Do Drum machines have soul?

Nice find, Sean.
But did Steve Earle ever use a dream machine? Or did/does anyone in the alt-country genre use one?
A friend of mine – who I used to play drums in a band with – gave me his old drum machine the other day.
When I saw it, it was like he was giving me a turntable or VHS player. Ah, how the years have passed. This old Roland TR-505 -- a relic from the 80s --was dusty and clearly archaic. Even in its prime, its 16 drum tones were an inexpensive way to make rhythm – cheesy sounding as they were. Early 80s Brit artists such as Vince Clarke used this particular machine.
As I fiddled with it, I was reminded of a bumper sticker a guy gave me: “Drum Machines Have No Soul.” Apparently, he was trying to get some kind of petition together to like ban drum machines or something.
That said, they’ve never really went away, and in fact have enjoyed a bit of resurgence as 80s music finds some followers post-2000.
I used to think they had no soul. But if you can blend them with real drums, you sometimes get a great product, and some soul: i.e., Duran Duran’s “The Chauffeur” or Tears for Fears “Mad World” (I’m pretty sure it’s a machine anyway).
For a demo of the sound on one these machines, check out http://www.vintagesynth.com/roland/505.php.