lleetulood Mac frumoars Any drummer looking for a clear example of what playing for the song sounds and feels like need look no further than this classic album. I sk most pop fans about Fleetwood Fleetwood and bassist John McVie locking AMu.'t Rumours and you'll get an in and making mid-tempo magic. After earful about heartache, freshly splintered Fleetwood introduces the song with a tasty couples trying to salve raw wounds, snare-to-tom fill, he crashes on beat 2 and and kissing the past goodbye through the elements of a soft-rock classic-Nicks' song. But what ofthe heartbeat pulsing airy lead vocal, Christine McVie's Fender through that heartache, Mick Fleetwood's Rhodes, and Buckingham's sparse electric drumming? For all the praise heaped guitar-are assembled inside the deep upon the time-capsule-worthy songs that bass-and-drums pocket. lt's a seemingly Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie, simple concept, that "heartbeat" feel. and Stevie Nicks contributedto Rumours, But the Mac's founding fathers don't just Fleetwood's work doesn't get nearly the deliver it, they own it. lt's difficult to think love it deserves-at least outside the many of another rhythm section that plays it like producers, engineers, and musicians who thev do. have for decades been chasing down the In contrast to the carefully measured album's warm drum sound and impeccable oulse he lends to "Dreams," Fleetwood on tastefully dropped snare beats and a simple feel. Those studio rats and musos refer to "Go Your Own Way" is all primal kick, from but sweet combination of 16th notes during Fleetwood's playing on Rumours because the tom Datterns ofthe verses and solo the snare hits and cymbal crashes at 'l:59. it's a stellar example of just how integral section to the surging feel ofthe chorus, On Christine McVie's "Don't Stop," tasteful and supportive drumming is where the rattle of oveidubbed percussion Fleetwood taps into his blues roots, to a great song, and how intoxicating a pushes slightly ahead ofthe kick-snare-hats shuffling along on the snare and hi-hats. He gorgeous groove played atjust the right pattern and McVie's melodic bass line. keeps things loose throughout, occasionally tempo on a fat-sounding kit can be. Typical of so many of his fills, Fleetwood's answering the "don't" and "stop" in the "Dreams" is especially intoxicating, with best licks in "Go Your Own Way" feel like choruses with crashes and building through happy accidents, especially the way he fills the too ofthe measure in the final chorus. into the chorus following the guitar solo but The drama of "The Chain," a song doesn't cap it with a cymbal crash. Instead, credited to the whole band, hinges on he subtly slides into double time. But Fleetwood's minimalist work in the front because of the deep sound of his snare, you half-first the quarter notes from the kick don't necessarily realize he's got the snare drum in the hollowed-out verses, then the going four across the bar until a measure or driving feel of quarter notes on the snare two has passed. (This trick is repeated again against 8th notes on the kick in the chorus. to wonderful effect in the final verse ofthe At the breakdown, Fleetwood quietly builds buoyant "You Make Loving Fun.") Mick saves on the snare and floor tom, before McVie's his best bit for last, at the 3:09 mark: two classic bass line enters and the track heads short 16th-note snare punctuations that toward its raging climax. More hypnotic squeeze the song's tension just enough as minimalism follows on Nicks"'Gold Dust Buckingham digs deep into his searing solo Woman," where the boom-TOCK, boom- before the fade. TOCK of Fleetwood's simole bass drum Something else that makes the drum- and cowbell pattern in the verses perfectly ming on Rumours so classic is the amount underscores the song's witchy vibe. of ground Fleetwood covers while serving "l'm just a guy who gets out his own the rhythmic needs of the band's three emotions through a pretty simple distinctly unique songwriters. To the rolling formula of technique," Fleetwood told strum of Buckingham's "Second Hand MDinhis June 2009 cover story. That News" Mick brings a rigid feel and a bright "simple formula" of hypnotic grooves and snare sound that's unreoeated on the rest of idiosyncratic touches serves the songs on the album. Here he mostly keeps it straight Rumours perfectly. on the kick and snare, mixing things up with Patrick Berkery lgr 38 | ModernDrummer I August2014.