I would like to cover a few aspects of individual songs on Moving Pictures from the drummer’s point of view. “Tom Sawyer” is an enjoyable piece of work, mainly based on a funky backbeat rhythm in 4/4, with an instrumental section and rideout in 7/8. I’m playing full strength for the whole track, and it took about a day and a half to record. I remember collapsing afterwards with raw, red, aching hands and feet. I had been playing the bass drum so hard that my toes were all mashed together and very sore. Physically, this was certainly the most difficult track, and even now it takes as much energy to play properly as my solo. On all the songs on Moving Pictures—except for “Vital Signs”—we used front heads on the bass drums. I have always preferred the increased feel and tonal dynamics of closed bass drums, but was always […]

February 1983 Issue