DRUMMER CAFE

It's an old Van Halen song but I hadn't listened to it in a long time. I can't figure out exactly what Alex is doing in the intro. I have questions concerning what drums he is playing on (tom-tom, floor tom, bass drum, etc.) and what kinds of patterns he playing. If any of you guys know or can figure it out, please let me know.

Nah, I think that's the real Alex. He's a far better drummer than many give him credit for, with a wickedly fast pair of feet (try playing along to "Get Up" off the 5150 CD) and a great wide-open cymbal sound.

I don't have the CD handy, but as I recall, he had a shuffle going on between his bass drums, while he would fill the 2nd note of the triplet at seemingly random intervals on a floor tom.

At the time he was using a lot of Simmons and/or triggered drum sounds, so both his kicks and his floor toms had a similarly "clicky" sound. The intro sounds like a badly tuned Harley starting up - I love it!

During the "1984" tour, AVH used a Simmons kit that was placed in his acoustic shells where the head would normally go.  It was integrated with his acoustic kit.  One reason for the monster size kit he had.  Of course, the other being it was the 80's and all things in rock were big, including drums, hair and pickles.  

YOU SUCK POPS

I have fallen, and I can't get up because I am ROFL so hard!

If you notice, on every Van Halen, there is a "one taker," a song that is done live in one take.  Hot for Teacher was that song on 1984.  It's all Alex.  He is simply a phenominal drummer.  One of my all time favorites.

You should also check out a couple of the other "one takers," Big Money on Balance, Source of Infection on OU812 & Eruption/You Really Got Me on Van Halen.  These are just a few, I can't remember the names of all of them, but it just goes to show how amazing Eddie, Mike and Alex really are.  For the "Van Hagar" bashers, Sammy was playing the rhythm guitar and singing lead vocals on all the ones he was a part of.  Eddie and Mike did the backing vocals live as well.  These guys are good, just a d**n shame they can't get their s**t together enough to keep a good lead singer.  Oh well!    That's "the biz!"

FINALLY!  Felix and I find some common ground!!

Oh C'mon...he didn't even make the infamous "over-rated" drummers' thread.

BTW...I think sammy hagar was a much more agreeable than Diamond David LEE...oh man...I am so glad I am not him.

Anyone catch the "Sam and Dave Show" on VH1 last weekend?  A brief history of the band and loads of info on the Sam and Dave tour, etc.  The interesting thing about it was Michael Anthony was hanging out with Sammy after the tour this summer, doing interviews for the show!!  Plus, EVH has always said he fired Sammy because he(EVH) is a workaholic and Sammy was a little less inclined to take it that serious.  After EVH's recent bout and recovery from cancer and divorce, perhaps he has learned to relax and take his band for what it is, rock and roll.  Which = fun, not so much work!!   Do I smell a Van Hagar reunion???

Yes, but Sammy did say he has changed his mind and wouldn't be against rejoining the band.  I hope that happens, since the Gary Cherone stuff wasn't very good, and they don't seem to have many other options.  The music they put out together was pretty good.

Chris, you couldn't have put it into any simpler terms.  You speak the truth bro.  

Nope. Although there is now a pedal on the market that does something like that, playing notes on the upbeats when you lift your feet, there was nothing like that available in the early 80's.

Hot For Teacher is not impossible. I can't remember the exact tempo, but it's not inhuman by any stretch - I think it was somewhere in the 120's or low 130's, which is not that fast.  It just sounds COOL, and Alex played the hell out of it.

He did use a second pair of bass drums, with the two on the outside connected to the main ones with something that looked suspiciously like the kind of duct you vent your dryer with in the laundry room. The outer bass drums were supposedly to produce extra resonance in sympathy with the primary bass drums, but I think it was basically done because it looked cool.

Alex rocks. He was playing 20" crashes with marching sticks, and still capable of the kind of intricacy found in this song. Now that's a manly man.

I'm not so sure...you want to back that up? Maybe Alex didn't have anything like that but I'm pretty sure I saw a clinic by someone who did in the early 80s.

Doesn't matter...I'm just telling you what it sounds like to me...I hear doubles.

I'll tell you what though...I know someone who would know absolutely for sure what Alex did in the studio...I'll ask him.

As far as I'm concerned, Alex is not playing 8th note triplets with his feet...I can play it that way but it doesn't sound like Hot for Teacher and I don't think Alex is that kind of double kick player.

I'm kinda curious now so I'll ask around and find out what he actually did.

Yeah...maybe you're right but I just listened to it (thanks to Kazaa ) and it still doesn't sound, or feel like he's doing triplets on the Kicks. Whatever.

Slightly off-topic-  but I've always wondered why Alex in more recent years wore the neckbrace on stage.    Any takers??

He is awesome...I've been into them since VH2...but tonite it's 'Girl Gone Bad' spinning thru my head and up for a well overdue sonic blast thru the ol' phones.    

Bart, thanks for the explanation.  I knew who it was about, I just didn't know who done it.

Acrolite, please tell me how you get those pictures up next to your posts.  I'm tired of being a computer dunce.

Ratamatatt