Uploaded January 2010 | Updated September 2026, 8 hours ago
One of my all-time favorite Genesis tracks, it must be admitted! I know this is not 'the old stuff' to many fans, but this really is a very catchy song, and I love this live version. It just lifts and lifts, and of course, there is lots of drumming going on!
I have been drumming along to this since the early 1980's - it is one that you can just about play along to whatever level you are at. And I have always thought of it is one of the relatively easy ones on drums - er, until about three months ago when I decided to try and do it properly for YouTube!
Suffice to say I have had a lot of problems with it, as you may pick up if you listen closely!
This video is a first for several things - first vid with my Pearl Demon drive pedals, first with my new Iron Cobra hi hat; first with my new Bose P.A system; first time I have used a mic on the bass drum on YouTube; first time I have had to use nifty footwork from hi hat to slave bass pedal and most of all, first time I have had the itchiest nose ever during a recording!!
The hi hat crescendo's from 0'29 are quite tough, if you try and play the closed hi hat 'ands' as well, as I have tried. Chester does not need to do the 'ands', since these are a drum machine or something. However, it is a good mental excercise for us amateurs!
From 1'56, the nightmare bass drum triplets commence. These have haunted me since I first heard them in 1983 or whenever. I mean, how the hell does Chester do them? Single pedal? Dammed if I can do it with a single! Suffice to say, I struggled, even with the demon drive. I eventually found a way to do it with double pedals, whilst still playing the closed and opening hi hats - see the close up footage of my footwork after the main vid :-) It seems to have worked! The key is to try and play an eighth note on the hat with your foot, just after an 'and' played with left stick. However, your foot ALSO has to play an eighth note on the slave bass pedal at same time, this bass hit being the second 8th note of the three bass triplets......are you following this? No, it lost me too. Just watch the video!!!!
At 3'12, I find it very difficult to get the Chester crescendo right - he is so good at this kind of simple but elusive groove, even when he fills - it is just like Squonk live.
At 3'36, I had what can only be described as the itchiest nose ever whilst recording drums! Apologies! It had been building since the opening minute!
From 4'12, there is a wonderful sea of crashes by Chester, again just like Squonk live. Very deceptive stuff - I find it really tough to try and copy his groove and the wonderful lazy fills. And he manages to keep that ride going through much of it. Chester is THE MAN!
At 4'52, Chester's crescendo is sublime. Perfect. And very hard to emulate.
I love the off beat bass drum hits in the fill at 5'14, and then the way the bass drum doubles create a real energy at the end of the song. Chester plays a perfect finale here.
Hands up if you love the way the drums end the song. That's all of us then. Beautiful, beautiful flourishes from Chester. However, at 5'38, I MISS a crash - I was so upset I almost threw myself out the window - I love the way the drums close on this song, and I went and missed a goddamn crash.....ggrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!
It is not as good as I had hoped it would be, but I hope you enjoy :-)
On another note - I have a Bose P.A. (in fact my band now have one of these systems per musician). It is AWESOME! Anyway, I have played my ipod through it for this video, AND mic'd my bass drum and put a bit of that through it as well. Can you tell? I think it sounds pretty good!
It helps also that I just changed every single batter and resonant head on the kit - all Evans. Some of my resonant heads had not been changed since, er, 1986.........oooppppps!
:-)
ps you will find more detail about the problems I had with this cover by looking at the 'News' page on my jouxplan website - several posts!
One of my all-time favorite Genesis tracks, it must be admitted! I know this is not 'the old stuff' to many fans, but this really is a very catchy song, and I love this live version. It just lifts and lifts, and of course, there is lots of drumming going on!
I have been drumming along to this since the early 1980's - it is one that you can just about play along to whatever level you are at. And I have always thought of it is one of the relatively easy ones on drums - er, until about three months ago when I decided to try and do it properly for YouTube!
Suffice to say I have had a lot of problems with it, as you may pick up if you listen closely!
This video is a first for several things - first vid with my Pearl Demon drive pedals, first with my new Iron Cobra hi hat; first with my new Bose P.A system; first time I have used a mic on the bass drum on YouTube; first time I have had to use nifty footwork from hi hat to slave bass pedal and most of all, first time I have had the itchiest nose ever during a recording!!
The hi hat crescendo's from 0'29 are quite tough, if you try and play the closed hi hat 'ands' as well, as I have tried. Chester does not need to do the 'ands', since these are a drum machine or something. However, it is a good mental excercise for us amateurs!
From 1'56, the nightmare bass drum triplets commence. These have haunted me since I first heard them in 1983 or whenever. I mean, how the hell does Chester do them? Single pedal? Dammed if I can do it with a single! Suffice to say, I struggled, even with the demon drive. I eventually found a way to do it with double pedals, whilst still playing the closed and opening hi hats - see the close up footage of my footwork after the main vid :-) It seems to have worked! The key is to try and play an eighth note on the hat with your foot, just after an 'and' played with left stick. However, your foot ALSO has to play an eighth note on the slave bass pedal at same time, this bass hit being the second 8th note of the three bass triplets......are you following this? No, it lost me too. Just watch the video!!!!
At 3'12, I find it very difficult to get the Chester crescendo right - he is so good at this kind of simple but elusive groove, even when he fills - it is just like Squonk live.
At 3'36, I had what can only be described as the itchiest nose ever whilst recording drums! Apologies! It had been building since the opening minute!
From 4'12, there is a wonderful sea of crashes by Chester, again just like Squonk live. Very deceptive stuff - I find it really tough to try and copy his groove and the wonderful lazy fills. And he manages to keep that ride going through much of it. Chester is THE MAN!
At 4'52, Chester's crescendo is sublime. Perfect. And very hard to emulate.
I love the off beat bass drum hits in the fill at 5'14, and then the way the bass drum doubles create a real energy at the end of the song. Chester plays a perfect finale here.
Hands up if you love the way the drums end the song. That's all of us then. Beautiful, beautiful flourishes from Chester. However, at 5'38, I MISS a crash - I was so upset I almost threw myself out the window - I love the way the drums close on this song, and I went and missed a goddamn crash.....ggrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!
It is not as good as I had hoped it would be, but I hope you enjoy :-)
On another note - I have a Bose P.A. (in fact my band now have one of these systems per musician). It is AWESOME! Anyway, I have played my ipod through it for this video, AND mic'd my bass drum and put a bit of that through it as well. Can you tell? I think it sounds pretty good!
It helps also that I just changed every single batter and resonant head on the kit - all Evans. Some of my resonant heads had not been changed since, er, 1986.........oooppppps!
:-)
ps you will find more detail about the problems I had with this cover by looking at the 'News' page on my jouxplan website - several posts!
