The last few days I can’t get this song out of my head for some reason…
I guess it’s a bit of a cliche to say that playing drums slowly is a lot more challenging than most people think but it really is. Not to suggest that filling every available nanosecond with a flurry of 32s isn’t a challenge in itself but it’s not the be all and end all of our instrument. Drums aren’t an Olympic sport after all.
The late great Richie Hayward is one of the masters of the super laid back and low tempo groove. I love the way he lays it down patiently and how he creates a push-push pull relationship between letting the groove breathe, allowing space for the vocals and the explosions of busyness and manifesting intensity in choruses and solo sections. This is some of the best music ever played, doncha think?