For me its the first or very early LP's of: Allman Brothers - "Allman Joys" "Idyllwild South" Santana - "Santana" 200 g reissue Emerson Lake and Palmer - "Emerson Lake and Palmer" and, Beethoven - "Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major" Rudolph Serkin/Ozawa/BSO
Well he is a pro. Attended the Conservatoire in Nice, France. So like Berkeley trained musicians he brings a rigorous approach rather then self taught Stan Lynch. Steve can write and read music which I am not sure if any of the heartbreakers can do except Benmount.
I think Steve grooves better than most drummers and can handle more styles. He brings a great groove to everything the HB’s do but his personality doesn’t come out as strongly as Stan Lynch. So Stan did a lot more to shape the sound of the HB’s, as an original member. Stan also sings great harmony like Roger Taylor or Don Henley - so he probably was a better fit.
Steve is a good friend of Mike Campbell. Stan was a buddy of Benmount. Keeping a band together is as complex as a marriage. Success often leads to a breakdown.
shadorne---I read Tom say that Steve came up with ideas that never occurred to him, ideas resulting from his technical training and experience, which Tom and The Heartbreakers don’t share with him . There’s an old saw amongst musicians, that one’s limitations determine one’s style. There’s some truth to that. There’s another, particularly amongst drummers, that drummers with advanced technique tend to sound alike, with no identifiable style of their own, only their technique. That I’m not so sure about, though Steve and Kenny Aronoff (University of Illinois training and degrees, Mellencamp’s original drummer) do sound alike. One guy with somewhat less technique but absolutely no style is Max Weinberg, Springsteen’s drummer. Boring.
There are drummers with technique who have/had a lot of style, starting with the incomparable Earl Palmer (New Orleans drummer credited with creating, single-handedly, Rock ’n’ Roll drumming---Little Richard, etc.), as well as Levon Helm (The Band), Roger Hawkins (Muscle Shoals studios---all those great Jerry Wexler-produced Atlantic recordings of Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, etc., Traffic), Hal Blaine (L.A. studios---a LOT of 1960’s hit singles, including those of The Beach Boys, Phil Spector, Simon & Garfunkel, even Sinatra), Jim Gordon (Joe Cocker, Derek & The Dominoes, L.A. studios), and Jim Keltner (Ry Cooder, George Harrison, Traveling Wilburys, studios), and Steve Gadd (Eric Clapton, Paul Simon---including his great part in "50 Ways To leave Your lover").
Then there is Ringo Starr, a drummer with very limited technical ability, but a LOT of style. Charlie Watts too.
Ladies nights: Surrealistic Pillow (per reubent above) Chrissie Hynde - Stockholm Live at The 229 Club Betty Davis - They Say I'm Different (2007 release) - A friend of my daughter sent the BD and - I like it! Ann Coulter's latest release - turn the volume to max & put the stylist on the running turntable platter! (Sorry, couldn't resist)
Dire Straits "Making Money" /box set Roger Waters "Radio KAOS" /UK import M Ward "Amnesia" /45rpm The Doors "Absolutely Live!" /B Botick re-master/Rhino The Doors "Strange Days" /DCC The Doors "S/T" /DCC...(clearly superior to Strange Days) Dillard Hartford Dillard "S/T"
@reubent, I have "Cheap Thrills" you mentioned above. Have you heard the (Bear’s Sonic Journals Presents.. Big Brother & the HC / Live at the Carousel Ballroom" 1968)...remastered 2012/ Sony/Legacy.
I find it to be very good for what it is. The problem is/was the mic situation. The vocals and drums are in the left channel. Otherwise, pretty awesome document! It’s one of those records that upon your first listen, you wonder why you just bought it. Then as the lp moves on, you begin to be drawn in. I think one may have to be a big fan to appreciate it. It's mandatory to play this lp loud!!!
I decided to put on my MFSL 45 rpm "Cheap Thrills" to compare to the above mention lp.
My memory was correct....this time. While the MFSL 45rpm (stereo)... why they did not do a mono????/I assume this lp came out as a mono?) has a more correct instrument placement, it isn’t presented as originally recorded. The soundstage is constricted... for a stereo lp. It doesn’t have the boogie factor of the above mentioned lp.
I will put on my original copy of Cheap Thrills (stereo) in a little while to again check. Knowing what I now know, I’d buy the Carousel Ballroom version and save the money. That’s just me.
Just listened to my original "CT", first track. Immediately,I could hear a more natural soundstage spread, especially for this time period. While the MFSL has more detail..more clean/clear...it lacks the originality of this record. Lost is the natural presentation for their stereo version. My original, again, has the boogie factor. Much more enjoyable, to me by a long shot.
I've a mint/clean MFSL 45rpm "Cheap Thrills" for sale. Any takers?
@reubent, My mission was to inform myself and others. I ended up listening to the complete side one of my original "Cheap Thrills". Much better, no comparison, IMO.
@slaw - That's awesome. I don't actually own either one. The MFSL is on loan from a buddy. I'll keep an eye out for an original, but I'm guessing nice copies are getting pretty expensive....
Fran Healy "Wreckorder" Big Thief "Capacity" The Stray Birds "Magic Fire" Pieta Brown "One and All" Kelly Hogan "I Like to Keep Myself in Pain" Kapt. Kopter &/the (Fabulous) Twirly Birds "S/T"
Great album reubent, their last with original organist Matthew Fisher. Matthew came up with the great quote from J.S. Bach in his "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" organ part. After he left PH, guitarist Robin Trower became the featured musician, to the detriment of the group imo. Matt put out a couple of real fine albums himself, though few bought them. I have them on LP, and like them a lot. Worth looking for, they oughta be real cheap!
Started out with Ry Cooder/Paradise and Lunch, The Kinks/Low Budget, Donald Fagen/Morph The Cat then Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie's new album.
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