TOP TEN GREATEST DRUMMERS
Ok, thanks to my friend Lisa and her post about the latest Van Halen concert she went to and a list of her Top Ten Guitarists, a conversation/debate on said list of guitarists caused Lisa to ask me "and when will I see your top ten Drummers list?"
That sounded like a hell of an idea for a post, so Lisa... here it is. (Oh, and by the way... Lisa's blog can be found at: http://lisamaconfamily.blogspot.com/. Check it out.)
Now... the main thing I had to think about was this: Do I stick to ROCK drummers or try and go out and out for drummers PERIOD?
This was hard. Lisa's guitarist list was limited to guitar players that SHE has personally heard (which is why B.B. King was on MY list, but not HERS, since she had never really listened to King play).
That made sense, so I'm going to follow the same critera, although I will add one other faction: how much of am influence on me a particular drummer had (being that I've been a drummer for the last thirty-two years). If you disagree with my choices and feel I left someone out, it COULD BE because a drummer you'd put on the list is someone I haven't really heard a lot.
I'm thirty-seven and started playing the drums back when I was five. No, I wasn't just mindlessly banging sticks over my head or what-not. I honestly can say I played the drums back when I was five. True Story: My Dad was a one-hit wonder back in the 60s with a band called THE SAND PEPPLES (not to be confused with the R & B trio with the same name). Don't ask me what the song was, I have no idea. It didn't go very high on the top 100 and got them just enough fame to get regular gigs in Manhattan and New Jersey night clubs in the late 60s/very-early 70s. In any case, my father had a drum set set up in our attic along with his trumpet, trombone and other music stuff. My sister and I were constantly told "DO NOT TOUCH MY INSTRUMENTS." The attic was OFF LIMITS and WOE to those of use who disobayed.
The following is a story my father used to delight in telling. I, myself, have VERY LITTLE MEMORY of it. Anyway, at five years old, I was constantly dying to get my hands on that drum set and bang around. One particular spring day, my father was out washing the car in the drive way. For one reason or another, I thought it was the perfect oppertunity to get into the attic and play the drums. You see, at five years old I just did not grasp the concept that SOUND TRAVELS. Dad was outside, and I (and the drum set) was inside, THUS he wouldn't know. Right? Wrong.
So I crept up the stairs, pushed open the door. Sat at the drum set, picked up the sticks and started gleefully banging away.
It didn't take very long for my father to realize someone was inside and touching his precious musical instruments. He threw down the hose and stormed inside. My older sister Anne-Marie, who was most likely heading for the front door to rat me out and score some points with the old man, was standing in the kitchen. That meant my father knew it was me upstairs in direct violation of NESTOR HOUSE RULE #1 ("Thou shalt not touch thine musical instruments upon pain of death and spankings galore").
My father rushed up the stairs, most likely flexing his hands in preperation of a master spanking when halfway up he realized something.
I was keeping a perfect 4/4 time.
He stopped at the top of the stairs (I had no idea he was there because, in accordance of my blantant misunderstanding of the rules of sound, I couldn't hear his stair pounding above the banging of the drums). He stood there and listened. I kept keeping perfect time. I tossed in drum rolls and cymbal crashes and other fills... yet my timing didn't falter.
My father suddenly realized. I had learned to play just by watching him. He had a 5-year old drum-prodigy on his hands.
He slowly opened the door. Who knows how long it took me to relaize he was there. I stopped and froze. I was nailed and my five year old mind was most likely racing to come up with a possible way to blame the entire thing on my sister.
"From now on..." my father said to me. "You are allowed to come up here and play as often as you like." He then closed the door and went back downstairs.
That Christmas, I got my very own Drum Set. I've been playing ever since pretty much.
ANYWAY, I thought my background was important so you can see I have a vested part in this list.
SO... without futher adeu...
1. STEWART COPELAND: Yeah.. like ANYONE is surprised by this. There's a few reasons why I LOVE THE POLICE so much... and Stewart is a huge one. He's crisp, clean and on the money every time. His focusing on cymbal/hi-hat/bass drum style is without a doubt the smoothest I've ever heard (with the number two drummer on my list being the only one to come close). His reggae, jazz, funk, rock and african styles all combine into an unmistakenable sound. He also has a"snap" style (rimshotting focus) that I love. People who I've never met and hear me play have said to me "Your style reminds me of Stewart Copeland." They're right. He's the largest influence on my style as a drummer. There's a reason Stewart is known as "the Rythymist". He's the BEST. EVER.
2. BILL BRUFORD: Bill was the original drummer for YES. Bill combines Jazz technique with rudimentary rock. His ability to take simple parts and rudiments and put them all together into complex pieces is amazing. Bill once said that he "never acquired a drum technique for the sake of acquiring it, but as a solution to a particular problem." and that if he ever heard something that he couldn't do, he would learn how to do it. Anyone questioning how high on this list he should be needs to sit and listen to the Yes album FRAGILE. Amazing stuff.
3. BUDDY RICH: Buddy is has often been called "The World's Greatest Drummer". His talent for rhythm was first noticed by his father (hey! Like me!), who realized thatBuddy was able to keep a steady beat with spoons as a toddler. He began playing drums in vaudeville when he was around two years old as "Traps the Drum Wonder". By the time Buddy was eleven years old he was performing as a bandleader. Buddy supposedly never had a single drum lesson, andhe claimed that any actual drum instruction "would only degrade his musical talent." He also never admitted to practicing, claiming to play the drums only during his live performances. In any case, Buddy was unreal. His speed and ability to do numberous complex rudiments AT THE SAME TIME was unheard of. You name the style... he mastered it.
4. TONY THOMPSON: First off, let's all bow our heads for a drummer that we lost WAY too early, since Tony passed away in 2003 of Kidney Cancer. Tony was in a number of bands (including R&B/dance/disco band CHIC) and did a BUSLOAD of session work on albums by the likes of Madonna (on her 1984 album "Like A Virgin"), Rod Stewart, Robert Palmer, Mick Jagger, and David Bowie (on the "Let's Dance" album and Tony toured with David through-out the "Serious Moonlight Tour" for Let's Dance). Tony was BEST known, however, as the drummer for POWER STATION who had some big hits in 1985 with "Get It On (Bang a Gong)" and "Some Like It Hot". Tony played in a style that combined Fuse, Funk and Rock. His heavy off-tempo tom-tom/snare/bass drum fills were fantastic.
5. NEIL PERT: Neil's work for RUSH is the stuff of legend. He's often been number one on many lists of the greatest drummers and that's fair since the guy is flat out incredible. His style is that of Hard Rock, meshed with Big Band and Jazz. His long and exteme live drum solos at RUSH shows in the mid 80s were stuff that set many a a young fan insane. Over the years, Neil has received a TON of awards for his performances and is highly regarded for his technical proficiency and stamina. Little fun bit of trivia: Neil actually writes most of the lyrics for RUSH's songs. Betcha didn't know that!
6. GINGER BAKER: Ok, here's the part where many of you say "Who?" but Ginger was a pioneer who was probablly the first drummer to use a double bass drum set up instead of a single kick. Ginger played with many groups but is best known as the drummer for CREAM and BLIND FAITH and is one of the greatest fusion drummers ever. He's known for using a variety of other percussion instruments and for his application of African rhythms to much of his drumming. Ginger also HATES being called a 'rock drummer." He prefers to be known as a Jazz drummer.
7. CARL PALMER: Carl, the drummer for EMERSON, LAKE AND PALMER and ASIA is one of the most respected and influential Rock drummers of all time. Carl is a master of drumming proficiency and unique showmanship. His live drum solos over the years have included his famous use of both gongs and tambourines, as well as his unique ability to extract himself from his t-shirt while playing complex double bass drum patterns.
8. & 9. JOHN BONHAM/KEITH MOON: These two made this list mainly because I cannot ignore the influence they both had upon the modern drummer. I'd be shocked if anyone didn't know who they are since John (LED ZEPPLIN) and KEITH (THE WHO) prett y much seem to bridge over generations. The reason I'm listing them together is that they share the unique contention of being two of the most revered and martyer'd drummers in history. These two were kicking down the barriers of restraint for years and turned the drums into lead intruments when they played. Very few drummers are as widely praised and beloved as these two are. Both passed in their prime and are considered the cream of the crop. Die-hard fans of each of them are prepared to fight to the death that their favorite is the best drummer ever. They'd be WRONG, but they are close to the top. :)
10. STEVE GADD: Steve is a lifetime session/studio drummer who has worked on a TON of albums with the likes of Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Steely Dan, Al Jarreau, Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton, James Taylor, Jim Croce, The Manhattan Transfer, and many, many, MANY others. Steve is arguably the most recorded drummer in history, as he has been featured on over 600 plus albums. He is widely regarded for his incredible ability to play "in the pocket,"and to groove especially well with the music, and other instruments/musicians he is playing with. In the end, what pushed him onto this list above the Honorable Mentions was that he wrote and performed the incredible drum licks for the Paul Simon song "Fifty-Ways to Leave your Lover" which is one of the coolest drum rythyms EVER.
HONORABLE MENTION: Alan White (YES), Larry Mullen Jr. (U2), Matt Pelissier (MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE), Carmine Appice (VANILLA FUDGE), Steve Smith (JOURNEY), Max Weinberg (BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND), Carter Beauford (DAVE MATTHEWS BAND), Mike Cosgrove (ALIEN ANT FARM), Bun E. Carlos (CHEAP TRICK).
So there you go. Ok, go ahead. Argue with me :)
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Friday, February 15, 2008
STARTED UP A 'BRAND NEW DAY'
I've pretty much stayed away from many chances to comment on the whole Spider-Man ONE MORE DAY/BRAND NEW DAY controversy. However, after reading so much about it I decided to take a little stab at some of the issues I have with the direction Marvel (and mainly Joe Quesada) has decided to take the character in.
I promise this is NOT a mindless rant. There are no barbs, insults, nasty things or comments tossed at anyone. No quarter is taken with anyone in a not-nice manner. Really.
No... really. I swear.
So, one of the things I have heard (read) pounded in at everyone was that the main thing about the series direction is that (and I quote Tom Brevoort here, but I've heard Joe Q and other's say it also) "Spider-Man is about Peter Parker"
Ok, I'm 37, and was a big Spidey fan back in the 70s and 80s before his wedding to Mary-Jane, so it's not like an unmarried Peter is totally foreign to me.
In his "manifesto" in the back of SWING SHIFT: DIRECTORS CUT, Tom presents an arguement that Spider-Man is not the main character here, that Peter Parker is, and that being Spider-Man is just one aspect of the ongoing soap opera of his life. I recently read a well written post on http://www.comicboards.com/smb/ by a guy named JC (No other info on his name was available) that "Ultimate Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 both get this mix right, with money worries, girl troubles and the pressures of Spidey intruding on Peter’s life." JC went on to say that he "absolutely agree(s) with Tom and think this is something which sets Peter Parker apart from Captain America, Iron Man, Superman, Batman and loads of other super-heroes. Peter is genuinely Peter Parker, with Spider-Man as a mask he puts on – both a release and a burden at the same time. Recent Spidey comics have neglected Peter Parker and his life, instead focusing on Spider-Man (joining the New Avengers and living in the Avengers tower was the most obvious example of this)."
I won't disagree that Peter Parker should be the "main identity" and Spider-Man should come second. However, I has to disagree with any notion that states that is what is happening here.
With the reversal of Peter's marriage Marvel is looking to return the status of Spider-Man to a 'younger" and "more accesable" version.
"Wait!" you say. "Spider-man isn't married anymore? He got divorced?"
No, he did not. Spider-man was never married now.
"Hold it!" you shout. "I saw the 'wedding' at Shea Stadium back in the 80s! I read the issue! He's been married for over twenty-years!"
Uh... well.. yeah, you're right... but...
"But WHAT?" You ask.
OK, side bar... Here's a quick summary for those of you not in the know:
Peter Parker revealed to the whole world that he was Spider-Man as part of his support of a new Super-Hero Registration Act passed by the U.S. Government. Peter later regretted it his support of this bill and decided to ally himself with the band of Super-Hero "rebels" who were against and fighting the Registration Act. Since the world now knew Peter was Spider-Man, one of his older Villains (The Kingpin) hired a hitman to assinate Peter (or anyone close to him if he couldn't get Peter himself). The hitman shot at Peter , but instead the rifle shot hit Peter's Aunt May. May was on life-support and her body could not handle the trauma on her body caused by the shot. Peter tried getting help from everyone he could think of, but had no luck. She was going to die no matter what Peter or anyone else did for her. So, along comes Satan. Yes, Satan. Why did the devil come a'callin? Why, not? So Satan (called Mephisto in the Marvel Universe) approachd Peter and Mary-Jane and told them that he would save May's life, if they would give up their marriage as if it never happened. Sound weird? Yeah to a lot of us too. Bizarrely though, in a four-part story titled ONE MORE DAY, they agree to the devil's terms and a good chunk of their lives are erased from memory, including their marriage, the entire world's knowledge of Spider-Man's secret ID (including even his friends) and his 'organic web-shooters' being gone and him going back to his old mechinical ones. No one will remember that Peter and Mary-Jane were ever married and other parts of their lives will not be remembered... as if it never happened. The change also brought back to life a previous dead character in Peter's best friend Harry Osborn, who died as the 2nd Green Goblin. Why? Who knows. The Devil works in mysterous ways. Oh wait... that's The Lord actually. Well... I don't know then. Don't look at me, it wasn't MY idea. In any case, are we caught up? Yeah? Good. Let's move on.
Peter is also removed from being a teacher (which is what he was doing before he gave up his secret ID to the world but that wouldn't have matter now that his ID WAS a secret again thanks to to the Devil's actions). It seems that as part of this 'revamp" Peter canned be married, or hold a regular job and is basically universally 25 years old.
He's also living in his Aunt's house again cause he has no money and no job. Thus starts BRAND NEW DAY, which is the introduction of the new Status quo for Spider-Man. This storyline is running through the only Spider-Man title left: Amazing Spider-Man which now is published three times a month and is the only ongoing Spider-Man title (if you don't count Ultimate Spider-Man but that's a whole different Universe) left.
So, back to the revelations about Spider-Man... the BIG one, remember is that (and again I quote): "Spider-Man is about Peter Parker."
The problem is this: Tom Brevoort, Joe Quesada, Marvel and just about everyone else completely contridicts themselves here.
Spider-Man is about Peter Parker right? Well, if so, then why does Peter's life basically have to shoe-horn into a very restricting status-quo?
So I'm supposed to believe that a guy could overcome just about every single adversary in his superhero career, including ones that he was so far over his head that he really had no business succeeding in, but he can't figure out how to keep a job?I'm suppossed to accept the fact that despite the fact that Military Personel, Policemen and Women, Firefighters, Public Figures such as politicians, professional athletes and movie/music/TV stars all are able to have and develop serious ongoing relationships that result in marriage, that Peter cannot?
I'm supposed to believe that the guy can't learn from his mistakes? Cause he's making the same ones he was making over and over again. Basically, what Joe Q (and Tom B to an extention) is saying is... Peter is a loser, even though Spider-Man wins most of his battles.
Now before anyone says "No one has said that!"... think about it...
What would you call a guy who cannot keep a job, never has any money, keeps making the same mistakes over and over again, and cannot take a relationship past a particular level? Most people would pretty much call that person a loser... which is pretty much what Joe Q has stated he feels Peter should be .
I have an issue with this. We're suppossed to be able to identify with Peter. He has money issues, and relationship woes, and job issues and all that. Well, hey... I have a full time job (and have never really had a problem holding onto one). I have a wife (and kids) and a great relationship. However, I have have money issues, and relationship woes and job issues.
The age thing? I have no problem with Peter being universally "25" (although I think 27 is a better age seeing how much he's supposed to have been through). The age issue isn't a big deal. However I get the feeling the ONLY reason to have him as 25 is to use the "I'm too young to get married!" excuse.
You can argue all you want that keeping Spider-Man young is the way to get young readers. However, I hate to break this to the powers that be, but most of the YOUNGER (ie: seven years old through say... sixteen years old) couldn't care LESS about Peter being 25 or 27 or 42... and they couldn't care LESS about him being single or holding a job or whatever. They read Spider-Man for the scenes of SPIDER-MAN. Hech, my oldest son, Patrick, is 13. His favorite comic book are Ultimate Spider-Man and Amazing Spider-Man. HE'S pissed that the marriage has been undone. Heck, as a thirteen year old, he's never known Spidey to NOT be married. He knows that even the progression of the (VERY popular and successful) movies makes sure that Peter and Mary Jane's relationship is just about he most important aspect of Peter.
Now most of the OLDER readers (ie: say Eighteen though... say.... Eighty-Five and beyond)... THEY care about Peter's personal life as much as Spider-Man's exploits. However, just how many of them want to see Peter taking that backwards step that he's taken... I don't know there are many.
Another thing I have heard is that the last twenty years of marriage and status quo should not be held onto just for the sake of keeping continuity. I get a kick out of every time I hear something like "continuity is less important than good stories". Everyone loves to kill continuity when they don't like the direction, but hell... without continuity (and new writers STICKING to previously based continuity) things become mash-mashed and hard to follow. Continuity is only as good as the editors and editorial mandates that protect it. Most of the time it's the LACK of good editing that leads to broken continuity and someone having to then go and "fix" problems that usually cause MORE problems than is fixed.
So, yeah it's obvious that I'm on the outs with the direction that Spider-Man has headed into. The road to get here was so "un-Spiderman like" that I still have issues accepting it. The entire thing reeks of Joe Q's insistance that HIS Spider-Man be the only Spider-Man out there, despite the fact we already HAD that Spider-Man in the Ultimate line. Yes, I'm jumping all over JoeQ for this, he has been very vocal over the years that he hated the fact Spider-Man was married. The funny thing is, that much of the things that were undone with this new Status quo is stuff that all happened upder Joe Q's watch! And his pointless and INCORRECT assertation that if we want to see a married Spider-Man we should be reading Spider-Girl would only make sense if Peter was the MAIN CHARACTER of that title... which he is NOT.
I'm giving BRAND NEW DAY a chance. I like Dan Slott as a writer. I like Steve McNiven's and Phil Jiminez's art a lot. I think the '3 times a month' format and the 'only one Spider-Man title' ideas are great. So far, I have not disliked the stories (Five issues have come out so far as of the writing of this blog)... but I will admit there are some big distractions with the 'Harry alive' situation and the reversal of everything I've known about Peter for the last twenty years.
I also wonder, has anyone (characters in the comics I mean) even realized that they suddenly don't know Spider-Man's secret ID but they once did? Wolverine, Norman Osborn and Daredevil just to name a few? How about the New Avengers? Spidey is on a team with them... they knew who he was.
The feel of these issues so far has been that of the older PETER PARKER: THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN issues from the early 1980s. The stories haven't been bad at all (and the art has been good) but things feel over done to me. They keep pushing the fact Peter has no money and the old "Parker luck" (ie: REALLY BAD LUCK) is referenced way too much. Plus, once again Aunt May has managed to get herself involved (unknowingly of course) with a Super villian. What a shock. It's a wonder she's survived all of these years.
Wait... maybe she hasn't. Maybe May has died a NUMBER of times.
Maybe the devil has done this before and we all just forgot it.
Oh God.
In the end though... don't tell me Spider-Man is ALL ABOUT Peter Parker if you are THEN going to tell me that Peter will NEVER CHANGE OR GROW. That means that Peter Parker is just an aspect of Spider-Man... like a web-shooter... that is there cause it's expected, but will not really hold any effect on the series, since we know he cannot become anything more than he already is.
I've pretty much stayed away from many chances to comment on the whole Spider-Man ONE MORE DAY/BRAND NEW DAY controversy. However, after reading so much about it I decided to take a little stab at some of the issues I have with the direction Marvel (and mainly Joe Quesada) has decided to take the character in.
I promise this is NOT a mindless rant. There are no barbs, insults, nasty things or comments tossed at anyone. No quarter is taken with anyone in a not-nice manner. Really.
No... really. I swear.
So, one of the things I have heard (read) pounded in at everyone was that the main thing about the series direction is that (and I quote Tom Brevoort here, but I've heard Joe Q and other's say it also) "Spider-Man is about Peter Parker"
Ok, I'm 37, and was a big Spidey fan back in the 70s and 80s before his wedding to Mary-Jane, so it's not like an unmarried Peter is totally foreign to me.
In his "manifesto" in the back of SWING SHIFT: DIRECTORS CUT, Tom presents an arguement that Spider-Man is not the main character here, that Peter Parker is, and that being Spider-Man is just one aspect of the ongoing soap opera of his life. I recently read a well written post on http://www.comicboards.com/smb/ by a guy named JC (No other info on his name was available) that "Ultimate Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 both get this mix right, with money worries, girl troubles and the pressures of Spidey intruding on Peter’s life." JC went on to say that he "absolutely agree(s) with Tom and think this is something which sets Peter Parker apart from Captain America, Iron Man, Superman, Batman and loads of other super-heroes. Peter is genuinely Peter Parker, with Spider-Man as a mask he puts on – both a release and a burden at the same time. Recent Spidey comics have neglected Peter Parker and his life, instead focusing on Spider-Man (joining the New Avengers and living in the Avengers tower was the most obvious example of this)."
I won't disagree that Peter Parker should be the "main identity" and Spider-Man should come second. However, I has to disagree with any notion that states that is what is happening here.
With the reversal of Peter's marriage Marvel is looking to return the status of Spider-Man to a 'younger" and "more accesable" version.
"Wait!" you say. "Spider-man isn't married anymore? He got divorced?"
No, he did not. Spider-man was never married now.
"Hold it!" you shout. "I saw the 'wedding' at Shea Stadium back in the 80s! I read the issue! He's been married for over twenty-years!"
Uh... well.. yeah, you're right... but...
"But WHAT?" You ask.
OK, side bar... Here's a quick summary for those of you not in the know:
Peter Parker revealed to the whole world that he was Spider-Man as part of his support of a new Super-Hero Registration Act passed by the U.S. Government. Peter later regretted it his support of this bill and decided to ally himself with the band of Super-Hero "rebels" who were against and fighting the Registration Act. Since the world now knew Peter was Spider-Man, one of his older Villains (The Kingpin) hired a hitman to assinate Peter (or anyone close to him if he couldn't get Peter himself). The hitman shot at Peter , but instead the rifle shot hit Peter's Aunt May. May was on life-support and her body could not handle the trauma on her body caused by the shot. Peter tried getting help from everyone he could think of, but had no luck. She was going to die no matter what Peter or anyone else did for her. So, along comes Satan. Yes, Satan. Why did the devil come a'callin? Why, not? So Satan (called Mephisto in the Marvel Universe) approachd Peter and Mary-Jane and told them that he would save May's life, if they would give up their marriage as if it never happened. Sound weird? Yeah to a lot of us too. Bizarrely though, in a four-part story titled ONE MORE DAY, they agree to the devil's terms and a good chunk of their lives are erased from memory, including their marriage, the entire world's knowledge of Spider-Man's secret ID (including even his friends) and his 'organic web-shooters' being gone and him going back to his old mechinical ones. No one will remember that Peter and Mary-Jane were ever married and other parts of their lives will not be remembered... as if it never happened. The change also brought back to life a previous dead character in Peter's best friend Harry Osborn, who died as the 2nd Green Goblin. Why? Who knows. The Devil works in mysterous ways. Oh wait... that's The Lord actually. Well... I don't know then. Don't look at me, it wasn't MY idea. In any case, are we caught up? Yeah? Good. Let's move on.
Peter is also removed from being a teacher (which is what he was doing before he gave up his secret ID to the world but that wouldn't have matter now that his ID WAS a secret again thanks to to the Devil's actions). It seems that as part of this 'revamp" Peter canned be married, or hold a regular job and is basically universally 25 years old.
He's also living in his Aunt's house again cause he has no money and no job. Thus starts BRAND NEW DAY, which is the introduction of the new Status quo for Spider-Man. This storyline is running through the only Spider-Man title left: Amazing Spider-Man which now is published three times a month and is the only ongoing Spider-Man title (if you don't count Ultimate Spider-Man but that's a whole different Universe) left.
So, back to the revelations about Spider-Man... the BIG one, remember is that (and again I quote): "Spider-Man is about Peter Parker."
The problem is this: Tom Brevoort, Joe Quesada, Marvel and just about everyone else completely contridicts themselves here.
Spider-Man is about Peter Parker right? Well, if so, then why does Peter's life basically have to shoe-horn into a very restricting status-quo?
So I'm supposed to believe that a guy could overcome just about every single adversary in his superhero career, including ones that he was so far over his head that he really had no business succeeding in, but he can't figure out how to keep a job?I'm suppossed to accept the fact that despite the fact that Military Personel, Policemen and Women, Firefighters, Public Figures such as politicians, professional athletes and movie/music/TV stars all are able to have and develop serious ongoing relationships that result in marriage, that Peter cannot?
I'm supposed to believe that the guy can't learn from his mistakes? Cause he's making the same ones he was making over and over again. Basically, what Joe Q (and Tom B to an extention) is saying is... Peter is a loser, even though Spider-Man wins most of his battles.
Now before anyone says "No one has said that!"... think about it...
What would you call a guy who cannot keep a job, never has any money, keeps making the same mistakes over and over again, and cannot take a relationship past a particular level? Most people would pretty much call that person a loser... which is pretty much what Joe Q has stated he feels Peter should be .
I have an issue with this. We're suppossed to be able to identify with Peter. He has money issues, and relationship woes, and job issues and all that. Well, hey... I have a full time job (and have never really had a problem holding onto one). I have a wife (and kids) and a great relationship. However, I have have money issues, and relationship woes and job issues.
The age thing? I have no problem with Peter being universally "25" (although I think 27 is a better age seeing how much he's supposed to have been through). The age issue isn't a big deal. However I get the feeling the ONLY reason to have him as 25 is to use the "I'm too young to get married!" excuse.
You can argue all you want that keeping Spider-Man young is the way to get young readers. However, I hate to break this to the powers that be, but most of the YOUNGER (ie: seven years old through say... sixteen years old) couldn't care LESS about Peter being 25 or 27 or 42... and they couldn't care LESS about him being single or holding a job or whatever. They read Spider-Man for the scenes of SPIDER-MAN. Hech, my oldest son, Patrick, is 13. His favorite comic book are Ultimate Spider-Man and Amazing Spider-Man. HE'S pissed that the marriage has been undone. Heck, as a thirteen year old, he's never known Spidey to NOT be married. He knows that even the progression of the (VERY popular and successful) movies makes sure that Peter and Mary Jane's relationship is just about he most important aspect of Peter.
Now most of the OLDER readers (ie: say Eighteen though... say.... Eighty-Five and beyond)... THEY care about Peter's personal life as much as Spider-Man's exploits. However, just how many of them want to see Peter taking that backwards step that he's taken... I don't know there are many.
Another thing I have heard is that the last twenty years of marriage and status quo should not be held onto just for the sake of keeping continuity. I get a kick out of every time I hear something like "continuity is less important than good stories". Everyone loves to kill continuity when they don't like the direction, but hell... without continuity (and new writers STICKING to previously based continuity) things become mash-mashed and hard to follow. Continuity is only as good as the editors and editorial mandates that protect it. Most of the time it's the LACK of good editing that leads to broken continuity and someone having to then go and "fix" problems that usually cause MORE problems than is fixed.
So, yeah it's obvious that I'm on the outs with the direction that Spider-Man has headed into. The road to get here was so "un-Spiderman like" that I still have issues accepting it. The entire thing reeks of Joe Q's insistance that HIS Spider-Man be the only Spider-Man out there, despite the fact we already HAD that Spider-Man in the Ultimate line. Yes, I'm jumping all over JoeQ for this, he has been very vocal over the years that he hated the fact Spider-Man was married. The funny thing is, that much of the things that were undone with this new Status quo is stuff that all happened upder Joe Q's watch! And his pointless and INCORRECT assertation that if we want to see a married Spider-Man we should be reading Spider-Girl would only make sense if Peter was the MAIN CHARACTER of that title... which he is NOT.
I'm giving BRAND NEW DAY a chance. I like Dan Slott as a writer. I like Steve McNiven's and Phil Jiminez's art a lot. I think the '3 times a month' format and the 'only one Spider-Man title' ideas are great. So far, I have not disliked the stories (Five issues have come out so far as of the writing of this blog)... but I will admit there are some big distractions with the 'Harry alive' situation and the reversal of everything I've known about Peter for the last twenty years.
I also wonder, has anyone (characters in the comics I mean) even realized that they suddenly don't know Spider-Man's secret ID but they once did? Wolverine, Norman Osborn and Daredevil just to name a few? How about the New Avengers? Spidey is on a team with them... they knew who he was.
The feel of these issues so far has been that of the older PETER PARKER: THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN issues from the early 1980s. The stories haven't been bad at all (and the art has been good) but things feel over done to me. They keep pushing the fact Peter has no money and the old "Parker luck" (ie: REALLY BAD LUCK) is referenced way too much. Plus, once again Aunt May has managed to get herself involved (unknowingly of course) with a Super villian. What a shock. It's a wonder she's survived all of these years.
Wait... maybe she hasn't. Maybe May has died a NUMBER of times.
Maybe the devil has done this before and we all just forgot it.
Oh God.
In the end though... don't tell me Spider-Man is ALL ABOUT Peter Parker if you are THEN going to tell me that Peter will NEVER CHANGE OR GROW. That means that Peter Parker is just an aspect of Spider-Man... like a web-shooter... that is there cause it's expected, but will not really hold any effect on the series, since we know he cannot become anything more than he already is.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
WHAT I'M WATCHING
Since the writer's strike is just about done, I thought I'd take a quick look at what I have been (and will be) watching once everything is back to normal. In many cases I caught this stuff on DVD after the fact.
This is in no particular order... I'm just pretty much covering them as they occur to me. In the past I ahev HATED television. I watched one, maybe TWO shows a year (if that). These days? I'm a junkie. God I need help.
JERICHO: I had every intention of trying out this show last year but missed the first two episodes and I decided to wait. I'm only glad I wanted for one reason: watching this on DVD meant I didn't have to wait weeks to know what happened. What a great show. The writing and acting is top notch. Tonight is the season 2 premere and I now have the most prized possession we currently own: a DVR recorder. Last season ended on quite the cliffhanger. Just simple words defined the end of last season. Those words were "Nuts" and "NOW!". We have to see how Jake is going to handle becoming the main man here, although I suspect he'll have some detracters to deal with in the town.
LOST: Anyone who knows me knows that this sort of show is perfect for me. Mystery, a million questions, virial marketing, endless speculation, a tie to the occult, a secret organization... all stuff that fuels my twisted obession-filled nature. So far only two episodes into this season and this are hopping already. I like the direction things are going in and the flash forwards (although there weren't any in the 2nd episode) look to be quite effective. People want their answers but I'm still not pushing for everything to be revealed just yet. I'm enjoying the mystery.
DAMAGES: This looked mildly interesting to me when the promos for it came out, but I didn;t have the time to catch it while the first season was runnning. I recently came out on DVD and decided to check it out (thank GOD for Netflix). Well... this show just blew me away. Glen Close plays a lead character that sits right up there with Vic Mackey as a lead with... shall we say... 'flexable' morals who will do anything... ANYTHING... to achieve their means. Close plays Patti Hughes in a way that makes you think you understand her and even manage to root for her in ways when she shows she is human... but still managed to shock us all in the season finale. I also have neverseen a drama about a law firm where we never (NEVER) see the inside of a court room. This one is hard to classify. Just... check it out if you haven't done so. Powerful stuff and more twists and turns and hidden reveals than an M. Night Shyamalan flick. This show clinched one thing for me: F/X has the BEST shows on TV.
PRISON BREAK: I had finally caught up with Prison Break (a show I fell behind on with only a few episodes left in season 1) just as this season started. As improbable as the premise is, and as much as everyone around me tells me the acting is terrible I cannot get enough of this show. It's fun and crazy and just impossible to predict. The situations and the solutions are sometimes so preposterious that saying it's a stretch is being kind but I don't care. While this doesn't live up to the mystery of LOST, the acting of JERICHO or the power of DAMAGES, it's still a plain cool ride.
NIP/TUCK: Ok... this one is a bit of a cheat because I have only seen the first episode of this season. The rest are all saved on the DVR for when I have some time to catch up. This is always been a show I catch up to after the season is over and this season will be no exception. Like Prison Break, this show is just... well... UP THERE. It's crazy and soap opera-ish and at times you want to shout "Oh, C'mon!" at the screeen, but it's fun and mindless and is eye candy that also delivers some nice twists. The tale of these two best friends (who should have killed each other years ago in my opinion) and partners in a plastic surgery practice is impossible to look away from. Even as you are admiring the view, you're almost embrassed for the characters and the situations they find themselves in, but as with Prison Break.. I don't care.
GREY'S ANATOMY: Now this is the first of my two dirty little guilty pleasures. Even more soap-opera-ish than NIP/TUCK is, this show just screams "EMO!" and "DRAMA!" The fact that everyone in this hospital seems to sleep with someone else from the hospital is actually probablly more realistic than people think. The bad decisions in their personal lives being made on a daily basis by people who make the decisions and actions that save lives everyday is quite an ironic contrast. I was dragged into watching this show... kicking and screaming in fact... it was ALL my wife's fault. She watched it and I would catch a few minutes of it here and there and one night I saw some of the "Bomb" episode from season Two and DAMN I was curious in what happened. So Chrissy talked me into renting the first disk of season one on DVD and I hate to admit it but I was hooked. Oh who am I kidding? It's not her... it's ME! This is just a plain, out and out fun show that I cannot help but enjoy. God, I hate to admit that. And what the HELL is up with Meredith? McDreamy is the PERFECT man! Handsome, smart, funny, honorable, caring, in touch with his emotions... god DAMN I'm not into men and *I'D* marry him! SIGH. See? See what this show does? Argh.
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES: The other dirty little guilty pleasure. This show is just... mindless. The situations are insane. The storylines are inane. The characters all need a good beating. But jeez... I'm hooked! I think I need to see a Doctor. Hey, do you think Dr. McDreamy sould tream ... errr... forget that.
24: Yeah, I know it's not going to come back until 2009 due to the strike (and it's a victim of it's own format as much as it is a victim of the strike) and I know last season just got... preposterous. But.. it's JACK FREAKING BAUER DAMMIT! God I have enjoyed this show from day one (heh... day... heh) and I'm not about to stop anytime soon. I thought I might lose interest then they killed just about EVERYONE but Jack and Chole a few seasons back... but I didn't. Fun stuff to the end and never... NEVER... discount the POWER OF JACK!
THE SHIELD: Vic Mackey. Is he a realistic character or an over-the-top twisted version? I think he's a bit of both. Vic is a guy who will do anything... ANYTHING... to protect his family and team... but he also has an actual set of morals to him. He's the perfect anti-hero who we cannot help but root for, but we also have to be reminded that he KILLED A FREAKING COP. I have to tell you... this show is as powerful and well acted as anything I have ever seen on TV. I actually missed the last three episodes of last season (and that was the final straw that lead me to get a DVR) so I have to catch up before next season (which is the final season for the show).
RESCUE ME: I'm an extire season behind (and WILL YOU GUYS HURRY UP WITH THE DVD ALREADY!) but this is another show that is brutal and honest and impossible to look away from. Denis Leary's Tommy is a guy that you want to kill one second and then slap on the back and buy a drink for the next. What this character has gone through on this show is rough... and you'd think it was too over the top to be realistic, but it's not. It always seems... right. As WRONG as it gets, it's still 'right'? Know what I mean?
HEROES: Hey, I'm a comic geek. Is ANYONE surprised I love this show? Yeah it stumbled a little with keeping Hiro in the past too long and the annoying Maya and Alejandro plot seemed like it was never going to end but this season finished with a solid BANG and the revelation that a certain someone has his powers back (along with the death of another certain someone) has setup next season quite nicely. Yeah, like 24 we won't see this until next fasll due to the high production on each episode would make it very hard to get more than like three or four episodes done before the summer, but I wouldn't mind a very short set-up to next year.
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: Another show I am an entire season behind and waiting for the DVD of Season three has been KILLING ME. Jeez... the frigging DVD for RAZOR (the one shot movie for BG) came out a lousy TWO WEEKS after the movie was on the Sci Fi Network, but it took almost 19 months for the season 3 DVD to come out? In any case, this has been quite the show about how people react to being in a situation where all they do is run, fight and live in tin cans in space with a TON of parinoia. The Cylons aren't just bucket's of bolts here... they can look just like humans and no one knows for certain if the guy or gal next to them is actually an enemy. makes for some very interesting situations. I'm glad this season is about to start in March, but I have to scamble to see season 3 in time since it's being released only a few days before the season 4 premere. Nice.
JOURNEYMAN: God I love time travel. I'm facinated by it. And this show handled it very well. This was a cool show that played the QUANTUM LEAP card quite well, only the whole reasoning behind the main character as a time traveler was still unknown. It looks like this show got the axe, which sucks. Chrissy and I really enjoyed this one. Figures. Hopefully this can get a last second repreave, but I doubt it will.
THE BLACK DONNELLYS: Another show that I had to catch up on with DVD and another show that was excellent but was canned. This was pretty much a cross between STATE OF GRACE (the Sean Penn flick) , THE GODFATHER and THE SOPRANOS. Excellent acting and a fairly riveting storyline drove this show but I can tell you the two reasons it eventually failed. 1 - The title. I understand totally why they called it like they did, but the average person with no knowledge of Irish History would not. It's not really a name that grabs you. 2 - No 'name' actor. They needed someone... someone that the general public would say "wow! I know that guy! He was in that flick... or show... or whatever!" James Caan or Ed Harris would have been perfect. The final episode ended on quite a shocking note and you just know the dial was getting turned up in season 2 had there BEEN a season 2. What a shame. If you missed it, check it out on DVD.
So... what does every show I listed have in common? Think about it for a second.
Give up? NO SITCOMS.
I HATE sitcoms. I can stand to watch an episode of one once and while, but overall? I cannot get into them. The last 'SITCOM' I watched every episode of was POLICE SQUAD back in like 1983.
Which brings me to the comedy section of this. NONE of these are something I would consider a sitcom.
FAMILY GUY: Yeah, I don't really care about the cracks that this show is a formulaic mess. All I know is that I laugh every time I watch it. And over-used or not, Stewie is still hysterical.
SOUTH PARK: Matt Stone and Trey Parker are fearless. The show isn't always a gut-buster, but it's always relevant and funny enough that I come back for more.
ROBOT CHICKEN: Talking toys and fucked up sexual-ladden humor. What more can you ask for? Seth Green is a genius.
Since the writer's strike is just about done, I thought I'd take a quick look at what I have been (and will be) watching once everything is back to normal. In many cases I caught this stuff on DVD after the fact.
This is in no particular order... I'm just pretty much covering them as they occur to me. In the past I ahev HATED television. I watched one, maybe TWO shows a year (if that). These days? I'm a junkie. God I need help.
JERICHO: I had every intention of trying out this show last year but missed the first two episodes and I decided to wait. I'm only glad I wanted for one reason: watching this on DVD meant I didn't have to wait weeks to know what happened. What a great show. The writing and acting is top notch. Tonight is the season 2 premere and I now have the most prized possession we currently own: a DVR recorder. Last season ended on quite the cliffhanger. Just simple words defined the end of last season. Those words were "Nuts" and "NOW!". We have to see how Jake is going to handle becoming the main man here, although I suspect he'll have some detracters to deal with in the town.
LOST: Anyone who knows me knows that this sort of show is perfect for me. Mystery, a million questions, virial marketing, endless speculation, a tie to the occult, a secret organization... all stuff that fuels my twisted obession-filled nature. So far only two episodes into this season and this are hopping already. I like the direction things are going in and the flash forwards (although there weren't any in the 2nd episode) look to be quite effective. People want their answers but I'm still not pushing for everything to be revealed just yet. I'm enjoying the mystery.
DAMAGES: This looked mildly interesting to me when the promos for it came out, but I didn;t have the time to catch it while the first season was runnning. I recently came out on DVD and decided to check it out (thank GOD for Netflix). Well... this show just blew me away. Glen Close plays a lead character that sits right up there with Vic Mackey as a lead with... shall we say... 'flexable' morals who will do anything... ANYTHING... to achieve their means. Close plays Patti Hughes in a way that makes you think you understand her and even manage to root for her in ways when she shows she is human... but still managed to shock us all in the season finale. I also have neverseen a drama about a law firm where we never (NEVER) see the inside of a court room. This one is hard to classify. Just... check it out if you haven't done so. Powerful stuff and more twists and turns and hidden reveals than an M. Night Shyamalan flick. This show clinched one thing for me: F/X has the BEST shows on TV.
PRISON BREAK: I had finally caught up with Prison Break (a show I fell behind on with only a few episodes left in season 1) just as this season started. As improbable as the premise is, and as much as everyone around me tells me the acting is terrible I cannot get enough of this show. It's fun and crazy and just impossible to predict. The situations and the solutions are sometimes so preposterious that saying it's a stretch is being kind but I don't care. While this doesn't live up to the mystery of LOST, the acting of JERICHO or the power of DAMAGES, it's still a plain cool ride.
NIP/TUCK: Ok... this one is a bit of a cheat because I have only seen the first episode of this season. The rest are all saved on the DVR for when I have some time to catch up. This is always been a show I catch up to after the season is over and this season will be no exception. Like Prison Break, this show is just... well... UP THERE. It's crazy and soap opera-ish and at times you want to shout "Oh, C'mon!" at the screeen, but it's fun and mindless and is eye candy that also delivers some nice twists. The tale of these two best friends (who should have killed each other years ago in my opinion) and partners in a plastic surgery practice is impossible to look away from. Even as you are admiring the view, you're almost embrassed for the characters and the situations they find themselves in, but as with Prison Break.. I don't care.
GREY'S ANATOMY: Now this is the first of my two dirty little guilty pleasures. Even more soap-opera-ish than NIP/TUCK is, this show just screams "EMO!" and "DRAMA!" The fact that everyone in this hospital seems to sleep with someone else from the hospital is actually probablly more realistic than people think. The bad decisions in their personal lives being made on a daily basis by people who make the decisions and actions that save lives everyday is quite an ironic contrast. I was dragged into watching this show... kicking and screaming in fact... it was ALL my wife's fault. She watched it and I would catch a few minutes of it here and there and one night I saw some of the "Bomb" episode from season Two and DAMN I was curious in what happened. So Chrissy talked me into renting the first disk of season one on DVD and I hate to admit it but I was hooked. Oh who am I kidding? It's not her... it's ME! This is just a plain, out and out fun show that I cannot help but enjoy. God, I hate to admit that. And what the HELL is up with Meredith? McDreamy is the PERFECT man! Handsome, smart, funny, honorable, caring, in touch with his emotions... god DAMN I'm not into men and *I'D* marry him! SIGH. See? See what this show does? Argh.
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES: The other dirty little guilty pleasure. This show is just... mindless. The situations are insane. The storylines are inane. The characters all need a good beating. But jeez... I'm hooked! I think I need to see a Doctor. Hey, do you think Dr. McDreamy sould tream ... errr... forget that.
24: Yeah, I know it's not going to come back until 2009 due to the strike (and it's a victim of it's own format as much as it is a victim of the strike) and I know last season just got... preposterous. But.. it's JACK FREAKING BAUER DAMMIT! God I have enjoyed this show from day one (heh... day... heh) and I'm not about to stop anytime soon. I thought I might lose interest then they killed just about EVERYONE but Jack and Chole a few seasons back... but I didn't. Fun stuff to the end and never... NEVER... discount the POWER OF JACK!
THE SHIELD: Vic Mackey. Is he a realistic character or an over-the-top twisted version? I think he's a bit of both. Vic is a guy who will do anything... ANYTHING... to protect his family and team... but he also has an actual set of morals to him. He's the perfect anti-hero who we cannot help but root for, but we also have to be reminded that he KILLED A FREAKING COP. I have to tell you... this show is as powerful and well acted as anything I have ever seen on TV. I actually missed the last three episodes of last season (and that was the final straw that lead me to get a DVR) so I have to catch up before next season (which is the final season for the show).
RESCUE ME: I'm an extire season behind (and WILL YOU GUYS HURRY UP WITH THE DVD ALREADY!) but this is another show that is brutal and honest and impossible to look away from. Denis Leary's Tommy is a guy that you want to kill one second and then slap on the back and buy a drink for the next. What this character has gone through on this show is rough... and you'd think it was too over the top to be realistic, but it's not. It always seems... right. As WRONG as it gets, it's still 'right'? Know what I mean?
HEROES: Hey, I'm a comic geek. Is ANYONE surprised I love this show? Yeah it stumbled a little with keeping Hiro in the past too long and the annoying Maya and Alejandro plot seemed like it was never going to end but this season finished with a solid BANG and the revelation that a certain someone has his powers back (along with the death of another certain someone) has setup next season quite nicely. Yeah, like 24 we won't see this until next fasll due to the high production on each episode would make it very hard to get more than like three or four episodes done before the summer, but I wouldn't mind a very short set-up to next year.
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: Another show I am an entire season behind and waiting for the DVD of Season three has been KILLING ME. Jeez... the frigging DVD for RAZOR (the one shot movie for BG) came out a lousy TWO WEEKS after the movie was on the Sci Fi Network, but it took almost 19 months for the season 3 DVD to come out? In any case, this has been quite the show about how people react to being in a situation where all they do is run, fight and live in tin cans in space with a TON of parinoia. The Cylons aren't just bucket's of bolts here... they can look just like humans and no one knows for certain if the guy or gal next to them is actually an enemy. makes for some very interesting situations. I'm glad this season is about to start in March, but I have to scamble to see season 3 in time since it's being released only a few days before the season 4 premere. Nice.
JOURNEYMAN: God I love time travel. I'm facinated by it. And this show handled it very well. This was a cool show that played the QUANTUM LEAP card quite well, only the whole reasoning behind the main character as a time traveler was still unknown. It looks like this show got the axe, which sucks. Chrissy and I really enjoyed this one. Figures. Hopefully this can get a last second repreave, but I doubt it will.
THE BLACK DONNELLYS: Another show that I had to catch up on with DVD and another show that was excellent but was canned. This was pretty much a cross between STATE OF GRACE (the Sean Penn flick) , THE GODFATHER and THE SOPRANOS. Excellent acting and a fairly riveting storyline drove this show but I can tell you the two reasons it eventually failed. 1 - The title. I understand totally why they called it like they did, but the average person with no knowledge of Irish History would not. It's not really a name that grabs you. 2 - No 'name' actor. They needed someone... someone that the general public would say "wow! I know that guy! He was in that flick... or show... or whatever!" James Caan or Ed Harris would have been perfect. The final episode ended on quite a shocking note and you just know the dial was getting turned up in season 2 had there BEEN a season 2. What a shame. If you missed it, check it out on DVD.
So... what does every show I listed have in common? Think about it for a second.
Give up? NO SITCOMS.
I HATE sitcoms. I can stand to watch an episode of one once and while, but overall? I cannot get into them. The last 'SITCOM' I watched every episode of was POLICE SQUAD back in like 1983.
Which brings me to the comedy section of this. NONE of these are something I would consider a sitcom.
FAMILY GUY: Yeah, I don't really care about the cracks that this show is a formulaic mess. All I know is that I laugh every time I watch it. And over-used or not, Stewie is still hysterical.
SOUTH PARK: Matt Stone and Trey Parker are fearless. The show isn't always a gut-buster, but it's always relevant and funny enough that I come back for more.
ROBOT CHICKEN: Talking toys and fucked up sexual-ladden humor. What more can you ask for? Seth Green is a genius.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
