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"I've been playing drums and percussion for over 40 years. Anyone familiar with the musicians' code will tell you this entitles me to a solo album, a Christmas album and a famous artist collaboration. Here's the solo effort for starters. ... I hope you have as much fun listening to it as I had making it." --- B.D.
Well, so be it, then! As suggested by the title this is indeed a series of instrumental tracks, all percussion-based. Is it Metal? Hell no. Does it rock? Sort of, some tracks more than others, of course. In fact, any track with a gong gets a free pass. So, how to review an instrumental drum album? Hmmm, this is definitely different as the sole focus is the drummer which is not often – read: never – the case. I drum, too, so I know this first hand. Here goes nothing, other than the drums....
Bryan Dennis plays styles that still get mileage today, and does so very competently, but is anything really that outstanding or noteworthy on this record? Probably not. That is not to say that this is bad because it is not. It is just that this would probably only serve as a primer to upcoming drummers who want to hear some basic schemes and fill patterns as well as some different types of drumming. Forthwith I will provide the track by track listing of descriptions as provided by the artist.
1. A musical tribute to Gene Krupa, my boyhood idol.
2. The name says it all.
3. Power-Latino one-man rhythm section
4. A brief history of rock drumming; heavy wood.
5. A percussion symphony exploring the “bond”.
6. The only track with no drumset; an oasis
7. Free jazz, oxymoron or redundancy? You be the judge.
8. Time flies when you’re having a good nine.
9. Urban variations on the “Fifth”
10. A runaway parade...
It is interesting to listen to if only for the ‘treatment’ of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony – which sounds like it has little to do with Beethoven at all. And it incorporates a turntable! Why?! Oh, because it was an _urban_ variation.... If only that track had more gong... or cowbell. This is definitely not for everyone, which is convenient enough since there is no contact information – physical or electronic – given on the CD. Mr. Dennis, if you are out there, write in and supply some contact information. Someone may very well contact you about your CD. Or not.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Gene Therapy |
| 2. Happy Machine |
| 3. Udoo Voodoo |
| 4. Rocky Road |
| 5. Afro-Jazz Suite |
| 6. Desert Dance |
| 7. Outside In |
| 8. Three Square |
| 9. Yo Beethovan [sic] |
| 10. Runaway Parade |
: 52.41
| Buy other Bryan Dennis albums |
