Palmer, Carl: Drum Solos (DVD)

Chances are if you are reading this review you know who Carl Palmer is, unless you have been living under a rock for the past forty years. His body of work with The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, Atomic Rooster, ELP, Asia and his own band speaks for itself. He is surely one of the best rock drummers to have ever picked up a pair of drum sticks and this DVD proves it. This is Palmer's first DVD and features some of his most famous solos. For those of you who are aspiring drummers I would consider this DVD mandatory. For those non musicians, myself included, you may not get as much mileage out of this DVD but it was still enjoyable nonetheless.

The first solo takes us back to 1974 with Palmer's famous solo from "Karn Evil 9". Stupendous, jaw dropping, superlative and magnificent are just some of the words I would use to describe this performance. He beats the skin with reckless abandon and there is not one beat out of place; he is truly one of the best.

The same can be said for Palmer's solo from "The Heat Goes On" with Asia from 2008. He can still beat the drums into submission as he has not lost his aggressive power one iota. The same is true of his "Fanfare for the Common Man" solo from 2009.

One of the most outstanding performances here is Palmer's snare drum solo at the Palmer Trilogy Showdown. His imaginative stick work has to be seen to be believed.

Another plus is the inclusion of MIDI soundtracks with reduced speed so you can see and hear the magic slowed down, a feature that all drum fans should appreciate. Also included are his solos transcribed note for note in PDF format.

Video and audio quality is okay but that is almost secondary to the real purpose of this DVD. As a learning tool, Carl Palmer's Drum Solos should be requisite viewing for all people interested in the instrument.

Track Listing:
1. Karn Evil 9 Drum Solo – ELP – California Jam 1974
2. The Heat Goes On Drum Solo – Asia – Live 2008
3. Fanfare for the Common Man Drum Solo – Asia – Live 2009
Special Features:
• Palmer Trilogy Showdown including Carl's stunning snare drum solo
• Rare footage of Carl soloing with the band 3
• Photo Gallery

Added: May 1st 2011
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist's Official Site
Hits: 2273
Language: english

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