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I've not seen one of these music threads for a while... Who are your favourite drummers?
There are dozens of Prog drummers i could name such as Mike Portnoy and Martin Axenrot, but I would like to nominate Gavin Harrison:
What say you?
fair enough, although I really don't like porcupine tree
I'd like to nominate Ginger Baker as (probably) the best drummer who's also a self obsessed complete arse*
(only based on 2 tv programmes, I admit)
Have you got 10 mins? Watch this.. Phil Collins and Chester Thompson
Peart.
[/thread]
Rick Allen
Rick Allen indeed!!!
It's gotta be keith moon but I've also enjoyed John Densmore (The doors) His autobiog was good.
fair enough, although I really don't like porcupine treeI'd like to nominate Ginger Baker as (probably) the best drummer who's also a self obsessed complete arse*
(only based on 2 tv programmes, I admit)
This to a tee.
Although old Buddy takes some beating...
Danny ****ing Carey.
Bill Ward
Zigaboo Modeliste
Matt Cameron
Pete Parada, definitely!
Robert Wyatt or Pip Pyle come to mind as a couple of less obvious candidates
Gotta be the lovely Arejay 'Animal' Hale and his big sticks surely 😛
Crikey, there are a few names here i don't recognise; best i start googling!
I think Ian Paice is one of the most over looked drummers of the "great rock drummer" era.
But my favourite is Bill Ward. A simple set up, big power, and a lovely bloke.
Neil Peart +1
John Bonham
Cozy Powell
Bongo Pete - Camden Palace back in the 90's 8)
I was impressed with Gavin Harrison when I saw him with King Crimson on their recent tour.
Stewart Copeland
Robert Heaton - a lovely bloke and sadly missed. New Model Army 1982-1998
Moon the Loon
Think King Crimson must have had just about the best "collection" of drummers in their various line ups
Ladies and gentlemen...
Matt Cameron
billy cobham
I have zero technical knowledge and it's not something I've thought about much, but I always thought Reni's drumming stood out on the Roses' records.
Found these on YT...
Not big on the crazy stuff so Clyde Stubblefield for me. So much rhythm.
Oh, and Jaki Leibezet from Can is no slouch...
Dave Lombardo has got to be the best
One I think is fantastic, but don't know if he ever got noticed, is Fergal Lawler of the Cranberries. I don't know about straight-up virtuosity on the instrument, but his understanding of texture and melody is hardly surpassed in the pop world.
Annnnd.. for the share glamour and pretence.. Tommy Lee - Motley Crue
Janet Weiss (Sleater Kinney / Jicks)
Billy Cobham
Dennis Chambers
Bill Ward
Stephen Perkins (Jane's Addiction)
Travis Barker (
lodious - Member
Janet Weiss (Sleater Kinney / Jicks)
Good call.
Mark Tong
Fyfe Ewing
No Dave Grohl yet, huge affect on me.
Cedric Sharpley.
Bill Ward
Bonham
Copeland
Chad Smith
Stephen Perkins
Mitch Mitchell
No mention of Ringo Starr yet - very poor 😀
Dave Clark and Micky Dolenz while we're at it!
Some great drummers here. My favourites are: -
- Al Jackson
- Charlie Watts
- John Bonham
- Keith Moon
- Alan Wren
- Ginger Baker
- Jon Brookes
- Dave Grohl
Boo Richards.
Reni.
Ritchey Hayward.
Josef Porter (Blyth Power).
Sly Dunbar.
Levon Helm.
Charlie Watts.
Pip Pyle.
Topper Headon
Rat Scabies.
I'll leave the jaaaaazzz drummers to Ed Hornby.
Just imagine what a beast he would have been in his youth.
I think Bert & Ernie have a thing or two to say about this
^^ Levon & Topper - brilliant choices.
Jimmy Chamberlin's not bad. I think the best rock drummers need to swing.
Bill Ward's swing is underrated.
Glasgow drummer Peter Kelly. Poor sound quality on the clips but you get the idea.
Lisa Millberg, the Concretes.
I was standing the queue outside the venue when the band and retinue stalked in. Among them was this little blonde pixie, whom I wrote off as a groupie.
Then she turned out to be the drummer, driving the band forwards - she was utterly mesmerising and a real leader.
Jamj, didn't realise you'd used Reni's Sunday name.
🙂
Paul Thomson too, Roxy's drummer, if only for 'If there is something'.
Slows down a bit toward the end, but I don't care, I think it's ace.
Jimmy 'Bower Power' Bower keeping it lazy:
Jungle Drummer:
Probably Dave Lombardo.
+1 Jimmy Chamberlin
Clem Burke
Travis Barker
Lux Drummerette
there are loads of them
That version of The Chicken in the OP is just utterly broken. A brilliant technician butchering a classic.
Oh, and Jaki Leibezet from Can is no slouch...
That, and that song, were exactly what I was going to post.
[url=
[url=
[url= https://youtu.be/FDfkoOled4I ]too jazzy?[/url]
[url= https://youtu.be/ebcZJ3Zso8E ]maybe this?
[/url][url= https://youtu.be/qzTxu3rS68I ]definitely this though...[/url]
Best Ian Brown live vocal performance I've ever heard during those Reni drum solos.
Also, anyone who's ever played with the Boredoms, which is too many people to list...
Doktor Avalanche from The Sisters Of Mercy.
OK....that's a drum machine.
In the real world, Stuart Copeland.
Or, that guy on YouTube playing the plastic pots in the street.
I may be a bassist but I think I get more excited about drummers!
And Ringo was a bloody brilliant drummer - incredibly tight, great groove and very musical. As a rhythm section he and McCartney were as good as anyone.
Karen Carpenter was incredibly good too.
I really like some of the session greats who could just walk in and nail a complex track in a couple of takes - like Steve Gadd on Aja.
And Brain Mantia is still so cool - check out this gem of an 'instructional video' from the '90s:
(Titled "Shredding repis on the gnar gnar rad")
And on the heavier end of things. Vinnie Paul combines the most metal of attacks with a deep groove sensibility. So so SO tight too - Pantera in their prime were even tighter than the Cold Sweat era James Brown band, Clyde or Jabo on drums.
?uestlove! Voodoo is magic.
I've always thought that Frank Beard from ZZ Top is great - he plays very tastefully.
Also on the jazz front:
chiefgrooveguru - Member - Block User
I may be a bassist but I think I get more excited about drummers!And Ringo was a bloody brilliant drummer - incredibly tight, great groove and very musical. As a rhythm section he and McCartney were as good as anyone.
Fo sho:
Fyfe Ewing, not many people play lead drums.
Travis Barker's got some skills. Cymbal heavy, this, but by design
I would say Keith Moon or John Bonham.
The worst is definitely whatever waste of space plays on Instant Karma. The only drums that actually annoy me.
Special shout out to Gregory C. Coleman for creating what is almost certainly the most copied piece of drumming ever created, the Amen break.
8)
Dave Lombardo for me too
Stephen Morris
Jojo Meyer and Steve Jordan arethe two guys that I'd rate as the best living drummers....I'd say that Jordan is one of the best musicians on the planet actually!
More popular names, Stuart Copeland and Bonzo for me. Big fan of Portnoy and Peart too but only in small doses.
Bonzo
Taylor Hawkins
My mate Steve Turton (local band back in the day Monkey Business)
Love this drum solo by Joe Morello during Dave Brubecks Take 5
Also Jojo Mayer. Beat me to it Tom B.
In no particular order ,
Clem Burke
Martin Gilks
Loz Tolhurst
John Bonham .
Think King Crimson must have had just about the best "collection" of drummers in their various line ups
Their latest tour requires 3 drummers to replace Bill Bruford. Which says it all for me.
I've always thought that Frank Beard from ZZ Top is great - he plays very tastefully.
Was watching a recent live set of theirs and thought he sounded excellent. Giving a lovely, restrained backing to the driving bass of Dusty and the utter brilliance of the Reverend Willy G. An under rated drummer, that's for sure.
Its great that there are quite a few people here who like watching technically gifted drummers play.
It makes up for me who finds it completely boring.
Stephen morris
Yeah, chakaping has it. Jaki from Can. Except it should be halleluwah (obviously)
Mo Tucker also. Yeah.
Alex Neilson I've seen couple time and I was impressed (he played with Superwolf and Harem Scarem/BPB).
The best drummer I've ever seen though would have to be Elvin Jones. By a country mile. If he was good enough for John Coltrane...
makes up for me who finds it completely boring
Agreed. I much prefer drummers who can just drive the band rather than show off. In particular I can't abide drum solos
Can we have a straw poll? How many of the posters on this thread, other than Sonor & myself, play drums? Would be interesting.
Like cycling. I like doing it but it's not a spectator sport imo
Can I add Bryan Devendorf to the list
I play badly, as in way too bad to gig (gigged with voice and guitar, mind). Son (9) may overtake me in drum skillz soon!
Some great drummers in this thread. Billy Cobham, mmmmmmyeah!!
I would like to add Kliph Scurlock and Sarah Jones.
David Francolini of Dark Star. Fantastic band, he was very powerful, and very loud, nothing too fancy, no solos, thankfully, but when a drummer puts his sticks down and picks up a pair of maracas to play with, you know he's not playing folk music...
He now has a studio in Bristol, I wish the band would get back together.
Stewart Copeland for me
I'm sure there are better technical drummers but I've always loved his style
Grew up bashing various household items along with the beats of
Keith Moon
John Bonham
Bill Ward
Neil Peart
Etc
Then discovered Michael Shrieve (Santana) which set me off in a whole new direction and much more open to something other than that average 4/4 rock fodder with side-orders of solos. Still love listening to his stuff.
I played percussion in a few bands for a decade or so but was ultimately more into composing electronically. Would very much love to come back to drums though, especially after hearing so much different stuff over the last decade.
Anyway, back to faves - I finally discovered (way late in life) the motorik grooves laid down so precisely and exquisitely by the abovementioned Jaki Liebezeit. Blew me away.
Then, a little later but around the same time, discovered Christian Vander (Magma) whose compositions/playing/music totally trepanned me and has continued to do so for 15 yrs now. I read he was mentored by Elvin Jones and he goes on all the time about Coltrane in interviews. Thing is - Vander is an awesomely freaky monster as far as composers go - he goes from crazed, powerful, (often terrifying) 'zeuhl' music, then to subtle jazz/rock-fusion, then drums up the Valkyries to Valhalla, then even some disco-soul etc. Infinite subtlety of expression too. Weird time signatures, fluid complexity, motorik precision, sloppy abandon. The very all.
So that's my choice. Christian Vander. If nothing else he invented the one genre of music that didn't finally bore me.
Here's some of the more frantic stuff:
(Jump in at 3 mins 30 sec 😯 )
Magma - M.D.K (Vander)
Michael Shrieve:
Funnily enough I was going to say Dave Francolini,too. Of all the bands I've played together with he is one drummer who stands out. Also Keith York of Dr Phibes. Both made drumming look cool and both had/have impeccable rythmn. One more drummer I love to watch is Taylor Hawkins.
For the best smile - Meytal Cohen
For technical excellence - Neil Peart

