The opening to the Van Halen song “Hot For Teacher” is a solid testament to Alex Van Halen’s ability to rig a drum kit to do things far beyond the basics. He effectively connected four bass drums and went to work kicking while rocking the toms, and the end result sounded a pissed-off big-block loping along, fat and happy, waiting for the hapless victim to drive by, so much so that “the Hot For Teacher camshaft” is now an automotive meme. Truth be told, the similarities between the camshaft and a drum kit are pretty solid: the entire point is to keep time for every other moving part in the whole ensemble, when it works right it makes beautiful music, and when it doesn’t, everything goes to hell in a handbasket fast.
Normally I’d have picked out another one of my loud and brash songs that tempt me into breaking speed limits, but not today. Last night I was ready to sell the tools and burn the shop down. I was pissed…not loud and angry, but quiet and radiating angry, the kind you just can’t hide. The hot shower to rinse the oil and grease off of me did nothing. Laying in bed with the cats cuddled up to me did nothing. My wife doing her best to console me wasn’t easing the fury back. Then I see this…a Chevy Opala with one bitchin’ cam lope and a guy with an accordion.
Try to not smile. Good luck.
That is one wicked sounding Opala.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDHzK3Xe7Yw
Apparently the drummer didn’t show up
A WWII powerplant mechanic for B-25s told me that when the engines were “right” he could dance to the idle. Later that day when one was fired up, there he was on the tarmac, dancing to the beat.
It was more rocknroll. The Opala is hard rock!
Makes me want to fire up my Duster and listen to the beat of my 509 cam in the 340, I had just put it away for winter. Opala sounds sweet.
509! What an idle! Had one in my 340 Swinger, a long time ago.