That's exactly what I was thinking when he was talking about it. Fear of a Blank Planet. Passion, thats whats missing in the world. And likewise 21 years old with headphones rocking out to Porcupine Tree. I would like to think that I appreciate artists and what they are trying to accomplish. Gavin is a great person and a unbelievable drummer!
Straight up truths. I try to buy CDs as much as possible and then I play them in car repeatedly. I drive a lot so it's a great way to really concentrate on the music. I bought Lateralus by Tool and probably didn't listen to anything else for 2 weeks. I got so engrossed in every rhythm and every little thing on that album. There's so much to discover on albums when you listen to them a million times over.
He speaks the truth, I totally buy albums and just close my eyes and listen to it over and over. Every time you listen to it something new will pop up or make itself known in some way. I remember telling my girlfriend this and she was amazed that I could just sit there and listen to a whole album as if it was a movie, but really this is how music should be experienced.
Gavin Harrison and Steven Wilson were match made in heaven... They have same idea about writing songs and how it should sound, steven wilson from songwriting and singing and Gavin Harrison drums and rhythmic approach.. attention to detail on writing to production both have great knowledge and they give importance.. it's not about technicality or showing your ability but how it fits and how it sounds and how little things add to the sentimental idea in the songs.. He was the perfect drummer for the direction PT were going and helped them achieve it quite well.. in the modern era he's just top 5 drummer period
when he does the impression of the synth going through the 2000 sounds i cracked up! rewound and watched it about 4 times lol. great musician, really really inspirational and knows what he's talking about.
This left me completely speechless, and made me realise a ton of things that were right there in front of me all along. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do now, so I'm going to sit down and just listen to my favourite Porcupine Tree albums, again and again and again.
I have 1 friend i still listen to records with, not records but music and actually enjoy it or share new music, rather than being on computer, people forget social media is just a sad replacement for real social interaction or real friendship.
Amazing interview! Gavin is such a creative and talented drummer....and he is also a humble, open-minded and entertaining person. Thanks for sharing this. Keep drumming!
He's totally right. Imagine how much deeper music would be if we had to listen to an album hundreds of times and keep finding new things in the same music instead of listening to only singles from albums engineered by record labels for about a week until you download the next single.
I think I learned more in that interview than in a lot of DVD's for drummers, which are great. Sometimes is not having better technique, faster frasings, etc that will help you being a better musician .. sometimes is just the understanding and creative part that you should work on. Great video .. THANK YOU for sharing, and This is a video that should be watched by ALL the musicians!
Gavin Harrison is so right about all music, digital storage and services. Like Steam is full of cheap games that you harvest like a dragon and never play them. The last time I was excited about a game, I bought it for full 60€ on release and that made me get really into it. Firstly it was something I was willing to pay that for, it was after deciding not to buy games just because they're available or cheap and secondly I treated it like something special because I spent that much money on it. I've noticed how different my music consuming habits are as well ever since spotify, compared to 15 years ago when I would listen to my CDs that I put my poclet money into, just like Harrison said. I would rejoice in full opeth albums, with songs that took 10-20 minutes and I would focus and hear the story develop over the whole album, I would hear how the artist planned the pacing and emotional progress of the album by song order. I would listen to Porcupine Tree and for example Fear of a Blank Planet album repeatedly. I still hear new things on those albums like he said, I can actually only now figure out some of the guitar parts or other stuff on the album and appreciate it and play it. It's a gift that just keeps on giving if you filter excess out and focus on something that really has your interest. And like he said, the biggest bother for me today is the lack of social interaction, seeing people face to face. Playing in a band or with people. I also remember the times I sat with my different friends listening to an album or a couple. Even like 7 years ago I had a friend in uni with whom we'd grab a bit of alcohol and sit all night listening to something from his endless boxes of vinyl records. It was different from the excess in spotify though. We would listen to whole albums and pick up an album that came to mind or was worth showing, that had interesting cover. Then listen it through and it was a well thought out full journey.
Yes YESSSSS. Absolutely . This is like listening to a male version of myself. God I loved sitting in a room with a friend, listening to a record or CD over and over. Knowing every nuance. Watching the younger generation makes me so sad in so many ways...and talking like this makes me sound old.
its not even about getting older, its a simple fact that we have far too many choices that leads to fatigue very quickly and makes you completely numb in the long run. Im been cutting down lately and been trying to be more connected to the nature and my close relatives, to find a happy middle ground that feel more like my human body/mind was design for in the first place. Cheers!
And it's very rare to see anyone say that Gavin doesn't know what he is talking about or he is a "bad philosopher". I think the consensus is that Gavin is a really intellectual musician and his vast amount of experience can be undeniably heard.
I am from the videogaming generation but back when I was a child everybody went to the park to play with other kids and could still play videogames at home. I remember copying albums on cassette and listening to them thousands of times until I got every single drum hit from them. After that the CD got bigger and I still did the same thing. It still happens to me today because I cannot download a 100 albums because I cannot listen to them all. I only listen to few albums at a time and pick the ones I like the most to learn the best from them.
Gavin, you hit so many nails on the head here...and i can see your sincere passion for the beauty of music. Deep respect for you and I truly understand your view and share your passion for the most wonderful art-form in the world.
Some circles call it a social disorder and give us a pill to shut this insightful perception off to "get a life". Others seem to become a passionate artist who dedicate themselves to more lofty goals as being creative with a musical instrument, but still it is a lifetime of attention & devotion. Gavin- I hear you man. It is only in the being able to differentiate ourselves from distractions that we can take the time to listen & develop. Hey, be cool & keep well.
This for me was the best part of the interview. I can completely relate to his anecdote about scrolling through an Ipod and not knowing what to listen to. I constantly feel so overwhelmed with music thanks to the internet I find I don't have enough time to appreciate all of it.
This the one of the most interesting video series AND one of the most interesting comment threads I've ever seen on TH-cam. Thank you Gavin for your genius and hard work.
05Ric is another forum to hear Gavin. Very cool to know that there are musicians getting on with it no matter what - in todays world of the Here and Now. great knowing of this. 05Ric is @ myspace and here on youtube as well.
I'm always intrigued by the fact that many people I know think it's strange that I listen to an album 10 or so times in a row with my eyes closed when they spend their evenings shooting pixels at other pixels. I wish I could listen to music with a friend like that without them getting bored, or track switching or whatever.
God Damn it... this drummer is making me look through my life and letting me think i've waisted so much time, instead of (what my goal also is) practicing more for becoming a professional drummer. I'm just sitting here, watching this vid... I'm glad though i did, but he's so right about all he's saying. we are being overflown with to much to choose from. We are always being distracted with everything around ourselves... Gavin, you fucking rock and are now N°1 drummer in my eyes. thank you
He has a point. It seems like people listen to music much more than a few years ago. - People jogging in the park - People riding their bike - People waiting for the train - People sitting on the train - Even people having a conversation! I like to listen to a lot of different genres of music, but I don't even think about listening to it while talking, riding my bike.. Music is not background noise, or an excuse for not wanting to talk to strangers on the public transport. You have to pay close attention, and (quote Gavin) ABSORB IT!
On the other hand, this interview can open the minds of youngsters using TH-cam and the Internet, the opposite way, Gavin describes.. ;) He is a legend in any case..
The part when he talks about being blinded by the huge choice of 700 albums on iPod - that's SO true!!! The bigger the memory of the player is, the more difficult is for me to choose. The gluttony of the modern society is killing the joy of listening to music. It's few months that I stopped downloading tons of albums and started to buy records and listen to one at a time and you know what? I enjoy it so much more. There really is something to it.
he speaks so much sense. i would love to go round a friends house and just listen to music, but people just dont do that anymore, its just not enough to most people. music is just background noise for a lot of people.
this was a wonderful interview, thank you SO much for uploading these bits... Gavin's insight is a welcome addition to his already phenomenal videos on this site.
Brilliant interview! I was lucky enough to tech for Mr Harrison 9 years ago and really wish i'd made more of the opportunity and spoken to him more. He's a fantastic musician. It's tough though with these guys. They're so focused. Unless you are an interviewer they tend to keep their cards close to their chest. Plus I was a 21 year old know-it-all! I'm glad he is spilling the beans now though. So funny about the ipod. I totally agree!
Well said Gavin I am with you all the way in this section about the music scene and the great lessons I learn't when I use to listen to 70's 80's music and all great new albums.The drumming scene is coming back mate and has a Pro-Drummer / Tutor I have over 70 students all doing great in Scotland and all age groups.So the times are changing Gavin.Hope to one day to meet up and have some fun chatting and playing a few drum shows together.All the best Gavin and keep up the great work mate..
ive had the same album in my car cd player for months now... i think it's stadium arcadium disc 1(might be 2 though) and im loving it... sometimes it's allright to listen to that music just in the background maybe while skateboarding... you can still love it. also my friend borrowed a rush album (the spirit of radio best of) from me and i pretty much only listen to it, when im in his car... i freakin love driving around in his car because of that and i think that's kinda what music is about
What he's saying is so right. There is an interesting TED Talk which covers the topic of too much choice creating paralysis. It's called "Barry Schwartz: The Paradox of Choice."
5:22 I'm relieved to hear that. My dad was a semi-professional bass player in a countryband. I admit, I have a bit of a trauma with country music and I can't stand the sound of steelguitar 😖 But, I can still listen to the music as a whole because when it's played with feel, there's always intent to explore. Music is a way to experience emotion and that is why music is so valuable. It enriches you. I agree 100% that music is a precious thing.
He made an interesting point about keyboard sounds in particular. It made me think of Dream Theater's Jordan Rudess, and how he not only has god knows how many sounds programmed into one keyboard, but often cycles through a good handful per song. While Rudess is an excellent keyboard player, often times I think the abundance of choices he has kills his playing. Often times the sound he chooses doesn't fit with what the rest of the band is doing, and it sounds goofy or out of place. I think that's a great example of where limitation or discipline might come in handy.
I do have a teacher, and I've got a lesson every two weeks or so. But if I look at drummers like my teacher and Gavin I see this huge difference! They were both playing international when they were my age, and I haven't even had my first real gig. But I think I will get there if just don't push it and play as much as a can. Maybe not as quick or as good as my idols, but on my own way. :)
jejeje, he listens to those records and thinks "wooow, that;s magic"... the same happens to me when i listen to him playing anesthesize, sound of muzak, trains, blackest eyes, etc... man, this man is magic, what he does is magic!!!
As 15 year old, I'm dumbfounded as to how similarly I think to Gavin. Ever since music became the dominating force in my life, I have strive to become better and better, and to find others like me looking to discover and create music socially. I am often saddened by most of my friends, having very little interest in common, and how nearly every day in high school they chat endlessly about nothing but their League of Legends matches while I sit, listening to my ipod, feeling like a tool.
When people had only two options: playing soccer in the park with friends or listening music on LPs we had Yes, King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Genesis, when people have got options such as internet, Xboxes, Playstations, CDs, you name it we've got Lady Gaga, Nicki Menaj, 16 and pregnant and Jersey Shore. Hmmm.... something has gotta change in this life
It really is a matter of generation ! I remember sitting together with a drummer friend of mine between Oct`82 and March`83 2,3 times a week listening to records, and at least once a week and we would listen exclusively to Genesis` "Selling England by the pound"... Still today I can sing (I sound terrible :) ) all the grazy lyrics and odd phrasings of PG and PC`s drumming on that record...grazy... I don`t own an ipod, never had a walkman either...just for that very reason...no magic left...
@darkalleyheroes I got the chance the other day. House party, yet me and 2 others ended up in a room, commandeered a speaker and listened to our favourite Dream Theater album, and it was awesome!
When you can play like Gavin,I will listen to your opinion,but this "Grumpy Old Man" can play rings around anybody in this new generation,so,I think I will go with his opinion!!
It's about what you listen, but how you listen. The choice overload made us superficial. I can also recall how i used to listen to entire albums on my own after I came home from school on a stereo. Now I listen mainly on iPod. Times have changed.
I wish I started to play drums when I was like 5 or 6 years old. I've got so much to catch on and learn, but I'm already 15(almost 16) and I'm going to school and everything. Everything I MUST do is completely destroying my time and focus to learn to play the drums..
Everything he said from about 4:00 on describes my problems with my generation. although i myself have fallen into this same rut of being in my room with headphones on for long amounts of time, mostly what i spend doing is listening to albums repeatedly and learning from and how to play the music. I take solace in the face that i still jam with other people as much as possible and that im not entirely brain dead like some other members of my generation.
"Imagine how much deeper music would be if we had to listen to an album hundreds of times" Haha, I don't have to imagine that. When I was a kid I had only one new cassette a year - and I would listen to it thousands of times.
I'm 18, and I feel almost embarrassed by my small music collection compared to many friends who aren't even musicians. Thing is though, browsing through, I see a couple of plays on each track, many with none. When I get an album, that will get listened to again and again and again and again. Like Gavin said, the choice provided by a vast library straight away is too much, I like to have my collection slowly building with music that I love and appreciate to its fullest.
Gavin moves me. His talent. Intellect. and passion. In my OPINION, unmatched by modern drummers/musicians today. Thank you Gavin, your sticks and rhythms are the window into my thoughts/emotions. words seem very fickle and meaningless compared to the intensity and voice on your albums.
I have been waching the intire interview now and i have agreed on prob everything exept the thing he says in this one about not appreaciating the music enought and having too much to choose from... i do think that i can skate around or do homework, what ever, and still enjoy the music i do not know if im the only one who feels like this?
Great interview!! Some kids need 2 hear stuff like this 2 show them how good they got it. Yeah I can rel8.... ... What I don't understand why is it always the fast blast beats that gets theses kids saying:"OH He plays really fast!! He's really good meanwhile they miss out on people like Gavin Harrison. :O :S I'm sort of lucky 2 have drums but, paid a fairly high price @ a young age. Then I regretted it but now looking back @ all the things I've done... I wouldn't change a thing. Cause that's f8!
Cool guy to interact with I guess. He's interesting. I understand his point of view on kids nowadays. I'd be so happy if I was born in the 60's. Anyways, sold my console and bought cymbals.
It's because he's being interviewed in America. Bill HIcks used to use British words for things whenever he was in England. Guessing it's the same principle in reverse
Yeah man, you're right... I did agree with what he said, but instead of practicing drums I am watching this video and writing this comment. I will practice more, I promise!
@homohunden2 I'm pretty sure anyone who skate's around and does homework with music is enjoying it. Gavin's point is that the appreciation is going to be relatively shallow without time and focus on the individual pieces of music, ie getting deeply into a record without distractions.
there's some truth to it, i often think what person i would have been if i had been born 40 years earlier without 24/7 stimulation rammed up my ass, but he's also definitely being an old man. one of my favorite things is listening to music at night, although at my computer and often watching live performances, but i'm entirely absorbed by it. and i also keep listening to the same bands/albums. but yeah, i can imagine times were fucking different back then and i do generally admire bands from the last century a lot more than those of today.
This is so inspiring I just want to drop everything and play drums and invite over anybody who wants to join. I've got a passion for being a physicist after my current job as an engineer but music and the drums keep getting pushed to the side and it makes me sad. I really need to figure out how to balance this.
@idektron I don't think he's being narrow minded. He's laying things out as it pertains to him, his musical development and gives insight as to how he got from point A to point B. I too, would blow my entire allowance money on one record, or raid my parents collection and sit there with headphones listening to one record for hours...days...weeks. I undertand it. Music was everything to me. I have an IPOD full of stuff, but those records from my youth are something special.
Yeah I'm 19 and I agree with every word. I have some 200 albums (not the same as 700 lol but still) and I keep falling back to the same tracks that I listened to 5 years ago. I really wonder how many there are left to appreciate good music. The cravings for wealth and fame has cursed the music industry for far too long in my opinion.
guys it's not like there weren't times where gavin read or played a sport or did other things. I love the drums as much as any human alive but I still do lots of other things. It's not really about how much you practice. It's about what you practice and how much your getting out of what you are practicing. It's impossible to say what Gavin would have ended up like if he grew up in a 90's-2000's generation
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That's exactly what I was thinking when he was talking about it. Fear of a Blank Planet. Passion, thats whats missing in the world. And likewise 21 years old with headphones rocking out to Porcupine Tree. I would like to think that I appreciate artists and what they are trying to accomplish. Gavin is a great person and a unbelievable drummer!
"I get worried that kids just sit in their room on their own with their headphones on, staring at the monitor"
...I think he is watching me
Straight up truths. I try to buy CDs as much as possible and then I play them in car repeatedly. I drive a lot so it's a great way to really concentrate on the music. I bought Lateralus by Tool and probably didn't listen to anything else for 2 weeks. I got so engrossed in every rhythm and every little thing on that album. There's so much to discover on albums when you listen to them a million times over.
"It was a night out listening to an album".....WORD. Amen, Gavin. This man is a great musician AND A great human being. Excellent philosophies.
"Blinded by choice." Profound.
It makes me feel so lucky. I am 23 and frequently spend whole nights with my friends just listening and appreciating music!
he almost started to cry in the end? i really adore him for his cleverness and feelings. superb drummer. gavin is a great inspirational source for me.
fabulous stuff, what a lovely guy.
He speaks the truth, I totally buy albums and just close my eyes and listen to it over and over. Every time you listen to it something new will pop up or make itself known in some way. I remember telling my girlfriend this and she was amazed that I could just sit there and listen to a whole album as if it was a movie, but really this is how music should be experienced.
Gavin Harrison and Steven Wilson were match made in heaven... They have same idea about writing songs and how it should sound, steven wilson from songwriting and singing and Gavin Harrison drums and rhythmic approach.. attention to detail on writing to production both have great knowledge and they give importance.. it's not about technicality or showing your ability but how it fits and how it sounds and how little things add to the sentimental idea in the songs.. He was the perfect drummer for the direction PT were going and helped them achieve it quite well.. in the modern era he's just top 5 drummer period
when he does the impression of the synth going through the 2000 sounds i cracked up! rewound and watched it about 4 times lol. great musician, really really inspirational and knows what he's talking about.
That was so moving at the end!
This left me completely speechless, and made me realise a ton of things that were right there in front of me all along. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do now, so I'm going to sit down and just listen to my favourite Porcupine Tree albums, again and again and again.
I have 1 friend i still listen to records with, not records but music and actually enjoy it or share new music, rather than being on computer, people forget social media is just a sad replacement for real social interaction or real friendship.
Amazing interview!
Gavin is such a creative and talented drummer....and he is also a humble, open-minded and entertaining person.
Thanks for sharing this.
Keep drumming!
Hold your horses!
He talks about the Ipod, while being in a band with Steven Wilson??????
+Oliver Reichenbach Watch it again, he tells that he is blinded looking to an ipod.
He's totally right. Imagine how much deeper music would be if we had to listen to an album hundreds of times and keep finding new things in the same music instead of listening to only singles from albums engineered by record labels for about a week until you download the next single.
I think I learned more in that interview than in a lot of DVD's for drummers, which are great. Sometimes is not having better technique, faster frasings, etc that will help you being a better musician .. sometimes is just the understanding and creative part that you should work on. Great video .. THANK YOU for sharing, and This is a video that should be watched by ALL the musicians!
this should be broadcasted on a massive screen in each town. this man knows what he's saying. and i agree 100%
Gavin Harrison is so right about all music, digital storage and services. Like Steam is full of cheap games that you harvest like a dragon and never play them. The last time I was excited about a game, I bought it for full 60€ on release and that made me get really into it. Firstly it was something I was willing to pay that for, it was after deciding not to buy games just because they're available or cheap and secondly I treated it like something special because I spent that much money on it.
I've noticed how different my music consuming habits are as well ever since spotify, compared to 15 years ago when I would listen to my CDs that I put my poclet money into, just like Harrison said. I would rejoice in full opeth albums, with songs that took 10-20 minutes and I would focus and hear the story develop over the whole album, I would hear how the artist planned the pacing and emotional progress of the album by song order. I would listen to Porcupine Tree and for example Fear of a Blank Planet album repeatedly. I still hear new things on those albums like he said, I can actually only now figure out some of the guitar parts or other stuff on the album and appreciate it and play it. It's a gift that just keeps on giving if you filter excess out and focus on something that really has your interest.
And like he said, the biggest bother for me today is the lack of social interaction, seeing people face to face. Playing in a band or with people. I also remember the times I sat with my different friends listening to an album or a couple. Even like 7 years ago I had a friend in uni with whom we'd grab a bit of alcohol and sit all night listening to something from his endless boxes of vinyl records. It was different from the excess in spotify though. We would listen to whole albums and pick up an album that came to mind or was worth showing, that had interesting cover. Then listen it through and it was a well thought out full journey.
This interview touched me so much. I'm now a changed person, thank you Gavin Harrison.
Yes YESSSSS. Absolutely . This is like listening to a male version of myself. God I loved sitting in a room with a friend, listening to a record or CD over and over. Knowing every nuance. Watching the younger generation makes me so sad in so many ways...and talking like this makes me sound old.
its not even about getting older, its a simple fact that we have far too many choices that leads to fatigue very quickly and makes you completely numb in the long run. Im been cutting down lately and been trying to be more connected to the nature and my close relatives, to find a happy middle ground that feel more like my human body/mind was design for in the first place. Cheers!
And it's very rare to see anyone say that Gavin doesn't know what he is talking about or he is a "bad philosopher".
I think the consensus is that Gavin is a really intellectual musician and his vast amount of experience can be undeniably heard.
I am from the videogaming generation but back when I was a child everybody went to the park to play with other kids and could still play videogames at home. I remember copying albums on cassette and listening to them thousands of times until I got every single drum hit from them. After that the CD got bigger and I still did the same thing. It still happens to me today because I cannot download a 100 albums because I cannot listen to them all. I only listen to few albums at a time and pick the ones I like the most to learn the best from them.
I would listen to this interview (all 6 parts) every single day. What a proof of passion, hard work and and way of life.
The purest truth I've heard in so much time
Gavin, you hit so many nails on the head here...and i can see your sincere passion for the beauty of music. Deep respect for you and I truly understand your view and share your passion for the most wonderful art-form in the world.
Man, this guy is amzing... So wise and inspirational.
Some circles call it a social disorder and give us a pill to shut this insightful perception off to "get a life". Others seem to become a passionate artist who dedicate themselves to more lofty goals as being creative with a musical instrument, but still it is a lifetime of attention & devotion. Gavin- I hear you man.
It is only in the being able to differentiate ourselves from distractions that we can take the time to listen & develop. Hey, be cool & keep well.
Thanks so much for this entire interview. Gavin is The Man!
This for me was the best part of the interview. I can completely relate to his anecdote about scrolling through an Ipod and not knowing what to listen to. I constantly feel so overwhelmed with music thanks to the internet I find I don't have enough time to appreciate all of it.
This the one of the most interesting video series AND one of the most interesting comment threads I've ever seen on TH-cam. Thank you Gavin for your genius and hard work.
05Ric is another forum to hear Gavin. Very cool to know that there are musicians getting on with it no matter what - in todays world of the Here and Now.
great knowing of this. 05Ric is @ myspace and here on youtube as well.
I'm always intrigued by the fact that many people I know think it's strange that I listen to an album 10 or so times in a row with my eyes closed when they spend their evenings shooting pixels at other pixels. I wish I could listen to music with a friend like that without them getting bored, or track switching or whatever.
ARGH How did he know I was sitting in my room with headphones on staring at a computer monitor!?!?
God Damn it...
this drummer is making me look through my life and letting me think i've waisted so much time, instead of (what my goal also is) practicing more for becoming a professional drummer. I'm just sitting here, watching this vid...
I'm glad though i did, but he's so right about all he's saying.
we are being overflown with to much to choose from. We are always being distracted with everything around ourselves...
Gavin, you fucking rock and are now N°1 drummer in my eyes.
thank you
He has a point. It seems like people listen to music much more than a few years ago. - People jogging in the park - People riding their bike - People waiting for the train - People sitting on the train - Even people having a conversation! I like to listen to a lot of different genres of music, but I don't even think about listening to it while talking, riding my bike.. Music is not background noise, or an excuse for not wanting to talk to strangers on the public transport. You have to pay close attention, and (quote Gavin) ABSORB IT!
On the other hand, this interview can open the minds of youngsters using TH-cam and the Internet, the opposite way, Gavin describes.. ;) He is a legend in any case..
The part when he talks about being blinded by the huge choice of 700 albums on iPod - that's SO true!!! The bigger the memory of the player is, the more difficult is for me to choose. The gluttony of the modern society is killing the joy of listening to music. It's few months that I stopped downloading tons of albums and started to buy records and listen to one at a time and you know what? I enjoy it so much more. There really is something to it.
@Mp5Drummer You, sir, just restored a little portion of my faith in this world! Thank you.
he speaks so much sense. i would love to go round a friends house and just listen to music, but people just dont do that anymore, its just not enough to most people. music is just background noise for a lot of people.
this was a wonderful interview, thank you SO much for uploading these bits... Gavin's insight is a welcome addition to his already phenomenal videos on this site.
Brilliant interview! I was lucky enough to tech for Mr Harrison 9 years ago and really wish i'd made more of the opportunity and spoken to him more. He's a fantastic musician. It's tough though with these guys. They're so focused. Unless you are an interviewer they tend to keep their cards close to their chest. Plus I was a 21 year old know-it-all! I'm glad he is spilling the beans now though. So funny about the ipod. I totally agree!
Well said Gavin I am with you all the way in this section about the music scene and the great lessons I learn't when I use to listen to 70's 80's music and all great new albums.The drumming scene is coming back mate and has a Pro-Drummer / Tutor I have over 70 students all doing great in Scotland and all age groups.So the times are changing Gavin.Hope to one day to meet up and have some fun chatting and playing a few drum shows together.All the best Gavin and keep up the great work mate..
He is so brilliant!!!
ive had the same album in my car cd player for months now... i think it's stadium arcadium disc 1(might be 2 though) and im loving it... sometimes it's allright to listen to that music just in the background maybe while skateboarding... you can still love it. also my friend borrowed a rush album (the spirit of radio best of) from me and i pretty much only listen to it, when im in his car... i freakin love driving around in his car because of that and i think that's kinda what music is about
What he's saying is so right. There is an interesting TED Talk which covers the topic of too much choice creating paralysis. It's called "Barry Schwartz: The Paradox of Choice."
5:22 I'm relieved to hear that. My dad was a semi-professional bass player in a countryband. I admit, I have a bit of a trauma with country music and I can't stand the sound of steelguitar 😖
But, I can still listen to the music as a whole because when it's played with feel, there's always intent to explore. Music is a way to experience emotion and that is why music is so valuable. It enriches you.
I agree 100% that music is a precious thing.
Music has always been a huge part of my life! I still put it on when i skateboard to the shops. No loss of value for me.
He made an interesting point about keyboard sounds in particular. It made me think of Dream Theater's Jordan Rudess, and how he not only has god knows how many sounds programmed into one keyboard, but often cycles through a good handful per song. While Rudess is an excellent keyboard player, often times I think the abundance of choices he has kills his playing. Often times the sound he chooses doesn't fit with what the rest of the band is doing, and it sounds goofy or out of place. I think that's a great example of where limitation or discipline might come in handy.
Yeah, sometimes prog musicians overuse their thousands of options or try to be very original but fail to see that those options don't always fit.
I disagree
I do have a teacher, and I've got a lesson every two weeks or so. But if I look at drummers like my teacher and Gavin I see this huge difference! They were both playing international when they were my age, and I haven't even had my first real gig. But I think I will get there if just don't push it and play as much as a can. Maybe not as quick or as good as my idols, but on my own way. :)
i love this guy so much
Quality is the futur ...well i hope it will be. enought of quantities .
your so humble. thanks a lot. means a lot to me
Greg
jejeje, he listens to those records and thinks "wooow, that;s magic"... the same happens to me when i listen to him playing anesthesize, sound of muzak, trains, blackest eyes, etc... man, this man is magic, what he does is magic!!!
4:45-5:05 me and my buddy do that with Rush DVDs. We basically study Lerxt,Pratt and Dirkfor hours.Gavin is so right when he says music is precious.
As 15 year old, I'm dumbfounded as to how similarly I think to Gavin. Ever since music became the dominating force in my life, I have strive to become better and better, and to find others like me looking to discover and create music socially. I am often saddened by most of my friends, having very little interest in common, and how nearly every day in high school they chat endlessly about nothing but their League of Legends matches while I sit, listening to my ipod, feeling like a tool.
Thank you for proving my point yet again.
When people had only two options: playing soccer in the park with friends or listening music on LPs we had Yes, King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Genesis, when people have got options such as internet, Xboxes, Playstations, CDs, you name it we've got Lady Gaga, Nicki Menaj, 16 and pregnant and Jersey Shore. Hmmm.... something has gotta change in this life
Good for you Bro!! Keep up the good work!!
3:50 I'm dying xD
Same
Gavin is such an amazing guy. Would really like to meet him IRL some time, but not sure if that's possible for me. :(
@Mp5Drummer I once did the same thing trying to get my friends into in absentia, glad to know others find that a sweet bonding experience as well :D
It really is a matter of generation !
I remember sitting together with a drummer friend of mine between Oct`82 and March`83 2,3 times a week listening to records, and at least once a week and we would listen exclusively to Genesis` "Selling England by the pound"...
Still today I can sing (I sound terrible :) ) all the grazy lyrics and odd phrasings of PG and PC`s drumming on that record...grazy...
I don`t own an ipod, never had a walkman either...just for that very reason...no magic left...
Every single word gavin said here is 100% correct,he also the greatest drummer alive
As a 16 year old, I WISH I could spend a night with friends simply listening to interesting music.
@darkalleyheroes I got the chance the other day. House party, yet me and 2 others ended up in a room, commandeered a speaker and listened to our favourite Dream Theater album, and it was awesome!
Thanks for the awesome interview. Best of 2010 (sorry haven't seen it earlier) for me :)
stilkl love your work!!
any musichead before the digital age totally relates to gavin on this.
honestly anyone born after the digital age can relate to this, when he said "blinded by choice" I really felt what he was talking about.
When you can play like Gavin,I will listen to your opinion,but this "Grumpy Old Man" can play rings around anybody in this new generation,so,I think I will go with his opinion!!
It's about what you listen, but how you listen. The choice overload made us superficial. I can also recall how i used to listen to entire albums on my own after I came home from school on a stereo. Now I listen mainly on iPod. Times have changed.
I wish I started to play drums when I was like 5 or 6 years old. I've got so much to catch on and learn, but I'm already 15(almost 16) and I'm going to school and everything. Everything I MUST do is completely destroying my time and focus to learn to play the drums..
Everything he said from about 4:00 on describes my problems with my generation.
although i myself have fallen into this same rut of being in my room with headphones on for long amounts of time, mostly what i spend doing is listening to albums repeatedly and learning from and how to play the music. I take solace in the face that i still jam with other people as much as possible and that im not entirely brain dead like some other members of my generation.
"Imagine how much deeper music would be if we had to listen to an album hundreds of times"
Haha, I don't have to imagine that. When I was a kid I had only one new cassette a year - and I would listen to it thousands of times.
I'm 18, and I feel almost embarrassed by my small music collection compared to many friends who aren't even musicians. Thing is though, browsing through, I see a couple of plays on each track, many with none. When I get an album, that will get listened to again and again and again and again. Like Gavin said, the choice provided by a vast library straight away is too much, I like to have my collection slowly building with music that I love and appreciate to its fullest.
Gavin moves me. His talent. Intellect. and passion. In my OPINION, unmatched by modern drummers/musicians today. Thank you Gavin, your sticks and rhythms are the window into my thoughts/emotions. words seem very fickle and meaningless compared to the intensity and voice on your albums.
I have been waching the intire interview now and i have agreed on prob everything exept the thing he says in this one about not appreaciating the music enought and having too much to choose from... i do think that i can skate around or do homework, what ever, and still enjoy the music i do not know if im the only one who feels like this?
Great interview!! Some kids need 2 hear stuff like this 2 show them how good they got it. Yeah I can rel8.... ... What I don't understand why is it always the fast blast beats that gets theses kids saying:"OH He plays really fast!! He's really good meanwhile they miss out on people like Gavin Harrison. :O :S I'm sort of lucky 2 have drums but, paid a fairly high price @ a young age. Then I regretted it but now looking back @ all the things I've done... I wouldn't change a thing. Cause that's f8!
Cool guy to interact with I guess. He's interesting.
I understand his point of view on kids nowadays. I'd be so happy if I was born in the 60's.
Anyways, sold my console and bought cymbals.
It's because he's being interviewed in America. Bill HIcks used to use British words for things whenever he was in England. Guessing it's the same principle in reverse
Good man, he makes some good points.
Yeah man, you're right... I did agree with what he said, but instead of practicing drums I am watching this video and writing this comment. I will practice more, I promise!
@homohunden2 I'm pretty sure anyone who skate's around and does homework with music is enjoying it. Gavin's point is that the appreciation is going to be relatively shallow without time and focus on the individual pieces of music, ie getting deeply into a record without distractions.
Agree with him on too many sounds on keyboards technical overload versus playing and feel
Fear Of A Blank Planet so much on this.
there's some truth to it, i often think what person i would have been if i had been born 40 years earlier without 24/7 stimulation rammed up my ass, but he's also definitely being an old man. one of my favorite things is listening to music at night, although at my computer and often watching live performances, but i'm entirely absorbed by it. and i also keep listening to the same bands/albums. but yeah, i can imagine times were fucking different back then and i do generally admire bands from the last century a lot more than those of today.
This is so inspiring I just want to drop everything and play drums and invite over anybody who wants to join. I've got a passion for being a physicist after my current job as an engineer but music and the drums keep getting pushed to the side and it makes me sad. I really need to figure out how to balance this.
4:34 I'm pretty sure he's talking to all of us...lol
Great teacher...!
Peace gav:)
Sad but true. Every word.
Just soooooooo true...
i agree 110% to much information to many choices is driving us insane
I need to be friends with this guy! (no homo ) He's simply one of the best , and so articulate with his words as well .
I agree with you Gavin "gennius"Harrison. Music needs space in our senses.
Bravo Gavin.
And again, Gavin did not say that if someone decides to play Warcraft all day, it's the fault of having too much to choose.
@idektron I don't think he's being narrow minded. He's laying things out as it pertains to him, his musical development and gives insight as to how he got from point A to point B. I too, would blow my entire allowance money on one record, or raid my parents collection and sit there with headphones listening to one record for hours...days...weeks. I undertand it. Music was everything to me. I have an IPOD full of stuff, but those records from my youth are something special.
Yeah I'm 19 and I agree with every word. I have some 200 albums (not the same as 700 lol but still) and I keep falling back to the same tracks that I listened to 5 years ago. I really wonder how many there are left to appreciate good music. The cravings for wealth and fame has cursed the music industry for far too long in my opinion.
guys it's not like there weren't times where gavin read or played a sport or did other things. I love the drums as much as any human alive but I still do lots of other things. It's not really about how much you practice. It's about what you practice and how much your getting out of what you are practicing. It's impossible to say what Gavin would have ended up like if he grew up in a 90's-2000's generation