I've never had any big ideas about being the solo.

I know when I feel good when I play. There's a closeness with musicians you only get from playing live, even in the studio it's still playing live. For me, it's what expands my soul.

We [the band] had this open door policy - if you walked in the door, you were asked to play

I never studied anything, really. I didn't study the drums. I joined bands and made all the mistakes onstage.

F irst and foremost I am a drummer. After that, I'm other things... But I didn't play drums to make money. I played drums because I loved them... My soul is that of a drummer... It came to where I had to make a decision - I was going to be a drummer. Everything else goes now. I play drums. It was a conscious moment in my life when I said the rest of things were getting in the way. I didn't do it to be come rich and famous, I did it because it was the love of my life.

I'm the greatest in this world.

The White Album is important to me for different reasons. One - I had left the band on the White Album.