Rock Bios: How Did Bruford Play Like That? Part 2 (WARNING: Drummer-Related Post)

[ ]NOTE: I TRIED TO POST THESE IN REVERSE ORDER BUT FOR SOME REASON IT WON'T DO THAT, SO READ PART 1 BELOW FIRST. HAVE A NICE DAY. [ ]All that superhuman playing still couldn't explain the vibe that just blasted from the drums. It's no secret that many musicians back then (as today I guess) took a little toot before a gig or a session, and Bill was no different. I never played drums on blow but I did try it a time or two back in the day (hated it) but I accounted for that possibility and that's not it. Not that he was or wasn't tooting but either way it wasn't drugs. Lots of guys play high. If anything it fucks-up their playing. [ ]Anyway Bill mentioned casually that he'd had a huge fight with his girlfriend just before he left for the studio. It was bad enough that they broke up after that. He was too humble to mention that it made him play like a man possessed. Well, there you have it. I understand now, after all these years. I'd never have guessed in a million years but I sure do get it. Wow. I don't know too many Bruford fand who'd be too interested in that maybe but my drum-dork boner was off the charts. A fight with the missus...whod'a thunk it? He was letting out all that anger, and it just happened to be exactly when he recorded that part of the song. It's perfect. It comes straight out of the gate already redlined, and Bill (and his girlfriend) is why. He was getting closure on the drums. Unreal. It may sound woo-woo but to me that's the Universe talking to us, and it's recorded to hear again and again, thank God. [ ]Talk about a snapshot in time...with ALL due respect I doubt he'd have played it the same the day before or after. BTW ol' Bill did just fine after that. He met someone soon after and he's still happily married decades alter. Even finally knowing where that X-factor came from doesn't make the drumming any less astonishing, but it explains a lot. Like reading about "'am or cheese" it put a grin on my face and closed another mystery...a big one. Not many people would care, but it's something that's actually bothered me for decades, and I KNEW something was going on during that recording. I'm happy to know it wasn't something like he'd just sold his soul to Satan that afternoon, but I picked up on something every time I heard it, and I'm proud for being able to tune into that, just from a recording. [ ]Speaking of tune, it's really just a frequency deal, although it's more than just the music's frequency...it's also Bill's, AND his mood's. Everything in the Universe is a frequency, on the most basic level. It depends on how sensitive someone is to different frequencies, and frequencies have always been my thing. I'm hooked on sonics. Bill being pissed-off at his girlfriend translated into a one-of-a-kind performance with a mysterious but discernable vibe that translated into the recording and then bounced into me. It came full-circle twice. How about that? I sleep much better knowing all these things. Rock on.