Ranking King Crimson Drummers

Hi,

And stuff like this is difficult since so much of it is improvised and dependent on each person at every moment, and this is the part of rock music that is missing today ... there is no "freedom" or a chance for a Cross, or Muir, or a Bruford, or even a Fripp, to create music that is ... "a moment in time", instead of something else, like a rock song.

But, in many ways, it defines much later, how Fripp wants some kind of "control" within the music so that it can be played in concert, which they showed beautifully in the series with 3 drummers. You can bring the madness of experimentation to the stage, again, but it is difficult to duplicate, and the attention to detail is off the charts. Guess what most musicians are afraid of? Losing the beat, or not knowing when/how to improvise ... and in one clip ... is a lesson ... that even us "progressive" folks, are afraid to wake up to, and instead go for formatted songs and music! 

Hi,

What is scary to me, is that what helped "progressive music" the most, was the experimentation and the willingness to go out on a limb musically, which is something that is grossly missing in today's new examples of "progressive music" and some folks, I don't think, really have any idea of what an improvisation, and a complete experimental moment is all about, and how to work with it ... and in that clip alone, you are seeing folks that not only did it, but were not afraid to do it, which is important. And even more valuable is the ending with Jamie adding touches with Bill simply adding a few more touches ... so it allows the "birds" to be free and fly ... it is a wonderful moment, and we don't even realize it.

The toughest part to get past, in an improvisation, is the fear that you are not sure of what to do and when ... all that tells you is that you are over thinking it all and not paying attention to the music around you ... nothing more or less!!! And that is the SECRET in an improvisation, and its success. You have to stay tuned, and no one that sees that clip can not say those guys are not tuned and ready for it. 

Sadly, it also likely explains why Jamie Muir did not stick around rock music a lot ... too many musicians that are just note bandits and not listeners. And to many of them the "beat" or the "guitar" is the boss and everything else is secondary ... which takes away from the completeness of the music, assuming that its completeness is limited to one or two things only! You don't see "limitations" on that clip other than the returning to the main theme with the guitar, and you can even watch David Cross smile, when things are working so well! 

Those are, not only, special moments, but they are moments that explain to you, what music can do that so many are not capable of doing, or willing to learn how to work with it ... it's about LISTENING ... the greatest secret in theater and film, as well ... something that most actors are not even good at, since many of them are the stars, and are not required to listen! And this is the part that bothers me about so many drummers out there ... they are so tight on the timing that all their "listening" is simply about keeping the time just right for everyone else. Gavin, is a perfect example. Very mechanical, good, but not a free form drummer that can add to the music a lot more than just tight beats! Many of us did not seem to find BB miss a lot of beats ... you can miss one and pick it up in 4 or 8 bars!!!! You don't have to be there every 4 of them, which tells you that the snare drum needs to die!