Hal Blaine Albums (5)
What The Critics Say
When you're widely regarded as one of the world's finest session musicians, have spent your career working with the likes of Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, Count Basie, and Frank Sinatra, and are probably the most recorded drummer in the world, you develop a certain level of eminence grise which allows you to do whatever you please. So if Hal Blaine wanted to make a comedy album, who was gonna stop him? Actually, mandolin virtuoso David Grisman got the idea of cutting an album of Blaine cracking his favorite jokes after recording a couple of albums with him, and knowing of his long-standing reputation as the funny guy among the circle of L.A. session players. But Blaine himself says it best when he announces, "I'm not a comedian, I'm not a comic, I play the drums" on the second track of Buh-Doom!, and while he's certainly not horrible, this album is a bit like listening to your Uncle Louie tell jokes for an hour -- it's mildly funny in small doses, but no one with any charity in their bones would ever suggest he give up his day job. And Blaine seems well aware of that, since he throws in six drum solo tracks along the way; you can tell in an instant this guy is a far better percussionist than a stand-up comic, but your enjoyment of his solo cuts will depend on how much you enjoy hearing the drums all by their lonesome. Hardly unlistenable, Buh-Doom! is still best left in your stack of odd and unlikely albums kept on hand for novelty purposes, though I'll bet you're Uncle Louie will get a kick out of the "Golden Urinal" bit. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'Have Fun!!! Play Drums!!!'
Release Date 1/1/1968
Tracks 10
Label Dunhill
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'Psychedelic Percussion'
Release Date 1/1/1967
Tracks 12
Label Dunhill
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'Drums! Drums! A Go Go'
Release Date 1/1/1966
Tracks 16
Label Dunhill
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What The Critics Say
The real way to gain an appreciation for Hal Blaine's Hall of Fame-caliber abilities is to hear him as a sessionman, and not on his occasional recordings as a solo artist. This instrumental album is something of a novelty rather than a serious attempt to build solo credentials. It consists almost entirely of cover versions of well-known rock hits from the late '50s through the mid-'60s, with live "party" noises dubbed on to simulate a concert recording (although it was cut in the studio). Still, it's better than might be expected considering its frivolity, with a bunch of top fellow Hollywood session musicians providing pretty energetic support, particularly in the surf-ish guitars. Producers P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri take the writing credits for "Drums A-Go-Go," although in fact it's built around the main riff of the Kinks' "All Day and All of the Night." [The CD reissue of Drums! Drums! A Go Go adds three bonus tracks from the 1967 album Have Fun!! Play Drums!!, as well as the 1966 non-LP single "Bang Bang Rhythm."] ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
'Deuces, "T's," Roadsters & Drums'
Release Date 1/1/1963
Tracks 22
Label RCA
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