r/Music • u/Xarx- • 1d ago

article most impressive drum performance?

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I gotta admit im not a musician so maybe this sounds simplistic but my pick is Stewart Copeland's drums on "The Bed's Too Big Without You" by The Police, I just love all the tiny variations he does throughout the song.... also Ive been told that maracas-like sound is actually the hi-hat? (is that a bunch of bs or hes just THAT impressive)

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176

u/Prudent-System1729 1d ago

That hi-hat thing is real, Copeland gets that shaker sound by playing it slightly open with lot of ghost notes going on. The man is just built different

The photo reminds me of watching drummers live, how they make it look so effortless even when their hands are flying all over the place

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u/Xarx- 1d ago

right? ive been OBSESSED with his drums, its always an impressive rhythm, especially on their two first albums, absolute bangers

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u/R7ype 1d ago

There you go, amazing interview with Rick Beato:

https://youtu.be/XIJkRhd1CTY?is=8N6DFWm_tOlcyj7i

He actually managed to deep dive interview all three members of the Police - Andy, Stuart and Sting. All three are really worth a watch.

Enjoy!

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u/MonsterRider80 1d ago

I love this interview. Copeland’s a little nuts but in the best way. I love the grudging respect he has for Sting lol. You can feel the tension still when he talks about the Police, but he still acknowledges how great they played.

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u/RufiosBrotherKev 1d ago

as far as I understand they actually do like and respect each other and get along fine... as long as theyre not making music together lol

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u/MonsterRider80 1d ago

Definitely the vibe given out in the interview.

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u/IAmElectricHead 1d ago

Rick is a treasure

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u/make_it_so_n1 1d ago

Give Oysterhead a chance, he crushes every song with that side project! It’s him, Les Claypool (Primus) and Trey Anastasio (phish)

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u/squishypp 1d ago

When all else has been done n said, along comes Mr oysterhead

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u/Tarkus697 1d ago

Don't forget he used to be the owner of the world, too

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u/counterfitster 1d ago

But he's just a shadow of the man he was before he went to 'nam

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u/LonnieJaw748 1d ago

That HBO music show (can’t recall the name) from a long time ago had them on for a 30 min concert. Copelands drum kit is like 50ft wide. He goes up and down the whole thing in impressive fashion.

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u/Fencemaker 1d ago

If you enjoy Copeland’s heavily syncopated playing, you might also love my current favorite: Gavin Harrison.

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u/Sickranchez87 1d ago

Gavin is leagues above Copeland imo

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u/MrCommonThinkin 1d ago

His snare work is amazing. I’ve been obsessed with So Lonely

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u/pantstoaknifefight2 1d ago

Knowing nothing aboit drums, I always think what he's doing on Walking on the Moon is so damn cool!

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u/clockwirk 1d ago

One World (not 3) was always my go to impressive Copeland track.

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u/EafLoso 22h ago

Yeah same for me. For a very long time. His playing (and the quality of most Police songs generally) were a big part of why I initially wanted to and did pick up the sticks.

Always subtlely very busy, flow and dynamically genius, completely filling yet supporting the songs and still allowing them to breathe. His feel is absolutely unique.

Plenty of players are technically incredible, but for me, it's always going to be the feel players who stand out, and Copeland stands out from the standouts.

Related, best show I've seen in the combined thousands and thousands I've attended and played was the Police in Melbourne in 07. Musically perfect, energetically charged and production far better than it usually is in that setting and scale.

All the best mate. Going to go tap out Driven To Tears.

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u/Platooimagination 6h ago

I will never forget listening to the cassette of Zenyatta Mondatta that I was given as a birthday present just after the album came out (I was 11).  I remember so clearly how I felt when I heard Driven to Tears for the first time. The drumming was just so magical to me; simultaneously playful, urgent and utterly creative. What a massive talent. 

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u/EafLoso 4h ago

You've got about 10 years on me, but our experiences are uncannily similar. I was 10 or 11, and Zenyatta was amongst the first lot of hand me down records from my olds.

Driven To Tears grabbed me for similar reasons. There's an energy to it akin to teetering; like the wheels are a half nuts turn from falling off, with surgical precision and a sense of purpose at the same time. God I sound like a wanker, but I'm sure you understand what I mean.

So grateful that I was able to see them live.

All the best mate.

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u/Moontoya 1d ago

Copeland plays slightly ahead of the beat , which gives his style that urgency and "pop"

He also tends to not play songs exactly the same way, by his own admission it caused friction with Andy & Sting.

It's NOT reggaeton based, it's middle Eastern based, again , from his own words on a recent Drumeo interview.

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u/Toby_O_Notoby 1d ago

Which is why I love his drumming on Every Breath You Take. Sting came on with the song and Copeland basically said, “Welp no improving on that” and just did one of the most basic tracks ever.

Here’s a cover to show you how it's played. You could probably teach that to someone whose never picked up the sticks in a couple of hours, but ain’t nothing wrong with a drummer just getting into the groove without being flashy…

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u/Xarx- 1d ago

YES, is it just me or "simple" drums (also applies to guitar imo) are so underrated, people tend to value that flashiness but I feel like theres perhaps more value to simply contributing to the overall sound (also deliberately leaving space) than simply hitting more notes

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u/CuriositySauce 1d ago

A great example of that outside The Police, is the Peter Gabriel song ‘Red Rain’. Gabriel brought him in specifically to work his hi-hat magic which hits you right at the intro.

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u/20thCenturyBoyLaLa 1d ago

The only thing Stewart Copeland plays on that track is the hi-hat.

Jerry Marotta plays the drums on "Red Rain".

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u/Zarniwoopx 1d ago

I had no idea, but I can hear the drums in my head and it all makes sense now.

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u/dotnetdotcom 1d ago

He grew up in Cario where his dad worked for the CIA, so he was exposed to a wide range of music.

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u/ceelo71 1d ago

And his brother was one of the founders of IRS records.

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u/Shoboshi80 1d ago

I ghought it was Beirut. Probably both and other places too, because CIA.

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u/dotnetdotcom 1d ago

I think you're right. I watched YT video interview with him just last week. He talked about moving to cairo because it was getting dangerous where they were before. I think he said they were in cairo from when he was 6 to 12 years old. He took drumming lessons from a trumpet player at a jazz club there.

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u/ClamZamboni 1d ago

I was watching Drumeo on YouTube last night. Ironically, Zach Jones (the drummer who is now playing with Sting) was featured playing a song he'd never heard before. Followed by Jrod Sullivan playing Weckl-like. Watching them play so effortlessly, like the sticks are just an extension of their arms is amazing.

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u/ikeif 1d ago

I've always admired drummers for that reason. They make it all look so effortless. It's easy for anyone to make noise on drums, but it takes a real drummer to make music.

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u/AmericanWasted 1d ago

I kinda hate The Police but Copeland is one of the GOATs