Count Me In
This documentary truly keeps the beat on the role of the rock 'n' roll drummer, interviewing some of the greatest as we learn there's more to their craft than just bashing away or keeping in time.
How do you get a drummer off of your porch? Pay him for the pizza.
OK, that's a cheap shot, but the musically fun documentary ""Count Me In" and the talented participants who are the subject of this film are fully aware of the reputation rock drummers can have. There is more to their craft than just bashing away or just keeping in time.
More than one person musician in this film chuckle about the process of banging objects with a stick to make music. For some, it's an outlet, a calling, a love and an obsession. It's even better when it's all four.
"Count Me In" is a cinematic valentine to the heartbeat of the band. The documentary consists of Major Talking Heads (not the band) and Minor Talking Heads. The Major TH's speak more in the film and will be participating in the film's climax performance (not really a spoiler). Drummers like Stephen Perkins (Jane's Addiction, Porno For Pyros), Cindy Blackman Santana (Santana, Joss Stone) and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer and Will Ferrell stunt double Chad Smith talk their talk and eventually drum their drums.
The Minor TH's does not reflect the drummer's status in the music (Deep Purple's Ian Paice, Queen's Roger Taylor, Pink Floyd's Nick Mason, The Police's Stuart Copeland and Iron Maiden's Nicko McBrain), but they are just sitting there, telling fun stories and giving fine insight of life behind the kit. There could have been more of this. Hopefully, there are full interviews in the special features section on the Blu-Ray (hint hint).
One of my favorite cinematic comfort foods are documentaries about the music business, even more so than the glut of mediocre music biopics. Ever since the hugely popular "Standing In the Shadows of Motown," the floodgates have open for then unknown-by-name but amazing musicians who finally get to tell their story. Session players are the character actors of the music world. Like going through a That Guy or That Lady's IMDB page for film, type up a session player's name on All Music website, type the Credits page and be prepared to spend several minutes think "Wow, they played on that? And that? And that?"
Clocking in at 80 minutes (or four Ginger Baker solos), "Count Me In" is a rare film in which I wished that it had been longer. Between the music sequences and the interviews, I could have hung out a lot longer.
The film is broken into mostly chronological chapters, but does open with drummer Stephen Perkins attending a drumming circle out in the Hollywood hills. Numerous drummers from different generations share their childhood years of moving from playing pots and pans to parents buying their first drum kit to first paid gigs and going professional. Even if it still means sleeping in vans and playing six sets a night for little money. The reason? "Because you f-ing love it."
The Talking Heads (major and minor speakers in this documentary) heap praise on early rock drummers like Ringo Starr (The Beatles), Charlie Watts (The Rolling Stones), Ginger Baker (Cream, Blind Faith), Keith Moon (The Who) and John Bonham (Led Zeppelin). The film also acknowledges how much of an impact jazz drummers like Buddy Rich, Max Roach, Elvin Jones (drumming in a suit jacket!) and Art Blakey influenced future drummers that there's more to the instrument then just hitting as hard as you can in time.
(Blues fan leaning against the wall, leans forward) "Yeah, the film showing the jazz drummers are cool, but where's Willie "Big Eyes" Smith (Muddy Waters) or his son Kenny? Or S.P. Leary (Muddy, Howlin' Wolf, T-Bone Walker) or Fred below (Chess Records). They were never flashy or stole focus. They could stay in the pocket all day, never be bored or sound boring. Just saying. "(Leans back against wall)
(Guy sitting in Rush 2112 t-shirt, clears this throat, doesn't even stand up)
OK, so this film is not the be-all, end-all of the greatest drummers ever. There are plenty of lists online for people to debate/cry/yell. It follows the path of jazz's influence on early rock drummers. How those 1960s drum heroes like Ringo, Ginger and Keith eventually led to the punk movement. "We really didn't have a choice," said The Damned drummer Rat Scabies. We also get the rise of the drum machines in the 1980s with mixed opinions.
The film also highlights female drummers like Cindy Blackman Santana, Samantha Maloney (Hole, Motley Crue) and Emily Dolan Davies (Bryan Ferry, The Darkness) who have the perfect solution to bros looking down on "chick drummers" by playing hard enough to shut them up.
"Count Me In" is for drums what "It Might Get Loud" is for guitars. Musicians will really dig this film. Music lovers will, too, but in a different way. Movies fans will get a fun 80 minutes and hopefully a mental list of tunes they should eaither check out or revisit. Even though I wanted more stories and music, this film still has my tempo.
The film is no available on demand on all the usual streaming platforms.
Matthew Socey is host/producer of the podcast Film Soceyology for WFYI 90.1 FM in Indianapolis.