Narada Michael Walden playing Stratus

Hey guys,

Hope you are all well!

I just love how Narada solos over Stratus...listening to him and VinnieC playing Stratus I got to admit that I by far like Narada's approach to this song much more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36UjiLml2Fs&index=4&list=RDspzo0loHqPE

Best Niki

Yes its on a Jeff Beck CD



Great playing



______________________

Outtasight
Colin.

I personally feel that Walden's playing in recent years is stiff and far from his best work in the 70's with MahavOrch 2 and those Jeff Beck albums on which he wrote much of the material.  As far as comparing his version of Stratus to Billy's, there is no comparison IMHOP.  It seems to me that Walden doesn't really "get" the essence of the beat that Billy so perfectly essayed(s).  He seems tentative and his left hand just doesn't open up like it used to.  Hey - we're all older(including moi)!

I concur with PLee. I thought Narada's playing
on this was stiff and noticeably indecisive. He
never really grounded himself in the tune and
this piece REALLY requires that of the drummer
being that it's so churning with a strong, recog-
nizable and repeating pattern. Actually, I thought
he almost had it had he dug in and seated himself
in the tune a little more.

This one misses the mark for me.

I was in awe of Beck's Boots haha!!

I thought it was a solid performance. Of course nobody's ever gonna play that like Mr. Cobham.
It was a fun watch and i appreciated it. Narada can deal it up for sure. Maybe not like the days of old, but none the less still great.

Well the thing with Stratus with me is, that I think it is really HARD to play - to get the essence of the groove. I honestly think only Billy can make it really groove!

On the other hand I enjoy the raw energy put into the solo displayed on the youtube clip here. I have watched and listened to versions with Vinnie Colaiuta playing the song and it's way to clean for me. I love the risk and excitement put into the song by Narada. It sure is a little sloppy here and there. To be honest I have watched live clips of Narada Walden of the late 70s and his playing seemed kinda sloppy even back then, BUT have heard and seen clips of him playing in the 80s (a band called Road Warriors for example) and early 90s which are really tight. It's old-school playing for sure!

The tune is really not that hard to play from a physical platform.
The difficult part really is in having the discipline to stay steady
and consistent. Because the 'verse' of the song if you will is so
unwavering, drummers tend to want to start adding stuff to it and
it takes away from the character that Billy established for the
piece.  I really don't think it's a matter of no one else being able
to groove to it as it's actually a very easy tune to groove to.  From
where I sit, the trick is HOLDING IT and not add a bunch of stuff on
it.

For me as soon as it seemed Narada was about to get the groove
seated and in the pocket, he'd throw in some kind of feel and would
have to start all over again.  His performance wasn't as steady as I
personally would have liked to hear it...  But that's just me.  As to
Vinnie, I kind of put him in the same room as Weckl...  When you want
to hear great chops and a LOT of em, those are two guys to listen to.

Funny thing is I have a CD by Tom Scott with Vinnie on it.  Vinnie sounds
like a smooth jazz player.  Nothing fancy, he stays in his lane and just
lays some solid 2 & 4.  I would have never guessed it was him.  And you
know what?!  It made the music so much enjoyable to listen to...  Hearing
all these licks all the time, I get ear fatigued very quickly.

My wife and I went to see the Chick Corea Electric Band reunion circa 03.
They nearly put us both to sleep.  Notes were flyin all over the place and
we got really bored.  There was this one instance where they broke into
this shuffle blues kind of groove and it was killin!  We sat up and took
notice with the hopes that the performance would take a different more
musically palatable turn.  But alas, after about 32 bars, they were right back
where they started and we started noddin again.  I'm really starting to mellow
as I get older.

Narada's fusion band, The "Warriors" were awesome!  Jaw dropping!
The shame of it is I don't think they ever recorded anything in the
studio.  I saw them live twice in the late 80's and was blown away.

I agree and think the tune is hard to play because it requieres the drummer to just groove. Many players I have heard playing Stratus either played too much or showed that they were not able to really lay it down, and to be in the pocket!
I just remember Billy saying somewhere in an interview that (I think) Dean Brown told him that what he liked best about Billy's playing is when he's just playing 2 & 4 on the snare and either quarter notes on the bass drum or 1 & 3. And I hear him because there are plenty of recordings and when I heard him live where it really got exciting when Billy just layed it down like that.
I think "simple" grooves often reveal the kind of groove some drummer has. Same with swing...just give me some quarter notes and you can hear who's a real master...

I totally agree with you here, Niki.

Stratus is one of those monster
jack-hammer grooves that really
defines. What I love about the
original version and you have
already touched upon it, is that
the sections of it are clear and
allowing for the drummer to choose
to follow it in clarity OR NOT. It
is the drummer choosing. I like
definition (personal taste) and so
when I hear Boomer on it, I get
what I need from both worlds. He
does the wild during that section
and holds it down when he needs
to. I think that is it, right there.
That is the role of the drummer.

That does not mean that Billy does
not sign his name during those
"verses". There are little one-note
phrases and accents that tell you
there is a monster lurking but he
give you only a drop.

You gotta' love it.

"Monster jackhammer grooves" Perfect description, Pete.
It's flowing and relentless. Billy throws in all the right stuff
at the right time... Too much and the "jackhammer" effect is
lost.

No mistake! It's Billy's tune and he OWNS it.

I just put it on, again
and man! It is thrashing!

There is only one!!



Boy! Does it take me back!
It was like the ground shook
under me and I knew, right
then, that I would never be
the same drummer. Those
days were over because of
one Billy Cobham and to think
of everything that has hap-
pened to me and so much
because of him!!

He is the padre of us, all!!!



PS: And acrylic never sounded
better than that! No! Never!

And don't get me wrong.  All
respect to Narada, who is a
marvelous player.  Garden of
Love Light was shattering and
he did things with John that
were great and other-Maha.

He was/is different because
all of us HAVE TO BE different
from Billy because there is only
one Billy. ONLY ONE...

...and I have been SEARCHING
FOR THE RIGHT DOOR ever
since!



Regards,