ALBUMS THAT HAD AN LASTING IMPACT ON YOUR DRUMMING

Kiss- Alive! (Peter Criss)
Iron Maiden- Live After Death (Nicko McBrain)
King Diamond- Abigail, Them (Mikkey Dee)
Dave Weckl- Master Plan
Yellowjackets- Greenhouse (Will Kennedy)

Also some jazz players like Buddy and Gene but no particular album.
 
The albums that inspired me as a kid inspired me the most:

Love - The Cult (playing for the song)
Flowers of Romance - Public Image (for its experimentalism)
Exit Stage Left - Rush (a drumming showcase)
Anything by the Police (for technicality)
Made in Japan - Deep Purple (the album that made me want to play drums)
 
Animals As Leaders- The Joy of Motion
Tesseract- Altered State
Justin Timberlake- futuresex/lovesounds
Enter Shikari- A Flash Flood of Colour
Anything Primus

Not a whole lot of stuff I can think of. I don't really listen to the same kinds of music that I play, which probably isn't very good for me as a musician.
 
A lot of albums had an effect on me, but not my drumming. Yes's "Close To The Edge" is a good example. Also it's more the drummer, not any particular album who affected my playing. Unbeknownst to me at the time was my main influence Hal Blaine, who is probably tied with Ringo and the Motown drummers as my #1 influence as a kid...then Danny Seraphine from Chicago influenced me heavily as a pre-teen and then Phil Ehart from Kansas, influenced me heavily as a teenager. Those guys had big effect on my playing.
 
Early on:
Black Sabbath: Vol. 4
Iron Maiden: Live After Death
Metallica: Justice

Later:
John Coltrane: Blue Train
The Melvins: Lysol, Ozma, Houdini
Big Business: Here Comes The Waterworks
Led Zeppelin: stuff here and there
 
As a latecomer to drumming, I can't claim albums, but there were always drummers whose playing stood out to a non drummer. Typically they were drummers who had a very clear stylistic voice.

John Bonham struck me as having a "fat" sound to His playing
Stewart Copeland had a delicate high hat technique
Phil Collins seemed to find ways to play grooves unlike anybody else's
Pick Withers (original drummer with Dire Straits) had very eloquent phrasing that came from surprising ways of playing things that we're original and fresh based on rhythmic cleverness rather than technical complexity.
 
When I came back to drumming after my first marriage, a break of about 10 years, I wanted to play along on my E Drums to bands and songs which were played at similar paces to the music our band play...

So I owe a debt of gratitude to Weezer for their Blue Album and Sham69 for their album 'That's Life'.
 
Miles Davis Quintet—Workin'
Billy Cobham—Spectrum
Van Halen—Van Halen II
Rush—Moving Pictures
John Coltrane—My Favorite Things
Chick Corea—The Mad Hatter
Miles Davis Quintet—E.S.P.
Thelonious Monk—Brilliant Corners
Sonny Rollins—Saxophone Colossus
 
Miles Davis Quintet—Workin'
Billy Cobham—Spectrum
Van Halen—Van Halen II
Rush—Moving Pictures
John Coltrane—My Favorite Things
Chick Corea—The Mad Hatter
Miles Davis Quintet—E.S.P.
Thelonious Monk—Brilliant Corners
Sonny Rollins—Saxophone Colossus

Killer list, love the VH II reference - a criminally under-appreciated album, even among VH aficionados. The mini drum solo in Light Up the Sky and awesome drum fills in Outta Love Again are highlights for me.
 
Here are some great albums (with great drumming) from the past 40 years or so:

Get the Knack, The Knack: Bruce Gary

Led Zeppelin IV, Led Zeppelin: John Bonham

Eat to the Beat, Blondie: Clem Burke

Crash and Burn, Pat Travers: Tommy Aldridge

Unleashed in the East, Judas Priest: Les Binks

Number of the Beast, Iron Maiden: Clive Burr

Spring Session M, Missing Persons: Terry Bozzio

Truth or Soul, Fishbone: Phillip "Fish" Fisher

Ghost of a Dog, Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians: Matt Chamberlain

Badmotorfinger, Soungarden: Matt Cameron

Blast Tyrant, Clutch: Jean Paul Gaster
 
Miles Davis Workin’/Steamin’/Cookin’ Philly Joe
Chick Corea Friends Steve Gadd
Muddy Waters Hard Again Willie Smith
King Crimson Discipline Bill Bruford
Tower of Power Back to Oakland David Garibaldi
Al Green Lets Stay Together/I’m Still in Love with You Al Jackson, etc..
Meters Look Ka Py Py Zigaboo
Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Nigel Olssen
Bob Marley Exodus Carlton Barrett
 
Oh man. Way too many to post here.

Recently though. I'd say Yob's "The Great Cessation"

I'd say I spent the first incarnation of my drumming life really idolizing guys like Gene Hoglan, Danny Carey, Bill Bruford, Sean Reinert.....guys who can make a mess of notes sound like a well constructed highway of insanity.

That was fine for the bands I was in back then. But what works now is a more slow handed, deliberate approach that's still every bit as aggressive and rationalized. I kinda got turned onto that through The Melvins albums like "Bullhead", "Stoner Witch", "Lysol", ect. and found elaboration through Boris' "Amplifier Worship" or bands like Ufomammut and Sleep.

The stuff Travis Foster plays with Yob just fits so well...huge, spacious....fills placed in just the right quantities at the end of phrases....they sound like a single brained machine marching along over the listener. You listen to what he's doing with the right mindset and you instantly realize that it's so deceptively simplified...but try leaving those gorges and canyons in your own playing with that amount of intensity coming from the other guys. He's never gonna win a favorites poll in a magazine, but he's a huge part of Yobs ability to take you on a ride. Much respect.


check for yourself
 
Just off the top of my head, from high school ....
Chicago 1-3
Blood Sweat and Tears 2-4
Led Zeppelin 1-4
Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced and Live at Monterey
 
Miles Davis Quintet—Workin'
Billy Cobham—Spectrum
Van Halen—Van Halen II
Rush—Moving Pictures
John Coltrane—My Favorite Things
Chick Corea—The Mad Hatter
Miles Davis Quintet—E.S.P.
Thelonious Monk—Brilliant Corners
Sonny Rollins—Saxophone Colossus

Oh good lord, yes. Some of my favorite Gadd, especially on Humpty Dumpty. Great list.
 
In release order...

Billy Cobham - Spectrum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aw2rM0w-pc

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Billy Cobham

Jon Lord - Before I Forget https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9OFZ9Mh7GA

before-i-forget-lp.jpg


Ian Paice - Simon Phillips - Cozy Powell

Russ Ballard - Russ Ballard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6qzfJ1EG88

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Simon Phillips

Nik Kershaw - The Works https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd8fTfDK-Vs

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Vinnie Colaiuta - Jeff Porcaro

Thank for this list! Just checked out Nik Kershaw for the first time- I'd never heard of him. Classic, killing, studio Vinnie.
 
Oh boy, let's see:

McCoy Tyner - The Real McCoy / Elvin Jones
Pat Metheny - Question & Answer / Roy Haynes
George Duke - Reach For It / Ndugu Leon Chancler
Miles Davis - Nefertiti / Tony Williams
Bill Frisell - Where In The World / Joey Baron
Pat Metheny - Rejoicing / Billy Higgins
The Police - Ghost In The Machine / Stewart Copeland
Keith Jarrett - Belonging / Jon Christensen
Paul Motian - Dance
Michael Brecker - Michael Brecker / Jack Dejohnette
Thelonious Monk - It's Monk's Time / Ben Riley
 
Power Station - Power Station - Tony Thompson
Vulgar Display of Power - Pantera - Vinnie Paul
In the Jungle Groove - James Brown - Clyde/Jabo
Keep on Movin' - Soul II Soul
Permanent Waves - Rush - Neil Peart
Power Windows - Rush - Neil Peart
Metal Fatigue - Alan Holdsworth - Chad Wackerman
Rhythm of The Soul - Dave Weckl
Fragile - Yes - Bill Bruford
Alien - Strapping Young Lad - Gene Hoglan
Spirit - Earth, Wind & Fire - Fred White, Ralph Johnson, Maurice White
Bump City - Tower of Power - David Garibaldi
Reinventing the Steel - Pantera - Vinnie Paul
 
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