With each rehearsal and show, the songs got leaner and tighter. When we first met Hutch, he talked about his southern rock roots, and I was afraid that he was going to favor meandering jams. But he took after Steve Cropper more than Duane Allman, punctuating the songs with hard rhythmic bursts. I still failed to connect with him personally, but we got along well enough. Bobby, though, was a good friend and a stalwart player. The drums brought his personality out, and it was like a feedback loop. The happier he was, the better he played, and the better he played, the happier he was. Those two guys helped me understand the secret of rock and roll. It's only hard if you make it complicated.
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