After my last Rick Beato response, I looked at some of the older posts I’ve written about his videos, and I have to wonder if I was a little too dismissive of some of the songs he puts on his lists, especially for the groove list.

My true impetus for this article comes from Drumeo — the website has a blog that shared an article in July of 2021 about the top 20 rock drummers, listed alphabetically. 

Drumeo has a few articles that recently got my attention, including the top 100 drummers and 60 albums every drummer should know. I’ve considered responding to them, but I’m not sure if I want to write those kinds of posts anymore.

That being said, I can’t help but mention this snippet from the top rock drummers article. I had quite the reaction to the inclusion of AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd:

[Phil] had a special knack for playing simple beats with deep groove, conviction, and a massive, thumping drum tone. Phil was the engine that powered some of the most famous rock hits of all time on Back in Black and Highway to Hell. During one of the periods when he left the band, his bandmates remarked that while the other drummers they had were great, AC/DC lacked a certain “groove” when Rudd was not behind the kit.

Now look, no disrespect to the authors, but… talk about waxing poetic!

Alright, alright, I know it’s a popular pastime to go online and complain about Phil Rudd being boring and whatnot, so let me be clear: Phil is a very successful musician whose playing has been heard by millions of people, and he has no reason to worry about what some schmuck on the internet thinks. And I’m sure he’s a lovely guy when he’s not trying to assassinate anyone. 

If you really dig Phil’s playing, that’s fine. Once upon a time, I was really into AC/DC; I saw the band twice in concert, and they were two very entertaining shows. But it’s been a while since I’ve listened to this group with any strong fondness.

Let’s take a step back. What do we even mean when we talk about “groove?” Well, on the one hand, you’ve got interesting timekeeping patterns, which I write about all the time. And then you’ve got songs with a weird and interesting lope to them; perhaps the notes on the page are straightforward, but you hear something conspicuous in the performance or execution that’s not easy to notate or even describe. “Cissy Strut” is a classic example. For something more modern, check out “Bring Me Your Love” by The Barr Brothers.

But we all know what everyone is slobbering about: competent, satisfactory drumming that, under further examination, undeniably falls short in true creativity or feel. 

I have a hard time feeling a connection to so-called groove drumming, and this approach to the instrument doesn’t provide a lot of inspiration or intrigue for me. Personally, the best moments on the drums come from the players who can walk the line: pushing the envelope and taking risks while prioritizing taste, adding some adventure to their playing without spoiling a track with indulgent nonsense. 

I’ve seen people argue that there’s some beautiful minimalism to groove drumming. Now, in the case of AC/DC… well, I certainly wouldn’t call this music minimalist. If it’s not the punchy, catchy guitar riffs, it might be the cannons that get shot off to close most concerts. Hell, when I caught my first AC/DC show, the band crashed a goddamn train on the stage.

On a more serious note, I regret to inform my fellow drummers that this instrument is inherently minimalist: we can’t play beautiful melodies, satisfying chord progressions, or bitchin’ basslines, and we’re certainly not using the kit to deliver poignant lyrics. But the drums do offer many wonderful and exciting things, and it seems like such a shame for someone to wave their hands and say, “Err, I dunno about all that, I’ll just stick to the groove.”

I’m reminded somewhat of the things I’ve read about Steph Curry, as many writers have pointed out that Steph has two unique components that add to his appeal: first, he is, as far as basketball players go, not freakishly tall. Second, his prowess lies in shooting, which, unlike leaping 15 feet through the air to dunk, is something pretty much anyone of any physique can do.

Timekeeping isn’t trivial, but of all the things drummers feel a responsibility to do, I think many would agree that it’s probably the most accessible. Still, it is the bare minimum, and if I’m not brave enough to declare it the easy way out, it’s certainly the most comfortable route. Not every piece of music needs to be an exigent experience, but to never be challenging feels like a disservice to this craft — this art form, if you will (please, remain seated folks).

The appeal of consummate studio professionals like Jeff Porcaro, Bernard Purdie, or Jim Keltner is one thing, but I can’t help but wonder if there’s something else going on here, something recursive — “groove” being used to retroactively justify a drummer’s success. If AC/DC only sold half of the records that it did, would Phil still be so admired?

This leads me to a scary conclusion that groove is often used as a unique crutch for drummers to rely on. To me, this inchoate praise of groove is a musically unfulfilling thing. Yes, time is important, but again, it’s the bare minimum. There’s more to the guitar than intonation, and there’s more to the drums than timekeeping!

There’s this clip of AC/DC singer Brian Johnson talking about recording an album (I think Black Ice) and how producer Brendan O’Brien flipped out over Phil tracking two identical takes for a “technical breakdown” of one of the tunes,* calling Phil “a machine.”

Again, I know being solid and consistent is something we all aspire to be, but I don’t know how I’d feel about being regarded as a machine. We have machines that play drums. They’re called drum machines, and they’re the worst. Right?

Going back to a comparison with other drummers, consider the difference between, let’s say, Jim Keltner on Steely Dan’s “Josie” versus Phil Rudd on… well, pretty much any AC/DC hit (except for “Thunderstruck” — that’s Chris Slade).

Keltner’s playing is more audacious and aggressive; his drumming is more interesting to me since he spends more time interacting with the rest of the tune, adding charming details and heartily kicking figures. It is a little squirrelly, however, and Jim flubs a number of snare accents and backbeats. Moreover, some of the transitions are a little loose, as if Jim needs an extra few beats to settle in on what groove he wants to play section to section.

To an extent, that’s the price you pay if you’re somewhat of a risk taker. But at the end of the day, I think it’s worth it.

I should be clear that I don’t mean for Phil to fall victim to what the kids call “catching strays.” As far as monomaniacal minimalist drumming goes, he’s far from the worst offender. I have heard a lot of daffy drumming choices made in the name of pocket — spartan cymbal patterns (we’re talking half notes at moderate tempos), inappropriate use of the ride bell for goofy “funk” feels, and a complete lack of any sense of dynamic playing, whether that be volume, or simply helping reinforce that the tune is in fact an evolving work with a beginning, middle, and end. Drumming that innocuously can paradoxically become distracting.

There’s an idea that groove drumming sometimes just works for a particular act; that is to say, a groove drummer is good for band A, while a more intrepid drummer is good for band B. Maybe it’s just that simple, but you as a drummer have a pretty big say in what drumming works for your music, and I am skeptical that John Bonham would have a totally different vocabulary and musical philosophy if he wound up joining AC/DC in some alternate universe.†

I must sound a bit cranky, and maybe I am in my old age, but I cannot deny how perturbed I am at the number of drummers who just want to slam 2 & 4. Speaking from the heart, a singular obsession with time and groove seems like a great way to spiral into complacency. I’m always trying to push myself with regard to technique and vocabulary. Otherwise, what would I even practice? How to admire the otherworldly, indescribable nature of four-on-the-floor, so I can sneer at other drummers who want more out of this instrument, bragging about how I get it and they don’t?

Of course, many drummers have seen great success by staying in their comfort zone. It’s a legitimate approach to be sure, but is it enough to earn you accolades as one of the all-time greats? Could it be enough? I’m not convinced. 

I’m going to end this little spiel with a quote from TwoSetViolin, because apparently two classical violinists have more insight here than the many drummers do:

That’s such a big assumption, it’s like: drums just keep people in time. It degrades the percussion instrument as well… percussion has a lot more to offer than just going “dut dut dut.” Stay on time, guys. Every musician needs to have an innate sense of pulse, when they’re playing music.

* ^ It’s anyone’s guess as to which AC/DC song has a “technical breakdown.” Also, in the same clip, Brian recalls how Phil would put up photos of topless women in the studio’s drum room, for “inspiration.”A topic for another day, perhaps!

† ^ This might sound contrived, but lest we forget, Phil is the only current member of AC/DC born in Australia. The rest were born in the UK.

(Photo by Piano Piano! — LP Record Groove Close-Up, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81800233. Edited by me.)