What About Best Drummers

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What About Best Drummers

Reply #25 – 2002-09-21 22:42:06

My vote goes for Dr. Avalanche / The Sisters of Mercy - Body Electric

What About Best Drummers

Reply #26 – 2002-09-21 23:25:59

Neil Peart (Rush)
Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews Band)

What About Best Drummers

Reply #27 – 2002-09-21 23:32:10

Danny Carey of Tool is probably the most skillful and innovative drummer of his time. I personally prefer his stuff on Opiate/Undertow than the more bizzare shit Tool came up with on Aenema and Lateralus. (he seems to especially overuse tom rhythms, sans hi-hat, on Lateralus) His hi-hat and ride syncopation are imo completely, totally unmatched in a rock drummer.

Some nice Carey tracks in particular:
Hush - Opiate
Crawl Away - Undertow (listen to the drum fill at around 4:05, and the dbl kick section preceding it.)
Part of Me - Opiate
Undertow - Undertow (pretty much shows his whole repetoire here)

Pantera's Vinnie Paul may not be as versatile as Carey, but his drumming is almost machine-like in precision. I've never heard a more steady double-kick. A few tracks to give a glimpse of his perfection:

Regular People - Vulgar Display of Power
Fucking Hostile - Vulgar Display of Power
Domination - Cowboys from Hell
Art of Shredding - Cowboys from Hell
Really anything off CFH or VDOP. Other albums have weaker stuff, IMO. Most amazing fact: apparently Vinnie only has two toms! Many drummers do far worse with 10+ toms than he does with 2.

Last drummer: Matt Cameron of Soundgarden. A very solid drummer, that doesn't seem that complex at first, but extended listening reveals extremely cool variations on themes and nice fills. Listen to anything off Badmotorfinger to hear him at his best. I don't have the album right here to pick tracks, but Jesus Christ Pose would be a nice place to start.

Can you tell this is one of my favourite topics?

What About Best Drummers

Reply #28 – 2002-09-22 04:36:52

Quote

Most of you guys probably aren't old enough to know this name, and I'll only mention one: Gene Kruper.

The first drummer to be a superstar, Gene Krupa may not have been the most advanced drummer of the 1930s but he was in some ways the most significant. Prior to Krupa, drum solos were a real rarity and the drums were thought of as a merely supportive instrument. Krupa, who with his good lucks and colorful playing became a matinee idol, changed the image of drummers forever.
Gene Krupa made history with his first record. For a session in 1927 with the McKenzie-Condon Chicagoans, he became the first musician to use a full drum set on records. He was part of the Chicago jazz scene of the 1920s before moving to New York and worked in the studios during the early years of the Depression. In December 1934 he joined Benny Goodman's new orchestra and for the next three years he was an important part of BG's pacesetting big band. Krupa, whose use of the bass drum was never too subtle, starred with Goodman's Trio and Quartet and his lengthy drum feature "Sing, Sing, Sing" in 1937 was historic. After he nearly stole the show at BG's 1938 Carnegie Hall Concert, Krupa and Goodman had a personality conflict and Gene soon departed to form his own orchestra. It took the drummer a while to realize with his band that drum solos were not required on every song! Such fine players as Vido Musso, Milt Raskin, Floyd O'Brien, Sam Donahue, Shorty Sherock and the excellent singer Irene Daye were assets to Krupa's Orchestra and "Drum Boogie" was a popular number but it was not until 1941 when he had Anita O'Day and Roy Eldridge that Krupa's big band really took off. Among his hits from 1941-42 were "Let Me Off Uptown," "After You've Gone," "Rockin' Chair" and "Thanks for the Boogie Ride." Krupa made several film appearances during this period, including a very prominent featured spot in the opening half hour of the Howard Hawks comedy Ball of Fire, performing an extended version of "Drum Boogie" (with Roy Eldridge also featured), and William Dieterle's faux jazz history, Syncopation. Unfortunately Krupa was arrested on a trumped-up drug charge in 1943, resulting in bad publicity, a short jail sentence and the breakup of his orchestra.

In September 1943 he had an emotional reunion with Benny Goodman (who happily welcomed him back to the music world). Krupa also worked briefly with Tommy Dorsey before putting together another big band in mid-1944, one that had a string section. The strings only lasted a short time but Krupa was able to keep his band working into 1951. Tenor-saxophonist Charlie Ventura and pianist Teddy Napoleon had a trio hit in "Dark Eyes" (1945), Anita O'Day returned for a time in 1945 (scoring with "Opus No. 1") and, although his own style was unchanged (being a Dixieland drummer at heart), Krupa was one of the first swing big bandleaders to welcome the influence of bebop into his group's arrangements, some of which were written by Gerry Mulligan (most notably "Disc Jockey Jump"). Among the soloists in the second Krupa Orchestra were Don Fagerquist, Red Rodney, Ventura, altoist Charlie Kennedy, tenorman Buddy Wise and in 1949 Roy Eldridge.

After breaking up his band in 1951, Krupa generally worked with trios or quartets (including such sidemen as Ventura, Napoleon, Eddie Shu, Bobby Scott, Dave McKenna, Eddie Wasserman, Ronnie Ball, Dave Frishberg and John Bunch), toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic, ran a drum school with Cozy Cole and had occasional reunions with Benny Goodman. In 1959, Columbia Pictures released The Gene Krupa Story, a biographical drama based on Krupa's life starring Sal Mineo in the title role and Red Nichols in a supporting part. Gradually worsening health in the 1960s resulted in him becoming semi-retired but Krupa remained a major name up until his death. Ironically his final recording was led by the same person who headed his first appearance on records, Eddie Condon. Gene Krupa's pre-war big-band records are gradually being released by the Classics label.

What About Best Drummers

Reply #29 – 2002-09-22 04:40:51

Honorables:
-John Bonham (duh)
-Pete Sandoval (of Morbid Angel), the fastest drummer.

Others:
Dave Lombardo, Mitch Harris, Steve Ashiem (sp?), Rikard Wermen, Stewart Copeland, Tim Alexander and one or two already mentioned...

What About Best Drummers

Reply #30 – 2002-09-22 06:44:23

I'm suprised that no one here has mentioned Nick Mason yet. I think he is one of the most underrated drummers out there. Just listen to his drumming on Atom Heart Mother or the Live in Pompeii version of One of THese Days.

I also think Scott Rockenfield of Queensryche deserves a good mention. Some of the best syncopated fills I have ever heard. Check him out on the Rockenfield/Speers cd's. His stuff is cool

What About Best Drummers

Reply #31 – 2002-09-23 11:55:15

I forgot to mention:
Robert Heaton (ex New Model Army)
Michael Dean (New Model Army)

interesting enough, their style and skill are strikingly similar..

What About Best Drummers

Reply #32 – 2002-09-24 06:44:33

Not necessarily the best (or my personal favorite), but you have to give some credit to Alex Van Halen, at least for the intro to "Hot For Teacher".

...and tangentially, any opinions on the best vocal percussionist / beat-box artist?
For raw vocal percussion, my vote's on Andrew Chaikin

(no, not the same guy as the astronaut Andrew Chaikin)

Click Tha Supah Latin (or however you spell it) has my beat-box vote, though.

What About Best Drummers

Reply #33 – 2002-09-28 03:04:28

Drummer: Daniel Seraphine

Band: Chicago

Song: I'm A Man. Blew the shit out of a pair of speakers listening to this. Was a good excuse to get a new set.

What About Best Drummers

Reply #34 – 2002-09-28 03:27:54

Max Weinberg - The E Street Band

What About Best Drummers

Reply #35 – 2002-09-28 08:42:53

oh man, i totally forgot about max! good call, hes amazing!

What About Best Drummers

Reply #36 – 2002-09-28 11:20:22

Jim Keltner with whoever he plays

aulyin

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