Vati,

I saw Neal Smith in the Alice Cooper band four times between 1972 and 1974 (when my hair was as long as his), and never once did I see what could be visually identified as a ride cymbal in his monstrous kit. Neal surrounded himself with drums, but was extremely frugal with cymbals, usually opting for only two or three crashes (all looking to be about 16-18")...

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I loved his unique playing approach. Although he would sometimes ride on one of his crash cymbals, he usually chose to "solo" throughout a piece similar to Keith Moon only less obnoxiously and more controlled (save your defensive responses Who fans). While Neal never played anything technically difficult or complex, I was always impressed by the odd and imaginative ways he chose to accompany a piece, such as the "Bolero" riff repeated in School's Out or the simple bass/snare riff throughout Billion Dollar Babies. Listen to Blue Turk off the School's Out album though, and you can hear his jazz roots.

Like to hear from any other Neal Smith fans regarding his equipment or style.

Mike