4 (and 69 and 70 and 110 and 113 and 120)- the drummers

4 – 18^th Avenue (Kansas City Nightmare) - Cat Stevens – 1972

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69 – Tonight, Tonight - Smashing Pumpkins – 1996

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70 – Won’t Get Fooled Again – The Who – 1971

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110 – Fire on High – ELO – 1978

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113 – Don’t Cry – Asia – 1983

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120 – Amazing Journey – The Who, Live at Leeds – 1970

18th Avenue 

Tonight, Tonight 

Won't Get Fooled Again - The Kids Are Alright 

Fire On High - ELO 

Don't Cry - Asia 

Amazing Journey - Live at Leeds 

            I lumped these six songs together because they don’t evoke any specific memory for me, what they have in common is interesting percussion. Not being a musician (despite my several attempts to learn the guitar in the 60s), there’s a drum riff in each of these that I enjoy listening to, banging on my steering wheel as they play.

            In the case of “18^th Avenue”, it’s a drum/percussion break near the end with Gerry Conway on drums, Cat Stevens on tambourine, and some crescendoing strings. I used to rewind and play my cassette, just to listen to that break. (Stephen Holden in Rolling Stone described it as ”(T)he album's most ambitious cut and in every way its best...In the cut's extended instrumental break, Bel(sic) Newman contributes one of his best string arrangements ever, and there is stunning percussion work by Cat and Gerry Conway.”)

            In “Tonight, Tonight” it’s Jimmy Chamberlain’s frenetic drum rolls in the choruses (and it conjures up the loopy goofiness of the video, an homage to Melies’ “A Trip to the Moon”, starring Spongebob Squarepants: Tom Kenny).

            In “Won’t Get Fooled Again” it’s Keith Moon’s licks just after the synthesizer interlude and just before the “YEAHHHHHHH!!!” (cue David Caruso and CSI: Miami). I particularly enjoy the version in the movie “The Kids Are Alright”, where all is dark during the synthesizer interlude except for Roger Daltrey, marching through the laser light show, then, as the interlude ends, Moon’s drums light up, as does Keith and then after his riff, Daltrey screams “YEEEAAHHHHH!!!” and as the lights come up full, Pete Townshend is seen sailing through the air, landing on his knees as he hatchets a chord, sliding across the sound stage.

            “Fire On High” by ELO contains some great bashing by Bev Bevan.

            “Don’t Cry” by Asia has some Carl Palmer rolls. I once asked a friend of mine, who was a drummer, why Carl Palmer was considered a drum god. He said it was because of the interesting choices he made in putting together his fills. I seem to recall he had about 20 different drums arrayed around his riser that he rolled across as he played (and the big gong that hung behind him when he was in Emerson, Lake, and Palmer). I saw him live at Poplar Creek in 1983, when he toured with Asia and I honestly can’t remember much about the show. I was a fan of Asia due to several videos on MTV, but I was really at the show for the opening act, Chris DeBurgh (“Don’t Pay the Ferryman”).

            Now that I think of him, I realize I have no Chris DeBurgh on my playlist. I only have him on vinyl, and I’ve only digitized one album, “The Getaway”. I think I’ll add the title song to Kaffred, now up to 124.

            My final drum break is another Keith Moon, “Amazing Journey”. I particularly like the Live at Leeds version, where the crispness of his playing is evident. Keith Moon always looked to me like someone using his sticks like magic wands; he didn’t seem to be holding them like anyone else.