My little brother called me last night to say that he finally bought himself an electric drumset. He'd be wanting one for years, as so have I, but since he's the engineer and married with no kids, he was more apt to get one before me. Either way, I'm quite psyched for him.
Since we both were percussionists in high school, me a one-time all-district and he a two-time all-stater, we had plenty to chat about drum-wise. He told me he's tried to get the drumming down for the title track of Tool's album Undertow, in all it's intricate glory, but he's had issues with it. We both agreed that this song has to be one of the more complicated rock drumming song out there. When you get a chance, listen to it and you'll agree. He said that he's taking the drum part of that song piece by piece, kind of like this: "you do a 2-e-&-a rhythm on the hi-hat and pedal down(left foot) on every other upbeat, while you do a 1-&-a beat on the bass drum pedal (right foot...)." Ya know, simple shtuff like that. Seriously, I really think it's a tough way to start, but nevertheless he'll start some drum kit lessons he picked up at a all-state band camp several years ago.
Since we talked about that specific Tool song, which is one of my favorite song of theirs, namely because of the drumming, I brought up other songs that I've considered my favorite drumming songs. My list consisted of Again by Alice in Chains, Led Zeppelin's Ocean, Go by Pearl Jam, One by Metallica, and Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! by The Beatles.
While we're on the subject of drummers, I thought I'd share what I think who've been the best in the past couple decades. It's hard to dispute the creative and bombastic style of Led Zeppelin's John Bonham, who's arguably one of Rock's all-time best. During the mid to late 1980s you heard Tommy Lee's name thrown around as being the best at that point, but I always thought him to be just alright for the most part. But who I thought was a better drummer around that same time frame was Lars Ulrich from Metallica. The track One from And Justice for All.. is a stand-alone, I think one of the most difficult songs for a drummer. But as Metallica's music softened and became more mainstream, Ulrich's drumming suffered. However, as he and Metallica waned, another band swept into prominence, Tool. And with that came the superb body of work of Danny Carey.
As mentioned in a previous post, I've been a big fan of this group for a long time. Although it wasn't their first studio album, but the first album of theirs that I got was Undertow and they've had me hooked ever since. Over the years, their music has evolved into symphonic orchestrations of sorts. There's just something about their stuff that keeps me coming back for more. Perhaps a reason for that is the percussive prowess of Danny Carey. And in my opinion he's the best Rock drummer in the current era.
The first time I saw Tool was in a small venue in San Antonio that would be the ideal place to hold wedding receptions and some gal's sweet sixteen, but what I saw was a great show. In that concert I was most mesmerized by the dynamic playing of Carey in Undertow. There near the end, perhaps 15-20 seconds before the song ends, there's this jazz inspired cymbal work that melts into a percussive guitar laden conclusion. And as I stood there watching, there's Danny looking calm, while his arms flail away. UH-mazing! To get an idea of what I'm talking about check out these short flicks to see what I mean: 46 & 2 and Lateralus. If you had any doubt about who's Rock's best drummer before, I'd be very surprised if you didn't agree with me after seeing and hearing his stick work.
To further my point, check out this tutorial video of Eulogy played by an obvious fan of Carey's work. And that's just one of their songs. Talk about having your work cut out for you. Try it for youself and you'll know. Perhaps my brother needs to start with an easier drummer to emulate!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
A Barry Big Sigh of Relief
The San Antonio Spurs re-signed Brent Barry today after having been involved in the Kurt Thomas-Francisco Elson trade with the Seattle Supersonics last month. Since the trade the Spurs' offense have been, well...fairly offensive, especially in the last couple weeks. With Barry coming back, that will give Michael Finley a little extra rest because he's been in a horrible shooting slump lately, which I think comes from playing so much. He's not a spring chicken anymore, so any little rest will go a long way.
Maybe with a rested, and hopefully healthy Brent Barry, the Spurs will regain some of the momentum they lost when they were atop the Western Conference, a mere few weeks ago.
Maybe with a rested, and hopefully healthy Brent Barry, the Spurs will regain some of the momentum they lost when they were atop the Western Conference, a mere few weeks ago.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
War's 5th Anniversary
The fifth anniversary of George W. Bush's war in Iraq came and went just recently. He's still saying that "removing Saddam Hussein" was the right thing to do. And he continues to say that the current war is "a fight that America can and must win." Well, yeah...duh. First of all, he still thinks that Saddam and all his weapons of mass destruction were behind the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the United States has to win this war in Iraq. So Bush saying that the Iraq war is a must win is an understatement. The United States' status in the world depends on how we win the war, or better yet, how get out of this mess that the Bush administration has created.
But seriously, what would be considered a win in Iraq? A photo op aboard a US warship? Oh wait, that's already been done. I don't know about you, but not only do I not see an "end" to this war anytime soon, but unless we just turn our backs on the Iraqis, a protracted US occupation is inevitable. I've always been against this particular theatre of the "war on terror," but if we just pull up stakes and leave without some sort of safeguards for the Iraqi people, this region will be another ethnic tinderbox. Yugoslavia, anyone?
I'd also like to comment on something I saw a couple weeks ago related to this fifth anniversary. While out on a lunch break, I drove up to an intersection were two different rallies were occurring simultaneously. On one side of the road, a group of peace activists rallied against the war in Iraq by holding up signs and flags with peace signs, in other words a group of modern day hippies. Conversely, the other group of people was composed of biker types that held signs supporting the troops, and with American flags placed all over: in waving hands and poles staked in the ground.
Although I consider myself against the Iraqi war, I also am a proud supporter of our troops. So as I pulled up to that intersection I felt the pull from each group. But what struck me more than anything, and what really turned me off, was the lack of American flags on the side of the peace activists. My thing is that if you live in this great country, regardless of how you feel about who's running the government, you better damn well respect the freedoms we have and be proud (blessed, lucky...) that we can readily voice our opinions (within the law) about the government without repercussions. Dissent is as American as apple pie and baseball. So what these peace folks told me with their lack of American flags was that they've turned their back on this country and for that I feel sorry for them. Because they like President Bush, still don't get it.
Source: G.W. Bush quotes: New York Times, March 20.
But seriously, what would be considered a win in Iraq? A photo op aboard a US warship? Oh wait, that's already been done. I don't know about you, but not only do I not see an "end" to this war anytime soon, but unless we just turn our backs on the Iraqis, a protracted US occupation is inevitable. I've always been against this particular theatre of the "war on terror," but if we just pull up stakes and leave without some sort of safeguards for the Iraqi people, this region will be another ethnic tinderbox. Yugoslavia, anyone?
I'd also like to comment on something I saw a couple weeks ago related to this fifth anniversary. While out on a lunch break, I drove up to an intersection were two different rallies were occurring simultaneously. On one side of the road, a group of peace activists rallied against the war in Iraq by holding up signs and flags with peace signs, in other words a group of modern day hippies. Conversely, the other group of people was composed of biker types that held signs supporting the troops, and with American flags placed all over: in waving hands and poles staked in the ground.
Although I consider myself against the Iraqi war, I also am a proud supporter of our troops. So as I pulled up to that intersection I felt the pull from each group. But what struck me more than anything, and what really turned me off, was the lack of American flags on the side of the peace activists. My thing is that if you live in this great country, regardless of how you feel about who's running the government, you better damn well respect the freedoms we have and be proud (blessed, lucky...) that we can readily voice our opinions (within the law) about the government without repercussions. Dissent is as American as apple pie and baseball. So what these peace folks told me with their lack of American flags was that they've turned their back on this country and for that I feel sorry for them. Because they like President Bush, still don't get it.
Source: G.W. Bush quotes: New York Times, March 20.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Bracket (not so) Busted
Even with all the upsets in the first two days of the NCAA basketball tournament, my bracket's doing pretty good. It helps to have a couple upsets picked in there, but it can be tough watching these games because on one hand, I love to see the upsets, but on the other, those said upsets screw up your brackets. Either way, it's fun no matter what.
I have two brackets actually-- I have one at home and another that's set up through Yahoo!. For as long as I can remember, I do the Yahoo! bracket every tourney time, but the thing is, you have to have all your picks done ahead of time and not go game by game. Either way, if you happen to be on Yahoo!'s Pick'Em the bracket set called And the Winner is, is mine.
I have two brackets actually-- I have one at home and another that's set up through Yahoo!. For as long as I can remember, I do the Yahoo! bracket every tourney time, but the thing is, you have to have all your picks done ahead of time and not go game by game. Either way, if you happen to be on Yahoo!'s Pick'Em the bracket set called And the Winner is, is mine.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Kiss Me, I'm Irish
I'm proud of my Irish heritage. What the...?! Yep, you heard me, I am proud of my Irish forebears. Although my family's heritage is Spanish, Basque, Mexican and a little French, I can say that I'm part Irish. Just hear me out. Sure, if you've seen me you might think I may be a little Irish because my beard is definitively auburn and my hair also has a reddish tinge to it, but that's because of something altogether different. There are redheads on my Mom's side of the family, with a couple of her aunts being redheads- albeit grey now. And then further back, some of the men where called "hilos de maíz" because their beards looked like the threads, or silks, of an ear of corn. But as far as we all know, that's all from my Spanish ancestry. But all this doesn't explain why I've always had a "thing" for redheaded gals. Anyhow, I digress. What I mean about all this talk about being Irish comes from, well, where I've come from. My hometown in South Texas, resides in San Patricio County, which was home to one of the first Irish settlements in Texas.
In 1828, the first group of families recruited from the Irish population of New York came to the then Mexican province of Coahuila y Texas and settled along the Nueces River, northwest of present day Corpus Christi. The settlement was called San Patricio de Hibernia, after their patron saint, St. Patrick. A few years later, the settlement was legally established as the Municipality of San Patricio. Later still, after the Texas Revolution, San Patricio County was created by the 1836 Congress of the new Republic of Texas, with the initial Irish settlement of San Patricio, being the county seat.
The period between the Texas Revolution and the US-Mexican War, this area was known as a "depopulated area" because gangs of former Mexican soldiers and gringo cattle rustlers roamed this zone relatively unchecked. Once the US annexed Texas in 1845, and with the arrival of General Zachary Taylor, the region began to stabilize. One of the fascinating aspects of the early San Patricio County was that it encompassed a far greater territory than its current size and that most of the surrounding counties came from the original county.
Although predominantly known for crop cultivation in the present, much of the remaining 19th century San Patricio County was known for cattle ranching. One of the largest cattle firms in Texas called San Pat County home, The Coleman, Mathis, & Fulton Pasture Company. By then other small towns began to spring up along the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railway. Subsequently, several out of state developers, including David B. Sinton and his son-in-law Charles P. Taft, half brother of President William H. Taft, began to see the area grow, and then created the Taft Ranch, one of the largest ranches in South Texas.
More towns sprouted up from the black soils of the county, again along the rail lines. From those lines also came trainloads of Mexican laborers who were brought in to help clear the land of mesquite and associated brush to prepare the land for farming. Once farming became established, cotton became king, and then later, shared with the cultivating of sorghum grain, both became the county's cash crops. Even though the county is home to several large companies including OxyChem, Sherwin Alumina, and Naval Station Ingleside, cultivated crops still dominate the county's landscape.
The land is still as flat as it was when the first Irish New Yorkers arrived, but the terrain is more cropped covered than with tall prairie grasses. Though the Irish have dispersed throughout the region, there's still some vestiges of Irish culture remaining- The World Champion Rattlesnake Races are held in "Old San Patricio" every March!
Source: The New Handbook of Texas, 1996.
In 1828, the first group of families recruited from the Irish population of New York came to the then Mexican province of Coahuila y Texas and settled along the Nueces River, northwest of present day Corpus Christi. The settlement was called San Patricio de Hibernia, after their patron saint, St. Patrick. A few years later, the settlement was legally established as the Municipality of San Patricio. Later still, after the Texas Revolution, San Patricio County was created by the 1836 Congress of the new Republic of Texas, with the initial Irish settlement of San Patricio, being the county seat.
The period between the Texas Revolution and the US-Mexican War, this area was known as a "depopulated area" because gangs of former Mexican soldiers and gringo cattle rustlers roamed this zone relatively unchecked. Once the US annexed Texas in 1845, and with the arrival of General Zachary Taylor, the region began to stabilize. One of the fascinating aspects of the early San Patricio County was that it encompassed a far greater territory than its current size and that most of the surrounding counties came from the original county.
Although predominantly known for crop cultivation in the present, much of the remaining 19th century San Patricio County was known for cattle ranching. One of the largest cattle firms in Texas called San Pat County home, The Coleman, Mathis, & Fulton Pasture Company. By then other small towns began to spring up along the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railway. Subsequently, several out of state developers, including David B. Sinton and his son-in-law Charles P. Taft, half brother of President William H. Taft, began to see the area grow, and then created the Taft Ranch, one of the largest ranches in South Texas.
More towns sprouted up from the black soils of the county, again along the rail lines. From those lines also came trainloads of Mexican laborers who were brought in to help clear the land of mesquite and associated brush to prepare the land for farming. Once farming became established, cotton became king, and then later, shared with the cultivating of sorghum grain, both became the county's cash crops. Even though the county is home to several large companies including OxyChem, Sherwin Alumina, and Naval Station Ingleside, cultivated crops still dominate the county's landscape.
The land is still as flat as it was when the first Irish New Yorkers arrived, but the terrain is more cropped covered than with tall prairie grasses. Though the Irish have dispersed throughout the region, there's still some vestiges of Irish culture remaining- The World Champion Rattlesnake Races are held in "Old San Patricio" every March!
Source: The New Handbook of Texas, 1996.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Dems are Gonna Blow It!
Somebody better tell the Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to stop screwing with each other and start readying themselves to mess witht the GOP. If you thought the November elections would come with a regime change, you've got another thing coming.
The only sure thing at this point is that the Republicans are licking their chops at all the incessant bickering and in-fighting occuring with the Democratic party. Even they thought they'd lose the 2008 presidential election! Yet with the way things are going with the Democratic primary process, John McCain might breeze his way into the White House. And by the way, did you see how uncomfortable he looked when he stood behind when George W. Bush endorsed him? Maybe he was embarrassed with the little jig George did while he waited for McCain to arrive.
Anyhow, the Democratic presidential candidates better get their shit together or they will see the Republicans sitting in the White House for at least another four years. Then they'll be wishing and thinking about what could have been. Get over yourselves and think about what's important, the good of our country.
The only sure thing at this point is that the Republicans are licking their chops at all the incessant bickering and in-fighting occuring with the Democratic party. Even they thought they'd lose the 2008 presidential election! Yet with the way things are going with the Democratic primary process, John McCain might breeze his way into the White House. And by the way, did you see how uncomfortable he looked when he stood behind when George W. Bush endorsed him? Maybe he was embarrassed with the little jig George did while he waited for McCain to arrive.
Anyhow, the Democratic presidential candidates better get their shit together or they will see the Republicans sitting in the White House for at least another four years. Then they'll be wishing and thinking about what could have been. Get over yourselves and think about what's important, the good of our country.
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