'Bout That Title

I figure it's time for me to explain the title of my blog.

First, if you didn't realize it yet, I am one of the sect of the scruffiest of all musicians. In fact, we are so scruffy, that even musicians look down on us, and don't like acknowledging that we are part of that category of people. I am a drummer.

Sadly, there is just cause for musicians to look down upon our group these days. In the nineties, a phenomena which I call "Crash-riding" grew in popularity to extreme heights. You may wonder what this is. Crash-riding is playing the 'beat' on a crash cymbal, which is a cymbal designed for accenting, making a strong declaration in the song. When used as the time-keeping cymbal, it leads to excessive noise and even worse... cymbal breakage!

Now, I would be the first person to admit, that crash-riding does have merit to attain a certain sound and feel. For instance, there is a song by Offspring, the title of which I can't remember (I might get off my mental behind and look it up), that would not be the same without the drummer crash riding during certain parts of the song. The key word, however, is 'certain'.

Crash-riding can create a powerful sound within a song, musically. But, too many bands these days are using it to extremes. Rather than building their songs, and their collections of songs (I think a CD should be a group of songs that go together as a whole, but... that's a different blog), to create an entire experience, they milk the intensity for all they can, too the point that they cheapen it's effect.

Let this be a plea to all drummers.

Use the whole range of dynamics! Please!

-P®M