Search - Tim Alexander: Live Performance and Commentary on DVD

An honest attempt falls short

Billy Ramirez | San Jose, CA | 09/16/2004

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I will admit that I am a big Tim Alexander fan and was very looking forward to reviewing this DVD. I also was very looking forward to liking the DVD but unfortunately, that wish never came into fruition. Credit must be given where credit is due as this is a very honest attempt from Alexander to show you how he does what he does, but producing videos is not his strong point and he could have used some more help to pull this one off.

This video is more than a demonstrational video rather than an instructional one. Alexander simply filmed a clinic performance in Chicago where he played only the drum parts to eight Laundry and Primus songs. There is no backing track so if you really want to digest Alexander's playing, you must either know the songs by heart or have the songs freshly implanted in your head. Alexander doesn't stop once to explain his parts and his only explanation comes in the audio commentary track. It is a nice feature, but the commentary's volume is too low compared to the drum track's volume and it's hard to understand what he's saying sometimes. Nonetheless, Alexander does provide some nice information on how he came up with parts and how he plays them. For example, he notes that he leads with his left foot during the double bass and tom triplets at the end of "My Name Is Mudd." (That's how the song's name is spelled on-screen.)

There aren't enough positives to make this a memorable DVD. The commentary's sound levels aren't consistent and the video is grainy, sometimes resembling a high school recital taping. The entire shindig clocks in at less than 40 minutes so Alexander could have thrown in a few quick lessons to pad the video. That other Primus drummer did in his video. Really, only hardcore Tim Alexander fans will enjoy this one."

Drumtastic

C. Sperling | 05/11/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Tim Alexander is hands down one of the finest, most innovative drummers to ever sit behind a drumset. This is a good forty-five minutes or so of pure drumming. There's a decent setlist including songs from his time with Primus as well as Laundry. Drums only, no other instruments or vocals. Watch a true master at work."

Uneventful and poorly planned.

carburetor | Philadelphia PA | 12/04/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I have been an admirer of Tim's drumming since his beginnings with Primus, and I'm a drummer of 25 years. I think his performance on this DVD was disappointing and uninspiring. It's quite obvious that he didn't take the time to warm up before the performance, nor did he take the time to become familiar with the borrowed drum kit. The camera angles didn't help. It would have been nice to SEE his footwork on the tracks where it is hilighted. I don't think Tim put much time, thought, and preparation into this project. At best, it's a mediocre basement tape that should have been left in the basement. Sorry Tim. You can do better than this. I hope the next one shines because this one, unlike Primus, really sucks."