Rush's "Tom Sawyer" - Isolated Drums

Today we're going to analyze Rush's "Tom Sawyer," a hit off of their 1981 Moving Picture's album that's been a staple of album oriented radio ever since. Here's the drum track by the amazing Neil Pert.

1) You've really got to hand it to Neil, not only is the time rock-solid, but it feels so good as well. Once I posed about how you can tell a hit just from the high-hat track of Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams," and the exact same thing applies here. It feels like a hit.

2) There's a nice long reverb on the snare that's nicely timed to the track. All other drums are dry.

3) The cymbals are nice and bright but pulled back in the mix a bit.

4) Many of Neil's fills would never sound good in the hands of another drummer with less than perfect time.

5) The kick and snare are nicely compressed. They pop yet never sound chocked.

----------------------------------

Follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Don't forget to check out my Music 3.0 blog for tips and tricks on navigating the music business.