“Changes that feeling”: The drummer Rick Rubin called “unbelievably great”
One of the defining aspects of Rick Rubin has always been his unconventional approach. As someone who thrives on intuition over pragmatism, Rubin has allowed this gift to create some of the best music of all time, all while establishing new parameters for what constitutes a good producer. However, not everybody appreciates this, with some needing a little more direction.
While many of Rubin’s projects have long been hailed as some of the best producing of all time, others have disregarded his demeanour as too relaxed or unkempt to nurture a good working environment. However, most of the time, this just comes down to personal preference, with some saying that his hands-off disposition is more beneficial to creativity than if he appeared more stringent.
On top of this, Rubin doesn’t seem to care all that much about what critics think of his work ethic. Instead, he knows that what he has is a powerful tool that musicians can either take or leave, with those falling into the former usually already well-aligned with what works best when alongside him in the studio. This, among many other reasons, is what also makes some of his musical favourites even more intriguing.
After all, if Rubin approaches his own work with an air of quiet confidence, it’s probably safe to assume that he enjoys musicians who adopt a similar level of inexplicable allure. In his eyes, these are the ones who know their way around an instrument by heart and soul and understand sound dynamics with effortless ease, even when the technical or theoretical practices aren’t there.
When it comes to drummers, it’s not only interesting to look at some of Rubin’s favourites because he isn’t a drummer himself, but because it also demonstrates just how much spontaneity and energy appeal to him as a music fan. For instance, he once described Chris Dave as one of the greatest drummers of all time because “just the touch, the feel, the tone,” is “miraculous”, not because of his technical proficiency.
Similarly, he was once enthused about Slayer’s Dave Lombardo to Rolling Stone because of his ability to make them feel and sound louder, which doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with how to play the instrument itself. “Dave Lombardo is this incredible, unbelievably great drummer,” he said, describing the drums as a “natural instrument” that “changes that feeling of how hard they’re being hit.”
For Reign in Blood, this ensured that “everything seemed louder”, which was a fundamental aspect of intensifying the appeal of the music in the studio. There was, of course, more to Lombardo’s playing than just the volume, but the way he was able to enhance this facet made all other elements stand out, thriving on inhibition and energy over anything overly complicated or intricate.
