Saturday, November 17, 2007
Max Metronome
I don't agree with Star-Ledger columnist Paul Mulshine on much. The craziness of giving tax breaks to SUVs. Shore towns that want to protect surfers from the good surf. But I agree with his assessment of E Street drummer Max Weinberg:
What I most dislike is Max's pile-driving stiffness, & what it's done to some very good Springsteen material over the decades. Not that I despise the pile drivers of arena rock; I like Ralph Molina of Crazy Horse; & I've lavished praise on Carmine Appice's drumming with Vanilla Fudge, which I've described as "bludgeoning a mortar shell with a sledge hammer." & many others. But if you listen to Stones drummer Charlie Watts on certain songs, or especially the late Al Jackson Jr. of The MGs & Stax fame on anything, they nudge the rhythm along by lagging ever-so-slightly behind the beat. A drummer can learn this provided the inner capacity is there to begin with. It never sounds natural when Weinberg tries to do it. Springsteen may most appreciate Max's stamina, reliability, & sheer volume. But subtle he ain't. Max himself has very good taste in drummers; he just hasn't been able to apply much of what he's learned from them.
I'm too involved with other music to give much attention to Bruce Springsteen. My main complaints are that he isn't an especially gifted melodist (compared to say, Neil Young; mentioning Brian Wilson would be unfair), & his use of Biblical references suggests he doesn't get them directly from the sourcebook. Among ancient rockers, Neil still has a capacity for inspiring or infuriating younger musicians, his influence has to be confronted; he produces music of "popular" appeal almost as an afterthought, where the Bruce machine is completely geared to trying to remain politically & culturally relevant.
...I attended two shows on the Bruce Springsteen tour in Washington last week. My brother and I had lousy tickets for the first show, nosebleed seats behind the stage. From that perspective it was impossible to ignore Weinberg's drumming. It was dreadful, as usual.Mulshine heaps praise on the late Keith Moon, a guy everyone concedes is in a class by himself. I compare Max unfavorably with Dino Danelli of The Rascals & Johnny "Bee" Badanjek of The Detroit Wheels, two drummers who would have suited Springsteen's style. Both, I believe, were available for hire in the mid-Seventies.
***
He just thumps away. Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom. In a memorable review of the 2003 Springsteen tour, rock critic Michael Corcoran of the Austin American-Statesman referred to him as "that headache machine Wax Weinberg," a characterization I couldn't get out of my head as I stared down from the heights that night.
What I most dislike is Max's pile-driving stiffness, & what it's done to some very good Springsteen material over the decades. Not that I despise the pile drivers of arena rock; I like Ralph Molina of Crazy Horse; & I've lavished praise on Carmine Appice's drumming with Vanilla Fudge, which I've described as "bludgeoning a mortar shell with a sledge hammer." & many others. But if you listen to Stones drummer Charlie Watts on certain songs, or especially the late Al Jackson Jr. of The MGs & Stax fame on anything, they nudge the rhythm along by lagging ever-so-slightly behind the beat. A drummer can learn this provided the inner capacity is there to begin with. It never sounds natural when Weinberg tries to do it. Springsteen may most appreciate Max's stamina, reliability, & sheer volume. But subtle he ain't. Max himself has very good taste in drummers; he just hasn't been able to apply much of what he's learned from them.
I'm too involved with other music to give much attention to Bruce Springsteen. My main complaints are that he isn't an especially gifted melodist (compared to say, Neil Young; mentioning Brian Wilson would be unfair), & his use of Biblical references suggests he doesn't get them directly from the sourcebook. Among ancient rockers, Neil still has a capacity for inspiring or infuriating younger musicians, his influence has to be confronted; he produces music of "popular" appeal almost as an afterthought, where the Bruce machine is completely geared to trying to remain politically & culturally relevant.
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"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson
I agree with your assessment on Max. I've gotten into plenty of arguments over the years about this, since Bruce is pratically a religion for some people. If you ever get the chance to see the Hammersmith Odeon show from 75 that came out on DVD with the 30th Anniv of Born to Run, you'll see a nervous Max on drums COUNTING out loud during the songs. He looks overmatched.
But what's really weird is that the actual sound is much looser when Bruce isn't playing the guitar. They finally sound funky on 10th Ave Freezeout..but when Bruce straps the guitar on, suddenly they stiffen up, making me wonder if Bruce's playing forces them to alter things, whether it be because Bruce is stiff or because they then have to take their cues from him and he makes them nervous. (I think it's the latter.) It also doesn't help that Gary Tallent isn't the most dynamic bass player either.
Supposedly Bruce was thinking about replacing Max as late as the River...and felt he improved by the time of Born in the USA...then again, he (and his advisers) might've grabbed Jeff Porcaro at that point...
best,
Rob
But what's really weird is that the actual sound is much looser when Bruce isn't playing the guitar. They finally sound funky on 10th Ave Freezeout..but when Bruce straps the guitar on, suddenly they stiffen up, making me wonder if Bruce's playing forces them to alter things, whether it be because Bruce is stiff or because they then have to take their cues from him and he makes them nervous. (I think it's the latter.) It also doesn't help that Gary Tallent isn't the most dynamic bass player either.
Supposedly Bruce was thinking about replacing Max as late as the River...and felt he improved by the time of Born in the USA...then again, he (and his advisers) might've grabbed Jeff Porcaro at that point...
best,
Rob
# posted by 
: 2:01 AM
: 2:01 AM
I've never really dug Bruce & Co. (heresy from a guy who plans on taking up arms for NJ once we secede from the red states), but I have a cute anecdote about Max.
I attended a wedding on a hotel rooftop in Manhattan a few years back. Being the only guests over 30 and the only guests without tattoos or body piercings, Mrs. Contrarian and I sauntered over to a nice middle-aged couple enjoying the wine. We soon learned that we were talking with Mr. & Mrs. Max Weinberg. Generally, we chatted about their kids in high school, but when we discussed geography, Max noted that in the 1960s, his band used to practice in Rahway on Irving Street, above Verneau's Drug Store. The building is now being converted into luxury condos.
I attended a wedding on a hotel rooftop in Manhattan a few years back. Being the only guests over 30 and the only guests without tattoos or body piercings, Mrs. Contrarian and I sauntered over to a nice middle-aged couple enjoying the wine. We soon learned that we were talking with Mr. & Mrs. Max Weinberg. Generally, we chatted about their kids in high school, but when we discussed geography, Max noted that in the 1960s, his band used to practice in Rahway on Irving Street, above Verneau's Drug Store. The building is now being converted into luxury condos.
What is the definition of "luxury condo?" I maintain that it is impossible for any condo, in that building, that close to the railroad, to be called a "luxury" anything. Big, over-priced, maybe some nice brickwork & hardwood floors, yes. Luxury, never.
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