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Posts Tagged Drummers You Just Can’t Beat

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June 27, 2021 by Simon Sweetman

In Praise of Charlie Watts

I think Charlie Watts is more than a wee bit great. Like fucking brilliant. Like, one of the best drummers ever. In fact I wrote about Charlie in my wee e-book called Drummers You Just Can’t Beat. But if you want a bigger book about how great Charlie Watts is (my e-book is about 19 […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged 25 x 5, 80, Charlie, Charlie Watts, Drummer, Drummers You Just Can't Beat, Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 13 – Charlie Watts, Drumming, Drums, In Praise Of, In Praise of Charlie Watts, Mike Edison: Sympathy For The Drummer - Why Charlie Watts Matters, Stones, The Rolling Stones, The Stones, Want more? Check out my Substack You can also support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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January 16, 2021 by Simon Sweetman

Mike Edison: Sympathy For The Drummer – Why Charlie Watts Matters

Sympathy For The Drummer: Why Charlie Watts Matters Mike Edison Backbeat Most people know that Charlie Watts matters – most people that would read a book about how Charlie Watts matters would already know I reckon…hell, I already wrote my own piece arguing much the same ages ago – but that didn’t stop me lapping […]
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged An Autobiography of The Master Drummer of Afrobeat, Author, Book, Book Review, Charlie Watts, Drummer, Drummers You Just Can't Beat, Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 13 – Charlie Watts, Drumming, Drums, High Times, Mike Edison, Mike Edison: Sympathy For The Drummer - Why Charlie Watts Matters, Music Book, Rock, Rock 'n' Roll, Sympathy For The Drummer, Sympathy For The Drummer: Why Charlie Watts Matters, The Rolling Stones, Why Charlie Watts Matters, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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September 14, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 20 – Bobby Colomby

As with many of my early – and lasting – drum heroes, I have my mum to thank for introducing me to the music made by Bobby Colomby. I’m not sure she’d even know the name if I mentioned it. But she would definitely remember the name of his band – Blood, Sweat & Tears. […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Blood, Bobby Colomby, BST, Drum, Drummer, Drummers, Drummers You Just Can't Beat, Drummers You Just Can't Beat: # 20 - Bobby Colomby, Jaco Pastorius, Sweat & Tears, Tour Of Duty, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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August 26, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

My New EBook: Selected Interviews (Vol. 1)

I’ve just published my new e-book – a selection of some of my favourite interviews. There are new essays and context-notes around each interview and the range of subjects takes in not just musicians but two pro-wrestlers, a filmmaker and a comedian. There are 15 conversations documented from living legends (Joan Baez, Ry Cooder, Mavis […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Amazon, Author, Bret "The Hitman" Hart, Cassandra Wilson, Comedian, Comic, Damon Albarn, Drummers You Just Can't Beat, e-book, ebook, Filmmaker, George Clinton, I'm Calling You From The Edge Of The World...Are You There?, I'm Calling You From The Edge Of The World...Are You There? : Selected Interviews From New Zealand (Vol. 1), Interviews, Jeff Beck, Joan Baez, John Waters, Kindle, Mavis Staples, Movie, Music, My New Ebook, My New EBook: Selected Interviews (Vol. 1), Pro-Wrestling, Ric Flair, Rob Schneider, Ry Cooder, Sananda Maitreya, Selected Interviews, Selected Interviews From New Zealand, Simon Sweetman, Sonny Rollins, Steve Vai, Terence Trent D'arby, Todd Rundgren, Vol. 1, Writing ·

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July 30, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

Sweetman Podcast # 223: Lance Philip

Welcome to episode 223 of Sweetman Podcast with support from our sponsors – T Leaf T and Yeastie Boys Now – as you probably know, as well as the usual platforms (this site, soundcloud, iTunes/Apple) you can now get to Sweetman Podcast on Spotify – follow it there and have it saved in your Spotify […]
Posted in Blog, Podcasts · Tagged Acast, Apple, Chat, Conversation, Dancing With The Stars, Drum, Drumkit, Drummer, Drummers You Just Can't Beat, Drumming, Drums, e-book, ep.223, Essay, Interview, Jazz, Lance Philip, Massey, Musical Theatre, Orchestra, Percussion, Percussionist, Peter Erskine, Phil Collins, Podcast, Rodger Fox, School of Music, Sheila E., Soundcloud, Spotify, Steve Ferrone, Steve Gadd, Stitcher, Sweetman Podcast # 223, Sweetman Podcast # 223: Lance Philip, Sweetman Podcast: Lance Philip, T Leaf T, Tony Williams, Victoria University, Wellington, Yeastie Boys, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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June 29, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

Neil Peart Was The World’s Most Overrated Drummer

A few years back I reviewed a Kindle Single, a keen drummer’s list of his Top 30 Drummers. Keen drummers don’t always make the best writers and this book – well it’s a sliver of a book (as is the point of Kindle Singles – seems wrong in this instance to bestow a title like essay) – […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged “Roll The Bones”, 2112, Alex Lifeson, Amazon, Blog, Drummer, Drummers You Just Can't Beat, Drumming, Drums, Essay, Geddy Lee, Ian Worrall, Kindle, Kindle Single, Neil Peart, Neil Peart Was The World’s Most Overrated Drummer, Overrated, Rush, The World’s Most Overrated Drummer, Top 30 Drummers, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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June 18, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

My First Ebook: Drummers You Just Can’t Beat

I’ve just made and published my first e-book. It’s available now at that link over at Amazon for a couple of bucks ($3.44 is the NZ rate). It’s comprised of the articles I wrote here under the banner Drummers You Just Can’t Beat and includes some new and edited pieces as well as many of the eulogies […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Amazon, Drum, Drummer, Drummers, Drummers You Just Can't Beat, Drumming, Drums, e-book, ebook, Kindle, Meow, My First e-Book, My First Ebook: Drummers You Just Can't Beat, Rahine O'Rielly, Storycore ·

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December 18, 2019 by Simon Sweetman

Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 19 – Karen Carpenter

Karen Carpenter – sadly thought of as a punchline by some, known to be an incredible singer and one half of the mega-successful sibling duo, the Carpenters – was a drummer. Brother Richard was in charge of song selection (covers) arranging, producing and composition. But if he was the boss Karen was the star. Ask […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged "Singer", Carpenters, Concert Toms, Cubby O'Brien, Drummer, Drummers You Just Can't Beat, Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 19 – Karen Carpenter, Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 19Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 19, Drumming, Drums, Hal Blaine, Jim Gordon, Karen Carpenter, Larrie London, Percussion, Richard Carpenter, Ron Tutt, The Carpenters, Timbale, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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September 14, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 18 – Mike D (Michael Diamond)

I realised, just recently, that I needed to include Mike D (or Michael Diamond) of the Beastie Boys in these files. There might not be many people out there that think of him as one of the world’s greatest drummers – but for me he was formative, crucial; super important. It comes from being the […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Beastie Boys, Check Your Head, DJ, Drum, Drummers, Drummers You Just Can't Beat, Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 18, Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 18 - Mike D, Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 18 - Mike D (Michael Diamond), Drumming, Drums, Funk, Groove, Hip-Hop, Ill Communication, Jazz, Latin, MC, Mike D, Percussion, Phantom Billstickers, Punk, Rap, Samples, Soul, The Beastie Boys, The In Sound From Way Out! ·

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March 29, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 17 – Levon Helm

Levon Helm died five years ago. He was 71. Two days before he passed his family had announced that he was in the final stages with the cancer that he would succumb to. Levon Helm was my favourite singing drummer. That makes him sound like a circus act, a novelty musician who could rub his […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Dirt Farmer, Drummer, Drummers You Just Can't Beat, Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 17 – Levon Helm, Drums, Electric Dirt, Levon Helm, Singing Drummer, The Band, The Weight ·

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December 14, 2016 by Simon Sweetman

Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 16 – John Bonham

Bonham – or “Bonzo” as he was known – is one of my favourite drummers. And, in a band of virtuoso players, I feel that he was often the difference for Led Zeppelin, the component that made them stand out. Listening to any of the band’s albums is the instant proof of his magic behind […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Bonham, Bonzo, Destroyer, Drummer, Drummers, Drummers You Just Can't Beat, Drummers You Just Can't Beat # 16, Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 16 – John Bonham, Drumming, Drums, John Bonham, Led Zep, Led Zeppelin, Moby Dick, Physical Graffiti ·

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November 16, 2016 by Simon Sweetman

Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 15 – Buddy Rich

I recently re-read Traps – The Drum Wonder: The Life of Buddy Rich. It’s a Buddy Rich biography written by his pal Mel Tomé. Tomé, as well as being a singer (known as “The Velvet Fog”) had a background as a drummer. Rich, as well as being a drummer (one of the first household-names within […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged $15, Baby Traps, Big Band, Big Swing Face, Buddy, Buddy Rich, Drummer, Drummers You Just Can't Beat, Drummers You Just Can't Beat # 15, Drummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 15 - Buddy Rich, Drumming, Drums, Jazz, Mel Torme, Solo ·
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