I don't know if you're like me and always look at drumsets they use in cartoons, comics or stuff like the Muppets.
Many times it will be obvious that the artist was clueless about what drums are supposed to look like and be set up like, and I find that irritating.
But the various setups Animal has are very cool and funky... it's obvious that someone put a lot of good artistic judgement and time into them.
AMEN!!! I had drummer inspiration impart to me a very simple rule of thumb that I've held onto for most of my life. If you can't groove on a four piece kit and make it sing, take up another instrument.There are MANY drummers today that would have trouble in this area. Recently, I was watching YouTube vids of some young cats stretching on their kits. Most all of it was made up of single strokes around lots of toms and popping an array of cymbals and sounds. There was nothing more than that. It was disheartening.Here is a direct quote (minus the nasty mouth) taken from a YouTube comment on a Buddy Rich vid." i dont see the big f***ing deal here he is just sloppy and all over the f***ing place i would rather see lars or barker solo they are much f***ing beetter than this dud"I'm an old geezer. I'm only 47, but evidently I'm old. Dang. I just don't get it. Where the heck are the drumming leaders in this country? These kiddos need some guidence and direction. Just my dos centavos.PS - I had an Animal pillow case on my rack while I was in the service.
When I read comments like that YouTube remark, I start to feel old too -- and I'm a meager 31. But don't lose heart. My wife's 14-year-old brother took up drumming last year, and he loves all the punk-pop and modern hard rock they're playing on the radio these days. But after a few months behind the kit, he was pulling out the laptop to show me Buddy Rich videos on YouTube.
I think every generation goes through this, but finds the touchstones eventually. When I was 15, I used to wonder why every song couldn't contain a wild, flailing drum solo. Eventually I learned that, as in martial arts, the real masters are the ones who could destroy you with a single stroke but choose to keep their deadliest weapons sheathed.
That said, sometimes you just want to see Mitch Mitchell or Keith Moon tear it up.
