What is hip?

[Clintuplet]

Tell me, tell me, if you think you know

Actually, no TOP reference here.

I thought it would be a good discussion to ask what is hip in contrast to what is considered dated in drumming and music. We all know what sounds dated: A Yamaha DX-7 or the low growl of a single headed tom kit on <u>fill in your favorite 70's TV show here.</u> as opposed to any lick Tony Williams has done or a Fender Rhodes. Or perhaps maybe not. Who here thinks that in 10 years the Blushda will be cheerfully dated? What makes timeless conventions in music and drumming...well, timeless? Does everything have a shelf life when it comes to what is considered cutting edge and ahead of its time? Discuss.

Clint

[Dazzler]

hmmmm, interessting. [img]graemlins/wonder.gif[/img]

Well in terms of what makes a lick hip, I guess it would be something that is both musical, ie, fits within the context of the piece and creative or somehow inspiring at the same time.

Gadd's one bar break in Chuck E's in Love will always stand the test of time as it has taste, bags off feel and yet fits the music perfectly.

Pick Withers tacky paradiddle fill in Sultans Of Swing will not! Why? Well I guess it's just a bit crass and seems to clutter the music.

I'd be interested to hear views on this one.

[Shawn40]

Hi Guys,

You know what, it's really hard for me to hear another drummer than Steve Gadd doing this kind of "Chuk E's in love" or "Roof Garden"'s lick...
It's so Steve Gadd !!!
I was pretty embarrassed when Bissonette used to do it during is drums solo during the Buddy Rich Memorial.

Also maybe that it depends to the person who listen, you could find a lick has been and me I could to like it...

I like the Cobham/Walden licks with Mahavishnu, I find them very hip even if we could find the sound too old...
Just my taste, I'm sure that some guys could find them has been...

Anyway...

[drumalot]

Are we talking "New Age Drumming"?

Sting's dabbling in pop odd sigs is hip imo.

[Clintuplet]

Great replies Rodge and Dazzler. Esp. Daz's comments about fitting in musically, contextually and being creative and inspiring. My thinking is the same.

What is so interesting is how American music is so young compared to say, some Indian music which is thousands of years old. Now, have Indians removed certains conventions from their music because it sounded old or is the whole Indian musical concept so deep(inexplicably so) that they've only added things to repertoire. Or is it, like Rodge says, a matter of opinion?
I use Indian music as only an example of music that seems to have withstood the test of time.

[Clintuplet]

Sting's dabbling in pop odd sigs is hip imo

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I think Sting's use of odd times is hip too in contrast to Rush's use of odd times esp. on stuff like the beginning of 'Subdivisions', 'Distant Early Warning' among others, which I thought was cool back in the day. Secretly I still enjoy listening to that stuff every now and again, but it sounds like musical training wheels(overtly stated) to my ears now.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ May 09, 2005 05:52 PM: Message edited by: Clintuplet ]</font>

[troutbrooke]

Once something is around 7 or 8 years old, it can be resurrected and be considered hip again.

To paraphrase Zappa: The cycle of nostalgia gets shorter with each cycle. Eventually you won't be able to take a step without being nostalgic for the last one.

[matricks]

Anything Zappa did is hip. I still can't play most of Joe's Garage for my friends without them getting rattled by the lyrics... that's damn hip being able to do that after 26 years and x-amount of South Park episodes... have it still blow your mind.

I am talking more broadly here, but i think something is hip when you do it and it says 'f-you' so eloquently that you have to respond with a, "Why yes, i think i will" [img]cool.gif[/img]

Any greasy groove, IMO, says that... says, "Oh, you want this... well good, cause i'm already givin' it to you" [img]tongue.gif[/img]

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ May 10, 2005 06:43 AM: Message edited by: matricks ]</font>

[drumaddix]

nice topic.
To me when sthg is hip is when it is true and comes from somewhere.As Dazz said,it has to fit the context and bring sthg to the table.
it's a statement,and if it's founded,it'll remain 'hip' as long as anyone finds truth and meaning in it.Which means that it's all about personal taste and opinion.Many could agree that one thing is hip tho'.

Tex Avery is freaking hip!!!

[Gary Linieres]

I think it's hip to play slightly out of time at the moment....you know make it sound raw and unrehearsed.

It's also hip to be playing very bare kits again. The amount of rock bands I see playing on MTV with just a snare and a couple of cymbals is growing.

I also think it's hip for drummers to look bored when they are playing....it used to be 'the drummers got a look mad and bad' now it's 'look like you don't wanna be there'