Erk
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« on: June 23, 2008, 09:23 PM » |
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Hey guys, I was just wondering what people think of Mike Portnoy. A lot of people feel he doesn't play for the music, I couldn't disagree more. He without a doubt plays for the style of music he plays, IMO. Anyways, I thought this might be a cool discussion.
-EML.
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RhythmStop
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« Reply #1 on: June 23, 2008, 09:35 PM » |
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I like him. I try to avoid calling guys who can play that well "non-musical" and stuff like that. He does some really cool things on the drum kit that I would have to spend a lot of time practicing to play.
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Gaddabout
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« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2008, 12:45 AM » |
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Mike Portnoy discussions on a non-Portnoy board = landmine. Let's not go there (again). I'll save a lot of time here and sum up what reasonable people will agree to after 8 pages of angry discourse:
- Mike Portnoy is a REALLY nice guy who plays some interesting stuff in an unusual band.
- Mike Portnoy has some nice skill.
- Upon reflection, a lot of people who have "Portnoy angst" don't really have anything against Portnoy or his playing, but have issues with 14-year-old fanboys who eat, drink, and sleep Portnoy.
- People with "Portnoy angst" really wish those with a Portnoy obsession to the exclusion of all other drummer obsessions could recognize it's a big drum world out there and there's more to drumming than just what Portnoy does. You know, pick up some old school Michael Jackson or check out the various drummers of John Scofield or ... I dunno, maybe go outside and get some exercise, work out the heart and lungs, and then take a big deep breath before going off on another Portnoy tangent. And DEFINITELY try to find something other than a Portnoy request for your next drum lesson, because your drum instructor is more than worn out on Dream Theater transcriptions.
So there. Portnoy = good drummer and human being. Tweener Portnoy fans = annoying to drummers who also enjoy other drummers besides all-Portnoy, all the time. Oh, one more thing ...
- Based on a recent posting on another board, Mike Portnoy likes other drummers besides Mike Portnoy, too, and has great respect for all drummers. He encourages his young fans to expand their horizons. However, he has feelings too, and does not enjoy taking the brunt of criticism just because Modern Drummer enjoys selling magazines to his fans by feeding the monster.
Glad I could save everyone some time and heartache.
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Odd meter isn't broken. It doesn't need to be fixed. - David Crigger
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Erk
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« Reply #3 on: June 24, 2008, 12:58 AM » |
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Thanks, people are a little over obssesed with hime w/e though.
-EML.
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Chris Whitten
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« Reply #4 on: June 24, 2008, 04:37 AM » |
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Glad I could save everyone some time and heartache.
Glad you returned to the Cafe.  |
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Nathan
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« Reply #5 on: June 24, 2008, 06:06 AM » |
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Good player, good songwriter, and I enjoyed reading what he had to say in Drum! this month. They had an article about Drummer/songwriters, and featured 3 or 4 guys, including Portnoy.
He doesn't get discussed much around here, probably because there isn't much to say that hasn't already been said over at the P**rl drum forum.
Gaddabout speaks truth!
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Yer off the edge of the map now, mate. Here there be monkeys on crack!
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Dave Heim
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« Reply #6 on: June 24, 2008, 06:20 AM » |
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Mike Portnoy discussions on a non-Portnoy board = landmine. Let's not go there (again). I'll save a lot of time here and sum up what reasonable people will agree to after 8 pages of angry discourse:
- Mike Portnoy is a REALLY nice guy who plays some interesting stuff in an unusual band.
- Mike Portnoy has some nice skill.
- Upon reflection, a lot of people who have "Portnoy angst" don't really have anything against Portnoy or his playing, but have issues with 14-year-old fanboys who eat, drink, and sleep Portnoy.
- People with "Portnoy angst" really wish those with a Portnoy obsession to the exclusion of all other drummer obsessions could recognize it's a big drum world out there and there's more to drumming than just what Portnoy does. You know, pick up some old school Michael Jackson or check out the various drummers of John Scofield or ... I dunno, maybe go outside and get some exercise, work out the heart and lungs, and then take a big deep breath before going off on another Portnoy tangent. And DEFINITELY try to find something other than a Portnoy request for your next drum lesson, because your drum instructor is more than worn out on Dream Theater transcriptions.
So there. Portnoy = good drummer and human being. Tweener Portnoy fans = annoying to drummers who also enjoy other drummers besides all-Portnoy, all the time. Oh, one more thing ...
- Based on a recent posting on another board, Mike Portnoy likes other drummers besides Mike Portnoy, too, and has great respect for all drummers. He encourages his young fans to expand their horizons. However, he has feelings too, and does not enjoy taking the brunt of criticism just because Modern Drummer enjoys selling magazines to his fans by feeding the monster.
Glad I could save everyone some time and heartache.
Cool. Well said. Hey, can you make one of these posts for Bonham? |
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Chris Whitten
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« Reply #7 on: June 24, 2008, 06:36 AM » |
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And Peart.
That about covers it doesn't it?
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felix
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« Reply #8 on: June 24, 2008, 07:04 AM » |
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he he he, the way I see it you old timers act like a bunch of school girls whenever anyone says "Steve Gadd" or "Vinnie Calaiuta" around here. I think it's ok to have a favorite drummer: Johnny from Type O Negative is my fav and I practically pee my pants when I talk to him or about him. Well, him, Bart, Chrisso and David Crigger Gawd  Portnoy's great man. Plus he went to Berkley  |
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Yaay!
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« Reply #9 on: June 24, 2008, 07:56 AM » |
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he he he, the way I see it you old timers act like a bunch of school girls whenever anyone says "Steve Gadd" or "Vinnie Calaiuta" around here. . . . Hey now! One more old-timer crack and I'll smack you with my cane. Just give me a minute to shuffle over there.  |
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Antman
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« Reply #10 on: June 24, 2008, 08:09 AM » |
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A guy I know called leonarde has a picture of himself with Portnoy, holding a sign that says "Thanks Leonard for teaching me drums". There I've contributed to a Portnoy discussion, can I go now?  |
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wHeeeee!
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Gaddabout
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« Reply #11 on: June 24, 2008, 09:33 AM » |
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he he he, the way I see it you old timers act like a bunch of school girls whenever anyone says "Steve Gadd" or "Vinnie Calaiuta" around here. I think it's ok to have a favorite drummer:
Gah! You're baiting me. You're going to make me type the one thing I didn't want to type and I'll look like an elitist. Can't ... resist ... the urge ... It's the difference between two dimensions and three dimensions, man. A rare few drummers transcend the linear equation of music to add depth not discernible by most other players, even exceptional ones like Mike Portnoy. I don't think Portnoy would disagree with this opinion. He may have his own list, but Gadd and Colaiuta would be on it, I think. It's one thing for a group of highly-trained musicians like those in Dream Theater to sit down and work out some extremely challenging figures and melodies and harmonies to compose a piece of music, not unlike classical music. It's not something just anyone can do. It takes years of discipline and ability most people don't have. It's entirely another to constantly live in a realm of atypical, alinear thinking like Colaiuta, Tony, Elvin, Roach, etc. It's the difference between unusual (Portnoy, Peart) and rare (Colaiuta, Tony, et al). In 100 years what will we remember about 20th Century music? Elvis, the Beatles, and Johnny Cash? Maybe Gershwin -- one would hope -- maybe Joplin, and maybe Aaron Copland. I fear conventional drumming could be a lost art by then, the way woodworking artisans disappeared with the onset of technology advancement. But if it somehow lived on, I think the work of Buddy, Tony, and Colaiuta will live on beyond most other drummers because of their very rare abilities to think not just beyond constructs, but to think in those terms in the moment. It's like the difference between being an instructor at MIT and being Einstein, IMO. |
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Odd meter isn't broken. It doesn't need to be fixed. - David Crigger
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amoacristo
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« Reply #12 on: June 24, 2008, 11:23 AM » |
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Oh Gaddy, how can you mention what will be remembered in 100 years and leave out N'Sync and Britney. Come on now, they are at the forefront of a revolution in music.
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smoggrocks
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« Reply #13 on: June 24, 2008, 12:15 PM » |
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yah. i saw a portnoy-bash session go really south on another board...and then who shows up but portnoy himself. yeesh. a real backpeddling circus that was.
anyhow-i think it's great to have drum heros--emphasis on the plural. portnoy is one part of the equation. i'm not a big DT or portnoy fan, but i appreciate his and his band's contributions--it's not corporate drone rock. but there are a ton of other drummers to learn about.
the thing i like least about portnoy's playing is his [lack of] dynamic range. it's all-out 250% playing, 300% volume all the time. a wee over the top for me. but he's worked hard to get where he is, and people who work hard and keep at it get my respect.
i think if a drummer gets you here and motivates you to play more, learn more and become a better drummer, then they've made a significant contribution, even if the entire world is not in love with his or her playing.
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Chris Whitten
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« Reply #14 on: June 24, 2008, 03:49 PM » |
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Nothing against MP. It's refreshing to see a few other drumming heroes get a mention from time to time. That's all. Nothing age dependent about it.  |
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Erk
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« Reply #15 on: June 24, 2008, 04:06 PM » |
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yah. I saw a portnoy-bash session go really south on another board...and then who shows up but portnoy himself. yeesh. a real backpeddling circus that was.
anyhow-I think it's great to have drum heros--emphasis on the plural. portnoy is one part of the equation. I'm not a big DT or portnoy fan, but I appreciate his and his band's contributions--it's not corporate drone rock. but there are a ton of other drummers to learn about.
the thing I like least about portnoy's playing is his [lack of] dynamic range. it's all-out 250% playing, 300% volume all the time. a wee over the top for me. but he's worked hard to get where he is, and people who work hard and keep at it get my respect.
I think if a drummer gets you here and motivates you to play more, learn more and become a better drummer, then they've made a significant contribution, even if the entire world is not in love with his or her playing.
I can agree with that man, totaly. I think he doesnt play so dynamicly, is because it prog...Prog isnt necissarily supposed to be played that way..There are some song's he does use dynamics, check out Soliatry Shell, he actually add's a new orleans street beat to a prog song! Sounds cool too. -EML. |
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Chris Whitten
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« Reply #16 on: June 24, 2008, 04:30 PM » |
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Prog isnt necissarily supposed to be played that way..
I don't know, the roots of 'Prog' were very dynamic; Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull and Rush for example. By the way, there is a spell check button at the bottom of the post screen. |
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Erk
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« Reply #17 on: June 24, 2008, 05:22 PM » |
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Haha yeah, I was typing fast and I had to leave, so I didn't have time.
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Erk
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« Reply #18 on: June 24, 2008, 10:16 PM » |
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Oh and the only argument I can present is that Prog rock, and Prog Metal are kind of different.Prog metal is a lot heavier than prog rock, and usually stays relatively heavy. Dream Theater being Prog metal. I don't know though.
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Gaddabout
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« Reply #19 on: June 25, 2008, 01:49 AM » |
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Oh and the only argument I can present is that Prog rock, and Prog Metal are kind of different.Prog metal is a lot heavier than prog rock, and usually stays relatively heavy. Dream Theater being Prog metal. I don't know though.
Porcupine Tree has no problem including dynamics (and restraint) in their composition. I would consider them to engage in "prog metal" as much as they are "prog rock." If there really is such a distinguishment. |
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Odd meter isn't broken. It doesn't need to be fixed. - David Crigger
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