Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

INHD is currently showing a concert of Toto in Amersterdam 2003. 
Toto's music never really moved me, though I was always fond of 99, 
Roseanna, and Africa. Live, the arrangements are a little too 
elaborate for my taste, but the huge audience didn't have a problem 
with them. And the musicianship is impressive. Philips is filling the 
chair of the late great Jeff Porcaro, one of the busiest and best 
session drummers dating from the 1970s until his untimely death. His 
kit is double-bass huge (no electronics in sight), and he shows both 
finesse and power in playing Toto's ornate arena-friendly songs (I 
wish that he'd been elevated a little more in the mix). This is the 
first time that I'd seen Philips in action--it's about time, too, 
since I've used a lot of his samples in my ddrum4 module. Anybody 
seen the concert? It has the added benefit of a surround track and 
high definition video.

Ed

--- Ed wrote:
> Anybody seen the concert?

Not only do I have that on DVD (produced by Phillips, too), I first 
saw Simon Phillips live with Jeff Beck back in 1980.

I'm most pleased with the DVD (a Christmas present). I'm not sure I 
agree with you on the mix (certainly not in glorious technicolour 
DTS anyway).

In 1980 it was Beck's "There and Back" tour. He blew me clean out of 
my socks. And not just the fast stuff, like Star Cycle, but the slow 
stuff like The Pump. Blisteringly fast around the kit, but never 
over-playing, and always seeming to have vast amounts of space in 
his playing.

Stewart

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "moosetication" <moosetication@y...> 
wrote:
> Not only do I have that on DVD (produced by Phillips, too), I first 
> saw Simon Phillips live with Jeff Beck back in 1980.
> 
> I'm most pleased with the DVD (a Christmas present). I'm not sure I 
> agree with you on the mix (certainly not in glorious technicolour 
> DTS anyway).
> 
> In 1980 it was Beck's "There and Back" tour. He blew me clean out 
of 
> my socks. And not just the fast stuff, like Star Cycle, but the 
slow 
> stuff like The Pump. Blisteringly fast around the kit, but never 
> over-playing, and always seeming to have vast amounts of space in 
> his playing.

My impression of his playing from this one concert agrees with your 
more informed one. He isn't a shrinking violet, but he never makes 
you feel like he's in it for himself. As for the mix, my hi def 
broadcast had DD 5.1, which can vary greatly from DTS surround in 
just the areas that would point to the discrepancy in our reactions. 
DTS is often mixed louder with greater bass. Low frequency tones were 
subdued in my feed.

Ed

Although I'm familiar with Simon Philips through Modern Drummer 
magazine and other avenues, I can't say that I've ever knowingly 
heard him. What are some of his recordings that I may be familiar 
with?

Stephen

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "brown8700" <brown8700@a...> wrote:
> Although I'm familiar with Simon Philips through Modern Drummer 
> magazine and other avenues, I can't say that I've ever knowingly 
> heard him. What are some of his recordings that I may be familiar 
> with?

Hey, Stephen, fancy meeting you here. Go to http://www.allmusic.com, 
and write in Simon Philips. You'll get a comprehensive list of his 
work, as well as a brief bio.

Ed