Well if the old stuff was great, and the new stuff sucks, and the old stuff didnt use clicks, but the new stuff does... mathematics

But here is an article that used to be on Groupeffort.com i had cpied but it's not on the site anymore.

The Drummer Vs. The Drum MachineAnalog drum machines have been around since the 60s, and were actually used on Sly Stone recordings in the early 70s. Digital drum machines revolutionized the pop sound of the 80s, with everyone from the Cars to Prince using them in their recordings and live performances. This revolution opened the door for a new form to take hold: rap. Machines were the perfect companinion for rappers in the late 80s who just needed a beat as a backdrop to their rhymes. Live drummers continued to be born though, and many have either consciously or subconsciously been influenced by the presence of the drum machine. This includes enduring the lame-o cracks that we're suddenly replaceable. Ah, the drummer jokes.

Regardless, this competition with machine resulted in many drummers feeling the heat to up their game: beats had to be cleaner, time had to be steadier, tuning had to more perfect, etc., etc. As a result modern drummers tend to reflect the stoicism of the machines. I would argue that while their may be gains to the art form in certain aspects, what's been lost is the soul that was once present in live drumming. A beat created by a human drummer is a thing to behold. No two drummers play the same beat the same way, each bringing his own musical preferences, life experiences and well, soul, to the table.

Little things like speeding up the tempo during a chorus and pulling it back during the verses (ala Charlie Watts), are becoming things of the past. While I'm on the subject just say no to click tracks. You think Black Sabbath used a click track on War Pigs? My work here is done ~ jb