There’s not much point in blasting anyone who thinks Ringo was “just the drummer” of the Beatles. He was. I’ve read that, as a Beatle, Ringo possessed the Beatle quality that captivated everyone when he entered a room. What he also possessed was a then unique style of playing. Here’s where good argument begins. Granted, there was no technical wizardry to his playing, but Ringo’s playing provided the fourth piece of artistry that was the beauty of all those late recordings. If you’re a drummer, but don’t really think much of Ringo–and I know you’re out there–kick back and listen to Strawberry Fields or the entire Abbey Road Album. His performances were genius in artistic flow.
David Caruana | 17-Jan-07 at 5:07 pm | Permalink
To Dig, of course.
At a recent UK clinic (http://blog.caruana.co.uk/2006/11/12/gregg-bissonette-review/), Gregg Bissonette demonstrated fills from Strawberry Fields. Since then, I’ve been listening to Beatle tracks and now really appreciate how much Ringo swings.
robertorrh | 17-Jan-07 at 11:06 pm | Permalink
David, How cool that you recently caught a Gregg Bissonette clinic. I’m not surprised to hear he was perhaps paying homage to Ringo. Funny thing is, my first exposure to Bissonnette was during his stint with David Lee Roth. I didn’t think much of him. I of course later found that he was a beast in his real life.
Robonzo Drum Blog :: Radiohead’s Selway Proves there’s Life for Drummers after Twenty-five | 13-Aug-08 at 11:04 pm | Permalink
[...] There’s a very old saying that goes, “Rock and Roll is a young man’s game.” Not true today. I’m perhaps stating the obvious, considering that there are dozens of drummers with extremely successful rock and pop acts that fit the “old-guy” category. However, Phil Selway belongs on a short-list of studs that have developed a great body of work and gigs with one of the world’s coolest bands. Outside of Radiohead and all the cool stuff they’ve been involved in over the past year, Selway has worked in numerous other projects ranging from gigs with Dive Dive to a part in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Technically, Selway is tastefully subdued. Could he someday reach that Ringo Starr status where we couldn’t imagine anyone else playing for Radiohead? I’m unsure, but as a latecomer fan of Radiohead, I find his work to be perfect in its simplicity. [...]