If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at fallendrummer@me.com. He wants to be good and wants to be faithful but just can’t, and it kills him. H2050C Redline Eliminator hh stand. ‘Cause I don’t’. I think that the song encapsulates the feeling when you realize, much to your own shock, this is The One. But, for many people, you have to improvise like a jazz musician through this life and take it one day at a time. I’m dying to know what thoughts you and J.K. were trying to convey. When we finally put it together, he realized this was a good idea. In my case when I met Taylor, I wasn’t looking for the one. We took 4 microphones over to the 1978 Premier concert toms and went full Jerry Marotta ‘Lay Your Hands on Me’ Peter Gabriel style on that. In this episode, he breaks down a cool section from Todd Sucherman’s drum solo recorded during one of his visits to Drumeo. The Todd Sucherman snare drum collection - gallery 3. We didn’t take 4 bars and just loop it over and over again. Todd Sucherman grew up in a musical family. During that time he worked with Lena Horne, Sammy Davis Jr., Sophie Tucker, Joe E. Lewis, Jack Benny and countless others. Just about 2 months before COVID-19 hit, I invested in a good turntable (Pro-Ject Xpression in Italian olivewood). All that we electronically looped together and manipulated. Confidently delivering the lead vocals - and of course the expert drumming - through these ten tracks, Todd Sucherman has teamed up with J.K. Harrison to write and perform melodic rock songs filled with rootsy hooks and ace production. To me, it signified that these are all the days on the road and this (color photo) is the day that you are going home. Should I wait for brighter days or go full speed ahead?’  The response was 99.9% overwhelmingly yes, release it now. Check it out and get some inspiration for your own drum solos! This is one where I re-did the original drum track. Drum Teacher Reacts to Todd Sucherman - Drum Solo - YouTube BC:  Your vocals on the album are truly impressive. I’m just going to hold off.’  As time passed, my musician friends were saying, ‘Hey, you’ve got this ready to go. Todd’s award-winning Methods and Mechanics I & II DVD’s are essential for every drummer’s library. I wanted to bring this record to a giant hopeful and joyous climax. Your donation keeps the lights on at Not So Modern Drummer. I’ve anxiously awaited my copy of the CD and since its arrival, I’ve been playing it on my CD player, my iPhone, and on my Mac. BC: “Now, I’d like to dig into the album a bit. I call it that English Droopy Dog feel. He is most well known for his work with the band Styx. Japanese Plum Tree) with a stave shell made out of Sakura (cherry blossom), and a 14 X 5” Solid stave maple with hand-rolled steel hoops. It just has a nice ‘flop’ about it.”. CH1030B cymbal arms. He’s so pained that he can’t be faithful, that it unravels him to the point where he doesn’t even recognize himself. It’s fun to take these and put them together. 1:10:32 - Drum Solo Todd Sucherman will be discussing the mental and physical approach to playing the drums so you can enhance your rhythmic vocabulary. But there’s a glimmer of hope. See 3RD & 4TH drums for sale at www.drumsellers.com, Russell says he has 50 new SPIZZ cymbals in stock - lots of 17 & 19 crashes,21 & 24 rides.New & vintage cymbals & drumsLots of jazzy inventory.russellsmusicworld@verizon.net757 6225568, Drummer Nation Podcast - Where Drummers Talk. I’m sure it was also very personal for J.K. who came up with the original idea maybe with his wife in mind. 42. TS: “This was largely J.K.’s nugget that he had. The one that I chose encapsulated the starkness and bleakness, the doldrum of traveling and staying in hotels every day, for many days in a row. The intro sounds a bit techno, with a drum machine-like of sound. Like you’re in a vampire club, somewhere in the Bayou. This gave me a great shot in the arm. CDs, high-resolution audio WAV downloads, and limited-edition signed and numbered 180-gram vinyl LPs are available now on all digital outlets as well as Todd… (laughs).”. I was seeing images like the title sequence of True Blood with snakes and danger and scary black and white footage of a weird church group, séances and whatnot. On this track, I used a set of A&F/Sabian Ankh 16” bronze hi-hats and a Solid Drums 14 x 6.3” stave snare with a herringbone design made out of Swiss pear and Swiss plum (Chequer Tree). BC:  From the lyrics, it almost sounded like the guy (or you) was shy or intimated by the woman because she was so perfect. TS:  “The record was mixed, mastered, manufactured, and sent to the house – then COVID-19 hit. I wanted to have a stark, numb feeling about it because the character, in this case me, is continually stranded in airports trying to get home. ‘Study the Greats’ is a series of quick videos where host Austin Burcham walks you through beats by some of the world’s greatest drummers. There’s lot of juicy tidbits about the lyrics, song construction, and gear. There’s a bit of absurdity to that piece: a sort of ridiculous cinematic feel. I wanted to have some tabla drums on the track, but I’d never played tabla. We decided that the bass drum needed to be a bit punchier and the snare a little bit floppier. Is this song about knowing yourself or about others understanding the true you? For the album, we turned that into a romantic notion. Could you give me your thoughts about each of the 10 tracks, from concept and lyrics to details about some of the drum gear you used?”Track 1. Having my father’s drum set and ride cymbal on the record was very special to me.”. He has also manned the drums behind Lawrence Gowan (Styx keyboardist, vocals) on his Gowan solo tours. There are 10 great tunes, carefully sculpted and crafted to tease our emotions and draw us in. When you hear the air between a violin or cello and a microphone, that makes all the difference in the world. What was the thought behind this? I imagine most people expected a lot of drum fills like that (laughs). BC:  Last Flight Home was released in multiple formats, including high-definition digital and old school vinyl LP formats. It was nice to use those on the record. Todd Sucherman is a highly demanded drummer for sessions, clinics, and drum festivals who is most well known for his work with the band Styx. They need to reinvent themselves. Styx drummer Todd Sucherman has set the release of his debut solo album, Last Flight Home, for Saturday, May 2nd, his 51st birthday via Aqua Pulse Records.Each of the project’s ten compositions features Sucherman’s vocals and deep pocket drumming. It just took many years to get there. Studio pictures courtesy of Todd Sucherman. To your second point - the original demo had this cheesy drum machine before the drums come in. It ultimately ends up kind of exploding into a euphoria about it. Aqua Pulse Records Longtime Styx drummer Todd Sucherman's first-ever solo album, Last Flight Home, gets released this Saturday, May 2, on CD, digitally and via streaming services, while a signed, limited-edition 180-gram vinyl version of the record will be shipped at the end of the month.. It was a special time for me in the world of Genesis, from ‘Trick of the Tail’ to ‘Duke.’  That’s holy music for me. from the Big Solo MD Festival 2008: Todd Sucherman "Blue Collar Man" Todd Sucherman "One Way Out" Todd Sucherman "U 7" Todd Sucherman Four Piece Mash Up: Todd Sucherman about Bass Drum Placements in a Rock Groove : Todd Sucherman Big Rock Endings: Todd Sucherman Lunchroom Hoedown provided by Drumeo: Todd Sucherman & Spinal Tap "Back From The Dead" The vocals were pretty tough. I’m very tickled that the first notes were my father’s kit that I learned how to play on. Todd Sucherman is a highly sought-after drummer for sessions, clinics, and drum festivals. I knew several characters like that in LA. BC:  There’s a lot of interesting percussion in this song. Todd Sucherman is a master at orchestrating ideas and telling a compelling story from behind the kit.. Last Flight Home. I’ve lived in Los Angeles and known talented people who were socially inept who couldn’t get ahead in the business. There’s also a lot of different guitar parts, an Ebow guitar part, that all added to the emotional impact of the song. Original Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnQkDrb07PY\u0026feature=youtu.beCheck out Garey's Online Drumset Artistry school for drummers: https://garey-williams.mykajabi.com/ If you would like to study with Garey Williams go to www.gareywilliams.com or www.drumsetartistry.com Check out my new Facebook group, Drumset Artistry Mastermind. Todd Sucherman has released his debut solo album. On September 12, 2020, he contributed a solo drum composition and performance entitled "13 for NP” to the twentieth annual edition of the Modern Drummer festival, which paid tribute to Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart, who had died earlier in the year. TS:  “I sequenced the songs that way like the vinyl, where it would end with ‘Its Perfection’, which was this love song that concludes on an epic high note. I’ve always respected singers and have been lucky to work with many great singers. He would have me learn a Bebop saxophone solo and come in and phrase the solo on the drums. 41. I also thought about Jeff Porcaro playing simple 6/8. Luckily, her reactions gave me confidence and reassurance. That’s why the chorus goes, ‘I wish I were oblivious to the damage around me. For me, the CD and this interview will definitely be a page in my Sacred Book of Favorite Days. Todd’s incredible snare arsenal/collection is also quite “drool-worthy” and can be seen on the WWW site: http://www.toddsucherman.com/snare-gallery/. We go through an intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus before the drums really come in. It has that sort of crestfallen, give-up mood and sounds like maybe they’re separated because of it. Todd Sucherman, drummer for the legendary rock band Styx, has just released his first-ever solo album, “Last Flight Home”, on May 2nd via Aqua Pulse Records.. Recording of “Last Flight Home” took place between July 2019 and January 2020 with Todd handling all lead vocals and principal drumming in addition to co-writing nine of the album’s ten songs. There were old rock posters and a turntable. During that time he worked with Lena Horne, Sammy Davis Jr., Sophie Tucker, Joe E. Lewis, Jack Benny and countless others. Once I knew that was going to be the song title, I started taking photographs of my suitcase up against hotel room doors when it was check-out time. It’s basically a renaissance time, a madrigal piece about a forbidden love, and he’s going to be executed  because of it. Drummer’s vocal chops are featured on the project. That was a hard one. This past May, STYX drummer Todd Sucherman released his debut solo album, "Last Flight Home", via Aqua Pulse Records.The official music video … How did you decide on that? If you dial it in just right, it will just give some overtones to go with that. Could you come over, bring some tablas, and see if I can do this?’  He came over, and I could not get a sound out of them. The album is not a flurry of prog rock drum tracks as one might expect but passionate and varied pieces composed by Todd and his creative partner, J.K. Harrison, with Todd on lead vocals. He was the house drummer at the famed Chez Parre' in Chicago through the 1940s and 50's. This song is sort of the antithesis of ‘Don’t Stop Believin’, really. TS:  “I’ve always been very shy and sheepish about singing in general, my whole life. Pre-orders for the disc will begin on April 14 at ToddSucherman.com. After the strings, J.K. was very reluctant to do add the harmonies. My mother didn’t even know I was doing this. I’ve known him for so long; I could metaphorically stand naked in front of him, sing into a microphone, and just be absolutely terrible. For those who try to structure their lives, that’s fine. The main snare drum was the Joyful Noise bronze 14 X 6.5” Winged Elite. I trust him to tell me and guide me how to make it better. For each track, a lot of the cymbals changed, the hi-hat changed, and the snare drum changed. Maybe a guy meeting a woman that might be the end of him. I think the song title is like the saying, ‘If you want to make God laugh, make plans.’  You have to ad lib everything because everything is absurd. But he’s trying. I just cobbled that part together. There’s a lot of imagery in that to me. I also used a chorus of snare drums for a circus drum roll: a Rukus 14 X 6.5” 10-ply wenge/mahogany/Santos rosewood, Japanese Middlecentre 14 X 5”  with wood hoops (top wood hoop has a top ply of Ume, a.k.a. To sing in time, in tune, connect with each lyric, and connect all the lines so that you’re delivering the whole story is incredibly difficult to do. BC:  An Invitation. I used some old Factory Metal Percussion played with the hands and some other percussive bits and cobbled this percussion piece together before the drums really kicked in around the bridge of the song. Paypal, credit cards, Patreon, Venmo, Cash App, Zellepay and personal checks accepted. It just happened. During that time he worked with Lena Horne, Sammy Davis Jr., Sophie Tucker, Joe E. Lewis, Jack Benny and countless others. TS:  “I mentioned that I lived in LA for a while. I used 3 Joyful Noise snares on that track. TS:  “Kindling is a song by a band called Elbow from Manchester, England. Not everyone is going to be a successful musician, actor, screenwriter, or whatever brings transplants to that town. They really did sound special, nostalgic, warm, and comforting. Was there a Beatles influence? We used an acoustic guitar where they used a Dobro. I wanted it to be more like Radiohead meets Oasis where it has heavy guitars at the end. Taylor said to me somewhat randomly, ‘You would sound great singing this. I used an Udu clay drum, clave and a shaker. I even over-dubbed my 1978 Premier concert toms over all the toms I recorded on the main Pearl Masterworks kit. Hardware . Suddenly, there’s a scene change, and you’re in some seedy hotel room in Hollywood. I employed hitting a 22” bass drum and a gong drum with a mallet, Pearl Rocket Toms, one floor tom and a shaker. How did you decide on going ahead? On this one, I did a whole percussion part in the intro with two authentic African talking drums that I’ve had since I was about 19 years old. I take it one day at a time. I thought it would be fun to record an over-the-top, ridiculous, fast flurry drum fill that would lead into the Casio-sounding drum machine…almost sarcastically. I think it did. Last month, STYX drummer Todd Sucherman released his debut solo album, "Last Flight Home", via Aqua Pulse Records.The official music video for the disc's latest single, "Ad Lib Everything", can be seen below. It just ended up that way, unplanned. It would lend itself to it.’  We added the string quartet like we did on ‘Ad Lib Everything’. S1030 snare stand One is two snare drums, an 18” floor tom, and a gong drum that comes in the middle of the song. J.K. has a library of songs, sections, nuggets and bits. He is definitely born to drum” - Ian Froman. When you add real strings, it adds a certain gravitas to the sound that you just can’t get from sampled strings on a synth. If I’m thinking John Bonham, I’ll go to that before my bank of Ludwigs. Drum Teacher Reacts to Todd Sucherman - Drum SoloGarey Williams reacts and analysis Todd Sucherman Soloing at the 2008 Modern Drummer Festival. I went with my 22 X 16” Pearl Masterworks bass drum with a pillow in it and pulled out a Dunnett 14 X 6.5” milkwood snare in Rose Marine Pearl. 20x14 gong drum 14x5.5 snare drum 14x5.5 snare drum (Hybrid Exotic Kapur Fiberglass . The back-cover photo of me was taken by Ronn Dunnett. I asked him to do the graphic design and album art. I think that bands of the last 20 years with CD’s, downloadable music, or just tracks for somebody’s playlist will have trouble gaining the traction to have a multi-decade career.”. I can’t let her go’. People sometimes assume those were Gretsch. There are three tribal drum parts on Kindling. Envision Droopy Dog the cartoon with the dog and the Sherlock Holmes pipe playing the drums (laughs). Todd is truly one of the most talented and well-recognized drummers out there today. The fact that he left one photo in color (all others black and white) was perfect. “The best way to tune a drum is to find the voice in each drum. We kept the drum machine which goes through different filters underneath the drum track the whole time to create some tension and underlying motion in between the holes in the drum part. With regard to the lyrics, to me, they evoke an opium den, True Blood sort of vibe where there’s danger involved. It was kind of a mix between Roger Taylor/Queen and Steve Smith/Journey ‘Faithfully’ in a way. To me, this song is like an old-timey circus or a drunken night at the Moulin Rouge in the 1890s, and maybe there’s a pirate there knocking things over with dangerous women around. The first note on this track is my father’s K. Zildjian ride cymbal. CLH930 close hh attachment. Also, where they end their song on a softer note, I wanted to ramp up into a joyous hallelujah. BC:  There’s some amazing harmonies on this song. He’s still trying. That flavor of music I’m quite drawn to. TS:  “Thank you, I appreciate that. To be totally honest, I basically borrowed Phil Collins’ drum part from the 1978 song, ‘Snowbound.’  It was such a great way to play a slower song. I first recorded it with an open bass drum and a different snare drum. I think it really worked well in the song, helping give it that psychedelic feeling.”. An unexpected delight, the long-time drummer of Styx has released one of the most consistently satisfying rock albums of the year. I had this idea of a montage of multiple suitcases. I actually came up with this title in 1992, the last time I dabbled in psychedelics. They’ve had a couple songs that are lyrically and impressionistically the most romantic songs I’ve heard in years. Since 1988, a treasure trove of info about vintage drums, custom drums & legendary drummers, All rights reserved. The character of the song is definitely not me. Phil didn’t switch to Gretsch until 1983. Where Mind, Body and Spirit unite to create drumming greatness. There are 10 great tunes, carefully sculpted and crafted to tease our emotions and draw us in. BC: The drums are tuned a bit low on this song. Here are quick clips from all 20 songs in sequential order that we played in Escondido, CA. I thought we could bring it into the realm of a Brian Wilson vibe. To have any aspirations beyond this, in this capacity, I can’t even entertain right now. On May 2, 2020, Sucherman released his 1st solo album "Last Flight Home". I just feel very fortunate and grateful to be the drummer in the band that I’m in (Styx). It’s like taking a charcoal sketch and making it a technicolor movie. BC:  One of my personal favorites on your album is Sacred Book of Favorite Days. They blew it. Their music is very ethereal and cinematic. I can’t screw this up. I put a couple of cymbals together as a stack and hit it to make a dry whack. I tuned the snare drum down low and went for big swinging Ringo-type fills. It’s no easy task. Todd Sucherman … I’m actually going to post a FaceBook clip with me listening to that part solo through the speakers. I could see Michael sort of looking at me, not exactly approving. I’ve been a professional musician since I was 6 years old. STYX drummer Todd Sucherman will release a solo album called "Last Flight Home" in May or June. I think that any great band from the 60’s-80’s will always have an audience because their audience put on headphones, sat, and held the record. Enjoy! I recorded a plastic tub for a bass drum part, foot stomps on the studio floor, my father’s old fishing tackle box that I shook, some old shells which I crunched on the floor, and a tambourine. That become the end piece. Exotic Macassar Ebony stave 14×6. It’s like when you’re cooking, and a little spice is just what it needed. TS: “Yes. So, I had those influences stewing in a caldron in my mind while trying to emotionally connect to the song.”. I listened to it in a sequence of the rough mixes, and it didn’t really add anything. The Rukus drum I recorded upside down with the snare side up to give it a militaristic sound, with the two other different sounding snares recorded playing the same roll to produce something like a ‘psychotic parade’. I used my father’s old 20” K. Zildjian and a really dry Sabian 20” Raw Dry Ride with ProMark Hot Rods, making a hypnotic ticking of the clock sound to go with the piano. Before COVID-19, the legendary ’80s band Styx was scheduled to play several shows in Virginia and Washington, D.C. this summer, as … Icon Rack System. It’s one of those glass of wine, everything is wonderful under the sun kind of songs.”. So, I said, ‘Well, would you like to play on the record?’  He said, ‘Certainly!’ and was in and out of here in like 20 minutes (laughs). (my soapbox comment). A vast array of rhythmic information flows just under the surface of Todd Sucherman’s incredible drumming. ©Copyright 2016 Not So Modern Drummer. The chorus that J.K. originally had was just a single voice. BC:  ‘The Damage’ follows an upbeat ballad and comes across as a sharp contrast with a darker sound. It alludes to 6/8, but it’s not. That artwork, logo, or photographs are tethered to them for all time. A singular character realizes that this dream is over. On the Elbow version, there are these “front porch” looped sounds, and I wanted to emulate that in a different way. This person doesn’t realize why their life is such a mess, but they’re doing it to themselves the whole time. It almost sounds like a large talking drum or something. He believed in me, and that I could do it, when I thought it was a pipe dream. My first thought was, ‘I can’t release a record during a global pandemic and economic crisis. His son was playing records all night. TS:  “I try to live in the moment to the best of my ability. That’s when it really hit me, ‘Hey, I’m doing this (laughs)! It’s really that good. Chances are that you’ve already seen drum solos from such great drummers as John Bonham, Phil Collins, Neil Peart, and so on and so forth, but what’s shameful about that is the fact they most people haven’t seen drum solos from some of the more underrated drummers that are just as good, if not better. TS: “I think the story needed to shine there. Would you be interested in new music at this time? You will hear it sing out when you tighten it up, you make it too tight and it sounds like you are choking it, like somebody’s got their hands around its throat.” explains Paulie. He had one year with Pearl and then went to Gretsch. Is that correct? His father, Arnold J. Sucherman was a doctor by day, and a big band drummer by night. Track 3. I kept all of my vinyl. I encourage all of you to go out and buy a copy of the CD, digital .WAV file and/or LP. I’ve been having so much fun with Taylor and Teagan, pulling out records, and putting them on display near the turntable. What type of sound were you going for? One of my oldest friends is Nicholas Markos, and sometime in the 90s I wrote this piece at the end of one of his songs called ‘Don’t You Cry’. odd Sucherman has played more than 2000 rock shows -- entertaining music fans around the world for more than 30 years. For the loop, I used the TKO brass 14 X 6.5” (engraved 10th anniversary, #1/10). It’s never going to happen. Over the years, he has also played with notable bands/artists such as Brian Wilson, Peter Cetera, The Falling Wallendas, and even Spinal Tap! It stuck with me, and I knew that one day it would be in a song or the name of a song. You can hear them independently of each other, but they also sound like they’re working as one cohesive unit. For those of you who may not know Todd (is that possible? People have time to listen to music now, maybe more than they ever have.’  My wife, Taylor, originally was onboard with delaying the release but over time began to change her mind. I used my Pearl Masterworks kit. Fair use allows re-purposing content for educational, critical, and commentary purposes.CategoryMusic Could you tell me a little more detail about that? Please tell me about the lyrics and how you came up with these killer vocal parts. Could you tell me more about how this song was written and recorded? Right now, we’re living in the most absurd times ever. Designed and Developed, Last Flight Home - Todd Sucherman's Debut Solo Album, http://www.toddsucherman.com/snare-gallery/, ← Transcription of Jimmy Cobb's performance with Miles on Ah-Leu-Cha, Instant Download Drum Books from Hudson Music →. We layered all these parts and were able to EQ things so that all the parts sit nicely together. Was this to reflect the title track, Long Flight Home? That’s normally a drum I go for when I want a big, ringy, brash, and vibrant but lovely sounding drum that’s going to sit well in the track. We recorded an entire part with my father’s 1969 Slingerland kit with an 18” bass drum. With her, I thought, ‘This is the girl. We changed what was happening rhythmically in the choruses. I’ve been doing that, on and off, with a band for 24 years, be it with the Falling Wallendas or with Styx. I tried to steer the song in that direction. On that one, I used 15” Sabian Artisan hi-hats which I think were the smallest I used on the whole record. BC:  I wish to express my sincere thanks to Todd for taking the time to chat about his new album. The one I originally had earmarked for her to be a part of didn’t make the final cut. I spoke with Todd recently to get some insights on the creation of the album. This is another great track, one that you mentioned was vocally challenging. 1:10:32 - Drum Solo Todd Sucherman will be discussing the mental and physical approach to playing the drums so you can enhance your rhythmic vocabulary. The line you mentioned, ‘Somehow my shadow beats me there,’ might be interpreted as your reputation precedes you but in a negative way. TS:  “This was another song that was lyrically complete when I started working on it. It’s tactile, and Teagan gets to see the artwork and photographs. When I recorded the drums, J.K. thought it would be cool to add the sound of a tape loop starting up, then going into the drum fill, and then going into the Casio-sounding drum machine. You’d recommend them for something, and they wouldn’t call back, show up late, or become an alcoholic mess. Todd Sucherman grew up in a musical family. You hear the last verse: ‘The silence and the waiting and the rush of all aboard, Fifty souls to a carriage and I’m trying hard to be ignored, Then my telephone shakes into life and I see your name, And the wheat fields explode into gold either side of the train’. Through the years, I gained the courage to do it within a background situation. All rights reserved. There’s also a shaker and a tambourine in there. On Last Flight Home, I used a Stanbridge purpleheart/pink ivory (segment shell) 14 X 6” wood hooped snare, tuned very low with a big drum dot on it to give a ‘baseball bat in a birthday cake’ sound. How did you decide to work together on this track? TS: “It has that English feel. This one has a sort of Genesis ‘Trick of the Tail’ vibe on it. He was the house drummer at the famed Chez Parre' in Chicago through the 1940s and 50's. It was always a talent I wished to possess, like the way a kid might dream of being an astronaut or major league ball player. I layered two snare drums, the first being a 14 X 8” Evetts Tasmanian blackwood with blackheart sassafras veneer inside and out. Not only is today the 51st birthday of STYX drummer Todd Sucherman, it's also the release day of his highly anticipated debut solo album, "Last Flight Home", via Aqua Pulse Records.CDs, high-resolution audio WAV downloads, and limited-edition signed and numbered 180-gram vinyl LPs are available now on all digital outlets as well as his official web site. The album is not a flurry of prog rock drum tracks as one might expect but passionate and varied pieces composed by Todd and his creative partner, J.K. Harrison, with Todd on lead vocals. I especially liked the line, ‘Somehow my shadow beats me there.”  I have to know more about this song and the meaning behind the lyrics. She’s to blame for spurring me in this direction. I thought that guitar line would work beautifully as an explosion at the end of this song (Kindling) when I wanted to go into the instrumental section. He’s been voted the “Best Rock Drummer” by the readers of Modern Drummer Magazine and hailed as the “Best Drum Clinician” by the readers of DRUM! I thought this was a nice option because it would never sound better than that as far as quality and it was easy to send (a downloadable email). BC:  The next track is a wonderful instrumental ballad, ‘Do You Know Me’, that has a bit of an early solo Phil Collins vibe. BC: The cover appears to show several hotel rooms with a suitcase in front of the door. He sent me a few different designs. What was your thought process in creating that part? This includes going back and ensuring you have a firm grasp on the fundamentals of drumming.