DVD, 35 Minutes, W135mm x H19mm, PAL
A film by Andrew Cross featuring Carl Palmer.
Among rock instrumentals the drum solo is unique in that typically it is always unaccompanied and independent to the style and structure of any song. Perhaps because of these qualities the status of the drum solo has never been certain.
Popular in the late 1960's and early 1970's they developed into extremes of virtuosity and showmanship. Maligned by some, drum solos have since ceased to be a regular concert feature. In this engaging film, attention is directed away from rock concert spectacle and the burden of music fashion to focus on a singularity of form and musicality.
A major exponent of 1970s prog rock Carl Palmer has thrilled audiences since the late 60s with some of rock music's most memorable bands including Atomic Rooster, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Asia and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. For this collaborative work Carl Palmer has composed and performed five drumming sequences exploring remarkable complexities of percussive rhythm and sound.
British artist Andrew Cross presents an engaging re-examination of a much maligned musical form. Employing his characteristic formal rigour Cross' discerning eye observes an absorbing relationship between drummer and drum kit. Comprising sequences of tightly cropped images, his film celebrates a virtuosity whilst provoking a consideration of the shifting nature of cultural value.