It’s Mick Jagger’s birthday today, the young man is 81, and thus a fine occasion to post my first serious piece of rock ‘n roll criticism, “In Search of the Backbeat.”
In June I went down to Lincoln Financial Field and saw the greatest rock band on their Hackney Diamonds tour with my old friends Wilson Hall and Tim Harmston.
The trip is now immortalized not just online but in print for the August issue of The Nation (Kamala Harris will be on the cover). The layout looks great with original art by Josh Gosfield; I am also amused that my own iPhone photo of the crowd made it into posterity.
Biggest thanks to Wilson and Tim for the awesome time! (Perhaps apologies are also in order, for turning a fun road trip into reportage is arguably an ungenerous act.) Not pictured on this occasion: Kris Osegard, another relevant Menomonie WI friend, who played the cassette tape of Hot Rocks repeatedly in his car when driving the two of us to high school and back. I only have a baseline lizard brain knowledge of The Rolling Stones thanks to Kris.
The Nation piece would be quite different (and nowhere near as good) without my astonishing editor Shuja Haider.
Also thanks to head editor Don Guttenplan, fact-checker Grayson Scott, and general fount of information Vinnie Sperrazza.
The Rolling Stones are a general interest topic. Whenever I told anyone I was going to see The Rolling Stones — or had seen The Rolling Stones — or was writing about The Rolling Stones — that person responded with a strong opinion.
Naturally, there’s already a lot of Rolling Stones reception history. My writing is usually an act of advocacy, but there’s not much reason to advocate for The Rolling Stones. I needed a hook, a way in, a motive.
That old James Brown line, “Give the Drummer Some,” is always a good idea. Dave King was the first person to tell me about Steve Jordan many years ago. (Dave raved about Jordan, of course, as do all professional drummers concerned with a deep backbeat.) More recently I met Jordan at the Village Vanguard thanks to Billy Hart. It was a real pleasure to hear Jordan with the Stones, and I was thrilled that he agreed to be interviewed for the piece.
The names are there in the final, but for those wishing for every drop of drum wisdom, this is what Steve Jordan said when I asked him about who he idolized for a backbeat:
I have too many idols. I could list a million people. But: Al Jackson Jr. had one of the most recognizable, steady, precise and exacting backbeats. Benny Benjamin, Fred Below, Earl Palmer…with those four you are saying something. Clyde Stubblefield and Jabo Starks for James Brown.
Love when you get into the "inexplicable" mad science, Ethan. Explaining "feel" and "syncopation." Which are usually best described by their absence. Anyway, your Stones piece the Nation is highly recommended -- for those who may not have clicked through. A VERY satisfying read.
Hitting it dead on! Plus, it's an excellent resource for drum teachers and all drummers who aren't familiar with the names in the article and illustration. This from an old drummer with roots in jazz and rock n' roll.