How good a drummer is Steve?

i was dragged round the working men's clubs of east lancs as a lass by my daddy drummer (he used to make me carry his stool and his snare drum) and he says that good drummers focus more on playing well than looking good with all fancy twirling sticks like batons. hence, just like the dude with all the drums, steve's good.

i also believe that good percussionists are sooo focused on the beat that they can't even smile in case it breaks their concentration. i rest my case. (unless, just like daddy, steve's a grumpy twat)

Razed In A New Division Of Agony wrote: I'll probably get yelled at and stoned to death for posting this video, but who cares. Steve is amazing, and I certainly like New Order more than Rush, but the greatest drummer/percussionist of all time has to be Neil Peart, as shown below:

F*ckin' great drum solo...

Neil Peart used to be my favorite drummer, and I think he's still great, but now my all time drum genius is Jaki Liebezeit, from a german krautrock and electronic space rock group called Can (a strong influence in several post-punk bands, as Public Image, for example). He sounds so funky and hypnotic.

melly wrote:

It's coming your way shortly. teve plays an hour or so a day just for the fun of it.

Thank you a lot for a disc with this concert! A true surprise. Some time ago. Didn't know how to thank back.

I agree with the Neil Peart assessment... I'd say that both he and Stewart Copeland are two of the best modern rock drummers around...

That said I think that Steve Morris is criminally underrated as a drummer. It's incredibly hard to create a style that's distinctly your own and as with Neil Peart and Stewart Copeland, Steve Morris has created a simple yet extremely identifiable sound... At least identifiable until a lot of other drummers started copying his 16th note hi-hat, off-beat tom hits and double snare drum hit he does...

How good a drummer is Steven Morris? Metronomes set their time to him.

he's fucking brilliant :)

an amazing drummer....no drum solos ....nuff said

Razed In A New Division Of Agony wrote: I'll probably get yelled at and stoned to death for posting this video, but who cares. Steve is amazing, and I certainly like New Order more than Rush, but the greatest drummer/percussionist of all time has to be Neil Peart, as shown below:

Steve writes better lyrics than he does though!

Steve is a great drummer but he's no Neil Peart.

J

I think that apart from Hooky, he is the most talented member of the band in terms of playing an instrument.

I tried playing the drums a while back and I couldn't keep a 16 note Hi Hat going for the as long as Steve did on Transmission and "Love Wil lTear Us Apart". I also loved how when Barney was telling steve to play "In A Lonely Place" faster, he didn't change the beat to play it faster, he just kept the toms going and I think that is VERY impressive.

He may not be all show like Zeppelins drummer, but it takes a talented musician to understand that less is more, and I think Steve does that better than anyone else :)

Razed In A New Division Of Agony wrote: I'll probably get yelled at and stoned to death for posting this video, but who cares. Steve is amazing, and I certainly like New Order more than Rush, but the greatest drummer/percussionist of all time has to be Neil Peart, as shown below:

nothing special, bonzo wrote the book, and only needed one kick drum, buddy rich, racist dumb bigoted cunt that he was,was a fuckin beast, drum rolls with ONE hand, and dave lombardo from slayer is just unbefukinleivable, fish from fishbone does 64s on the bass drum in"may your dogs colon be familiar with the warmth of your breath" and ive seen that one live!, its all subjective, they would all make new order/jd sound bobbins, horses for courses.

Rikki Mackenzie wrote: I think that apart from Hooky, he is the most talented member of the band in terms of playing an instrument.

:)

Hooky has his own style, and has created some of the most beautiful melodies ever.. but the most talented in playing an instrument? have you ever heard 60mph live!!

Gary wrote:

Rikki Mackenzie wrote: I think that apart from Hooky, he is the most talented member of the band in terms of playing an instrument.

:)

Hooky has his own style, and has created some of the most beautiful melodies ever.. but the most talented in playing an instrument? have you ever heard 60mph live!!

No...:(

Rikki Mackenzie wrote: I think that apart from Hooky, he is the most talented member of the band in terms of playing an instrument.

You're damn right

Did Steven Morris ever screwed up live??

I understand that some NO guitar player has, a couple of times

Kerry Harris wrote: That said I think that Steve Morris is criminally underrated as a drummer. It's incredibly hard to create a style that's distinctly your own and as with Neil Peart and Stewart Copeland, Steve Morris has created a simple yet extremely identifiable sound... At least identifiable until a lot of other drummers started copying his 16th note hi-hat, off-beat tom hits and double snare drum hit he does...

How good a drummer is Steven Morris? Metronomes set their time to him.

twp wrote:

Rikki Mackenzie wrote: I think that apart from Hooky, he is the most talented member of the band in terms of playing an instrument.

Did Steven Morris ever screwed up live??

Oh sure. Just listen to the beginning of Passover on Still.

Tony Wilson has apparently screwed up that particular recording on Still to make it sound "more like a bootleg". Not a good idea IMHO

His Holiness, The Pope wrote:

twp wrote:

Rikki Mackenzie wrote: I think that apart from Hooky, he is the most talented member of the band in terms of playing an instrument.

Did Steven Morris ever screwed up live??

Oh sure. Just listen to the beginning of Passover on Still.

OK, one time only and it's been recorded... But still...

twp wrote:

His Holiness, The Pope wrote:

twp wrote:

Rikki Mackenzie wrote: I think that apart from Hooky, he is the most talented member of the band in terms of playing an instrument.

Did Steven Morris ever screwed up live??

Oh sure. Just listen to the beginning of Passover on Still.

OK, one time only and it's been recorded... But still...

there are others. i was just pointing out one of the more easily findable ones.

Sadly, unlike old lead foot, I seldom get paid for it but like him, as the drummer in Digital, it's my some-time job to sound as "Steve-like" a possible. I think he's a great drummer - he's been a big influence on me for years. The way he combined electronic and acoustic drums was a key part of the JD sound as were the "all tom" patterns in songs like Atmosphere and IALP.

Like Chris Nash's drummer, I need a lie down after we do Transmission. Not only is it physically demanding (especially if your bass player insists on playing it at 100mph - step forward Jim Reilly) but the open hi-hats just before the "off the beat snares" in the main pattern also make it more complex than it sounds.

Colony too is really difficult to play, partly because the drum part is tricky in itself and also because the bass and drums don't lock together (the drums are in in 4/4 the bass in 3/4 type triplets) and it can all fall apart if you're not careful.

Honourable mentions also go to No Love Lost (my favourite) Dead Souls, LWTUA, Denial, Ceremony, Ecstacy, 5-8-6 and Sunrise.

Finally, check out This Time Of Night on the video of NO at the Kentish Town and Country Club in 1986 if you get the chance. Bewildering interplay between the hi-hat, snare and drum pads and all the time playing along with a sequencer - at which, by the way, he is also a master.

Jon and Chris, thanks for that insight. Not being able to play a lick makes me underappreciate drummers like Steve. Your explanations helped alleviate that problem

Ditto for me- If you could send it I would be eternally grateful!

Cheers, Veronica

[lost in benidorm...] ['sunshine'] wrote:

nmc wrote:

Aracri wrote: A few hours ago I was watching the soundcheck of Hacienda '87 concert (I got it in a weed)... Steve's drum soundcheck is the best part, simply. He sounds like a drum machine and created some fantastic drum riffs as "Wilderness", "Atmosphere", "Doubts Even Here", "Ecstasy" (my favorite) and "Primitive Notion". Very inventive.

That's really freakin' weird.. I am in the process of burning this onto NTSC DVD right now at this moment (for personal consumption of course). :) But I agree, one of the highlights was his drum soundcheck.

The date of said concert was June 10th 1987 I believe. 20 years...

That would be just too freckin' awesome to hear....

Steve is a good drummer and all, but I'm sorry he's not in the same league as Mel Gaynor from Simple Minds. Mel is a fookin GOD on drums!

I was just listening to "Sister Ray" live on the glastonbury album. He goes a bit mad on that.

old lead foot wrote:

BIGINOIL wrote: How strange, I was only wondering what Lead Foot thought of Steve the other day.

Fuck knows why, the question just popped into my head, rolled around for a bit then disappeared.

I was listening to a Monaco boot with fucking brilliant drunks on it at the time. T in t'Park from years ago. I take it that was you?

Oops, I meant drums, obviously!

Think I'd better go for a lie down.

yep that was me, thank you, the one thing that stands out for me about that gig was there was about 40 or so scotts lunatics at the front who went nutty from the moment we came on stage until we were long gone, even through blue and billy bones oh yeah and sean hughs drank all our rider while we were on stage, cunt

How strange, I was only wondering what Lead Foot thought of Shaun Hughes the other day.

Do I win £40?

The other one wrote: Sadly, unlike old lead foot, I seldom get paid for it but like him, as the drummer in Digital, it's my some-time job to sound as "Steve-like" a possible. I think he's a great drummer - he's been a big influence on me for years. The way he combined electronic and acoustic drums was a key part of the JD sound as were the "all tom" patterns in songs like Atmosphere and IALP.

Like Chris Nash's drummer, I need a lie down after we do Transmission. Not only is it physically demanding (especially if your bass player insists on playing it at 100mph - step forward Jim Reilly) but the open hi-hats just before the "off the beat snares" in the main pattern also make it more complex than it sounds.

Colony too is really difficult to play, partly because the drum part is tricky in itself and also because the bass and drums don't lock together (the drums are in in 4/4 the bass in 3/4 type triplets) and it can all fall apart if you're not careful.

Honourable mentions also go to No Love Lost (my favourite) Dead Souls, LWTUA, Denial, Ceremony, Ecstacy, 5-8-6 and Sunrise.

Finally, check out This Time Of Night on the video of NO at the Kentish Town and Country Club in 1986 if you get the chance. Bewildering interplay between the hi-hat, snare and drum pads and all the time playing along with a sequencer - at which, by the way, he is also a master.

You left me speechless on NOOLday.

When you were soundchecking crystal, it wasn't until you fluffed it that I realised you were playing something approximating BOTH the machine and real drum parts. Freak

One day I'll get the audio off that Timothy fellow, and see how big a bollox I made of mixing yous.

As a plankist, I must say I appreciate a good drummer, and the best and most consistent ones I've played with are the ones that rate Steve (and can also play to a machine). The ones who say Steve is shite are always the ones who fuck up left right and centre, no matter how good their "killer chops" might be. Then again, I find playing bass to a click really hard, which is odd because I can play keys to cubase's Beep boop boop boop like a demon.

Egad, Cambo...

[you learn something new every day.]

Re Dr?'s last post (sorry - I haven't yet figured out how to insert previous posts and reply to them!) I think Tim made a recording of us on NOOL day so maybe he could get you a copy. As for our version of Crystal, I think that was only the third time we'd played it live so I was still experimenting with it. Initially I did a pretty straight copy of what Steve does live which is a fairly steady beat all the way through, with the "cha-cha" bits on his percussion pads. Then The Reilly insisted that I do 16s on the hi-hat during the chorus so it ended up as a bit of a mixture of NO's live and sequenced parts. During the breaks I was just looking to do something around the beat but to stay with the sequencer to break it up before the bass comes back in.

As you point out, it's very easy to drift from the sequencer / drum machine if you're not careful which is why I have to wear those rather attractive headphones when we play anything with a sequencer. It's rather a bizarre experience. All I can hear is the sequencer part - I can see the rest of the guys playing and singing but can't hear anything they're doing. I can barely even hear myself which is why - getting back to the original point of this thread - I've got such admiration for the way Steve can play along with a drum box and still swing at the same time.

Oh by the way - one more Morris gem. The way the hi-hat fades in part way through Decades. Genius.