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Ringo replaced a drummerOriginally Posted by Mark Hennebury
whose work ….was not working. Recently I read the sad reflections of the guy Ringo replaced...he was sad about being fired.
But the Beatles prospered . Not sure any Rock drummers are being courted by any of the “great orchestras” , or that any
orchestras are making more money than the Beatles made. I think they did pretty well.
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Hey, have you seen Mona recently? A small painting at the end of a large room packed with 100s of people, most trying to get closer, some pickpockets. (in the hallway outside I walked behind two teen girls pulling their take from shoulder bags to give to their handler - phones, cameras, wallets, jewelry.)
After about 20 minutes inside I gave up trying to get closer. Digital and printed reproductions are far easier to appreciate.
In contrast, my last experience at the Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze (Florence, Italy) was incredible. We had tickets for the first entry of the day and the statue itself, unlike past visits packed with visitors all the way around, had NO others viewing for a while. The sparse attendance also made experiencing the other sculptures and paintings far more enjoyable. (BTW, don’t skip the music instrument wing - expanded from my previous visits.)
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Civilization functions by control. It runs on the understanding the people are gullible, easy to manipulate. unable to make individual judgements and will follow the crowd whilst all the while proclaiming that it was there own well thought out idea.
The great users of this knowledge are religion, politics, business, arts, fashion, entertainment etc.
When referring to art; the classics, like Michelangelo, Leonardo, required immense talent and skill and a lifetime of commitment to learning and refining their skill and knowledge compare that to modern art where anyone can call themselves and artist, have zero skill, knowledge or training and all you have to do is come up with a gimmick to shock people, and talk a bunch of BS about it.
The fact that modern art sells for so much money is reflective of the gullibility of people not the quality of the work or the mystical genius of the "artist"
If some people want to stare at splat of paint on the wall in an art gallery and convince themselves that they alone are at that moment communicating with the other side, and that they understand what the artist struggled to show them, that's their choice.
If you want to believe that Ringo must be a great drummer because he is famous and made a lot of money, enjoy the delusion.
spaghetti.jpg
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My working-class midwestern farm boy brain feels this way. My grown-up, mathematician, engineer brain tells me that the things I find most beautiful and inspiring all required some explanation. The Fundamental Theorem of Calculus is a transcendent truth to me, but only because I understand it, and the Enlightment mindset that gave it birth. I'd like Shakespeare, and Homer, say, without knowing the history behind them, but I find them so much more because I have that. So, to me, great art is great if it serves as a gateway to understanding, and is itself enhanced by understanding.
Most of the modern art I've ever seen in a museum flunks this test, badly. I think that's because most of it is only expressing the angst, or maybe even random wanderings, of a single mind, searching mostly to distinguish itself from the crowd, and never tapping into anything greater. The problem is not that it needs explanation, but that the explanation itself is trite and banal. Of course museum curators have to display something, to draw crowds, and rather by definition, modern art museum curators are trying to guess what of the ocean of trite and banal "striving" art will actually speak to the ages. They're not very good at it.
But, one level down, the world is full of art that is pleasing, well-crafted, and rather common. I appreciate this for it's pleasing quality and the craftmanship that goes into it. It doesn't require much understanding beyond that, but I still want to be surrounded by it. It will never grace a great museum's galleries, but it is a great boon to me, nonetheless.
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Ringo Starr was a member of the band, not the leader by a long shot.
Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich were much more. From Wikipedia:
Eugene Bertram Krupa was an American jazz drummer, bandleader and composer who performed with energy and showmanship. His drum solo on Benny Goodman's 1937 recording of "Sing, Sing, Sing" elevated the role of the drummer from an accompanist to an important solo voice in the band.Some of my college classes were in art. One of the lessons from the instuctors was an artists work often tells of the times they are in.Bernard "Buddy" Rich was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, United States. He discovered his affinity for jazz music at a young age and began drumming at the age of two.
People mention not liking or understanding the work of Picasso. His Guernica communicated the atrosity of war to many:
Perhaps the artist who twists up a couple of coat hangers and tosses in a splash of red is commenting on their own feelings toward life. Perhaps nobody cares to see or hear about it.Guernica is a large 1937 oil painting on canvas by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. It is one of his best-known works, regarded by many art critics as the most moving and powerful anti-war painting in history.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
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Far more talent than Ringo. https://fb.watch/f9-5oOqqsU/
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Whatever your other larger points may be, suggesting Ringo's greatness is a delusion is not helping you.
Here's a simple test - try and find an actual working drummer who will say something unflattering about Ringo Starr. Add the bassists in the mix too if you like. I think you'll have a hard time finding a critic.
Butchers, bakers, candlestick makers and woodworkers maybe, but actual drummers have mostly admiration for Ringo.
This is because Ringo's greatest gift may not have been drumming skill in the direct layperson's sense. What was it? Timing.
It was his impeccable timing that allowed the Beatles to become the groundbreaking artists they became in the studio. Due to the technology available at the time, the Beatles would sometimes do 50-60 takes of a song and splice together various takes to create the final piece. The key ingredient that allowed them to do so was Ringo's timing. Computer analysis has revealed his timekeeping to be about perfect, almost a human metronome. Even the slightest timing change would have prevented the splice from working. To be capable of drumming 50 takes with identical timing is basically superhuman.
Rant over - just felt moved to step up to Ringo's defence.
BTW, if this inspires anyone to know more, there is an excellent documentary that was produced by BBC in 2017 called Sgt. Pepper's Musical Revolution with Howard Goodall. It can be found through a Google search.
About an hour long, it dives into the technical work the Beatles did in the production of the album, much of which had never been attempted or even contemplated before. Really fascinating.
Anyone who thinks of the Beatles as merely "popular" would walk away with a whole new appreciation for their level of craftsmanship and artistic innovation, even if you don't particularly like their music.
Last edited by Edwin Santos; 08-27-2022 at 1:01 PM.
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Thought for the day: So he could actually have been replaced by a metronome and no one would be the wiser. Somehow doesn't strike me as a good metric.
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No quarter for Ringo Starr with you Mark
Last edited by Edwin Santos; 08-27-2022 at 1:35 PM.
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Art is subjective, period.
I certainly agree with some that many of the "modern art" displays are just ridiculous, whether they can be explained or not. Often the explanation doesn't do anything to improve the aesthetics or the allure of the piece.
Some nut fills a toilet with pine cones, and we see it and think "what the heck is that".
After it's explained to us that it's a commentary on how we're flushing the forest away, etc. Now that we understand the thinking behind the artist's vision, it makes more sense, but it's still just a hopper filled with pine cones. The explanation doesn't always help.
JMO
[OP]
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This is sooo timely. A friend of mine's husband just paid $500 for a brick with a pile of uncooked spaghetti epoxied to the top. She was pretty upset. Felt like he "had to" buy it because the "artist" worked for him in their day job and this was their first gallery show.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”
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Edwin, my only point is that anything that is not measurable gets given a false measure of value, by those that stand to gain by doing so. Guernica is a large 1937 oil painting on canvas by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. It is one of his best-known works, regarded by many art critics as the most moving and powerful anti-war painting in history.
The value is totally made up horse **it But if enough "important" people tell you that it is so, we are inclined to believe it.
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Frederick, please tell her about my open-work tooth pick holders made from toe-nail clippings.
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That was amazing, thanks for sharing Mark. Maybe there will be a Chinese revival of the Big Band Sound and she can rival Krupa & Rich for some amazing sounds.
So I am not familiar with a metronome that can swing a couple of sticks at different rhythms while working a bass drum with on foot and a top hat with the other.
Can you provide a link for this amazing piece of equipment?
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
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Ooo, and how about the incredible artwork left in all my fields by horses, donkeys, and llamas. Each work is unique but with a constant theme. I've got a great sale going now.
JKJ
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