Clem Burke vs. John Maher

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This will further confuse people already puzzled by my lonely one-man anti-Blondie vendetta, but that drummer - wow! Conventional wisdom has it that the twin demons of punk amateurism and disco machines destroyed 70s chops, but drummers seemed exempt from this - the restrictions imposed by motorik rhythm and concise song structures made the good ones even better! Maybe ALL their resources had to be distilled into 2-minute blasts rather than diffused over windy jams, or maybe they just had to be excellent to stay employed - who knows? Anyway, Burke is better all around and imaginative with it, but I love how Maher makes everything seem to go faster even when it's in time, something to do with increasing the number of hits at the END of every fill perhaps? Any other great punk/new-wave skin bashing moments?

― dave q, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

BTW As if anyone on the planet didn't know, Alan Myers is God. Anyone who doubts the necessity of drummers in the modern age should try listening to Devo without him, it's nowhere near as good!

― dave q, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

This is a large part of why I find modern pop so devoid of interest - for all people's talk of how 'rhythmic' it is, it just seems simplistic and repetitive, despite all the whiz-bang sounds. If stuff like "Dreaming" and "Fast Cars" could still get into the charts maybe I'd pay attention.

― dave q, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Clem Burke is an amazing drummer, glad to hear someone say so.

― Sean, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Clem Burke is probably the best rock drummer still alive today. I'm scratching my head trying to think of the others that might take that spot (Ginger Baker never did it for me; Charlie Watts is a human metronome; Mitch Mitchell has more or less vanished).

― JM, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Burke is good and wins points for machine gun rolls, spazzo body movements during the machine gun rolls and good stick twirls.

On the other hand Maher is unbelievably great. The most propulsive drummer ever - even when things are standing still (the 'breakdown' in Nothing Left, for example) each snare hit is crackling with electricity, and the hi-hat fizzes like a rocket.His rolls and thrown- in syncopated snare makes many 'cocks trax bob and weave like no other band ever has, but what makes Maher REALLY ace is the momentum he brings when playing straight 4/4 with no frills - listen to the verses of Harmony in My Head.

― Dr. C, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What Dr. C said and all. The thing about Maher in particular is this -- listen to old Buzzcocks. Listen to reunited Buzzcocks. Both addictingly tuneful and all. But the one has Maher and the other doesn't, and the difference is perfectly clear.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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