Dave Abbruzzese plays Breath AND ALONE in 2023

Go Beavers

yosi said:

Stove said:

lastexitlondon said:

It means moving the goal posts but I myself don't understand most of this thread

Well it goes back and forth between "Dave shouldn't still be in the band" to "MFC is the best drummer." And truthfully every drummer had their space and was important to the evolution of the band. I still think 100 percent that Dave would not have survived PJ's growth along the way besides of course the personality clashes. Some people just wanna keep thinks as they were. And I understand that..and I also like every album for its different merits. And personally...I think Dave's drumming is way too colorful, like its just so busy (other people call it "groove") And ultimately it's a dead issue b/c as I've said...Dave ain't in the band anymore. He was there for a milisecond in their 30+ years. And his contributions were important. And yet Matt has remind with them the longest and has contributed many songs that the band plays. Those are facts. People will always have those old records and bootlegs to listen to, but in terms people even entertaining the notion that they would like him back in, even for an off shoot gig? No way. 

Not here to take sides, I honestly don’t get why people get so heated about the debate. They are all professional drummers who know how to play AND the band obviously likes MFC more. 

I honestly think it would be more interesting to say things like:

- Damn, those Dave A ghost notes on Breath are awesome. 

- I love the Bonham triplets MFC plays on Betterman at Uniondale 03. 

- Listen to Dave A. and MFC play Spin the Black Circle or Blood. The way they accent different pets of the song is really striking. 

- Why does Jack Irons play State of Love and Trust like it’s Last Exit on the 95 tour????

Give me some actually drumming to listen to and talk about!

I also want to say that “busy” and “groove” are not pointing to the same thing. Dave A can be too busy, but playing with groove doesn’t have to be that way. 

And these are things drummers will point out about other drummers. Compared to other musicians who play something else, I’ve never seen the high level of respect professional drummers give to other drummers. Dave A doesn’t do this and I think it says something

Spiritual_Chaos

Go Beavers said:

 Dave A doesn’t do this and I think it says something

He doesn't? How many drummers have you discussed with him?

Go Beavers

Spiritual_Chaos said:

Go Beavers said:

 Dave A doesn’t do this and I think it says something

He doesn't? How many drummers have you discussed with him?

I should be more specific. Dave A doesn’t do this with Pearl Jam drummers, he does the opposite, and I haven’t seen him be complimentary of other drummers in his fb page, but I could’ve missed it. 

Spiritual_Chaos

Go Beavers said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

Go Beavers said:

 Dave A doesn’t do this and I think it says something

He doesn't? How many drummers have you discussed with him?

I should be more specific. Dave A doesn’t do this with Pearl Jam drummers, he does the opposite, and I haven’t seen him be complimentary of other drummers in his fb page, but I could’ve missed it. 

Songfacts: Speaking of subtleties, what's a subtlety you love in a song from a different drummer?

Abbruzzese: Jimmy Chamberlin did a lot of subtle things, but the way they were presented in a song with the Smashing Pumpkins, they were really up front so they weren't really subtle – they were intricate. I'd have to say Dave Grohl on the song "All Apologies." There are some things he did in that song with his hi-hat foot and with flams and some ghost note stuff. Those records were so masterfully mixed. If you're listening for them you can hear the subtleties, but overall when you've got it cranked up they just blend to the momentum versus standing out.

That's one of the things that makes Dave Grohl a legacy drummer – he was able to really drive a song and beat the shit out of his drum set, but still include those little subtle drags. The way he moved his hi-hat when he was bashing on his ride, things like that you don't really hear but you feel when you're listening to the track. It's a nice thing. It just adds an element of almost disco to the punk-rock aspect of it.

I was a big fan of Tony Thompson with Chic, and Tony played with Robert Palmer [in Power Station] and did great things on the Bowie stuff – "Let's Dance" and all that. He just had that [voices a steady drum beat] – and Dave did that a lot on those records - I really like that. There was a funk to his punk rock that I appreciated. It reminded me of Greg Errico, the drummer for Sly & The Family Stone. The tension he created by pushing his hi-hat and the rest of it still pulling back. He was the right drummer for the band. With Krist [Novoselic] pulling back and Kurt [Cobain] always on top of the beat, Dave was able to support both but define it at the same time.

JT167846

Best drummer and best fit stylistically are totally different and this is such a good example. I do think Matt is the best but stylistically I prefer the others more. But he has also composed some of my favourites and given he has been in the band three times longer than the others combined it's really hard to say he's not the quintessential drummer for PJ even if his joining was at the end of the so-called heyday.

Dave A and Matt are at the front of the beat and Dave K and Jack sit at the back (sorry Matt Chamberlain we all know you're the odd one out here). That's why I'd have liked to hear how Dave K would play the Jack stuff. A notable exception is Spin Black-I wish it were more thrashy live and it seems just a straightforward rock song than the thrashy punky piece that is so special to me.

All of the interviews with Matt I've seen want to talk about his work with Soundgarden and not PJ. Hopefully that changes as it is great. It's just his Soundgarden stuff is legendary. Christ Never The Machine Forever...holy hell...

Go Beavers

Spiritual_Chaos said:

Go Beavers said:i

Spiritual_Chaos said:

Go Beavers said:

 Dave A doesn’t do this and I think it says something

He doesn't? How many drummers have you discussed with him?

I should be more specific. Dave A doesn’t do this with Pearl Jam drummers, he does the opposite, and I haven’t seen him be complimentary of other drummers in his fb page, but I could’ve missed it. 

Songfacts: Speaking of subtleties, what's a subtlety you love in a song from a different drummer?

Abbruzzese: Jimmy Chamberlin did a lot of subtle things, but the way they were presented in a song with the Smashing Pumpkins, they were really up front so they weren't really subtle – they were intricate. I'd have to say Dave Grohl on the song "All Apologies." There are some things he did in that song with his hi-hat foot and with flams and some ghost note stuff. Those records were so masterfully mixed. If you're listening for them you can hear the subtleties, but overall when you've got it cranked up they just blend to the momentum versus standing out.

That's one of the things that makes Dave Grohl a legacy drummer – he was able to really drive a song and beat the shit out of his drum set, but still include those little subtle drags. The way he moved his hi-hat when he was bashing on his ride, things like that you don't really hear but you feel when you're listening to the track. It's a nice thing. It just adds an element of almost disco to the punk-rock aspect of it.

I was a big fan of Tony Thompson with Chic, and Tony played with Robert Palmer [in Power Station] and did great things on the Bowie stuff – "Let's Dance" and all that. He just had that [voices a steady drum beat] – and Dave did that a lot on those records - I really like that. There was a funk to his punk rock that I appreciated. It reminded me of Greg Errico, the drummer for Sly & The Family Stone. The tension he created by pushing his hi-hat and the rest of it still pulling back. He was the right drummer for the band. With Krist [Novoselic] pulling back and Kurt [Cobain] always on top of the beat, Dave was able to support both but define it at the same time.

Good to see he’s able to compliment drummers that weren’t in Pearl Jam