Where does one begin to start effusing over Stewart Copeland. I don't really know Crash as I was never that technical when it came to drums so couldn't analyse it in any objective way. He had things about him which just seemed to raise him above anyone else I've ever heard. You mentioned one yourself. His ability to draw so much out of snare/hi-hat/single bass drum (although his kit could be large in the tom-tom area at times)
- on just about every song on every album he never fell into just doing routine or being satisfied with repetition. Take Walking on the Moon for instance. If one wanted to copy him, one would have to learn the whole song as there is a constant stream of variation within the basic beat. Then he caps of what is an understated beat at the end of the song with a magical turn of riff - powerfully complex but never drifting from understatement. Real subtle stuff that could only be picked up by careful, concentrated listening.
- when you drum you find yourself falling into grooves which are a function of body - your whole body seems to move in harmony and it is the body movement that allows beats and patterns to come into existance. SC pulled out beats that would be almost impossible to carry out if one were relying simply on getting ones arms to do the work. As you learned his beats you found you body coming into areas and complexity of movement that you never had before
- he could play stupendously fast. At my very best, keeping up with him was nearly impossible. On either the first or second album there is a song called I think No Time (No time at all - no time this time is the chorus). Not only is it impossibly fast but the ususal flood of interesting patterns and beats never lets up and are executed at this same impossible speed.
- he is fantastic to watch drumming. Again for body shape and sheer fluidity. What he has could not be learned ever.
- Many drummers input has a central roll in shaping the mood of the song - I loved the shuffling beat of Totos Rosanna for instance. With SC however his influence shapes all the songs. His influence is more central to the whole shape of the band that any other I've ever heard
- he was consistant throughout his Police career and there isn't an album which dissappionts in the drum area even though the songs themselves could be weak.
My hero.