Category: Rock

1. Drummer-Songwriters

   Posted on 12:23am Wednesday 25th Apr 2012

   The drums being a rhythmic – as opposed to a melodic – instrument, songwriting is not a natural progression for drummers.  But drummers can be multi-instrumentalists and well-rounded musicians, and do cross over, sometimes to outstanding results.

   As a songwriter who started with drums as a teenager, then learned to play basic parts on the keyboard – just so I could play the melodies I was hearing in my head – the following drummer-songwriters have made particularly strong impressions on me: 

   • Cerrone
   • Phil Collins
   • Don Henley
   • Dave Grohl
   • Roger Taylor
   • Yoshiki

    

2. KISS – Part 2: A short musical history

   Posted on 8:01pm Monday 23rd Jan 2012

   What is left to write about KISS that hasn’t been written before?...  I have grouped the KISS discography (minus some of the later-day compilations) into the 6 “musical phases of KISS” – as I see them, this is an entirely subjective and personal grouping – and for each album, listed and rated my personal favorite tracks:

   • Classics in the making (1974-75)
   • The hottest band in the world (1976-78)
   • Exploring new sounds (1978-82)
   • 80s Metal and Unmasked (1982-97)
   • The second coming (1995-2008)
   • Twenty-First Century Kiss (2009-Present)

   I finish off with my recommendations for newbies and a video playlist from the KISS VEVO channel…

3. KISS – Part 1: Through the eyes of a fan

   Posted on 10:40pm Sunday 22nd Jan 2012

   I’ve loved KISS since before I was a teenager.  I was first attracted by their outrageous look and soon became a fan of the music.

   The cool, tough kids at school would draw the KISS logo on their denims, wear the t-shirts and buttons...   I would soon draw the logo and the four distinctive make up designs everywhere and on every page of my school exercise books; every wall in my room was covered with posters of Love Gun/Alive II-era Gene, Paul, Ace and Peter.  The inside cover of Alive II was the pinnacle of wow!  They were the coolest band and I was hooked on the image and mythology even before I became a fan of the music…

    
   KISS Alive II inside cover