Mix Six: “Drums Take the Melody”
Tuesday, May 13th, 2008 by Jack Feerick
Hiya kids! This week I have a guest DJ mixin’ it up for you. Jack Feerick wrote a great Popdose Guide to Traffic and, unsatisfied with lack of music love drummers usually get, has put together an eclectic Mix Six featuring some very imaginative rhythms. Before we get started, an obligatory drummer joke:
A man walks into a shop and says to the shop assistant: “Excuse me, I’d like to buy a guitar pick, and some strings.”
The shop assistant looks uncomprehendingly at his customer, and says “Pardon?”
“I’d like a guitar pick please, and some strings.”
The shop assistant thinks on this for a while, and then turns to his customer and says “You’re a drummer, aren’t you?”
“Yeah! How did you know, man?”
“This is a fish and chip shop.”
And now, on with the show! Take it away, Jack.
–Py Korry
I’ve played with a lot of drummers, and they’ve all had a drum key — but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one actually using it. Good tuning, though, can turn a well-played drum part into not just a hook, but a melodic hook. To wit, here are six tunes where the drums sing.
A note: I’m disqualifying Phil Collins from this list, because (a) everybody hates Phil Collins, and (b) despite his considerable flaws as a songwriter, personality, and human being, he is an absolute ace at making the drums sing. And, truth be told, his hateful earworms would utterly dominate this list if steps are not taken to prevent it. I’ll do my best, but I can’t promise I will be completely successful.
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