Did they ever used them? Do you know Roger's opinion on them?
I seem to remember he had an electric kit during the Works tour.
Do you have an opinion on e-drums in general?
(I just watched the other Roger Taylor from Duran Duran on Roland TD-30KV. Quite impressing ... VIDEO )
You can hear them early as the Hot Space tour, I believe.... (and I think he might have used them on the Jazz album?)
I always thought the ones Roger used had a kinda cheesy, over the top sound.........it was like he wanted to make sure you knew he wasnt playing normal drums......
Check out a Neil Peart drum solo if you want to hear some crazy stuff with electronic drums! :D
Totally a different thing really, but that reminds of me of my guitar-playing buddy from years ago......had a little Boss drum machine and we'd get all sorts of jam sessions going with that thing and a few guitars :D (and sometimes even an 8-track tape recorder!) He'd play that thing live, not just programming a drum beat, and you'd think there was a real (really, really good) drummer in the room.......ah the good ol days.....
check here for info on use of electrics in his live set up. He never played a full electronic kit, but did sway to augmenting his acoustic set up with a few pads for a while. link
Jazz was (from memory) the first album to feature him extensively playing an electronic kit playing (Fun It).
Modern Drummer - October 1984
You said before that you enjoy fooling with knobs and dials. Is this something new for you?
RT: We [Queen] got a studio in Switzerland, and I very much enjoy
playing with all the new toys that are coming out. I'm certainly more up
to date with all the new gadgets out on the market today than I ever was a
few years ago. I'm also a lot more open-minded about them. For
instance, when electronic drums first came out, I didn't really like them
very much because I never liked the sound of the bass drum. But I've
found that the LinnDrum is much better in this department, and I enjoy
using it. One of the things I came to find out is that when people say you
can't get a "human" sound out of the Linn, they're simply overstating
the situation. Of course, there's some truth in it, but most drummers who
still hold out against electronic drums are only doing so because they're
fearful of losing their livelihood. It is a threat, because now the drums are
really good, I mean you can even program in the slight timing discrepancies
that come with nonelectronic drums. You can even push the beat or
lay it back. It's all there, and you can do it quite easily. You can make it
sound human, and because all this technology exists, you simply can't
ignore it. One can't be retrogressive in this business. It's like the musician's
union in England; the union took a ridiculous stand and tried to
ban synthesizers. That's like standing in the way of an express train. You
can't stop it.
Is it conceivable for you to think that one day you'll be playing
nothing but electronic drums?
RT: I think it's quite possible. I mean the solo album I've been working
on has a hell of a lot of electronic drums on it. There's also a track on The
Works in which we've illustrated that quite well, I think. It's called
"Machines." Basically, it starts off where everything's electronic—electronic
drums, everything. And what you have is the "human" rock band
sort of crashing in. What you wind up with is a battle between the two...
Ozz wrote:
Modern Drummer - October 1984
RT: You can make it sound human, and because all this technology exists, you simply can't ignore it. One can't be retrogressive in this business. It's like the musician's union in England; the union took a ridiculous stand and tried to ban synthesizers. That's like standing in the way of an express train. You can't stop it.
Is it conceivable for you to think that one day you'll be playing nothing but electronic drums?
RT: I think it's quite possible.
^ and there's your proof of how the electronic drum fad of the 80s didn't seem like a fad in the 80s.
Ozz wrote:
RT: I think it's quite possible. I mean the solo album I've been working
on has a hell of a lot of electronic drums on it. There's also a track on The
Works in which we've illustrated that quite well, I think. It's called
"Machines." Basically, it starts off where everything's electronic—electronic
drums, everything. And what you have is the "human" rock band
sort of crashing in. What you wind up with is a battle between the two...
Now I want to go listen to Machines. I've never given it much of a chance.
Ozz wrote:
Modern Drummer - October 1984
Question: Is it conceivable for you to think that one day you'll be playing nothing but electronic drums?
RT: I think it's quite possible.
Like there was any chance Freddie would let Roger replace his massive kit with those "supposed" toys on live situations. "The bigger the better! In everything."
Also the "sonic volcano" would probably had to readjust, if not suffer big time, if e-drums was Rogers way to go with Queen.
(And i do like e-drums, by the way)
Stelios wrote:
Like there was any chance Freddie would let Roger replace his massive kit with those "supposed" toys on live situations. "The bigger the better! In everything."
- He wasn't the "LEADER". So it was not up to him. I could picture Brian whining about it, but not Fred. Besides, look at Mr Bad Guy. There's electronic drums everywhere
^^^ agree, but i imagine he would found some mischievous ,mercurial way to convince him.
I say this cos i remember how dissatisfied he was with John's electric piano saying 'why use this when u have the grandness of real piano?"
Stelios wrote:
^^^ agree, but i imagine he would found some mischievous ,mercurial way to convince him.
I say this cos i remember how dissatisfied he was with John's electric piano saying 'why use this when u have the grandness of real piano?"
And this is why they're the only band where all four members wrote a number one hit - none of them were pushovers.
It was clearly an asset, not a liability.
AOBTD during The Works tour is simply terrible because of the electronic drums. The first gig of the aforementioned tour was the only time he used his acoustic kit, I believe?
cmsdrums wrote:
check here for info on use of electrics in his live set up. He never played a full electronic kit, but did sway to augmenting his acoustic set up with a few pads for a while.
link
Jazz was (from memory) the first album to feature him extensively playing an electronic kit playing (Fun It).
A good number of those tom sizes quoted are wrong, but hey ho nearly right
cmsdrums wrote:
check here for info on use of electrics in his live set up. He never played a full electronic kit, but did sway to augmenting his acoustic set up with a few pads for a while.
link
Jazz was (from memory) the first album to feature him extensively playing an electronic kit playing (Fun It).
A good number of those tom sizes quoted are wrong, but hey ho nearly right
It's not my site, but yes, you're right. (though I'd rather those incorrect sizes that acknowledge those hideous 'trendy' shallow toms he's using at the moment!!)