# World's Greatest Drummers



## Chico Sanchez (Oct 20, 2003)

1) Neal Peart - Rush. The Wayne Gretzky of drummers.
2) Kenny Aranoff - John Mellencamp. Cool.
3) One arm guy from Def Lepard - Sympathy vote.


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## Eidetic (Oct 6, 2003)

well if your talking rock 

Stewart Copeland - The Police - is up there


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## moonsocket (Apr 1, 2002)

keith moon
mark gaudet(my old drummer)
mitch mitchell


i like'em sloppy









but there are tonnes of awesome drummers


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

John Bonham of Led Zeppelin.  

There was only one Bonzo. Too bad.


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## buck (Jan 10, 2003)

there are so many great drummers...
john bohnam
dave grohl
buddy rich
danny carey
eric kretz
just to name a few


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## Chico Sanchez (Oct 20, 2003)

These guys are all good, granted, but do they really even come close to Peart???


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Gene Krupa might be added to the list.


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## kps (May 4, 2003)

Where's *Mose*????


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## moonsocket (Apr 1, 2002)

neil peart is too boring. techinical yes but no style








buddy rich...theres one i forgot. thanks buck!
remember when he was on the muppet show and he and animal had a dual?
AWESOME!
oh, Animal too


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## buck (Jan 10, 2003)

"These guys are all good, granted, but do they really even come close to Peart??? "

Neil Peart is very good, but for my money he's not even on my top ten...


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## buck (Jan 10, 2003)

"remember when he was on the muppet show and he and animal had a dual?
AWESOME!
oh, Animal too"

I don't think i ever saw that episode... on a related note, when i was 18 i got my first tattoo... you guessed it animal. It's not very well done and will soon be covered up...


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## Chico Sanchez (Oct 20, 2003)

"Neal Peart has no style???" Tom Waits can't sing either, I suppose??

[ October 31, 2003, 09:08 PM: Message edited by: Chico Sanchez ]


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

Actually Tom Waits can sing...he's just not all that good at it.

But neither is Madonna...and look how many records she has sold.


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## Chico Sanchez (Oct 20, 2003)

Tom Waits is a musician's musician. Those in the know, know he's one of the best.


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## moonsocket (Apr 1, 2002)

tom waits is OK. i do enjoy his stuff but he's not one of my faves


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

He's pretty good Chico. I was just pullin yer chain.


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## Brainstrained (Jan 15, 2002)

For all you Muppet fans, here's the script to the show featuring Rush.

Personally, though I like Peart, I think Keith Moon, had he been alive, would have been a better match for Animal.

I think Mitch Mitchell and Ginger Baker, both of whom could be Animal-like, were better all round drummers, able to fuse jazz, R&B and rock.


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

Stuart Copeland sure showed everyone a different tack though, eh?

Each has their merits.


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## moonsocket (Apr 1, 2002)

Stuart is an amazing drummer. man oh man. some of the stuff he does!!
Also, the guy from Minor Threat. I cant remember his name right now. Oh and the forst drummer for the Dead Kennedys. Not alot of people know them but they are fantastic!!


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## gordguide (Jan 13, 2001)

Keith Moon
Gene Krupa
John Bonham
Charlie Watts
Ringo Starr
Levon Helm
Ginger Baker
Buddy Rich
Mick Fleetwood
Bill Bruford
Carl Palmer
Bob DiSalle
Ben Bow

Tough to pick one of those, but I'd probably have to go with Moony.

Bonus points for anyone who can tell me who Bob & Ben, Carl, and Bill played for/with.

[ October 31, 2003, 11:27 PM: Message edited by: gordguide ]


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## moonsocket (Apr 1, 2002)

oooooh levon helm
forgot about him too!!
awesome
what about shelia e.?


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

Gordguide...

I recognise most of the names on your list...and I tend to agree with you on pretty much all of them.

But I am a little surprised that you included Ringo Starr.

I thought he was just a guy who liked to hang out with real musicians. 









And I'm going for the bonus points by taking a wild-assed guess that Carl Palmer was the drummer for Emerson Lake and Palmer.

You've got me stumped on the other three.


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## MannyP Design (Jun 8, 2000)

Being a drummer of many faces...

Best drummers:

Vincent Abbott (Hah! I doubt anyone would know who this amazing drummer is!)
Gene Krupa
Charlie Benante
Dave Abbruzzese
John Bonham


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

One last thing....

Keith Moon and John Bonham were probably the very best drummers in rock and roll history (and both died under similar circumstances, oddly enough).

Bonham was known as "Bonzo" by all of his friends and Moon was known as "Mooner". 

Not Moony.

Interestingly....Keith Moon is credited as the guy who suggested the name "Led Zeppelin" to Jimmy Page when the band was first formed in late 1968. He ran into Jimmy at a bar one night in London, and the legendary axeman told him about his latest band...which he was planning to call "The New Yardbirds".

Mooner...who was faceless at the time, snorted and said "Well...THAT oughta go over like a Lead Zeppelin!!" and then fell over and threw up.

Jimmy Page ran home right away and renamed the band.

The rest is history.


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## moonsocket (Apr 1, 2002)

macnutt,
i disagree on the origin of Led Zepplin.
I read in the Keith Moon biography that he(Keith)and John Entwistle had almost decided to leave the who and for their own band. and jimmy page was going to play guitar. he did get the name from keith tho.
that story like alot of keith's could have been totally made up but thats what i read


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

That particular bit of Rock trivia comes from two sources.

It's somewhere in the book "Hammer of the Gods" (the story of Led Zeppelin)...

And a friend of mine, Dean Styraith (who is from a wealthy family and who has entertained Jimmy Page at his house out here on the coast for several weeks at a time over the past two decades). Jimmy told him that this was where the band got the catchy name.

Both stories were so similar that I took it as gospel truth.

Feel free to enlighten me if I am mistaken.


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## moonsocket (Apr 1, 2002)

ill look it up tomorrow in the moon book. im sure it was in there. but, juimmy is still alive and keith is dead so we'll have to take jimmy's word for it








now if i could only hang out with pete townshend i would be quite [email protected]!!


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

One more bit of Rock trivia about Led Zeppelin (my favorite band, by far).

When the band was first formed they banged off most of their first album in the studio and then accepted a gig to do a small tour through Finland, Sweden and Denmark. They thought it would be a great way to get the new band to gell and start working as a group....plus, if they bombed, thenm not all that many people would witness it and they could still take on America after a few changes (even then, they weren't sure about John Paul Jones.)

So they printed up posters with a picture of the new first album cover on them and had them distributed all over Northern Europe with the concert dates printed boldly along the bottom.

The cover picture...as we all know by now...showed a stylised version of the Hindenburg disaster.

A Big Zepppelin burning over Lakehurst New Jersey.

This is where it gets a bit surreal....

Countess von Zeppelin, the reigning heir to the famous Zeppelin family (the same one that built all of those ill-fated airships) spotted one of the posters and went ballistic! She deployed a brace of expensive lawyers to London and they informed Jimmy and the band that if they dared to use the Zeppelin name and that horrid photo that they would be sued down to their skivvies.

Since the band was not yet famous and had no real assets, they all got together and decided to change the name of the band for this one short tour. 

Just to be safe, and free of lawsuits.

So....the very first tour that Led Zeppelin ever did as a new band was done under another name. The very first time that a whole BUNCH of people ever heard the now-legendary rock group perform " Dazed and Confused" and "Whole lotta Love", it was coming from a band that was calling itself....

"The KNOBS".

True story. I sh*t you not.


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## ErnstNL (Apr 12, 2003)

My favorites:
Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa era)
Billy Cobham
Keith Moon
Neil Peart and Stewart Copeland (for being in 3 piece bands)
Most recent:
drummer for Our Lady Peace (?)


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## K_OS (Dec 13, 2002)

> 1) Neal Peart - Rush. The Wayne Gretzky of drummers.
> 2) Kenny Aranoff - John Mellencamp. Cool.
> 3) One arm guy from Def Lepard - Sympathy vote.


The one armed guy from Def Leppard is Rick Allen.


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## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

Just as an aside, Buddy Rich did a couple of concerts at my high school back in the early Seventies - he was a friend of someone in the music department as far as I remember. It was such a _cool_ time...


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## buck (Jan 10, 2003)

"drummer for Our Lady Peace (?)"

I believe that woulld be jeremy taggart (?)

just to add a few more drummers to the list
chad smith of the chili peppers
Vinnie Paul of Pantera
Jimmy Chamberlain ex of the smashing pumpkins
and whoever played with james brown


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Gord I sure agree on Mick Fleetwood - now there 's a guy whose drumming really underscored and drove most pieces Fleetwood Mac performed. He was both a drummer and a leader.
Most important he knew when moment of quiet in a piece worked and how important using the full dynamic range of a drum set is to building tension instead of "set on LOUD".

Pacing, timing, a sense of dynamic range and the ability to build tension in a piece is more important to the music that just straight technical stick handling - they've got to be a musician first then a drummer - a few get wrong  

Anyone here a tabla fan??
Rupak Tal can bring more tension and excitement with his hands and fingers across a tabla than most with a full set of western drums. The incredible sound when a tabla is palmed is unlike any other instrument.

http://www.chandrakantha.com/tablasite/comp/7/ 










and you should see the time sense 7/14 in some of these pieces









Tried to find some online tabla but this site if you download the .wav set and drop the folder into iTunes it will give you an idea of the incredible range of sound this instrument has. There is a polytonal quality I find fascinating.

http://www.swarsystems.com/SwarShala/Cafe/SwarCafeV2.htm

Here's an iTunes streaming url for tabla - takes time to load, be patient.

http://radio4.tabla.com:3000/listen.pls

[ November 01, 2003, 12:28 PM: Message edited by: macdoc ]


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## MannyP Design (Jun 8, 2000)

There was a story in Modern Drummer about 10 years ago... Neil Pert was talking about the Rush tour in Africa and how he liked to be dropped off about 10 miles from the city there were to be performing at and bike the rest of the way -- a great way to tour since it allows you to see places and the real faces of people who live there.

Anyway, as he was biking in Africa (forget where exactly) he saw a couple of Africans trying to show a missionary priest how to play the congos. He stopped and observed for a little while. The man who was trying to show the priest how to play a complex drum rhythm to no avail. It was pretty obvious the guy must have been thinking "these white guys have no rhythm).

Seeing Neil watching the whole thing, they invited Neil to try the congos out. While the pattern was difficult, Niel impressed them with his variation on their beat. Quite a story... my telling it does no justice obviously, but it was a good story regardless.

If I can find it online, I'll post it.


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## iLabmAn (Jan 1, 2003)

Can't forget these dudes:

Alex Acuna
Rick Gratton
Carmine Appice
Ed Shaugnessy
Steve Smith
Marvin (Smitty) Smith
Paul Brochu (UZEB)
Dave Weckl
Bill Bruford (King Crimson)
Vinny Colaiuta
Phil Boon (Level 42)
Drummer from P.O.D.
Any drummer that can groove in 7/8 or any odd time signature.


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## yoyo (Aug 3, 2003)

My opinion as a drummer,
Buddy Rich, saw him many times, So fast and clean, put all to shame.
Phil Collins. How could he be forgotten. Listen to Early Genesis or his pet project Brand X.
Bill Bruford. King Crimson and Yes to name a few bands he played with.


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## Moscool (Jun 8, 2003)

60s: Ginger Baker (Cream)
70s: Keith Moon (The Who)
80s: Stu Copeland (The Police)
90s: ?
00s: Too early!

But my fave is a jazz drummer: Victor Lewis


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

I think I'm gonna go with moscool on this particular list.

He seems to have it covered pretty well (but I would like to nominate John Bonham as co-winner of the seventies. Bonzo was one of a kind...and his absence is the one thing that has prevented Led Zeppelin from making a comeback under the original name. He was THAT good.)  

Anyone want to enlighten all of us old fossils here and tell us who is the seminal drummer from the nineties? Or who is the most important one, so far, in this new century?

Oh..wait....they're all just electronic programs now, aren't they? Or _sampled_ from the truly gifted drummers of a previous generation.

Too bad....

It would seem that you guys are missing out.

On a whole LOT of stuff.

Trust me on this.


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## Chico Sanchez (Oct 20, 2003)

I think the exact same thing, The 70's were corny, etc, add some disco in there, but overall, man what tunes. Supertramp, Abba, Ted Nugent, Kiss, The Knack, Boston, Frank Zappa, young Mellencamp, Fleetwood Mac. Alice Cooper, AC/DC, Streetheart, Prism, Loverboy, to name just a few. (One guy actually wore his DISCO SUCKS shirt to HIGH SCHOOL! What BALLS he had, imagine!!!!) We thought he was the most brash guy ever!

What are our kids going to write about 30 years from now? Brittney Spears??? GOD HELP THEM.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Here ya go Macnutt. This guy does it all

http://creativeajay.tripod.com/trilok/trilok.html

"No one taught Trilok Gurtu how to hold the sticks, but today he's the best jazz drummer in the world !!"

In the hands of artists like Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu or French rocker Manu Chao, global pop can become an exhilarating, even subversive , experience.
Fernando Gonzalez, Washington Post, June 17, 2001

… Percussion wiz Trilok Gurtu opens in high style with the track “Maya”, a monster groove that falls upon the lower brain like a thunderbolt. It’s the first brilliant stroke in a records that is one of the most dynamic, virtuosic world-fusion projects in recent memory, a beatific fusion of Asian underground and African grooves. Without question, this is one moveable feast. On last year’s “African Fantasy” album, Gurtu beganm to intermingle African and Indian music, but “African Fantasy” is to “The Beat of Love” as flirtation is to consummation. … This is one of the groundbreaking world titles of the year.
Billboard, July 7, 2001

… It was World Music as One-World music, promising mutual understanding along with a delight in exotic differences.
New York Times, November 2000 (Jon Pareles)

… What made his playing so fascinating was its constant aura of surprise.
L.A. Times

THIS is the future.....
http://www.ejn.it/mus/gurtu.htm

You want the drummer for the new millenium..he's it


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## MannyP Design (Jun 8, 2000)

I can say honestly that there are a lot of great drummers from the 90s and 00s (some have been mentioned already)... unfortunately, a lot of "old school" folk tend to turn their nose up at new genres that's out there because they either don't believe metal/techno/pop/brand X music belongs in any category of "good".

And no... we're not missing out on any good music in the new millenium... the youth of today actually, more often than not, have a wider breadth of taste than their predecessors -- being raised on the classics, but having the open mind to accept new and diverse styles of music without labeling them with pre-conceived stigmas.

Someone mention Vinnie Paul from Pantera -- amazing drummer who has a very unique style that is awe inspiring. The off-beat rhythms this guy can produce with his feet alone can put many to shame using their hands.

Chad Smith of the Chili Peppers
Dave Abbruzzese of Pearl Jam (former drummer)
Randy Castillo (RIP) of Ozzy
Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater
Tommy Lee of Motley Crue

...and others that have been previously mentioned.

Honestly, I'm kind of shocked to see such a jaded mentality from some of the posts here. It never ceases to amaze me that most people who believe good music ceased to exist after the 70s.


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## Viivis (Oct 10, 2003)

I think you really need to break this down into 2 seperate catagories. Best drummer with natural feel and groove. And best technically proficient drummer. Because they are very different. Playing with each kind is totally different. A drummer like Paul Brochu of the now defunct UZEB is a technical wizard as is Mr. Peart or Bruford. 

For pure feel I think that would have to go to John Henry Bonham, just pure groove, well according to Jimmy Page. Simon Philips is pretty tight as well.

All this talk about music...Think I'll go and fire up the 'Trace', plug in the Furlanetto 5 and pound out some Mr. Bill. (For the Uzeb fans)


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## Chico Sanchez (Oct 20, 2003)

Come to think about it, my grandpappy said the best music was in the 30's, and stuff after that was crap. My dad says the 50's were the best, and the stuff after that was crap, and now I say the 70's were the best, and the modern stuff after that is crap.


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

Okay....

Trilok Gurtu....HMMMMM...just sort of rolls off the old tongue, doesn't it. And I can't think of one single thing that I have heard his name connected to. In fact...I never heard his name before you mentioned it macdoc.

But, if you say he is the seminal drummer for this particular age, then I will definitely check him out. You are not known for being wrong macdoc. (well...a few times, and that was only about politics...but we won't bring that up right now).

Trilok Gurtu...Trilok Gurtu...Trilok Gurtu....

I'll have to make it into a chant in order to get myself to remember. (It's just so very hard when they are so new and so unremarkable when compared to the truly great ones...)


John Bonham and Keith Moon...you left us wayyyyy too soon. We miss ya!!  

And it hasn't been the same since you went away!


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

Agreed, macdoc...demographics does have a lot to do with it.

But that does not explain why so many youngsters (who were born long AFTER the music was first recorded) choose to listen to the "old stuff".

And "narrowcasting" does not even come close to explaining the phenomenon that is happening on our most popular radio stations. Everywhere!

When I lived in Calgary a few short years ago, there was a "classic rock" station that played mostly the cool stuff from the past three decades and mixed it in with a chosen few bits of the best new rock. This station was, by far, the most popular one in the whole area, according to the ratings. (and pretty much every place you went, you would hear it running in the background).

The number two station had a similar format. But was a lot less popular despite this.

So, after an ownership change, the number two station decided to shift to a "Techno" and "House Music" format...mixed with a bit of classic rock and some hip-hop. According to the demographic profiles, it should have been a sure winner.

But it was a major flop!! The ratings died and pretty much everyone at the station was "let go" (fired) unceremoniously.

Now they are running taped music with no DJ's and have a mix of old and new rock. It isn't working very well.

Meanwhile, the original "Classic Rock" station (who's name eludes me) is ruling the roost.

Just the same as "Rock 101" is here on the west coast. It's on the internet and is broadcast on several repeaters all over the Province. 

When you are walking down a long ferry lineup you can hear it coming from almost every car speaker...no matter how young or old the car's occupants are.  

So...this brings me back to my original statement.

Never before has one type of music, from one very pivotal era, ever captured the interest of so many people from a much later age.

EVER!   

And...until we get some sort of very new revelation or revolution in the music scene, it will continue this way.

The new stuff is just not that good. And everyone can see that.

Especially our very perceptive youth.

Trust me on this.


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## gordguide (Jan 13, 2001)

Bill Bruford
Carl Palmer
Bob DiSalle
Ben Bow


iLabmAn gets a point for knowing Bill Bruford played with King Crimson.
MacNutt gets one for Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake & Palmer).

The last two are kind of a tricky one; Bob DiSalle is the drummer for Bruce Cockburn and Ben Bow is the drummer who played on the just the song "Wonder Where The Lions Are" from Cockburn's 1979 album "Dancing In The Dragon's Jaws". Still an amazing display of syncopation. Bow also guested on a few other Cockburn albums; for example the song "Rumours Of Glory" from Humans (1980) and some live radio shows & tours.

Some more amazing drummers that my aged cranium remembers:

Billy Cobham from John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra

Every single drummer (there were quite a few, from Michael Shrieve to Buddy Miles) who played with Carlos Santana.

As for including Ringo, you have to listen to his work to appreciate it; most of us listen to the melody of Beatles songs. Right there though, that gives you a big clue; if the melody is right the drummer is right. Period.

Not a flashy drummer, and never calls attention to himself, but Ringo may well have the the best timing in Rock n Roll.

Another drummer with impeccable timing is Charlie Watts.

[ November 02, 2003, 04:40 AM: Message edited by: gordguide ]


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

To my jaded old brain, Ringo and Charlie Watts were just along for the ride...

I sat down and listened to some of the very early stuff that both the Beatles and the Stones did earlier tonight.

I did this because Gordguide was pretty firm in his observations about these two drummers.

And I have learned to listen to Gordguide. On pretty much ANY subject.

But...after a few hours of old Beatles and Stones tunes, I just HAVE to say this...

In My Humble Opinion....both Charlie Watts and Ringo Starr (especially Ringo) were two very lucky dudes to have teamed up with truly groundbreaking bands.

Because, while they did some very competent backgroud work on some of the most famous rock albums of all time, they could have easily been replaced by any one of several dozen other drummers from this era.

John Bonham, Keith Moon, Ginger Baker and Gene Krupa were the true giants during this period.

All the rest were just interchangeable background players who were along for the ride. Nothing new or special at all.

Again...just my humble opinion.


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## buck (Jan 10, 2003)

can't forget alex van halen, one of my favourite snare drum sounds ever...


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

Too bad he didn't get the kind of recognition that his brother Eddie did.   

And too bad that he didn't get Valerie Bertinelli...like his brother Eddie did.

And it's really too bad that he was never given a *Lamborghini Miura* by Valerie Bertinelli...

...Like his brother Eddie did.

I envy Eddie in so very many ways. I barely noticed his brother on the drums.

What was his name, anyway?


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

My guess would be that there are millions upon millions more around the world that know Trilok NOW than ever knew Keith Moon. ( No disrespect I LOVE many of the bands and drummers mentioned here BUT...)
It's a big and populous world and phenom like Trilok fusing western and eastern music and instruments are making western artists look like garage bands.
 

There are subtle rhythms and patterns that have been listened to for literally thousands of years in the case of the Ragas and polyphonic instruments that the best of the innovative western artists are and have been incorporating.
Oregon the very innovative band was doing amazing things back in the 70s with alternative percussion.

Live percussion may be fading in NA with sound clips and synths but it's alive and well in the rest of the universe.


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

No offense to your illustrious forebears, Chico...BUT...

All during the late eighties and early nineties I listened to the most polpular radio station here on the West Coast. At the very same time, I traveled to, and worked in, a whole LOT of different cities and towns all across North and South America....

And guess what the vast majority of the people were listening to in ALL of these places?

You guessed it! Classic Rock from the sixties and seventies!  

In Houston Texas (cowboy country) in 1981 I listened to the New Years Day countdown on the most popular radio station in the area. Guess which song was at number ONE on the list?

"Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin.

The DJ commented that this song had won the top spot for the past EIGHT YEARS!  

And, when I worked there again in the late nineties, the countdown to the top song was again dominated by classic rock ballads and the numero uno was again "Stairway to Heaven"

Almost thirty years after it was released, this song...and the musical genre that had spawned it, was STILL riding the top of the charts on the most popular FM station in the whole area.

And my employees here on Salt Spring, who were not even born until the mid eighties, only listen to classic rock music that dates from two decades before they were born. They can listen to whatever they want to on the bottling room soundsystem...but they choose Rock 101 FM.

And they know all about Jim Morrison, and Robert Plant and Keith Richards and they even have arguments about whether Robin Trower was better than jimmy Hendrix, or just a copycat.

So...what do we make of all of this?


At what time in our past was thirty year old music dominating the airplay of the most popular radio stations?

Were we all listening to 1930's music during the sixties?

Were we all enjoying thye 1940's crooners on our most-listened-to radio station during the seventies?

Not hardly.

But the classic music from the sixties and seventies is a real force today. It dominates our TV commercials, it pours forth from every speaker when we are shopping or walking through a mall and it influences all of the new music that is being made today. Its part of our life. For young and old alike.

This is unprecedented. It's never happened before.

Guess they must have been on to something back then.   Something that had real staying power.

Think about it.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Ummmm I think it's called demographics. Y'know baby boomers like their music of certain age and they are the big bump in the population so it moves with them on the radio stations and advrtisers.

It's also called narrowcasting and fragmenting as there were far fewer "big names" when R&R was blossoming. Now it's harder to get noticed and there can be terrific players and bands who would have been highly visible in the 70s who are buried in the the sheer volume of talent and non-talent that passes for the world music scene.

I agree with the "technical" versus "musical" note as well. I might admire a guy's solo technically but I PREFER a musicality in the percussion that enhances the piece and is not just there for "show off" appeal.

A correctly timed touch on a triangle in midst of quiet moment can be just as important to the music as a complicated stick sequence. It IS about the music and great percussion really makes a dif.

Speaking of drumming anyone catch Drumline - kid was cool.


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## buck (Jan 10, 2003)

"I barely noticed his brother on the drums."
but you would have noticed if it wasn't him... 
how about hot for teacher. it couldn't have been done without alex.


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

Now how did I miss a big thread on drummers?

Top drummer to me, John Bonham. I always knew he was great until I had to learn 3 hours of zep to do every night for a couple years in The White. Then I found out he was brilliant.

Ringo Star was a master at pop. His timing, taste, and impeccable fills were beautiful. It's rare for me to see any drummer come close to that kind understanding. Truly a musical drummer.

Charlie Watts had incredible feel. True rock and roll swing. listen to those fills in Paint it Black. Gives me chills.

To say Ringo and Charlie were just along for the ride is to not really "know".

Keith Moon was absolutely explosive. Sheer exuberance. There's a guy who played what he wanted to play. Not what he shoulda played. Thank god for that.

There are so many other awesome drummers.

Bill Ward
Mtich Mitchell
Gene Krupa
Elvin Jones
Levon Helms
Mick Fleetwood
Simon Philips
Bun E Carlos
Sandy Nelson (the one that got me wanting to play drums)
Jim Keltner
Kenney Aronoff
>>how could I forget Clem Burke?

And my favourite one from current players is definitely Dave Grohl. The tracks he did on that Queen's of the Stoneage record was great.

>> I'm also a big Tom Waits fan.


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## Chico Sanchez (Oct 20, 2003)

Seems you either Love Tom Waits, or don't get it, and hate him. Alice and Blood Money kick ASS! (If you're in the mood.)


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## arminarm (Jan 12, 2002)

macnutt: _"In My Humble Opinion....both Charlie Watts and Ringo Starr (especially Ringo) were two very lucky dudes to have teamed up with truly groundbreaking bands"_

I know of no one in the business that would agree with the nutt's opinion!  

On the contrary, those bands were lucky to have these drummers who propelled their songs through rhythm over the chaos of audiences especially in the early years. The entire rhythmical character of a song is the drummer's signature.

Great drummers don't just bang away, they deliver the song!

George Martin on Ringo: "George Martin -- "Ringo always got and still gets a unique sound out of his drums, as sound as distinctive as his voice. ... Ringo gets a looser deeper sound out of his drums that is unique. ...This detailed attention to the tone of his drums is one of the reasons for Ringo's brilliance. Another is that although Ringo does not keep time with a metronome accuracy, he has unrivaled feel for a song. If his timing fluctuates, it invariably does so in the right place at the right time, keep the right atmosphere going on the track and give it a rock solid foundation."

Or as Don Was put it: ""As a drummer, he influenced three generations of rock drummers. It's not very flashy playing, but it's very musical. Instead of just counting the bars, he's playing the song, and he puts fills in unusual places that are directed by the vocal." 

From the above, you are now privy to trade secrets known as "agogic", which both Ringo and Watts used in spades.

Of the Power Rock drummers, Carmine "The Law" Appice belongs on the list as an influence on younger generations with his incredible discipline.


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

"As a drummer, he influenced three generations of rock drummers."

Not to mention his son  Wicked player.


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