I think Cook is horrible! I've seen him live a couple times, and I think a metronome on stage would be about as exciting. I briefly owned Subterranea, but didn't like the vocals, and the drums really stood out as substandard. Didn't like they way they were recorded either. Live, well at least I liked the guitar and keyboard playing, so I focused on that.
I wonder if Drummers listen to others drumming more closely than I do. You all must, because I haven't noticed any of this. Marrillion, IQ and Arena drums sound good to me. I'll have to go back and see if I can hear what y'all are talking about. I don't like drum machines or loops, because they don't sound human, but you do get some odd sensations at times with many drum parts, like things are slightly adrift. I always assumed that was a part of the material - part of the humanity. But none of the above bands strike me as being on the list in my head of being that obvious. Of course, I was a bass player and was the guy following the drums.
I got nothin' :
...avoiding any implication that I have ever entertained a cognizant thought.
live samples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwbCFGbAtFc
https://youtu.be/AEE5OZXJioE
https://soundcloud.com/yodelgoat/yod...om-a-live-show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUe3YhCjy6g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VOCJokzL_s
I'd have to agree with the herky jerky assessment of his drumming on Marillion's early stuff. Always wondering what was going on in "Garden Party" with the lateness of a lot of those hits on the verse.
You know what? It's very easy for all of us "experts" to sit back and critique people like this within the safety of our homes by submitting opinions to an online forum. I guess it's just the way of things these days. Whether he was any good or not is beside the point. He's a regular guy just like all of us. He no doubt feels a lot of hurt, anger, disappointment etc. about being sacked from the band he started all those years ago only to see them go on to achieve great success without him. I'm sure none of know what must be like. To then have a bunch of nobodys feel they're in a position to criticise you in a public forum 30 years later is just mean spirited. Get over it.
I'm sure this post will no doubt generate some sort of backlash about letting people be free to hold their opinions...I'm not saying you can't have an opinion. Maybe you didn't like Mick's drumming, maybe you didn't like Fish's lyrics, maybe you didn't like Steve's physical appearance, whatever. At the end of the day, it's only music. It's there to enjoy, or not. Slagging off the people involved is unwarranted.
Just my 2 cents.
Whether he was any good or not is beside the point. He's a regular guy just like all of us. He no doubt feels a lot of hurt, anger, disappointment etc. about being sacked from the band he started all those years ago only to see them go on to achieve great success without him. I'm sure none of know what must be like. To then have a bunch of nobodys feel they're in a position to criticise you in a public forum 30 years later is just mean spirited. Get over it.
With all due respect to your feelings around this, and I agree with some of your thoughts to a point, the fact is the discussion was about the opinions on whether he was any good or not. This is a discussion about a drummer who many feel was off tempo etc. and ultimately wasn't very good as a drummer overall. I don't believe anyone made a personal attack on his character as a person, just his drumming. Honestly, if we all held the idea if we say something negative about someones skills resulting in hurting someones feelings, we wouldn't have a discussion.
But I appreciate you speaking your mind all the same.
Considering that all early Marillion members were (technically speaking) only average musicians Mick was an acceptable fit and his playing never hurts me when I listen to Script... which sounds very amateurish anyway. Maybe the other members were progressing faster but I'm still wondering if Mick was fired due to his technical inabilities as a musician, or for other (unknow) reasons ?
I think we should all get together and kick his ass. Just yell "You SUCK, Mick Pointer!!" right in his face and kick his ass. Dressed like ninjas.
Just my $.02:
The title of this thread is in really poor taste.
I would hope that Mr. Pointer never logs onto this site and reads it.
Although it was before my time, I think music magazines of the 1970's and 1980's had a lot of insulting, baseless criticism. Most musicians learn to live with it.
If he does read it, he'll also see several positive comments regarding his improvement as a drummer. I'm sure he's aware of that himself.
That's a good point. Script is rather shaky to begin with. I'll always like it, of course, but they improved quite a lot over the course of the next couple of albums.
Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.
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I agree 101% with Cygnus. I find a lot of the posts on this forum just mean spirited and overly critical by people who claim they love progressive rock, but come off just as critical as a NYT or Rolling Stone reviewer. I sometimes say to myself, do these people even like prog rock???
Even if Mick Pointer was not the most technically gifted musician, so f'in what? What if it wasn't for him, some of the Script songs were never written because he came up with a certain part? Frankly, I actually like his drumming on all the Pre-fugazi songs. They are quirky and different. I also cut the guy a break because he was young and just getting started. What musician doesn't look back at his first recordings and either get embarrassed or wished he could have another crack at it?.
And probably the drums on Garden Party are because of the bass line. I do wish he played more on songs such as The Web instead of dropping out, especially when it goes back into the verse.
It's only knock n know all, but I like it, yes I do.
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