Pneuma

I've said before that Danny Carey is one of the best, if not THE best, drummer working in Rock & Roll today. We have a video today, courtesy of Vic Firth, the drum stick company, that highlights his abilities. His use of odd time signatures, polyrhythms and polymeters is prominent in this song, and you get a good look at the unicursal hexagram that figures prominently in his equipment, and life.

You can find the lyrics at this link.

I have to say that this is not my favorite song by Tool, and not my favorite song from this album. But this is the best video we have of Danny Carey showing his mastery of the drums. And as several people pointed out, he was 58 or so when this video was shot; he is in amazing shape.

This song is "Pneuma" by Tool from their album Fear Inoculum, though this version was recorded live in concert in Boston in 2020, before COVID-19 canceled everything.

If you are interested in music theory, and you have a half-hour or so, you can find a good analysis of the song at this link. The complex time signatures, the key and harmonics, the philosophical foundations of the lyrics and more. (Note: the analysis is not perfect...)

There are very many "reaction" videos to this live recording. Most are uninteresting, but some from other drummers and drum instructors may be of interest. People who've never heard Danny Carey (and should have) are blown away, and not just by the alternating sections of different time signatures. At different points Carey's hands and feet are all keeping slightly different time. Polyrhythmic.