Talk:Paul Thomson

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This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the Paul Thomson article.

This article reads like it was written by an obsessed fan-girl, please rectify. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 210.49.161.115 (talk • contribs) 10:29, 8 May 2005 (UTC)

I agree. It doesn't mention anything about Polyester, either, which is pretty bad.70.162.37.27

whoever changed paul's article did a really bad job.

It also doesn't make any mention that he and his wife, Esther, are expecting a baby (she's five months pregnant).

She is? Wow.

[edit] Drumming

I just added a section

The whole paragraph about his drumming is very POV. Starla Dear 16:58, 1 May 2006 (UTC)

I am going to remove the section about his drumming. It's too POV for Wikipedia. Starla Dear 16:42, 10 May 2006 (UTC)

How about you tell me how I can make it more encyclopedic, or change it yourself to make it sound more encyclopedic? I'm currently trying to keep it to your standards. If you can help me thta would be great. But it is no POV...watch the DVD, and you will see what I mean. Their is nothing personal in my writing, it is what you can see.

I'm not denying the truth of it, don't get me wrong. The only thing is, some people might not agree, and though you think it is a fact that he has a strong drumming style, etc., it could be easily argued that it's only your opinion. And, obviously, Wikipedia can't have opinions. I'm not exactly sure how you could make it more encyclopedic, though. Comments on style and all that are very easily POV. Starla Dear 01:43, 15 May 2006 (UTC)

But if no-one puts in sections like this on amusician, it is just useless tid-bits and trivia on his life. His profession is drumming, the article thus should primarily focus on his drumming.

Without it, the article is not intellectual; it is more like the notes you find on MTV.

What if I added another perspective; a more negative one. Then would I be allowed to keep my section Starla Dear?

Here are a few pages I think you should read first: WP:NPOV, WP:V, and WP:NOR. You can always feel free to put the section you want to add on the talk page first. That way people can read it before it's added to the actual page and we can avoid the all evil edit wars : ) Starla Dear 18:16, 1 June 2006 (UTC)

I've read it, but I think you will find it is 'legal' for wikipedia. If it isn't, then many ther simular articles are not. take John Bonham's article for instance, under the heading "legacy".

Your not answering and I do not really care anymore, so I will provide you with the section anyway for people to think about and edit and stuff like that.


Drumming Techniques and Style

As a drummer, Paul would at first be viewed (at first glance) as a simple drummer with the goal of keeping 4/4 time with his (one could say, his trademark beat) basic beat of alternation between Hi-hat and Snare with a pounding bass drum. THIS IS NOT CORRECT for the following 3 reasons (each being a paragraph). It is extremely easy to believe, but musicologists have often cited that on studying Pauls drumming slightly more intrinsically one will notice that every "trademark beat" is slightly varied (never the same). Eg 40", Outsiders, Do You Want To and Take Me Out are all simular beats, but certainly not the same (eg extra hi-hat taps and bass drum hits, varied dynamics and dramatised accents, tambourine replacement, rim shots, etc). This technique is quite special for a drummer, and is particularly noticable at live performences, making such songs more unique, defined and more exciting with little recognition (as they are generally slight changes).

Though also not generally realised, Paul is very successful in making the most out of his drums, getting several distinct sounds out of just one drum (recognised by several music experts including John Bennets). More noticable in live performances, Paul performs this technique successfully on cymbals and drums in This Fire (mainly when live), on the floor tom in Shopping For Blood and Love And Destroy, and the rack tom in Outsiders. On CD, this is more noticable on the album You Could Have It So Much Better, on the track What You Meant. This skill would possibly have been vital for Paul previous to the end of 2005, when Paul did not use rack toms so he would not be hidden (thus needing to make the most out of only 3 drums).

Finally, Paul has a strong right hand in drumming (not actually unique in any way). This is not noticable on recording, and one would assume Paul is simple using both hands in drumming when doing fast fills, etc. But in live performences his actual drumming techniques are revealed. Eg A section with a fast snare riff in Jacqueline is actually played with only the right hand (this cannot be interpreted from recordings). Outsiders, Auf Achse, and Shopping For Blood also demonstrate a particularly strong right hand in drumming. This is not an uncommon technique if flexibility in the wrists is practiced enough, and most professional drummers can perform this (Paul evidently not being an exception).

[edit] Birth detail

Anyone care to confirm, or otherwise, that he was born Paul Robert Nester Thomson, in Edinburgh (not Glasgow) ?

Derek R Bullamore 19:26, 24 August 2006 (UTC)


He was born in Edinburgh!? Wherre did you get that info? His accent is Glaswegian anyway.

I've read that he was born in Edinburgh in several places, including Filter Magazine.

If you have a source then that's good enough for me, but i did think that he was Glaswegian guess I'm wrong then!