Jose,
Thanks for that. It was freaking HILARIOUS.
TheEqualizer wrote:I'm not sure I can sanction a list that includes terry Bozzio as one to the top ten worst drummers. However, I got a laugh for the reasoning why Josh Freese was considered to be one of the worst (had nothing to do with his actual drumming)
Yeah the bit about Freese is great. It lets us know the article's all in fun, I think.
Though a little cruel, perhaps, I thought he's spot on with Bozzio. You have to keep in mind the author is a songwriter, so serving the song and rocking the joint seem to be his main criteria.
His tone is pretty hyperbolic, so I don't think he's actually saying Bozzio sucks, he's just saying Bozzio has chops galore and little restraint. This is understandable given that Bozzio was raised by Frank Zappa, a man who made an entire genre out of chops galore and little restraint. However, when you're playing in a pop band like the Knack, over the top chops like that are inappropriate: they can detract from rather than add to the effect.
It's actually kind of interesting to think about Stewart in that light. Stewart's a guy with loads of chops, though not technically as accomplished as a dozen or so drummers as we could easily name, Bozzio included.
However, no slouch, Stewart has more than enough chops to get the job done. As far as a certain songwriter is concerned, it would seem he has too many chops. Certainly, his playing can't be called minimalist, I don't think.
But for me, Stew's got just the right stuff. He's really a song guy, and uses his muscular musicality to great effect. That's what the author is talking about: "Hot licks and rhetoric don't count much for nothing. Be sure you can use what you borrow." This balance of chops and pop is for me what makes The Police catch fire, while, for me, the music of Sting dimly glows like the unattended bonfire after the party.
Whoops! Back to the article:
The author values Chops some, only a little: he begrudgingly allows Charlie Watts on the list, though Watts is definitely a minimalist. But Watts always makes it work.
Bozzio was a perfect target as a symbol of over the top playing, 'cause even if you don't get all the music geekery, all you have to do is look at Bozzio's current rig to get the joke:
http://bit.ly/d0ytDG