Drummer's Connection:
Simply put: Josh Freese is the best rock drummer in the world.
Why? No, it’s not because he exceeds every rock drummer in every way. And it’s not because he possesses a singular quality that no one else can recreate. He doesn’t.
It’s because he IS rock drumming. He is the rock drummer of a time and place. And that’s not just recognized because by fans, one just needs to look at a short list of his contributions: Nine Inch Nails, Kelly Clarkson, Guns N Roses, Weezer, The Offspring, Miley Cyrus, A Perfect Circle, Fuel, Katy Perry, Rob Zombie, Filter, Avril Lavigne, Ween, Devo
He’s too ubiquitous and too good to not be mentioned as such. There are other arguments for other player’s dominance, but I feel that they all fall short in comparison to the on-going accomplishments of Mr. Freese.
How to describe his sound? It strikes me that it is so even and unforced. And I think that translates into his sound. He is a true master of balance in his movements. This is not something you can fake or feign. There’s really only one way to develop a sense of balance in this way, an incredibly detailed and specific muscle memory. Repetition! Is there any drummer that plays more than Josh Freese? Probably not! Mr. Freese’s sound is the direct result of his LIFE. He plays drums constantly, and he can’t make a mistake anymore. His body and limbs are custom-designed for playing drums PERFECTLY. So folks, if you want to see the Greek ideal of a Drumming God, behold: Josh Freese
Balance in Action:
Notice how he gains power by “falling into” his hits, but catches himself at the PERFECT time to make it back to the next hit? Yeah. Do you see that? You just witnessed WHY Josh Freese is the most called-upon rock drummer in the world. Not only does the way he moves look perfectly pleasing to the eye, it sounds perfectly pleasing because it’s perfectly in time, because of the movements. It’s a repeating loop. Movement leads to sound, sound leads to movement. The IDEAL.
Well, what else is noteworthy about Josh Freese as a drummer? Something beyond his astonishing consistency...
Well there is the groove, and the fills. Both are equally tasty. But a lot of drummers have groove and good fills. So what’s different? It must not be that his fills are “better” or his groove “groovier”…so what can you say?
Here it is: Josh Freese makes the band better. Any band. There is one thing 100% absent from any Josh Freese performance: fear. Not from him, not from the band members that he’s playing with. Because there is no fear, the band plays as good as it possible can. No bass player, guitarist, or singer will ever have to compensate for a rushed fill, or wonder where the perfect “1” is after a long pause. If Josh Freese is playing with you, all of these things WILL be handled perfectly. I think the role of a Freese can be found in any aspect of life. People seek out the people who have the confidence and ability to do what they set out to do. And a few, end up doing it so perfectly that they become synonymous with that task. Josh Freese is that to modern rock drumming.
