The Importance of a Good Drummer in any Band, or Song

I haven’t named the drummer for Modern English for a good reason: I feel like I’m being mean in calling him out.

To be fair, I don’t know if he wanted to do something more interesting, or creative, and got shouted down.

Also: it’s not exactly his fault the producer put the crash cymbal so high in the mix.

I watched a COVID-era stream they did from their respective houses, and though the repetitive crash was still there, it was much lower in the mix, and therefore much more palpable.

So, maybe I should be picking Hugh Jones.

He either allowed it to happen, or, worse, encouraged it.

So, Hugh, this one is on you.

WTF is wrong with your ears?

On the flip side of things: Stewart Copeland.

I know I use Every Breath You Take as the go-to example for space and subtly when drumming, but if you really want to have fun, pop on that album, Synchronicity, and play four songs in a row: Synchronicity II, Every Breath You Take, King of Pain, and Wrapped Around Your Finger.

Classic songs, all, but man… Focus on the drums.

Stewart wasn’t hitting, he was composing.

(Bonus: cry in the comments about how “Every Breath” was a song about stalking. Ooooh, you’re so clever. You just said something pretty much everyone knows. What’s next? A diatribe about how water is actually wet?)