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Faye is adequate for the Hip's style of music. Like I said, sometimes I just scream for some more fills when I'm listening to a cd but it's all good. He isn't awful or anything. He's a solid drummer who's shown glimpes of brilliance every now and again.
Neil Peart is better than all of the other guys mentioned though, by a country mile. That guy is ridiculously good. When you mention Neil Peart, you are talking about one of the LEGENDS.
IMHO, REM are in the same category as the Hip. They have great songs but there isn't any extraordinary musician in the group. Berry was good but by no means was he a GREAT. The key to being a great group is playing as a GROUP. The Hip and REM and U2 all play extraordinarily well as a collective. The sum is greater than the parts.
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I might have been a bit brass in sentencing REM's drummer to the 'shit list' included in my previous post. I don't know a whole lot of REM, I own Up, Automatic For The People, and Out Of Time... I didn't find anything that surpassed my expectations for a band like REM, although REM, outright is an institution of alt-pop-rock... they deserve more than their fair merit...
To my knowledge Jonny has contributed guitar work for the Hip... I believe, if I recall correctly, that Thompson Girl was a song written by Jonny. These days a drummer has got to contribute with the guitar, otherwise he'll be put out of work by a computer... doesn't Matt Cameron supply a third of all Pearl Jam songs on Riot Act, and a fair portion of the newer material on Lost Dogs?
Anyway, I find the drum/bass relation that Jonny and Gord have is irreputable, so the outcome is desired, expected, and delivered. I can't seem to hear any real glitch in Membership... the song would have been better off with 'earthier' beats... a deeper bass drum, more floor tom and endless saturation of a 'pop' on the snare... maybe its the mixing, maybe its the producer... but Vapour Trails has a good sounding beat...
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There was a question in the Music and Musician section about IBE. As a drummer, that's all I'm really qualified to talk about. Fay is not fantastic, he's not an inspiring drummer, but he gets the job done every night. I love watching him live. He is very into the music and that is very cool. I wouldn't want any other drummer in the Hip. No way.
Jeff
Jeff
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Is Johnny a good drummer? Is Gord a good bass player? Do you pogo during s.i.v.? screaming form the rooftops...Do you blow at high dough? Good or bad, this band has never been about flash. Do you feel it? That's all that matters, IMHO. Country blues doesn't lend itself to drums, and the Hip are closer to country blues than any other loud electric band I can think of. Johnny fits the hip, like a hand in a glove.
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OMG, from the first time I seen the Hip in 1993 to a couple weeks ago I have always regarded Fay as the rock solid pumping heart of the band.
When I see the Hip live, Gord D and Johnny are the two major focal points. As a musican (used to play drums but now singing/sonwriting/guitarist) I feel that "talent" has many definitions when it comes to rock music.
I get a kick out of using Neil Peart as a benchmark for all drummers. I like Rush and I do appreciate his talents However, the guy is a skilled and formally trained percussionist. IMO he tends to "overplay". There are so many situations were he fills so much space with flash and compromises the foundation of the song.
Johnny Fay never does. He puts a heart on both sleaves and leaves eveything he has on the heads of his drums for 2 hours every night. What more could you ask from the drummer of your favorite band?
As for the Membership issue, we have to remember that its only a recording. Studio work is repetitive and tedious. That fill could have been part of rhythm take #24 or something. I'm sure Johnny could do something different each take if he wished and maybe he did... we only hear what went on the cd.
There are many "mistakes" or glitches on hip albums (from all players) that could have been fixed with additional takes but thankfully they didn't. I know that doesnt make sense to some folks, but its not Rush we are talking about here. The Hip are all about the "feel" and the "language" of the song.
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All true, but my problem with 'Membership' is not the blown fill, but the completely unsuitable and boring rhythm. That lack of imagination really weakens the song, and exemplifies some of Fay's limitations. But who could deny that the Hip, Fay included, coalesce into a kick-ass band? If I didn't think that were the case, I wouldn't be here. :thumb:
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ITS FUNNY HOW THERE ARE SO MANY COMPARISONS TO BILL BERRY WITH JOHNNY FAY'S DRUMMING. I THINK REM REALLY SUFFERS A GREAT DEAL FROM NOT HAVING HIM ANY MORE. AS AN AVID MUSIC FAN AND MUSICIAN, I FEEL A BAND LOOSES SOME OF THE AUTHENTICITY WHEN A FOUNDING MEMBER LIKE BERRY LEAVES. INSTED OF 4 COLLEGE BUDDIES MAKING THE MUSIC, YOU NOW HAVE 3 GUYS AND A GROUP OF SIDE MEN.
I HAVE SEEN REM WITH BERRY ABOUT 6 TIMES BUT (IMO) JOHNNY FAY OUT HITS AND OUT PLAYS HIM IN EVERY RESPECT. BOTH DRUMMERS HAVE THEIR LIMITATIONS BUT THE HIP MATERIAL IS A BIT HEAVIER COMPAIRED TO THE OLDER REM STUFF... :thumb:
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OH YEA, MEMBERSHIP IS MY LEAST FAVORITE SONG ON PP. I THINK THE LIMITED CREATIVITY IN THE DRUM PART MIGHT BE THE LIMITED BASS AND RHYTHM GUITAR LINES. IF JOHNNY TRIED A DIFFERENT SLANT ON HIS PART, THE ENTIRE RHYTHM WOULD CHANGE IN A BIG WAY.
SOMETIMES, SONGS LIKE MEMBERSHIP START OUT AS JUST A VOCAL AND CRUDE ACOUSTIC GUITAR PART. THEN OTHER MEMBERS (THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE BAND...LOL) MIGHT MAKE SUGGESTIONS TO THE DRUMMER TO HEAD IN A CERTAIN DIRECTION..... 8)
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Lance...one more point for the official Hipbase guide?!?
Why on earth do you think anyone would take the time to read that. I deliberately overstepped it because of the ludicrous presentation...
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Sorry guys, I didn't mean to be so long winded or LARGE in print. Rock on!
