Recently I've been hearing many references to takin' it old skool when it comes to several aspects of music. So many of the interviews in magazines I read have musos claiming that they need to take the recording process back to the Beatles-era, "'cuz they had it down, man!", or others lamenting the encroachment of downloading and file sharing into the business and the effect it has on their ability to make a sale. However, all this pales into a personal insignificance when it's compared to the current obsession in the drum world for vintage gear.
Apparently, according to the advertising experts, I need a vintage ludwig set so I can get that huge 'old skool' Bonham sound. And I have to make sure the heads are super-thick 70's style, so I can get that sound from yesteryear. Tish and piffle. For the record, John Bonham never once to my knowledge used vintage gear. Back then, he always had brand new gear, and the latest heads, hardware and acrylic shells. I see no reason to wave 2 fingers at John's legacy by attempting to stand still in terms of progress, so I'll continue his work by attempting to move forward with sounds and the like by using anything new that comes along. Indeed, my whole concept is that even if you're in a studio, and you find yourself using old microphones in an old way to get an old sound, it had better be going with the aim of creating something new and as yet unheard.
So let's give the whole 'vintage is best' theme a break, eh? Time never ticks backwards, so move on.
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