I would hope that YOU actually heard VooDoo from beginning to end before going on how there's some type of "backlash" against it because of the drumming. I hope that you're not going on some he said, she said ish.<P>If you go from "Player, Player" to "Africa" I doubt any person that apprecaites good music could say that the drumming was monotous. Have you heard "Spanish Joint"? <P>Yes, for the most part on this album the drumming is spare. I think that anything else would've have taken away greatly from the spirit of the album. As I understand it, the album is about the the spirit of music or music creation, not necessarily the practice of Voodoun, but simply letting the music come to you and following its lead (which is probably why it took the brother so damn long to finish teh album). And IMHO only a laid back, spare style of drumming would've properly complimented songs like "The Root", "Untitled", "The Line" and "Greatdayinnamornin'". <P>But the drumming on cutss like Spanish Joint and Africa rose to the occassion of those songss which called for a slightly different mood.<BR>A drummer is not supposed to get in the way of the music. Unfortunately so many drummers these days, of all genres, feel the nedd to get in the way of the music and the message.<P>Now Greg Tate took issue with Quest's drumming in his wonderful and glowing review of VooDoo. I actually think the points Greg made were fair critiques even though I disagreed that the Quest's style took away from the music. Greg felt, as I assume that you do, that a more varied style throughout the album would've added to the album. And as I first read his review I was inclined o agree. But as I listened to Voodoo over and over again, I have to disagree wholehertedly. <P>VooDoo is reminiscent of old-school funk. The type of funk that came out of Stax Records, The Ohio Players, etc. and the drummingn fits that bill as well.<P><BR>Now if you dislike like Ahmir's signature style ( playing like a drum machine), that is your right. But the discipline and rigor that it takes to drum like a drum machine is amazing and is well suited to the work he has done thus far, IMHO (COME ON, "Double Trouble", the breakdown in "You Got Me"). However in regards to VooDoo I think the drumming fits very well with the over all vision of the album. If you listen to teh album and absorb the whole vibe, I doubt you'll disagree.<P>This whole conversation is funny to me because you can log onto Prince websites or newsgroups and read people berate Prince's monotnous drum machine programming on one album and then say how amazing the drums were on Sign of the Times even though he used the same technique and same drum machine for so many of his albums during that period.<P>Oh well.<P>"Only when lions have historians will hunters cease to he heroes." - African Proverb