuts, the band, to my ears, made me think "could this be the Corvettes?" or at least you on drums? Sounds like your drum sound and style, but it may be just the in-vogue sound of the time?

JW: PROBABLY THE VOGUE IN LA AT THE TIME. EVERYONE IN TOWN PLAYED ON NICK VENET RECORDS, AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE LINDA'S FIRST (STONE PONEYS). I DON'T THINK I DID.

WTS: I read that you were the one to first approach Michael Nesmith with the idea of starting the First National Band. I found that interesting because John London had such deep roots with Nesmith (London had a pre-Monkees folk duo with Nesmith, and also played on some 1967 Monkee sessions) I'd have assumed he'd have been the one to dream up the band. So was the FNB really your idea? 

 JW: THE FNB WAS MY IDEA. I SAW THE MONKEES DEATH (IT WASN'T PRETTY) COMING LIKE A FREIGHT TRAIN. MIKE HAD PRODUCED THE CORVETTE EP. WE WERE BECOMING SOMETHING LIKE FRIENDS. IT SEEMED SO LOGICAL FOR HIM TO STRIKE WHILE THE IRON WAS AT LEAST WARM AT COL-GEMS AND MAYBE AT RCA, WHERE HE ALONE HAD A GOOD REP. 

Corvettes single., produced by Michael Nesmith

We interrupt this interview for a good and pertinent reason:

I'm not sure how legal this is, but I was very excited to find it: CLICK HERE to go to a page with a link to a free download of The Corvettes 1969 single, "Level With Your Senses", written by Chris Darrow and produced by Michael Nesmith!! Give it a listen--a missing gem of 60's twang-pop! Ok...carry on.

WTS: And because of London's Monkees connection, had you had crossed paths with Nesmith while the Monkees were still chart busters? 

JW: YEAH, JOHN AND I WERE AROUND A BIT. JOHN HAD BEEN AROUND A LOT, BUT WHEN HE JOINED LINDA'S TOURING BAND, HIS TIME ON THE MONKEE SET CAME TO AN END. WE DID HAVE HANG-OUT SESSIONS AT MIKE'S CRIB, DRINKING COPIOUS AMOUNT OF BEER AND SMOKING KILLER WEED HE MANAGED TO ALWAYS HAVE.

FNB: Red, John, John and Mike. Not pictured: Beer and Weed.

WTS: That a serious, respected musician like yourself admired Nesmith so much that you wanted to start a band with him tells me that, although he got little respect from the older music fans and journalists for his quality Monkee tracks, he was respected within the musical community. Accurate?

JW: THE FACT IS HE DID, BUT I FOUND IT LATER IN THE RELATIONSHIP. FOR ME IT WAS HEARING THE GREENBRIAR BOYS VERSION OF DIFFERENT DRUM...FROM LINDA. SHE HATED HER POP RADIO VERSION, SO WE COPPED THE JOHN HERALD VERSION FOR TOURING. WHEN I FINALLY HEARD MIKE'S VERSION (IN HIS LIVING ROOM WITH JOHN ON STANDUP BASS) I WAS HOOKED.

WTS: Would you say the lack of success of the First National Band can be boiled down to people hearing/reading the words "former Monkee" and turning away? Because time has shown that those three albums have aged much better than a lot of the "country rock" of the time. Or was it bad marketing/management? 

JW: ALL OF THE ABOVE AND MONEY.

WTS: Reading a list of the gigs you guys played (there's a pretty comprehensive list in Andrew Sandoval's Monkees: Day By Day book) one might wonder, Was there ever any attempt made to get on, say, a Fillmore bill with like-minded acts like The Byrds, Crazy Horse or the Grateful Dead? There are a lot of state fairs and supper clubs with middle of the road acts, but sadly, no pairings with the other innovators of the time. 

JW: THE FACT IS THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH MANAGEMENT (MIKE'S CHOICE WAS POORLY ANALYZED) AND A PROBLEM WITH PROMOTERS. BUT...THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WAS WE LEFT THE COUNTRY (SEE MANAGEMENT). AT A TIME WHEN JOANNE WAS CHARTING AND WE SHOULD HAVE MADE INROADS WITH BOOKING AGENTS AND AN RCA PUSH, WE WERE LIVING IN ENGLAND AND PLAYING WORKING MAN'S CLUBS AND OCCASIONAL CABARETS. REALLY STUPID CHOICES. AS FAR AS I KNOW THE RESULT OF MONKEE THIS MONKEE THAT AND BEING UNAVAILABLE MADE US PERMANENTLY...UNAVAILABLE. ONE OF THE BIG REASONS I WALKED AWAY.

Ware and Nez. Live, 1970

WTS: The FNB scored a hit with Nesmith's beautiful ballad, "Joanne", which seems to have been as much a curse as a blessing. Yet, it's undeniably a beautifully written and recorded song. Any memories of the session? 

JW: It's hard for anyone to capture what happened in the studio, because the feel came from the12 note lujon I played (along with "folkie" Mike's 12 string), and it can't be duplicated. I've been asked many times over the years to describe the rhythm track, and I'm at a loss...except to name the instrument. It happened and it wasn't planned. I doubt the same people in the same room with the same toys would create the same feel today.

 

WTS: I've read in different sources that 1) the Burritos scoffed at the FNB, but also that 2) Gram Parsons was a fan. A bit of truth in each? There's also a recent Nesmith interview in which he says he never even met Gram Parsons. 

JW: THE SCOFFING STORY IS QUITE TRUE...HAPPENED AT AN EARTH DAY CELEBRATION ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY HOUSE IN CLAREMONT, CALIFORNIA. AS FOR MIKE/GRAM...I KNOW NOTHING.

Please don't scoff just because we don't have matching Nudie suits.

WTS:  You and John London formed a very tight and funky rhythm section. And, while the Nashville cats had funk, the LA, and San Fran scene seemed to seriously lack in that department (thus giving birth to the hippie dance?). Nesmith also had a very quick and syncopated rhythm guitar hand. Were you going for "a sound", or was that just how it sounded when all mixed together?

JW: I WAS GOING FOR A SOUND FOR THE FNB. IT HAPPENED PRETTY NATURALLY AND QUICKLY IN REHEARSALS AT MIKE'S HOME STUDIO. HE CALLED IT "BUMPACHUNKA" FOR THE SOUND OF MY RATHER INSISTENT HIGH HAT. THE FUNKIER STUFF WAS MY DOING...I'M AN OKIE...MY HIGH SCHOOL BAND IN OKC IN THE '60'S WITH JESSE ED DAVIS WAS A VERY FUNKY MACHINE. I PLUGGED IN SOME OF THOSE GROOVES WITH THE FNB...BUT NOT LOTS. JOHN WAS REALLY A COWBOY PLAYER, BUT HE WAS VERY FLUID...OPEN TO LEARN.

WTS: Was the whole FNB responsible for the arrangements or did Nez call the shots? Songs like "Tengo Amore" and "Lady of the Valley" seem not exactly off the cuff. 

JW: THERE WERE SONGS THAT HE HAD CONTROL OF, BUT, AS YOU'D EXPECT OF ANY GROUP (AND THE FNB WAS A GROUP), THINGS ALWAYS DEVELOPED ON THE RUN. "TENGO" WAS ALL MINE. MIKE HIRED A TON OF WEIRD PERCUSSION STUFF INTO THE RCA ROOM...THINGS I'D NEVER DREAMED OF...AFRICAN NOISE MAKERS AND MARIMBAS AND TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF LUJONS AND BOOBAMS AND HAND DRUMS. WHEN "TENGO" GOT GOING, I HAD A FIELD DAY. "LADY OF THE VALLEY" WAS MIKE'S DIRECTION MUCH MORE THAN MY INTERFERING. ONCE WE'D DECIDED ON THAT KIND OF HALF TIME, IT SORTA TOOK OFF.

WTS:  I've always wanted to sample snatches of "Little Red Rider",  "Tengo Amore" and "Hello Lady". Has anyone to your knowledge ever done so (sampled you)? 

JW: I'VE HEARD ALTERATIONS SOMEHOW DONE WITH THE 16 TRACKS...AND PROBABLY IN NEW YORK. MIKE CLAIMS TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF IT, BUT I'VE HEARD SOME PRETTY BIZARRE REMIXES OF "LITTLE RED RIDER." THESE WERE ALTERATIONS TO THE EXISTING SONG...NOT A THIRD PARTY SAMPLING.

 WTS: Not to make this a battle of the bands, but much like I feel the FNB rhythm section was tighter than the Burritos, and Nesmith's songs more imaginative than Parsons', I also think that Red Rhodes wins the Genius Award for the pedal steel. What are some of your fondest memories of Red? (Nesmith recently said in an interview that Red smoked more grass than anyone he's ever met. Wasn't expecting that!) Were you friends with him til the end? 

JW: I AGREE WITH THOSE POINTS...THOUGH I'VE LEARNED TO REALLY APPRECIATE GRAM'S VISION, THROUGH MY LONG ASSOCIATION WITH EMMYLOU. THE FNB SUFFERED MANY MISCONCEPTIONS AND HAVING A HIT SINGLE WITH "JOANNE" DIDN'T HELP AT ALL. RED WAS A TWO FISTED, HAM HANDED FIRE PLUG FROM EAST ALTON, ILLINOIS (A TOUGH PLACE TO BE IN OR FROM), AND HE WAS ABOUT THE SWEETEST MAN I'VE EVER KNOWN. HE WAS HIGHLY OPINIONATED, ESPECIALLY ABOUT COUNTRY MUSIC, AND HE INITIALLY DIDN'T THINK THE FNB WAS NEARLY READY FOR PRIME TIME IN THE REAL COUNTRY MARKET. PERHAPS HE WAS RIGHT, BUT, FOR THE UNKNOWN MARKET OF COUNTRY ROCK, HE WAS A DRIVIN' WHEEL. HE COULD ACTUALLY GET LOST IN A SONG...LOSE WHERE HE WAS, AS COULD JOHN. THAT WAS A WEIRD EXPERIENCE. WE'D ALWAYS MANAGE TO DRAG THEM BACK, BUT THERE ARE RECORDED EXAMPLES OF BOTH THOSE GUYS DRIFTING OFF COURSE. WE LEFT THEM AS THEY HAPPENED. DID I REMAIN FRIENDS WITH RED TILL THE END? THAT'S TOUGH. I VISITED HIS SHOP IN HOLLYWOOD WITH SOME REGULARITY. HE LEFT HIS WIFE, DANA (WHO I REALLY LOVED), AND EVENTUALLY TOOK UP WITH JESUS (OR SOME IMAGINARY FRIEND). I HAD A DISTANT AND RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIP AFTER THAT. HE REACHED OUT MORE THAN I, AND I'M POORER FOR IT.

Orville J. "Red" Rhodes. He may have played pedal steel on your album.

WTS: Peter Tork has been quoted as saying that he expected doors to magically open for him once he quit the Monkees--but the exact opposite proved true. Was Nesmith the same way or did he realize that he was having to start from scratch again?

JW: MIKE EXPECTED HELL, AND THAT'S WHAT HE GOT.

WTS: Unlike The Monkees, when FNB went on the road, you didn't have private jets, hordes of screaming girls, waiting press conferences and photograpers at every airport.  Was Nesmith relieved? Disappointed? Ecstatic? Did he take it in stride? 

JW: MIKE EXPECTED HELL, BUT HE LIKED LIVING WELL. WE MOVED TO ENGLAND AND LIVED LARGE. NO SCREAMING BUT PLENTY OF CREATURE COMFORT. HE DID INTERVIEWS MANY TIMES IN MY PRESENCE, BUT THEY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH ME...OR THE FNB FOR THE MOST PART.

WTS: On your website, You say that Loose Salute was done in 10 days and 30 cases of Busch. Pretty working class form of enlightenment! So you all weren't aligning yourself with the more chemically experimental Burritos/Dead/Eagles etc? 

JW: YOU MEAN WE WEREN'T INTO PSYCHOTROPICS? DROPPING? WEED AND BEER FUELED THE FNB.

note: I now realize the "30 cases of Busch" quote is from John's Facebook page. Still, please check out the link to Ware's website. His life in the last 30 years has taken some very fascinating twists and turns. 

WTS: For such an audio/video innovator as Nesmith, there is little to no documentation of the FNB. Or is someone somewhere sitting on some soundboard live recordings and/or film footage? I know at least a few people who would hit the moon if something turned up. 

JW: WE  DID NOT START A SCRAPBOOK. WHAT FEW IMAGES WERE SHOT ARE IN THE MARKET. NO VIDEO. HE WAS GUN-SHY TO A FAULT. 

FNB Live. One of the few visual documents of their existence.

WTS: What's the story with the final FNB album, Nevada Fighter? The band broke up mid recording? It says that you AND Ronnie Tutt drum on it, but it doesn't say who's on what song? Do you remember which tracks are you, which one Tutt?

JW: MAN, IT WAS AN ONGOING BATTLE ABOUT DIRECTION...NOT WHO WAS PRODUCING BUT HOW THE BAND WAS SHIFTING AND SHAPING. I DIDN'T LIKE IT, AND HIS REACTION WAS TO GIVE ME MORE CONTROL. I DIDN'T WANT CONTROL. I WANTED ACTION AND REACTION. IN THE END I PACKED MY KIT IN MID-SESSION AND WALKED AWAY. I DON'T REMEMBER THE TITLES, BECAUSE WE WERE MIXING OLD SESSIONS WITH NEW. TRACKS WERE SHELVED AND THEN REINSERTED, AND IN SOME CASES SONGS FINISHED WERE RECUT WITH RONNIE. I KNOW WE FINISHED "PROPINQUITY" BEFORE I LEFT.

WTS: You and Ronnie Tutt share some deep Americana roots. He's drummed for Gram Parsons, Elvis Presley and Jerry Garcia. You, for Linda Ronstadt, Nesmith and Emmylou. Those artists output alone, given all the music they covered by so many artists, can provide one with a huge education in American music. Do you know Tutt? Admire his work? Any drummers, present or past you'd rank as your favorites? 

JW: I HOLD RONNIE IN ESTEEM. THAT'S A FAIR ASSESSMENT. HE'S A COOL GUY AND VERY CAPABLE ON HIS DRUMS. WE'RE QUITE DIFFERENT IN OUR APPROACH, BUT I WILL SAY HE CAN DO THINGS I WISH I COULD DO. I DON'T PINE OVER IT. I WAS IN THE AUDIENCE WHEN ELVIS FIRST OPENED AT THE HILTON IN VEGAS. RONNIE WAS SO PUMPED, HE WAS PLAYING LIKE HIS HAIR WAS ON FIRE. IT GAVE BIRTH TO THE TCB BAND'S MANTRA "IF YOU'RE NOT RUSHING BY THE LETTER C, IT'S A GOOD TIME TO START." PLAYERS I RANK? IT'S A SHORT LIST. WHEN I FIRST STARTED LEARNING (AND I WAS NEVER IN THE HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND OR ANY OTHER GROUP LEARNING EXPERIENCE) I SAT WITH A 45 RECORD PLAYER AND COPIED PARTS. I WAS CRAZY FOR BLUES (RACE MUSIC) AND JUMP. I NOW KNOW I WAS LEARNING FROM GUYS LIKE EARL PALMER, BUT THEN IT WAS A PIECE OF BLACK PLASTIC...NAMELESS AND FACELESS.
 THE FIRST PLAYER I LOVED AS  A PERSON...A FACE AND A STYLE...WAS LEVON HELM. I FIRST SAW RONNIE HAWKINS AND THE HAWKS IN '59 I THINK, AND I WAS HOOKED. I REALIZED I DIDN'T WANT TO PLAY LIKE HIM EXACTLY, BUT I WANTED TO MOVE A BAND AS HE COULD...EVEN THEN. I SOON BECAME FRIENDS WITH LEVON, AND WE REMAINED GOOD IF DISTANT FRIENDS FOR OVER 50 YEARS.
GUYS I ACTUALLY LISTEN TO? CHARLIE WATTS...NEVER HAS ANYONE WITH SO FEW CHOPS HAD SO MUCH INFLUENCE. HE'S A WONDER, AND, THOUGH I BARELY KNOW THE GUY, I'M CRAZY ABOUT HIS PLAYING. ALSO...HERE'S A TWIST...TERRY WILLIAMS. HE SLAYS ME. FINALLY, THE DRUMMERS' DRUMMER IS JIMMY KELTNER. HE'S ANOTHER OKIE. HE HAS THE FINEST TOUCH OF ANY DRUMMER...PERIOD.

WTS: Any artists you wished you got to work with, but never did?

JW: I THOUGHT I WAS A GREAT CHOICE FOR MERLE HAGGARD. AS HE GOT FUNKIER, I LIKED HIM MORE AND MORE. ODDLY, IN 1981 HE CAME TO THE CMA AWARDS SHOW WHERE I WAS PERFORMING WITH EMMYLOU AND OFFERED ME A JOB. IT BLEW ME AWAY...THE BIGGEST HONOR, PERHAPS, I'VE EVER HAD.

I TURNED HIM DOWN, AND HE DIDN'T TAKE IT WELL. HE COULDN'T AFFORD ME. IS THAT JUST WRONG?

WTS: After the FNB, Nesmith formed the Second National Band for one album--the rather looser, um, herbal-scented Tantamount to Treason. Did you ever hear it or was it the last thing you wanted to hear after the end of FNB?

JW: I KNOW NOTHING OF IT.

WTS: Did The Corvettes ever get together post FNB?

JW: NOPE.

WTS: I recently spotted you playing with Emmylou and The Hot Band on a DVD of The Old Grey Whistle Test. How long did that band last? What are your favorite memories and proudest work with that band? Was James Burton also with Elvis at the time?

JW: FOR SOMEONE SO INTHEKNOW, I FIND THAT AN ODD QUESTION. THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE WAS OTHER WORLDLY. THE BAND LAST? THAT WOULD BE ME IN THE BAND I THINK. I WAS WITH EMMY AT THE BEGINNING, THOUGH "PIECES OF THE SKY" WAS RECORDED WITH THE TCB BAND WITH RONNIE. RIGHT AFTER THAT SHE WAS AUDITIONING PLAYERS FOR A TOUR AND WE RAN INTO ONE ANOTHER AT A REHEARSAL HALL IN THE VALLEY. I KNEW HER FROM MY PLAYING WITH LINDA. LATER THAN NIGHT SHE CALLED AND ASKED ME TO JOIN HER "HOT BAND." I COULD NOT SAY NO. SHE HAD JAMES AND GLEN HARDIN AND EMORY GORDY...ALL GUYS I'D DONE SESSIONS WITH AND ADMIRED. I WAS PLAYING WITH CAROLE KING AND DAVID PALMER AT THE TIME. I RANG UP DAVID AND SAID "GOODBYE." I WAS WITH EMMY FOR NINE YEARS. I WAS THE ONLY ORIGINAL HOT BAND MEMBER THEN, AND IT WAS OBVIOUS I NEEDED TO GET A NEW LIFE. I WAS COPYING MYSELF ON STAGE. LOSING ORIGINALITY. NEEDED SOMETHING ALTOGETHER INSPIRING. THE ANSWER? I WAS PROUD TO BE IN THE BEST COUNTRY BAND EVER ASSEMBLED. THERE'S IT IS.

Emmylou and The Hot Band: John Ware, Glen D. Hardin, Albert Lee, Hank Devito, Emmylou Harris, Emory Gordy, Jr., Rodney Crowell

WTS: In 1977, you briefly reunited with Michael Nesmith for an Australian tour. I know that Nesmith never thought much of it, but I personally love Live At the Palais (except the screaming girls that ruin the ripping version of "Nadine".). What are your memories of that tour? How was that particular band put together?

JW: MY MEMORY OF THE TOUR IS "MIKE WAS PATHOLOGICALLY UNHAPPY." THE RECORDING IS FINE, THOUGH THAT NIGHT WAS NOT THE BEST BAND NIGHT...AND THERE WERE RECORDINGS. I LIKE AL PERKINS VERY MUCH. IT WAS GOOD TO BE BACK PLAYING WITH HIM. I DIDN'T KNOW ANYONE ELSE. I BECAME FRIENDS WITH DAVID MACKAY (BASS), AND WE EVENTUALLY DEVELOPED NICE DEEP GROOVES. MIKE ASSEMBLED THAT BAND. I DON'T KNOW THE PROCESS.

(Click that Al Perkins link and, if you don't know his work, prepare to be impressed)



WTS: On "Palais", all the songs are drastically reworked. In particular, the first two tracks, "Grand Ennui" and "Calico Girlfriend" are brilliant. I have a theory that Dylan stole the feel of "Ennui" for his "Serve Somebody" a year or two later. And the "Calico Girlfriend" is just one of my favorite things. Why did Nesmith all but disown it?

JW: I DON'T HAVE A REPLY FOR THIS. WE STARTED REHEARSALS AT HIS HOUSE IN CARMEL, AND THE NATURE OF THE PLAYERS, MIKE'S ATTITUDE, THE TIME...ALL THOSE FACTORS SHAPED THE NEW APPROACH.

WTS: On your Facebook page, you had some very nice words for the late Levon Helm. Was he a friend? Or just a drummer-brother?

JW: SEE ABOVE.

This sweet photo, from John's Facebook page, will answer that question....

John Ware with Levon Helm--Woodstock 2007 (taken from Mr. Ware's Facebook page)

WTS: How much drumming are you doing these days? Mostly close to home or do you ever tour? 

JW: I HAVE A BAND IN DENVER (www.recklessred.com ) AND ONE IN ARKANSAS (www.redbarnramblers.com). I LIKE THEM BOTH. I PLAY AS MUCH AS I WANT TO PLAY (WHICH IS ABOUT 50-60 DATES A YEAR), AND I DON'T TOUR. I'VE BEEN IN THE STUDIO WITH EMMYLOU AND RODNEY CROWELL IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS, AND SHE HAS MADE NOISES ABOUT TOURING THAT BAND (ORIGINAL HOT BAND WITH JAMES). I HAVE SERIOUS DOUBTS. ALSO, MIKE AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT DOING SOME SHOWS. VERY VAGUE, BUT I MIGHT BE INTERESTED.

WTS: Lastly, what are you listening to these days? 

JW: I HAVE A VERY PECULIAR SET I RETURN TO. NEIL YOUNG AND BOB DYLAN. THAT'S ABOUT IT. I OWN LOADS OF LIVE DVD'S OF MANY BANDS, AND I LIKE THAT (WITH MY 52" PLASMA AND 5.1 SURROUND) MUCH MORE THAN I LIKE GOING INTO CROWDS.

And that, boys and girls, wraps up the first official Where's That Sound Coming From interview. Let's see who I can get next....stay tuned....and in the meantime....

PLAY THE DRUM A LITTLE LOUDER, JOHNNY!







all content © 2012 Where's That Sound Coming From/Brian T. Marchese - all rights reserved

"Aww, Pick It, ______ !?"

I've looked around the web and I don't think anyone's yet made this connection:
There is just a little bit of a Monkees spirit floating around the uber-hip 1968 album Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper, and Stephen Stills: Super Session.

Follow this, if you can dig:

Exhibit A--1966: Mike Bloomfield is part of The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. In August (a month before the debut of The Monkees on TV) they release their highly influential album, East-West. Though it's largely known for the title track, which basically invented the free-form jam in rock music (for better or worse), track one on side two of said album is a little song called "Mary Mary" by a largely unknown songwriter named Michael Nesmith.
A month or so later, of course, that name would only be met by scorn by hipsters who didn't realize that the guy running around every week on TV with Micky, Davy and Peter was the same guy that wrote the song.
A few months after that, The Monkees version of "Mary Mary" would appear on their second album (More of The Monkees) with Glen Campbell on guitar, since The Monkees weren't yet allowed to play on record. (By the way, their live versions--just the Monkees doin' it themselves-- were great).
Apparently, some Butterfield fans would say to the band/their label,  "do you realize this Monkees guy is saying he wrote your song?" And of course, after learning the truth, the fans would walk away enlightened. Or probably more like angry and confused and questioning their hipness.

Mary Mary--The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, 1966


Mary Mary--The Monkees, 1967


Exhibit B: 
1966: On the Monkees' debut album, Nesmith has a song called "Papa Gene's Blues" (with James Burton on lead guitar!). Halfway into the guitar solo, Nesmith calls out "Aw, Pick It, Luther!". Which is a shout out to Johnny Cash and his guitar player, Luther Perkins.

HOWEVER, prior to the remastered CDs, I always thought Nesmith was saying "Aw, Pick It, Wilson". As in making a joke--Wilson Pickett. Pickett Wilson. Ha ha. No?
(a couple friends of mine thought he said "Pick it Elizabeth". But that's beyond the point. And I don't believe they were referring to folk/blues lady Elizabeth Cotton. Get it?)
(while we're at it, it also sounds a bit like "Pick It, Lucifer", which could be interpreted as Nesmith acknowledging that by signing with Don Kirshner, he knew he'd sold his soul. but now we're just free-associating in parenthetical sentences. back to business.)

Perhaps I'm not the only one who thought Nesmith was saying "Pick It, Wilson".
On side two, track one of Super Session, part way into Stephen Stills' solo in a peppy version of Dylan's "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry", Al Kooper says, you guessed it, "Aww, Pick It, Wilson!". Yup. Same inflections, and at the half way point in the solo.

The Monkees--Papa Gene's Blues, 1966


Super Session: It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry, 1968



A footnote to this can be found in the form of Gram Parson's "Return of the Grievous Angel". James Burton is the guitar player on that song too, and before his solo, Gram intones, "Pick it for me, James!". 

I wonder if the Super Session version of "It Takes A Lot to Laugh..." perhaps pointed the way for both The Flying Burrito Brothers and The Grateful Dead? The harmonies, the loose but dance-y vibe. Maybe? Kind of a cross between "Christine's Tune" and "I Know You Rider"? Well, also a bit Monkees-sounding too. If you're a faithful reader of this blog, you know that I think Gram Parsons,  Jerry Garcia and Mike Nesmith were a supergroup in a parallel universe. Or at least a George Jones cover band. All three of them played with Elvis' drummer Ronnie Tutt, you know...

Exhibit C: In 1965, Stephen Stills tried out for The Monkees but didn't make it (he referred them to his pal Peter Tork, however). But he remained friends with the band, and in1967-68, Stills was constantly orbiting the Monkees' universe, hanging out and playing on sessions... at least (so it would seem) until their star plummeted and his shot upwards around 1969.

Peter Tork with Stephen Stills-1967-68. 

Stephen Stills with Micky Dolenz. Summer 1967. Photo by Henry Diltz

Exhibit D: "Fast" Eddie Hoh on Drums!!

Did you listen to the drums on that Super Session track? Pretty distinctive, no? That restless, "playing around with the One" type style. I've read it described as a rock version of Elvin Jones, and I'd agree.  Not everyone can get away with that kind of stuff, but Eddie Hoh (aka "Fast Eddie") could.

Who was Eddie Hoh? Gah! I've been digging his drumming since I started playing (1986) and only recently decided to investigate his life. And it's a strange and incomplete story.

Besides being the drummer on Super Session,  he's all over the Monkees' best album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones" (that drum break on "Salesman"? Eddie Hoh),  as well as many other assorted Monkee tracks. Check him out on "Tapioca Tundra" and "Writing Wrongs" on  The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees.
And "Star Collector" (on PAC&J), on which he goes totally nuts for the last 3 minutes.  (That song also features the first use of a Moog Synthesizer, trivia fans).
Oh!! And of course the awesome tight and fast drumming on "Pleasant Valley Sunday"!
That kind of solves why he's called "Fast Eddie".

Who else did Eddie Hoh play with? The Mamas and Papas, Flying Burrito Brothers, Gene Clark, Tim Buckley,  and more.

One of his best drumming performances? Here you go:

The Monkees--Goin' Down, 1967.



I looked to see what he's doing now, and it's a total mystery! Totally contrasting information. Al Kooper and Denny Doherty (Mamas and Papas) have both been quoted as saying Fast Eddie died (when and where were not given).
But some others say "No, I just saw him. He went crazy/became a drug addict and has been living semi-homeless in Chicago".
But no one can prove anything. On line, at least.
In any case, he's one of the great, great drummers in all of rock and roll history. I'll stand by that. I just have no idea whether he's alive or not. He deserves more than to just be a footnote.

And we'll end this post in an unintended different place. Here's the only picture I can find of Eddie Hoh. He's with Phil Spector and The Modern Folk Quartet.
The Modern Folk Quartet have quite a few Monkee connections too, if you must know. Chip Douglas was handpicked by Mike Nesmith to produce The Monkees' first (and only) "real" album, Headquarters. And "Tad" (Henry Diltz) was The Monkees unofficial official photographer--the guy they trusted and could have fun with.  But until now, I had no idea Eddie Hoh played with the MFQ.
Very cool picture.
Thanks for reading and I hope you learned something. If not, I hope you can teach me something.

ADDENDUM: I just picked up the latest issue of Shindig Magazine, with the Bee Gees on the cover. Oddly enough, there's an article about The Modern Folk Quartet! With the below picture as well as another one that gives a much better picture of what Eddie Hoh looked like. Coincidence! 

Neither Gods nor Frauds: Indies Digging the Dead Part 3

"If there is a common thread in the hipster reclamation of the Dead, it is an insistence on filtering them. This is a new way of appreciating Grateful Dead culture."
Jesse Jarnow in the August 2008 issue of Relix 

Somehow I missed the article quoted above, as well as the audio/video clips below.  Jarnow's excellent article concerns the new generation of non-Deadhead (or "hipster") Dead fans, as opposed to the stereotypical Deadhead who listens to primarily the Dead or Dead-related music and looks down on most everything else.  It wasn't the article itself that inspired this blog post, but the comments that follow it (it was posted on a jam-band website). You can read them for yourself, but in a nutshell, many of them say things like "Who the fuck cares what those wussy hipsters think? We don't want those posers around.." and blah blah blah.
In other words: Come hear Uncle John's Band...unless you also like 3 minute pop songs and wear skinny jeans. In which case, get lost.
This is troubling, but I will address all that after you dig these groovy clips (which I was turned onto via the Jarnow interview).

Of Montreal--Shakedown Street 
 “It took me a long time to even give them a listen, ‘cause they had such a stigma in my mind. I was definitely not expecting them to sound like they do.”--Kevin Barnes




Will Oldham (Bonnie Prince Billy/Palace Brothers etc)--Brokedown Palace
“Like many, I fall most fully into the Jerry camp. I’m drawn most specifically to the way Jerry sings and plays, and his work with Robert Hunter and David Grisman, among many others. I learn from his phrasing, from his song choice, from his manner overall.”--Will Oldham

http://joelgarber.tumblr.com/post/10854717987/will-oldham-brokedown-palace


....and this picture of Emily Haines (Broken Social Scene, Metric, Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton) in a Garcia shirt at a festival gig in Toronto in 2007.

So if you read the whole Relix article, and the comments, you'll notice the disconnect between Dead fans from the indie/punk side and Deadheads from the jam band side (I'm going to go ahead and make the--maybe wrong--assumption that "hipsters" who like the Dead don't want to be referred to as "Deadheads"). The two camps don't exactly see eye to eye. The "hipsters" don't want to be lumped in with unwashed, tie-dyed, dreadlocked, 9-people-3-dogs-and-a-pound-of-weed-stuffed-into-the-microbus Deadheads. And the "real" Deadheads don't want no clean cut hipster telling them that a '73 Dark Star sounds like some indie noise band. Or that Built to Spill have been doing "Ripple" in concert.
Like all things, both sides don't see the whole picture.
Scary how it's like different Christian sects. They worship the same "god" (JC or JG) but would rather stress the differences rather than celebrate the similarities to the other side.
I admit, I like showers, wearing ties and 3 minute songs, and would be very nervous and uptight in a crowded minibus. But I could also listen to the Dead on a 5 hour road trip--preferably alone and not high-- and be happy (as long as it was 1967-78). 
I read a quote (in a recent Rolling Stone) by someone in the Dead office that they are looking for the best ways to present the Dead's legacy to new generations who were too young to ever see them live (or worse, to only have seen them in the final two or three years).
I'm not sure the dancing bear video game is the way to go. But I'm also bitter because I actually had a Dead video game idea a couple years ago (but know nothing about how to make video games.)

So there seems to be two camps out there. Those (like me) who want to take the Deadhead group-think aspect out of the band and judge the music on its own merit. Take the subjective, non-musical aspect out of whether a show/song/album was good or not. Take the do-no-wrong fundamentalism out of critiques of the band. Because all that is scary, cult-ish, and flies in the face of the personal freedom that the band espoused. (Though I guess choosing to be a sheep is still a choice).

I can understand wanting to keep the Dead a secret back when they were around, because popularity (post "Touch Of Grey") really did spell the end. They earned their fame, but it wasn't good for them. Jerry Garcia did all he could to deflect all the hero-worship. But to still be cheered when you're obviously in no shape to be in public, let alone singing to 50,000 people, is the point of no return. To be told you sound great when you KNOW you don't really sucks. Especially to someone who probably spent 80% of his waking hours playing music in one form or another.
But now he's 17 years gone, and it's OK to have anyone discover them. There are no gates to crash. No great seats to be taken away from 20-year tour heads by corporate bankers who like "Hell In a Bucket". It's also OK to honestly critique them (but, like anything, not OK to put them down for no real reason).

Reading Dead forums, most folks are funny, witty, intelligent, educated, well-rounded musically and open minded. But there are some whose sexism and racism bleed into their tie dyes, making them truly repulsive. Take those folks out of a "we all agree" Deadhead group, and they wouldn't be able to rationally debate the relative merits of their favorite band.  It's like when conservatives, all fired up from hearing Hannity or Libmaugh's hateful talking points, call into a liberal radio show and have nothing to say when challenged on their opinions. They just repeat their talking points again like a pre-programmed conserva-bot and resort to name calling and personal attacks. 
This is nothing new.
But back to the music--I can't believe I just brought up religion and politics. I'm sorry. No, I'm not.

If Brooklyn (or wherever) hipsters are (were? maybe this resurgence is long over) embracing the Dead-- this defunct band of schlubby, stoned San Franciscans from a prior generation-- this means that they are in it for the music. Because they genuinely are curious and open minded.  And "real" Deadheads shouldn't try to belittle them. Because your average hipster is most likely musically very well-educated and well-rounded and has come to appreciate the Dead because they realize their importance in the greater fabric of where music came from, where it is now, and where it's going.
And, like a religious zealot who says The Bible is the only book, some Deadheads, who ONLY listen to the Dead, should not judge anyone else's taste, because they really cannot back up any of their opinions without sounding narrow minded, misguided and ignorant.
Example: someone dissing PETE TOWNSHEND (!!!!) based upon footage of the 20 minutes he spent jamming with the Dead in 1981. Yes, such a critique exists on YouTube. Really? You think Pete Townshend, undisputed genius, doesn't deserve to be on the same stage as The Grateful Dead? Get a goddamn grip.  It's scary. But, like I said, it's the minority fringe.

But this is most likely where many of the "hipsters" are coming from: The Dead can supply a very good musical and historical education if you want it. Look up the original authors of their many cover songs. Look up the historical and literary references in Robert Hunter's lyrics. AND, look up the musicians who admire the Dead or vice versa. Do it all with an open mind. Dead haters will discover the importance of the band outside the Dancing Bears and bumper sticker quotes. And Dead zealots will hopefully loosen their isolationist tendencies.
You'll discover the genius of George Jones, Buddy Holly, Miles Davis and Chuck Berry. Not to mention Rainer Maria Wilke and T.S. Elliot. As well as Suzanne Vega, Warren Zevon, Robyn Hitchcock, Sonic Youth, Will Oldham, Camper Van Beethoven and Of Montreal. Your pallet will grow and evolve. You might develop opinions that are scary to you. Like the realization that Garcia wasn't in fact the best guitar player ever, but that he was undoubtedly the only one of his kind.  Or that Mickey and Billy could be maddeningly sloppy or uninspired, AND that they were often amazing. Or that in the 80's-90's, Bob Weir's guitar tone was the worst in the history of rock, but one listen to his inventive chords and rhythmic patterns in a Dark Star from 1969-74 and you'll hear exactly why he was integral to the band.
Read interviews with Garcia and see that he was talking excitedly about punk (in 1978) and post-punk (in 1981). And that Robert Hunter was saying that he really digs Morrissey's lyrics (in 1988). I wonder: Was this the common opinion of most Deadheads at those times?

Many Deadheads hated "Shakedown Street" when they first heard it, because they were trained to believe "disco sucks". Wow. How about remembering history? Lots of what the Dead were doing, groove-wise, could be lumped in with disco's precursors. "Eyes of the World", "Help On the Way", "Music Never Stopped" are pre-disco, but undoubtedly disco-ready (proven when, in 1977-78, the drummers seemed to play Four-On-the-Floor as often as possible.)  How is Funk OK but Disco so hated? They have the same mom and dad. They just wear different clothes.

I'm speaking to both sides: Uninformed Dead-Haters and Uninformed Everything-But-The-Dead Haters.
Don't be scared to expand your pallet, the two of you! It's like moving to a new part of the world and getting used to the customs. Or going from high school to college. You see your place in the world.  Deadheadism should not mean isolationism. Unless those people in charge of "the legacy" want to keep preaching to the choir and watch the legacy die out with the last generation of those "who were there".
There are legitimate reasons to love and not love the Grateful Dead. It's just the irrational love/hate that drives me nuts.

I think it's all about the greater fabric. And if The Dead can't stand out in that context, that would just mean that they were pretenders, hacks and frauds. Which they weren't. Not gods, but also, not frauds.

"Mr David Thomas Jones, baby!"

Or at least that's how Mike Nesmith would introduce Davy Jones at Monkees shows during their summer 1967 tour (a bit more flattering than Micky introducing him as "the Velvet-Voiced Midget").

(and by the way, sorry about two death-related posts in a row. if I could prevent such things, I would)

Well, I don't have many words about the guy. I met him once, at a book signing in Worcester, MA in 1993. I stood in line and when it was my turn, his assistant looked at me and said "this guy's got the Mickey hair and the Nesmith sideburns".
Davy looked up at me and said "Don't listen to him. All he does is make a fool of himself"
I replied "Can't take him anywhere, huh?"
Davy said "I can't even take him to bed!"

So that was it. A quick bit of improv comedy with Davy. Not that it made a whole lot of sense, but hey, it was something. My girlfriend at the time took a couple photos but I think I moved out of the way at the last second, so Davy and I weren't in the same frame. I don't have those photos any more.

But the interwebs have MANY photos and video clips of the man, and I'm going to pay tribute to Davy Jones with a hand-picked selection. Enjoy. A huge thank you to the various folks who posted these photos. One who I'm sure is behind many of them is Meghan Brozanic, who runs the Psycho Jello sites on both Facebook and Tumblr. I've spent many hours poking around those sites over the last year or so. Thanks for all your hard work and fandom and sharing your great collection with the world.

So, to start, some cool photos:

Sharp Dressed Man

From "Monkees A la Mode"--freaking out magazine editors by making them think he's actually bald.

By necessity, Davy learned both bass and drums so he could fill in during various numbers.

Ladies Man. On a date with Sally Field.

Man's man. Rack 'em up, light 'em up. 

I'd like to think that Davy's in a place similar to this right now. But with lots of horses too.

He had to show a lot of patience during the Headquarters sessions of '67. Doing 40 takes of a tambourine track while Mickey got his drum part down or Mike learned pedal steel....

Doing what he did best. From Head, 1968.

Ladies man part 2: With pop star Lulu.

Shaken, not stirred. The high life.

But how do you really feel?

Hipster.

Chatting with opening act, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, July 1967. 

....And now some videos.....



 Davy's cool pre-Monkees version of Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe".  A bit less biting than the original. 





Davy and "critic" Frank Zappa. From Head.





Looking pretty cool in this scene with Deana Martin (Dean's daughter)





Sounds a bit sped-up, but a groovy clip from the second season. They look like they're having fun. 





 With Goldie Hawn on "Laugh In" 1969





Odd Clip entitled "Walking In New York 3 (1969) Leo Bennink"





Wow, Davy. Highest guy to ever appear on a family show. Fresh from a session in the famous "Black Box", one would guess. 





Nilsson #1: The Monkees' rendition of "Cuddly Toy" enabled Harry Nilsson to quit his day job. Trivia: This was the final studio track to feature all four Monkees playing. Until 1996's reunion album Justus. 





Nilsson #2: Davy, solo, with Sam and The Goodtimers, performs Harry's "Together" and then is pretty funny during the interview. 







The Edge Bows Down to Davy as Davy owns the stage at this U2 show in 1997






A clip of Davy doing the lovely "French Song" from the 1971 film "Flowers and Lollipops". 
Kind of weird. Awkward acting when he sits down during the solo. 





A compilation of some of the unscripted interviews at the end of Monkees' episodes. 
Davy shows his biting wit in some of these.  





Davy's second to last concert. NYC, February 18, 2012.  








And finally, this gut-wrenching scene...Rest In Peace, Davy.