QueenZone discussion #1434897
Best of Roger Taylor drumming video
| Oscar J 18.07.2015 17:45 |
Hi y'all, as criminally underrated as Taylor is, I figured I'd collect some of his best studio performances into a video. What I didn't realise was just how much great stuff there is! I started today and got to the Jazz album - it's already at twelve minutes, so I'll probably have to split the video up in two or three. Anyway, here's what I have so far, audio-wise . Please don't hesitate to remind me of great performances I've forgot - it's bound to be a lot! |
| hobbit in Rhye 19.07.2015 05:55 |
Nice compilation, and very interesting to hear. Looking forwards to the video. You didn't list the performances as their order in the albums did you? Which order, or which kind of pattern did you arrange it with? I didn't hear the middle section of Ogre Battle here. I don't know if it's anything flashy, but I like the drum there, it brings out the battlefields ambience. The studio mix probably should have gotten the drum sound a little bit clearer and heavier. Sorry if I miss it in your audio. |
| Chief Mouse 19.07.2015 06:07 |
Hey, nicely done! |
| dave76 19.07.2015 13:36 |
As Taylor himself stated in 2005 that he really hate long drum solos he is a great drummer and this is a nice video. |
| Oscar J 19.07.2015 16:06 |
Thanks guys. The songs are in no particular order, but I think I'll shuffle them around a bit more so that there's a nice variation in style and dynamics throughout the video. They'll still be separated by albums though. Will hopefully be able to cut it bit tighter and throw out a few performance to get the 70's down to 10 minutes. |
| Jazz 78 19.07.2015 17:15 |
Here's a challenge for you Oscar... how about a compilation of Roger's drum solos from live versions of Keep Yourself Alive all strung together? Not every single recording of the song but pick them at random and at your own discretion. Might be kind of fun to see if they change throughout the years at all... if slightly. Thanks! |
| pittrek 20.07.2015 12:10 |
I miss there the demo version of KYA |
| Oscar J 20.07.2015 14:34 |
Jazz 78 - good idea. First things first though, a studio and then perhaps a live "best of"-video. And there'll be some KYA solo's in the latter, obviously. Thankfully we've got three of the best KYA solos out there in good quality: Hammy 1975, Hyde Park 1976 and Boston 1976 (which might just be his best version ever). pittrek: I'll listen through it and see if there's anything particularly noteworthy to add, thanks! |
| hobbit in Rhye 21.07.2015 14:22 |
Don't throw out performances please. If you're absolutely restricted by 10 mins time frame, then how about 2 videos for 70s? There are plenty of good materials. And the 80s would not be that long. |
| Oscar J 25.07.2015 09:07 |
There we go. Let me know what you guys think! :) |
| Chief Mouse 25.07.2015 09:32 |
Excellent video :-) I can't wait for other parts. |
| Oscar J 25.07.2015 16:57 |
Glad at least somebody appreciated it, Mouse. :-) Should have posted a picture of Freddie with aids instead - would have gotten more comments. Sigh. |
| bootLuca 25.07.2015 18:11 |
I like it! great work! :-) |
| hobbit in Rhye 25.07.2015 18:27 |
Oscar, please excuse my late comment, I did see your video 6 hours ago, and I enjoyed it big time (except the 11:47 moment when it ended) but it was Saturday evening, I had to go out and do silly things and drink silly beers, so I didn't want to type some rush words in reply. Here I am now, all sober and clean ears, but I bet many QZers are still in the pub's dark corner. Thanks for including text illustration in the video, it helps outsiders like me to understand the versality of Taylor's licks. Also, it's nice that you used C_Matt version which brought out the drums more in some songs. |
| Oscar J 25.07.2015 19:16 |
Thanks guys! Hobbit: there's no such thing as a silly beer. :) Yes, fortunately I did find surprisingly many comments on the bits by drumming mags and Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. I also wanted to explain why I chose the bits that I did - what I found noteworthy about them, because it's not always obvious. C_Matt did a great job recovering the drums from the muddy QII mixes, and it was very nice of him to let me use his tracks. |
| hobbit in Rhye 25.07.2015 19:24 |
Yeap, when I watched the video I thought "Did this guy Taylor Hawkins write a whole PhD thesis about Taylor?" :D The comments from the drumming mags are very nice, in the sense that they reviewed Taylor's input within the dynamic of the guitar riff and Mercury's singing. Made me all the more appreciate the songs. |
| Rami 26.07.2015 01:04 |
This is really great. Thank you very much for your efforts! |
| Rami 26.07.2015 01:04 |
sorry, triple post |
| Rami 26.07.2015 01:04 |
sorry, triple post |
| musicland munich 26.07.2015 01:25 |
ah sorry, I didn't recognized that anyone is interested into drumming...:) You've to do assumptions on the missing letters on your own. Roger Taylor - Queen's King of the Beat ( Happy Birthday !... btw.) |
| hobbit in Rhye 26.07.2015 08:35 |
Thank Munich for the article about technical details and some flamboyant lines towards Roger's drumming. Missing texts are frustating don't you know T_T And Happy Birthday to Roger ^^ |
| Oscar J 29.07.2015 07:09 |
Chief Mouse wrote: Excellent video :-) I can't wait for other parts. Taylor was a mere shadow of his former self in the 80's (especially the mid 80's, and especially in the studio). I'd put it like this: Taylor had the speed and style already by the Smile era - for example he didn't improve his singles roll speed any further during his career. His unique style did get more articulated though, and he was very stylish indeed from Sheer Heart Attack - ADATR. In 1977 I believe he practiced a bit - taught himself bass drum triplets, for example - also some of his fills and endings were slightly more complex and syncopated (Less straightforward 6:ths - see It's Late, Silver Salmon, Tie Your Mother Down ending Houston 1977). Jazz was the last truly great drumming album from him, even though there are a few minor drumming displays in Under Pressure, some stuff on the Miracle album, Innuendo and All Of Gods People. So if you want an 80's and 90's video as well, you better help me with finding stuff (maybe on his solo albums? Haven't listened to those). :) |
| Oscar J 20.09.2015 15:27 |
Right, here's a rough mp3 of what I have so far in terms of Roger's 80's studio stuff. Will have a look at the Queen+ Rodgers stuff as well to see if there's anything noteworthy on there. Thoughts? Anything that I've forgotten? Again, I'm very open to suggestions! :) |
| hobbit in Rhye 22.09.2015 05:23 |
Excellent! Thank you, Oscar. Been waiting for it since your 70s clip. I thought when I opened your mp3 "Surely he didn't forget to include Dragon Attack in it? I love that drum/song", and there it is ;) Despite what you said about his 80s stuff, it does sound good when you put it together in this clip. I kinda like his minimal drum fills in Innuendo. It suits the song, and it show that he knows the right amount for each song, never goes for showcase. |
| hobbit in Rhye 22.09.2015 08:16 |
I don't know if his licks at the end of Smoke on the Water Rock Aid Armenia are any good for you..? |
| Chief Mouse 22.09.2015 11:58 |
Great job :-) |
| Oscar J 22.09.2015 13:18 |
Thanks guys! Will have a listen to Smoke on the Water to refresh my memory. "Despite what you said about his 80s stuff, it does sound good when you put it together in this clip. " Yes, but then again all the stuff is almost exclusively from the early and late 80's/early 90's. It's pretty telling how I've only got one drum bit from Works/AKOM respectively - I kinda think Roger's studio work was downright lazy during that period. I feel like he did take his own drumming more seriously later on, and yes, the drums are pretty amazing in Innuendo. Huge sound, lots of buzz rolls goodness and cool drum fills in odd time signatures. A shame the production isn't all that great though, hopefully C_Matt can do something about that some time. :) |
| AlexRocks 22.09.2015 17:40 |
Was it him being lazy or some person and or people would not let him do anything more because of the perception of what the style was at the time. Not that that was even necessarily a bad thing. At least for a while... |
| Oscar J 22.09.2015 18:05 |
Good point, although even in rawer, non-synth rockers like Hammer To Fall, Tear It Up and One Vision (well, the latter has some synths of course) its just remarkable how little personality his drumming has. When you compare it to Queens 70's material, where he'd throw in all these great little flourishes and details, you can barely tell it's the same guy playing. I'm all for minimalism, but it doesn't have to mean boring. |