rock and roll!

yeah, Stu's approach to keyboards is sort of...percussive. gee what a surprise. i have all his solo stuff and some of it is pretty meandering; he's not the greatest melodist, what with that pricey Synclavier he fell in love with in the late 80's...but his early solo album, Klark Kent, is quite fun, melodic, and jamming, if lyrically sophomoric, for sure. :)  he's not a bad guitar/bass player, ya know. i met him in '85 and asked him for advice to the young drummer: "Learn to play guitar." sadly, i didn't much (too many *&@# strings!!! i love bass, though, and have kinda learned to work it without falling over too hard). and if you find KK with the original green vinyl pressing, GET IT! i'll pay you well - they're collector's items.

anyway, Stu's best are the Rumblefish soundtrack and The Rhythmatist, the album that resulted from his travels across Tanzania, Kenya, Zaire, Burundi and the Congo; he got thrown in jail in Zaire for a visa violation and discovered Lingala (African pop) through an AM radio while passing the three days or so in the clink. great stuff.

as for the other bad-asses, i would have to recommend these albums, based on the fact that they are good overall albums...in which the drummer happens to be damn good too:

Joe Jackson - Look Sharp. i mean, c'mon, ya'll should already have this one anyway. a classic.

Simple Minds - Sparkle in the Rain. far and away their best. unique visionary Celtic-ish sweeping grand powerful, etc - not that poppy pop crap that Lillywhite pushed them towards in the mid-80's. and Mel pounds.

Adam & the Antz - Dirk Wears White Sox. his first and best album. sly, melodic, jamming funk/punky shit. songs about the JFK assassination ('see his wife with his brain on her knee, poor Jackie'!), Cleopatra's oral sex fixation, retards at the zoo, etc. oh yeah.

fishbone - Truth and Soul. this one has it all. can't recommend it enough.

Pete Townshend - White City. Give Blood is just ill; Gilmour, Simon, Tony Butler on bass; sick sick sick. all songs well-written by the man himself, Mr. Peter Townshend. give it up.

Soul Coughing - Ruby Vroom. all three of their albums are great and so brilliantly singular, but the debut  (R.V.) really smokes. the first line of the first track (Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago): "A man...drives a plane...into the Chrysler Building" hmmm...   Yuval grooves harder on just kick hat snare than an army of mortals with gigantokits.

and Stingola makes me puke these days. Mr. Save-The-Planet, with his 5 kids. yeah. let's see that manly chest again. *hurl*.....