Charlie's spare style of drumming always fascinated me and there is a thing he does with the snare and the hi-hat where he never hits them together on the same beat. This is quite unique. Some drummers would find it odd some less experienced might have the temerity to criticise him for it but it lends him a looseness somehow that frees up the right hand. The left hand is rock SOLID!! As are his feet. The heart of the beat and like a freakin' metronome. . .That thing cannot be underestimated and given he is a jazz drummer in a rock band (the greatest?!) it lends to their totally unique sound and for everyone else in the band even the horn section here but especially the guitarists (Keith I'm looking at you) gives then something so solid to fall back on they can underestimate him!
Steve Albini put it better than I but he noticed it too check out his twitter feed
"I've always loved the quirk of his playing that he never hits the snare drum and hi-hat at the same time. Even timekeeping, he lifts his right hand out of the way so he can get a full whack on the snare. It adds a buoyancy to his playing that is utterly his, utterly unique."
"I want to tell you 'bout Texas radio and the big beatComes out of the Virginia swampsCool and slow with plenty of precisionWith a back beat narrow and hard to master"
Jim Morrison
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