I’m listening to the new Dave Matthews Band record on Napster right now.
Holy. Cow.
I cannot believe how many notes Carter Beauford plays. Honestly, the guy is playing 32nds on the hats unceasingly. Every song. blabada-blabada-ft-ft-fffffffff-blabada… non stop. No joke. Every track.
I mean… it’s definitely impressive on a technical level. Let’s give credit where credit’s due. But, wow… I just don’t understand why it’s helping the song for him to do that. Any Beauford fans reading this right now? Somebody help me see what I’m missing.
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June 4, 2009 at 9:55 pm
B.C. McWhite
Don’t know about Carter.
But this is a cool album. It kind of has a song that sounds like it’s coming from each album. The first song has the energy and big sound “Everyday.” There’s a few songs that sound “old-Dave,” like they’re right from “Crash,” “Under the Table and Dreaming,” and “Before These Crowded Streets,” one or two that are pretty strange – like “Busted Stuff.”
I was flat out ROCKING the inside of my Nissa Altima to Shake Me Like a Monkey this morning.
June 4, 2009 at 10:09 pm
stevegoold
Yeah… I wasn’t disappointed with the album on the whole, but as has been the case with past DMB records, the drumming is really just a distraction to me. He’s such a good player too! I don’t get it. That kind of playing is totally immature in ANY other pop situation, so I don’t see why it isn’t equally immature when Carter does it. I guess because his chops are so sharp? I don’t know.
June 4, 2009 at 10:20 pm
B.C. McWhite
I know I know nothing about this stuff, but doesn’t Carter’s over-active style bring a ton of energy to DMB’s music? Seems always to give the feeling that there wasn’t a wasted moment in the song. Everything was driving forward constantly? Just thinking out loud here.
Also, is there anything to be said for a band having a distinctive sound that people expect from it? Carter has always done this and I’m not sure it would sound like a DMB record if he didn’t?
Okay, let me have it Slam Master/Witch Doctor.
June 5, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Jesse
I think maybe Carter just gets bored… there is a drummer at my church who is the worship version of Carter B. I’ve never heard so many 16th crash’s in a single song before.
June 6, 2009 at 7:51 am
Josh Calhoun
If you look at the videos of the album each member shares how they want this to be the best album that they have ever done as a band – which also meant that they worked together on each song as a band rather than just having one member write a song and the rest add his part.
Perhaps not justifying Beauford’s flashyness, however I do really like listening to his grooves. Sounds something funky like James Brown or Motown.
June 9, 2009 at 9:04 am
Scott Cooper
I totally agree where is the purpose with all of those hits? As a whole the band does a pretty swell job of the jam band role, however there has to be a time and place to do the licks he is doing. Over use of anything in one song sounds to repetitive and showy let alone doing it in every single song.
January 10, 2013 at 1:39 pm
Tyler Shenk
I know this is an old post, but I just came across a [hopefully] relevant interview of Carter Beauford on his style.
First of all, here’s Dave Matthews on Beauford’s style: “There are so many musicians who are able to show everything they can do, but there are not very many who can make you understand what they are doing.” So maybe Beauford can get away with this generally immature style because he is busy in a way that people can understand… so it’s not Drummer’s Disease, as you call it, in the first place; non-drummers DO understand it.
Secondly, here’s a lengthy quote from Beauford on his mix of fills and spontaneity into hi-hat grooves (the 32nd-note insanity that I think you mentioned):
“I believe that syncopation and that kind of ‘broken’ playing can really shake the rhythm. You know, a 4/4 groove does fit some songs. But others need that hi-hat playing to establish that musical conversation with the band but also with the crowd when I’m on stage. That’s the important thing for me. That’s how you can make it more appealing. If you’re having a conversation, always using the same words, then you’ll always be saying the same things again and again, and it gets boring. That’s why you need creativity to make it more interesting. People are more willing to pay attention if your conversation is interesting. That’s why I like that way of playing.”
Here’s the full interview. But be warned, there’s not much substance beside the quotes above:
http://www.hudsonmusic.com/hudson/1979/news/carter-beauford-interview/
January 10, 2013 at 2:08 pm
Tyler Shenk
As soon as I posted that, I found a better one. Here’s another interview quote where Beauford talks about his style and business:
Interviewer: You get to cut loose more than a lot of current rock drummers. How do you balance freedom and control?
Beauford: “It’s all about feel. Everything I play is based on what I hear from the other guys and what I feel about what they’re playing. Sometimes it doesn’t work. Sometimes it does. But it’s always about feel.”
Interviewer: Do the guys ever say, “Dude, chill out?” Do they ever ask you to hold back?
Beauford: “They never do, but I’m quite hard on myself that way. When I catch myself doing more than is required, I shut it down myself. For example, since I’m so used to playing with a percussionist, when I’m not playing with one, I sometimes try to add those parts, and the result can be overkill. I’m always watching myself.”
http://www.yamaha.com/publications/allaccess/winter2003/16beauford.htm
January 10, 2013 at 9:18 pm
Steve Goold
Tyler… great points man. I mean, I absolutely confess that what Beauford does (his “thing”) is fun to listen to as a drummer. And clearly some non-drummer’s dig it too. And he obviously needs to be a very accomplished chops guy in order to pull it off. So… way to go, Carter. Again, give credit where credit is due.
I, personally, feel a bit windblown after listening to more than 3 min of it. Like reading an email from someone who only ever types in all caps.
This quote stands out to me: “But others need that hi-hat playing to establish that musical conversation with the band but also with the crowd when I’m on stage.” I would just wonder if it’s always the drummer’s job to establish a musical conversation with the band and the crowd. That’s the whole Drummer Disease thing… thinking that every moment (rather than only some moments) revolve around you as the drummer and what you’re doing on the drums. It’s definitely an easy temptation and a logical thing, as the drummer, to think that the music revolves around the drums. But it doesn’t. At least, most of the time it doesn’t.