Old or new Larry ?

[onyourkneesboy]

When it comes to Larry's "inventive" drum-riffs/patters of the last, say, 8 years: which Larry do you prefer?

YouTube - u2- i threw a brick outro

or:

YouTube - Larry Mullen Jnr playing drums

(I hope this time around we're in for a real classic Larry treat!)

who?

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

 

[U2girl]

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

I hope that we can actually hear larry's snare on this record...i dont want an album of COBL drums.

I wish he would bring the Yamaha kit back from Rattle and Hum...that snare and floor tom were great

 

[Aardvark747]

I prefer his drumming on 'Rejoice' over '...Brick'.

 

[Rob33]

I wish he would bring the Yamaha kit back from Rattle and Hum...that snare and floor tom were great

Yeah I agree with this- well not the same kit, cause drums are made much better these days...but that same sound would be good...and he better fucking play WOWY the way he did in the 80's on the next tour....that drumming really drives the song and adds so much to it...like the performances from 12/26/89 and 12/31/89 and rattle and hum....those are good examples.

 

[Val]

YouTube - U2 Larry Mullen Jr PSA - motorcycle safety

My favorite.

I do love his drumming on WOWY in the 80's.

 

[Rob33]

YouTube - U2 Larry Mullen Jr PSA - motorcycle safety

My favorite.

I do love his drumming on WOWY in the 80's.

haha, that's a cool video...I hadn't seen that before. Thanks

I read some of the comments...and it appears true- First time I've seen Larry using a double bass drum/pedal and he's not utilizing it!

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

I thought this was going to be a moobs thread

 

[Rob33]

I didn't want to start a whole thread on this...but since the subject here is Larry, I thought it'd fit.

I think the fact that Larry isn't using Paiste cymbals is a big deal. Zildjian cymbols are different, and he has used Paiste since 1983 or something like that...I can't believe it! If he puts away the Paiste for the new record/tour, I'm going to really miss that heavy sound of Paiste...Why Larry....why?

The only positive to this that I can think of is that a new, innovative direction might have made this change more appropriate...or maybe even a necessary change.

 

[theFly51]

I Threw A Brick is prob his best drumming I've ever heard. Hopefully he has the energy and he's healthy enough to play like he did on the early albums.

The only song I like with the heavy toms is The Fly. It sounds so powerful and creates this energy that makes the song complete.

 

[U2opra]

I like both old and new larry. But I would probably say that his drumming now is the better technique (like Bono's singing) because he very often used the incorrect technique before - so I've read.

I really like his old drumming though as well, because he has so much energy and I mean listen to those long versions of bad in the 80's - I don't think he could do that today for example.

This thread is going to be another one of those ones like Bono's voice. Hehe. Larry deserves it of course. We need a larry expert like we have Peter as a bono voice expert.

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

I remember seeing a MSG outtake from Rattle and Hum of "The Unforgettable Fire" where he was really beating his drums...thats my favorite larry. He has arthritus problems now so it really isnt possible to play like that...he uses special drum sticks by pro mark

And i am worried about Larry changing over to Zildjian...Paiste has been the U2 sound. Thats what makes U2 such a great band they have sonically stayed relatively the same.

Did Hendrix drummer use Zildjian?

 

[Rob33]

I remember seeing a MSG outtake from Rattle and Hum of "The Unforgettable Fire" where he was really beating his drums...thats my favorite larry. He has arthritus problems now so it really isnt possible to play like that...he uses special drum sticks by pro mark

And i am worried about Larry changing over to Zildjian...Paiste has been the U2 sound. Thats what makes U2 such a great band they have sonically stayed relatively the same.

Did Hendrix drummer use Zildjian?

and the other thing that worries me about Larry switching over to Zildjian is that that would suggest maybe a lighter rock sound...not sure that'd be a good thing...I could see perhaps he'd have 1 or 2 zildjian cymbals and then the rest Paiste, so he could use the Zildjian cymbals only for the appropriate songs


and yes, Gonna Run 2 U, I believe Buddy Miles was the main drummer for Jimi Hendrix and he did in fact use Zildjian cymbols, so this is all kind of making some sense I guess...

 

[vertpomme]

and the other thing that worries me about Larry switching over to Zildjian is that that would suggest maybe a lighter rock sound...

Just a quick question, but how do you equate Zildjian
with a "lighter rock sound?" To my knowledge, Lars
Ulrich has always used Zildjian, and Metallica isn't
exactly light sounding rock.

 

[BVS]

^Yeah, I'm not sure how some people come up with these theories?

 

[Moser]

Actually, I think Larry needs more cowbell.

 

[Galeongirl]

and he better fucking play WOWY the way he did in the 80's on the next tour....that drumming really drives the song and adds so much to it...like the performances from 12/26/89 and 12/31/89 and rattle and hum....those are good examples.

True! I REALLY miss that when I hear recent performances.. ZooTv was good too, but starting with popmart it went downhill for WOWY!

 

[Rob33]

Just a quick question, but how do you equate Zildjian
with a "lighter rock sound?" To my knowledge, Lars
Ulrich has always used Zildjian, and Metallica isn't
exactly light sounding rock.

well of course, Zildjian is a very versatile cymbal...a lot of jazz players use zildjian cymbals (more so than paiste, from what I can tell), but then there are some heavy rock bands that use zildjian, it's all personal preference really

But I mean that makes me question the move even further....He has never really used Zildjian too much, and how is he going to set up his drum kit on tour? Is he going to have paiste and zildjian? Or is he just going to change the sound of basically the entire U2 live catalogue...Is he going to play "the Fly" with zildjian cymbals? That just seems a bit weird to me...maybe there's some custom zildjian cymbals out there that can maintain the heavy sound of paiste and also fit will with the new material

But generally speaking, Paiste is a heavy sounding cymbal....Larry usually plays a heavy 14" sound edge hi-hat and power/full crash cymbals, along with a power ride I believe...it's all about big sounds with Larry. A Zildjian cymbal doesn't normally have that big powerful hitting sound that Larry's known for...but of course it can, it all really depends, I would love to know Larry's reasoning behind the move though

 

[Rob33]

Actually, I think Larry needs more cowbell.

 

[DreamOutLoud13]

I think they should replace him with Meg White.

 

[VonBono]

Josh Freese uses Paiste, ...he would know "BEST"...

YouTube - Nine Inch Nails - 1,000,000 Live from Rehearsals

John Bonham used Paiste | Ringo Starr used Zildjian

Larry is indeed going 'soft'...

 

[coolian2]

I think they should replace him with Meg White.

I'd make more of an effort to get to the front of GA.

 

[VonBono]

I'd make more of an effort to get to the front of GA.

haha...She slaps the Paiste aswell

 

[Carek1230]

Actually, I think Larry needs more cowbell.

I like both old AND new Larry. If his drumming was the same all the time the music would be too mundane and predictable-BORING. I like to hear it changed up through the songs, through the albums and over time.

 

[Moser]

Yeah I agree with this- well not the same kit, cause drums are made much better these days...but that same sound would be good...and he better fucking play WOWY the way he did in the 80's on the next tour....that drumming really drives the song and adds so much to it...like the performances from 12/26/89 and 12/31/89 and rattle and hum....those are good examples.

I was listening to a Tokyo Vertigo bootleg of WOWY and if I turned up the bass and volume, Larry is still pounding the shit out of those drums. Bono's way of singing WOWY is what keeping the song from raising the roof.

I agree though....I want more 'deeper' drums if that makes any sense....

 

[cobl04]

as long as he looks as into it as he does in the beautiful day video im happy

 

[rattleandhumgir]

I would say the first three U2 albums and rattle and hum and achtung baby were Larry's best work

 

[Galeongirl]

I was listening to a Tokyo Vertigo bootleg of WOWY and if I turned up the bass and volume, Larry is still pounding the shit out of those drums. Bono's way of singing WOWY is what keeping the song from raising the roof.

I agree though....I want more 'deeper' drums if that makes any sense....

well it's not as much as I want him to pound them, it's the rhytmn that changed.. .if that makes sense... during JT/AB days he played the big thing with hi-hats inbetween, and he stopped doing that the same way... with vertigo it's just the same old beat over and over again, I really miss the old way!

 

[Moser]

Oh, I looked into it and you're right. Maybe it's easier on his wrists to do it simpler now.